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St. Paul Academy & Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN April 2014. Volume XLI. Issue VII.
The SpARTan of selfEXPRESSION
Students use their bodies as canvases
Cover Story p. 8-9
Illustration Credit: Ava Gallagher
Feature p. 7
Planned Parenthood teens talk sexual health education
In Depth p.10-11
Community expresses and challenges gender issues
Sports p.14-16
Spring sports teams sprint into action on court and field
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Cover Design: Hannah Johnson
About the Cover...
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St. Paul Academy & Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN April 2014. Volume XLI. Issue VII.
The SpARTan
self-
of
EXPRESSION
Students use their bodies as canvases Cover Story p. 8-9
Students and teachers talk tattoos and hair color, piercings and scars this month. “I wanted to mark this time in my life, sort of, the pre-earring part of my life from the post-earring,” US Math teacher Dan O’Loughlin said.
Illustration Credit: Ava Gallagher
Feature p. 7
Planned Parenthood teens talk sexual health education
In Depth p.10-11
Community expresses and challenges gender issues
Sports p.14-16
Cover Story 8-9
Spring sports teams sprint into action on court and field
2 N EWS
Senior Charlotte Hughes stands at the information board where all PEP sponsored events are posted. Pending approval, “we want all those who would like to get their hands dirty to come help us install the rain garden,” sophomore PEP member Ora Hammel said.
PEP plans advisory Earth Day Charlotte Hughes, co-President of People for Environmental Protection announced Earth Day advisory activities for Apr. 24. Participating advisories made seed bombs: balls of dirt, seeds, and clay. “When they are thrown onto a patch of ground [outside], the seed bombs grow a scattering of native flowers,” Hughes said. Advisories were also encouraged to have a lights-out day to conserve energy. Photo Credit: Catherine Braman The group is working with the city to finalize plans for a rain garden behind the football field.
April 2014. Vol XLI. IssueVII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Huss Center plans announced
Design blends elements from various architectural styles Eva Perez-Greene
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In Depth Editor
It’s final. St. Paul Academy and Summit School is building the Huss Center for the Performing Arts, a project that’s lingered patiently in the back of students’ and administrators’ minds since the 1980s. “The number of performers we have at this school is immense and its at the point where the places we have to work with right now aren’t the best for the amount of kids that we have. It’s too crowded,” junior Asad Masood said. Head of School of School Bryn Roberts along with the two chief architects, Tim Carl and Nancy Blankford, formally presented their plans for the center on April 7 to Middle and Upper School students, opening up the presentation for questions at the end. From carpeting selections to brick color schemes, Roberts’ responses about the building plans were comprehensive. With 18.7 million dollars raised and counting, construction will start with clearing out the parking lot adjacent to Drake Arena as well as some land west of the Randolph Campus. The center, in its beautiful and finished state, is scheduled to open in the summer of 2015. “We devoted a great deal of attention to what the campus needed and after months of work, the architects have come up with a plan,” Roberts said. The center has a modern, forward looking
Head of School Bryn Roberts and the HGA architects presented information to students, using digital illustrations [including these], of the new Huss Center for Performing Arts. The center is designed by architects Tim Carl and Nancy Blankford. “[The PAC] is designed to point in a very positive, innovative direction for the school,” Roberts said.
Illustration submitted by: Andrew Bradford
Photo Credit: Eva Perez-Greene Junior Daniela Tiedemann asks Architects Tim Carl and Nancy Blankford, along with Head of School Bryn Roberts, about plans for the Huss Center after the presentation Questions ranged from entry points from the bus stop to environmentally friendly features that the new space will incorporate in the building. “The number of performers we do have at this school is immense, and it’s at the point where the places we have to work with right now aren’t the best for the amount of kids that we have,” junior Asad Masood said.
design which makes use of spaces effectively. “We wanted the architects to come up with an innovative, bold design that drew its inspiration from what’s here and found a way to complement it,” Roberts said. From an aesthetic standpoint, the plans present an amalgamation of the school’s older and newer architectural styles. For example, the color of the new building’s brick facade will draw from both the color of the bricks of the original campus building and its most recent expansion. That being said, the center is designed to look distinctly differ-
ent from anything on campus: a fresh, modern construction as opposed to an extension. “We have a fabulous performing arts program, but we lack a first rate performing space where our students can be the very best they can be,” Roberts said. He and others working on the performing arts center have consulted with skilled acousticians and lighting experts in New York City as well as the architects, sound technicians, and construction company which renovated the Ordway theater in St. Paul. The center will house two performing spaces, a 650 seat audito-
rium with a proscenium stage as well as a space the size of Bigelow Commons that seats 180 on removable seating and is similar to a black box with glass walls. The building’s design includes a two-story loft space for set design and a parking garage into which sets can be loaded and unloaded directly into the scene shop. The Huss Center for the Performing Arts will touch the SPA community and the broader community. “We need a gathering place and the Huss Center will give us this space,” Roberts commented. Student art will be
the new Independent Metro Area Conference. The continuation of conference play came as a relief for junior Tyler Seplak, who will captain both the soccer and hockey teams next year. “[Withdrawing from the Tri-Metro conference] was a disappointment, to say the least,” he said. “We had some great rivalries, and although we would have continued to play those teams, it wouldn’t have been the same without the conference title to play for.” A primary consideration for the school administration and Athletic Department was the compatibility of the IMAC schools’ priorities. “We are schools that have very similar values around academics and the role of athletics in a comprehensive education. We also
have very similar academic calendars and athletic offerings, so this results in stronger and better rivalries, and improved scheduling,” Sawkins said. While competing in a conference with a slate of traditional rivals with athletic programs felt like an ideal outcome for the Athletic Department, Sawkins stressed that SPA was not looking for a replacement after withdrawing from the Tri-Metro. “We had every intention of playing an independent schedule in 2014-15… the idea of a conference evolved after discussions with people within our community and with other independent schools,” he said. “For me, this selection is perfect,” Sawkins said. “A six-team conference is a very reasonable size, and I think we kept our five biggest and important rivalries.”
Founding Members
showcased on the lobby’s walls, assemblies and senior speeches will be held in the main auditorium, faculty meetings will be held in the second performing space, and seniors will be able to lounge in the center’s lobby during the school day. The center will also support performing arts in the broader community by allowing outside productions to rent its spaces on the weekends. “As in everything we undertake, we should strive for excellence, and that is what this center enables us to do,” Roberts said. Sophomore Taylor Reints agrees with Roberts: “To make SPA over the top with having everything and giving every opportunity a student could have, we need a performing arts center. Somewhere where people can feel free to express themselves.”
School announces new athletic conference Thomas Toghramadjian
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Opinions Editor
While the announcement last fall to withdraw from the Tri-Metro Conference had clear benefits, Spartan athletes were also set to lose the advantages inherent in conference play. Most notably, Athletic Director Peter Sawkins said, conference participation allows teams to “play for conference championship team honors as well as individual All-Conference recognition.” Now St. Paul Academy and Summit School is set to regain those privileges. SPA, along with former Tri-Metro rivals Minnehaha Academy, Providence Academy, Breck School, Mounds Park Academy, and the Blake School, have joined together and founded
Independent Metro Area Conference
Illustration Credit: Netta Kaplan Six independent schools founded the new Independent Metro Area Conference. “I think we kept our five biggest and most important rivalries,” junior Tyler Seplak said.
Students step into new leadership roles for elected Tuesday groups
Students in grades eight through eleven gathered in Briggs Gymnasium on April 23 to hear candidates’ speeches for leadership positions on Upper School Council, Student Activities Committee, and Discipline Committee. A total of eighteen students ran for top positions, a high number compared to that of recent years. Students voted for their favorite candidates outside the dining hall during lunch hours. The election results were posted outside of Dean Cummins’ office after school, much to the excitement of the anticipating students. You can check out the results in the Dean’s office or on rubiconline.com.
Sophomore Riley Wheaton gives his campaign speech for chair of the Discipline Committee at the elections assembly on April 23. Wheaton was chosen among three other candidates for the position of Discipline Committee chair.
Photo Credit: Boraan Abdulkarim
N EWS 3 April 2014. Vol XLI. IssueVII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Upcoming Sadie’s dance to include everyone
Space Science students gaze at blood moon
Jackson Lea
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Photo submitted by: Steve Heilig From left: seniors Ann Hill, Josh Johnson, Dylan White, Emun Solomon, Lowell Naas, and Bryant Carlson write notes during their retreat on April 2. “ A large part of the purpose is to... acknowledge where you’ve come from, and acknowledge where you’re going,” SCLC advisor Eric Severson said. Photo submitted by: Steve Heilig Senior Cynthia Zheng observes the blood moon during the Space Science class’s star party. “There’s a difference between classroom learning and experiential learning,” senior Bilal Askari, a member of the Space Science class, said. “It was really very enjoyable and educational.”
Noor Qureishy
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Staff Writer
During the early hours of dawn on April 15, most students were fast asleep in their beds, unaware of the scarlet tinged moon blazing in the sky above them. However, Upper School science teacher Steve Heilig’s Space Science class was not only aware of this celestial marvel, but observed the lunar eclipse from the St. Paul Academy and Summit School Randolph campus itself, engaging in a kind of sleepover/ eclipse party in the dead of night. “It’s the first time we’ve had something like this,” Heilig said. “We brought food, we had movies, but we didn’t watch them… [during the eclipse] we went to the courtyard to look through the telescopes; the students were so excited about it.” The lunar eclipse that the Space Science class witnessed was “not a common thing, but not really rare either,” Heilig added. This was the first lunar eclipse of 2014, one of a minimum of two that occur within a single year. “There’s a difference between classroom learning and experiential learning,” senior Bilal Askari said. “It was really very enjoyable and educational.” Check out The Rubicon Online for images from the lunar eclipse party. - www.rubiconline.
Class Retreats facilitate transition
Seniors say farewell, juniors solidify identity Eva Perez-Greene
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In Depth Editor
As seniors prepare to depart on Senior Project and juniors plan to rise to privileges, retreats help guide them on the path to their next step.
Junior Retreat
Plans for junior retreat are underway and as the much anticipated tradition approaches, juniors, who’ve heard a wide variety of stories from their older peers, are growing excited and nervous. Juniors leave for Camp Courage in Maple Lake on April 30 and return on May 2. The camp caters to retreats of all kinds with its spacious meeting rooms, relatively spacious cabins, and wide variety of recreational options including a swimming pool, game room, and hiking trails. The Junior Class Leadership Council and faculty have prepared well in advance for the retreat in the hopes of uniting the rising senior class by helping it establish a sense of identity. “The Class of 2015 is a great group of students. I hope they have a unifying experience,” JCLC advisor Mary Lincoln said. The JCLC surveyed the junior class to help draw a more accurate picture of its strengths and weaknesses. They will use the data to tailor activities to the Class of 2015’s profile. The council read and synthesized the large volume of deep, extensive responses collected and relayed this information to Dean of Students Judy Cummins and Upper School Counselor Susanna Short. JCLC plans to distribute the Class of 2015’s official t-shirt at
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A large part of the purpose [of the retreat] is to explore the power of leave taking, and how to say goodbye to a community. S C L C a d v i s or E r i c S e v e r s on
the junior retreat. Hopefully juniors will be able to wear their t-shirts at the retreat which was scheduled later this year, in part, out of concern for unpredictable weather. Because the current junior class has a greater number of students with faculty parents than is typical, a new challenge to the administration was to determine which faculty members can chaperone. Mattie Daub, daughter of Short and a junior isn’t worried about the prospect of attending junior retreat with her mother. “There isn’t really anything I feel like saying to the whole class and I know she [Short] isn’t going to be in any of the small groups,” Daub said. The administration hasn’t solved this issue yet, but there has been some talk about sending teachers who work primarily with underclassmen on the retreat. “I just don’t know how realistic that’s going to be, but that is the question,” Short said.
Senior Retreat The senior retreat was broken up across a several school days, with some components lost this
year due to the cold weather and missed school. Seniors finished the last portion of their retreat together in the lower and upper libraries on April 2. The senior retreat’s aims were reflective of the class’s transitional position in life. “A large part of the purpose is to explore the power of leave taking, learn how to say goodbye to a community, acknowledge where you’ve come from, and acknowledge where you’re going,” SCLC advisor Eric Severson said. In line with the forward focused mentality, situations seniors might encounter at college were addressed with practical information at the senior retreat. Much more occurred at the eight hour long senior retreat; however, as it’s customary to keep retreats somewhat mysterious for each rising class, not much is known about the activities seniors did at their final retreat. Grade-level retreats are an annual tradition, beginning with the ninth grade orientation/retreat in September, the service-focused sophomore retreat in the winter, and culminating in the upperclassmen retreats in the spring.
Staff Writer
There has been excitement and confusion about the upcoming Sadie’s dance scheduled for May 10. The Sadie’s mix and match dance will defy the gender norms by encouraging the ladies to do the asking. However, the school won’t strictly adhere to the classic Sadies format and will include all forms of asking. Any combination, including a group of friends of course is encouraged to fit the theme of mixing and matching. The concept includes complementary or identical costumes; for example, a nurse and doctor to “mix”, or identical clothing or costumes to “match.” Prizes will be awarded to the couple, group, or individual who sports the best costume ensemble. The dance will be deejayed by members of SAC using a playlist compiled by the student body. Suggestions are welcomed. The dance will be held in the lunch room from 8:00-10:30 p.m. on May 10.
Sadie’s 411:
your questions answered Q: So if people can ask anyone, why is it even called a Sadie’s? A: SPA is an all inclusive school and one of our values with regards to dances is flexibility. There will be students who want girls to ask guys, and that’s great. Others will go in groups, or as same sex couples. That’s great too!
Q: Will it be formal? A: No, the lunchroom is not the most romantic or formal setting. Instead, SAC encourages costumes as a fun alternative.
Q: It’s coming up fast. How will I ask someone? A: May 10 still allows for some time, but students really shouldn’t feel pressured to bring a date. Go with your friends! Go by yourself! The emphasis lies more on the mix and match aspect than the date part. Don’t stress about it just have fun with the theme.
4 O P I N ION S
April 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VII.
STAFF
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Staff Editorial
the rubicon
2013-14 Editor-in-Chief Hannah Johnson
Online Editor-in-Chief Print Managing Editor Lucy Li Chief Visual Editor Ava Gallagher Co-News Editors Nina Zietlow John Wilhelm Opinions Editor Thomas Toghramadjian Co-Sports Editors Catherine Braman Katrina Hilton Cover Story Editor Boraan Abdulkarim Feature Editor Gita Raman A&E Editor Laura Slade In Depth Editor Eva Perez-Greene Copy Editor Netta Kaplan Columnist Nick Cohen Adviser Kathryn Campbell
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Staff Writers Zeeshawn Abid Patrick Commers Ali Duval Diane Huang Meghan Joyce Mari Knudson Jackson Lea Eva Malloy Jordan Moradian Noor Qureishy Amodhya Samarakoon Emily Thissen Clare Tipler Paul Watkins Javier Whitaker-Castaneda
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the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 AWARDS JEM All-State Gold (Print and Online) MHSPA Best in Show 1st Place - Print 5th Place - Online NSPA All American w/3 Marks of Distinction CSPA Gold Medal w/All Columbian Honors
Success requires ability to cope with failure
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Failing forces us to reflect on a situation and set new goals. How is success defined? For a student at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, what does this really mean? How is success measured? It is easy to think of success as a simple concept that highlights things like superb test scores, athletic prowess, exceptional grades, accolades in areas of debate, music, and journalism. But everyone has their own definition of the word success. As individuals and high school students, we come together as a community where students pursue different paths in the hope of find success that will lead to more success after high school. At SPA, prevailing opinion holds that graded success matters more than personal success. With the pressures students have to achieve top notch grades in order to be admitted into the top colleges, the definition of success gets very narrow. The seasonal
Editorial Cartoon: Diane Huang
There are many paths to success but no matter what, there will be detours and pit-stops along the way. SPA awards ceremony acknowledges student success by some pre-determined set of criteria. Is there an award for a student who is “successfully” average? One would like to think that every student at SPA can identify with success by virtue of his or her ability to determine and define it. To take a different approach, maybe one’s ability to cope with failure provides a person with the tools needed to achieve bigger and better goals. While it takes a great person to succeed, it takes a greater person to deal with fail-
ure. Failure is a part of life. Even though it is painful to fail, we grow in character, and we grow as stronger human beings when we don’t succeed. Sometimes failing causes us to quit or give up. We decide that success is unattainable in a particular endeavor. That is not necessarily a bad thing. It is a dose of reality to understand that not everyone gets A’s, not everyone makes the team, and not everyone gets a solo.
On the other hand, failing sometimes helps us work harder for our successes. It forces us to reflect on a situation and set new goals that may lead to future success. Regardless of how one sees it, success is relative. Throughout the high school journey, there should be an awareness of how rare a place like SPA truly is: a community with teachers, administrators, and student have the desire to support students both in their success and in their failures.
Mini-Editorials
Common Ground Make the most of Homework reduction goals provides valuable remaining time perspective with Class of 2014 aren’t met
Common Ground presented vignettes of personal experiences at an Upper School Assembly on April 15. These experiences involved racial issues and events that harbored a deeper meaning to the individuals. It was wonderful to see fellow classmates show such vulnerable versions of themselves. Hopefully this will lead to more assemblies with different perspectives and experiences which focus on other internal struggles separate from students’ visible diversity. There should be a regular outlet for students to share their stories of struggle. There are many issues, like race which aren’t discussed as openly as the community believes. These topics range from sexuality, to social exclusivity, to family and health problems. Hopefully Common Ground and other student groups can bring in more students with perspectives to bravely share and use their stories to open the eyes of their classmates, no matter what background, to continue building awareness and empathy.
In a matter of days, walking through the senior hallways will feel like venturing through a ghost town. Senior Project begins in May when the senior class will pursue internships and experience in the workforce. This departure will be felt throughout the community, from junior-senior English electives cutting their sizes in half to new leadership in student groups. Though current seniors will not be on campus, this does not mean that they are no longer part of the SPA community. While it might be hard, goodbyes need to be said. Don’t forget your favorite seniors during the month of May, but instead reach out to them more and update them on your life at SPA. When you see a stray senior returning to campus, don’t be hesitant to say hello. Senior Project is a transition for both the seniors and the rest of the Upper School to adjust to life without the Class of 2014 on campus. Make sure the seniors’ send off is a sweet one but remember, it is not a goodbye but a see-you-soon.
Upper School students are experiencing a heavy workload this year, and they weren’t expecting it. When the school proposed the new block schedule, students were ecstatic- four classes a day and at least one block free. It’s true that students have longer classes where more in-depth discussions take place and have more time to work on labs, but the administration was incorrect when it stated that the homework load would decrease. This year, students have continued to be overwhelmed with work due to lack of adherence to the 45-minute rule. The increase in homework has taken time away from students’ lives instead of giving them time to explore subjects more deeply. Additionally, due dates for major projects in different classes tend to coincide. Teachers should refine their estimatation of how much time assignments truly take, and collaborate to avoid overlapping important deadlines. If they don’t, even more students will begin to fall behind.
The Rubicon Editorial Policy: The Rubicon editorials are representative of the opinions of the Staff Editorial Board, which is made up of all students in journalism/Editorial Leadership. All other opinion pieces are the opinions of the authors themselves.
The Rubicon Letters Policy: The Rubicon welcomes letters to the editor. They can be mailed to us or e-mailed rubicon.spa@gmail.com. Letters should be limited to 150-200 words and published by discretion of The Rubicon staff. MEMBERSHIPS National Scholastic Press Assoc. MN High School Press Assoc. Columbia Scholastic Press Assoc. Quill and Scroll Honor Society
O P I N ION S 5 April 2014. Vol XXXXI. Issue VII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
The case for computer science classes Pace of digital revolution makes tech education imperative Paul Watkins
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Staff Writer
The computer, assigned to every student at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, is able to connect to the world-wide network of over a billion computers we call the Internet, and can access the sum of nearly all human discovery, knowledge, and creativity in a matter of seconds. With it, everyone, regardless of status or background, is able to publish anything they want to, free of cost, for the entire world to see. This was a privilege once granted to the noblest or wisest of people. Now anyone with access to a computer, a number that is rising quickly and will eventually and inevitably become a number about equal to the population of the world, can publish anything they want to, free of cost and for anyone to see. As computers become more powerful and less expensive, almost all jobs that require no intuition or human reasoning are able to be automated with computers or robotics. Yet we find that it is the small group that is passionate about computers and willing to learn that language, that is able to effectively and powerfully work and program computers. This seems completely backwards from the idealistic vision of an information-age civilization. Anyone should be able to effectively program computers. In Doug Engelbart’s 1968 “Mother of all Demos” at Stanford University (available for free to watch), Engelbart demon-
FAST FACT
A 2013 Oxford University study predicts that 45% of currently existing jobs will be performed by computers within 20 years.
strates the stuff that makes computers of 2014 computers. The first mouse. The first true word processor as we know it today. The first hypertext page. The first video conference. The first modern interface. These are all features we take for granted, we view them as our tools, our opportunities to learn more, to interact more, to feel more. But at one point they were so far-flung that people imagined personal computers as wooden boxes with an array of blinking lights. Now it is cheap, inexpensive computers that are enabling a new generation of developers, designers, and consumers. Our smartphones, sometimes costing less than $200, are a breakthrough in communications. The Raspberry Pi, a $25 computer the size of a credit card, is already being used in classrooms worldwide and is serving as an educational tool for the millions of people who can’t
Clare Tipler
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Photo Illustration: Paul Watkins This ubiquitous 16-gigabyte memory card has over 200,000 times the memory capacity of the computer program that guided Apollo spacecraft, according to Computer Weekly. In the context of the steep curve of technological advancement, starting a computer science course is a clear and immediate necessity.
afford a larger computer or who don’t have regular access to one. In a school that “shapes the hearts and minds of the people who will change the world,” the administration should realize that the ones who can program computers are the ones who are changing the world. Computer literacy will be as important a skill to have as reading or writing in 5 years, and many jobs are at that threshold. Distributing computers is a great step, but to shape its students’ minds for the Silicon Valley job that will inevitably become the American job, SPA needs to offer a computer science class or integrate language-learning into logic-based classes like mathematics. The St. Paul Academy and Summit School administration is already taking commendable steps to offer a computer science class, but in order to fully take advantage of the unique opportunity
its students are presented, it needs to instate one as quickly as possible. The rapid pace of innovation makes educating a generation of technologically literate students every bit as important as the rest of SPA’s traditional liberal arts curriculum. We are witnessing a technological revolution before our eyes. Smartphones and portable computers are only the beginning. Wearable computing has manifested itself in forms like Google Glass or running devices like Android Wear. Medicine is starting to utilize computers smaller than a fingernail for implantable devices. Computers like the Nest thermostat and lighting or security systems connected to the internet are making our homes self-aware. These devices will become our smartphones and computers in the coming years, and it’s time to get ready.
Take advantage of the first breath of spring Javier Whitaker-Castaneda
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Staff Writer
Is it spring yet? This is the question that Minnesotans have been asking for a long time. Now, nearing the end of April, the answer can finally be yes. Springtime is often associated with blooming flowers, rain showers, and more sunlight hours. Despite all these open-air inferences that come with spring, high school students in the open air is not one of them. Now it’s time to come out of hibernation and enjoy the few warm months we get during the Minnesota school year. The outdoors is calling and there are so many different ways you can spend your time there. You can call your friends and start a pick-up game of, well, anything. You can read a book in a more comfortable, sunny environment. You could even just do your homework outside to have a change of scenery from a stuffy desk or lightless classroom. Now is the best time to head outside because there is finally nothing in our way. It was a rough winter with multiple heavy snow-
falls and the lowest temperatures since the winter of 1978. Now that it is sunny, and the ground is actually visible, there is nothing stopping us from trading our confined, indoor winter hangouts for open-air paradise. You also don’t have to limit yourself to outdoor activities only after school. Students should congregate throughout the school day in common areas around campus, especially the outdoors ones. According to the student handbook “Common areas are available throughout the school for students to gather, study, and relax during free periods.” The second and third locations named on the list of common areas are the Lily courtyard and the front lawn, but do we use them as much as we use the library, the lunchroom, or hallways? In the last quarter of the school year the stresses of school work can really add up. To relieve these stresses and to help focus you on your school work it can be useful to spend time outside. To take a break from studying for final exams or pushing through to the end of that last class unit it can be nice to relax in the sun for a while.
Try to make a difference for Earth Day every day
Illustration Credit:Javier Whitaker-Castaneda
There is nothing stopping us from trading our confined, indoor winter hangouts for open-air paradise. Finally spring is in full swing and we have to remember to take advantage of it while it’s here. (but keep your fingers crossed so it won’t snow in May). We have numerous opportunities, not only outside of school hours, but during free periods and rec-
reational times to enjoy the outdoors. Instead of goofing off on your laptop or taking a nap try embracing Minnesota’s newly warm weather; after all, who knows how long it will last?
Staff Writer
There are so many easy things students can do to help the environment: plant a tree, recycle, bike to school. Earth Day on April 22 is a day of the year that is dedicated to helping our earth, but do enough people know about this holiday and is just one day enough to make a difference? Students and people in general need to spend more time helping the environment. “Every day should be Earth Day and there should be more general awareness of how the Earth impacts our lives and how we can help the environment,” freshman Moira McCarthy said. “Due to climate change, it is becoming a more important holiday and should be recognized,” freshman Emerson Egly said. There are several effective ways to spread the word in the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community that would boost awareness. One way would be to have posters displaying information, organizations, and ways students can help on Earth Day. “SPA should have something like for MLK day where ideas for how to help are posted somewhere so students could get involved,”senior Kaia Findlay said. The SPA community can become better educated about the environmental problems facing our generation by reading and educating themselves. The last great way to raise awareness would be blue sheet announcements including all of the aforementioned resources. Earth Day is a great opportunity to raise awareness about global environmental issues, but it shouldn’t be viewed as the only day of the entire year to do something for the Earth. Little acts of enviromental conservation may seem small, but if a student did something small every day for five years, think about how much they could accomplish. “If everyone could pick up litter for at least 5 minutes just walking outside or something, we could make such a difference,” McCarthy said. SPA is teaching students to change the world, but the only way they can be knowledgeable enough to make a difference is to obtain some education beyond what SPA can give. To truly make a difference, a certain world and environmental competence is needed and the way to get this is to read. Read about all topics relevant to climate change. And after you read, do something about it. Don’t be a bystander saying that someone else will help, because if not you, then who?
6 O P I N ION S
April 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Keep awards assemblies in perspective John Wilhelm
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Illustration Credit: Ali Duval
Appearance-based judgements create unfair conclusions Ali Duval
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Staff Writer
Assumptions are everywhere, made with every glance and sentence spoken. First impressions are apparently the most important, and clothes, hair colours, ethnicities, social group and disabilities can cause people to come to snap judgments about their personalities. “People make judgments based on everything. Clothes, skin, hair, size… There are certain things that are so ingrained in our society that its hard to overcome them because you’re not really thinking about them and that’s really bad. They’re a part of everyday life,” junior Sonja Mischke said. And it’s true. Everybody, at some point, makes an unfair judgement about somebody. Some students choose to dye their hair certain colours or bleach it, and occasionally these people receive negative responses. “I don’t know if people at school treated me differently after I dyed my hair, but a lot more people are giving me advice on what I should do with my hair without me asking for the advice,” freshman Phoebe Pannier said. “I guess I knew it would happen since nobody bleaches their hair if they don’t want people to notice, so it makes sense that people think you want attention, and for them to give you their attention, but I’d rather people didn’t make those comments.” Stereotypes on almost every aspect of life are filtered through our heads through media, friends, and practically everyone, so common and accepted that people often forget to fight against them. “I don’t think people should make assumptions based on first
impressions, but basically everyone does anyway. I find it irritating when people judge me instantly, but I judge others sometimes as well so I can’t really get annoyed by it too much,” Pannier said. Assumptions take forms other than judging based on appearance. Certain groups of people, as well, are classified as one thing or another. “A common stereotype that I’ve seen throughout SPA is the hockey boys stereotype. The kind of person who has lots of flow and doesn’t totally care about school and that they always stay in this tight knit group. It’s pretty fitting; not to play devil’s advocate, but stereotypes do kind of come out of truth, to some extent,” freshman Ewan Lang said. St Paul Academy and Summit School is a very healthy, inclusive environment, but life in school can still be influenced by this tendency to judge. Even here, with all the effort we take to include everybody,, the ways of the unfair world seep in. Instead of making these judgements, we need to go forth with an unbiased state of mind until we can make firm, factual decisions about a person, based on their personality and their soul, not of their appearance. Stereotypes can make it difficult to get to know somebody, since they may already think they know somebody before having even had a conversation. So, instead of making these stereotypes, we need to let the other person tell us, through actions and their personalities, if we are going to like them. After knowing a person for a while, and knowing what they are like, then we can form an opinion about them.
News Editor
While X-period is generally a welcome break for busy students, three times a year its arrival is heralded by a ubiquitous groan: “Ugh, we have an awards assembly today?” Overarching opinion towards awards assemblies is predominantly negative. Most students like to think they have better things to do than sit for 45 minutes and clap while teachers spend their time heinously mispronouncing names, and that’s not unwarranted. There are a number of clear disadvantages to awards assemblies; they occur during time that would be otherwise free, and have a way of sneaking up right as you’ve got something planned for that X-period. Negative opinions about the assemblies go further, though. Combined with the ever-increasing standards of college admission, the tone of awards assemblies and the like has spawned a race of super-students who feed on productivity and defecate achievement. As a culture, we can tend to overemphasize the importance of “awards assemblies”, and give the false notion that life is about the destination and not the journey. The problem with, of course, is twofold: Over-achieving itself isn’t bad, but too much focus on it and we lose sight of reality. We end up in the Twilight zone, the furthest end of the spectrum—collegeconfidential. com, where super-student support groups guide people through the emotional minefield of scoring a 2390 on the SAT. And all the while, a contingent
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Combined with the everincreasing standards of college admissions, the tone of awards assemblies ... has spawned a race of super-students who feed on productivity and defecate achievment. of super-students can leave the others in the dust, feeling decidedly mediocre. Spending years, bored, seated in the bleachers as a select group of students consistently receive recognition can lead to a sense of futility and inadequacy among the rest of the student body. If awards assemblies can be as harmful to other students as to those they seek to recognize, the question arises: why even bother having them? Truthfully, you can achieve a peaceful symbiosis with awards assemblies by making a few simple changes in mindset. The first change is likely the most widely applicable and difficult one: realizing that one person’s success is not your own failure. As a school environment that fosters a bit of healthy competition, this can be counterintuitive for some, but switching the focus from “this person achieved what I didn’t” to “I’m happy for this person’s success” can alleviate a lot of grief. The second change is simpler, albeit far more trite: don’t let the achievement get to your head. This doesn’t necessarily mean
“don’t be a jerk”—it also means recognize the level of what you’re achieving, and try to keep it in perspective. All in all, awards assemblies don’t seem that terrible. In reality, the awards assembly’s role in the creation of a “super-student” is auxiliary at best, and it’s likely that any effective cultural backlash would be as ingrained as the mindset itself. It’s possible that the most heinous thing about an awards assembly is the robbery of 45 minutes during X-period, because no one has invented time refunds yet. But when someone does, they’ll get an award for it. It may seem trite, but the best way to deal with such a dreaded assembly is fairly lukewarm. Appreciate and applaud your hardworking classmates, and don’t get sucked up in the awards-grabbing mindset. Enjoy the accolades you receive, but don’t let them get to your head. Unfortunately, none of this will ever be able to refund the 45 minutes you’ve lost during X-period.
Student scrutiny of Huss Center lacks full reflection Diane Huang
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Staff Writer
Under all the excitement and positive reception of the new Huss Center for Performing Arts, a disquieted murmur lurks beneath the surface. Despite the prolonged anticipation of this project for many decades now, many students still wonder why the $20 million going into the performing arts center isn’t going into other areas of concern when they shouldn’t be questioning it. The performing arts program has been in need of an easily accessible stage for many years now. For both the Middle School and Upper School, students who are in the performing arts program are usually expected to find transportation to an auditorium on their own, rather than being provided transportation like other after-school activities. Other than the One Acts, the performing arts isn’t a competition, and performers shouldn’t have to move from the school, but because of a lack of adequate practice areas, most play or musical productions are forced to find a way to transport themselves to the Sarah Converse
Photo: Illustration: Diane Huang The school administration’s finalization of plans for the Huss Center for Performing Arts was met by a barrage of questions about where the money might be better spent.
Auditorium at the Goodrich Campus frequently. The orchestra, choir, and band only have one rehearsal at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium before their concert—this means unsuspected problems that may arise are met with panic and discord. This could easily be replaced with confidence if more rehearsals are able to be held. There is very little space in the rooms provided for the performing arts, also, and a larger performing arts section of the school would be able to accommodate the large amount of students who take part in the music programs or play productions. There are a few important facts that many students haven’t taken into account. First off, the
performing arts is not as well funded as most sports or programs at the school, and the $20 million is mostly going towards equalling the quality of the performing arts program with the others. Also, the majority of this money is donations given by alumni specifically meant for a performing arts center, it can’t be put anywhere else. So, yes, the track is in need of repair. Yes, the soccer field should be levelled off. Yes, the scholarship program could always be funded more. Yes, there are many things that could always use $20 million, but the auditorium has been long overdue, so any question as to why the school is spending money on this project is decades too late
F E AT U R E 7 April 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Students keep sexual health safe and real As part of the 10th grade Wellness curriculum, Planned Parenthood representatives come in to discuss safe sex options. Students share opinions about the organization’s presentation. Netta Kaplan
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Staff Writer/Copy Editor
It was pretty informative [and] very interactive. It was a good experience; I learned a lot from it. junior I s a a c Fo r s g r e n
Photo Illustration: Hannah Johnson
Sophomore Isabelle Saul-Hughes gets involved in safe-sex education by working at Planned Parenthood locations. “I think that sex ed is super important because it’s really easy to not know what is going on,” she said. Here, she holds the ribbon she received for working with the Affordable Care Act: “I was a member of the ObamaCare outreach team so I called people and told them about ObamaCare,” SaulHughes said. “With them I also went to see Obama [at the Union Depot on Feb. 26] , which was so cool.”
Volunteers for Planned Parenthood talk about sex education programs Maria Aguilar (‘13) worked at the Twin Cities Teen Council, a youth development program through Planned Parenthood that strives for comprehensive sex education. When did you begin working with the Teen Council and why? I joined teen council when I was a junior. I took an application when I was a sophomore during my wellness class. I was basically looking for something to get involved in outside of school. What was the most interesting thing about working there? The most interesting was probably being able to not take things so seriously, being able to be silly and laugh, but at the same time learning and doing amazing work that we genuinely care about. Sex education can be kind of a weird thing to talk about, so what did the Teen Council do to make it comfortable? They made the council about the members and emphasized getting to know each other and bonding so we felt comfortable talking. We were required to go on 2-day retreat to get to know the members. At every meeting we had check-in where we’d play games to make it feel more playful. How do you think schools can try to make this topic easier to discuss and provide more meaningful information? I think that programs like this are a great step because they train regular students to be a resource to their peers. Also, plan more playful or informal activities [in small groups or pairs] that break the awkward feeling teens usually have toward talking about sex. Compiled by Nina Zietlow
Hannah Johnson
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Editor in Chief
Sex education. These two words alone inspire a groan from almost any St. Paul Academy and Summit School student. While most dread the sometimes uncomfortable yet vital topic, two students are going above and beyond to educate others about safe sex. “It is a dream to be a sex ed teacher,” sophomore Isabelle Saul-Hughes said. Saul-Hughes carried her passion for teaching others about sexual health over to her required tenth grade community service hours by working at Planned Parenthood on University Avenue in St. Paul. Saul-Hughes worked one night a week for a little over two months in Planned Parenthood’s offices. “It was a really cool work environment,” she said. “I was a member of the ObamaCare outreach team so I called people and told them about ObamaCare,” Saul-Hughes said. “With them I also went to see Obama [at the Union Depot on Feb. 26] , which was so cool.” Even though it can sometimes be uncomfortable, Saul-Hughes knows that sex education needs to be covered. “I think that sex ed is super important because it’s really easy to not know what is going on. It’s easy to get an STI,” she said. Saul-Hughes is not the only student working with Planned Parenthood. Senior Clare McGlincey will complete her Senior Project mentorship with the organization. “My next door neighbor is the head of Planned Parenthood for North and South Dakota and
Minnesota, so I just figured that that would be an easy connection and its something I’m interested in,” McGlincey said. McGlincey will split her time between Planned Parenthood’s locations in the Minneapolis Uptown area and on University Avenue in St. Paul. “I’m going to be teaching different people about what the program is at Uptown and at [the University location], I will be working as an escort for the women that are patients because there are protesters outside,” she said. “I’m gonna be protecting them and helping them get into the clinic without being distracted.” McGlincey believes that many people have misconceptions about the organization. “I think the most important thing about Planned Parenthood is the education part and spreading awareness,” she said. “They sort of get painted out in this sort of awful picture that they have this abortion agenda when really everything else they do is to prevent abortion from even being an option.” While Planned Parenthood is one of the leading organizations for students to get involved in, there are many other organizations that are always looking for volunteers. Family Tree Clinic, a local reproductive and sexual health clinic, has a summer program called Keeping It Safe and Sexy [KISS] for teens interested in sex education. “It’s for teens and you learn how to teach sex ed and you get a free sex ed kit…” Saul-Hughes said. “It is so cool and I really want to do it.” Students interested in working with either of these organizations should visit the Planned Parenthood website.
I liked [the presentation]. It could have been put in terms of more real world situations rather than just science, but I think [the information is] important to have. s o p h o m o re Liz Shaheen
The fact that the presentation was actually made by other teens actually made it a little bit more--I wouldn’t say informative because they’re always plenty informative--but it was a little bit more relatable. s o p h o m o re Pe t e r B a ke r
The way they presented it was very relatable and not awkward. That could be an awkward topic. s o p h o m o re Max Holland
Photos Credit: Netta Kaplan
8
C OV E R
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
From scars to nose piercings
Tattoo decisions require long term consideration Katrina Hilton
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Sports Editor
Unlike clothing and accessories, this form of fashion and personality expression is something that you have for the rest of your life. Many St. Paul Academy and Summit School students debate the pros and cons of this very much permanent type of body art: tattoos. Senior Nate Truman believes that it is imperative to have a good reason for getting a tattoo. “I think if you really really like the design you’re going for, if it has meaning for you emotionally or aesthetically or personally, whatever the thing is, that’s a good idea to get,” Truman said. Other students are most hesitant about whether or not high school students have the capacity to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. “I love tattoos if they’re well thought out and well done, but
Most people say that young people aren’t capable of making that decision. s e n i or Nate Tr u m a n at this age impulsivity is usually what makes people want them and for something that permanent you have to want it forever. At 17 to 18, can I really think of some body art that will still be cool when I’m 40?” senior Clare McGlincey said. Truman believes that teenagers are capable of making this life
long decision. “Most people say that young people aren’t capable of making that decision. But I think that if you really want one and it is right for you that you should get one,” Truman said. Some believe that you must think hard about getting a tattoo, because it is with you forever. “My parents don’t like them because they don’t think most of them are worth it in the long run, especially when you get older and they fade and different parts of your skin start to sag,” McGlincey said. Although sophomore Kent Hanson would not personally get a tattoo, he believes that it is up to the individual to decide for themselves. “I think that it’s the students body and they can do whatever they want with it,” Hanson said. Some students at SPA believe that teenagers should do what they want when it comes to body art. Others believe a great deal of thought should be put into getting
a tattoo and that it should be meaningful, while others are completely against the idea. It is always up to the individual to decide what they want on their body, but one must always keep in mind the permanency and seriousness of tattoos.
Illustration Credit: Ava Gallagher
Venture with hair dye provides self expression Laura Slade
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Students who hairdo and hairdon’t
A&E Editor
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I do theater, so I don’t get much say in what I do to my hair. s o p h om or e Ja c k R om a n s
Photo Submitted by: Jack
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It’s something I like to control. It’s something I can change if I don’t like it. s e n i or C l a r e Mc G l i n c e y
Photo Illustration: Laura Slade
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I think colors are really cool, and hair is something that you can actually change.
Without long hair there’s really not much you can do
f r e s h m a n Ha n a Martinez
s o p h om or e Wi l l D on a l d s on
Photo Illustration: Laura Slade
Photo Illustration: Boraan Abdulkarim
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S T ORY
April 2014 Vol XLI. Issue VII.
s: anatomy of the SpARTan
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Piercings make statements, continue traditions, and more Ava Gallagher
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Chief Visual Editor
Bold, attention-capturing and slightly edgy-piercings draw the eye to sparkles and studs added to someone’s appearance. Although they are certainly not for everyone, piercings on the body and face prove to be a fun and exciting way for students and even teachers to express themselves. For Upper School math teacher Dan O’Loughlin, piercing one ear at twenty-eight years old was both a statement and a marking of a time he wished to remember. “I wanted to mark this time in my life, sort of, the pre-earring part of my life from the post-earring,” O’Loughlin said. As is not the case with many adults who get piercings earlier in life, O’Loughlin continues to wear his. He admires the fact that “it is slightly non-conforming,” and enjoys switching the earrings up every now and again. “I am, in general, not at all fashion conscious, but I do know what I like… I like the current hoop I wear because it is simple and because I can sleep on it,” O’Loughlin said. However, O’Loughlin recounts his favorite
piercing as “a small yin-yang earring [he] received many years ago.” As for students, junior Mira Grinsfelder has a naval piercing. “I wrote my parents a letter convincing them to let me get one,” Grinsfelder said. “I just think they look really cool!” Fellow junior Afsar Sandozi sees her piercing differently than most. For Sandozi, her nose piercing is a cultural tradition in her family, and she is proud to follow the trend. “All my aunts have it, and then my generation just kind of stopped, but I still wanted to do it,” Sandozi said. Motives for getting piercings vary among students and teachers, and opinions about piercings vary as well. Senior Jonathan Sogin is hesitant to make a blanketed statement that piercings are cool. “There are some really gross piercings out there... small nose piercings can work for a select amount of people, but some people really make poor choices with their faces,” Sogin said. Whether honoring a family tradition or copying an admired look and making it your own, piercings are an endearing form of expression with stories behind every one.
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler Somphomore Elena Youngdale got her ears pierced at age 10. “It was my sister’s idea and I liked it, so I got them pierced,” Youngdale said.
Photo Credit: Lucy Li Junior Afsar Sandozi got a nose piercing to continue a family tradition. “ All my aunts have it, and then my generation just kind of stopped, but I still wanted to do it,” Sandozi said. Photo Credit: Clare Tipler Freshman Kathryn Schmechel got her ears pierced for her eleventh birthday. “[My Mother and I] were at the mall looking at piercings and she said I could get [my ears] pierced so I did,” Schmechel said.
Scars: students recall events that left marks Honest accidents, clumsy mistakes, and poorly made decisions all leave scars that accumulate and last a lifetime, each with its own story to tell. Katrina Hilton
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Sports Editor
Like the people that they are on, scars come in all different shapes and sizes, and each one holds its own story. Some students scars show the aftermath of accidents. “I have one on the top of my foot. It was the fourth of July and my friend dropped her grandma’s antique crystal bowl on my foot. I didn’t realize that I was hurt at first. Her mom was a nurse, and she gave me stitches in the bathtub,” junior Mansuda Arora said. Other scars are reminders of silly mistakes made with friends. Senior Charlie Rosenblum has a scar that runs from the inside of his wrist to the middle of his forearm from what seemed like harmless fun, during a cross country practice. “Last year, all the guys on the cross country team thought it was a good idea to jump over a fence. Being the naive one of the group, I didn’t think it was a bad idea until we actually jumped over the fence.
Other student’s scars are reminders of events they’d like to forget. “I used to be embarrassed by it,” Carlson said. Scars have stories behind them that range from funny, to embarrassing, to serious, and everything in between. They serve as reminders of what we’ve been through and lessons we’ve learned.
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Being the naive one of the group, I didn’t think it was a bad idea until we actually jumped over the fence. s e n i or C h a r l i e Rosenblum I pulled my arm back too late and I cut my forearm on the rusty fence.” Rosenblum said.
Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton Senior Christian Koch has a scar that runs along his arm. “I broke my arm in fifth grade,” Koch said. The scar is from a surgery that took place after the bone fracture.
Senior Anna Carlson also has a sort of battle scar. “Last year during Nerf wars I was holding onto a moving car and then I fell off of it and hit the pavement with my face and I broke my jaw in two places and I had to get some stitches,” Carlson said.
We carry around scars with us and they serve as reminders of our experiences. Rosenblum does not feel like his scar shapes his identity in any way. But for Arora, seeing her scar makes her feel “Proud. Kinda like if I had a shark bite,” Arora said.
10 I N D E P T H
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
April 2014 Vol XLI. Issue VII.
Genoer:
What does it mean to students at SPA?
Gender underlies students’ personal and academic lives Laura Slade Nina Zietlow
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A&E Editor News Editor
When jokes about women belonging in kitchens and expectations for men to be tough run rampant in hallways, branching out from stereotypical gender roles is difficult for students to do. In a community such as St. Paul Academy and Summit School which stresses openness and acceptance, there are still some qualities such as gender roles, that create expectations to be a certain way.
Gender Identification Junior Julia Lagos identifies as a female, but doesn’t always feel like she fits the basic norms of femininity. “I like sports; I dress slightly more masculinely; my voice is deeper; I don’t dress up unless it’s a special occasion, but I do like dressing up,” she said. Because Lagos doesn’t identify with some typically feminine traits, she had a rough time when she first came to SPA.
“I remember when I first came, someone took a picture of people in a class and it got posted to Facebook. I was in that picture and people were like ‘Oh, who’s that?’... ‘That’s Julia Lagos’...‘Oh, she looks like a guy.’”
Restrictive Stereotypes Because she is a girl, junior Sonja Mischke feels as though she can’t be seen by others in multiple lights. “I want to be given the same chance that guys are given to say something funny in class without being pinned as the ‘funny girl,’” she said. “Can’t I be funny and something else?” Male students feel that their peers expect them to act in a more immature, carefree manner. “Teenage boys are expected to be making stupid decisions,” junior Halsey Moe said. For sophomore Evan Dahlseide, a male athlete, the kinds of stupid decisions people expect him to make are related to academic dishonesty. “People will ask me, and just me, whether I did my homework or whether I copied someone else’s,” Dahlseide said. Sophomore Maren Findlay was
inspired by Rosie the Riveter’s rejection of archaic and restrictive expectations for women. “I decided to make my own version of the We Can Do It poster,” she said. Her costume “still symbolized the strong woman ideology,” despite the fact that it wasn’t exactly like Rosie the Riveter’s iconic dress.
Diverse Personal Perceptions “I think when it comes to gender norms and how people identify, SPA is a pretty open community,” sophomore Brendan McGlincey said. He feels that every now and then people will wonder why he’s acting in a way which doesn’t coincide with the role of a “typical guy,” but nobody gives him any flak for it. Lagos doesn’t agree with him. “On the surface [students accept different gender norms], but underneath not as much,” she said. “People still get crap, but it’s more sneaky and underhanded.” Sophomore Jack Romans finds a great amount of gender discrimination around conversations on the topic. “Being a guy at SPA makes it harder to express opin-
ions about gender,” he said. “I just don’t see why being a guy or a girl should affect things.”
Student Groups Act SPA’s student group, formerly known as the Gay Straight Alliance, recently changed its name to the Gender & Sexuality Alliance, and has expanded its mission to talk more about issues of gender. Activities GSA has hosted, such as nail painting during homecoming week and on Day of Silence are designed to defy gender roles and promote fluidity in gender expression. In the past few years,Student Political Union has been a primarily male dominated group, but they are taking steps to change this. SPU began posting their discussion topics on the opinion board in an attempt to draw more students, particularly females, to the group and diversify its discussions. SPU has also been splitting into two discussion groups to reduce hostility and assure that every voice is heard, male and female alike. “In assembly we invited girls to come in and talk. In meeting we’ve been open to different people talking instead of two people having an argument with each other,” freshman member Raffi Toghramadjian said. However, the group is still male-dominated, with only a few female members attending meetings regularly. “Most of the girls go to SSJ, which is a very similar group,” Toghramadjian said. Still, the doors are wide open
to all. “I feel like the girls that do come are pretty well accepted and don’t experience any discrimination,” Toghramadjian said. Students for Social Justice is an all female groups that focuses on social justice issues, regarding feminism and gender disparities in particular. In the past year SSJ has hosted discussions on multiple gender issues, including sexist aspects of the dress code. The group has also raised money for an organization that works to help women who have been victims of gender violence in conflict. Rarely though, are these discussions shared around the school. “There has been stuff on the opinion board and it isn’t always taken very well,” SSJ co-president Alena Porter said. Posts regarding gender disparities within student elections and the harmful effects of the dress code are topics that SSJ has discussed often, and which have resulted in conflict. “SSJ needs to have a discussion on its own to think about how we feel about these issues before we open to the rest of school,” Porter said. Student groups can be a force for change as well as a place for deep discussion regarding gender and identity in the SPA community. Obviously, not every student group is well intended to address these controversial issues, but for those groups which are, space and time should be dedicated to listening and sorting through the complexities sexual and gender-based identity at school and at home.
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I want to be given the same chance that guys are given to say something funny without being pinned as the “funny girl.” ju n i or S on j a M i s c h k e
Photo submitted by: Maren Findlay
Sophomore Maren Findlay dresses as the well-known feminist icon Rosie the Riveter. “I was inspired by the Rosie the Riveter posters and character, so I decided to make my own version of the We Can Do It poster.” sophomore Maren Findlay said.
I N D E P T H 11 April 2014 Vol XLI. Issue VII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Day of Silence seeks to combat sexual discrimination Gita Raman
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Photo Credit: Jackson Lea Junior Maggie Clark demonstrates how Day of Silence provides an opportunity to show solidarity with those who may feel like they have to hide their gender identity or sexual orientation. “Your voice is really powerful,” Clark said.
Feature Editor
On National Day of Silence, light is shed on the LGBTQPIA community and the emotions which people who are bullied for their sexual orientation feel. “Day of Silence is about recognizing differences, being accepting towards others, and showing how uncomfortable it is when [bullied people] do not feel accepted,” Vice President of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance Maggie Clark said. “The silence is symbolic of people who are bullied. They feel that they can’t speak out about it,” junior GSA member Amber Skarjune said. Every year, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) organizes Day of Silence nationally and GSAs around the country promote it at their middle and high schools. However, this year Day of Silence fell on April 11, when there was no school. Many GSA stu-
dents took time out of their day to remember Day of Silence Clark participated during school before the actual Day of Silence. “I thought it would be more impactful to be silent at school,” she said. On the formal Day of Silence, Clark took a moment to recognize it. Skarjune acted similarly saying, “I did spend some time to remember it and internalize it.” “Your voice is really powerful,” Clark said. Having your voice taken away means that you are unable to convey your feelings about your experiences. Hoewever, Day of Silence allows one to feel new experiences. “Being silent is kind of like going into their shoes about not being able to talk about yourself and everything,” Skarjune said. Junior GSA member Evan Leduc hopes that Day of Silence increased awareness saying, “I’d like everyone to be aware of those who are silenced, and I want people to know how that may or may not affect people in our larger community.”
Leduc knows multiple people, outside of the SPA community, who have experienced the feeling of being silenced literally and figuratively. He feels that Day of Silence accurately shows the emotions that someone who is bullied experiences. The silencing effect can happen to anyone, and it does happen in SPA classrooms. “If anyone thinks there are issues with gender and sexuality at SPA, than there clearly are,” junior Jonah Mische said. When people are too shy or express contradictory ideas about their experiences with gender and identity in and out of school, they are often shut out of the discussion or labeled over-sensitive. “It [Day of Silence] can really apply to anyone and it does not matter who you are. It’s about being silenced because of a certain way that you identify,” Skarjune said. Day of Silence is an eye-opening way for people to learn and understand what it feels like to be bullied and silenced.
New and old Upper School classes address gender
Q& A
Upper School history teacher Nan Dreher discusses her new history elective class, History of Women in the World. English teacher Matthew Hoven discusses his class, Gender in Literature.
Netta Kaplan
Staff Writer/Copy Editor
Boraan Abdulkarim
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Cover Story Editor
Who should your class?
take
Dreher: This course is for students who haven’t learned as much about women and women’s issues in their regular courses as they would like to. But also students who are interested in current events because a lot of this course is going to be about making connections between issues and situations for women in the past. Hoven: Gender in Literature is open to everyone and it shouldn’t be seen as a course that shuts out or damns male members of the community for wanting to take the course. It’s a safe place to examine gender norms critically.
Will you cover the political history of women or the social-cultural history?
Dreher: Part of the class is going to be students teaching classes, probably in partners and small groups. We’re going to try
to take a pretty well rounded view so we’ll address political rights, economic issues, and social-cultural issues too. Hoven: I think it’s more focused on social-cultural history. Particularly in the section on race and gender, we look at the experience of African American women. There is also some political history involved because you can’t talk about gender in literature if you don’t involve, for instance, Title 9.
What’s your lens for this course?
Dreher: It’s partly a history course, partly a gender theory course, and partly a current events course. It combines elements of different disciplines. Hoven: I’ve been looking at it mostly from the feminist lens of the United States and the challenge that women aren’t defined by their ability to reproduce but by a patriarchal system that typically favors white males. The critical essay that we use to examine most of our assumptions about gender is Judith Lorber’s The Social Construction of Gender. It really makes a pretty good argument that whenever we’re thinking in terms of white male hierarchy, we’re thinking in terms of a group of privileged people.
What questions will guide your study of gender in history and in literature? Dreher: We want to explain why women have experienced the gains but also the obstacles they’ve faced in different times and places, learn about some of the major issues which face women today, and help students to see some personal connections to gender issues today. Hoven: The students are responsible for asking their own good questions because that makes for better thinking and better writing as well.
History of Women in the World will be available to seniors as a second semester history elective next school year. Gender in Literature will return as an English elective offered to junior and seniors in spring of 2016. Photo Credit: Eva Perez-Greene Junior Jonah Mische poses as Rosie the Riveter, supporting equality for both men and women. “If anyone thinks there are issues with gender and sexuality at SPA, then there clearly are,“ he said.
Photo Credit: Ali Duval
Cowboy Entrepreneur wins student movie award
Senior Michael Wilkens and junior Olivia Fitch hold the SPASMA award.
The seventh annual Student Movie Night showcased six films directed, acted, and edited by students. This highly anticipated event took place in the Lecture Room, and every seat was filled with students, parents and siblings who came to watch all the movies being presented. Entries were judged by professional screenwriters, actors, and filmmakers. The SPASMA went to junior Olivia Fitch and senior Michael Wilkens for their film Cowboy Entrepreneur, starring Halsey Moe as a cowboy who runs the last legal bakery and fights to keep it open.
12 A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T April 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VII.
Scan the QR Code to watch Cowboy Entrepreneur at Michael Wilkens’ YouTube
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
The Jingle Dress hires students for movie
LaBlanc takes on role as an extra in feature film Lucy Li
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Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief
Nearly a week after junior year began for Isabella LaBlanc, she was casted as an extra for The Jingle Dress, A film directed by William Eigen and sponsored by the Minnesota TV and Film Board. “I am what you call a ‘featured extra’ meaning I am on screen here and there, but I don’t really have a story arc,” she said. “I’m a cousin, so I show up at all the family functions [in the movie].” “The story revolves around a man, John Red Elk, and his family as they move from the reservation in Northern Minnesota to Minneapolis,” LaBlanc said. “In its essence it’s about adaptation and how to keep yourself grounded in tradition while also functioning in the modern world.” Usually, LaBlanc was called for around 6 hours at a time to focus on only one or two scenes. “Which means that for that whole time you are really just doing the same thing over and over again, getting different angles and such,” LaBlanc said. She was on set a few times in September, and as filming wrapped up, she missed a bit of
I am more than honored that I got to be part of a production that is telling this kind of story. ju n i or Is a b e l l a L a B l a n c
Photo submitted by: Isabella LaBlanc Junior Isabella LaBlanc poses with actor Chaske Spencer from the Twilight films, who plays the lead in The Jingle Dress. “Being with the cast makes it all worthwhile; it’s so much fun to be with people that are just as passionate about the craft as you are,” LaBlanc said.
school. “[Upper School counselor Susanna] Short and [the SPA] administration were very supportive in the fact that this was a great opportunity for me,” LaBlanc said, “but they wanted to make sure that school was still put first.” However, a situation like this
isn’t unfamiliar for this actress. She has participated in theater outside of school since her freshman year, including the History Theatre’s production of “Tales Along the Minnesota Trail.” LaBlanc greatly appreciates how understanding her teachers were
about her workload. “When you’re doing a full length production you not only have to deal with missing school for performances but also balancing your energy during the vigorous rehearsal schedules,” she said. “Time management is key;
Hughes works as production assistant Lucy Li
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Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief
If one hasn’t seen senior Charlotte Hughes’s IMDb profile yet, one might not know that she debuted as a production assistant (PA) last fall for The Jingle Dress (2014). The film premiered on April 5 at the St. Anthony Main Theater. “It is a fictional narrative following a Native American family who moves from the reservation to the city,” Hughes said. Hughes has a family friend who was a second assistant director for The Jingle Dress. “When I learned about his job, I asked if he took any interns,” Hughes said. “He invited me to work a few days on set and it all kept going from there.” Hughes took part in her second film, The Public Domain directed by Patrick Coyle, over spring break. The film depicts the 2007 35W bridge collapse, telling the story through fictional characters. “I initially began on a whim.
Photo submitted by: Charlotte Hughes Senior Charlotte Hughes takes a break on set while working as a production assistant for her second film, The Public Domain. “As a PA, you are constantly on your feet and doing everything you can to make sure production is running smoothly; PA’s are essentailly the oil that keeps the film production going,” Hughes said.
Making a movie sounds exciting and new (which it is), but I followed up on the second film offer because I truly loved my experience and the amazing connections I made,” Hughes said.
Her position rose due to her dedication, and she became the director’s assistant and key set PA for The Public Domain, leading the other PAs. Last spring break, a typical
shift for Hughes could last 10-14 hours, often overnight. “Although I do get to work with amazing and inspiration local film professionals as well as phenomenal film actors, the job is not glamorous and requires a lot of hard work for long periods of time,” Hughes said. “As a PA, you are constantly on your feet and doing everything you can to make sure production is running smoothly; PAs are essentially the oil that keeps film production going,” she said. She did “any tasks that the crew and talent needed,” and also took on the role of an extra for The Public Domain. Hughes hopes to continue grabbing opportunities to work on film sets and look more into film in college. “Working on set taught me about film production, but it also opened my eyes about people’s careers in ‘the real world’ and how inspiration and hard work really can lead to success,” she said.
you really have to learn to pace yourself, prioritize and communicate.” “Being with the cast makes it all worthwhile; it’s so much fun to be with people that are just as passionate about the craft as you are,” LaBlanc said. Most of all, she valued “The Jingle Dress’” focus on a modern Native American story. “We so often get forgotten in the media, and I am more than honored that I got to be part of a production that is telling this kind of story,” LaBlanc said.
A night on set with Charlotte Hughes Schedule submitted by: Charlotte Hughes
10:00 PM- Unload production equpment from production truck and prep the set. 11:00 PM- Crew arrives, hand out assigned walkies, help set up scenes, check in about scene and shot order. 12:00 AM- Aid in scene transitions, lockout (to make sure no one enters the hot set), firewatch (guarding the production and grip truck), go on runs for craft refills, Art Department needs, or requests from talent. 3:30 AM- Set up for lunch (six hours after starting time). 4:00 AM- Eat and cleanup lunch. 5:00 AM- Same as 12:00 AM 8:00 AM- Check in with 2nd Assistant Director to construct sides for the next shoot. 10:00 AM- If shoot isn’t wrapped yet, set up dinner, check in with crew, collect all walkies and start wrapping production equipment.
Twitter roundup! Students share their tastes in music and movies.
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St. Paul Academy and Summit School
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Nash brings bears to the Drake Gallery John Wilhelm
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News Editor
If you’re going on a bear hunt, the Drake Gallery might not be the first place you search for ferocious or cuddly. But during the month of April, Upper School Fine Arts Chair Marty Nash exhibited select pieces from her past two years. They come in all shapes and sizes: yellow, orange, dark green, purple. While a bear is a singular, concrete subject, they are representative of some of Nash’s major artistic interests. “Choosing the literal subject of ‘bears’ was simply a means to continue my ongoing interest in like forms and the use of gesture within a confined and concentrated space,” Nash said. That precise use of gesture gives each and every bear a distinct personality based on its position and body type: some are hostile, some inquisitive, some lethargic. Despite the fleeting significance of the “bear” subject, Nash has often found herself working with them. “These images
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The creative process is not limited to one medium or mode of expression. Up p e r S c h o o l Fine Arts Chair M a r t y Na s h illustrate my interest in giving a presence to a singular form which has an inherent strength… while suggesting a disguised vulnerability,” Nash said. And while conveying the subtle emotion of a nonhuman subject seems a rather advanced technique, Nash too was once an aspiring artist. “I am not sure
E N T E RTA I N M E N T 13 April 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VII.
Photo submitted by: Marty Nash The Harry M. Drake Gallery is currently home to a bear-themed art exhibit from Fine Arts Chair Marty Nash. “These images illustrate my interest in giving a presence to a singular form which has an inherent strength,“ Nash said. The exhibit will be up through April 25, 2014.
if all ten year olds who ‘make good arguments,’ suddenly decide to become lawyers, but after my earliest childhood drawings, I felt encouragement from others and a personal recognition that I was able to do something that made me feel good about myself,” Nash said. “Without thinking too much about it, being an artist seemed a given.” From those early days, Nash went on to major in painting, and became a founding member of one of downtown Minneapolis’ first art galleries—WARM, the Women’s Art Registry of Minnesota. “It was only later that I accepted the reality of needing to make a living,” Nash said. Having worked as a professional house painter and part-time teacher at the Minneapolis College of Art and
Design, in 1984 she was asked to take the place of Hazel Belvo, the chair of Saint Paul Academy and Summit School’s art department. Despite her work at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design beforehand, Nash’s first ever art teaching opportunity was in an adult community educational program. As a beginning teacher, Nash began to find that the art of teaching was not unlike conventional art itself. “I became a teacher because I was asked, as an artist, to impart something of that experience to others. I soon discovered that I not only was able to do this, after time, with some success—but that it became a parallel experience to that of making art,” Nash said. “The creative process is not limited to one medium or mode of expres-
sion.” While working as both an art teacher and a practicing artist might seem like a difficult balancing act, Nash’s experience may dictate the opposite: that they complement each other. “Bringing my true self to interactions with students in the classroom requires the same focus, energies and dedication as when I am working alone in my studio. It is equally, tremendously invigorating and amazingly exhausting (and unbelievably rewarding),” Nash said. “Commandeering this balance of focus in order to maintain both a meaningful life as an artist and as a teacher, has been a thirty plus year performance for which I have no regrets.”
thing that you perceive. Before [Cady] met [the mean girls], she just saw people, and then she started to see everything about them, when she was acclimated into the [clique],” Dieperink added. This relatability makes it relevant and provides more opportunities for quotation in casual conversation. “People think its a funny movie. The lines are funny and sometimes relevant to say, and they’ve become just kind of a classic,” Shaheen said. Shaheen’s favorite quotation from the movie is the byword of a socially unfortunate but admiring fan of Regina George who recalls an instance of interaction with none other than Regina: “One time she punched me in the face... it was awesome”. Dieperink believes the reason for the outrageous popularity of the movie is similar to the popularity of common song lyrics: “it’s something that everyone grew up with,” she said. Dieperink’s favorite quote from the movie is “Four for you, Glen Coco. You go, Glen Coco,” from a scene in which Cady’s friend, Damian, dresses
up as Santa Claus, passing out candy canes selectively, purposely skipping Gretchen Weiners. However taking this close application of the movie too far is unhealthy. The satirical criticism of high school cliques was intended for comedy and that’s the source of its wide popularity. “[Mean Girls screenplay author] Tina Fey is funny,” Shaheen said. Although play by play imitation of the characters’ misdemeanors is a bad way to process the movie, there are some deeper underlying meanings to the story, and Shaheen realizes this: “I think that it teaches you to treat everyone with respect and realize that there are bigger, more important things than popularity in the real world”. What better way to celebrate this thirtieth of April (a Wednesday) than to wear pink, a widely known habit of the “mean girls” in the movie? Who knows, it just might be your color.
10 years later, Mean Girls is still fetch Boraan Abdulkarim
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Cover Story Editor
It’s fetch. It’s grool. It’s the comedy of the decade. On April 30, 2004, Mean Girls hit the big screen, and is still a success 10 years later. It “just can’t help that [it is] so popular,” to quote one of the main characters, Gretchen Wieners, describing herself. Its references to a dystopian high school experience makes middle school seem like a place where everyone could “bake a cake filled with rainbows and smiles and everyone would eat and be happy.” Among the most quoted movies about high school students, Mean Girls has gained a reputation as a timeless comedy. The movie exaggerates the typical high school experience with cliques to extreme proportions. It touches on the good and bad notes of the of high school life and the drama that goes along with it. Sophomore Liz Shaheen believes this is a key factor of its frequent appearance in everyday con-
Photo Credit: Patrick Commers From left to right, juniors Valerie Umscheid, Maddie Flom-Staab, Neerja Thakkar, and sophomore Claire Ristau pose, wearing pink, Mean Girls style. “I think that it teaches you to treat everyone with respect,“ sophomore Liz Shaheen said.
versation. “There’s drama in all schools, and talking behind each other’s backs. People have friendship issues everywhere,” she said. Sophomore George Stiffman agrees: “It’s still relevant. The homies aren’t always homies,” Stiffman said, putting it succinctly. Freshman Emily Dieperink also draws similar lessons from the movie: “[Cady] learned that being mean obviously isn’t the
way to make friends or keep friends, and I think that that’s something that people need to understand. There are always mean people, and people can’t really do anything about that,” she said. “And it was really cool that she’s good at math. That’s what I really liked about the movie. Obviously, she’s really pretty, but I like that she didn’t really get that at first. And it showed that pretty is some-
Girls’ Golf Team adjusts to new coaching style
Golf may seem like a laid back and casual sport, but new Vasity Girls’ Golf coach, Kaytie Zimmerman, provides unique challenges for players and amps up the team’s competitive edge. With prior Vasity Girls’ Golf coach Jim Tisel on sabbatical, coach Kaytie Zimmerman steps in to coach the nine Varsity golfers for the Spring season, bringing changes to the intensity of the team. A key difference this season is match lineup selection. Because “There can only be six golfers per match, so the golfers with the best scores from the day before get to compete,” freshman Kathryn Schmechel said. “She is serious about making sure we really see improvement just from day to day,” sophomore Sabrina Brown said.
SP ORT S 14 April 2014. Vol XXXXI. Issue VII.
Trap shoots for cash Spartan Trap entered a team of its five top shooters to compete in the YESS4MN tournament April 26-27. The team’s entry earns them $2,000 in endowment funds. In addition, $18,000 in endowment money was awarded to the top three winners. To see how our team scored, check out Twitter @TheRubiconSPA
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Spring sports are in full bloom Boys and Girls Track and Field team bonds througout the year Amodhya Samarakoon Eva rMalloy
Staff Writers After a great win, unexpected loss or a successful season, most teams split up and merge back into their typical school lives outside of athletics. However, there are those few athletes who choose to participate in cross-country running during the fall, nordic skiing in the winter and track in the spring, allowing them to become more connected as a team than other athletes. This spring, the track team’s practices have started, but most aren’t meeting their fellow teammates for the first time or after a long absence. “I met a lot of people before school during the cross country season so I kind of figured out that I’d be with the same people,” freshman Nora Kempainen said. Many of the students who are members of the track team have been running and skiing together for a long time and Kempainen is one of the members of this small family. Kempainen was new to SPA this year and her parents encouraged her to do all three sports so she could “have a good group of friends,” Kempainen said. She said she has made friends in different grade levels due to their constant company throughout all three sports seasons and that the community atmosphere of these three-sport athletes encourag-
Photo Credit: Meghan Joyce Sophomore Shaymus O’Brien prepares to run at the starting line in the first track meet of the season on April 8 at Concordia Academy. “There’s definitely that [community] atmosphere and everyone knows whats going on with each other,” freshman Neeti Kulkarni said.
es other people to participate as well. However, junior Michael Destache states that less new students have been joining; “I started doing all three in seventh grade. It is mostly the same people that do these three sports. We had a big team my seventh grade year but it has been getting smaller due to seniors graduating and not many people wanting to join,” Destache said. Perhaps the tight knit group has been intimidating students who haven’t done all three to sports to suddenly join in. Still, these athletes, many of whom started out in Middle
School, seem to agree that there’s a certain appeal surrounding the “all in this together” structure of their team which lasts throughout the year. “I’ve been doing track and nordic since 7th grade and I just started cross country,” freshman Neeti Kulkarni said. “There’s definitely that [community] atmosphere and everybody knows what’s going on with each other. We help push each other and encourage each other,” she said. Kulkarni also stated that she feels as if she and her fellow skiers and runners have a stronger team connection than most.
Students who participate in only one of these sports will hopefully be convinced by the strong support system and community to join all three, knowing they’ll be with mostly the same people. “It is very nice because you’re not going into a new sport with unfamiliar people and it creates a very close community,” Destache said. This allows students to create bonds across grades and genders, regardless of common classes or friends and maintain these bonds all year round because of their continued companionship through athletics.
Last year the Field team had a few members make it into the finals in high jump during sectionals. Even with the good season last year, the lingering cold has delayed training. “The challenges with the ground being wet and all of the cold weather it is just getting out and being able to practice some, for my jumpers I did not get them on the long jump runway till April 11,” assistant Track and Field coach Kaitlyn Frenchick said. Despite losing team members for this year, the team is looking forward to a new season and improving across all events such as high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, and discuses. “We lost a ton of seniors so we are rebuilding the team right now,” freshman Moira McCarthy said. “[Senior] Christian Koch is our only returner for the field, he’s looking good in the discus to be a contender in state,” Frenchick said. “The team is looking strong. We have a several new faces on the team, which will add a lot to the team. We also have recruited more throwers, along with a new thrower coach. We are very hopeful for a successful season,” Frenchick said. Upcoming meets: April 29 @ 4:15 pm at Concordia Academy May 13 @ 1 pm at Macalester College
Girls United Lacrosse looks to net successful season Noor Qureishy
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Photo Credit: Emily Thissen Freshman Mari Knudson fights for the ball during the first Junior Varsity lacrosse game of the season against Eagan on April 11. “Everyone’s up for everything we’re doing in practice,” freshman lacrosse player Ella Matticks said. “Everyone’s giving it the best they’ve got.” JV started the season 2-0 and Varsity 1-1.
Staff Writer
The longer days and dew sprinkled grass mark not only the start of a long awaited spring, but also the beginning of the Girls Lacrosse season. This year glimmers with the promise of new beginnings and a tenacious team. Not only have the girls received a new head coach, they are also facing cuts and a nonexistent C team, meaning prospective players have to make JV or Varsity, or not play at all. “The coaches are definitely tougher; they’re a little stricter,” sophomore Lexi Bottern said. “I think people are more motivated this year because there are cuts, so people have to try a lot harder... I hope being older and having a year of experience will make it
easier,” she said. Bottern isn’t the only one who thinks that people are going to have to work harder. “People have dropped out a lot because they don’t feel confident enough. Most people want to be on a more relaxed team, this year’s definitely going to be tough,” freshman Ella Matticks said. However, this team isn’t unfamiliar with hard work or serious competition. In the past, the Varsity team executed a series of games called the “Lacrosse Olympics”; conducted three times per season, pitting players against their own teammates in a fierce struggle to determine who would emerge victorious, a gold medal champion. Even so, as the official tryout period ends and the team’s first
few games loom around the corner, no one is quite sure what to expect. “[The coaches] have been working a lot on defense and attack with the players individually… [the team] is very young so we’re not expecting a lot but it could always turn out well,” Matticks said. “I don’t know if we’ll have a better chance this year than last year—we lost a lot of players but we’ve had a pretty strong first week of practice.” junior Sarah Romans said. “We have a very different team this year... I think that has less do with the change in coaching and more to do with the fact that we have a lot of new players. I think we’re pretty prepared.” Despite the loss of older, more experienced players and an unprecedented level of competition
brought on by the lack of a C team, the lacrosse team continues to thrive. “Everyone’s up for everything we’re doing in practice,” Matticks said “Everyone’s giving it the best they’ve got.” Upcoming games: April 29 @ 6 pm vs. Owatonna May 1 @ 6 pm vs. Rochester Mayo Note that all home games are played at the Convent of the Visitation
Captains serve up a legacy
“We have to get through Blake and they have gotten better since last year and we need to beat them if we want to get to state as a whole team” senior captain Nick Ozolins said. With three senior captains, Mason Morhing, Nick Ozolins, and Mick Sullivan, and some strong juniors, the tennis team hopes to serve up a good year while trying to build up the underclassmen for future Spartan teams.
Photo Credit: Lucy Li Captain Mason Mohring returns the ball in a singles match against DeLaSalle April 15th. Spartan Boys Varsity won 7-0.
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St. Paul Academy and Summit School
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SP ORT S 15 April 2014. Vol XLI Issue VII.
Trap Shooting starts with a bang The sport itself isn’t too difficult to understand. The simplest Staff Writer description to begin with, is that a shooter uses a shotgun to shoot at A shot rings out, still heard clay “pigeons” or disks made of through all the earplugs and ear- clay that are thrown into the air muffs, and the bright orange clay from machines at unknown varydisk soaring through the air bursts ing degrees of arc that are inside into small orange fragments. The “trap houses”. The trap house is gun recoils in the shooter’s hands, located 16-27 yards away from they wait a few moments, keep- each position at the station. There ing their stance, then they put are five different positions at a their gun down as the next shoot- station and shooters shoot five er readies themselves for the next times at each position in a compigeon. petition. Unlike skeet, the clay pi“I like the satisfaction of when geon is shot away from the shootyou actually hit a [pigeon]—it er. Shooters are only allowed one feels nice when you see it ex- bullet for each pigeon, and scorplode,” beginning shooter fresh- ing is out of 25 (five pigeons at man Cole Staples said. five positions), and the goal is to When asked about what she hit the most pigeons out of 25. In liked about trap shooting, sopho- the Minnesota State High School more Taylor Rients said, “Getting League, a team is only allowed a outside, being with others who limited number of scoring playenjoy the sport, and watching the ers, who’s scores are added up to targets break!” No doubt, there give a team score. The team with is an all around satisfaction with the most points wins. For scorexploding clay pigeons in trap ing, the MSHSL follows a system shooting. called “True Team Scoring™”. Trap shooting is one of three “It’s the safest high school clay pigeon shooting sports, the sport. At least in [the Minnesota other two including skeet and State High School League] there sporting clays, where contend- have been no injuries. Well, no ers shoot at moving clay targets. one’s broken any legs,” senior When it comes to this sport, you Carter Rients said. Often times, either hit or you miss. guns are associated with violence,
Diane Huang
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Photo Credit: Diane Huang Sophomore Will Donaldson practices at the Minneapolis Gun Club on April 12. “As a
team, I hope we can win our conference,” senior Carter Rients said.
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I like the satisfaction of when you actually hit a [pigeon]—it feels nice when you see it explode. f r e s h m a n C o l e St ap l e s
but trap shooting is a game of skill and focus, hardly giving room for any opportunity to get injured. “I started trap shooting back when the group started when I was in ninth grade,” Carter Rients said, “The biggest improvement, I’d say, is that the numbers have grown [since 2011].” The team has seen an influx of team members over these past years, especially from the middle school. Now on its fourth season, the trap shooting team is looking forward to success. “As a team, I hope we can win our conference,” Carter Rients said. Like many other spring sports, they are also hoping for better weather, “I hope the weather is drier and warmer than last spring,” Taylor Rients said. The MSHSL Clay Target League Championship is from June 6th to 9th at the Alexandria Shooting Park in Alexandria, MN. Upcoming meets: May 3, 10, 17, and 24 at 10am @ the Minneapolis Gun Club
Boys and Girls golf drive towards a succesful season
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I think we’re going to get those scores and our guys will make it to state. Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Freshmen Drew and Colin O’Hern and sophomore John Boosalis head off to their golf practice on April 21.
Jackson Lea
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Staff Writer
With no seniors lost, and their young stars a year older, the already successful Spartan golf team looks forward to a benchmark year. Led by senior captains Cal Nicholson and Noah Parker, the team hopes to make another state run this year. Last year freshman Drew O’Hern and senior Noah Parker qualified for state with an impressive score of 160 shots over 36 holes. That’s 80 per 18 holes
which is around 8-10 more shots per round than professionals. If one more player on the team is able to score in this low range, the entire team will get to go to state. “I’m optimistic about the team, I think we’re going to get those scores, and our guys will make it to state,” O’Hern said. According to O’Hern possible candidates to reach this impressive range are senior Cal Nicholson and freshman Colin O’Hern. The team will participate in 15 competitions leading up to the state tournament in June.
freshman D r e w O’ He r n
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We...hope to see more success for the whole team. ju n i or A n n e tte Va r g a s
Photo Credit: Emily Thissen Due to inclement weather, varsity girls golf members practice their drives indoors. “We’re excited about the new opportunities in our conference and hope to see more success for the whole team” junior Annette Vargas said.
With all players retained, and a brand new head coach, the Spartan girl’s golf team shares the a similar as their male counterparts. On top of that, the three best teams, Visitation, St. Crois Lutheren, and Providence left their conference, opening new opportunities for the team’s stars. “[Junior] Annette Vargas, [sophomore] Cait Gibbons, and Upcoming games:
Boys: April 29 at @ 4 pm vs. Saint Agnes at Somerset Golf Course April 30 vs. DelaSalle High School @ 4 pm at Somerset Golf Course
[freshman] Kathryn Schmechel will have better chances in the conference,” Junior Captain Delany Carter said. The girls look to rebound from a disappointing season last year. “We’re excited about the new opportunities in our conference and hope to see more success for the whole team” junior Annette Vargas said.
Girls: May 1 vs. Holy Angels @ 4 pm - Somerset Golf Course May 6 vs. Providence Academy @ 4:30 pm at Rush Creek Golf Course
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April 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VII.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Take me out to the ball game Varsity Baseball rebuilds after loss of older players Zeeshawn Abid
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Staff Writer
The Varsity Baseball team has been through many ups and downs in a short period of time. Many seniors have left the squad not all to play baseball but to take their talents to college, including Matthew Fiedler who plays for the University of Minnesota. The amount of talent that has left will be replaced by young, up and coming players who have been waiting patiently for their chance to play. Unfortunately there are not as many players as last year. “We have nine less guys in the program compared to last year, which makes it difficult to make complete rosters for both teams. So this year we are going to have guys that play both JV and Varsity,” junior Luke Bishop said. Along with the loss of players, the unpredictable Minnesota weather has greatly affected this years team. The team had the privilege of practicing in the Vadnais Heights Sports Center to get away from the weather, but most to of the time they have been practicing in the gymnasium
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If we can keep everyone healthy, the team plans be at our peak performance for playoffs. s e n i or c ap t a i n Jo s h Jo h n s on where there is limited space. “It’s frustrating, but I think it’s worth it,” Bishop said. Even with the struggles that the team has faced, they have reasons to be optimistic. There are six returning seniors and one new senior that bring experience and leadership to the otherwise young squad. Senior captain Josh Johnson, who last year pitched a no hitter and a perfect game, believes that the team can be successful this year: “I’m excited about this year’s team. Despite losing 12 seniors, our team shows
Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Senior captain Josh Johnson throws a pitch in a home game against St. Paul Johnson. “We have nine less guys as in the program compared to last year, which makes it diffucult to make complete rosters for both teams.” Junior Luke Bishop said. Despite these losses, the SPA team won the game with a promising 10-0 victory.
a lot of promise as the underclassmen have stepped in and proven they can contribute significantly. With two returning starting pitchers, we knew we’d have a strong defensive team. However, it’s been exciting to see the offensive punch so early in the season, scoring a total of 20 runs in the first two games.” he said. “With the weather, the baseball schedule may get condensed and the team might be playing
several games in a short amount of time,” Johnson said. “If we can keep everyone healthy, the team plans to be at our peak performance for playoffs. Along with the leadership of the seniors, there are many new faces that have the capability to step in right away and make an impact.” On the surface it seems as if the team will have difficulty this year, but with the leadership and the dedication of the all players,
there is no reason to not be optimistic. Upcoming games: Tuesday April 29 @ 4:30 p.m. vs St. Croix Lutheran (Away) Monday May 5 @ 7:00 p.m. vs Providence Academy (Away)
Girls Varsity Softball swings for the fences, merges with Nova Meghan Joyce
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Staff Writer
As they continue to rebuild, the softball team at St. Paul Academy and Summit School has been looking for recruits, hoping to find some fresh talent somewhere. Newly united with the small but spirited team from Nova Classical Academy, they thought that they would be set. Five players from Nova joined the team, but now only one remains. “I am not going to quit,” sophomore Sommer Skeps, Nova’s only remaining softball player, said. Skeps made it onto the varsity team at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, becoming an outfielder, a catcher, and a friend to her new teammates. Skeps isn’t going anywhere, but she sees that her teammates from Nova had some valid reasons to leave. Transportation was never provided between Nova and SPA, so the players were tasked with finding a way to commute. “One of the girls quit because her parents wanted her siblings to have more opportunity to do other sports, so they couldn’t drive her back and forth,” Skeps said. “It hasn’t really been that hard [for me to get to practice], my parents just take me.” Busy schedules can make it hard to find time for sports and school work, especially in sports with such hurried seasons as soft-
I’m looking forward to redeeming the team that we were last year. s e n i or c o - c ap t a i n Alex Miller
Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Senior co-captain Alex Miller pitches during the Varisty Softball home game against Highland Park. The team lost 16-18. “I’m excited and I think we’re going to be a lot better than last year,” Miller said.
ball, when weeks with five games aren’t uncommon. For Skeps, it is a manageably large commitment to be part of the team, as softball is her only sport and she isn’t on any club teams. But for some Nova girls, it was a deal breaker. “I know one of the girls from Nova was on a travelling softball team and a travelling volleyball team, and she was really worried about her homework load,” freshman Emily Dieperink said. These players joined during a season when their talent was needed, and losing them has some members of the team worried about how they will manage. “It would have been helpful if some of the other girls hadn’t quit
because we would’ve had more numbers, so I wish they hadn’t,” senior co-captain Alex Miller said. The consensus among the players is that their biggest concern is having a scant three pitchers between the varsity and junior varsity teams, which has meant that players have had to leave the positions that they have had in the past and try to pitch. “I’m pitching this year for the first time, so that’s kind of out of nowhere. I’ve been shortstop since freshman year… We don’t have many pitchers,” Miller said. “Minimum you want two pitchers on each team because its too much stress on your arm and
your body to be pitching every single game, every single day,” sophomore Liza Bukingolts said. Unfortunately, the Junior Varsity team only has one pitcher right now, and the Varsity team only has two, so that is exactly their situation. “The Nova pitcher quit, which is a very big shame because she was good,” Bukingolts said. But there is still hope. There are 18 underclassmen and Middle Schoolers on the Varsity and Junior Varsity roster, compared to just four upperclassmen. With a team so young and so committed, who knows what they will accomplish in the years to come. Dieperink joined the Junior Varsity team this year, and already loves being part of the team. “[Softball] seems really fun, and the team is really fun. Everybody is really nice and I just like the
sport so far,” Dieperink said. “I’m looking forward to redeeming the team that we were last year. We weren’t good, and we should’ve been,” Miller said, “It’s kind of scary that it’s my last one [season], but I’m excited and I think we’re going to be a lot better than last year.” There is still plenty of time left for this to become a successful season for the softball team, but at this point there have yet to be any winning games. The record stands at 0-0-2. Upcoming games: Tuesday April 29 @ 7:00 p.m. vs St. Anthony (Away) Wednesday May 7 @ 4:30 p.m. vs Blake (Home)