December 2017 Issue

the

HygGe: How to A&E 12

RUBICON the student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue - Saint Paul, MN 55105 Volume 45. Issue 4. December 12, 2017

LAUGHING OUT LOUD

In Depth 8-9

IN THIS ISSUE: 2-3 NEWS • 4-6 EDITORIAL/OPINIONS • 7 SCI/TECH • 8-9 IN DEPTH • 10-11 FEATURE • 12-13 A&E • 14-15 SPORTS • 16 BACK COVER

DESIGN CREDIT: Jonah Harrison

the

RUBICON

Senior Katie Lose, ninth grader Gavin Kimmel, junior Mashal Naqvi and sophomore Noah Rice

LAUGHING

Hygee: How to A&E 12

OUT LOUD

In Depth 8-9

IN THIS ISSUE: 2-3 NEWS • 4-6 EDITORIAL/OPINIONS • 7 SCI/TECH • 8-9 IN DEPTH • 10-11 FEATURE • 12-13 A&E • 14-15 SPORTS • 16 BACK COVER

2

ABOUT THE COVER

the student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue - Saint Paul, MN 55105 Volume 45. Issue 4. December 12, 2017

Read more about the benefits of laughter in In Depth (8-9)

IN BRIEF:

Robots from SPA team win big

CODENAME: WIN. Seniors Grant Gunderson, Michael Hall and junior Michaela Polley operate their robot in competition.

The SPA Robotics teams qualified for state in their first competition of the season on Dec. 3.

Team #12660, the novice team, won an INSPIRE award, the highest honor in the tournament.

Read about the team at

N ews

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Daniel Ellis

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Advisories participate in Support-a-Family

Delgado to succeed Hughes as US principal TANA OSOSKI Staff Writer

After an internal search, Dean of Students Max Delgado has been chosen on to be the new Upper School principal. Delgado spent multiple hours meeting with a search committee.

“The full interview process entailed the same thing that I did four years ago when I applied for SPA, meeting with students, parents, and faculty. The thing that was a little bit different about it was that the school already knows me really well, so in some ways the school already knows what kind of work I do; it was less of about getting to know me for the first time,” Delgado said.

The search committee couldn’t officially hire Delgado, so after meeting with him they sent a recommendation to Head of School Bryn Roberts.

“I interviewed him separately a couple of times, at the end of the process I got the recommendation from the committee, and they said to hire him. It’s very rare to have an applicant of such extraordinary quality inside the school, he passed with flying colors, and we were happy to appoint him,” Roberts said.

Delgado will take over from the current Upper School principal Chris Hughes on Jul. 1, 2018.

Read the full story at

RUBICONLINE PHOTOS: Isabel Gisser

TO: YOU, FROM: SPA. Advisories wrapped presents in the cafeteria on Dec. 6. (TOP) Dorienne Hoven and Izzy Denny laugh together as they cut wrapping paper. (MIDDLE) Junior Eliza Reedy addresses a gift. (BOTTOM) Abby Lanz, Kathleen Bishop, Sonja Henze wrap a gift together.

LILLY RAMALINGHAM Staff Writer

Participating advisories danced in the cafeteria and sang along to a holiday themed playlist Dec. 6 while wrapping presents for Support a Family.

“These people that probably won’t get very much for the

holidays are going to receive some of the gifts they’ve been waiting for,” sophomore Sameer Bijwadia said. “It’s important to give back as a community because anything can help, they deserve that.”

Advisories committed to help 19 families this year.

Amidst lunch tables

covered in gifts and wrapping paper, Christmas music, and loud chatter, the student a capella club performed “Silent Night.” While advisories pooled resources to purchase the gift-list of a family in need, the club rehearsed their piece to contribute to the holiday spirit of the final event.

“Support a Family is really, really excellent. I wish that there would have been more of an outlet for A capella to perform...there’s a lot of chaos...but...it’s a nice environment because everybody here is choosing to be part of it,” singer Ethan Asis said.

Project for Pride in Living began in 1972 and now serves over 13,000 low-income people every year.

If an advisory chose to partake in Support a Family, they received a wish list for a child, teenager and/or an adult. The wish list provided background information and a list of requested gifts; items tended to include winter jackets, boots, winter gloves, and other practical items.

The student group Community Action and Service coordinates the event.

Reporting on the a capella performance by RubicOnline Editor Isabel Gisser.

Peer Helpers prepare relaxation room during midterms MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff Writer

Peer Helpers has a plan during exams to lower the stress students feel around testing. Each year during exams, the student group runs a relaxation room on campus, aimed at helping stressed students looking for a break.

In previous years, the space is filled with baked goods, coloring, story time, Bob Ross videos and classical music.

“We just want to create a place where people feel like they aren’t surrounded by people who are constantly stressed,” senior Peer Helper Tess Hick said.

Hick and fellow senior, Dorienne Hoven said Peer Helpers are heavily invested in the well-being of students.

Hick said she thinks some students are hesitant to seek help because they don’t know what Peer Helpers offers or say

RELAXATION ROOM 8-3 every day MON: Library Classroom TUES, WED: Robotics Classroom THURS: TBD

it lacks training.

“We really do a lot of development and a lot of training and I really wish people would come and ask for help more,” she said.

Peer Helpers believe their help can be critical during the exam season. The group visited freshman advisories a few weeks ago to answer questions and dispel rumors about exams.

Peer Helpers are also available for private consultation about how to manage stress around midterms. The overarching trend is to take the pressure off.

“The most important thing to know is: I hope that you’ve listened in class, your teachers are there to help you, they’re not going to just throw things on that you don’t know...and also if you do badly, it’s okay.

It doesn’t drastically affect your grade, it doesn’t ruin the entire semester,” Hoven said.

Hick offered more advice about studying: “What is enough? Because if you know 95 percent of the stuff and that last 5 percent is going to take you hours, you’re good...but I think people need to learn when you feel you’ve done enough, you’ve done enough.

There has to be a point when you stop,” she said.

Students who want help during exam days can reach out to US Counselor Susanna Short, who can direct students to a Peer Helper to talk to.

Overall, the message from the group is to relax.

“One of the important things about exams is to know which friends you can study with and which friends will just stress you out, “ Hick said.

Students should also focus on their health, both mental and physical. “Study, sleep, eat well, and surround yourself with people who aren’t going to freak you out,” Hoven said.

In the end, it all comes down to some advice from Hoven: “It’s a test, and I got this.”

EXAM SCHEDULE Dec. 11 Period 1 9–10:30 a.m.

Period 2 1-2:30 p.m.

Dec. 12 Period 5 9– 10:30 a.m.

Period 6 1– 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 13 Period 3 9-10:30 a.m.

Period 4 1– 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 14 Period 7 9 – 10:30 a.m.

Period 8 1-2:30 p.m.

CORRECTIONS POLICY

NOVEMBER CORRECTIONS

During the post-critique process, staff members will identify innacuracies and report on feedback from readers. Corrections will be printed in the next edition of the newspaper in the News section.

SCI TECH - the truck infographic should have included the years 2016, 2020, 2025, and 2026 & beyond, respectively. IN-DEPTH - the portraits of Kelly Fiedler and Sylvie Schifsky were taken by RubicOnline CVE Kelby Wittenberg.

Affinity group hosts holiday events DREIDEL DREIDEL DREIDEL. Sophomores Noah Rice and Ethan Richman play games at the Hanukkah celebration on Dec. 4 hosted by a newly formed affinity group, Mishpacha.

Read the story at:

SCHILLING CENTER:

Crews build exterior wall system

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Peter Blanchfield

BRICK BY BRICK. McGough construction work counterclockwise around the math and science center setting up scaffolding and covering it with plastic to begin the brick laying process.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Jack Benson

N ews 3

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Her Space celebrates body positivity

@therubiconspa on Instagram BEAUTY. Students wrote on post-its sharing one thing they like about their body to promote Body Positivity Day.

ELAINA PARSONS Staff Writer

Body positivity day had the hall filled with bright, colorful Post-it notes stuck to the outline of a human body. The post-it’s depicted the community of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s recognition of the beauty of themselves and others. The third annual “Body Positivity Day” on Dec. 1, was hosted

by Her Space, a student group dedicated to discussing issues relating to women. Students and faculty took the time to acknowledge what they like about their body to promote positive body image.

“I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to make yourself look better or lose weight and especially [for women] to look pretty. For me, seeing a bunch of sticky notes on that silhouette is kind of empowering. It’s an important reminder that people are a lot better than they think they are.” Adnan Askari said.

Many students found it reassuring that SPA students and faculty supported body positivity. “To see that a whole community feels a certain way is really impactful,” senior Naya Tadavarthy said.

Tadavarthy also appreciated the positive environment that Body Positivity Day encouraged. “Making sure to foster a positive environment can be really productive in encouraging people to think positively about themselves.

That could be by giving them compliment about something they have done or how they have presented themselves can be really helpful,” Tadavarthy said.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Griffin Thissen AUDITIONS. Senior directors offer guidance for students signed up to audition for the winter One Act plays on Dec. 4-5.

One Act plays give seniors directing experience GRIFFIN THISSEN Staff Writer

Seniors held One Act auditions Dec. 4-5 to get their shows cast before break. One Act plays offer an experience for students to express themselves in a smaller cast.

The plays are short, no more than 30 minutes, and are directed by student directors who prepare every aspect of the play: casting, costumes, set design, blocking, props, and performance. The student shows perform in tandem with the MSHSL One Act, directed by US Theater Director Eric Severson.

Severson is perhaps one of the most influential people in the One Acts; he is the head

of the theater department at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, and the faculty advisor for the One Act plays.

“The seniors get their chance to explore a different creative experience than just being an actor, they get to work as directors to create the play themselves,” Severson said.

Directing the One Acts is beneficial to Severson as he gets to know the students better with the smaller casts.

“I get to know the students more, I also enjoy the advisor part. I get to coach the students that direct, its fun to see the students experience the stress and excitement and understand more about directing,” Severson said.

Senior Lillian Pettigrew believes that it is less stressful to be a director than an actor, but acknowledges that both are stressful to some extent.

“Directing comes with its own fair share of stress. For example, my co-director and I are directing the play No Exit, which is a full hour and a half when normally performed, so we had to cut about two thirds of the script to get it in at under the 30 minute time limit,” Pettigrew said.

This year, the One Acts have co-directors as well.

Pettigrew’s co-director is fellow senior Dianne Caravela.

“I definitely wouldn’t be able to do this if I didn’t have a co-director by my side. It’s so great to be able to have a

sounding off board for my strangest ideas and know that she will tell me honestly if they’re good or just insane,” Pettigrew said.

The One Act plays feature a variety of genres for all different play lovers. The senior directors are Tess Hick, Noa Carlson, Lillian Pettigrew, Dianne Caravela, Mira Zelle and Ellie Findell. Each of the groups are doing their own independent work to create their plays. The play Peter/ Wendy being directed by Eric Severson will be eligible to be to national competition. The performance will take place on January 27, and possibly February 3.

Cast lists are published at RubicOnline.

Advanced Science classes present first semester research KELBY WITTENBERG RubicOnline CVE

Two groups of students worked diligently first semester in different fields of science and on Dec. 5 they presented their findings.

One group, students taking Advanced Science Research, focus on scientific projects.

“Helping guide them [students] into a spot where they can do something feasibly in our lab [is my favorite part of ASR],” US Science teacher Beth SeibelHunt said.

After research is finished, they compose a professionallevel poster to present at the Science and Engineering Fair.

The other group of students, ones taking Advanced Technology, work on developing fairly complex computer coding.

From the ASR group, research like Manipulation of Light-Dark Cycle and Frequency of Light on the Bioluminescent Dinoflagellate Pyrocystis Lunula and Inhibition of E. coli Growth with a Peptide Derived from BamA was presented. From the Advanced Technology Projects group, projects like ATLAS: A Convolutional Neural Network Powered SelfDriving Car and Dumble: The Keyless Door was observed.

For both groups, these projects represent several

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Kelby Wittenberg

months of dedicated work.

US Science teacher Kate Lockwood thoroughly enjoys observing the work that her students create.

“It’s a super fun class to teach because the projects are very different and require background knowledge and technical knowledge, things

DECODING RESEARCH. Junior Izzy Dieperink presents her Advance Science Research project to a group of parents, students, and faculty.

that the kids don’t know and I sometimes might not know either, so we get to learn together,” Lockwood said.

Final and polished versions of the projects exhibited on Dec. 5 will go on to compete at the Science and Engineering Fair in early March.

4

E ditorial

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

MINI EDITORIALS

Pops solos shouldn’t dominate the show

Editorial Cartoon: Melissa Nie THINK POSITIVE. It’s easy to focus on the negative, but it’s important to acknowledge the many educational privileges we have.

Curb complaints and appreciate SPA’s merits EDITORIAL

The Rubicon Staff

SPA has fostered an amazing culture of critical thinking and inquiry that often takes form in criticism of the school itself. Students feel able and encouraged to challenge SPA to constantly improve; senior speeches, the opinion board, and hallway discussions are often calls of action to the administration and to the student body itself, asking for changes in policy, attitude, and treatment of peers. While it’s important to be always looking for ways to make the SPA community better, it’s equally important to take a step back and recognize all of the reasons to be appreciative of SPA.

The culture of inclusivity.

SPA offers a diverse program of award-winning and prestigious musical ensembles, sports teams, clubs, a debate team, and student-led publications. None of these programs cut students, and everyone has the opportunity to take part. Teachers and the

administration encourage and support student initiatives, whether it’s forming a new club, sponsoring awareness weeks, or bringing in speakers for issues that students personally care about.

The culture of respect and trust between students and teachers. Teachers

feel comfortable stepping out of the classroom and knowing that their students will continue productive discussion, because the student body has earned that trust by being engaged, interested, and driven to learn.

Teachers speak to students almost as peers and are understanding and flexible to each student’s individual needs. No student is forgotten around the Harkness table— it’s quite literally impossible to hide and go through the school day apathetic and disengaged. And respect goes both ways—there aren’t many schools at which students thank their teachers after every class.

The student body. While students often complain about

Respect

goes both

ways—there aren’t many schools at which students thank their teachers after every class.

a toxic culture of competition and extreme academic rigor, the student body in reality is supportive and caring.

While SPA is undoubtedly competitive, students are more often competitive with themselves than with each other. It’s a culture in which everyone pushes each other to be their best. At school, students are surrounded by peers who care about school, about learning, and about doing their best work.

Because the school is small, there’s comfort in knowing everyone (at least a little) more and more each year.

The administration works to

provide opportunities for the student body to grow closer and eliminate competition: every class goes on a retreat each year, and there is no homecoming royalty, no class rank or valedictorian.

And let’s not forget about the lunches. SPA’s

lunchroom has a hot lunch with vegetarian options and mixed vegetables every day, a salad bar with toppings, a soup bar, different quinoa or couscous or noodle salads, dessert, and ice cream.

The lunch staff is beyond accommodating for any possible dietary restrictions, and the food itself is good enough to be served at a restaurant.

SPA is by no stretch a perfect school, but it’s easy to acclimate to your environment and see only the flaws in the SPA community. Let’s take a moment to recognize how fortunate we are to attend this school—even the freedom of the student body to openly criticize SPA is indicative of the privilege we have.

The 32 soloists in the Pops Concert for the nine songs the choir performed detracts from the fun and creates another competitive environment for SPA students. Too many solos prevent the choir itself from getting to sing as much, thus ensuring that the majority of the choir never gets to sing through a song. Solos aren’t a bad thing, but too many undermines the inclusivity of choir. Only about five soloists should be featured, thus reducing competition and allowing the entire choir to sing more.

Sieze winter break as an opportunity for pleasure reading

While it’s easy to leave exam week feeling exhausted and ready for a Netflix binge, students should use winter break as a rare opportunity to pursue their own reading interests. During the school year it can feel impossible to dedicate any time to intellectual activities that aren’t required, but the long break is an ideal time to take a deep breath, step away from the Netflix, and relax with a classic. Pleasure reading is a fulfilling way to destress and rediscover the joy of a book without needing to annotate or plan for your next paper.

Go to Feature 11 for teacher book recommendations

THE RUBICON

St. Paul Academy and Summit School • 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 • rubicon.spa@gmail.com • www.RubicOnline.com • @TheRubiconSPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR COPY EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURE EDITORS IN DEPTH EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ILLUSTRATIONS/INFOGRAPHICS

Iya Abdulkarim Jonah Harrison Marlee Baron Jack Benson Kat St. Martin-Norburg Lucy Sandeen Jenny Sogin, Chloe Morse Quinn Christensen Claire Hallaway Andrew Johnson Jasper Green Melissa Nie

DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURE EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITORS CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER ILLUSTRATIONS/INFOGRAPHICS COLUMNIST/BLOGGER

Mimi Geller Web Lehman Ellie Findell Michael Forsgren Nitya Thakkar, Isabel Gisser Peter Blanchfield Flannery Enneking-Norton Emma Sampson Annie Bottern, Jake Adams Kelby Wittenberg Sharee Roman Noah Raaum Ellie Nowakowski Isabel Saavedra-Weis

STAFF WRITERS

Helen Bartlett, Lucy Benson Annabelle Bond, Liv Larsen, Evelyn Lillemoe, Meagan Massie, Tana Ososki, Elaina Parsons, Lilly Ramalingam, Jennifer Ries, Martha Sanchez, Will Schavee, Griffin Thissen, Bobby Verhey ADVISER

Kathryn Campbell

O pinions 5

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

If faced with failure, fight temptations and find motivation

EXAMS T

ES MATH T E

R GAM

SOCCE CLUBS

FAIR

IYA ABDULKARIM Editor-in-Chief

Expectations aren’t always going to be met and mistakes are going to be made. Either of these cases provide motivation and perspective to work harder.

Regardless of the task, setting high standards and striving for excellence means that falling short will still produce great work.

Students are constantly surrounded by talented and gifted peers and in a seemingly never-ending race against the clock, quite often

Illustration: Lucy Sandeen HURDLES. Experiencing failure can be motivating.

it feels like failing isn’t even an option.

This, however, is not to say that one should go out of their way to ensure failure.

Balancing classes, activities, clubs and jobs inside and outside of school reveals the tug-of-war between quality and quantity of work.

Failure is defined differently by every individual—it could be an unsatisfactory essay, a poor musical performance, a lost friendship, or a failing grade on a quiz. Failing in such a tight-knit community can feel like you let others down, and not just yourself.

When faced with failure, people will either wallow in it and pity themselves, or they will use it as an opportunity for improvement.

Going through school pushes people to become a part of the prior group.

Especially academically, people fear failure and try to avoid it all costs.

Notwithstanding the challenge of finding strength of a time of weakness, failure is inevitable and should be used as an opportunity.

An article from the Stanford Graduate School of Business reports that failure

drives innovation by instilling a sense of disparity.

When facing failure, fight the temptation to feel bad for yourself and instead use it as a reason to work harder. Take care of yourself in between the two, and maybe even get to the root of the problem (such as sleep deprivation or an overbooked schedule).

Experiencing failure also proves to be a sense of motivation; the next time a challenge arises, more effort will be dedicated towards it and illustrate drastic improvement and resilience.

5 major benefits of failure Clarity: Failures force us to zero in on what is most important.

Champions: True champions stick by your side during the tough times.

Creativity: You must level up your creativity to generate fresh possibilities..

Grit: If you learn, adjust and actually return better than before, then you have grit.

Freedom: Failure strips you of your notion of invincibility. If you own your failure, you are liberated.

Taken from Forbes’s “The Five Major Benefits Of Failure”

It’s okay to feel exhausted by social issues — take some time to reset MELISSA NIE

The Rubicon Editor

Sexual assault. Racism.

Homophobia. Transphobia.

Ableism. Abuse.

The list goes on.

A quick scroll through social media reveals so many troubling things and social issues in the world that it’s difficult to be able to fully react to all of them. In fact, the various headlines we see everyday that detail hate crimes and mass shootings have become commonplace.

One could say that people are desensitized to such things, creating a larger problem of apathy.

But most of all, people are exhausted.

While some might think that taking a break from fighting for a better world makes them a “bad activist”, this is entirely false. Human beings can only handle so many negative things in their lives. According to the University of Minnesota, a constant stream of negativity increases chronic stress, which is incredibly detrimental to your health.

Recently, the same social issues have been highlighted in the media without any clear resolution. If you are always seeing these problems that don’t seem to be getting

any better, it’s even easier to lose hope and spiral into gloominess.

That’s why it’s important to step back. Take a deep breath and collect your thoughts.

Your mental health takes priority over all else.

Think about airplane safety procedures. In the event of an oxygen shortage, masks are dropped from above. Flight attendants instruct passengers to put on their own masks first, then to help others. Your body can only handle being without oxygen for a limited amount of time. If you waste precious seconds fumbling with another person’s mask while your own air levels drop

Putting

your

own health first

doesn’t make you a bad activist. In fact, by helping

yourself, you can help others.

dangerously low, you stand the risk of passing out and not helping anyone.

The same logic applies to fighting for social change. If you are not in the right mental state to take whatever legal action is required to pass a

bill or defend a policy, then you might as well be doing nothing. Just like putting on your own oxygen mask first isn’t selfish, putting your own health first doesn’t make you a bad activist. In fact, by helping yourself, you can help others.

So the next time you’re frustrated by a social issue that’s remained stagnant for the past year, remember to take a break. Go drink a beverage of your choice. Take a hot shower. Text someone you haven’t talked to in a while.

You’ll come back stronger with the ability to make more of a difference in this world.

POLICIES, MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon

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

ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.

EDITORIALS articulate the

collective opinion of The Rubicon staff, while mini-editorials, opinions pieces, arts reviews, and columns belong to the author of works published in the Opinions section.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or online edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words and may be edited for style. All pieces must be submitted with a full name.

BY LINES credit the individual who conducted interviews, drafted, revised and fact-checked an assigned story. Double bylines are given to joint effort assignments,

with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states “Additional reporting provided by” followed by the name of the reporter.

ANONYMOUS SOURCES

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

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS At time, stories will be updated as new information surfaces, and verified inaccuracies will e corrected.

POLICIES detailed The Rubicon policies are published at RubicOnline.

MEMBERSHIPS Columbia

Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, MN High School Press Association, Quill and Scroll Society

PUBLICATION AWARDS

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

6

O pinions

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

COLUMN

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

NO RIGHT ANSWER

Let’s be constructive, not destructive

Why is the world built for extroverts?

ISABEL SAAVEDRA-WEIS Columnist / Blogger

By definition, I am an extrovert. I thrive off the energy of other people. Even when I’m dead tired, if I’m around other people, I instantaneously perk up. A city filled with people works wonders for me.

Not all people are like me, and I recognize and respect that. Not all people recharge when they are around other people, and not all people get adrenaline rushes from receiving attention.

However, the world revolves around traits that are usually more natural to extroverts.

The ability to start and carry conversations, even with strangers, can land you job opportunities, and make good first impressions. Handling large amounts of attention, such as public speaking, is also seen as a helpful skill to have.

And people who don’t have those traits naturally? They have to work twice as hard to level the playing field with extroverts.

I’m not saying that life is easier in every aspect for extroverts. Trust me, I’ve been in plenty of situations where I wish that my outgoing personality could reign itself in a little. Being exceedingly enthusiastic can seem like a little too much for some people. I get it.

But here’s the question part.

Why on Earth do we, as a society, prefer people who are outgoing and social? I mean, I’m just as bad as the next person. I tend to like to spend time with people who are dramatic and outgoing (not all the time though, because that is very tiring) because I can find myself matching their energy.

When I’m around people who are quieter or calmer than me, I find my loud and high-pace energy to feel out of place.

Introverts, help me out here. In the moments when I have spent so much time with other human and I need space to reflect and recharge, I just want people to understand that I’m tired, not antisocial.

I appreciate other people, I just need a minute for myself.

So, meet introvert-ism with understanding and space.

But that’s just an extrovert speaking…

COLUMN THE CURRENT (EVENTS)

Take winter break to reflect on the past year JACK BENSON

My two cents on the impact of “Conservative Lives Matter” Black Lives Matter is a movement for justice and equality that is important to, hopefully, all of us. This movement aims to end the struggle that People of Color, specifically Black Americans, face. When you play off of this with a title like “Conservative Lives Matter,” you equate the struggle of discomfort during Harkness discussions to the systematic oppression of people of color within our country.

You do not get pulled over for driving while conservative.

You are not disproportionately represented in prisons. You were not red-lined because of your political views.

The system in place is a system designed to benefit you. There is a Republican majority in Congress, and our President will represent your values more frequently than Democratic ones. Your lives do matter, but they do not require a national call to action in order to protect them.

I do not agree with the title “Conservative Lives Matter,” I want to make that abundantly clear. The title, in my opinion, was made to first grab the attention of a reader and offend them. However, I do feel that some of the points in this piece needed to be heard.

What I aim to do with this letter is to present these points in a more effective and productive way.

SPA does a bad job of listening. I do not identify as a conservative, and because of this I don’t agree with a lot of the ideas held by conservatives, but that does not mean that I block off exposure to these thoughts.

The word “conservative” is stigmatized in our school, and it feels impossible here to reasonably approach a topic from such a lens.

I think frequently about a speech given by former senior

Rafi Toghramadjian in which he delivered his reasons for being pro-life in the hopes of helping people understand his beliefs rather than converting people to them. I was ecstatic that somebody with an unpopular opinion spoke up in a thoughtful and productive way, and I was saddened to see that my friends did not appreciate his speech in the same way.

We

should

emulate

America’s

greatest

potential, not

mimic the current dysfunction we see in our political system.

Most of them felt frustrated and even attacked because he had an opposing view, but his speech was not about how pro-life is the right thing to be, but rather about listening to people we disagree with to better understanding them.

As I first learned and developed an opinion on this event, Señor Castellanos reminded me, “We need to find civility within our differences.”

The writer and proofreader [of the original Opinion Board post] needs to rethink how to approach this topic.

I wholeheartedly agree that conservative voices aren’t properly heard in this school, whether if it’s a big thing, such as Rafi’s speech, or little things, be it at Harkness tables or lunch tables.

SPA prides itself on being inclusive and able to communicate and I don’t see that happening here. We as a community need to do better.

I want to hear conservative views more frequently at this

school, because I think civic discourse is both healthy and an important life skill. As a learner, I want to hear my views challenged, and I want to be able to challenge others’ views.

It is disappointing to me that there is seemingly no diversity of thought within our school without attack. I want to hear these arguments and I want to personalize them to my peers.

I want to know what conservatives look like, and that’s not something that is shown unless it’s in extremes.

These extremes, as seen recently, do nothing but hurt our community and poorly represent ourselves.

I want this article to serve as a starting place. Currently, we reflect the polarization within our society. When you post something [on the Opinion Board] with a thoughtful opinion but preface it with an offensive and ignorant title, you lose credibility. This post was not taken down because it represented conservative values, but rather because it trivialized genuine struggle within our country.

To the author: I encourage you to post something again.

I, for one, would like to hear more about what you have to say. However, it is important to understand the power behind your words and the implication a title like “Conservative Lives Matter” has.

To SPA: we need to do a better job of tolerating and listening to controversial views. We should emulate America’s greatest potential, not mimic the current dysfunction we see in our political system. I know we can get there.

The Rubicon Editor

It’s hard to beat two weeks of peace after two months of hard work. The first week I do as close to nothing as I can.

I don’t think about school, about how well exams went, what I want to do with my time, what’s going on in the rest of the world. I can hide in my room and play video games all day. It’s nice and quiet for a while.

But peace can only last so long, and as Christmas nears I begin to resurface to reality.

Winter break is a period to check in on how life is going.

I look back on past Christmas and New Years like scenes on a roll of film. It’s a little snapshot of what life was like that year.

That means thinking about all the things I blissfully ignored for the first couple days.

Christmas always reminds me about the spirit of giving, loving your family and all that good stuff, but for the past few years I can’t help thinking about climate change, yup that’s right, climate change.

I always hope for a snowy Christmas. In early December the high got up to 55 degrees.

It has snowed since, but it felt strange wearing a t-shirt in December.

Shortly after Christmas comes New Years, and now the train of personal reflection is picking up speed. Not just about how the year went for me, but how it went for the country. Last year Obama was on his way out, Trump was on his way in. Last year many beloved movie stars died, this year many were accused of sexual misconduct.

Another year passes, lots of stuff happens. What I’m trying to get at, maybe not so successfully, is that when there is so much happening, when the noise of the world gets to loud, taking a break to relax and reflect can go along way.

— Ethan Asis, junior

Submit

EDITOR’S NOTE:

The ongoing notes on the Opinion Board about the original post, which has been removed, provide valuable feedback. This letter was submitted to broaden the conversation about ideologies and not exclusively as a reply to the post, which is one of many reasons we’ve chosen to publish it.

the

your opinion to

RUBICON

rubicon.spa@gmail.com

S ci -T ech 7

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Ocean Farms are the future...

Kelp

Muscle colony

Fish traps

Scallop lantern nets Oyster and clam cages

SUSTAINABLE FOOD SOURCING. One of the main advantages of using Ocean Farms is the ability to source food sustainably.

The kelp and shellfish that are grown do not require any harmful additives to thrive, growing naturally with the ocean.

JACK BENSON

The Rubicon Editor

Vertical rows of seaweed and mussels hang from anchored ropes deep beneath the ocean’s surface.

They are left untended; the only resource needed for these lifeforms to grow is the ocean itself. This is an ocean farm.

It might seem alien, using the ocean as a main source of food, but the products of ocean farms can provide all the nutrients necessary for humans to thrive.

Beyond the novelty of eating something from the ocean, ocean farms are far more sustainable than a normal land farm.

Ocean farms are an environmentalist’s dream.

They eliminate the need for fertilizers, antibiotics, and pesticides. While these thePeriodical

farms do provide food, their main benefit is to the environment. Ocean farms have zero carbon emissions, and species on an ocean farm absorb carbon dioxide.

The result is a “negative carbon footprint.”

The majority of ocean farms grow kelp because of the speed at which it grows and its natural adaption to the ocean environment.

According to The Guardian, kelp soaks up five times as much carbon as land plants.

Additionally, kelp is one of the only vegetables that have high levels of both protein and vitamin D. While ocean farming has been around for awhile, the need for a more environmentally and ecologically friendly form of agriculture has grown exponentially in the wake of climate change. Humanity’s

ScienceBlog According to Mayo Clinic,

New gene editing performed on man SHAREE ROMAN The Rubicon Editor

Brian Madeux is a man who suffers from a rare metabolic disease called Hunter’s Syndrome.

when one has this disease, a patient lacks particular enzymes that break down complex molecules resulting in massive buildups of harmful cells . This can eventually cause permanent damage that progressively affects the appearance, physical abilities, brain development, and organ function of the patient.

Gene editing on genetic syndromes like Hunter’s has been done before in a laboratory, but on Nov. 13,

Ocean Farms

are...a

concrete step

towards protecting the ocean’s

environment and growing food in a sustainable way.

increasing impact on the ocean has left scars.

A front running form of ocean farm, GreenWave’s 3D Ocean farm, is making an admirable effort to heal those scars. Like many ocean farms, GreenWave’s Ocean farms grow different forms of seaweed and shellfish.

Unlike other types of ocean farming, such as salmon farms, Shellfish and kelp farms require no antibiotics nor a continual food source, and they pose no real threat to the ocean.

“I’ve

been waiting

for this my whole life: something that can

potentially cure me.”

— BRIAN MADEUX

Madeux will become the first human to receive gene editing therapy directly. Through this procedure, the manipulation of genes inside Madeux’s

Two years ago, GreenWave’s 3D Ocean farm won the $100,000 2015 Fuller Challenge: an enormous sign of the future potential which scientists see in ocean farms.

Elizabeth Thompson, the executive director of the institute which awards the prize said, “We’re looking for ideas that are replicable and verifiable.”

In November, Time also announced that GreenWave’s 3D Ocean farm was one of their 25 best inventions of 2017.

Ocean farms are not some theoretical solution to climate change; they are a real and concrete step towards protecting the ocean’s environment and growing food in a sustainable way.

body on could be a major breakthrough in the fledgling field of gene therapy.

In an attempt to tackle the incurable disease, Madeux agreed to intravenously receive billions of copies of a corrective gene using a genetic tool to cut his DNA in a precise spot. If successful, the new technique could give a major boost to Madeux’s quality and duration of life.

However, this procedure does come with risks, because at this time scientists are far from perfecting gene therapy.

Infographic Design: Jasper Green Resources: GreenWave, The Guardian

Ocean Farm Facts: They eliminate the need for fertilizers,

antibiotics, and pesticides in farming.

Kelp soaks up five times as much carbon dioxide as land plants do, resulting in a

“negative carbon footprint”.

They will help to heal the ocean over time.

Kelp is one of the only vegetables to have high levels of vitamin D. Won the $100,000 2015 Fuller Challenge Named one of Time’s

25 best inventions of 2017.

As Hank Greely, bioethicist at Stanford University stated in an interview with LA Times, “When you stick a chunk of DNA in randomly, sometimes it works well, sometimes it does nothing, and sometimes it causes harm”.

Despite the risks, Madeux is for what the future might bring to him and for others.

“I’m nervous and excited,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for this my whole life: something that can potentially cure me.”

8 Why you should laugh more (according to science) CLAIRE HALLAWAY The Rubicon Editor

Laughing can...

- Relax the body and muscles - Release physical tension - Help reduce stress - Increase immune cells - Bind people together the way that language does - Create and sustain social bonds - Improve overall health - Release endorphins Sources: https://www. psychologytoday. com/ articles/200011/ the-sciencelaughter http://www. bbc.com/news/ health-37311320 https://www. helpguide.org/ articles/mentalhealth/laughteris-the-bestmedicine.htm

In De

THE RUBICON • D

Laughin Out LOUD Loud

As i small the m emoti bondi Accor endor occur sense “[La happy peopl laugh Jonas

Students share the stories that cra

9

epth

DECEMBER 2017

ng CLAIRE HALLAWAY The Rubicon Editor

it may be obvious, even a amount of laughter can boost mood of many. Laughter shows ion as well as promoting ing and feelings of happiness. rding to helpguide.org, rphins are sent out as laughing rs, which produces a greater of well-being. aughter] definitely makes me y, and I see how it makes other le happy because I smile and a lot of the time,” 9th grader Bray said.

ack them up

HA HA HA

What makes us laugh?

Many students have different opinions on what is funny or what makes them laugh. For some like sophomore Eddie Krasny, they aren’t a big fan of puns.

Instead they find that inside jokes and moments with friends bring the greatest laughter.

“I laugh most when I’m with friends and random

humor just comes up that only makes sense for the situation.

I don’t really laugh at jokes or funny stories but just whenever I’m with the friends and we’re doing something really stupid. It’s usually just inside jokes, and stuff that wouldn’t make other people laugh but only my friends and me laugh,” Krasny said.

“I don’t know why I laugh

in history, I have no idea. I laugh all the time. Also puns, I’ve always loved puns,” Junior Mashal Naqvi said. “[I laugh] when Marlee dances….When Hannah raps…. just Hannah... I laugh a lot especially when I’m not supposed to be laughing,” Senior Katie Lose said.

For others, intentional humor makes them laugh.

“[I laugh at] mostly any dumb jokes, puns, memes, stories other people say, funny moments,” sophomore Fremont Forsberg said.

“I always laugh at my friends making really bad jokes. When someone tries to be funny and it’s not that funny, but you still laugh anyways,” Ninth grader Jonas Bray said.

Benefits of laughter Physiologically, laughter is found by many to connect people together. According to psychologytoday.com, laughter is thirty times much more common in social situations than when people are alone, this is because it is also a response and a signal. “[It connects people] because if you have like a common sense of humor in someone, it’s a lot easier to be friends with them. So it’s more comfortable when you share a sense of humor in someone and you both laugh at the same things,” Naqvi said.

“You build inside jokes, connections, things you remember about people that you’ve laughed about before,” Lose said.

“I know when someone can make me laugh or I can make them laugh, I’m usually pretty close to them because a lot of the times when I make someone laugh, it’s because of like talking about experiences that I had with that person and just looking back, which we laugh at. It’s kind of a way for me to know how close I am to that person,” Krasny said. “When my friends are

laughing and in a good mood then it also puts me in a better mood, even if I’m kinda down, I’ll just be with my friends and it brings me up.”

According to helpguide. org, laughing relaxes the body and muscles and can relieve physical tension, pain and stress. Stress hormones are decreased and instead immune cells are increased.

Many students have found that laughter is a good way of coping with stress. It allows them a small distraction and can lighten the mood. For Krasny, time spent with his friends having a good time is a way for him to relax and take a quick mind break before taking his exams.

“I remember last year, during the times my friends and I had a free period, we would get a ride from an upperclassman. It was really fun because it was a lot different than how school usually is, it was really fun to go over to someone’s house and just have fun before going back to school to take my exam,” Krasny said.

“When I get really stressed, I feel like I can’t do anything

“I

know when someone can

make me laugh or them laugh,

I’m

I

can make

usually

pretty close to them.”

— SOPHOMORE EDDIE KRASNY

but laugh, which is like not great. Only when I’m really stressed [I’ll stress-laugh] and I just can’t focus on anything,” Junior Eliza Reedy said.

“It’s really like a good way to de-stress. Especially when you don’t do well on something, a lot of people don’t do well and you just laugh about it, it makes you feel better,” Lose said. “It’s probably harder to genuinely laugh [during stressful times], but stressful laughing happens a lot. It makes it seem less serious when you do laugh, it’s easier to just deal with it,” Lose said.

“It for sure helps me destress I’d say. It’s nice to laugh instead of just constantly thinking about upcoming tests

or assignments, that kind of stuff,” Bray said.

“These past couple of days I’ve definitely laughed a lot more than the past couple of weeks, but like I think it does really help in the days before upcoming tests and that stuff.

It’s really definitely nice and it’s noticeable if you do laugh a lot, then I think there’s a noticeable change in your behavior,” Bray said.

“I think that the people I hang out with really make me laugh a lot, but I also make them laugh, so it’s just kind of a mutual feeling,” Bray said.

“Personally, I think I’m really funny. But in all seriousness, I’m not actually very funny,” Bray said.

F eature 10

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Atmore builds his confidence at Ox-bow School of Art LILY RAMALINGAM Staff Writer

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Ben Atmore CONFIDENCE. Junior Ben Atmore attended the Ox-bow School of Art and has grown through his experiences there. “The most unique part about Ox-bow is the independence and confidence I’ve gained,” Atmore said.

While most juniors cram for tests and prepare for the harsh Minnesota winter, junior Ben Atmore is taking care of chickens, harvesting his own food, making art and enjoying the sunshine at the Ox-Bow School of Art in Napa, California.

“The program is for artistically inclined students who want a break

from their normal school routine. Students can focus on painting, photography, filmmaking, printmaking and sculpture,” Atmore said. Unsurprisingly, the application process concentrates on student art.

“To apply to Oxbow, you have to write an essay focused on a piece of art and how you believe it reflects you. You also have to create a self portrait out of whatever medium you’d

like,” Atmore said.

He decided to submit a triptych (a three paneled) painting of his original portrait. Atmore is taking full advantage of his time at the Ox-bow School of Arts.

“The most unique part about Ox-bow is the independence and confidence I’ve gained, both artistically and socially,” Atmore said.

Hoeschen works the land at Camp Chewonki

ELAINA PARSONS Staff Writer

For students entering junior year at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, there are many changes that set this year apart from ninth and tenth grade including the opportunity to study in a different state.

Hoeschen went to camp Chewonki in Wiscasset, Maine.

“I was attracted to Chewonki because I love the ocean and marine

biology, and I also have an interest in animals so it seemed like a pretty ideal place to be,” Hoeschen said.

Chewonki includes three and a half miles of shoreline, five miles of hiking trails, and an organic farm. At Chewonki, Hoeschen’s days vary in activities. Everyday Hoeschen has classes and then either community chores or a science field trip.

Despite the fact that things can get a little challenging at times,she will

miss living at Chewonki after the semester ends.

“I’ll miss everything about Chewonki, the people, the farm, the early morning wake up, the food, the farm chores, the chores early in the morning, the music we play in the flintstones [the living room], living in a cabin, living with seven other girls, living with the kids I go to school. You name it and I’ll miss it,” Hoeschen said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Lucie Hoeschen COMMUNITY. Junior Lucie Hoeschen attended camp Chewonki for her first semester, learning about the environment and community living. “I’ll miss everything about Chewonki,” Hoeschen said.

Romans hikes to High Mountain Institue TANA OSOSKI Stff Writer

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Betsy Romans SUMMIT. Junior Betsy Romans summits a mountain after a long day of hiking. “On my first expedition we summited Mount Yale.

It was one of the most accomplishing feelings I’ve ever felt,” Romans said.

Junior Betsy Romans attended High Mountain Institute (HMI) in Leadville, Colorado, for the first semester of her junior year.

Students in HMI spend a semester learning in school and exploring the nature of the Colorado mountains.

Romans discovered HMI through a family connection and school. “​​​I became interested in HMI in the summer before

my sophomore year when my mom mentioned the school.

HMI then came and did a presentation the fall of my sophomore year, and that is when I really realized how much I wanted to go,” Romans said.

Romans has had some amazing adventures at HMI “On my first expedition, we summited Mount Yale, which is 14,000 feet. It was the highest mountain I had ever summited or even encountered. My whole group made it to the very top

and it was one of the most accomplishing feelings I have ever felt,” Romans said.

In addition to the extraordinary adventures and natural scenery, Romans has also enjoyed the companionship she feels with her fellow HMI classmates.

“It is amazing how close we all became in such a short amount of time. I love how I can have good conversations with anyone here, and that everyone knows everyone,” Romans said.

F eature 11

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Teachers’ suggested reading list:

EarthSea books by Ursula K. LeGuin, fantasy

They are shorter books, centered on a wizard, following him from his youth onward. It’s not easy reading, her writing is poetic even, in some cases, but the stories do move rather quickly. They’d be great for anyone who as a younger student read Harry Potter books, etc., as it’s a level up not only in writing style, but in content.

Sarah Muncy (Long-term sub for Ms. Schwichtenberg)

Experiencing Gender

From a female perspective: Scott, Yopp, and Thompson, assert issue of female inequality

A Man of Good Hope by Johnny Steinberg, non fiction/Memoir

I love books that teach me about different cultures and circumstances. This book did that and some.

“When civil war came to Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, in January 1991, two-thirds of the city’s population fled. Among them was eight-yearold Asad Abdullahi. His mother murdered by a militia, his father somewhere in hiding, he was swept alone into the great wartime migration that scattered the Somali people throughout sub-Saharan Africa and the work.” PenguinRandomhouse.com Beth Seibel-Hunt Science Department

The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat and other Clinical Tales by Dr. Oliver Sacks, Psychology

Entering the world of the neurologically impaired to imagine with our hearts what it must be to live and feel as they do.

Empathy is so important. Learning about the many unique differences in the world, especially those among the community most stigmatized, will make us stronger and more emotionally intelligent when it comes to those around us.

To know is to grow.

Aja Parham US Assistant

The Refuge by Dina Nayeri, Fiction

It’s about a woman who left Iran as a child but whose father stayed behind. It’s about her journey from Iran, to Oklahoma to Yale, and then to Amsterdam and her increasingly challenging relationship with her (mostly) absent father.

I really like direct, character driven fiction and this ticks all the boxes for me. I want to know more about these characters. They feel real and they have interesting stories to tell.

Mollie Ward History Department Head

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman, Graphic Novel

The Sandman escapes from a long imprisonment and must rebuild his crumbling kingdom.

Each volume is short enough to savor, but the series is long enough to fully immerse yourself in the dark, beautiful, mythological world of Dream, Death, Destiny, Despair, Delirium, Desire, and Destruction.

This series is a rich and strange universe to fall into, and a definite break from your typical school reading.

Sophie Kerman Upper School French Teacher

Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty, Science Fiction

Six clones wake up on a spaceship with a destroyed AI and cloning bay, and must figure out who killed them before the murderer among them ends their lives forever.

It’s both a mystery and a commentary on eternal life. It addresses questions about what makes us truly human with a collection of characters that I loved and hated and loved again as their secrets were uncovered. This book will make you think, but it will also keep you guessing.

Kathryn Campbell, Dir. of Publications

Fair use images of books from: GoodReads

A FEMALE PERSPECTIVE. Ninth graders Julia Scott and Gabriella Thompson, as well as tenth grader Savita Yopp explain their experiences as female-identifying students at school. “The fact is, we still live in a society that’s very biased against women,” Yopp said.

MELISSA NIE

The Rubicon Editor

Throughout history, women have been oppressed and seen as inferior to men.

In the last century, a great deal of progress has been made in terms of gender equity.

However, inequality still persists in society. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, 87.1 percent of femaleidentifying respondents said that gender impacts the way they go about their day.

Sophomore Savita Yopp believes that gender affects academic life in Harkness discussions.

“I think that there’s definitely a bias on who ends up speaking more, who ends up being listened to, [and] whose comments are taken most seriously,” Yopp said. “I think it especially affects the way we talk about gender.

When men talk about gender, they get a lot more credit for it because with women it sounds like we’re whining.”

Yopp also thinks that people mistakenly believe that social issues surrounding gender have already been resolved. “[The way people talk about gender] is kind of dismissive,” Yopp said. “There’s this concept that it’s all done.

Everything has been taken care of, women are equal now, we all respect women and we think that they’re equals.”

“There’s

this

concept that it’s all been done.

everything has been taken care of, women are equal now.”

— SOPHOMORE SAVITA YOPP

However, she believes this is not the case.

“The fact is, we still live in a society that’s very biased against women,” Yopp said.

“If we don’t accept that we all have inherent biases, how on earth are we ever going to fix anything? So it feels like it’s very dismissive. We’re not trying to fix anything, we’re trying to sweep it under a rug.”

As a result, women tend to be more vocal about gender issues.

“I’ve noticed that a lot of people who aren’t guys talk about gender more, and they’re more aware of the way that gender affects the everyday experience,” ninth-

grader Gabriella Thompson said.

Gender inequity still exists because it takes copious amounts of time and effort to fully change the way society works. Ninth-grader Julia Scott explains why gender imbalances tend to show up in Harkness discussions: “Harkness discussions make it easy for discrimination to take place, not because people are sexist or racist, but because gender inequality is ingrained in our society even without people knowing,” Scott said.

“It is very common for boys to interrupt girls without a second thought and to dismiss their ideas, even though the point of Harkness discussions is to speak and listen respectfully to others.”

Gender roles and differences are reflected in things such as the wage gap and the amount of women who go into certain professions. For example, a common issue lies with STEM education, where men often outnumber women.

“I think there’s always the knowledge that fundamentally comes with being female that the men are going to go higher because of the societal structure,” Yopp said.

This article is the second in a three-part series about how students’ learning experience is impacted by their gender. Part three will appear in the January/February issue.

GAMING 101: Yu-Gi-Oh! invigorate Tutorial BREANDAN GIBBONS Executive Producer

12

While the halls are quiet and teachers’ rooms fill with students focused on work during Tutorial, the senior lounge is focused on something else. Seniors Arib Rahman and Ned LairdRaylor transitioned Tutorial into time for logical battles and fierce competitions on Yu-Gi-Oh! Mats.

The key to the game is “belief in your deck and in the heart of the cards,” Rahman said.

It has quickly become an ideal way for them to get ready for their next class by focusing their minds on something other than school.

Read the full story at:

A rts & E ntertainment

EYES ON YOUR OWN MAT. Seniors Ned Laird-Raylor, Turab Naqvi and Arib Rahman play Yu-Gi-Oh! in the senior lounge.

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Breandan Gibbons

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

ARTIST PROFILE OF THE MONTH: GABI SEIFERT Seifert decreases stress through modern digital art JASPER GREEN

The Rubicon Editor

“Drawing

makes

me feel happy and less stressed,

I

also draw a lot

I’m bored it’s like an escape.”

when so

— JUNIOR GABI SIEFERT

Colored pencils and paint were what junior Gabi Seifert grew up with as a young child, and today they continue to provide a comforting nostalgia.

“I started drawing when I was small; I really liked to paint when I was little. My mom would have to go to the art store every other week and keep on buying me paints cause I would keep on using them up,” Seifert said.

However, when Seifert began attending school, she was met with rules that prohibited her from drawing, and this left her feeling out of luck.

“I drew less in elementary and middle school because the teachers were more strict and didn’t let me draw as much in class: ‘I will take your drawing and rip it up and destroy your heart,’” Seifert said.

As Seifert grew up, she became introduced to the art form of digital media, which provided a whole new way to manifest her creativity and one which could not easily be tampered with from the physical world.

“My favorite medium is probably digital art because it’s pretty hard to lose your work unless you actually delete the file. My cats will walk on [the art], my sisters will find it and destroy it, so I like that [the digital art] can’t be lost. I’ve got a drawing tablet, and a free drawing program that I like to use,” Seifert said.

Despite the challenge brought on by the discouragement from teachers, once in awhile Seifert continues to draw in class because of the entertainment factor it provides her.

“Drawing makes me feel happy and less stressed, I also draw a lot when I’m bored so it’s like an escape. Drawing is a lot more fun than calculus so I like to do it in class,” Seifert said.

ARTWORK REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: Gabi Seifert COLORFUL NOSTALGIA. Seifert continues her passion for art as she expands her resources, “My favorite medium is probably digital art because it’s pretty hard to lose your work unless you actually delete the file,” Seifert said.

Dough Dough’s edible cookie dough misses highlights of the trend JONAH HARRISON The Rubicon Editor

Following the craze that seems to have started this past year, the Mall of America just recently opened up its first edible cookie dough dessert store. Unfortunately, the store called Dough Dough seems to have been a little late to the trend, and also a little off in their flavoring.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Jonah Harrison DOUGH NOT ENJOY. At the Mall of America, the recently opened edible cookie dough store, Dough Dough doesn’t meet it’s high expectations in either presentation or taste.

The cookie dough, which is eggless, missed the mark in more than just the timing and flavoring. The dough was extremely over priced, with a single scoop being almost six dollars. The presentation was also very unappetizing, when the server completely squashed the scoop towards the bottom of the cup, making it look like it had been mashed before being served. If the

taste had been good, some of these things could have been overlooked, but unfortunately it was not. The consistency was very creamy, not having a cookie dough texture at all, completely defeats the purpose of calling it cookie dough. If you are thinking about making a trip to the mall just to try this new treat, don’t waste your time.

Pops setlist spotlights popular music

DIY: Light up the night with candles

IT’S GOT A BEAT. YOU CAN DANCE TO IT. Music ensembles performed in the Pops Concert Dec. 2-3 in the Huss Center.

IT’S LIT. Follow Flannery Enneking-Norton’s simple 10 step process to customize your own candles for yourself or for a gift

See photos and videos at:

@therubiconpa on Instagram: Web Lehmann

Hygge?

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Flannery Enneking-Norton

Can I have a

A rts & E ntertainment 13 THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Get comfortable with this Danish trend 1

Hygge

(pronounced hue-guh)

A quality of cosiness and comfortably convivality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well being.

KAT ST. MARTINNORBURG The Rubicon Editor

Regarded as a defining

characteristic of Danish culture, Hygge is the practice of self care that seems customtailored to Minnesota winters.

Want to get a little Hyggee in your life? Take one of more of these steps: THE RUBICON PHOTO: Kat St. Martin-Norburg

2

3

5

Drink tea or hot chocolate.

2

Eat baked goods.

3

Unplug from any screens

4

Wear sweaters, socks or slippers and have lots of blankets.

5

During the day, open blinds and have natural light. At night, dim the lights and use candles and fairy lights instead of artificial light.

6

Take some time to yourself.

Journal or read.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Claire Hallaway

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Mimi Geller

4

1

6

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Kat St. Martin-Norburg

1

Dance Team gives best effort through listening to music

ANDREW JOHNSON The Rubicon Editor

For the Dance Team, music serves many different purposes. Some songs spark nostalgia, some pump up the team members before a meet, while some simply fill THE RUBICON PHOTO: Andrew time when the team is bored.

Johnson Whether it be the upbeat The Climb by Miley Cyrus or the emotional Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, 2000’s

14 S ports

music is an integral part of the Dance Team culture, according to sophomore captain Ellie Hoppe. “[Titanium by Madilyn Bailey and We Got the Beat

by The Go-Go’s] are the songs that we’re dancing to this season for jazz and kick so we listen to them over and over again, and they’re a really huge part of our team this year. [Don’t Stop Me Now by

Queen] is our team dance party song that we improve to when we’re bored, and [The Climb by Miley Cyrus and Just the Way You Are

by Bruno Mars] are more meaningful because they connect to how the team is going to have ups and downs but in the end we’re going to do our best,” Hoppe said.

Listen to the full playlist at:

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Salverda undeterred in journey to recovery Positive attitude despite injury fuels athletic goals

JAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME

The MSHSL needs to start punishing bad grades

CHLOE MORSE The Rubicon Editor

In a family of coaches and athletes, senior Jesper Salverda holds the current record for most injuries.

While Jesper Salverda had many injuries throughout middle school and high school, three in particular sidelined him for much of his high school career. The first: Jesper Salverda dislocated his shoulder during the end of his Sophomore football season. “[Dislocating my shoulder] had the most impact … because that’s limited me at basically every sport,” Salverda said. “Still today sometimes, random times sitting down it’ll still hurt a lot for no reason.”

Salverda’s father, Eric Salverda, explained how the timing of Salverda’s dislocated shoulder wasn’t ideal. “[The dislocated shoulder] was a bummer because he was a football quarterback at the time and a baseball pitcher.

[It was a] bummer for both of us. Baseball at the time was his favorite sport… and that really screwed up his season,” Eric Salverda said.

The second was Compartment Compression Syndrome (CCS) in Jesper Salverda’s calf. “[CCS is when] the sheet around the muscle doesn’t expand with the muscle when it starts to fill up with blood. As long as you’re not using muscle, it doesn’t hurt.

As soon as [Jesper] started playing a game, the pain would go up, up, up, until the game was done, and then he’d have to ice it for a day until it went back down,” Eric Salverda said.

Jesper Salverda got CCS at a rugby game – in fact, the only one he ever played. “[Jesper] played in one rugby game in his entire life, and it was just for fun with his older brother… And he ended up getting hit in his calf. The whole family’s rugby players, and this was the one time he did and he got injured.

COLUMN

JAKE ADAMS

The Rubicon Editor

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Jesper Salverda RESILIENCE. Senior football captain Jesper Salverda ices his leg during against Harding in his junior season. “There’re definitely parts where I don’t feel like part of the team,” Salverda said.

The rest of us haven’t got [injured],” Eric Salverda said.

The third injury, called Osteo Osteoma, was a tumor in Jesper Salverda’s hip.

“I think … the tumor… [was the weirdest incident].

It was a weird occurrence… [with] very small odds of it actually happening,” Jesper Salverda said.

“To get to [the tumor for surgery], they had to go through all the muscles in [Jesper’s] thigh [to get up to his hip], and it took forever to heal. He was able to play in the last football game of the season,” Eric Salverda said.

The effects of the tumor were more extensive than the other two injuries, and Jesper Salverda still isn’t fully recovered.

“I haven’t done basketball [this year] because I’ve been doing physical therapy all winter… I couldn’t sleep for almost two months,” Jesper Salverda said.

While Jesper Salverda’s affinity for sports causes more injuries, his track record doesn’t deter him from playing, or his family from supporting him.

“Musculoskeletal injuries, they’re just that… These are injuries you recover from. I mean the only other choice is to just not do stuff, which knowing him, just wouldn’t

“Even after all this, if you were to ask Jesper ‘was it worth it?’ I betcha he would say yes.”

— ERIC SALVERDA

have worked,” Eric Salverda said.

Jesper Salverda concurred.

“When I’m not playing sports, I get really bored. I don’t find a ton of joy in my daily routine. I like to play sports because they’re fun, and a release from school, and everything else in life. After the first [injury], I was kinda bitter about it. The better your attitude in the end, the better it’s gonna be.” Jesper Salverda said.

Beyond Jesper Salverda’s physical injuries, the amount of games and sports he’s had to opt out of is a source of frustration. “[The hardest part has been] all the sports I’ve had to miss and had to watch. Missing two straight basketball seasons, and having to go to every practice, and watch every game for the longest season of the year has been pretty rough, and kind of boring,” Jesper Salverda

said. Eric Salverda sees Jesper Salverda’s frustration, pinning it on the visibility of his injuries as well.

Another result of injury was Jesper Salverda’s different relationship with his teams.

Since he’s so often watching from the side, he misses out on the experience of playing with the team itself.

“If I only came to games, I feel I wouldn’t [be a part of the team] as much. There’re definitely parts where I don’t feel like part of the team.

When we’re talking about how games went or how we played, I really can’t contribute,” Jesper Salverda said.

While Jesper Salverda has consistently been injured throughout high school, he continues to look ahead to playing sports in the future, and hopes to play sports in college. However, his injuries have made this process more difficult as well.

“It definitely makes my college search a lot harder.

There’s pressure to make the right decision because I want to keep playing sports, but obviously if I keep hurting myself, I don’t want to end up at the wrong school,” Jesper Salverda said.

“Even after all this, if you were to ask Jesper ‘was it worth it?’ I betcha he would say yes,” Eric Salverda said.

The final buzzer sounds and the two teams shake hands after a hard-fought game. A reporter for the local news station walks up to the athlete that scored the most and is getting serious college interest.

What that reporter won’t ask him is how his classes are going and if he would be able to get into college with his grades and not just his athletic ability.

According to the bylaws of the MSHSL handbook, “Students must be making satisfactory progress towards the school’s requirements for graduation.”

There isn’t a specific GPA or grades that the MSHSL will step in and suspend the player and that needs to change.

Athletics are an important part of high school, but the education of student-athletes needs to be a priority before they take the field. When the MSHSL leaves a player’s eligibility in the hands of the school, there is a huge chance that the admissions office can look the other way to increase the chances of a state championship or national TV coverage. Most schools have taken action when a student is behind. Either preventing them from going to practice or suspending them from all athletic activities until they raise their grade. St. Paul Academy has followed the policy that if student is failing a class, they are not eligible to play in any sport or participate in any activity until they are not failing the class anymore. But this shouldn’t be the admission’s choice to suspend athletes, that should be the MSHSL’s job to step in. It’s time to change the way high school athletics are handled, the focus should be on school, not just athletics.

UPCOMING GAMES:

Winter sports continue during final exams and into semester break

Dec 13

Dec 14

Dec 15

Dec 16

Alpine Ski @ Buck Hill 4 p.m.

Nordic Ski @ Elm Creek 3:45 p.m.

Girls Varsity BB @ SPA 7 p.m.

Dance Team @ Melrose Area HS

Boys Varsity BB @ Concordia Academy 7 p.m.

Boys Hockey @ Blue Mound Ice Arena 3:30 p.m.

United Hockey @ SPA 7 p.m.

Trojan Swim and Dive @ Humboldt 5 p.m.

Boys Varsity BB @ SPA 4 p.m.

Gymnastics @ Stillwater 6 p.m.

S ports 15

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Trojan Swim and Dive team thrives on humor and routine SUBMITTED PHOTO: Noah Rice

THERE IS NO “I” IN TEAM. Although swimmers compete in individual events, as well as relays, every member of the Trojan Swim and Dive team is there to support each other. “I think we’ve found a really good balance between the fun and the actual putting in hard work in practice,” captain Breandan Gibbons said.

QUINN CHRISTENSEN The Rubicon Editor

November might not seem like the time for a dip in the pool, but for Trojans Swim and Dive, pool season is just beginning.

“We practice every day after school from 3:30 to 6,” captain Breandan Gibbons said.

The varsity team begins practices in the weight room before moving to the pool.

“In practice we’re working on building endurance, stroke work and technique,” sophomore Noah Rice said.

As a captain, Gibbons steps up to keep everyone on track during practice. “It’s my responsibility to make sure that everyone is doing what

they’re supposed to. The kind of team camaraderie that is built by athletes leading the charge is, I think, a big part of our success,” Gibbons said.

While swim drills can be intense, “I think we’ve found a really good balance between the fun and the actual putting in hard work in practice,” Gibbons said.

The team thrives on routine, especially around meets. “It’s a team steeped in tradition,” Gibbons said.

These traditions range from pre-game meals to post-win celebrations.

“We do have spaghetti dinners before meets,” Rice said.

After meets, the team has a snack, commonly oranges and

“We

generally

celebrate people on the bus ride back by awarding

Swimmer the Meet.”

them

of

— SOPHOMORE NOAH RICE

bagels, then bonds on the bus ride back to Highland Park.

“We generally celebrate people that do well on the bus ride back by awarding them with Swimmer of the Meet,” Rice said.

The bus is also a great place to make some music. “When we win meets—which we

always do, we haven’t lost a meet in years—on the bus ride home we listen to “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus and everyone just belts it out,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons was first attracted to swimming at a young age because of the competitive nature and the discipline it demanded.

“What kept me in was that what you put in is what you get out. I think it’s one of the purest forms of competition there is. There’s nothing you can do to change your opponent’s performance; it’s all [about] what you can do to change your own performance,” Gibbons said.

Other than his love of the sport, the team spirit of

the SPA/HP team is another reason Gibbons has stuck with the sport through the years.

“My best friends are always from the swim team.

It’s a social thing more than anything,” he said.

Rice also feels a strong bond with his teammates, and has felt at home on the team since he started swimming with them last year.

“Everyone was very welcoming even though we split it with schools so we have Highland with us too, but I’ve gotten to know all those Highland kids and they are super friendly and just generally willing to take anyone in,” Rice said.

Baron shares the ups and down(hill)s of working as a ski instructor at Afton Alps MARLEE BARON Managing Editor

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Marlee Baron

SKI YOU LATER. Senior Marlee Baron listens to a young skier during a lesson at her job as an instructor at Afton Alps. Baron works mostly with skiiers ages 4-9 and said “It’s heartwarming to see little kids jump up and down when they hear ‘Who wants to go next?’ then laugh the whole way down the hill.”

Working as a ski instructor can be cold, frustrating, and incredibly hard, but it’s still the best job I’ve ever had. I’ve been a ski instructor at Afton Alps for four years and I love it. Getting the job was no easy task. Then, the training process consists of four days straight of learning how to teach ski lessons.

At the end of the training you either get hired, or they say “thank you very much for your time, but we will not be needing you at Afton.”

Thankfully I got hired and began to teach lessons.

One of the best parts of being a ski instructor is the people you get to work with. Afton employes a lot of teenagers so it’s fun hanging out with other high schoolers and meeting new people.

But, teaching lessons is by far the best part of the job. I almost exclusively teach kids between the ages 4-9 and occasionally teach older kids.

I also mainly teach beginner lessons but I also teach a few intermediate lessons.

Depending on the skill level of the kids in class, quite often I can only bring one kid safely down the hill at a time, but since taking the magic carpet

Teaching

lessons

is by far the best part of the job.

back up the hill takes so long, I’ll run up the hill in ski boots to fetch the next kid. Doing this for eight kids can get a little tiring and annoying, especially because every time I get to the top of the hill, half the kids have fallen over and are eating snow. Nonetheless, it’s heartwarming to see little kids jump up and down when they hear “Who wants to go next?” then laugh the whole way down the hill.

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B ack C over

THE RUBICON • DECEMBER 2017

Need a way to de-stress? Try yoga.

JENNY SOGIN

The Rubicon Editor

For many who practice yoga, it can be a way to enhance strength, flexibility, and sense of self. There is a wide range of types of yoga, suitable to the needs of anyone and everyone who wants to participate,

making it one of the most accessible ways to exercise.

Whether you’re injured, out of shape, advanced, or just a beginner looking to try something new, yoga is easily adaptable to everyone’s abilities and include everyone in the many health benefits that come with practicing it regularly.

Downward Dog Steps

1. Begin by starting in a high plank 2. Slowly raise your butt up 3. Be sure your shoulder blades are engaged, fingers are spread, and back is flat

Benefits

This pose stretches hips hamstrings, calves, and the spine. When done properly and consistently, your hand, wrist, low back, hamstrings, calves, and Achilles tendon will all become noticeably stronger. By incorporating it into a regular routine, you can also decrease back pain.

According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) that a carefully adapted set of yoga poses may reduce low-back pain and improve function. Additionally, other studies suggest that practicing yoga can improve quality of life, reduce stress, lower heart

Pigeon Steps

1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart and spread your toes 2. Lift one foot to rest on either your calf or your upper thigh. Don’t rest your foot on your knee because it will place pressure on the joint 3. Stand with hands together at heart center and breathe 4. Rock in different directions to test your balance and find your limits 5. Grow your tree, raising your arms above your head 6. Do it again with your other leg

Benefits

1. Begin in downward dog, making sure your shoulders are engaged, feet planted, and fingers spread 2. Lift one leg up 3. Bring leg down to rest right behind where your arms are placed 4. Rest all of your weight on that leg

This pose stretches both hip rotators (butt) and hip flexors, so it is especially important for people with tight hips. By incorporating this pose into a regular routine, you’ll begin to notice an improvement in the way your body moves as hips are central to the body’s movements. Flexibility will also significantly improve as well.

Savasana

Tree Pose Steps

rate and blood pressure, help relieve anxiety, depression and insomnia, and improve overall physical fitness, strength, and flexibility. For anyone interested in yoga, but don’t want pay for expensive yoga classes, here are a few of the important, beginning poses.

Benefits While this pose doesn’t really stretch anything, incorporating it into a daily yoga routine will help improve balance. This pose is also very important as it helps you find the limits of your body. How far can you lean left? Right? Forwards? Or Backwards? Test your limits and stretch them with this pose.

Steps 1. Lay down on your yoga mat 2. Spread your legs shoulder width apart and wiggle your toes 3. Lay your hands palm down by your hips 4. Close your eyes and focus on inhaling and exhaling 5. Maintain this position for as long as you would like, focusing on breathing and mindfulness

Benefits One of the most important poses in yoga, this pose also doesn’t stress anything. Savasana calms the brain, helps reduce stress and increases mindfulness. Savasana has health benefits as well, such as reducing insomnia and lowering blood pressure. Savasana can be incorporated into any yoga routine or done on its own.

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Marlee Baron