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St. Paul Academy & Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
DANCE : What does it take?
COVER STORY P. 8-9
New Upper School Schedule -- NEWS 3
A&E SPECIAL EDITION PULLOUT
Boys Varsity Hockey Season --SPORTS
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St. Paul Academy and Summit School
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
New schedule announced Comprehensive change includes longer periods, two day class cycles Thomas Toghramadjian News Editor
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Nine period days, rapid-fire 45 minute classes, D-days and homework free D-nights have become hallmarks of the current Upper School schedule. But the familiar hectic days will be no more, as of next fall when the specially designed new schedule kicks in. Under the new system, classes will last 75 minutes, students will eat lunch in either of two 30-minute periods, and 35 minutes of tutorial time will be allocated at the end of the day for students to meet with their teachers. The current xperiod will remain the same. Other quirks of the new schedule include rotating class times and a late 8:45 AM start on Wednesdays. The rationale for the new schedule largely revolves around minimizing passing time, as well as allotting more time for in-class activities like labs. At an informative assembly on Feb. 4, US Principal Chris Hughes explained the need to eliminate some of the many transitions included in the present schedule. “When you’re taking… four classes: math, French, English, and orchestra, that’s four different languages you’re thinking in. And it takes time for anyone’s brain to switch between those languages, ” Hughes said. While the reaction to the new schedule was generally favorable, some students voiced concerns about the longer class periods. “I think it will definitely be harder for me to pay attention in my classes like science even though having longer science classes was one of the big reasons for the schedule change,” freshman Sabrina Brown said. Freshman Will Donaldson had
What do students think of the new schedule? Brendan McGlincey (9) I like the amount of free time and the fact that we won’t get as much homework but having longer class periods and teachers being able to make tests longer is going to be hard, too.
Claire Foussard (11) It gives us more free time and less homework. I like the late start, and I also think it will be really helpful for science class, we’ve had trouble finishing labs Photo Credit: Nick Scott US Principal Chris Hughes posted the schedule and goals on his board, Principally Speaking. “When you’re taking… four classes: math, French, English, and orchestra, that’s four different languages you’re thinking in. And it takes time for anyone’s brain to switch between those languages, ” Hughes said in the Feb 4. assembly.
similar concerns. “I think that there’s going to be a lot of struggling with the longer classes, and think that will be a problem for a while, but we’ll get used to it,” he said. Sophomore Tyler Seplak sees the longer periods as a welcome change. “For every class as of right now, they say it’s 40 minutes long but it’s really 35 minutes,” Seplak said. “By the time class gets started, it’s already almost finished.”
tween eras and places, and looking for patterns.” The new schedule provides opportunities beyond longer periods, however. “[The new schedule] gives us the possibility to have more electives now that lunch will be its own period,” freshman Patrick Commers said. While taking two electives in addition to five academic classes used to require a full schedule, it will now be possible to take up to
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It’s going to take some getting used to the classes that are an hour and fifteen minutes. freshman Navodhya Samarakoon
US History teacher Mollie Ward, a member of the Scheduling Task Force that developed the new system, sees longer periods both as a challenge and an opportunity for teachers: “If we tried to just hold a 75 minute discussion or I lectured for 75 minutes that would not only be a lost opportunity but a disaster for students and teachers. Teaching in extended periods takes thoughtful planning,” Ward said. According to Ward, the new schedule will bring with it a fundamental change in the way classes are taught at SPA. “There will be more emphasis on skills like finding information from reliable sources, thinking about it, making connections be-
seven classes while still having a free period every other day. Possibly the greatest unknown quantity in the new schedule is the 35 minutes of tutorial time at the end of the day. In lieu of D-days, tutorial time will provide students with a chance to seek extra help. However, some feel that, with everybody out of class at once, teachers will be too busy to answer every question. Others fear that both coaches and teachers could both require their presence during tutorial time, leaving them torn between commitments. Junior Sam Lodge hopes that senior privileges will extend to tutorial time. The use of tutorial time will be explored by the US Life Commit-
tee as planning for next year moves forward. “To be honest, as long as I can use [tutorial time] to leave school with senior privileges I’ll be happy,” Lodge said. “But if I really don’t understand any material in classes it will give me needed time to meet with certain teachers.” Some students see tutorial time as a welcome change for getting work done at school. “I think that there will be a better balance,” freshman Calla Saunders said. “We won’t have school for eight hours and then go home and do homework for three hours; there will be a better balance between work and extracurriculars.” Faculty also find the tutorial time to be an important addition in the schedule. “I really like the time as a community that we have together – for study, for meetings, for advisory, and I really like the common time for tutorial, I feel it’s a little bit like a university schedule,” US German teacher Jutta Crowder said. “However, there are still a lot of discussions that faculty and students have to have so that it works out for the best next year.” The amount of work outside of school also represents an additional concern. “I am apprehensive about the amount of work that we are going to have to do,” freshman Anna Biggs said. “I know that we will have less homework, but they are going to expect more. However, I would rather have this schedule than [the current schedule].” Overall consensus holds that the new schedule represents a promising change, retaining the best elements of the current system while expanding opportunities. Although the new setup may take some adjustment, soon the rotating 75-minute blocks will feel every bit as natural as having five classes before lunch.
Ora Hammel (9) I’m really interested in the tutorial time because we don’t have that time in class, and we’re going to be able to see how we can get work done.
US German Teacher Jutta Crowder I think that a little bit more time in class can allow us to do much more diverse things, with technology, different media. I think that it will help us to have time together as study time.
Charlie Rosenblum (11) Mixed bags. The new schedule has more ups than downs. [I like that there will be] more class time and less homework!
Roy Larkins (10) I like the change. I like that we don’t have as many classes every day, so we won’t have as much homework.
Valerie Umscheid (10) It’s blocks, and blocks are annoying and long, and no one can focus for that long. The last time they changed the schedule, in the middle school, it was a fail. Compiled by Writing for Publication II Design Credit: Aditi Kulkarni
News St. Paul Academy and Summit School
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V
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MLK Day assembly provokes thought
Diverse group of performers address race issues Noah Shavit-Lonstein
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Students walking out of the MLK Assembly on Jan 29 may have found themselves pondering the questions theater troupe CLIMB opened and closed with in their performance of A Deeper Look. The performance included several monologues, sketches and songs surrounding the questions of multiculturalism. A promotion for the show on the group’s web site asks, “Can we both embrace and disengage from our American history of prejudice and religious intolerance?” The performance’s reception was generally positive. “Last year,” sophomore Jesus Vega said, “it was only one story, one point of view. This year, with a couple Latinas, it was a little more relatable for me. It was about oppression in general.” The show was based primarily around true stories of racism and religious discrimination. Mixed in were sketches, representing hypothetical, historical, and personal anecdotes. In one sketch, a fourarmed job interviewee and her potential employer shared their perspectives on racial profiling and accepting diversity. In another, an African-American performer described the teasing he suffered at the hands of his friends and family for “acting white” and having white friends. Finally, another performer told a tragic story about the conse-
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“Last year, it was only one story, one point of view. This year, with a couple Latinas, it was a little more relatable for me.”
sophomore Jesus Vega quences her family suffered after her grandfather stood up to the Ku Klux Klan in Indiana during the early 20th Century. A slide show during the performance presented a roll of racist proverbs directed, during different points in history, at Germans, Japanese, Catholics, Jews, and,Muslims. IC took initiative to make postassembly discussion, held Feb. 5, more intense than usual. The discussion’s facilitators met on Jan. 30 with Alison Frosch, Racial Justice Program Coordinator at the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) of Minneapolis. Frosch educated the students on the Dakota-based techniques of circle discussion. In the method, groups passed a talking stick and shared personal experiences, careful not to try and speak for whole groups. Participants in the workshop also had time to practice in groups of three.
All Photos Credit: Noah Shavit-Lonstein CLIMB Theater [actors pictured above and below] is a touring theater troupe that brings performances directly to schools across the Upper Midwest, according to their website. Their performances are research based. Intercultural Club invited the group and facilitated the discussions in class meetings the following week. Junior Ysabella Johnson said,“We don’t hope to meet any lofty goals, simply to educate people about issues of diversity in the community.”
Intercultural Club hopes they addressed diversity in a broader sense than just skin color with CLIMB’s performance, which discussed ethnic background and sexuality as well. The planners of the discussion tried to “make it a more personal issue than kind of heady,” junior Ysabella Johnson said.“We don’t hope to meet any lofty goals, simply to educate people about issues of diversity in the community.”
Sophomores complete service before retreat Hannah Johnson
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Sandwiched between the exciting new beginning of high school in freshman year and the much anticipated Junior Retreat, the sophomore class can often lose a sense of unity. The Sophomore Class Leadership Council, along with advisor Mollie Ward and Upper School guidance counselor Susanna Short, planned the annual Sophomore Retreat as a time to bring the class together. The retreat began Feb. 8 with an evening program and continued Feb. 9 with a full day committed to building class relationships and community service. A central component to the sophomore year is community service. Each sophomore is required to complete 12 hours of community service prior to the retreat. SoCLC helped the grade reflect on their experiences with community service. at the retreat. Sophomore Eva Perez-Greene
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I hope that everybody can step out of themselves and meet one new person and change one pre-conceived notion. US Guidance Counselor Susanna Short volunteered at Arc’s Thrift Shop, where she packaged clothing, and Mano a Mano, where she boxed items. She believes that the required service hours are beneficial to herself and her classmates. “Some people wouldn’t have [volunteered] otherwise and some people may actually [discover] a passion for it,” Perez-Greene said. Sophomore Afsar Sandozi, who worked for three weeks at the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, said that after volunteering,
she began to notice and appreciate seeing people helping people. “It feels good to give back,” Sandozi said. At the retreat, students shared their service projects and experiences with their peers. Perez-Greene also hopes that the retreat will bring her classmates closer on a more personal level: “I feel like everyone in our grade knows each other on a basic level,” she said. “I hope that we get to know
each other better.” Perez-Greene also hopes that the retreat will strengthen her grade’s dynamic. “Everybody in the class should leave the retreat feeling part of the class,” Short said. “I hope that everybody can step out of themselves and meet one new person and change one pre-conceived notion of what somebody is.” Last year’s sophomore retreat consisted of community-building activities and a day at Eagan Community Center filled with games and class discussions. This year’s evening program will consist of class activities and preparing for the full day events of the retreat. “The goal of the full day is to do some service and have some fun and to blow off a little steam,” Ward said. During the day, the class will take a trip to Second Harvest and spend more time bonding with classmates. “I hope...that we can really think about what kind of class [the sophomores] want to be.” Short said.
Photo Submitted by Eva Perez-Greene Sophomore Eva Perez-Greene moves boxes at Mano a Mano, a nonprofit group dedicated to expanding health care and education in Bolivia. Perez Greene hopes that the sophomore retreat will unify the class of 2015. “I hope that we get to know each other better,” she said.
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St. Paul Academy and Summit School
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
Gun control debate regains national spotlight
Photo courtesy of Creative Commons Photo President Barack Obama is calling for increased gun control after the Newtown shootings in December.
Ibad Jafri
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President Barack Obama approached his second term with a bold proposal on Jan. 16 calling for increased provisions on the spread and use of guns. Obama’s proposal, which follows the Dec. 17 school shootings in Newtown, CT and an advisory panel led by Vice President Joe Biden, has been highly polarizing thus far. Opposition to the proposal has been exhibited by House and Senate Republicans, among them Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Cruz, a freshman senator and Tea Party favorite, said on a Jan. 20 episode of Meet the Press that “If you’re talking to a single woman living in Anacostia who has the misfortune to live next to a crack house, to tell her she doesn’t have a Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, I think, is fundamentally wrong.” Cruz also sympathized with a controversial advertisement from the National Rifle Association. The NRA ad called the president a hypocrite for allowing armed guards to present at his daughters’ school while not advocating for the presence of armed guards in public schools. Supporters of the President have included New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Most gun owners are opposed to the President’s initiative. “I don’t feel like [an assault weapons ban] is going to fix anything,” said junior Nick Hoffmann, a gun owner and active participant on the St. Paul Academy and Summit School clay target shooting team. “What has been done with AR-15s - the weapon used in the [Newtown] school shootings - could more or less be accomplished with any other weapon.” Hoffmann’s opinion aligns with those who believe the root of the problem is not the guns: “The weapons are powerful, but the problem is first and foremost a few of the people using them,” Hoffmann said.
Reddit, RSS creator dies Noah Shavit-Lonstein
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The name Aaron Swartz may not be memorable to you, but odds are, you see him every day. A child prodigy, Swartz developed the RSS feed, which makes possible blog subscriptions and podcasts, at 14. He was also one of the masterminds behind the popular site Reddit. He was found dead, likely from suicide, at 26 in his New York apartment. Swartz’ suicide has shined a spotlight on the legal questions surrounding informational freedom. A firm member of the freeinformation movement, he published millions of scholarly articles from the archive site JSTOR for free online. Though JSTOR had no issue with his actions, the government was preparing a conviction at the time of Swartz’ death,
and could have put him in prison for up to thirty years. Though he struggled for much of his life with depression, some blame this prosecution for pushing him to suicide. At his funeral, Swartz’ father declared that his son was “killed by the government.” Senior Asher Szachowicz did not approve of Swartz’ distribution of JSTOR documents,, but “what struck me was the inordinate response. We lost this genius due to an unfortunate and completely preventable act by our government: hounding him to his death, quite literally.” Librarian Kate Brooks has a career’s worth of knowledge of digital copyright and organizations like JSTOR. She has mixed feelings on the affair. “He did break the law,” Brooks said. “He didn’t have the right to do that. That’s a legal fact.” Szachowicz has fewer reservations. He sees the case as a call to
action about the nation’s copyright laws. “[It’s] more evidence that the copyright war is not over, and that there are real and human consequences to our outdated system of copyright law. Our system does not take into account the rapidly changing cultural and economic models on the internet.” Brooks somewhat agrees. “There’s a part of me that admires the information-deserves- to-befree attitude, but there are ways to do that legally.” Still, she explained, large portions of JSTOR are already out of copyright, and “it feels nonsensical and frustrating when you can have access to something that’s out of copyright and can’t get to it without paying.” Brooks’ larger concern is that the case “glorifies the act [of suicide], that he ‘died for his cause.’ I’m a little uncomfortable with him becoming a martyr.”
Rape provokes global outrage
News in Brief
Baseball captains collect Gloves 4 Troops Seniors Matthew Fiedler and Spencer Egly have started a campaign at school to collect baseball gloves and baseballs for an organization called Glove 4 Troops. Fiedler said that “the organization’s main purpose is to send gloves and baseballs to the troops overseas to provide them with regular activities to do as well as showing them that people care about their well being.” To help, feel free to donate old and unwanted gloves or baseballs by leaving them outside of Dean Cummins’ office inside the boxes. The boxes cost approximately $20 to ship overseas so money would also be appreciated. The target goal is 1,000 gloves and 500 baseballs. For more information, talk to either Fiedler or Egly.
WorldQuest finishes second Academic WorldQuest competed on Feb. 6. The group finished in second place, behind St. Paul Central. The contest ended with a tie breaking question. This years’ WorldQuest team included seniors Jeremy Tong, Hagop Toghramadjian, Ibad Jafri, and sophomore Thomas Toghramadjian. The group was advised by US History teacher Andrea Sachs.
5 day standoff ends with safe kindergartner and 2 deaths
Reprinted with permission from Sanjay Borra Protestors hold a candlelight vigil on the streets of Hyderabad in response to recent deaths and suicides of rape victims in India. Sammy Karon, president of Students for Social Justice has made it her goal to increase awareness. Karon said, “I feel like I have to do something.”
Ellie Fuelling
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A 23 year-old woman was looking for a bus ride home in New Delhi with her friend on Dec. 16, after a night at the movies. They boarded what they thought was a public bus, but was in fact a privately owned bus. When they boarded, six men began harassing the couple, beating the woman’s friend, a man, with a metal rod. They then raped the woman repeatedly as the bus traveled around the city. The unnamed woman suffered head and intestinal injuries and underwent multiple surgeries. She died that Saturday, Dec. 28. “She was courageous in fighting for her life for so long against the odds, but the trauma to her body was too severe for her to overcome,” her physician, Dr. Kevin Loh, said in a statement. Violence towards women has emerged as an epidemic in India,
and specifically New Delhi, know as India’s rape capital. Senior Sammy Karon, president of the student group Students for Social Justice, has made it her goal to increase awareness of violence against women. When she hears about incidents like this one, “I feel like I have to do something,” she said. Indians across the country protested the horrific circumstances of her death, organizing outside Jantar Mantar, a popular site for protests. They challenged the sexual harassment women face daily, labeling it as a problem that emerges from distorted power dynamics between men and women. Karon hopes that through SSJ she can get students more interested in global issues. “The best thing people can do is educate themselves about these issues,” she said. “You don’t have to solve all the problems in the world, but choose something you’re passionate about and educate yourself.”
SSJ recently organized a fundraiser to help child brides; another way violence against women manifests itself. The men charged with raping the woman in India, if convicted with murder, will face the death penalty. It is most common to see women refusing to step forward or police and judicial officers refusing to listen. On Dec. 27, 2012, a woman who was gang raped in India committed suicide after a police officer asked her to forget about the case and marry one of her attackers. A media ban is placed on the court proceedings of the accused men. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has promised to take action against sexual violence, although he did not offer specifics. The conversation is not over however, as Indians continue to protest and speak up against violence towards women.
Jimmy Lee Dykes, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, was killed after spending six days in an underground bunker after taking a five year old hostage. Dykes forced his way onto a school bus in Alabama on Jan. 29, fatally shot bus driver Charlie Poland, and kidnapped the boy known only as Ethan. Dykes then took Ethan to an underground bunker he had built on his property in Midland City, Alabama. FBI agents were able to slip a camera into the bunker along with Ethan’s medicine and toys. Negotiations ensued but no progress toward release was made. On Feb. 4, when it appeared to police that Dykes may become hostile, four SWAT agents dropped two stun grenades into the bunker. entered and rescued Ethan. In the firefight that followed, Dykes was killed.
On the Cover: Junior Ellie Klein poses at the barre. She currently dances with Minnesota Dance Theater. Seniors Cameron Murray and Sophia Myers-Kelley perform in the competition One-Act The Yellow Wallpaper, which competed at state competition Jan. 8. Ballet photo submitted by Ellie Klein One Act Photo by John Severson reprinted with permission.
Opinion/Editorial St. Paul Academy and Summit School
STAFF the rubicon
Editor-in-Chief Aditi Kulkarni
Managing Editor Online Editor-in-Chief Ibad Jafri
Chief Visual Editor Nick Scott
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Tommy Toghramadjian
Op/Ed Editor Andy Monserud
Sports Editor Hannah Johnson
Cover Story Editor Lucy Li
Feature Editor
Noah Shavit-Lonstein
A&E Editor Ellie Fuelling
Around Town Editor Liz Rossman
Food and Nutrition Editor August King
Illustrator/Staff Writer Ava Gallagher
Columnists Saif Ahmed Nick Cohen
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January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
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Staff Editorial
It’s time to tone down body talk
Maybe if I skip lunch I’ll be beautiful...
In an environment of competition, comparisons frequently go beyond test scores and grades. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, the need to appear exceptional often overshadows healthy lifestyles and choices. Physical appearance is among the most dangerous areas for students to self-critique and failure to recognize this issue can lead to an even more critical situation. In the cafeteria, students-- mostly girls-- are extremely self-aware of what they put on their plates, and unfortunately, commentary about food consumption is not uncommon. Friends and peers notice serving sizes and even make jokes that can make girls even more self-critical
Editorial Cartoon: Victoria Guest
When determination to change one’s appearance overrides all else, kindness -- not critiques or jokes -- is the first step to health. of their bodies. With the arrival of awards season and the valentine’s dance, there is a far brighter spotlight on physical appearance and body types. In a small community like SPA, a magnifying glass is put on everyone to a certain extent, and imperfections are taken note of immediately and sometimes mercilessly. Slight dissatisfactions with body image can manifest into severe self-deprecation and even eating disorders, and health unfortunately falls out of the question when determination to become physically “perfect” overrides all else. If a real problem does exist and is taken notice of, action should be taken, but taken care-
fully. The place to start is a direct conversation in which an observation is made. There cannot be any bossing around, and use of the word “should” must be minimal if existent at all. The conversation must take place in a private area, with enough time to have it comfortably. Offering help or even pointing out certain worrying tendencies can be uncomfortable, but some form of intervention is completely necessary in preventing a life-threatening downward spiral. A discussion with a trusted adult is also strongly advised by upper-school counselor Susanna Short. Short welcomes students to have these conversations with her, Dean Cummins, or whoever they
Identity theft scam provides privacy lesson
Congress must iron out kinks in immigration bill
Diane O’Meara was just like any other 20-year-old in the social media generation. She had her Facebook privacy set to the default, but this was not enough to protect her from Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the man behind the now-infamous Manti Te’o “dead girlfriend” hoax. Tuiasosopo was a friend of a friend of O’Meara who went on her Facebook and used her pictures as the face of the fake girlfriend. In the age of social media, nothing is ever completely private, but it is possible to make your information slightly more secure. Most social network sites have privacy settings of some kind or another, which can prevent this kind of fraud. While this case was widely publicized, countless other people have found profiles using pictures of themselves that someone else created under a fake name. It is all too easy for total strangers to steal your face and identity. If you take the time to access these settings, you will be much safer from situations like that which O’Meara found herself in.
The United States’ immigration system is broken and has been for a long time. The Center for Immigration Studies estimates that 11 million illegal immigrants currently live in the U.S. President Barack Obama recently addressed this issue by announcing a plan that he called a “pathway to citizenship.” His plan would grant undocumented immigrants a “probationary legal status,” according to the Washington Post. This would allow them to apply for citizenship and permit them to stay in the country until it is granted. Immigrants would not be able to apply for a green card or for permanent legal status until the borders are secure. The law would also recognize equal rights for same-sex couples, which has stymied it in Congress. This delay allows us to ponder a few important questions. The plan has good intentions, but will it solve anything? What makes borders secure? How will 11 million immigrants be documented? The plan is a step forward but needs to be refined, and quickly. The issue grows more dire as time goes on and more people enter the country undocumented.
trust. Above all else, a possible eating disorder must be taken seriously under every circumstance. Taking initiative if necessary is vital to the health and well-being of our community. Students need to take a step back from commenting on other’s bodies; inappropriate commentary on things like body types and food consumption crosses a line into personal territory. It is not a student’s place to voice opinions and judgments on a topic as sensitive as body image in a joking way. Our desires to compete and be exceptional should not come at the cost of a healthy mind and body.
Opinion Abduction brings school bus safety into question After shooting Charlie Poland and holding a five year old boy hostage for nearly a week in an underground bunker, Jimmy Lee Dykes was fatally shot by a federal SWAT team, according to CBS News. Dykes entered a school bus that Poland was driving when the bus stopped for a stop sign. He demanded to take at least one student, but wanted two. After Poland made it clear he would not move out of the way, Dykes shot him and took one kindergartner. Amidst the crisis is the issue of school bus safety. A school bus of kids becomes a relatively easy target for anyone interested in abducting or hurting children if all one has to do is to step on a bus at a stop or crossing. All school busses are recorded at all times, but the only good that does is if a kid gets slightly out of line. If anyone tries to enter the bus or pulls out a weapon, there is almost nothing that can be done. Still, a unique situation like Dykes bus kidnapping is the exception not the rule; buses are still the safest way to get to and from school.
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 sent to rubicon.spa@gmail. com. Letters should be limited to 150-200 words and published by discretion of The Rubicon staff.
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January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
It’s time to develop understanding about mental health Lucy Li
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Illustration Credit: Aditi Kulkarni
The mentally ill deal with countless stigma in our society and often receive little or none of the support they need to cope.
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Cover Story Editor
In the wake of recent public mass shootings, people have increased their questioning of the mental health care system in America. Where should we put the mentally ill? How should we treat them? Would helping them reduce the frequency of violent crime? The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older have a mental illness today. After many state-run mental hospitals closed during the deinstitutionalization movement of the 1970’s and 60’s, many people have resorted to unequipped halfway houses, nursing homes, and even worse, prisons. According to a study conducted by the U.S Department of Justice in 2006, 56% of inmates at state prisons have mental illness. The mentally ill aren’t a burden to society. They do not deserve to be dumped in a prison for petty crimes or to roam by themselves on the street. A study by the American Journal of Psychiatry also says that only about four percent of violent crimes in the U.S are committed by the mentally ill, so having a psychiatric disorder does not mean someone is a danger to society. Mental illness should not be stigmatized; it is as worthy of understanding as any other medical issue.
People should learn to recognize signs of mental illness in their peers and family. Health and wellness classes should teach students how to approach a friend who may need help and how to proceed. Signs of mental illness include extreme changes in mood such as anger outbursts, a sudden fall in grades or social withdrawal, according to Mental Health America. Since most mental illnesses are evident by or before the early twenties, teachers should also be trained to notice signs of students who need help. In mid-January, the U.S Department of Health & Human Services issued a message to “Our Nation’s Health Care Providers.” The Director of the Office for Civil Rights Leon Rodriguez wanted to remind them that “... the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule does not prevent your ability to disclose necessary information about a patient to law enforcement, family members of the patient, or other persons, when you believe the patient presents a serious danger to himself or other people.” An idea similar to this should be extended to allow concerned family members or friends of any potentially ill person, dangerous or not, to easily reach well-staffed health care providers. Accessibility is key, and with enough options out there to suit the wide range of mentally ill people, prisons will no longer be their only destination.
Gun control debate neglects illegal weapons trade Nick Cohen
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With the recent outbreaks of mass school shootings throughout the nation, gun control has become the top debate in Washington and across the country. Top politicians, led by Vice President Joe Biden, are leading a task force to combat the NRA in the attempts to establish codified gun control laws for the near future. But that’s only half the battle. While Biden’s work is admirable, it does not encompass the entire spectrum of gun safety. It is true that laws should be established that set the parameters of the Second Amendment. At its inception, the United States needed regular townsfolk to have weapons in order to raise a militia against invading forces, since there was no true standing army. That has since changed, as America now prides itself on the greatest military in the world. And while it would be unconstitutional to take weapons away from American citizens, there is no need for any regular American to own an assault rifle. Shooting sports do not (or should not) require the use of a semi-automatic or automatic rifle. There simply is no need for it. Those weapons are high grade military material, designed to mow down enemy combatants in hostile
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It would be prudent for Joe Biden to focus his efforts on the illegal gun market rather than the legal one. territory, not for recreational use in the local forest. Thus, it is very encouraging to see the Obama administration addressing this issue directly and attempting to fix it. What the administration has not yet addressed is the availability of guns through the black market. There is an extremely large black market in America, with shady goods from as AK-47’s to cocaine widely available without any regulation. In order to prevent these massive shootings and the occurrence of gun violence as a whole, the government needs to crack down on this market and eliminate, as best they can, the availability of
Illustration Credit: Ava Gallagher It is time to focus gun control efforts on the illegal gun market. Law-abiding citizens should not be punished for the actions of the few.
military grade weapons. Presently, there is a large, encompassing background check as well as firearm safety courses required before one can be eligible for gun ownership. Because of that, many of the potential shooters are weeded out, since most are mentally handicapped and would not pass the background check. But it remains relatively easy for them to access
highly powerful guns through the illegal market. It would be prudent for Joe Biden to focus his efforts on the illegal gun market rather than the legal one. Most weapons involved in mass shootings cannot be traced back to legal outlets. In order to help prevent tragic shooting events and regulate firearm safety, government needs to extensively look
into the black market and effectively and efficiently block its use. This will be much more effective than creating laws regarding gun safety, as it will go directly to the source and will target those individuals who are at a much higher risk of staging an attack, instead of punishing America’s law-abiding citizens.
Opinion/Editorial St. Paul Academy and Summit School
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
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Violence against women a serious crime Noah Shavit-Lonstein
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Feature Editor
You’ve probably heard the news about it. It’s been getting international coverage. A woman riding public transit in New Delhi, India, died after getting gang-raped with a metal rod. The United Nations issued a statement expressing deep worry over violence against Egyptian women. Rape and abuse are on the rise in the newly war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo. Horrific abuses of women are making headlines worldwide. It’s easy to think that these are all continents away, and a completely different culture. Yet, it’s as close as another Midwestern state. In the small town of Steubenville, Ohio, several members of the local high school football team raped a girl at a party. The teammates then filmed their sociopathic comments about the rape. Meanwhile, people at the party watched or ignored this abuse. This, again, was perpetrated entirely by high schoolers. The case took weeks to finally surface. because the championship high school football team members were a source of local pride, and nobody wanted to disrupt their winning streak. It’s an utterly surreal cover-up. In a fortunate turn of events, members of the “hacktivist” group Anonymous found out about the video and the cover-up. They brought the story to the media and made a massive racket. I want to believe that rape is rare and frowned upon. But that is clearly untrue. All of these nations, not to mention countless others, have serious problems with their treatment of women. In In-
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When the members of a ridiculous media-circus hacker group are doing more about violence against women than the House of Representatives, there’s a very real problem. dia, sexual harassment is known as “Eve teasing.” Groping and other forms of sexual aggression are seen as commonplace and harmless, despite the protests of the nation’s feminist groups. This is what scholars and activists refer to as “rape culture” at its clearest. Back in America, the case is much better, but still damning. Half of all rapes are never reported. 97% of rapists never spend a day in jail. Painfully little attention is paid to rape and sexual abuse by the government, even though almost one in six women experiences a rape at some point in her life. Recent American legislation suppresses instead of empowers women who are victims of sexual crime. Congress let the Violence Against Women Act, which provided millions of dollars in funding to rape crisis lines, shelters, and other related programs, expire in January. House Republicans were disgusted by the idea that LGBT people, immigrants, and Native Americans would be protected under the law. They stripped those provisions, and when the senate
passed a bill that included them, the house refused to reconcile the two. When the members of a ridiculous media-circus hacker group are doing more about violence against women than the House of Representatives, there’s a very real problem. The way our society addresses rape and violence is completely backwards. Legislators should be held accountable for disgusting attitudes towards abuse and rape victims. Women should be allowed to leave their houses alone without fear of being violated. Rape should be treated as the inhuman crime it so clearly is, and the “just-boysbeing-boys” way the city of Steubenville has treated it is medieval. When a rape is reported, it should be taken seriously, investigated and prosecuted promptly and fairly without shaming the victim or asking if she’s “sure it was rape”. When these things don’t happen, it sends the message that rape is socially acceptable. That should not be the case in any corner of the world.
Swartz’s consequences Rape Statistics outweighed One person is sexually his crime assaulted every 152 seconds, only counting victims ages 12 or older.
One in every six women and in every 33 men has been a victim of rape or attempted rape. Seven percent of middle school girls and three percent of middle school boys have been sexually abused. One in every six women and in every 33 men has been a victim of rape or attempted rape.
40 percent of rapes take place in the victim’s home. 54 percent of rapes are never reported to the police. 97 percent of rapists never spend a day in jail. 2/3 of the time, the victim knows the rapist. 12 percent of high school girls and 5 percent of high school boys have been sexually abused. Illustration Cedit: Aditi Kulkarni Statistics from Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network [RAINN] complied by Noah Shavit-Lonstein
Get off the high horse when discussing international issues National perceptions not defined exclusively by current events Aditi Kulkarni
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Editor in Chief
Being Indian is at the forefront of my personality; it comes up regularly in conversations I have with friends, families, or mere acquaintances. But recent incidents, such as the now-notorious New Delhi gang rape, have sparked conversations about India that are much more than the usual chit-chat about the spicy food, bright saris, or the popular Bollywood movie industry. I’ve heard numerous comments along the lines of “the culture in India needs to change; rape shouldn’t be acceptable over there” or “the biggest problem in India is the rape culture.” These comments are incredibly frustrating– India is in no way more tolerant of rape than any other country. We can’t take little anecdotes and use them to portray a country as backwards and uncivilized; it’s condescending and harkens back
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We can’t take little anecdotes and use them to portray a country as backwards and uncivilized; it’s condescending and harkens back to the perceived moral superiority that has failed America in the past. to the perceived moral superiority that has failed America in the past. When the Newtown shootings happened, countries around the world used it to portray the United States as violent and barbaric. As a country, we were angered by these statements and argued that one incident should not be used to tarnish the reputation of a country as a whole. These claims that we are toler-
ant of violence seem almost laughable to most citizens. How can a country ever be tolerant of something so horrible as gun violence? Of course that’s not true. It’s true that gun violence, like any other horrible crime, occurs here. But we are in no way tolerant of it. But wait. We have done the exact same thing to India and many other countries around the world. We can’t act like we’re on a moral
high ground in this situation; rape is a worldwide problem and not specifically related to Indian culture. It is especially troubling to me that after the strong response many Indians had to this issue (the whole city of New Delhi was shutdown due to protests) we still find ways to blame it on the culture. Granted, there are people in India who don’t think of rape as a serious issue. However, this is not related to them being of Indian origin. We have plenty of people in the United States who don’t think of rape as a serious issue as well. If we really want to take a step in solving the issue of violence against women around the world, we need to stop acting so patronizing. No country is going to be receptive to a condescending attitude from another country. News of a violent event in another country should not be a label. All countries have crime; it’s time we stop deluding ourselves that we have the moral high ground.
Ibad Jafri
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Managing Editor Online Editor-in-Chief
Today, Aaron Swartz is dead. Internet activist Swartz’s body was found in his apartment in Brooklyn, New York on Jan. 11. The cause of death was ruled to be suicide; Swartz hung himself. Swartz was a highly controversial figure and faced 13 felony charges and up to 50 years behind bars for illegally downloading scholarly articles off of digital library JSTOR. Swartz was not a criminal. He faced intellectual property laws that can only be described as draconian, and he was pursued as though he were a “9/11 terrorist,” said Harvard professor Lawrence Lessig, who had been a mentor to Swartz. Swartz was a crusader. He fought for open access and did his best to ensure that all should have the freedom to pursue the information that they desire. As Swartz wrote, “The Open Access Movement has fought valiantly to ensure that scientists do not sign their copyrights away but instead ensure their work is published on the Internet, under terms that allow anyone to access it.” And for what? Swartz is dead, and his death is the direct result of legal overreach from US district attorney Carmen Ortiz and associate attorney Stephen Heymann, who pursued the case with the full intent of imprisoning Swartz for the bulk of the remainder of his life, followed by three years of supervised release, restitution, forfeiture and a fine of up to $1 million even after they conceded that Swartz’s motivation was not financial and that he wished to simply provide greater freedom of information. Swartz had a strong case. He firmly believed JSTOR’s fees and regulations served only to swell the coffers of publishing companies, rather than allowing the public to access to content which was publicly funded. Whatever his socalled “crimes” against copyright, he was looking out for the interest of the taxpaying citizens who paid for every one of the articles he downloaded. Men and women like Swartz are the public’s greatest connection to information necessary to our enlightenment. The laws crafted by our legislators confer forbidden status on matters pertaining not only to intellectual property but to important information hidden from the public like that which was exposed by Julian Assange’s Wikileaks. If laws governing copyright continue as they stand, people like Swartz will be struck down in their attempts to add greater transparency and informational freedom to their societies. And the world shall be weaker for it.
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Lyrical moves flo Saif Ahmed
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Columnist/Blogger
The art of dancing has been passed on for thousands of years. As it has moved through the generations, flowing through the each era and dynasty, the dance style itself has been slightly modified to embody the traditional aesthetic pleasures of wonderfully crafted clothing with the beautiful dance movements and rhythms. Junior Cynthia Zheng got involved in traditional Chinese dance and has been practicing for approximately four and a half years. “It’s a nice way to express [using] the body and it’s also very relaxing,” Zheng said. “You know how actors say they like playing other characters? It’s a similar sensation to that when you’re dancing; you’re expressing the music.” But dancing does not come easily to everyone, nor is it an art you can perfect in a day. Zheng spends up to three hours a week at the Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center, and up to ten hours per week near performance time. To her, Chinese dance is appealing because the people are nice and the costumes are beautiful, but reconnecting with her culture is also a major factor. “It’s nice to go back into some part of my culture and the traditions; you learn more about all of that while doing the dance,” Zheng said. Freshman Elena Youngdale, who dances with Chinese American Association of Minnesota Chinese Dance Theater, agrees with Zheng:
Photo submitted by Jijun He Junior Cynthia Zheng performs in a colorful blue costume with backup dancers during last summer’s Twin Cities Chinese Dance Center performance. “You know how actors say they like playing other characters? It’s a similar sensation to that when you’re dancing; you’re expressing the music,” Zheng, who has danced for over four years, said.
The desi
taying in step with
DANCE
A combination of art and athletism, dance allows the body to tell a story of discipline, culture, and beauty. Here, students show how different forms of dance have enriched and challenged their lives.
Junior Ellie Klein, who has danced for about ten on a barre. “[Ballet]’s about fifty percent practic
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January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
ow and jump in Chinese dance
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Latvian dance preserves sisters’ heritage
Photo submitted by Krista Viksins Senior Krista Viksnins and her sister sophomore Laura Viksnins pose in their Latvian folk dance costumes. Photo submitted by Aditi Kulkarni Senior Aditi Kulkarni poses in her orange and green classical Indian dance costume. “If I had to give on a piece of advice to aspiring dancers, it would be to not give up,” Kulkarni said.
Classical Indian dance allows student to connect to culture Saif Ahmed
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Photo submitted by Jijun He Junior Cynthia Zheng dances a duet in a Chinese New Year celebration at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium. “It’s nice to go back into some part of my culture and traditions...,” Zheng said.
“My parents signed me up for dance when I was two or three years old and I’ve been doing it since then,” Youngdale said. But Youngdale further stated that Chinese dance is not that much different than ballet, aside from the costumes and some of the moves. “My parents thought [Chinese dance] would get me more into my
culture,” she continued. “At first when I started I treated it as extra classes and I thought it was really annoying. But now I’ve realized it takes me to a bunch of different cultural places.” Zheng performed on Jan. 19 and Youngdale on Jan. 26 at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium in celebration of Chinese New Year.
Columnist/Blogger
India is a country praised for the exotic cuisine and entertaining Bollywood movies, though their exquisite dancing is often overlooked. Ranging from choreographed dances to solo dances, India has produced various admirable dance styles. Everyone has their own reasons for starting and sticking with something. Senior Aditi Kulkarni started classical Indian dance at the ripe young age of five: “my mom thought I needed a way to connect to Indian heritage,” Kulkarni said. Since then, she has progressed and improved
tremendously. Two summers ago, she had her “Arangetram, a solo debut of an Indian classical dancer. It’s a two hour performance,” Kulkarni said. Although the arangetram is not a requirement in her dance classes, completion grants dancers the ability to perform alone and train other dancers. “If I had to give on piece of advice to aspiring dancers, it would be to not give up,” Kulkarni said. “Especially in the beginning, it can get really rigorous but learning the basics is essential to success in the future.” Now, she is teaching Bollywood dancing at the School of Indian Language and Culture.
ire for perfection shadows ballet
Photo submitted by Ellie Klein n years, practices the arabesque ballet position ce and fifty percent body type,” Klein said.
August King
rFood and Nutrition Editor
First, all of the bagels disappeared. Then, it was the chocolate milk. Salad dressing and juice went next, and you would have to ask for cheese if you wanted some but they would never give it to you. “There was a nice dishwasher who would sneak cheese to the dancers,” junior Ellie Klein said. “She would have gotten fired immediately if any of the coaches found out.” This past December, an incessant month of chaotic exam preparation at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, Klein spent twenty five hours a week embodying a snowflake. While it was a relatively small role in Minnesota Dance Theater’s traditional ten-day production of The Nutcracker, to earn a role in any production is a serious achievement. This is Klein’s tenth year studying as a ballerina, starting at what her coach calls the earliest age possible because “you can’t teach a baby how to turnout,” Klein said. To Klein, the empowerment of dance to her comes from “the simple act of hearing a coach say ‘good job’ to me at a practice,” Klein said. Like any sport, ballet sets a standard of rigorous technique training and physical exercise in order to partake. “It’s about fifty percent practice and fifty percent body type,” Klein
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[Ballet]’s super competitive and every dancer is replaceable. junior Ellie Klein said. While anyone can practice, achieving the perfect ballet body is a task immeasurable in other sports. “They didn’t feed us much,” Klein said, speaking of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, the boarding school she spent five years at before joining the SPA community for her sophomore year in Fall 2011. Her siblings Maddie and Joe Klein had graduated from SPA in 2010 and 2012, respectively. “I joke that I left boarding school because I was hungry,” Klein said, but the real reason is because she worried that she wasn’t getting a good enough education. “I was going to be dumb if I didn’t transfer to SPA,” Klein said. Klein describes her coaches at the renowned ballet academy as “vigorous
and mean, especially when it comes to body image.” In addition to the extensive list of foods that Klein watched disappear from her options in the school’s cafeteria, her coaches enforced punishment to those dancers who broke their diets. “After our performances, guests were invited to receptions where desserts were put out. The faculty would count the cookies right after the reception and then early the morning after to make sure no dancers snuck into the kitchen to take any,” Klein said. “I did it all the time.” It’s the sometimes unhealthy mindset of the sport that drove sophomore Eva Perez-Greene away from ballet, who started when she was four and stopped practicing before high school started. “The sport inspires body image issues, and it affects boys the same way it affects girls,” Perez-Greene said. “Ballet is not a sport that honors the body, but rather degrades it.” While Klein recognizes some of the psychological effects ballet can have on men and women and at such a young age, she defends the aggressive nature of the sport she has dedicated a large part of her life to. “It’s super competitive and every dancer is replaceable. That’s why the coaches get to be so mean,” Klein said. “You have to want it to make it.”
Thomas Toghramadjian
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News Editor
Some people dance in pursuit of artistic excellence. Others dance only for fun, while still others see it as a sport, competitively performing on a team. But for senior Krista Viksnins, dancing is an important way of staying connected to her Latvian heritage. Since she was five years old, Viksnins has danced Latvian folk dances with her Pērkonītis troupe. Already taking ballet lessons, Viksnins discovered a talent for traditional dances at her Latvian school in St. Paul. “That first year, my dad saw how much I enjoyed folk dancing that he signed up our group, Pērkonītis, to perform in May at the Festival of Nations,“ she said. Viksnins moved up within the troupe in later years. She and her sister, sophomore Laura Viksnins, still perform with Pērkonītis at the Festival of Nations, as well as at events within the Latvian community in Minnesota. The main venue of Viksnins’s cultural activity is her Lutheran Latvian church in south Minneapolis. “[We use the church] to hold Saturday school on Saturday, dance rehearsals in the afternoon, concerts and plays in the evening, and church on Sunday morning,” she said. Viksnins has several favorite dances, ranging from the Seju Veju which “has wonderful music and complicated patterns of weaving, polka, jumping and stomping,” to the “Sun and Moon Dance,” a solemn and intricate number in which the dancers form patterns which can be observed from above. The dancers of the Pērkonītis group wear clothing typical of central or northern dances. Girls and women wear woolen skirts with white blouses and crowns or headscarves. The men wear linen shirts and dark wool pants with socks drawn over the ankles. Another draw dancing with the troupe has for Viksnins is the Latvian Song and Dance Festival, an event which takes place every five years and features more than 30,000 performers. At the 2012 festival in Milwaukee, she danced ten times in one day, in addition to singing with a choir. Viksnins hopes that she can continue dancing after she leaves for college. “There are plenty of times that I want to skip and just hang with my friends like a normal teenager, but I find it so rewarding remembering this is a part of my culture I never want to forget,” she said.
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Aditi Kulkarni
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Editor in Chief
The recent addition of the Cowles Center has changed the Minneapolis Dance scene. According to senior Sophia Myers-Kelly, who dances with the Young Dance nonprofit organization, the Cowles Center has formed new connections with dance groups. “Cowles Center is in the middle of the Minneapolis dance community, so now Young Dance is re-
ZORONGO FLAMENCO DANCE THEATER MARCH 8-10, 2013 TICKETS: $30
Zorongoflamencodancetheatreseekstoexpandthetraditionoftheflamencoto ecompass new forms and bring socially relevant art to the community
ally becoming known in the dance group,” she said. “We have this ability to interact with other companies and get to know them. “ Before the Cowles Center, Myers-Kelly used to dance at various schools and churches. She says the Cowles Center has upgraded the quality of their dance experience. “Being in a dance space like the Cowles Center is just so nice
because you have the floors with a little buoyancy to them, you have the mirrors, and you have an accessible music system,” she said. After twelve years and renovations, the $42 million Cowles Center reopened back in September 2011 in downtown Minneapolis amid sky-high expectations.
Fo o d & N u t r i t i o n St. Paul Academy and Summit School
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Chúc mừng năm mới! January/February. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
Vietnamese-American student celebrates a “happy new year” Lucy Li
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Cover Story Editor
In the United States, many people often think of Mar. 21 as the first day of spring, but for some Asian-Americans, this year’s Feb. 10 is the actual date. For senior Gina Nguyen, this day is also known as Vietnamese New Year, or Tết. Nguyen lives in a multicultural family. Nguyen’s father is Vietnamese, and he is “very particular about his food,” she said. Nguyen’s American mother, who also loves Vietnamese food, became interested in Asian cultures after a college trip to Japan. Tết is the most important holiday in Vietnam and celebrated on the first day of the lunar calendar. Along with dragon dances in which people dance under a dragon costume, “the food is the main thing with New Years,” Nguyen said. Around this time of year, the Vietnamese community often gather together at large parties. “It’s sort of a potluck-type deal,” she said. A dish Nguyen looks forward to eating during this time of year is bánh lá, a rice cake wrapped in leaves. Bánh lá has several different varieties depending on its shape. On Tết, celebrators often make a square type called bánh chưng to symbolize the earth and a round type called bánh dày to symbolize the heavens. Other favorite dishes are stirfrys, pork, Vietnamese pâté, banh mi sandwiches, phở noodle soup, and mooncakes. “Vietnamese
food has Chinese influence and French influence, which is a historical thing,” Nguyen said. “Vietnamese [food] is the best food in the world. The main thing about it is that it’s always very colorful because Vietnam has very fertile land for vegetables to grow.” Nguyen also loves Vietnamese food because of the versatility of its palate. “I think that’s why people like it so much; it’s not very strong or in-your-face,” Nguyen said. “People gravitate towards [the cuisine] because it’s very friendly.” The cuisine also varies between Northern and Southern regions of Vietnam, due to their different environments for growing food. Although there are large Vietnamese restaurants in the Twin Cities area such as Mai Village on University Avenue, Nguyen and her family prefer smaller ones. “There’s this one lady who owns a restaurant that’s literally half the size of [the Library Classroom] but she makes the best phở soup and it’s amazing. I don’t even know if her restaurant has a name,” Nguyen said. Another favorite place to go is Ái Huê, which is found on Midway in St. Paul and has the best wonton soup, according to Nguyen. In past years, her family would also go to Mystic Lake Casino to celebrate the Vietnamese New Year. “[They] used to host this big dragon dance that we used to always go to and eat their buffet.” At home, her father usually cooks and the family typically eats Vietnamese food. “My favorite meals from [my dad] are usually
soup,” Nguyen said. “Vietnamese soups are the best because you put this fish sauce in there called nước mắm. So good.” Nguyen also enjoys eating her father’s sweet tofu soup. Vietnamese cuisine possess a different personal and cultural significance compared to that of American’s. “Each thing you eat is meant for something, like when I'm sick my dad always makes me congee soup,” Nguyen said. “I never wish I ate more American food because I have so much of that outside of my home.” Although eating is a often a way for Vietnamese people to bond with friends and even strangers, there is usually not a lot of chit-chat. “…One thing that I think is really funny is when I'm with a bunch of Vietnamese people eating, no one ever talks while eating. Everyone is so consumed with their meal, which is culturally different than having a conversation over lunch,” Nguyen said. “Vietnamese people take eating together very seriously.” For Nguyen, Tết has its own unique style when celebrated here in Minnesota with her family. “Celebrating New Years here is very different from celebrating it in Vietnam because we live in the Vietnamese-American community, and being Vietnamese-American is very different than being Vietnamese,” she said. One of the aspects of this is that her family never blends American food with Vietnamese food. “There are mixes in culture, but not food. That’s the one thing that stays the same.”
The phở noodle soup and spring rolls encompass the use of vegetables in Vietnamese cuisine. “The main thing about it is that it’s always very colorful because Vietnam has very fertile land for vegetables to grow,” senior Gina Nguyen said.
All Photos Credit: Lucy Li Bánh lá, literally “leaf cake,” cornerstones Tết’s celebrations. The exact ingredients of the dish vary depending on the rice’s shape and size.
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“Celebrating New Years here is very different from celebrating it in Vietnam because being Vietnamese-American is very different than being Vietnamese.” senior Gina Nguyen
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Yellow Wallpaper tops sectionals Feminist one-act play one of few at state festival Netta Kaplan
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Staff Writer
Lights go up on a black stage. Seven women stand behind sheets of thin yellow fabric and begin to whisper their life stories. Bound in their motion, they ask the woman laying on the bed to set them free. She is terrified of her husband, a doctor, and has no idea what to do. This was the strange tale that St. Paul Academy’s competitors in the Minnesota State High School League One-Act Competition ran through, again and again, hoping for perfection. And this year, they just may have gotten it. The Yellow Wallpaper, an adaptation of the famous short story by Charlotte Perkins Gillman, beat out four other plays at the subsections on Saturday, January 26 at Harding High School. The show received a perfect score, meaning that each judge ranked them first. The next week, at Milaca High School, the show took first place again, making them one of eight shows in the state to attend the State Festival at O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on February 8. The performers worked through long rehearsal hours and setbacks that ran the gamut from flu to broken set pieces. “The commitment of the cast is just phenomenal,” Upper School English teacher and one act director Eric Severson said. The Yellow Wallpaper focuses on a woman who is confined to bed due to “female hysteria” and begins to
hallucinate women in the wallpaper. She is torn between what the women in the wallpaper tell her to do and her physician husband’s instructions for her recovery. The version SPA presented included a twist: the women in the wallpaper were actual characters, standing up for themselves and against sexism through the written word. Some were based off of actual women, including composer Hildegaard vom Bingen and Queen Elizabeth. It creates a space for female voices to be heard, unleashed, and celebrated. The time marks the fourth year in a row that SPA’s one act has taken first place at subsections. It is also only the fourth time ever that the school has attended the state festival. Severson’s two productions of Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, in 2006 and 2011, made the cut, as well as former director Dutton Foster’s Why the Lord Come to Sand Mountain. Still, the cast members were pleasantly surprised when they took first place at the sectional competition. “[Mr. Severson] had a lot of faith in the show, and we all felt that with him,” senior Cam Murray, lead actor, explained. “It’s been cool to watch people react to it [the victory]. We all didn’t know what to think going in.” Wallpaper saw stiff competition from Providence Academy’s staging of Lois Lowry’s dystopic novel The Giver. The show took second to them on both occasions. Additional reporting contributed by Noah Shavit-Lonstein.
Performers Claire Flom-Stab, Sophia Myers-Kelly, Chinaza Nwaneri, and Rachel Ketz perform a dream sequence in the Yellow Wallpaper during dress rehearsal. The performers got to act at the state festival at St. Catherine University’s O’Shaughnessy Auditorium.
The actresses from The Yellow Wallpaper circle around Sophia Myers-Kelly, during a dream sequence. The play received a perfect score at subsections, the first round of competition.
All Photos Credit: Aditi Kulkarni Lead seniors Claire Flom-Stab and Sophia Myers-Kelly, above, during a heated exchange from The Yellow Wallpaper. Despite thestresses of producing the show, “the commitment of the cast is just phenomenal,” director Eric Severson said.
Celebrating the new year... in February?
Chinese, Vietnamese festivals carry unique traditions
Submitted Photo: Gina Nguyen Students at Kennedy High School in Bloomington perform a play re-enacting the story of Vietnamese independence in celebration of the new year. The rituals during the new year are “mostly performances and catching up with people,” senior Gina Nguyen explained.
Ellie Fuelling
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A&E Editor
Chúc may man. Good luck. In both Vietnamese and Chinese cultures, the New Year is rung in with family, and with the hope
that this next year will bring them luck. Vietnamese and Chinese students do not ring in the new year at midnight on Jan. 1. Instead, they will celebrate when there is a new moon in the sky, on Feb. 10. The date changes every year, according to a lunar calendar, but the tradi-
tions stay the same. Senior Gina Nguyen celebrates Vietnamese New Year, and observes the yearly traditions. Most people clean their houses, “have incense burning, [and] play Vietnamese music,” Nguyen said. Vietnamese New Year, also
called Tet, is a time to remember ancestors and celebrate the New Year with family. It is both religious and cultural. Tet spans days before the actual New Year, with family visits, decorating, and cooking traditional Tet food. At Vietnamese parties during this time of year, there are dragon dances, performances, and fashion shows. “It’s mostly performances and catching up with people,” Nguyen said. Another staple of Tet is lì xi, little red envelopes that children receive with money inside. The red color of the envelope symbolizes good luck. “You would always give those to the little kids,” Nguyen said, “and when the dragon dances are going on the little kids feed it to the dragon.” Chinese New Year falls on the same day as Tet because they share the same lunar calendar. It begins on the new moon and lasts 15 days, ending with the full moon. Each day corresponds with specific traditions. On the 15th day, there is a Lantern Festival where families
decorate lanterns and release them into the sky. Alicia Zhang celebrates Chinese New Year, and says her favorite part about the day is the food. “I especially love the dumplings and rice,” she said. Even though she doesn’t do this, “I know lots of people set off fireworks on New Year’s.” Another part of New Year’s for Zhang is getting phone calls from relatives, calling them back and wishing each other a happy New Year’s. Families and friends exchange gifts throughout the New Year, which traditionally include oranges, a red envelope with money, similar to the li xi, and candied fruit or cookies. Along with traditions come superstitions. One superstition is not wearing black or white, both colors that represent death in Chinese culture. Vietnamese and Chinese New Year share their function as a time to remember the old year and look forward to good health, good fortune, and good luck this year.
Fe a t u r e 13 January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School From The
library of
Teachers share favorite reads Hannah Johnson
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Sports Editor/ Broadcast
Please Return
Teachers are surrounded by books. They write books, recommend books, select textbooks for their class, and often dictate what their students can read. But what do teachers read when they’re off the clock? To find out, we asked five teachers from different departments what titles they would place on their ideal bookshelf.
Adventure stories add up for Scott With years of reading amazing books under her belt, Upper School Math teacher Mickey Scott understandably cannot narrow down a list of favorites. A certain genre captivates the attention of Scott the most. “I love real adventure stories,” Scott said. She enjoys the Slavomir Rawicz’s out-of-print favorite, The Longest Walk. The book, about the author’s escape from imprisonment in Siberia, was adapted into a movie called The Way Back starring Colin Farrell in 2012. Scott read the book when and “just loved it,” she said. Scott also loved to read about the adventures of Ernest Shackleton, a polar explorer in the early 1900’s. Currently, she is reading Cheryl Strayed’s memoir Wild, about the author’s thrilling solo hike on the Pacific Crest Trail.
WHITE’S BOOKSHELF: • JRR TOLKEIN, THE HOBBIT • JK ROWLING, THE HARRY POTTER SERIES • GEORGE RR MARTIN, THE GAME OF THRONES SERIES • KARL MALANTES, MATTERHORN
SCOTT’S BOOKSHELF: • SLAVOMIR RAWICZ, THE LONGEST WALK • THE ADVENTURES OF ERNEST SHACKLETON • CHERYL STRAYED, WILD
White’s list reveals a magical collection If Upper School Technology Coordinator Chris White did not work at SPA, he would be chasing mystical creatures in the forest. White remembers himself in eighth grade imagining trying to find the ring from the Hobbit. Since this is not possible in the real world, he reads fantasy books to fulfill his appetite for adventure. “It is just a nice way to escape,” White said. Some of his favorite fantasy reads include The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and Game of Thrones by George R.R Martin. “There is a very creative side to me,” White said. He likes to fantasize what the world would be like if the books were a reality. Besides dragons and hobbits, White also enjoyed the thrilling book “Matterhorn” by Karl Marlantes, a story about a veteran’s experience in the Vietnam War.
Sachs’ books touch history
SACHS’ BOOKSHELF: • JANE AUSTEN, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE • DAVID MITCHELL, CLOUD ATLAS • F. SCOTT FITZGERALD, THE GREAT GATSBY • LAURA INGALLS WILDER, THE LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRARIE SERIES • JOHNATHAN COE, THE ROTTER’S CLUB
Upper School History teacher Andrea Sachs’ ideal bookshelf would cover multiple book genres; ranging from children’s fiction to classic romance. Sachs’ top five include the Little House on the Prairie box set, Pride and Prejudice, Cloud Atlas, The Great Gatsby, and The Rotters’ Club. Two of these books, Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, tell the stories of two girls in 19th century America and England respectively. Jonathan Coe’s 2001 novel The Rotters’ Club tells the story of British teenagers in 1970s Birmingham, Alabama. “I think it just captures a moment of history, but it also does justice to its teenage protagonists in a way that a lot of books don’t,” Sachs said.
BROOKS’ BOOKSHELF: • JAMES BALDWIN, ANOTHER COUNTRY • JEANETTE WINTERSON, THE PASSION • JEWETT’S BOOKSHELF: • GEORGE SIMENON, JULES MAIGRET SERIES • SAILING • POTTERY
Language tops Brooks’ list
Photo credit: Noah Shavit-Lonstein
As the Upper School librarian, Kate Brooks knows a good book when she reads one. Two of Brooks’ favorite books are The Passion by Jeanette Winterson and Another Country by James Baldwin. “I love their creative, imaginative use of language,” Brooks said. The Passion is a love story during the time of the Napoleonic Wars and Another Country follows a young man in 1950’s Greenwich Village struggling with his sexuality. Besides the interesting plots of both books, Brooks appreciates the superior writing of the two authors. According to Brooks, Winterson “has an interesting way of creating a kind of a nonlinear plot”, while James Baldwin “is able to capture really complex human emotions with light,” Brooks said.
Jewett’s books span continents MS/US Fine Arts teacher Bob Jewett’s ideal bookshelf would cover almost every genre possible. Some of his favorite books are by George Simenon, a Belgian author. Simenon is known for his series about French detective Jules Maigret. “He wrote maybe 100 of [the series], and I have got 50 of them,” Jewett said. “What I like about them is that he puts you right in Paris.” Along with this vast collection, Jewett has technical books for both sailing and pottery, mysteries and biology books. “[My wife] Peg has a whole bunch of books on the brain, she is a biologist,” Jewett said. This bookshelf is the perfect mix of adventure and education.
The library offers a wide selection of books and updates their collection regularly. These teacher favorites are available for checkout.
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St. Paul Academy and Summit School
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
The varsity boys hockey team fights for the puck against St. Paul Como Park on Feb. 2 at Drake Arena. “SPA has a long history of hockey success, and we were actually the first varsity team in the state of Minnesota, so we want to go back to the tradition of being a team that is well known and feared,” senior captain Cameron Causey said. All Photos Credit: Aditi Kulkarni
Hockey program reaches new heights
New coaching staff, chemistry give high hopes for section play
Aditi Kulkarni
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Editor in Chief
One year. One year is all it took to turn the Varsity Boys Hockey team from an inconsistent team to a winning team. With new coaches and systems, and a harder work ethic, the Spartans have turned their season around, after ending their 2011-2012 season with a record of 8-14. The new coaching staff is partially responsible for this. The new head coach, Bill Owens, came from recent state champions St. Thomas Academy, where he was assistant coach under the well re-
puted Vanelli brothers. “He was a part of a program that expects to win a lot of games, so he had high expectations for us, and he brought with him two assistant coaches and a goalie coach,” senior captain Cameron Causey. The team first met Owens in May, after they found out that their former coach, Joe Dziedzic, would not be returning. “It was a little bit weird at first, having a completely new coaching staff, but we were all very excited for it. The hardest part for any team getting a new coach is learning the new coach’s system, and what they expect from you,” Causey said. “We’re running completely new systems and all three
zones this year, so it took some time to get used to, but we have good chemistry now.” “I’m really pleased with the way the team has responded to the new coaching staff,” senior captain Peter Wood said. The team has also put in a tremendous amount of work over the summer, lifting 3-4 days a week and doing more off-ice training with nutrition and fitness coach, Max Lipset. “[The coaching staff] really have high expectations but they work us hard and are definitely one of the reasons we’re doing so well this year,” Wood said. The seniors of the team, includ-
ing SPA seniors Wood, Causey, and Karl Hommeyer, hope to leave a strong legacy for Academy hockey and get the team back to the state tournament in the next few years, even though the change might not be immediate. “Our goal is to get the program moving in the right direction,” Causey said. “SPA has a long history of hockey success, and we were actually the first varsity team in the state of Minnesota, so we want to go back to the tradition of winning and being a team that is well known and feared.” Only after the Spartans makes it through the four rounds of sections will they get to play in the
state tournament. However, this is where the challenge lies. “Unfortunately, we have a brutal section,” Hommeyer said. This Class A section includes current statechampions St. Thomas Academy, who according to Causey, should be in Class AA. Other teams in the section include Totino-Grace and Mahtomedi, who are both ranked. “I think we have a better chance [for state] than we have had in years past, but I’d say our goal is to make it to the section final,” Causey said. “This year, I can honestly say that we can play with any team on our schedule; that wasn’t true in previous years.”
Dance team finishes season on a high note
The team was small, but still they dominated large school competitions Saif Ahmed
r
Staff Writer/Columnist
The Spartan Dance Team, consisting of five members, has stepped up their game considerably and has improved tremendously since last year. Senior Claire Samuelson attributes most of the improvement to the team’s new coach, Jamie Woods. “We had trouble with our old coach; the team never really worked well with her,” Samuelson said. Samuelson added: “Our new coach is a lot more easy-going and excited to help us; she welcomes feedback from us and incorporates all of our ideas into the routines. The connection between us and her has been working really well this year.” The team this year consists of senior Claire Samuelson, juniors Cynthia Zheng and Jessica Wen, and freshmen Laura Slade and Calla Saunders. “Everyone on the
“ Everyone on the team this
Junior Cynthia Zheng and freshman Calla Saunders strike a pose in a dance routine on Dec. 4 during halftime of the Varsity Girls basketball game against Humboldt High School. “We are given a score out of ten; last year we got mainly more twos and threes. This year we’ve been getting an average of six and sevens,” senior captain Claire Samuelson said.
year is trully committed and wants to do well.
senior captain Claire Samuelson team this year is truly committed and wants to do well; that’s one of the other reasons we are doing so well this year,” Samuelson said. The setup of dance competitions is unique and different than most sports. Before the actual performance, the dancers have time to run through their gig and fix any last minute mistakes. Afterwards is the prep time which includes putting on costumes and makeup, and finally comes the performance. While the dancers are out there performing, a panel of judges
(ranging from three to five) judge the dancers out of ten points, taking note of fluidity, difficulty, and synchronization. “We are given a score out of ten; last year we got mainly more twos and threes,” Samuelson said. “This year we’ve been getting an average of sixes and sevens.” The team completed their competition season with a second place finish at the Mounds View competition and third place at Brooklyn Center, making them third in the Tri-Metro conference.
Can’t get enough sports? Visit The Rubicon Online for game scores, special features, and team news.
Photo Credit: Liz Rossman
Spor ts St. Paul Academy and Summit School
January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
Hemric brothers make girls basketball a family affair
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Being able to connect with such a great group of girls beside my brother is very fun. Varsity coach Rick Hemric
“ We’re always trying to push each other and make our team better.
C team coach Leigh Hemric Ava Gallagher
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Staff Writer/Illustrator
After an unexpected turn of the season, players and fans of the SPA girls’ basketball team attribute their rising success to Rick and Leigh Hemric: brothers, best friends, and co-coaches. The Hemrics grew up in Blaine, Minnesota playing basketball on their driveway together, and cherished their competitive yet supportive relationship. Their mildly combative natures carry into their coaching careers, and in their opinions, do so in what they believe to be a very positive way. Rick Hemric, the head Varsity coach and older of the two, sees no challenges when it comes to co-
coaching with Leigh. “I wouldn’t say there are any challenges…we really complement each other and since we grew up playing basketball together with our dad as our coach, we tend to read things the same,” Rick Hemric said. “I would say we have a very similar coaching style. Off the court, he has strengths where I have weaknesses and vise versa,” Leigh Hemric, the C team coach, is grateful for the opportunity to coach alongside his older brother, and loves the perks that brotherly love supplies: “I love that I’m getting to spend more time with him. Now that we’re older we don’t get to spend nearly as much time together as we used to, so it’s
Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson Above: Leigh and Rick Hemric discuss strategy before a game against the Blake School on Jan. 25. “I would say we have a very similar coaching style. Off the court he has strengths where I have weaknesses and vice versa,” Rick Hemric said. Right: Sophomore Alexis Irish protects the ball against the Blake School on Jan. 25.
actually helped us become a lot closer,” Leigh Hemric said. “Now that we’re older we get along a heck of a lot better, so it’s easier to be around him on a daily basis… I’m having a lot of fun doing this,” Leigh Hemric enjoys the challenges his brother brings him, both on and off the court, “Of course we’re competitive, it started at a very young age. There were quite a few battles with the driveway basket. We’re always trying to push each other and make our team better,” Hemric said. Although Rick playfully refers to himself as the superior player (“on the court I always dominate him”), he sees his brother as essential to the team’s future suc-
cess: “we were originally looking for another coach to bring in this year, but I knew right away who I wanted to bring in. It was a nobrainer,” Rick Hemric said. He sees a huge amount of potential in both his brother and their players. “I’m hoping for us to work through the trials we had earlier this year. There’s a lot of talent on this team, so I hope that can rise to the surface and we can make a strong push to the playoffs,” Hemric said. Both brothers love being a part of the team, and both think highly of the girls they consider a privilege to coach. “What’s so rewarding is getting game experience and getting to know the girls. We have a
Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson
great group of girls on both C and Varsity. I’ve had a great time getting to know a lot of them,” Leigh Hemric said. “Most of them are characters, and they’re just a great group of girls. It makes it a heck of a lot easier to go to practice every single day. They make it fun.” “I really enjoy connecting with the team through basketball…it’s my favorite sport, and being able to connect with such a great group of girls beside my brother is very fun; it’s a dream,” Rick Hemric said. As the conference tournament and sections loom in the next few weeks, the girls’ season is looking like it will continue down the successful road it is on, thanks to their dream team coaching duo.
Teachers lend voices to Spartan Athletics
Announcing faculty lends game voice to support sports teams
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I get to see and watch and observe some of the kids that I used to see as kindergarteners, first graders and then all the way through the Lower School. 3rd/4th grade teacher Tim Rongstad
Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson Lower School teacher Tim Rongstad looks over the starting lineups at the boys junior varsity basketball game against Blake on Jan. 25. “I’ve been teaching for a while and that certainly helps with any public speaking situation,” Rongstad said.
Hannah Johnson
r Sports Editor/ Broadcast
“Lets meet your Spartans!” Tom Fones roared at a recent girls basketball game. In the Fall and
Winter, two St. Paul Academy and Summit School teachers lend their voices to Spartan Athletics. Upper School debate coach and history teacher Tom Fones and 3rd/4th grade teacher Tim Rongstad have both worked the scorer’s table an-
nouncing basketball, volleyball and soccer games for a combined 20 years. During the basketball and volleyball seasons, Fones, Rongstad and Upper School History teacher John Finch alternate dates to announce games. Each announcer works alone at each game, along with a student who keeps the official scorebook. After announcing the starting lineups, Fones, Rongstad and Finch run the scoreboard and keep track of posessions.
Fones has announced both basketball and soccer games for 16 years, enthusiastically naming the starting lineups for the Spartans. His experience working as an announcer on a radio station helped Fones learn how to use a microphone and perfect his voice. “I announce the opening line ups and then I run the scoreboard and work with the person who does the [score]book,” he said. Fones likes to think of this job as a way to support Spartan Athlet-
ics and his way to be involved in sports. “It really keeps me concentrated on the game,” Fones said. His favorite kind of basketball game to watch is “a fast paced, close game, although an SPA won blowout can be fun too,” he said. Lower School teacher Tim Rongstad shares similar experiences to Fones as he watches athletes develop throughout the years. In his fourth year of working the electronic scoreboard at basketball and volleyball games, Rongstad gets to watch many former students on the court. “One of the most exciting things that I think happens on a regular basis is that I get to see and watch and enjoy and observe some of the kids that I used to see as kindergarteners, first graders and then all the way through the Lower School,” Rongstad said. “Its really exciting for me to see them as high school kids.” From all these years watching Spartan athletics, Fones advises athletes to “play hard all the time,” he said.
16 M i nu t e s o f Fa m e January/February 2013. Vol XXXX. Issue V.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Love and basketball: the Egly brothers
All Photos Credit: Aditi Kulkarni
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There are moments when one of us gets fouled hard or beat up, and then the teammate instinct comes into play, but then the brother instinct also adds in there. junior Harrisen Egly Aditi Kulkarni
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Editor in Chief
On Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 3, two brothers faced off as head coaches in the Super Bowl. But they’re not the only example of brotherly love in sports; senior Spencer Egly, junior Harrisen Egly, and eighth grader Emerson Egly are taking the St. Paul Academy and Summit School basketball program by storm. The three brothers first got involved with basketball through their parents. “My parents wanted us to be involved and be active, and they could tell that we were active kids, and since then, we’ve kind of always been a little sporty family,” Spencer said. For Spencer, the team atmosphere is what makes basketball so appealing. “Each person on the team has a different role, but they’re all really important,” he said. However, it is playing with brothers that has become the biggest standout moment of the season. “I never thought I would have
the possibility of playing with Emerson because he’s so much younger than me, so it’s really nice,” Spencer said. Harrisen Egly agrees, citing his brothers’ games as an inspiration for his playing style. “Last year, it was nice to be able to play with Spencer for the first time, but we weren’t really on the same time for most of the year,” he said. “It’s been really nice because I’ve watched [Spencer and Emerson] develop as players through watching their games and now I get to play alongside them.” While Spencer says he doesn’t change his game around his brothers, they do have an emotional influence on each other on the court. “When their heads are down, I know what they’re going through a little more because they’re my brothers,” he said. Last year, both Harrisen and Spencer were on the Varsity team, with Harrisen garnering both JV and Varsity minutes. This year, Emerson, the youngest of the siblings, has joined the JV and varsity team as well. “The three brothers together have created an interest-
The Egly brothers (L to R) eighth grader Emerson, junior Harrisen, and senior Spencer. Harrisen has enjoyed the opportunity to play alongside his brothers, saying “It’s been really nice because I’ve watched [Spencer and Emerson] develop as players through watching their games and now I get to play alongside them.”
ing leadership dynamic on the court,” senior captain Steven Olson said. Emerson scored his first varsity points on Feb. 1 in a game against Brooklyn Center. “It was fun to watch the Egly trio on the court at the same time,” senior captain Josh Gray said. “We always get super excited when someone scores their first varsity point, but having an eighth grader be on varsity and actually score was very impressive.” “Having Emerson in the high school program has been really good,” Harrisen said. “I’ve always known that he’s a solid player and
he just needs to believe that, and he really has developed nicely over the past few years to the point where he can play in high school.” With four years of Varsity experience, Spencer has given his fair share of advice to his younger brothers. “There have been tons of car rides home with him giving advice on how you deal with certain situations on the court,” Harrisen said. This is the first and last season in which the three brothers will play high school basketball together, as Spencer will graduate in June. However, they will be sure to make
the most of their time together on the court, helping each other in any way they can. “There are moments when one of us gets fouled hard or beat up, and then the teammate instinct comes into play, but then the brother instinct also adds in there,” Harrisen said. “You take that extra step over to help them up.”
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