March 2014 issue by SPA Publications

ubicon

St. Paul Academy & Summit School

1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN March 2014. Volume XLI. Issue VI.

Student belief systems reflect a mosaic of religious backgrounds.

Cover p. 8-9

E C 0 X IST Find the

Answers

in this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s issue:

President Obama spoke in St. Paul. What did he talk about? (NEWS p. 3)

What songs should be on everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s playlists this spring? (A&E p. 13)

Are you ready for college courses in high school? (FEATURE p. 7)

How does your school spirit rank? Are you a loyal Spartan? (SPORTS p. 15)

What books are students and teachers recommending? (IN-DEPTH p. 10-11)

The Girls United Hockey team advanced to the state tournament. What place did they finish in? (BACK COVER p. 16)

About the Cover

r ubicon

St. Paul Academy & Summit School

1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN

March 2014. Volume XLI. Issue VI.

Student belief systems reflect a mosaic of religious backgrounds.

Cover p. 8-9

C 0 E X IST Find the

Answers

in this month’s issue:

President Obama spoke in St. Paul. What did he talk about? (NEWS p. 3)

What songs should be on everyone’s playlists this spring? (A&E p. 13)

Are you ready for college courses in high school? (FEATURE p. 7)

How does your school spirit rank? Are you a loyal Spartan? (SPORTS p. 15)

What books are students and teachers recommending? (IN-DEPTH p. 10-11)

The Girls United Hockey team advanced to the state tournament. What place did they finish in? (BACK COVER p. 16)

2 N EWS

Religious education and faith play a huge role in many students’ lives in and out of the school community, not only for those who practice a religion, but also for those who engage in discussions with their peers about it. Left to right: sophomores Ingrid Topp-Johnson, Meghan Joyce, Calla Saunders, Will Donaldson, Willa Grinsfelder, Caroline Montague, senior Bilal Askari, and sophomore Maren Findlay. Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Cover Design: Ava Gallagher

Parking emergency in effect

Photo Credit: Zeeshawn Abid Parking limits on residential streets fill the school parking lots, as students and faculty who used to park on the street cannot.

March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

In order to provide reliable access for emergency vehicles, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced the implementation of one-sided citywide parking restrictions. The restrictions are needed because of the high levels of snow accumulation this winter, resulting in the narrowing of streets. Vehicles violating the parking restrictions will be ticketed and towed. Parking is only be allowed on the odd-numbered side of all residential streets until conditions allow the city to lift the ban. Parking is also allowed on both sides of non-residential streets unless otherwise posted.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Academic WorldQuest team wins competition National competition awaits them in Washington, D.C. this April

Photo submitted by: Craig Bares Academic Worldquest team members freshman Raffi Toghramadjian and juniors Thomas Toghramadjian, Shaan Bijwadia, and Jack Labovitz are congratulated for their performance at Minnesota’s Academic Worldquest competition. “I looked at Shaan and both of us totally thought we did awful, and then they announced that we won,” Labovitz said.

Netta Kaplan

Staff Writer/Copy Editor

Do you know the ramifications of the asymmetric nature of cyberattacks? What about the first president to pledge the goal of energy independence? Or the

number of free trade agreements Mexico has? While most people have no idea what the answers to any of these questions might be, there are a few who do: St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Academic WorldQuest team. The team, composed of freshman Raffi Toghramadjian and

juniors Thomas Toghramadjian, Shaan Bijwadia, and Jack Labovitz, took first place in Minnesota’s Academic WorldQuest competition on Feb. 5, taking on 132 students from 19 schools. Jack Labovitz joined the team this year. “I’m really interested in history and geography and cur-

rent events so it was a good opportunity to learn more about that and get better at note-taking.” Thomas Toghramadjian was the only returning member from last year’s team, which also included his older brother, Hagop (’13), so he faced the task of rebuilding the team. “[Tommy] asked me if I was interested in ‘going on a quest’ with him and he told me more about it. It sounded interesting because we’re both interested in politics and history and current events,” Labovitz said. The Academic WorldQuest competition consists of 11 sections of five questions each, ten of which came with documents to study. These sections range in topics from Cybersecurity to U.S. Education to Global Environmental Issues. Using the study guide given, the team took the documents and put them into study packets. “We split up the sections so we each got two study packets. Then we went through those, taking notes as well as side research to learn more about what was in the study packets. I put them onto [Microsoft] Word documents and then later on to Quizlet to study; that was really helpful,” Labovitz said. “I had to memorize all the

things pretty quickly.” The questions themselves are multiple choice, with four possible answers given. “They’re really specific, and that’s why they gave us those documents to study from. I wasn’t sure what the questions would be, so I was kind of surprised by how specific they were when I saw the first question,” Labovitz said. However, the team caught on quickly and at the end of the first round, they were in fourth place. “We wanted to get at least into the top three, so we were a little worried there. In the second round we did a lot better and we felt really great about it,” he said. Despite their first-place finish, the team hadn’t expected to do so well. “I looked at Shaan and both of us totally thought we did awful, and then they announced that we won. That was definitely my proudest moment,” Labovitz said. The team won in 2011 and 2012 as well, and had a close second-place finish in 2013. Bijwadia, Labovitz, and the Toghramadjians will go on to represent Minnesota at the National Competition in Washington, D.C. in April.

Students anticipate National Language Exams Katrina Hilton

Sports Editor

Most who would choose to take a difficult test that does not count towards anyting would be deemed out of their minds, and yet language students across the country opt to take the strenuous National Language Exams. St. Paul Academy and Summit School Upper School language students participate in this annual exam competition. Spanish, French, and German students take these exams, while Chinese students do not. Teachers devote a few classes to preparing for the exam after Spring Break. Students will be informed about the format of the test and will be introduced to some of the vocabulary that might appear on the test. “It’s a good challenge and it’s a great way for students to learn new material,” US German teachJAN/FEB ISSUE CORRECTIONS:

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They make it so hard, getting a 75% is really good. U S Sp a n i s h te a c h e r Rafaela Salido er Jutta Crowder said. Senior Anna Matenaer, who will be taking the National Spanish Exam for the fourth time this year, has mixed feelings about the exam: “They help with reading and listening comprehension, but studying for them is hard because there’s so much stuff that goes along with it,” Matenaer said.

Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton Spanish V classes prepare for the Language Exam. From Left: Karsten Runquist, Kent Hanson, US Spanish teacher Rafaela Salido, Lukas Kelsey-Friedman, Katie Ademite, Mary Naas, and Laura Viksnins review vocabulary. “On the curve, we are really there with every other school,” Salido said.

Teachers also see the difficulty of the exam, but believe it is a worthy challenge for students. “The thing I don’t like about that exam is that they make it so hard; getting a 75% is really

News: Upper School History teacher Ben Bollinger Danielson’s name was incorrectly hyphenated A&E: Shaan Bijwadia’s name was misspelled

good,” US Spanish teacher Rafaela Salido said. These exams go above and beyond the curriculum of most schools. In addition to questions about grammar, the exams have a

huge range of vocabulary words that are not covered in typical language classes. “You can’t even try to learn all of the vocab. It is impossible to memorize all of the vocab out of context,” Salido said. Despite the difficulty level of these exams, Salido said that students typically do well on them. “On the curve, we are really there with every other school,” Salido said. Why do students take the language exam? Crowder said, “It’s really more for us. We want to see if students are at the right level and how we compare nationally.” These national language exams are a great way for students to learn new vocabulary and get recognized for exceptional performance, but they do not count towards students grades. In giving advice to her students, Salido said, “Don’t stress out about it.”

“I’m really excited to see Spain and all of the Spanish exchange students there, but I’m a little nervous to stay with another family,” senior Mary Merrill said.

Read more about language exchanges on RubicOnline

Odyssey tradition skips year

Thomspon’s Trio Tesoro tops tourney St. Paul Academy and Summit School has a history of making great music, but the latest may have come from outside the school’s walls. Freshman Cole Thompson’s wind & piano trio, the Trio Tesoro, won the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Youth Chamber Music Competition in the level B category. “We were named after a gas station down the street,” Thompson said. “We needed a name and we drove past a Tesoro gas station and we thought that was good.” The trio performed Aram Khachaturian’s Trio for Piano, Clarinet, and Violin. The violin part, however, was transcribed for oboe. The trio won $350 in total: $100 from winning, and $250 from being the best wind group in the competition. Tesoro plans to stay together and enter other competitions around the Twin Cities.

“We used to have more kids apply and we would have to turn kids down. That hasn’t happened for a long time. I did a survey a number of years ago, and there were a whole variety of reasons; nothing stood out as the reason. I think what’s clear is that everybody is busier,” Upper School English teacher John Wensman said.

-- Read more @ www.rubiconline.com Senior Philip Swanson shows off his frozen hair during his winter Odyssey trip. Photo submitted by: John Wensman

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Quiz Bowl team closes season Thomas Toghramadjian

Opinions Editor

In most high school activities, whether intellectual or athletic, the youngest competitors have to wait for their time in the sun. Learning curves generally remain steep enough to ensure that upperclassmen appear on top of the standings. The St. Paul Academyand Summit School Quiz Bowl team is a clear exception. Freshmen Jack Indritz and Cole Staples, along with sophomores Patrick Commers and Netta Kaplan, posted an undefeated 12-0 record at division meets, qualifying both for the state and national tournaments. Going into the state tournament on Feb. 27, they were ranked first in their division, and fourth overall. Unfortunately, the team lost their first two rounds and were eliminated. Their collective youth is especially noteworthy because experience is at a premium for quiz bowl participants. “There are few good ways to prepare for Quiz Bowl because the questions could be about anything. I read three newspapers a day, and other magazines, books, et cetera… but, like many things, the best way to practice for Quiz Bowl is to play Quiz Bowl,” Indritz said. Each of the four team members has a loose area of specialization. “Patrick is best at sports, and Netta is very good at literature. Cole and I are good at history, with Cole knowing a little more, and I have geography and some literature,” Indritz said. “But these should be taken with a grain of salt because they aren’t exact, and we all know about lots of things.” Although the team’s record doesn’t need much improvement, Indritz still believes that there is progress to be made. “The more we practice together the better we will get,” Indritz said. Because of they are younger than most top teams, they lack the knowledge gained from eleventh and twelfth grade classes, like American history and chemistry. However, the team makes up for it by going over important topics during their Thursday x-period meetings. “We have some very high scorers on our team which helps us do well, but the teams we have played so far are not close to the best,” Indritz said. The team looks to work on their teamwork and expand their knowledge before the national tournament in Chicago from May 28 to June 2.

N EWS 3 March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

Obama talks transportation Hannah Johnson

Editor in Chief

When President Barack Obama visited downtown St. Paul on Feb. 26, it was inevitable that he would mention one of Minnesota’s claims to fame: hockey. “It is not shocking that Minnesotans might be pretty good at the Winter Olympics. What is particularly interesting is that, once again, the tiny town of Warroad proved that it really is Hockeytown, USA, thanks to T.J. Oshie and Gigi Marvin, who we’re just so proud of,” Obama said, adding that he even tweeted Oshie to congratulate him. The President continued, joking, “By the way, I cannot play hockey. I grew up in Hawaii -- we do not have hockey in Hawaii.” After acknowledging Minnesota’s crazy winter weather, President Obama got down to business. Obama addressed the excited crowd of 1,300 supporters about the status of transportation and infrastructure in the United States. The president’s visit came at a time of great transportation development in the Twin Cities. Earlier that day, Obama visited the new Central Corridor light-

Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson President Barack Obama spoke about public trasporation and infrastructure in the United States during his recent visit to St. Paul’s newly restored Union Depot on Feb. 26. “We’ve got a lot more roads we got to travel. Let’s get going, Minnesota,” Obama said.

rail transit system: “It was fantastic,” he said. The president’s appearance took place in St. Paul’s newly renovated Union Depot, a project partially funded by U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER I grants. Obama also praised the Minnesota State Legislature for planning on raising the minimum wage. “Your state legislature is

poised to raise your minimum wage this year. In my State of the Union address, I called for a new women’s economic agenda. It’s actually a family economic agenda -- equal pay for equal work, paid sick leave and more. And there are leaders in your state legislature that are working hard at this, because they know when women succeed, America succeeds,” he said.

In his State of the Union address in Jan., Obama recognized the family of freshman John Soranno for raising the minimum wage to $10 at Punch Pizza. The end of Obama’s speech gave light to his optimism for the future. “This is the beginning, not the end. We’ve got a lot more rail we got to lay. We’ve got a lot more roads we got to travel. Let’s get going, Minnesota.”

Math team tallies up a satisfying season Hannah Johnson

Editor in Chief

State: the dream for any high school competitor. The biggest stage in Minnesota for students to show their talents, dedication and hard work. Many sports teams work all year to compete on these stages, which include huge arenas such as the Xcel Energy Center, the Metrodome and Target Center. For St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Upper School Math team, their State goals point to South St. Paul High School. After a successful regular season, the Upper School Math Team hoped to extend their winning streak at the State Tournament on Mar. 10 at South St. Paul High School. The team will face some tough competition. This includes top ranked Cotter High School of Winona, Shattuck-St. Mary’s, and the Marshall School of Duluth. SPA is in Tier Two, the small school section. Teams in the meet are either the top schools in their division or the teams with the highest overall score throughout the season.

Photo Credit: Lucy Li Members of math team listen to Upper School mathematics teacher Bill Boulger (not pictured) as he explains the upcoming competition. “As always, Mr. Boulger is absolutely incredible. He’s everything the Math Team could want and more,” senior captain Vittorio Orlandi said.

“At this point we’re simply excited to have continued the tradition of going to state, which has been going on for... many years. We have a strong team and we have good chances of scoring within the top three. That would be great,” senior Math Team captain Vittorio Orlandi said. The team placed second in the Tri-Metro conference, only behind rival Blake. They also placed in the top three at all five meets this season, including a first place finish at the last meet of

the season, which the team hosted at SPA on Feb. 10. At the end of the season, junior Neerja Thakkar placed ninth individually in the division and Orlandi placed tenth. The members that compete at meets are a part of the scoring team, which occasionally changes its lineup from meet to meet. While some members never participate in meets, as members of the non-scoring team, they add to the spirit and youth of the team. As the season progressed,

the team found their groove and continued to excel at meets. The teammates found their niches in the four competition events, the team refocused group dynamics after the graduation of alumni Sam Wood, Henry Swanson and Jeremy Tong last year. “It took us a while to achieve a similar team dynamic to the one we had honed in pretty well last year, but by the second half of the season we were a lot more adjusted,” Thakkar said. The team is also confident that Upper School Mathematics teacher and veteran Math Team coach Bill Boulger will guide the team to triumph. “As always, Mr. Boulger is absolutely incredible. He’s everything the Math Team could want and more. He has the perfect balance of teaching and guiding us, while still letting us explore concepts on our own. He’s a truly wonderful teacher and it’s a complete honor for all of us to be coached by him,” Orlandi said.

4 O P I N ION S

March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

STAFF

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Staff Editorial

the rubicon

2013-14 Editor-in-Chief Hannah Johnson

Online Editor-in-Chief Print Managing Editor Lucy Li Chief Visual Editor Ava Gallagher Co-News Editors Nina Zietlow John Wilhelm Opinions Editor Thomas Toghramadjian Co-Sports Editors Catherine Braman Katrina Hilton Cover Story Editor Boraan Abdulkarim Feature Editor Gita Raman A&E Editor Laura Slade In Depth Editor Eva Perez-Greene Copy Editor Netta Kaplan Columnist Nick Cohen Adviser Kathryn Campbell

Staff Writers Zeeshawn Abid Patrick Commers Ali Duval Diane Huang Meghan Joyce Mari Knudson Jackson Lea Eva Malloy Jordan Moradian Noor Qureishy Amodhya Samarakoon Emily Thissen Clare Tipler Paul Watkins Javier Whitaker-Castaneda

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the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 AWARDS JEM All-State Gold (Print and Online) MHSPA Best in Show 1st Place - Print 5th Place - Online NSPA All American w/3 Marks of Distinction CSPA Gold Medal w/All Columbian Honors

Indifference threatens students’ well-being

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SPA puts a lot of value on community and discussion based learning, but how does that work when students don’t respect their teachers? As cold and flu season wraps up, there’s a new illness in the air at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, one that is more common than a stomach bug and more contagious than mononucleosis. The major symptoms include disinterest in classes and disrespect for school faculty. The origin is unknown, but the one thing that’s certain is its’ negative effects on the school community. SPA puts a lot of value on community and discussion based learning, but how does that work when students don’t respect their teachers and other adults in the building? There are many staff members whose names and jobs we don’t know and don’t care enough to find out. Our school could not run the way it does without the hard work of people who most students have never acknowledged. We go to staff members only when we need something, and forget that they, like us, are human beings who might want to be asked how their day is going. Students are too

self-involved to realize that making jokes about teachers, on- and off-line, can hurt them the same way they would hurt any of us. In addition to regular staff, substitute teachers and other temporary staff are rarely taken seriously. When students walk into a class to find someone other than their regular teacher in charge, many assume they won’t be learning anything that day which not only disrespects the teacher, but also puts them behind in their learning. As for disinterest, many students are becoming less and less attentive to their school work. Despite the fact that our families are spending so much money on our educations, and that we are at school to learn, we brush off assignments, spend class time surfing the internet or talking with friends, and study only in very small amounts in an effort to appear as though we don’t care. At times, students seem to be competing for who can do the least. “I only studied like half an hour for

Illustration Credit: Ava Gallagher For students afflicted with chronic disinterest, well-meant advice to apply oneself often falls on deaf ears. Nonetheless, we all have an obligation to actively participate in our own education.

that test,” can be heard followed by, “Really? I didn’t study at all!” People don’t use the library to read, but instead for checking their Facebook and socializing, putting many other things ahead of academic work while in the school building. This front of not caring can negatively impact academic achievement, which is the reason most of us are at SPA in the first place.

So what can we do to cure this highly contagious plague? To start, we need to find what interests us and figure out how to apply it to our classes. Like with most things in life, school is what you make it. Everyone reserves the right to make things interesting for themselves. 100% of The Rubicon staff agrees with this editorial

Mini-Editorials College decision “Hot or not” app season demands creates harmful objectification good etiquette

New schedule harms AP exam prospects

College decisions, acceptances and rejections alike, are a very personal thing. It is your own decision about how to tell, who to tell, and what to tell to peers and friends. “This is a time when there is joy but also disappointment,” College Counselor Mary Hill said. “Students have their own way of sharing the news,” she added. When sharing college news, others’ feelings should be an essential consideration. “If you tell someone that you got into your second choice college that you aren’t very interested in and that particular college was the person’s first choice, you can hit a raw nerve… it can be hurtful,” Hill said. Every student has different goals and expectations, so empathy, consideration, and respect is important to convey during this stressful time in the year. Most importantly, do what makes you comfortable and savor the moment. You only get to experience this once, so enjoy the good news with friends and family, but be careful how you share your decisions with others because it could be hurtful.

Advanced Placement testing takes place in the spring, generally when each class is almost all the way through its curriculum. The new schedule takes 75 minutes of time away from math and science classes over a two week period, relative to last year’s schedule. This greatly detracts from the content the class is able to get through. This forces students who plan on taking AP’s to spend even more time studying and self-teaching the remaining units. Junior Jack Labovitz is one such student. “I was definitely thinking about taking the chemistry AP, but I am not very confident that I will be able to teach myself everything that we haven’t covered yet,” he said. Teachers have noticed this effect as well. According to US mathematics teacher Anne Shimkus, “If we were still on last year’s schedule, we may have gone more into Calculus BC [topics],” giving students the ability to take the more rigorous Calculus BC exam. This new schedule has, in effect, discouraged students from taking APs.

We have all heard the buzz, seen the internet excitement, and witnessed the growth of a seemingly harmless app that enables the user to deem other people “hot or not.” These ratings are averaged and a number is given to each participating individual. The decimals reach to the hundredth, so you can rest at ease knowing you are .01 “hot units” better than your friend. Though seemingly harmless at first gaze, further inspection and emersion into the black and white world of “hot or not” leaves one sick at the staggering superficiality perpetuated by the app. Students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School try to be forward thinking, socially aware individuals. Constantly forcing people to view their fellow humans in one dimension inhibits a holistic perception of each other. Unwarranted emphasis on appearance, rather than content of character, hinders our progression as a society. Since “Hot or Not” seems to be a perpetuator of these superficial values, we as a community are better left without it.

The Rubicon Editorial Policy: The Rubicon editorials are representative of the opinions of the Staff Editorial Board, which is made up of all students in journalism/Editorial Leadership. All other opinion pieces are the opinions of the authors themselves.

The Rubicon Letters Policy: The Rubicon welcomes letters to the editor. They can be mailed to us or e-mailed rubicon.spa@gmail.com. Letters should be limited to 150-200 words and published by discretion of The Rubicon staff. MEMBERSHIPS National Scholastic Press Assoc. MN High School Press Assoc. Columbia Scholastic Press Assoc. Quill and Scroll Honor Society

O P I N ION S 5 March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Tutorial fails to facilitate collaboration Opening cafeteria would allow for silent and social spaces

With strict rules about talking and making noise in the library, many students spend time in the Dining Hall and other spaces to relax and work with friends during tutorial. “My understanding was that tutorial was made to be a time where students could collaborate with each other, but this is not happening because we are too loud in the library and in turn have nowhere to go,” junior Haris Hussain said.

Zeeshawn Abid

Staff Writer

It’s only 35 minutes of the day, but students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School witnessed a major change in their schedules. Students have been gifted 35 minutes of time every day, four days a week, to work with other students and meet with teachers. This time is called tutorial. Originally tutorial was made “to provide a time during the day where all students and teachers are free, so that students can work together, meet with teachers, finish a lab, and do other collaborative work. With tutorial students don’t have the challenge of matching up a free period with teachers and students that

they have to work with,” Upper School Life Committee member Karissa Baker said. Even though this time was supposed to be used for these educational purposes, instead it is mostly used as a “free time.” Because of this, changes have been made. Now students are required to be silent in the library and complete homework. For some it has worked: “I usually do homework or meet with teachers. I think [tutorial] is really helpful especially because you can meet with any teacher. [Tutorial] has been a good experience because it’s been really helpful to meet with teachers and collaborate with other students,” junior Mattie Daub said. But other students don’t feel the same way.

“We [juniors] have been kicked out of the library by the advisors that are required to be there during tutorial. My understanding was that tutorial was made to be a time where students could collaborate with each other, but this is not happening because we are too loud in the library and in turn have nowhere to go. This new strict style of tutorial is restricting our freedom as students to work together and complete work during tutorial,” junior Haris Hussain said. According to Upper School Librarian Vicky Janisch-Tri, tutorial is not working properly. “We’re trying to make it work, but I think it’s hard because some people are frustrated and feel like they don’t have anywhere to go. But the way I look at it is it’s only

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This strict new style of tutorial is restricting our freedom as students to work together. ju n i or Ha r i s Hu s s a i n half an hour in the day. Tutorial was originally set up as a way for students to have a chance to talk to teachers, and quietly study, but the way tutorial was working before forced us to make a change,

because it was just too loud.” Tutorial is not helping the students of SPA; in fact, it is detrimental to student work. Tutorial was made as time where students could work in groups and meet with teachers. It would give everyone the same free time so collaboration would be feasible. The new strict style of tutorial that is being enforced by faculty is not allowing tutorial to reach its potential. The first goal has been successful—everyone is free—but the latter, collaboration between students, is far from being a success. Fixing the problems with tutorial are simple. The easiest fix would be to open the cafeteria during tutorial and add internet connection in that space. Because it would not be silent, students could collaborate or socialize. That’s already a norm in the community, because the cafeteria is a place where students and faculty are expected to talk and make noise to an extent. If students clean up after themselves and respect the Taher staff, opening of the cafeteria could be a success. If there was this social space, it would be easier to preserve the library for silent work, reduce the arguments between library staff and faculty and the students who do not have work to complete. Students have received a gift in the form of free time, but to make the gift even better, changes must be made.

Free coffee in cafeteria provides a convenient pick-me-up Students need to take responsibility for their personal caffeine intake Amodhya Samarakoon

Staff Writer

Students walk around with it on their minds. Their bodies crave the caffeine, cream and sugar that fills every cup of this delicious beverage, available to all teachers and students. Everyone could benefit from a midday pick-up, and a cup of tea or coffee, which students are free to take advantage of in the cafeteria, may be just perfect. Students should be trusted to not abuse this privilege, just as they do for the vending machines full of snacks and soda in Drake Arena, or the hot chocolate machine and ice cream available during lunch periods. “It makes sense to pay attention to your consumption, how it affects you... Some people can drink a lot of caffeine and not have much of an impact and for some people it really does impact them,” US Counselor Susanna Short said. Short believes that students are intelligent and responsible

enough to be able to monitor their caffeine intake themselves. Benefits can be gained from consuming coffee, especially when one is in need of an energy boost, but the intake of coffee has been blamed by many for either “stunting growth” or affecting heart health. Donald Hensrud of Mayo Clinic writes that “heavy caffeine use — on the order of four to seven cups of coffee a day — can cause problems such as restlessness, anxiety, irritability and sleeplessness.” Drinking coffee has become such a normal activity that many Americans indulge in their morning cup of joe without considering these risks. Still, is it possible that the benefits gained by drinking coffee outweigh the possible risks which can accompany all types of food and drink? According to Hensrud, coffee provides antioxidants, and can help defend the body against liver cancer, Type II diabetes and other diseases as well. It can also help prevent depression and lower

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BALANCE

It makes sense to pay attention to your consumption. U S C o u n s e l or Su s a n a S h or t Illustration Credit: Amodyha Samarakoon

chances of suicide. In an article for Smithsonian Magazine online (“It’s a Myth”) Joseph Stromberg states how the association between coffee and its effect on growth was derived from false advertising for Postum, a coffee substitute, in the early 20th Century. The only correlation is that caffeine prohibits a small amount of calcium from being absorbed, resulting in a minor decrease of bone growth which is not significant and occurs more in adults.

While the occasional dosage of caffeine can be both helpful and harmless, it is important to balance one’s consumption of coffee, tea and other caffinated beverages.

At school there isn’t enough time in most people’s day to consume four to seven cups of coffee a day and cause issues. “Tea has caffeine, soda has caffeine... I don’t think it should be a substitute for sleep, but if a student wants to use it as a substitute for sleep then they can get that lots of places,” Short said. Despite how strange it might feel to observe a freshman drink-

ing a cup of coffee next to a teacher filling his or her mug with the same, students can make these decisions for themselves when educated about the consequences. Everything is acceptable when consumed in moderation, and this applies to coffee as well. There is no reason for the availability of coffee to be decreased or students’ consumption to be monitored.

6 O P I N ION S

March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Harkness warriors: try to step back

Illustration: Meghan Joyce Despite the openness of the Harkness Table, constant interruption can confine students’ voices in discussions. Just because a student has a lot to say doesn’t mean that they should dominate the discussion. Discussions are meant to be open to many voices, not solely one.

Meghan Joyce

Staff Writer

The Harkness table is more than just a piece of furniture, it’s an idea. A good idea, too. It is a method making everyone visible and promotes productive discussion so that students are not being lectured at, but guided by their teachers. Harkness discussions are a special part of Upper School humanities classrooms, but the way that we all do them needs to change so that everyone can benefit from them.

It is relatively commonplace for Harkness discussions to devolve into fast paced debates that do not encompass the whole class, but are dominated by the most talkative people. It can be really intimidating for someone that tends towards just listening to jump in. Sometimes when they do jump in, they are ignored. That kind of discussion does not benefit the active participants or the passive ones, as ideas are repeated and rephrased but no new ones surface. That defeats the point of the

Harkness method, which stresses the importance of including all voices. Some students are best able to think as they speak, which allows them to be heard more easily than those who have to think first. To let everyone be heard, it’s important not to let a discussion get too fast paced so that everyone has time to think through what they’re going to say. Teachers can try to make an effort to get everyone involved, using methods that force students to participate a certain number of times or by set-

ting an expectation at the start of class. But That can only help so much, it comes down the students if anything is going to change. But it is important to make the right change. One of the worst ways for a student to deal with this problem of not having everyone participate is calling someone out. Even if done politely and with the best of intentions, asking someone directly puts them on the spot, especially since they might not have any new ideas for that part of the discussion. A better solution would be to ask if anyone who hasn’t contributed very much would like to add anything, because it encourages and gives an opportunity for those who have not spoken to do so, but they do not feel as much pressure to spit out some undeveloped idea or an agreement to what the last person said just because everyone is looking to them. It is not okay that some people that really want to add to discussion but don’t get a chance to get a word in, whether their ideas are basic or incredibly insightful. Everyone should have an opportunity to share and everyone needs to work together to achieve that. Talkers need to leave space in the conversation for thought and reflection. Listeners need to challenge themselves to step into those spaces and speak up. It’s the only way all the ideas around the table can be heard.

R e a d m ore O pi n i on s at Ru bi c O n l i n e

Photo Illustration: Diane Huang While popping lockers may not present a serious security problem, the damage incurred by the practice constitutes vandalism. With more passing time, students should no longer need to pop their lockers as often.

Photo Illustration: Patrick Commers All of us are guilty of wasting time on the Internet. But even if we are able to control our temptations, would using technology for something as simple as note taking best be done on our computers, or the old-fashioned way with a paper and pencil so the teacher can keep us on task?

Students need to step up to the plate for volunteer service Noor Qureishy

Staff Writer

All around the world, there are people who need resources, education, funds, even a safe place to live. Although students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School can’t help everyone in need, Service Day, organized by Community Action and Service (CAS), aimed to improve the local community. The day dedicated to service provided worthwhile service opportunities for students unable to find them elsewhere, since most organizations have age limits for unsupervised volunteers This is the first time SPA has conducted an event like this, even though the old mission statement lists service as one of the main goals of this institution, saying that “[SPA] educates a diverse and motivated group of young people for leadership and service... helps them lead productive, ethical, and joyful lives.” The lack of fixed service opportunities in SPA, despite service being one of our core values, is astonishing, and should be changed. Noticing that service, or volunteer work wasn’t a part of daily, or even annual, life at SPA for the majority of the student body, CAS co-presidents Alex Miller and Anna Carlson decided late

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The lack of fixed service opportunities at SPA, despite service being one of our core values, is astonishing, and should be

changed.

last year, before the mission statement was changed, that the role of service in the SPA community needed to be altered and creating a service day was the best way to do that. “The view of service at SPA has been negative, kind of like a chore... [The student body] should be able to pick what they want to do, have a day dedicated to it. We’re hoping people will go do something, like it, hopefully come back and do more,” Miller said. Carlson agreed, saying “we wanted to change the negative connotation people associate volunteering with in the SPA community. The hands-on approach

[in Service Day] is supposed to show that you can make a difference and an impact--people don’t realize that they can.” Although SPA aims to be “shaping the minds and the hearts of those who will change the world,” the popular interpretation of this goal seems to focus a lot more on doing exceptionally well academically rather than helping the local community. With the introduction of Service Day, the challenge presented to the SPA community is to view “changing the world” not only in terms of academic achievement, but also as a goal saying that we should try to help the people around us and make a positive impact. Service Day, hopefully a future bi-annual event, will help us do just that. “We got really positive feedback after signup… [CAS] wanted to give it [service] more attention and focus, to look at it as more of an established part of the program at SPA, like other private schools do,” CAS advisor Jutta Crowder said, and she’s right. According to Crowder, Breck has a service afternoon every month and so do other private schools just like SPA. It’s about time we stepped up and made a difference.

Photo Illustration: Noor Qureishy Considering all of the time SPA students spend on their own interests and advancement, it is only reasonable that they devote some time to helping others as well.

F E AT U R E 7 March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

M A+king the graD e

Students share stories of success and slump PostSecondary Education Options take students off campus Lucy Li

Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief

“What’s your major?” Senior Charlie Southwick’s fellow French classmates at the University of Minnesota asked him this question, not knowing that Southwick was part of the Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) program. “I was like, ‘Well I’m actually still a high school student,’” Southwick said, “and they said, ‘Oh, cool.’” Southwick is not alone; the PSEO program has placed many students into college before they even graduate high school.

PSEO Basics PSEO offers the opportunity for high school students to take courses at a local college, including the University of Minnesota, Hamline University, Macalester College, or St. Catherine’s University. The Minnesota State Legislature introduced this program in 1985. “It serves a different sort of purpose for different students,” Upper School Director of College Counseling and Academic Planning Mary Hill said. Hill mentioned that some students in Minnesota might take the majority of their classes through PSEO. PSEO is only available for juniors and seniors. When making recommendations, “we tend to keep an eye on which students are going to be exhausting our curriculum in fields like math and language,” Hill said. Before Spring Break, college counselors notify individual students of the opportunity. Application deadlines range from April 1-May 31. “We support students to do a PSEO class if they run out of our courses to take… or if they’ve got a specific reason to study a subject that we don’t offer at all,” Hill said. This is the case for senior Connor Allen, whose interests led to him taking logic and conflict studies courses at Hamline University. SPA requires that PSEO students still complete a minimum of 4.5 credits at school and that

Photo Credit: Lucy Li Senior Cynthia Zheng takes Chinese classes through PSEO. When making the decision, she had to take into consideration the academic balance of her programs, but also timing and budget for things like driving and paying for parking. “I have to leave right after school every day so I have no time to meet with teachers and no time to meet with other people when I’m in a group project,” she said. “That’s been really difficult.”

they participate in community activities such as advisory and assemblies. PSEO applications may include an essay, a standard state form, transcripts, and recommendations, but the process varies from college to college. For junior Evan Miller, the U of M had provided decisions by June, while entry into the program at Macalester, which Miller preferred, did not finalize until August. “[It] was actually a little bit stressful...,” Miller said. “It was difficult to plan because I didn’t know whether or not I’d be able to take the class.” He currently attends a linear algebra class at Macalester along with senior Vittorio Orlandi. Southwick took an intermediate level French course last semester, after finishing French V at SPA as a junior. “I’m really passionate about French so I wanted to keep going,” Southwick said. Senior Cynthia Zheng had a similar situation, having completed all the offered levels of Chinese. “My thought was that if I didn’t take Chinese for a year, that I would forget a lot of characters and grammar rules, and by the time I get into college I would be behind,” she said.

College classes The rigor and size of PSEO classes varies, but Southwick’s PSEO class was not too different from those at SPA. “My class was only about 13 people so there was still an engaged interactive environment,” he said. Southwick did notice, though, that his college classmates didn’t have as much unity outside of class. Miller’s class has approximately 40 students, and students still have opportunities to reach

out for help. “[The professor’s] office hours are really accessible; I can talk to him at any time, similar to a [SPA] teacher here,” Miller said. One difference between Miller’s class and those at SPA is that teaching assistants, not the professor, grade the homework and exams. “They’re the ones you go to if you have questions about homework or the course materials.” “At the U of M, one big difference is that people don’t necessarily care who you are,” Zheng said. “Other students are not going to be like, ‘Let’s have a go around,’” an introductory activity that is commonplace in many SPA classrooms. Professors and classmates do not look down on high schoolers in the classroom. “The students treat you just the same,” Zheng said. “Most of them don’t even know I am a PSEO student.”

Achieving balance For Zheng, she had to not only take into consideration the completion of assignments and exams but also driving and paying for parking. “I have to leave right after school every day so I have no time to meet with teachers and no time to meet with other people when I’m in a group project,” she said. “That’s been really difficult.” Zheng’s advice for people thinking about doing PSEO: “You really have to think about your schedule.” With a course overload, Zheng has been especially aware of her management of time during the day and transportation between schools. Miller’s class is held during the day from noon to 1 p.m., a time that conflicts with the SPA block

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It definitely adds a layer of stress, so only do it if you’re willing to work hard. s e n i or C h a r l i e S o u t hw i c k schedule. “I find it somewhat difficult to keep up with classes that I’m missing here at SPA while I go to class at Macalester, but I’ve been managing it so far,” he said. What he misses for math class includes travel time between schools, and Wednesdays can be particularly challenging due to the late start schedule. Southwick decided to not do PSEO this semester because of the work it involved first semester. “I [went to class] on Monday and Wednesday for one hour and 15 minutes and I probably did 5 to 6 hours of homework per week,” he said. His class was held in the evenings, and he had set up his SPA schedule so that he could have enough free periods to do homework. Combined with cross country practice, college apps, and regular schoolwork, PSEO provided a sturdy challenge for Southwick. Southwick gave this advice for students considering PSEO classes: “It definitely adds a layer of stress, so only do it if you’re willing to work hard,” he said.

Senior slide impacts students Ava Gallagher

Chief Visual Editor

“Senior slump? More like senior stop,” senior Ben Morris said in the senior lounge. Senioritis has hit the class of 2014 hard and—according to students—those of this year’s graduating class are not the only ones affected. “You can just kind of feel it in the air... it’s obviously second semester,” senior Yusra Murad said. Second semester is notorious for bringing about a lazier attitude and usually a positive carefree vibe, but what happens when students are only feeling the laziness? The lounge is a scene of slumped shoulders, reclined old chairs and napping students. A lack of drive is as abundant as the empty paper coffee cups littering the room. “Should I do this assignment?” one senior asked. “Dude, it’s second semester senior year,” a friend responded. The conversation stops there. Every senior has heard this exchange more than once since second semester began, and although it can provide a feeling of relaxation for some, it’s really just an excuse. Motivation is at an all time low. Rising seniors in the grade below look up to current seniors, and when all they see is rationalizing and excuse-making, it is easy to wonder why they should be any different. “I’m ready to be out of here and done. My motivation is at an all time low right now,” junior Julia Lagos said. Around the junior benches, goofing around and putting off studying or assignments is nearly as common as in the senior lounge. Clearly, the class of 2014 has spread the legendary senioritis to those looking up to them. Once in a slump, it is hard to get out. Those seniors who have been accepted and who have committed to colleges have even less reason to produce the impressive results they were once eager to earn. However, not every senior believes that now is the time to slump. Senior Emun Solomon is ready to keep focused until the end of the year. “I am actually more committed to my homework this semester as opposed to earlier this year,” Solomon said. Unfortunately though, this is not the case for every senior. As five senior girls convene in the lower library to complete two weeks of overdue homework senior Aria Bryan said, “This is so lame I could die,” and stops after only ten short minutes of work. “Yeah, I’m definitely having trouble staying focused,” Bryan said. “Senior stop indeed.”

C OV E R

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Faith in and out

What do you believe in?

World Religions class takes a belief quiz online at the start of the course. Some questions are included below.

Religion influences students’ lives & choices Gita Raman

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The Jewish community is not a very big one. It is kind of a close knit community so everyone kind of knows each other so I know that if I do something that will really affect me, then they will all kind of know about it. So I make as smart decisions as I can.

What is the number and nature of the deity(ies)? • • • • •

• •

Feature Editor

Only one God - a corporeal spirit (has a body), infinite, supreme, personal; the Creator. Only one God - a incorporeal spirit (no body), infinite, supreme, personal; the Creator. Multiple personal gods (or goddesses) regarded as facets of one God, and/or as separate gods. Multiple personal gods (or goddesses) regarded as facets of one God, and/or as separate gods. The supreme existence is both the eternal, impersonal, formless Ultimate reality, and personal God (or Gods). No God or supreme forces. Or, not sure. Or, not important. None of the above.

s o p h om or e E m i l e e S k a d r on

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As stated in scripture, God created a mature universe and mature life forms from nothing in less than 7 days, less than 10,000 years ago. Same as above, but a “day” is not 24 hours and possibly refers to thousands (or even millions) of years, or to creation phases. God is creating and controlling the natural processes discovered by scientists. Or, there are other spiritual explanations compatible with scientific discovery. All matter and life forms are manifestation (or illusions) of the eternal Absolute (Ultimate Truth, Universal Sou or Mind, etc.). Only natural forces (like evolution and the Big Bang) account for existence and not a Creator or spiritual forces. Or, not sure. Or, not important. None of the above.

One or more spirit being(s) exist who can cause human suffering. • Agree. • Disagree. • Not applicable.

Questions taken from the Belief-o-Matic quiz at www.beliefnet.com

Interested? Take the full quiz. Scan this QR code with your mobile device.

s e n i or Yu s r a Mu r a d Junior Dozie Nwaneri wears a necklace with a cross and rendering of Jesus on it.

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What are the origins of the physical universe and life on earth? Choose one. •

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I think that in general [Islam] does affect a lot of things like my attitude and the way I work with people. I don’t really notice it at school.

Sophomore Emilee Skadron wears a Star of David necklace.

[I try] to be respectful and nice and loving one another... I pray before [my] sports [games] to help me win the game. And sometimes before tests to help me do well.

ju n i or D o z i e Nw a n e r i

Senior Yusra Murad holds up a prayer mat from the meditation room. Photos Credit: Gita Raman

Prayer & tradition shape personal beliefs Laura Slade

A&E Editor

Some diversity is visible to the naked eye, but some cannot be known just by looking at someone. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, religious diversity, while less visually prevalent, is undoubtedly ubiquitous.

Unitarian Universalists craft a personal credo Sophomore Caswell Burr is a Unitarian-Universalist. Unitarian Universalism is unique in that it allows followers to form their own beliefs. Burr likes being a Unitarian because it is “accepting of all beliefs, and it’s really inclusive.” Burr was baptized as a Christian, but he and his parents switched to Unitarianism later in his childhood. “I was a little kid, so I kind of got absorbed in the culture,” Burr said. Unitarian practice involves going to services on Sundays and participating in religious education as a child. Through the Coming of Age program, 9th grade Unitarians explore their beliefs on a variety of topics and present their beliefs to

the church community in their own personal credo statement. “[Unitarianism] preaches being accepting and caring and loving outside of the church community,” Burr said. After they present their credo, they are welcome to become members of the church. “Once you graduate high school and go to college, finding a Unitarian church is becoming a lot easier,” Burr said.

All are part of one divine spirit in Hinduism Junior Neerja Thakkar practices Hinduism. For her, it started out as a family tradition: “I started truly practicing when I learned more about [Hinduism],” Thakkar said. Some of the important beliefs of Hinduism are dharma, karma, and reincarnation. Dharma is someone’s duty and karma is the action taken to fulfill dharma. “Every jiva (human being, soul) has a destined path they have to go through to rid themselves of all of their vasanas (impurities that cloud self-realization) in order to have a clear mind and see that they are a part of god,” Thakkar said. Thakkar practices Hinduism by

going to temple once a month or more, reciting bhajans, the Hindu version of hymns, every day, doing a form of Indian dance called bharathnatyam, and going to a school of Hindu philosophy. One common misconception she believes people have about her religion is the notion that Hinduism is polytheistic. “All of the gods, and even all human beings, are part of one divine spirit,” Thakkar said. “Respecting all life is a big part of Hinduism because all life is divine.”

Reformed Judaism brings family close together Sophomore George Stiffman follows reformed Judaism. “Reformed Judaism follows some rules from the Torah, and we sort of selectively follow them,” Stiffman said. Stiffman’s father is Jewish and that’s why he follows the religion. Junior Eva Zaydman’s family is also Jewish, and she doesn’t fully practice Judaism, but she does take part in religious holidays. To Zaydman, Judaism is “a religion that brings a lot of family and friends close together during celebrations

and services.” Stiffman likes reformed Judaism because it is “more about the ideas behind [the Torah] and the morals of how to be a good person.” Zaydman practices Judaism by eating traditional Jewish food and attending services with her mother around major holiday, while Stiffman practices by going to Hebrew school once a week and is in the process of getting confirmed.

Greek Orthodox practice inspires kindness Sophomore John Boosalis, a Greek Orthodox Christian, has attended St. George’s Greek Orthodox church since he was less than a year old. “When I was younger I went to Sunday school,” he said. “I try to act in the way that Jesus would act and be kind to other students.” Though students may not display their religion openly, for some it is still an important aspect of their personalities. Their prayers and services shape who they are and how they relate to those around them. Additional Reporting by Gita Raman

S T ORY

March 2014 Vol XLI. Issue VI.

with Aaron Bohr

Former US Chinese teacher Aaron Bohr accepted the call to become a Jesuit Priest in 2012. The Society of Jesus is a monastic order of the Catholic Church with a strong educational tradition, founded in 1534 by St. Ignatius Loyola. Bohr is currently teaching through the ministry in Detroit, Michigan. Illustration Credit: Netta Kaplan and Boraan Abdulkairm

Students speak up & clarify fallacies about respective religions

Thomas Tohgramadjian

Opinions Editor

In a progressive community, consideration for others’ identities is a preeminent requirement-- one that most strive to uphold. And faith, while a less overt manifestation, is key to many students’ identities. Well beyond simply influencing diets and schedules, religion provides the basis for moral codes and for their very understanding of the world. Such a crucial component of an individual’s identity tends to influence their contributions to academic and social discourse. Junior Asad Masood, a Sunni Muslim, makes an effort to present an Islamic perspective in his classes, whenever it is relevant. “Once in history class, for example, when we had a Harkness discussion about the Nativists and Nativist sentiment, I paralleled that with the fear mongering that [took place] against Muslims after 9/11,” Masood said. Freshman Neeti Kulkarni notices she is sometimes expected to represent Hinduism, in part because of her Indian heritage. However, she is not concerned with the attention: “It makes me feel unique, I guess,” Kulkarni said. For many, SPA presents an atmosphere amenable to religious expression. Masood finds that the curriculum successfully fosters religious understanding towards Islam.

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I think that people are rather poorly informed. ju n i or Lu k e Bi s h o p “One of the first units over the course of a student’s history career here is Islam, so people go in with a more open mind than they might outside of SPA,” he said. “After the Islam unit, people will ask a lot more questions about my religion and be more open to the culture.” Greater cultural understanding afforded by the curriculum translates into general acceptance for Islamic dietary and prayer requirements, according to Masood. “If somebody says they need to go pray in the meditation room, it’s an accepted thing,” he said Kulkarni similarly believes that history courses help her classmates to understand Hinduism. However, she believes that non-Hindus are less informed about more specific details of the religion: “things like the festivals, the philosophy of Hinduism, the different gods and what they represent,” Kulkarni said. Perhaps surprisingly, the most broadly misconstrued religion at

SPA appears to be Christianity, the most common faith in America. Some Christians find their religion wrongly conflated with ignorance. “I know that the earth wasn’t created 6,000 years ago, and people have asked me why I think that [after] I told them that I am Christian,” junior Ben Pettee said. Pettee believes that fringe groups like the Westboro Baptist Church have affected people’s perceptions of Christianity as a whole. “It’s important to know that not all Christians are like that, and they shouldn’t be lumped together in the same group as people like the WBC,” Pettee said. Junior Luke Bishop, a Roman Catholic, observes the same effect. He finds that recent pedophilia scandals have managed to eclipse the greater value of the Church. “I think that people are rather poorly informed; many people have a negative image of the Catholic Church due to how the media portrays it…I just think that there are positive aspects of the Catholic Church that many people overlook due to the negatives,” Bishop said. “What I’m getting at is that non-Catholics often only see the tip of the iceberg.” True religious tolerance entails more than a lack of animosity. Students also have an obligation to stay knowledgeable about others’ beliefs, or at least refrain from passing judgement on religions about which they are poorly informed.

Learn belief basics & common religions Read a few facts about the most frequently practiced religions for faculty and students

1. Islam is strictly monotheistic. 2. There are approximately 1.3 billion adherents to Islam worldwide. 3. Islam is the second largest religion worldwide.

1. Christianity is a monotheistic religion believes in a trinity of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Ghost. 2. Approximately 2 billion people practice Christianity worldwide, making it the largest religion. 3. There are many different denominations of Christianity, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Episcopalian.

uism ind

1. Unitarian-Universalism allows adherents to follow their individual beliefs. 2. Approximately 800,000 people practice Unitarian-Universalism worldwide. 3. Unitarianism was founded in Boston, MA in 1961.

Unita ria

Christianity

Islam Judaism

All facts taken from religionfacts.com Illustration Credit: Laura Slade

1. Hinduism is a religion with all gods united as one divine spirit. 2. Approximately 900 million people practice Hinduism worldwide. 3. The religious texts of Hinduism are The Vedas, Upanishads, and the Bhagavad Gita.

1. Judaism is a monotheistic religion. 2. There are approximately 14 million adherents to Judaism worldwide. 3. The major sects are Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Hasidic.

salism niver n-U

Q:How long had you considered a life in ministry prior to your decision to become a priest? A:I have always thought about becoming a priest since I was a boy. In graduate school, I felt a desire to become a Jesuit priest. I desired to have experience in the world and to further discern my vocation. When I started teaching at SPA, the desire grew and grew, even though I was reluctant to leave my students and friends at SPA to pursue my vocation as a Jesuit. Q: How was your decision received by SPA students and faculty? Were many of them familiar with your religious background beforehand? A:Some SPA students and faculty were surprised, while others were not. In fact, some of my students figured out why I was leaving before I formally announced it. I feel that most SPA students and faculty were familiar with my religious background before because it is so much a part of who I am. Q: In what ways has the Jesuit intellectual and educational tradition enabled you to continue your career as an educator? A:Being a Jesuit has deepened my vocation as an educator. The more I taught, the more I felt a call to take teaching to a deeper level and for me the next natural step was to enter the Society of Jesus. We Jesuits have a long tradition of scholarship and two of my Jesuit heroes, Matteo Ricci and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin were scholars. Ricci was an Italian who in the 17th century went to China and learned Chinese. He helped lay the foundation for a Chinese expression of Catholicism that is very dear to me. Teilhard de Chardin was a paleontologist who framed human evolution as the loving and unfolding creating of God. Q:How are education and ministry linked in your mind? How does knowledge contribute to faith, and faith to knowledge? A:For me, education is a form of ministry. The two are very much linked. I feel that being a Jesuit for me has deepened my vocation as a teacher. How are knowledge and faith linked? Well, the more we know about something or someone, the more we come to love. The more we come to love, the more we desire to serve. One of my favorite prayers puts this very well: O Most Merciful Redeemer, Friend, and Brother, May I know thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, Follow thee more nearly, Day by day. Read the full interview at The RubicOnline

10 I N D E P T H

March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

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Fiction titles top the lists of students, faculty Gita Raman

Feature Editor

As the days get warmer, the snow begins to melt, and the school year nears closer to an end, students and faculty at St. Paul Academy and Summit School begin to pick up new books for their own enjoyment. Upper School librarian Kate Brooks recommends The Obsidian Blade by Pete Hautman to those who desire a fun springtime read apart from assigned readings. “It’s a science fiction style book which plays around with time travel and has a strong female protagonist,” she said. Hautman brings up some strong questions about fundamentalist beliefs throughout the book. The Obsidian Blade, is first in the Klaatu Diskos trilogy. “I have read the first two, and the third one has yet to come out,” Brooks said

FAST FACT There are around 20,000 books in the Randolph Campus Library

Starting a book in a series is a great way to spend spring break and thwart boredom. “One of my favorite series is the Percy Jackson series,” junior Jonathan Trevathan said. Trevathan enjoys books with strong plot lines and interesting characters with whom he can connect, as do most avid readers. Brooks tends to look farther than character and plot when picking a book to settle down with.

“Personally I look for language -- [a] descriptive, creative use of language that’s almost a bit poetic. I like it when I can’t guess what is going to happen next or when there are these sort of surprises, like when the narrative feels a little bit unreliable,” she said. Brooks also recommends Huntress by Malinda Lo for springtime readers. “[Lo] is drawing from a lot of different traditional Asian stories to come up with a religious figure and a warrior figure. Both protagonists of Huntress are ladies. I like this one a lot because it has a fantasy element,” Brooks said. In terms of authors, Brooks recommends her favorites: James Baldwin and Jeanette Winterson. Stand-out works by these authors include Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room and Winterson’s The Passion. “Those are my standby books. They have [an] amazing use of words to create images,” Brooks said.

Trevathan loves the author Dan Brown and, in particular, his bestselling books Angels and Demons and The Da Vinci Code. Centered around conspiracies within the Catholic Church, both are historical fiction mysteries that transport readers into old, occult, and unsettled controversies of the past. If you enjoy the experience of being transported by a book through time and are interested in World War II, Brooks recommends Flygirl, a historical fiction novel by Sherri L. Smith. “Its probably my favorite,” Brooks said. The book’s protagonist Ida Mae Jones is a black woman living during World War II when black women were not allowed to be pilots. “Because she was so light skinned, she was able to pass for white. She does and this really helps examine the implications of [passing] for somebody, the real dangers but also the personal sacrifices, like her feeling of in-

tegrity and her own feeling of being separated from her culture,” Brooks said. If you enjoy history and appreciate the facts more than fiction, Upper School math teacher James McVeety recommends The Tiger by John Vaillant. “It’s a great book in terms of natural history and culture,” McVeety said. McVeety, a lover of memoirs, history, biographies, and poetry, is currently reading Command and Control by Eric Schlosser. This book traces the management of America’s nuclear arsenal. “It deals with a very telling episode called the ‘Damascus Incident,’” he said. McVeety enjoys personal reading and is in a book club which has been around for about thirty-five years. So, with book recommendations in mind, let yourself escape into one of the many intriguing worlds which live in books everywhere—it’s good for you too.

I N D E P T H 11 March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Reading evokes enthusiasm and aversion John Wilhelm

News Editor

What does “reading” bring to mind? For many, it evokes an image of an old, rustic-looking book with fragile pages and a wealth of knowledge. Yet for equally many, it produces a defensive gag-reflex and stressful flashbacks about how terrible that one sophomore year English assignment was.

Students share opinions on reading Reading is a multifaceted topic at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Aside from simply liking or disliking reading, students have trouble finding a balance between reading for fun and reading for leisure. Beyond even that, the definition of “reading” itself has evolved to encompass much more than books, confusing students and teachers alike. “I don’t really like reading,” senior Ellie Klein said. “Every time I read something, I get distracted, and have to read the same line 100 times.” However, Klein noted that she likes reading Buzzfeed because it can make “boring things like the news funny”. Reasons for disliking reading vary from preferring other forms of entertainment to not having spare time to read. Some students find that the academic pressures of high school detract from their ability to read for enjoyment. “I don’t really dislike reading. It’s just that I have lost my passion for it during high school,” junior Abdulsalan Osman said. “It’s like when you were a kid, and you played pretend,” senior Grace Owens-Kurtz said. “With a

book, you can immerse yourself in the world you’ve always wanted.” Tackling a thick novel is arduous, but that seemingly impossible task can be as much a haven as a chore. Owens-Kurtz contended that for a book to create a haven, “the author has to create a world” that distracts her from all else. She added that there also have to be at least a few characters for her to root for and identify with, and that Sophomore Willa Grinsfelder, another avid reader, agreed that immersion in the world of a story was an important aspect of enjoying reading.“Reading was this whole other world that I could be a part of,” Grinsfelder said. Grinsfelder elaborated on her immersion in stories by explaining that when she reads, she tries to eliminate the thought of an author. “I step away from the author,” Grinsfelder explained. “I don’t like to think that someone else wrote the story—I like to think that the story just came into being. To me, an author is a name and nothing else.”

Senior Grace Owens-Kurtz reads The Bluest Eye, a book by Toni Morrison for her Gender and Literature English class. “[Reading]’s like when you were a kid, and you played pretend,” she said. “With a book, you can immerse yourself in the world you’ve always wanted.” Photo Illustration: Eva Perez-Greene

Fitting reading into daily life provides worthy challenge Even for those who enjoy reading, it can be difficult to strike a balance between SPA’s rigorous curriculum and finding the time to read by oneself. “Junior year, I barely read any books for fun,” Owens-Kurtz said. “But I wish I had. I think it’d be better to take breaks from the schoolwork to read for fun.” Conversely, some contend that assigned readings detract from a student’s interest in leisurely reading. “[At SPA] we have such a large homework load that we really have no time for leisurely reading,” Osman said. Assigned readings that don’t fit the tastes of student readers often make reading seem bleaker than it should.

“I definitely understand that they can be hard for kids to do, but I don’t mind assigned readings,” Grinsfelder said. “It’s school. We do a lot of things that we don’t want to do anyways.” Altogether, what may bring about the differences in opinion on reading are disparate definitions of reading itself. Upper school English teacher John Wensman commented on how society’s evolution has changed how he reads. “I definitely ‘read’ less than I used to. I read more shallowly, and I skim around,” Wensman said. “I would say that I read more, but I read fewer books.” The meaning of reading is often limited to physical books, but reading itself encompasses far more. Twitter in particular is a major source of very specialized information between discussions, blogs, and articles.

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“Twitter is powerful,” Wensman said. “Twitter is huge. There’s no question that it’s reading, but it’s not the same as reading a novel.” The distinction between caring for a physical book and scrolling through Twitter is just as important as reading’s changing definitions. Despite the fact that we might be moving into a world where information is easily accessed and processed, it’s important to hold onto the idea of intimate relationships with books. “It’s about caring for the book. If you leave a book in your backpack and forget about it, it gets destroyed! You begin to care more about what the story is because you’re caring about the actual, physical object,” Grinsfelder said. At it’s core, reading is about engaging with the text and delving into a world that you couldn’t otherwise. “Just pick up something and read it,” Owens-Kurtz said. “It can be entertaining!”

Oscar selfie retweets crash Twitter’s servers

From left to right: Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Ellen DeGeneres, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong’o, Peter Nyong’o, Angelina Jolie.

12 A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI.

Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres asked Best Actress nominee Meryl Streep to take a selfie with her from the red velvet chairs of Hollywood & Highland Center in Los Angeles. Soon, A-listers were crowding into the frame of a pic that Ellen tweeted as “If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever.” As the group went back to their seats, Streep chimed, “I’ve never tweeted before!” But, clearly followers of @TheEllenShow had. Within an hour, the photo had been retweeted 1.1 million times, jamming Twitter’s servers.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Student filmmakers share their talents John Wilhelm

News Editor

Imagine hitting it big -- a film is shown in theaters, posters plastered everywhere, a commercial running in ten minute intervals on TV. Countless makeup artists, actors, and screenwriters have spent years putting together this two-hour sequence of images and at the end of it all, the reward is worldwide recognition. While the grandeur behind an Academy Award winning film might make it seem impossible for a high school student to produce anything of comparable quality, many students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School have embraced filmmaking as both an art and a pastime. Sophomore Calla Saunders is among those students. “It started out with a class in my old school, about filmmaking as way to tell stories,” Saunders said. “We all had to make our own movies about someone who lived in a different country. It sparked my love of filmmaking.” Since that fifth grade class, Saunders has advanced her skills as both an editor and a director. Last year, her short film starring sophomores Maggie Vlietstra and Anna Biggs, The Doll House (2013), won SPA’s Student Movie Award, or SPASMA. “The Doll House is based on an urban legend about a doll that comes to life and tries to kill the owner,” Saunders said. “When my friends first told me ‘We should do this as

a movie,’ I thought ‘No, I’m not really into horror,’ but it worked out, they convinced me to do it, and it was really fun to play with a genre that I haven’t touched before.” Upper School Film Club advisor Randall Findlay described SPASMA as “a way of giving extra recognition to students who took the opportunity to make movies.” Since its genesis in 2008, SPASMA has received widely varying entries, from Eoin Small’s horror film The Hand (2008), to Nat Bear’s action-comedy-drama Nerf Wars (2011). The films greatly reflect the students of the time, but Findlay mentioned a notable decrease in entrees. “When we first created SPASMA, we anticipated maybe ten movies coming in annually— we usually get five to six. Last year we got two,” he said. The second entry for last year’s SPASMA was senior Michael Wilkens and junior Olivia Fitch’s The Great Cat Spy (2013). What began as wordplay on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby eventually turned into a 6-minute avant-garde narrative, rife with humorous references to the book. For the coming competition, Wilkens has a new film planned. “I’m making this film, Cowboy Entrepreneur. It’s going to be the movie to end all movies,” Wilkens said. “I’ve spent a lot of time on it.” When asked for a short teaser, Wilkens responded “In the world of businessmen, there is only one cowboy. Cow-

Photo Credit: John Wilhelm A filmmaking seminar was hosted on Tuesday, Feb. 4 in the lecture room. Students interested in film attended the seminar, including seniors Michael Wilkens and Charlotte Hughes, juniors Halsey Moe and Olivia Fitch, and sophomores Maggie Vlietstra, Calla Saunders, and Maren Findlay, along Upper School English teacher and Film Club adviser Randall Findlay. Findlay describes the SPA Student Movie Award is “a way of giving extra recognition to students who took the opportunity to make movies. “

boy Entrepreneur.” Saunders has a film planned for the upcoming competition as well, which will be a comedy surrounding a newly hired theater employee. “There’ll be a lot of very good competition, and I hope people submit their work,” Saunders said. Senior Kaia Findlay’s creepy drama Clementine (2012) won SPASMA in 2012, but she didn’t manage to submit an entry in 2013. “I couldn’t think of any ideas,” Findlay said. “I ran out of time.” But despite last year’s hiccup, Findlay looks forward to putting forth a new entry for

the 2014 competition. “My sister and I are working on something,” Findlay continued. “This is the only teaser: there aren’t going to be any human faces in it.” Only two entries in last year’s competition begs the question of film’s popularity at SPA, but Findlay presented a different angle. “The disconnect is time. People commit to a lot of extracurricular projects, and they have a lot of work to do inside the classroom,” Findlay said. “We come along in the third quarter, the hardest quarter, and tell them ‘go make a movie!’”

Findlay noted that a number of students show initial interest in the competition, but don’t follow through. For those who do, the experience is rewarding. “Filmmaking is fun,” Wilkens said. “It’s something you create—it’s your vision.”

Visit The Rubiconline to view students’ films! www.rubiconline.com

Debut album Louder showcases Lea Michele’s strength Catherine Braman

Co-Sports Editor

Starting as a Broadway star and then moving onto television, Lea Michele is hoping her new album, Louder, catapults her to pop star status. At the age of nine, Lea played the part of young Cosette in Les Miserables. From there, she has played the wellknown character Rachel Berry, an overachieving diva and high school student, on the hit television show Glee. The 27-year-old singer released her pop album on Mar. 4 by Columbia Records. iTunes released four singles prior to the albums release: “Cannonball,” “Battlefield,” “What is Love,” and “You’re Mine.” Lea’s powerful and passionate voice is portrayed in all of her songs. Louder’s lead single,

“Cannonball” reached #75 on the United States Billboard chart when it became available in December. Since the official music video was originally released in January, “Cannonball” has earned 6.7 million views on YouTube. Catering to her social media fans, Michele first released the tracklist for the album via her Twitter and Instagram. Another song on the album, “You’re Mine”, is a tribute to her late boyfriend and Glee costar, Cory Monteith, who died last year of a drug overdose. The heart-wrenching lyrics reveal her deep love for Monteith. “You’re mine, for life / And I’ll be by your side / We are entwined. You’re mine, for life. Hold me until we die / I’m yours and you are mine.” Overall, the album includes a very personal and intimate perspective of Michele. The words in the song “Cannonball” helped her

deal with the death of Monteith. “Freedom / I let go of fear and the peace came quickly / Freedom / I was in the dark and then it hit me / I chose suffering and the pain in the falling rain. I know, I gotta get out into the world again.” Sophomore Claire Ristau likes the title song. “This is the first time I’ve listened to [Cannonball] and I already think its great! She has an amazing voice, and the song makes me feel really confident. It’s inspirational,” Ristau said There are a number of ballads that include themes about human strength, love, and overcoming great loss. Michele’s Louder should be enjoyed by many, not just by Broadway musical or Glee fans. This emotional and inspiring album will be a hit among fans that appreciate Michele’s strength: not only as a singer, but also as a person.

Fair use image courtesy of Columbia Records Lea Michele’s debut album Louder was released on Mar. 4 byColumbia Records. “She has an amazing voice,” sophomore Claire Ristau said. “It’s inspirational.”

Twitter roundup! Students tweet about the music they’re listening to in 140 characters or less

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St. Paul Academy and Summit School

E N T E RTA I N M E N T 13 March 2014. Vol XLI. Issue VI. ing links to them on social media sites.

Screenshots taken from a student’s Ask.fm page Ask.fm is a Latvian website which allows people to ask others all kinds of questions, both anonymously and not. “I think the perceived anonymity makes people much more honest, which fits in with the SPA values,” junior Ian Sussna said.

Students get personal on

Nina Zietlow

News Editor

With its simple layout and nothing but pages upon pages of questions, Ask.fm is not your typical social networking site. The site, which gained enormous popularity in 2013, allows users to

create an account that is typically shared over Facebook or Twitter. Their followers, friends, or whoever else stumbles across the user’s page is then able to ask questions, and unless the asker also has an account and chooses to reveal their identity, these questions are completely anonymous. The questions can range any-

where from a casual “What’s your favorite class?” or “Who are your best friends?” to crude sexual remarks and outrageously offensive insults. Ask.fm accounts are popping up more and more frequently in the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community. Students are creating accounts and post-

r ubimusic

As the weather slowly shifts, moods change and the songs that have been played on repeat all winter long get old. In light of the upcoming spring season, The Rubicon asked students about their current favorites.

Song: “Demons” Band: Imagine Dragons “It’s been in my head since summer.” - Freshman Heba Sandozi

Song: “Drunk in Love” Artist: Beyoncé “I like to listen to this when I wake up in the morning and when I do homework. It’s my favorite because there’s different parts to the song, so it’s like a lot of mini songs.” - Freshman Elena Macomber

Just as it is in any other community, the array of questions and reactions is broad. “You have no control over what people ask you. That being said, it’s fun to have one, knowing that people want to know more about you,” sophomore Nissa Rolf said. Junior Ian Sussna chose to make an account for entertainment and to connect with his friends who had already made them, “I saw other people doing it and I thought it might be fun,” Sussna said. Though Ask.fm takes anonymity to another level compared to most social media sites, Sussna comments that internet itself is full of ambiguity. “It’s built on secrecy; you’ve got screen names and icons to hide behind,” Sussna said. The problem with Ask.fm does not stem purely from the fact that it is anonymous, but instead from the way that users take advantage

Song: “Royals” Artist: Lorde “The lyrics and the beat and the rhythm are catchy, and I’m pretty sure[Lorde] writes them herself so that’s pretty intense.” - Sophomore Claudia Rosario Album: AM Band: Arctic Monkeys “They help me escape from the chaos of my life.” - Junior Samantha Linn Album: Save Rock and Roll Band: Fall Out Boy “I’m a fan of alternative, and it has songs that help get you pumped and make you feel good. [The album is] a combination of happier songs and heavier songs.” - Sophomore Jack Romans

Song: “Bad Blood” Band: Bastille “Because of the intricate interplay between the melodies and the bass line.” - Sophomore Milo Wittenberg

Song: “Bounce It” Artist: Juicy J “[It has a] really chill vibe.” - Senior Aria Bryan

of this sheild. According to Business Insider, nine teenagers have committed suicide after receiving multiple anonymous hate messages. “I’d like to think that the SPA student body isn’t like other schools, but there really is no way to prevent inappropriate questions from being asked other than taking it down or not having one at all,” Rolf said. Despite this horrifying statistic, Ask.fm has proved to have alternate and postive uses. It allows students to express themselves and interact with others in a way that face to face conversations don’t always allow. Often times people will use the site to compliment each other, ask legitimately intriguing questions, and just get to know more about each other in a way that can feel more comfortable than small talk. “I think the perceived anonymity makes people much more honest, which fits in with the SPA values,” Sussna said.

Album: The Great Gatsby Soundtrack “They just kind of fit my mood right now.” - Freshman Heba Sandozi

Song: “Wonderwall” Band: Oasis “It’s really chill.” - Sophomore Justin Zanaska

Album: Good Kid M.A.A.D City Artist: Kendrick Lamar - Junior Samantha Linn

Illustration and playlist credit: Boraan Abdulkarim

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St. Paul Academy and Summit School

All in (the water): TROJAN Swim Team Mindset Javier Whitaker-Castaneda

Staff Writer

Having a population of only four in the Upper School community, little is known about the rare specimen: the Trojan swim team. Before, they blended into the other species of students, but now they are easily identifiable due to their unique coat of hair, or rather, lack thereof. In order to prosper in their natural habitat, the pool, these swimmers, travelling in a group known as a “team” (i.e. team of swimmers, or swim team), have shaved their heads to bond and advance their species to become faster in the water. Because they are social creatures, the Upper School swimmers bond by shaving, swimming, and playing pranks on each other throughout their most prosperous swimming season, winter. On Feb. 7, the swim team gathered in the Highland Park pool locker room to shave their heads. The bulk SPARKS Trojans, a co-op team of swimmers from Highland Park School and St. Paul Academy and Summit School, participated in the somewhat chaotic process of shaving their heads. “We had two razors going, all the captains were shaving,” sophomore swimmer Josh Westfield said. “The majority of the hair didn’t end up in the trash can,” freshman swimmer Matt Suzuki said. Regardless of the mess, shaving heads together is one of the swim team’s strongest traditions. Though the swim team may have had fun while shaving, they actually have a very important

goal in mind: to be faster in the water. “Swimmers shave to expose more of their skin so when they dive into the water the cold shocks their bodies to move faster,” Westfield said. Suzuki disagrees with this theory and believes that shaving is more useful in reducing drag in the water. “If you don’t swim with a cap, hair slows you down,” Suzuki said. In addition Suzuki points out that the whole swim team wears swim caps anyway. “The real reason we shave our heads is just for fun,” Suzuki said. Regardless of which theory is correct, it is important to use any advantage you can get in a sport where fractions of a second matter. But Suzuki may be correct; because swim caps help prevent drag, head shaving is more of a team bonding experience than a competitive necessity. This allows the team to be more free thinking than just a buzz cut in their hair style choices. A few swimmers, including Suzuki, attempted Mohawks and SPA eighth grader Breandan Gibbons tried a reverse Mohawk, a hairstyle where only a strip of hair down the center of the scalp is shaved. “We discussed that somebody had to get a reverse Mohawk and [Gibbons] volunteered first,” Suzuki said. Though some were adventurous most of the swimmers decided on a more conventional style. “Most of us just went for the buzz,” Westfield said. The reverse Mohawk is just one example of the swim team’s zany, fun-loving mentality.

Photos submitted by: David Matenaer SPA swimmers from left to right sophomores Josh Westfield, Karsten Runquist and Sam Matenear, eighth grader Ned Laird-Raylor, freshman Matt Suzuki, and eighth grader Breandon Gibbons pose with their shaved heads. “Most of us just went for the buzz,” Westfield said.

Throughout the season they are constantly pulling pranks on their coach and on one another. “If we are not swimming we are either getting yelled at or doing something we are not supposed to do,” Suzuki said. Before practice the team usually warms up by throwing things in the pool then fishing them out. “Anything we can find that we can get out of the water we put in the water,” Suzuki said. Before practice, the swimmers have either submerged or floated rubber ducks, basketballs, coins, numerous pool accessories, chairs, and even a desk. The fun doesn’t stop there for the swim team. The swimmers often mess with their coaches as well. “Our coach, Katy Vandam, brings healthy food to the pool,” Suzuki said. “We stole a piece of cauliflower from our coach’s lunch and we’ve been putting it around the pool deck, none of the coaches knew about it,” Westfield said. Suzuki mentioned that in addition to letting the cauliflower sit and rot in a hidden spot on the pool deck the team managed to sneak the rotted cauliflower into their team photo. Supposedly it was smuggled into the picture un-

Sophomore Karsten Runquist does the butterfly stroke at the Jan. 24 meet at Humboldt. “... we all got into the locker room and start screaming as loud as we could to get pumped up,” freshman Matt Suzuki said.

der a swimmer’s shirt then at last second it got pulled out and was added to the picture. Though the swim team knows how to have fun, don’t think that they aren’t serious about their sport. When they get to a swim meet or are swimming in practice they are very focused. “Every practice we swim about 4000 to 5000 yards in total,” Suzuki said. The swim team also has traditions to get pumped up before a meet. “At the Central meet we all got into the locker room and start screaming as loud as we could to

get pumped up,” Suzuki said. Throughout the season the swim team works hard but still leaves plenty of time to goof around. Playing pranks on each other and doing things like shaving heads brings the team closer together so they can compete as a unit during the season. “Most days everyone gets in the pool by someone pushing them in,” Westfield said. Their care-free mentality creates an environment where it is more fun to compete and get better.

Upperclassmen take on rookie roles Jordan Moradian

Staff Writer

To learn to play a sport well, one must acquire the skillsets needed, which often takes time and usually a young start. Sports like hockey, for example, require the players to not only be able to skate, but then also to stick handle and shoot. Starting a sport as an upperclassman takes both flexibility, adaptability, and great acceptance for failure. Senior Mason Mohring joined the St. Paul Academy Hockey program midseason with absolutely no experience. His only knowledge of the game came from a few skating sessions out on a pond with a few friends, where his inexperience moving

effectively on the ice and handling the puck were not problems. “My mother wouldn’t allow me to play high school hockey because of her unsureness in my ability to simply skate and everything else I had going on. Once all my college apps were done I decided I had nothing going on anymore and that was enough to convince my mom to let me play,” Mohring said. After his first game playing for the Junior Varsity team, however, it was clear to him he would not play much, but he still enjoyed the time spent with the team. Every game he would get a few shifts at the end of the third period in which he would jump onto the ice, trip a guy, then fall down himself and draw a penalty. Mohring progressively improved

as hockey player though, as shown by his goal during the JV team’s first triumph against the Minneapolis Novas on Feb. 13. Junior Jack Labovitz, another first year athlete, had a similar experience as Mohring, playing on a basketball team for the first time in his life. Although basketball does not require learning to skate or use external equipment, it does test coordination as well as the ability to dribble and shoot accurately often taking years to master. “Before this season I played often during pickup games with friends, so I’m not lacking in skill that much relative to others. My problem is that I do not know all the rules of the game yet, because in a pickup game, rules don’t really exist,” said Labovitz.

Photo Credit: Jordan Moradian From left: junior Jack Labovitz and sophomore Charley Hooley converse during the JV Boys Basketball game against Duluth Marshall Nov. 23 at Briggs gymnasium. SPA went on to beat Duluth Marshall 59-24 for their first win of the season.

By seeing and hearing both Mohring’s and Labovitz’s experience in starting hockey and basketball respectively, it is apparent

that the joy of developing a new skillset. In addition, actively being a part of a team make starting a new sport fun and worth it.

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Spartan fencing finishes season strong Diane Huang

Staff Writer

It seems that the fencing team’s season has ended rather quietly, despite their immense achievements. On Feb. 22 and 23, the men’s fencing team got first overall in the state, and the women’s team got second place. “We have a very good fencing team, especially when you consider the fact that it’s so young and new to the sport,” women’s epée team captain Katherine Jones said. Freshman foilist Sal Ciresi commented on the environment of the state tournament. “It’s frustrating. You go in there and you have to fence hard but the brackets are frustrating... if you don’t do well [in your pool] then you have to fence someone harder in your direct elimination [rounds],” Ciresi said.

“This past year has been a building year,” Jones said. After losing three strong senior fencers last season, the fencing team was left in the hands of a large influx of new fencers, young and old, to the team. “This year we’re graduating a lot more [seniors],” sophomore saberist Willa Grinsfelder said,“I really hope the younger kids grow into the sport.” “The season went well for both the team and me personally. We took numerous awards in state, and on the way. I received second in state for men’s saber, which I’m very proud of,” saber team captain John Wilhelm said. Freshman foilist Drew O’Hern also has hopes for the next season. “I’m looking to defend our title as men’s team state champions and work hard to make the women’s team number one,” he said.

STATE RESULTS

The men’s team took first in saber, and second in foil and epée. The women’s team took second in epée and saber, and seventh in foil.

Photo submitted by: Willa Grinsfelder Sophomore foilist Milo Wittenberg lunges at his Minnesota Sword Club opponent at the state fencing competition on Feb. 22 at Holy Family Catholic High School. “We have a very good fencing team, especially when you consider the fact that it’s so young and new to the sport,” women’s epée team captain Katherine Jones said.

Clap your hands and stomp your feet Absent fan base impacts school spirit, performance Mari Knudson

“ We need

Staff Writer

The clock is ticking as the scoreboard remains even in an overtime basketball game against a Spartan rival. Suddenly, the star center gets the ball, dribbles it to the opposing team’s end. The teammates on the bench hold their breath as the center takes a shot. The ball goes in. The buzzer sounds. The Spartans get the win! The team goes ecstatic, and the crowd goes... silent. At a typical Spartan sporting event, the crowd usually consists of only a couple die-hard fans. It’s no surprise to anyone in the student body that SPA has very low turnout at athletic events. Of all of the sports, boys basketball and hockey have the highest number of attendees, with a very large gap in fan presence after those two sports. “ Almost nobody goes to swim meets or fencing meets usually. It’s sad,” sophomore basketball player Kent Hanson said. For sports like skiing, swimming, fencing and dance team, the low turnout can be attributed to the fact that the meets always take place off of campus. It tends to be easier for students to attend a home game than an away game. However, even for those sports played on Spartan soil, the turnout is low relative to other sports. And those sports getting the most fans tend to be Boys Varsity sports.

Only a handful loyal Spartan student fans attend the home Girls Varsity Basketball game against Breck on Feb 26. The team lost 50-43.

Get your Spartan on...

Check out these media sites for information about upcoming sporting events and stats. Show your spirit by staying connected.

support at all games, even Junior Varsity and C-squad.

freshman Genevive Zanaska

Photo Credit: Catherine Braman

“[Fan attendance] shouldn’t be just based around guys sports. We need support at all games, even junior varsity and C-squad,” freshman Geniveve Zanaska said. It also seems that students who do not participate in athletics tend not to come to sporting events. “When I go to athletic events, mostly all that I see is other athletes watching, in particular those who participate in the same sport,” Director of Athletics Peter Sawkins said. “I am wondering why the non-athletes aren’t there.” It seems that some students who don’t play sports don’t attend games because of a lack of interest in sports altogether. “I don’t

play any sports. I’m not very interested in sports generally, so I don’t go to games. If a friend was in a game, then I would go,” freshman Isabelle Bukovsan said. The number of fans in attendance does depend on the circumstances surrounding that event. For example, the United Girls Varsity Hockey team, whose games don’t typically draw a lot of fans, had an unusually large turnout out at the recent game against East Grand Forks during the girls Class A State Tournament. This can be attributed to the fact that the SPA fans were combined with students from both the Convent of the Visitation and St. Thomas Academy, as well as the

excitement of seeing fellow students compete in the state tournament. According to athletes, when there is a large fan section at games, it makes a difference. “I think how many fans are there definitely affects the game. It’s really energizing to have a lot of people there” sophomore Ryan Peacock, a basketball player, said. Senior Danielle Socha, a Girls Varsity Soccer captain agrees: “For me, it doesn’t really make a difference. But for a lot of people, it’s important how many fans are there. You work really hard for athletics, and its nice to know that students at school recognize that,” she said.

Instagram: @therubiconspa

Facebook: Spartan Boosters Twitter: @spasports

There are a number of students who make a point to attend sporting events. While these fans may not always be in the majority, they always seem to enjoy being there. “I go to a lot of games,” freshman Ella Matticks said. “I’ve gone to both Boys and Girls basketball games, Boys and Girls hockey games, Girls volleyball games, and Boys soccer games. School spirit is important and it helps the athletes to have a lot of fans. It’s definitely the most fun when there is a lot of student support. You can see the athletes gain momentum from the crowd support,” she said. While athletics may not be an interest to everyone at SPA, it definitely wouldn’t hurt for students to try to make it to a game every once in a while. The athletes definitely appreciate it, and a large fan crowd makes for a lot of fun.

www. spa.edu

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St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Girls Varsity Hockey finishes fourth in state Emily Thissen

Photos Credit: Laura Slade Top: The United Hockey team, with sophomore goalie Catherine Johnson at the front, lines up to head into the semifinals of the Feb. 21 state tournament. Bottom: Senior captain and forward Alev Baysoy chases after the puck during United’s semifinal game at the Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 21.

Q&A

Sophomore goalie Catherine Johnson was named a member of the Class A All-Tournament Team for Girls Hockey on Feb. 22 after the finals of the state tournament. Staff Writer Emily Thissen chatted with her about this recognition.

Q: What does it mean to you to be part of the all tournament team? A: It’s such an honor, especially to represent SPA and be the only one to be placed there. Q: How did you find out? A: It’s actually a funny story. I live in Lakeville and I drove all the way home after because no one told my coaches or my team or anything I was up for the All-Tournament team, so I went out to eat with my grandma and grandpa and we were at the dinner table and a random number called me -- and I picked it up luckily -- and they said, “Can you be at the X in like 20 minutes? You’re part of the all tournament

Staff Writer

In any sport, players dream of making it to state. For the United Girls Varsity Hockey team, this dream became a reality. For the first time in the history of St. Paul United hockey, the team went to the state tournament. They not only went to state, but they finished in fourth place. After a great 3-2 overtime win against South St. Paul in the section semifinals, the Girls Varsity Hockey team geared up to play the powerful Achiever Academy team in the section finals. Achiever was seeded #1 in section 4A, but at the last minute withdrew from the tournament. Achiever Academy is an online school for elite hockey players. Students come from all over to play for them, but not all of the players’ families had moved to the school district, as Minnesota State High School League rules requires. This led to controversy over six or more “ineligible players.” After many meetings with the league officials, Achiever Academy forfeited the section final game. This gave St. Paul United an automatic berth into the state tournament. St. Paul United is a team of players from both SPA and Visitation. There are nine SPA girls on the varsity team. “It was the most amazing feeling in the world, and everyone’s ecstatic,” freshman forward Lauren Boettcher said. This year the team beat a lot of rivals, such as the Breck Mustangs, and South St. Paul in the section semifinals as well as in regular season. “This year’s team is much more determined than teams we’ve had in the past,” senior captain Alev Baysoy said. The

team has a lot of skill, and their dedication to the sport really shows. They work hard and know what they want. “Also, this team is much more confident. I think that is largely due to the new coaching staff. They always stress how much they believe in us,” Baysoy added. The support from the coaches was a key factor in United’s successful season. The first game in the state tournament for St. Paul United took place on Feb. 19. They took on Proctor-Hermantown at the Xcel Energy Center. There were fans from SPA, Visitation, and St. Thomas Academy who all came together to support United. The crowd’s loud cheers and fun signs helped lead the team to a 5-2 victory. “No United game in history has ever had that many fans attend a game and it made a huge difference. It gave everyone an extra boost of energy and carried throughout the entire game,” Baysoy said. Boettcher scored, along with junior defender Kate Hallett, sophomore forward Lea Grobe, and freshman forward Joie Phelps of Visitation. The victory over Proctor Hermantown moved them into the Final Four of the tournament, as they played the semifinal game against East Grand Forks on Feb. 22. Two goals were scored by Alev Baysoy in the first period. However, East Grand Forks’ Alexa Mack scored near the end of the first period. The second period saw the score remain unchanged, as both teams worked hard for the win. Mak Langei of East Grand Forks scored their second goal on a power play midway through the third period tying the game at 2-2. The game remained tied until the very end of the third, when Alexa Mack scored her second goal of

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This year’s team is much more determined than teams we’ve had in the past. s e n i or c ap t a i n A l e v B ay s o y the night giving East Grand Forks the lead and ultimately the win. The loss did not end their journey. The United team had the chance to play for third place at the Xcel. The game was against Red Wing, who had lost to Blake the day before. Unfortunately, the game ended in a 2-5 loss for SPU, with goals from Boettcher and Baysoy. Although they lost, the team still earned fourth in the Class A state tournament. Along with that, sophomore goalie Catherine Johnson made the All-Tournament team for Class A. The fact that in their first state tournament appearance St. Paul United got fourth place is exciting, and shows how much talent and love for the game the team has. “It was an absolutely amazing experience and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I couldn’t be more proud of my team for working their hardest, representing Visitation and SPA athletics, and showing that hard work really does pay off,” Baysoy said.

team,” and I was like, “Maybe I’ll try.” So we drove there really fast and I was like sprinting through the X the first time they called my name and I was like, “Oh crap.” I literally got there in the nick of time to be in the picture. Q: What was it like to play at the Xcel Energy Center? A: It was unreal; everything seemed so much bigger. Our coaches said it was the same size as Drake [Arena] but it felt like 800 times as big. The crowd was definitely a major factor in the way we came out and played.

Photo submitted by: Catherine Johnson Sophomore goalie Catherine Johnson blocks a shot at the state quarterfinal game against Proctor-Hermantown. Johnson was named a member of the All-Tournament team. “It’s such an honor, especially to represent SPA and be the only one to be placed there,” she said.