May 2015 Issue

May 2015. Volume 42. Issue 8.

THE RUBICON the student newspaper of S t . P a u l A c a d e m y & S u m m i t S c h o o l - 1 7 1 2 R a n d o l p h Av e n u e - S t . P a u l , M N 5 5 1 0 5 w w w. r u b i c o n l i n e . c o m F a c e b o o k - Tw i t t e r - I n s t a g r a m - Yo u Tu b e - P i n t e re s t @ T h e R u b i c o n S PA

Graduation: Ceremony on Jun. 7 to feature Chief Judge Michael Davis as commencement speaker

summer wheels: Students and teachers describe their commutes and activities on bikes and boards

Staying sporty: Seniors adopt new mascots and colors to play college athletics in the fall

www.RubicOnline.com

Cover Story p. 8-9

Sports p. 14

COVER DESIGN: Meghan Joyce

May 2015. Volume 42. Issue 8.

THE RUBICON the student newspaper of S t . P a u l A c a d e m y & S u m m i t S c h o o l - 1 7 1 2 R a n d o l p h Av e n u e - S t . P a u l , M N 5 5 1 0 5 w w w. r u b i c o n l i n e . c o m F a c e b o o k - Tw i t t e r - I n s t a g r a m - Yo u Tu b e - P i n t e re s t @ T h e R u b i c o n S PA

There’s just something fun about summer. As seniors graduate and everyone gets ready for weeks free of school, this issue is about moving on and out. Enjoying warm weather activities in Lillly Courtyard (from left to right) are freshman Terry Cheney, sophomore Meley Akpa, senior Jackson Lea, freshman Belle Smith, sophomores Matt Dalsheide, Jack Sullivan, and Emily Dieperink, freshman Emma Truman, and Upper School Math Teacher Dan O’Loughlin.

Final exams scheduled for last week of the school year

Cover Story, 8-9.

Graduation: Ceremony on Jun. 7 to feature Chief Judge Michael Davis as commencement speaker

summer wheels: Students and teachers describe their commutes and activities on bikes and boards

Staying sporty: Seniors adopt new mascots and colors to play college athletics in the fall

www.RubicOnline.com

Cover Story p. 8-9

Sports p. 14

It’s time to review for exams as the academic year wraps up. As students prepare it’s important to “Go in and talk to teachers. It helps a lot to review the content with them,” sophomore Henry Zeimer said.

Thursday, May 28: English (8:30-10:30), Math (12:30-2:30) Friday May 29: History (8:30-10:30) Monday, June 1: Language (8:30-10:30), Science (12:30-2:30) Tuesday, June 2: Make-up Exams

2 Ne w s Athletics experiences many departures THE RUBICON

May 2015

Carol King, Peter Sawkins, Kaitlin Frenchick leave department Sophie JARO Opinions Editor

They’re goofy and funny, just like I am.

With one search concluded and two more are underway Saint Paul Academy and Summit School’s team will lose three members from the Athletic Department in 2015.

Middle School Physical Education teacher Carol King, Director of Athletics Peter Sawkins and Upper School Wellness teacher Kaitlyn Frenchick have energized SPA not only with great programs and solid leadership, but also with lively and laudable character.

King retires after 37 years After 37 years on the job, King will be leaving behind her PE whistle, but not the memories and lifelong friends from her job at SPA. King has had a long and illustrious career as MS Athletics department head, US/MS physical education teacher, US advisor, and tennis coach.

“I love teaching kids. I think they’re goofy and funny just like I am,” she said.

King committed to her ambitions of PE teaching in ninth grade. In her yearbook at Derham High School (before it combined with Cretin and became Cretin-Durham hall) King stated she wanted to be a physical education teacher. A devoted tennis player and coach, King developed the boys’ and girls’ middle school, junior varsity, and varsity programs and established the SPA summer tennis program.

Although she began as the MS/US PE teacher, King’s professional responsibilities have changed over time. When the middle school was opened in the fall of 2000, King and her fellow educators had to choose between teaching upper or middle school.

King chose middle school and has been preparing sixth, seventh, and eighth graders for upper school ever since.

King finds her fondest memories in the days she didn’t have to choose between grade levels.

“I loved having both because I’d have [students] in middle school then I’d already know them when I taught them in upper school,” she said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Thissen

“I HAD A GREAT TIME AT SPA.

The

teachers and kids are great. I will miss everyone at the school,” Upper School Fitness of Life instructor Kaitlyn Frenchick said.

M S At h l e t i c s t e a c h e r Frenchick moves close to family C a ro l K i n g PHOTO CREDIT: Marlee Baron

“I STILL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH A TON OF MY EX-STUDENTS and I still see a ton of my advisees,” MS Physical Education teacher Carol King said. “I’ve loved it here and I’ve made a ton of lifelong friends.”

King loved the way her job allowed her to follow students from 5-12 grade through physical education, advisory, coaching, and athletic directing. “I loved watching students grow up,” King said.

Despite losing her direct connection to the US after the department division, King continued to love her work: “I have really enjoyed team-teaching with Bill Ross. I consider him a mentor and a really, really good friend,” she said.

Why is this lively PE teacher leaving SPA? “It’s just time,” King said. “Thirty seven years is a long time.”

She plans to join her husband in retirement.

In retirement, King will prove how young she is at heart.

“I think I want to be a swimsuit model. After being a swimsuit model, I think maybe I’ll do the game show circuit! Then I’m gonna do some standup comedy,” King said about her plans for the future.

But she’s only partially joking: “Actually, I did stand-up while I was in college. That one is for real,” she concluded with a grin.

From sit-ups with the students to stand-up comedy, King has made many connections.

“I still keep in touch with a ton of my ex-students and I still see a ton of my advisees,” King said. “I’ve loved it here and I’ve made tons of lifelong friends.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Lexi Hilton

DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS PETER SAWKINS said that SPA “is a wonderful community of caring faculty, students and parents.”

Sawkins returns to New York After supervising Spartan and co-op sports programs grades 5-12 for four years, AD Peter Sawkins is looking ahead to a future with his family in New York.

The alumnus (‘81) concludes that SPA, “...is a wonderful community of caring faculty, students and parents.”

Sawkins’ mission has been for the teams and players to “gain the confidence, resilience and recognition they deserve for their hard work, talent and dedication.”

Sawkins has enjoyed his job’s opportunity to showcase how “Athletic teams and individual players achieve new levels of success.”

In just four years, Mr. Sawkins has whipped SPA’s athletic department into shape with visible leadership at games, noticeable presence at practices, and behind the scenes work emphasizing the co-curricular relationship between schoolwork and athletics.

Sawkins instituted the Sparta Award, recognizing athletes who play three sports, and improved school branding on uniforms, adopting the letters SPA as well as a redesigned Spartan head.

Negotiating with the Minnesota State High School League, he advocated for transfer students to become eligible for varsity competition.

Sawkins also moved SPA into the new IMAC conference and increased visible recognition for SPA athletics by capturing and hanging pictures of athletes across the school. Although the entire athletic community has benefited from his leadership, Sawkins also reports a “positive and rewarding experience from SPA.” The long hours at SPA have paralleled a lot of travel during Sawkins tenure: “I have been commuting back and forth to the New York City area where my wife and two daughters have been while I worked at SPA,” he said. “They were hoping to move out to Minnesota, but for various reasons that has not worked out, so I am returning to New York to be able to spend more time with them.”

One might wonder if Sawkins will be gracing another school as Athletic Director. “I plan to go back to New York and spend a lot of time with my family catching up and doing fun things,” he said.

“I have nothing formal planned in terms of work but I have some exciting projects I plan to tackle while I explore the next phase of my career.”

After graduating with a degree in Physical Education/ Health and Exercise Sport Science from Hamline University in 2012, Kaitlyn Frenchick got a running start into the SPA athletic department as the assistant cross country coach. This position put Frenchick on track for becoming the Upper School Fitness for Life instructor in 2013, a Middle School Physical Education Instructor, and a Upper School advisor. Altogether, Frenchick has been with SPA for almost three years. In those three years, the SPA girls cross country team won the first IMAC title and represented SPA on the state level. The fitness for life program was also revamped and new physical education electives were introduced.

Applying her own philosophy for life to her fitness for life curriculum, Frenchick loves to see her students move out of their comfort zone. Among Frenchick’s favorite memories at SPA are seeing her students “enjoy being active and try new things.” Sprinting ahead to new opportunities, Frenchick is leaving SPA to move closer to her family where she plans to continue coaching and teaching physical education and health.

“I had a great time at SPA. The teachers and kids are great. I will miss everyone at the school,” Frenchick said.

The Athletic Department has concluded the search for Athletic Director, hiring Dawn Wickstrum, who will take the position in July. Searches for an assistant Athletic Director and for physical education teachers are ongoing.

Corrections Policy:

During the post-critique process, The Rubicon staff members identify inaccuracies and report on feedback from readers. Corrections are printed in the next edition of the newspaper in the News section and the original piece is published with corrections in place at RubicOnline.

April Corrections:

News 3 - Lilly Courtyard was spelled incorrectly in the story about the ducks; Student Life 6 - we apologize that the headline was Girl Scouts focused, as the story also reported on Boy Scouts. The corrected piece is online; Science & Technology 11 - The photo of Hannah Stanley did not include a caption; Sports 16 - The Girls Track story overlooked the other two captains of the team: senior Ellen McCarthy and junior Lexi Hilton.

Judge Michael Davis to speak at Commencement on Jun. 7

Graduation at RubicOnline

The Rubicon staff hosts a Pizza and Publications forum on gender

One of the most prevalent topics of discussion in the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community this year has been that of Gender and Sexuality. Throughout the year, the different aspects of these conversations have been reflected in every issue of The Rubicon: from the gendered nature of the dress code in September to LGBTQ+ and Day of Silence in April, the topics have been many and they have been prevalent. Come to the Libarary Classroom on May 27 from 3:15-4:30 to discuss the publication’s coverage of these events and share perspectives on what should be ongoing. Take a break from exams, have some pizza, and discuss important issues with your peers.

@therubiconspa may 2015

Ne w s 3 THE RUBICON

THE JUNIOR CLASS LEADERSHIP COUNCIL chose the J.J. Hill Reference Library as the venue for pron on June 3. “Go with a date, a group of friends, or alone. It will still be a super-fun time, “ Sabrina Brown said.

FAIR USE IMAGE: J.J. Hill Library PHOTO: Michael Boeckmann Photography

Online safety concerns prompt school response Boraan Abdulkarim Editor in Chief

Prom-goers dance among the stacks Clare Tipler Sports Editor

Library books are not always associated with dancing , but for St.Paul Academy and Summit School’s Prom 2015 they are.

This year’s Prom will be held at the James J. Hill Reference Library in St.Paul on Jun. 3. This means that juniors and seniors will be dancing away surrounded by books.

This formal dance requires long dresses and a suit or tuxe-

do, but not a date. Like all other SPA dances, no date is required to attend Prom. “Go with a date, a group of friends, or alone. It will still be a super fun time,” Junior Class Leadership Council member Sabrina Brown said.

“I hope that everyone has fun at prom this year because I know JCLC has had a lot of fun planning it,” junior JCLC member Madeeha Rizvi said. “There will be a DJ, dancing, and good food,” she added.

The ticket price was raised this year from $50 to $60. “JCLC knows it's a lot, but it's been $50 for a long time while catering, DJ, and venue prices have all gone up,” Brown said.

At this unique venue, there will be great photo opportunities.

“Students will be able to take pictures inside and outside the library,” Rizvi said.

The Prom invitations were made very creatively this year to make them look like books. They

are in a book-like shape with the RSVP slip like a bookmark, all to match the theme of the library.

All of the Prom planning and preparations are done by JCLC with the help of JCLC advisor Mary Lincoln. “Ms.Lincoln really guided us through the whole process,” Brown said. “She did a lot of the work contacting people for the venue, DJ, invites, catering, etc. We couldn't do it without her,” she said.

Nepal earthquake hits home for Shrestha and family Mari Knudson Cover Story Editor

One’s entire world can be shattered in the blink of an eye without any reason besides the twist of fate. On April 25, in Nepal, hundreds of thousands of people's’ lives were drastically altered due to a powerful earthquake. The earthquake killed over 7,000 people and injured more than twice as many, and destroyed the homes of hundreds of thousands.

While Nepal lies over 7,000 miles away from St. Paul Academy and Summit School, many students felt the direct impact of the earthquake.

Freshman Maya Shrestha has experienced part of the tragedy of the earthquake through family members.

“My dad is from Nepal, and almost all of my dad’s side still lives there,” Shrestha said. “I woke up on the morning it happened and my told me he heard from Facebook that there was an earthquake in Nepal.”

The initial earthquake was of magnitude 7.8 and hit just northwest of Nepal’s highly populated capital Kathmandu. It has affected more than 6.6 million people in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, and triggered multiple aftershocks and an avalanche in the Mt. Everest region.

My dad is from Nepal, and almost all of my dad’s side lives there. f re s h m a n M a y a S h re s t h a SUBMITTED PHOTO: Maya Shrestha

FRESHMAN MAYA SHRESTHA AND HER FAMILY pose for a picture in 2009. Her family members were affected by the earthquake, but all are safe. “We’ve contacted all of our relatives who live there, everyone is really shaken up but safe,” Shrestha said.

Shrestha believes that the extensive media coverage about the earthquake has helped inform her about the extensive damage it caused.

“At first I wasn’t really shaken by it, but after reading more about it and hearing more about it I realized what a big deal it was,” she said.

Additionally, Shrestha’s personal ties with Nepal have increased her understanding of the emotional implications of the earthquake on the people who live there.

“We’ve contacted all of our relatives who live there, everyone is really shaken up but

safe,” Shrestha said. “My aunt has been working with a about a hundred orphanages there, trying to help with disaster relief. My uncle went to Nepal last week and brought supplies and money, too.”

“It freaked me out for sure, hearing about all the deaths, and watching all the buildings and temples fall down,” Shrestha said. “I went there in 2008, so seeing places I’ve actually visited crumble is pretty scary, but it’s also nice seeing all of the responses to help.”

Members of the SPA community have been included in the wide response to provide relief for the

devastation in Nepal. Student group Students for Social Justice held bake sales at performances of the US Spring Musical Urinetown and donated all proceeds to organizations participating in disaster relief in Nepal.

Relief efforts have focused on providing emergency medical services, clean drinking water, and other vital resources to those affected the most by the earthquake and aftershocks. Large relief organizations include The American Red Cross and Save the Children.

Shrestha’s family has also started a GoFundMe account to help with relief efforts. Go to the story at RubicOnline and click on the hotlink to donate.

Online safety has taken the attention of the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community this spring.

On Apr. 7, Dean of Students Max Delgado informed the student body that some students had “received unwanted, unwelcome, and inappropriate contact from a Facebook user operating under a dummy account” and offered “support to any student who might have been made to feel unsafe or uncomfortable due to the actions of someone else online.”

On Apr. 27, Director of Communications Ami Berger relayed the facts in a press release: “In recent weeks, a few of our female Upper School students reported to teachers and other SPA staff that they had been contacted through social media by an individual unknown to them, who referenced photos of the girls posted on an internet forum.

“Our investigation into this matter revealed that photos of the girls in SPA classrooms and hallways appear to have been taken by a SPA student, and then posted by the student on an internet forum.

“The individual who then contacted the girls through social media is a user of this online forum who is unconnected to the SPA community.

“We take this matter very seriously, and our foremost concern at present is for the girls. The girls whose pictures were posted and their families have been notified of the situation, and our counseling staff is on hand to ensure that the girls have the support they need.”

On Apr. 28, Head of School Bryn Roberts sent the press release to SPA families with the context that a reporter from Fox 9 visited the Randolph Campus.

The topic was addressed Apr. 29 by grade level during class meetings.

Roberts sent another email out to the SPA community clarifying that despite the apparent impression of the Fox News report, “the photos were taken surreptitiously and without the girls’ knowledge or consent” and that the girls were “simply going about their business as students.”

Events continue to unfold and the investigation is ongoing.

4 Op i n ion s

MAY 2015

The Rubicon

TheRubicon 2015-16

STAFF EDITORIAL

S taff Editor-in-Chief - Boraan Abdulkarim Chief Visual Editor - Meghan Joyce Managing Editor - Javier Whitaker-Castañeda Online Editor-in-Chief - Diane Huang Online Managing Editor - Gitanjali Raman News Editors - Lauren Boettcher, Emily Thissen Opinions Editor - Sophie Jaro Feature Editors - Iya Abdulkarim, Dianne Caravela Cover Story Editor - Mari Knudson Health Editor - Amodhya Samarakoon In Depth Editor -Noor Qureishy Arts & Entertainment Editors - Marlee Baron, Stephanie Li Sports Editors - Lucas Johnson, Clare Tipler Online Sports Editor - Breandan Gibbons Columnist - Riley Wheaton Arts Critic / Media Promotions - Patrick Commers Videographer - Rafa Buettner-Salido Staff Writers Peter Blanchfield, Lexi Hilton, Shaymus O’Brien, Paul Watkins, Nina Zietlow Contributing Writer Leah Hughes Adviser - Kathryn Campbell 2015 MN Journalism Educator of the Year

EDITORIAL PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Diane Huang

SUMMER BREAK is the perfect opportunity to shake things up and embrace our originality and complexity: our luminescent and ever shifting bubble. Celebrate dorkiness, act childish, invent games no one else understands and, most importantly, do it creatively.

Summer break provides time to explore new, personal creativity The Rubicon Editorial

the rubicon St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 www.rubiconline.com Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Pinterest YouTube @TheRubiconSPA

Our Mission We strive to capture the spirit of the community through its stories while inspiring deeper conversations. Above all we stand for integrity in our pursuit to inform and engage our readers.

2014-15

Publication Awards JEM All-State Gold (Print and Online) MHSPA Best of Show (Print and Online) NSPA First Place w/3 Marks of Distinction CSPA Gold Medal w/All Columbian Honors CSPA Silver Crown Award Best of SNO Medalist

Memberships Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Minnesota High School Press Association Quill and Scroll Society

Editorial Policy

The Rubicon editorials reflect a consensus view of the staff.

Mini-Editorials are written by individual staff members to spur discussion in the community. All other opinion pieces are the opinions of the authors themselves.

Bubbles: round, transparent spheres of careless joy which drift around indifferently, changing shape and disappearing as they please. Bubbles allow each other to be big, little, misshapen and colorful, unbound to a predetermined form. Why can’t we all be like bubbles?

It’s hard to develop as an individual when this tight knit community has its own expectation of what each individual can and cannot do, especially when it comes to creativity. The categorization of another’s ability to create makes no sense because of the complexity of one’s personality.

Many students’ personalities are actually simplified further during the school year as the academic overshadows the holistic, leading to challenges when it comes to understanding the abilities of peers. At times, our own true personalities are lost among the tests, essays, and projects.

Luckily, summer break is just around the corner, and those few weeks provide the perfect opportunity to shake things up and embrace our creativity and complexity: our luminescent and ever shifting bubble.

Rather than embracing an identity that doesn’t take creative risks simply because our art skills are limited to stick figures, we should shut out those voices and begin searching for ways to embrace new artistic, eccentric and creative personalities.

Creativity is not a number, measured by a perception that someone is a better [fill in the

New activities potentially allow the discovery of hidden talents and passions and in the process, there’s a chance to fall over, get embarrassed and experience failure. blank] than we will ever be. Instead, creativity is an idea anyone can embody in a personalized and unique way.

Exploring creativity doesn’t require attending super swanky classes, purchasing multiple plane tickets, or bringing a huge group of friends. Being creative can mean finding weird ways to stay active, discovering new art forms, or picking another quirky project to pursue over the summer, near home, without lessons.

Try activities this summer that don’t have to be stereotypically artsy, that don’t have to involve canvases, musical instruments or power tools (even though they can). Be creative by coding, designing a science experiment, building a backyard roller coaster, or writing a short story.

New activities potentially allow the discovery of hidden talents and passions, and in the process there’s a chance to fall over, get embarrassed and possibly experience failure. And that kind of failure is precious and valuable:

not succeeding at something is by no means a waste of time and is actually one of the best ways to learn, not only about the new endeavor or skill but also about ourselves.

Shying away from new challenges comes largely from fear of judgment, so take advantage of alone time to try things that may not be audience or group ready. Why not try laughter yoga, or barefoot running or tai chi?

Why not try spray paint art in the back yard or redecorate a bedroom?

That’s a great thing about summer: there’s no one to witness failures, unless we invite them to join in.

Celebrate dorkiness, act childish, invent games no one else understands and, most importantly, do it creatively, because there isn’t a metric.

Step out of the comfort zone and expose a whole new world of possibilities, knowing that we may not instantly love Zumba class and we may not have a secret knack for knitting Star Wars figures, but that’s okay.

It’s time to blow bubbles, to watch them float, change, and pop. It’s time to see our creative selves reflected in their shiny exterior and dream of what might exist inside.

If learning to laugh at failure and shutting down that internal judgment is the only mastered skill that comes out of next 10 weeks, that sounds like one pretty successful summer.

So, what will you be doing over Break?

Editorial topic is determined by the Editorial Board. Editorial Board Members discuss and provide edits to the writer before the piece is brought to the entire staff. May Editorial Board members: Boraan Abdulkarim, Marlee Baron, Rafa Buettner-Salido, Dianne Caravela, Diane Huang, Sophie Jaro, Lucas Johnson, Meghan Joyce, Mari Knudson, Amodhya Samarakoon, Clare Tipler, and Javier Whitaker-Castañeda.

Op i n ion s 5

MAY 2015

The Rubicon

Online harassment cannot end with silence Leah Hughes Contributor

The green LED light flashed, signaling a Facebook message. I knew who it was. I knew every word would hurt me. My phone buzzed again and the screen lit up. With every buzz my heart seemed to jump, then stop altogether. A chill would spread through my veins, spraying goose bumps across my skin. I only had to read each message once for it to plant permanently in my head.

I never felt fear until that night.

It had started at five that morning. I fell asleep with my science book on my lap and my phone under my arm, so it woke me up when it buzzed. Half awake, I saw a stranger’s face appear on my screen, followed by three messages. He talked about my legs and my body, and said he “could not resist” saying something. I fell back asleep without processing the messages. I woke up thinking it was a dream but at six, he messaged me again. That evening he continued to message me. He asked me to send him pictures of myself. When I refused to respond, he sent me a picture I did not recognize: it was a close-up of me, fully clothed, taken from the waist down. The background was edited out, so I could not tell where it was taken. He knew things about me that were private; things only my peers would know, and I knew it was more personal than an Internet troll.

I told the school the next day.

I told my parents. I told the police. The school tried to find him but could only do so much. The officers didn’t follow up with me.

I kept waiting for someone to do something about it and bring it to a stop and his messages were only

Yes, what happened was terrible and I am grateful for the support I got, but I did not sit idly by as this happened to me. I fought for myself. s o p h o m o re Le a h H u g h e s escalating. I felt so dependent on everyone else — so powerless.

After days of harassment with no response, he went away, only to resurface weeks later when I had begun to regain some stability in my life. This time I messaged him back, asking who he was. I threatened him, saying I would talk to the police and have him put in jail if he did not comply. After hours of arguing, he told me that he got the picture from a website, and he sent me a link. When I could not get into it, he sent me a video of myself, taken at school. Someone who was there with me took the video on their phone and uploaded it to the website.

It was a 7-minute video of my legs and butt with over 6,000 views. The comments were so vulgar and disgusting that I could not read more than a few.

Again, I told the school. I told my parents. I told the police. The police never responded to me.

The school gave me extensions on my work. This was helpful, but rather than using the time to get my work done, I grew terrified of school, knowing that the person who took pictures and videos of me sat comfortable in the same building. I became obsessed with finding this student, and after days of anxiety that would seize me every time I walked through the halls, I felt confident I knew

who it was. The school took over.

They told me to wait as they gathered evidence so they could take action, and I had to watch this student go to class, talk to friends, not knowing anything was going on. Then he was just gone.

I am not looking for sympathy or attention. I was victimized, but I was not only the victim.

While the school could not reveal names, the press release and the story told to the students reduced my role. In this story, “the girls” did nothing wrong but also did nothing to help themselves.

Fox News’s interpretation implied that we were to blame for the pictures taken of us.

Women are too often hushed and told to keep our experiences with sexual assault, harassment and abuse secret, often for our own sake, but this either portrays us only as victims or as the ones at fault. Yes what happened was terrible and I am grateful for the support I got, but I did not sit idly by as this happened to me. I fought for myself.

Sitting in the gym, surrounded by my classmates, listening to my story incompletely told is a different type of pain.

While the school asked students to take it seriously, they did not give students enough information to allow them to understand its severity.

If one predator could find me, I am scared another could. The man who messaged me is still out there, messaging me occasionally from different accounts after I block one. The website is still up and running. It will be hard to feel safe again. But harder, still, is the silence.

It is painful to hide my story when my teachers continue to tell me that a passive person does not create change in the world. I am realizing more and more every day that I am not alone in my experiences.

The broader view of women at SPA is flawed. Jokes are made about rape and harassment. Sexist comments are made constantly with little response. While students are told not to joke about it, the severity of rape and harassment are not clear because they seem so far from this community.

All of these topics are fed by actions in the community that seem natural and go unnoticed. Simple jokes and comments lessen the severity of women’s conditions.

Dress code furthers the objectification of women’s bodies, sending the message to women that it is acceptable for others to take control over what we wear.

Without learning and speaking up about these issues, they will continue to go unnoticed, no progress can be made, and the view of women will not change.

I can only speak from my experiences, and I encourage anyone who has dealt with objectification, harassment, abuse or has been mistreated because of their body to do the same. If change is to occur, we have to talk about this even though it is hard and uncomfortable. If this is truly the safe community that SPA prides itself on being, it will listen.

Mini-Editorials School safety survey excludes broader aspects of well-being

Student affinity groups continue to inspire thought and dicussion

Don’t spread personal Gender presentations provide perspective and exam stress to peers; find ways to relieve it valuable suggestions

The “Safety at SPA” survey sent out on May 13 aimed to gather information regarding students’ feelings towards how safe they feel at school.

While the survey shows a significant effort to make the school more inclusive of all students, it failed to include basic aspects of well-being and safety such as categories for mental health, neurodivergence, and sexual activity.

The survey asked participants to rate how safe they feel in multiple locations related to gender, race/ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and physical ability/appearance.

Despite its breadth of detail, it was missing some vital categories of student experience and some of the more furtive forms of bias that exist at school.

Future surveys about safety at would do well to include an analysis of specific forms of devaluation, including jokes or derogatory comments, rather than just location.

Since the creation of Common Ground three years ago, the growing number of affinity groups in the Upper School has cultivated a collection of unique safe spaces and opportunity for advocacy in the community that deeply connects to student identity.

Common Ground formed amidst controversy and paved the way for new groups, a tremendous step forward.

With the addition of Alphabet Soup and HerSpace this fall, significant conversations of gender and sexuality complement those of race.

Powerful senior speeches come from the members of these three affinity groups, whose thoughts have been formed around the ideas of their mission, while hallways are filled with informative signs about inclusive pronoun use, definitions, and performances.

The affinity group presence on campus should continue to grow; it makes the community stronger.

In order to inform students and expand their lexicon, freshmen Hunter von Tersch Pohrer and Lauren Datta created a presentation for their grade level defining terms related to gender and sexual identity. It was a fantastic first step. The plans for continued awareness presentations in the fall, in addition to the work of GSA and Alphabet Soup members to add gender neutral bathrooms to the Upper School indicate a strong desire by these groups to make visible and vocal identities that are often hidden.

The student body should respond with encouragement and support, because understanding gender identity beyond the binary and know how to interact thoughtfully in a diverse community benefits everyone.

And, hopefully this act will encourage other students to inform the community about their passionate issues, such as mental, physical and emotional health, sexuality, feminism, and more.

Stress is more contagious than a yawn during final exams. More often than not during exam week, students find themselves saying “I only got three hours of sleep,” or “I’ve been sitting at this desk for six hours.” When students pressure themselves to perform well on five or more exams, stress is inevitable. To make the matter worse, stress is also infectious.

An externalized omplaint about stress prompts more stress in the ranks of SPA students.

As exams approach, nearly every student is feeling stress is some form. SPA students need to be mindful of how our stress will affect those around us: Is this productive? Does this worsen their stress? Does it worsen mine?

Next time worry takes over, a student must prevent himself from over-externalizing his anxiety. Stressing in private is okay, even healthy, but unchecked stress can make someone else’s worse.

Letter to the Editor

April News story needed student LGBTQ+ voice In regards to the article published about Day of Silence in the April issue [“Day of Silence: quiet makes noise” p. 3] of The Rubicon, many students, including myself, have raised some concerns with the way the article was presented. One of the main issues was the lack of LGBTQ+ representation. Though the voice of one member of both the LGBTQ+ community and the school’s community was used inside the article, there were no student voices. Many people were quoted in the article, but the voices of our school’s LGBTQ+ students were not heard. And as a newspaper of student voices, especially in an article about an LGBTQ+ awareness event such as Day of Silence, it is important to hear the voices of a more diverse group. That said, the article was well written and informative to those who didn’t know what Day of Silence was.

It is also important to maintain a safe environment for closeted students and faculty members.

My suggestion is not to out people without their consent. SPA is a relatively safe environment for members of the LGBTQ+ community with student groups such as GSA and the affinity group Alphabet Soup, and keeping that safety is one of the most important things someone can do as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community.

But the voices of allies should not be the only voices heard when speaking on issues regarding sexuality and gender identity. Allowing the voices of silenced students to be heard is the point of Day of Silence, to show the power of silence and what it means to truly silence people. But if those voices aren’t heard to begin with, the silence has less an impact. So while I don’t suggest outing students when writing articles, I know there are plenty of students who are out already (such as myself) who are happy to talk publicly about their experiences as members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Education on gender and sexuality is important. And that education should come from a diverse group, not just the ones who are already heard. In order for the silence to be broken, the voices of the oppressed need to be heard.

Sincerely, Isabelle Bukovsan Grade 10

Letters Policy

Longer opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor and may be published in the print or online edition.

Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and may be edited for style. Cases of fraud and impersonation are prohibited and will be reported to the Dean of Students and the Discipline Committee. Letters can be mailed to us or sent to rubicon.spa@gmail.com.

6 Op i n ion s THE RUBICON

Charged language contributes to social perceptions of public assembly

MAY 2015

Assembly Free Speech Gathering Social Movement Citizen Assembly Riot Uprising Revolt Thug Ghetto Racist Murder Riot Uprising Revolt FAIR USE IMAGE: Flickr Creative Commons - PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Sophie Jaro

WHEN IT COMES TO THE LANGUAGE USED to report on social movements, like the events in Baltimore, all words are not created equal.

Lucas Johnson Sports Editor

A large crowd of Baltimore citizens gathers downtown holding signs that read “Black Lives Matter” and “Stop the War on African American Youth.” Emotionally-charged words like “thug” and “ghetto” are crossed out on the brightly-colored signs.

The sign’s language seems more animated than even the energetic crowd. Is it the enlarged letters? Is it the neon colors?

No, it is the controversy.

Over the past six months, these protests and riots have taken place in numerous cities in response to the deaths of unarmed African-American men by local police. The events themselves have been powerful, but what keeps national awareness alive is

the influential language that can strike any indifferent bystander with its intensity.

“Racist”, “riot,” “murder,” and “thug” ring out across the U.S. as these highly controversial incidents of racial profiling and loss continue to follow a disturbingly similar pattern.

Obviously, the immorality that accompanies the deaths procures a strong and passionate following. But within this national crisis that is so clearly immoral and unjust, there lies dispute over the use of these words.

Hearing a charged word like “thug,” one may immediately imagine a stereotypical large, well-built man with bad intentions. But that’s not fair.

Yet, this stereotypical image floods the mind when we hear it

on the radio, read it in newspapers, and view it on television.

But it doesn’t have to.

These words can be framed in a far more useful manner if, instead of using them as a means of discrimination, one can use them to fuel a passion for equality on the streets and in the justice system. One can use the powerful language as a building block for future conversation, because, as satisfying as it can be to feel passionately about a subject, it is far more important to act on those feelings than it is to just feel them.

Free speech offers a chance for others to share their opinions and form new ones.

The media chooses language with strong impact on the public view of the deaths of these men.

It lies on our shoulders how we use the language of protest.

For example, the media’s use of “riot” instead of “protest” or other boisterous terms to represent otherwise calm events can have a manipulative effect on those who listen to it.

The media can be a helpful and efficient way to stay up to speed on developing news stories, but the danger lies within the inaccuracy of news source’s terminology. Emotionally-charged words are used because they catch the ear of passive listeners, making television programs more popu-

lar. So next time a news program uses manipulative language, don’t take the statement at face value. Instead, think more critically about the claim made.

When considering the language media uses to describe public assemblies, especially those espousing social change, terms should be used as a spark to ignite the flame of meaningful conversation, not exploit the current event to draw in readers and viewers.

It’s important to explore how to better use, or whether to avoid, words like “uprising” or “thug” or find alternatives. It lies on our shoulders how we use the language of protest; be it in a rousing, reflective, or thought-provoking manner.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Meghan Joyce

THE UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH CURRICULUM includes controversial texts, ranging from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald to The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, which have been challenged for strong sexual, racist, or violent content.

It is

essential that when these texts are taught, students are given tools to process this material, instead of being left alone to read about assault or death as homework.

Teacher guidance needed when exploring controversial literature Amodhya Samarakoon Health and Wellness Editor

Incest, adultery, suicide, affairs, abuse, oppression, death and . . . English class.

In St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s English curriculum, whether in short stories or poems, students will inevitably be expected to read about all of these topics at some time, and discuss them with text support and questions around a Harkness table.

While there doesn’t appear to be an expectation that all students will participate, there is an underlying expectation that SPA students can discuss the nitty-gritty without guidance.

This is not the case.

Students are always vulnerable to feelings of anxiety and discomfort in any academic setting.

The English classroom is not exempt from this reality. Although the Upper School English curric-

ulum’s darker texts are extremely valuable to students’ education, their adverse effects on students’ mental health call for increased teacher guidance.

SPA, like most high schools, possesses a liberal outlook on education. Students often actively engage in and facilitate discussions about controversial topics from abortion to rape culture. The ability to address difficult issues presents a positive effect of reading texts which don’t shy away from controversy. These texts provide pathways for students to better understand the relevance of complex issues in a real life setting and discussions enhance the student’s’ ability to translate English lessons into topics outside the classroom.

However, despite the many benefits of reading such material, sometimes reading assignments are too emotionally straining to complete.

Teachers should incorporate prereading planning so students can reap the benefits of potentially triggering literature.

In a Mar. 3, 2014 article for New Republic, Jenny Jarvie writes that “Oberlin College has published an official document on triggers, advising faculty members to be ‘aware of racism, classism, sexism, heterosexism, cissexism, ableism, and other issues of privilege and oppression.’”

The idea of “triggering,” used in this context, means that reading about an issue to which the reader has a personal connection

causes them to feel anxious, nauseous, fearful and extremely uncomfortable.

While SPA’s English teachers remain sensitive and understanding during discussions about personal experiences, many show no sympathy for a student who is unable to finish a reading assignment because it was too triggering or emotionally straining. And, since most reading for English classes is homework, students often encounter violent scenes and suffer mental repercussions alone.

Reading texts which connect with personal experiences can often deepen discussions and contribute positively to the reader’s overall understanding of the text, but only to a point.

English classes dive right into both gloomy and graphic content.

Instead, teachers should begin by addressing the discomfort that students may feel while reading the poem, short story, or other

piece of writing that night for homework.

Along with this, giving students tools before reading: concept questions, directions on how to read a controversial section, scheduling in class reading time, trigger warnings, and communicating with families to encourage discussions at home can help students get work done without putting themselves at risk.

The difficult texts students read should not be removed or replaced with softer texts; that would prevent many from exploring relevant issues and deepening their understanding of both literature and important issues.

But, providing students with resources and guidance before reading, along with increased communication between students and teachers about the reading process can create a safe place for students to reap the benefits of literature.

In Dep t h 7

May 2015

The Rubicon

Sleeping patterns based on more than just preferences Genetic predisposition leads early birds to love mornings Lexi Hilton Staff Writer

As summer approaches, students get excited for the chance to finally sleep in - or not. Some teenagers enjoy laying in bed until 1 p.m., while others love watching the sunrise, exercising or making themselves a gourmet breakfast. For them, sleeping in is merely a waste of the

day. “I don’t like just lying in bed doing nothing,” junior Maya Smith said. “I wake up at 6 a.m. even in the summer.”

Early birds are people who naturally rise earlier in the day than others. Contrary to popular belief, most people have a genetically predetermined preference for waking up early or sleeping late.

In Medical News Today, Andrew Lim, MD of the Department of Neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) explains that there is a specific gene that distinguishes early birds from night owls. This “early bird gene” is reported by the magazine Psychology Today to also link to whether one will lose energy earlier or later in the day.

Freshman Henry Zietlow said he just naturally wakes around 6 (or 8 a.m. at the latest) even in the summer. “I like not feeling rushed in the morning,” Zietlow

said. “I just eat breakfast, read the newspaper, and relax.”

According to Huffington Post, benefits of being an early bird include being more optimistic and proactive.

Early birds are proven to be less prone to depression and addiction to drugs, alcohol, and food. These benefits can be credited to the extra white matter early birds have in their brains, which gives them more pathways for feel-good hormones like serotonin and dopamine.

Although 7 a.m. practices may seem daunting to some athletes, to early birds, morning exercise is the best way to start out their day. “I

Fast Fact

Early birds have more pathways for serotonin and dopamine.

ILLUSTRATION: Gitanjali Raman

feel a lot better at school after swim workouts [in the morning]. Plus, my hair looks great,” Smith said. In another article, the Huffington Post explains how early birds benefit from being able to work out in mornings. Working out earlier in the day helps early birds fight unhealthy cravings, gives them a boost to their day with energy from the endorphins it produces and allows for clearer thinking from the oxygen it pumps to their brains.

Being an early bird in the summer is also beneficial to

those participating in academic activities and college summer programs, since they have earlier start times.

“I feel energized and wide away right when I wake up which is easier for working,” Zietlow said.

Consistent sleep routines are ideal, especially for teenagers, who have brains that aren’t fully developed yet, so waking up early may also mean going to bed early to get the recommended amount of sleep (between 8 and 10 hours for teenagers, according to the National Sleep Foundation). To get enough sleep, early birds have to go to sleep earlier.

Some students dislike going to bed early because they feel left out of late night activities, but for early birds, checking more off their to do list earlier in the day is a good compromise.

“Sleepovers are always a challenge because my friends don’t like to wake up as early as I do, but I like being able to get things done early so it’s a good trade off, ” Smith said.

“Even though it gets a bad rep, I like being an early bird,” Zietlow said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lexi Hilton

NIGHT OWLS AND EARLY BIRDS both have

sleep patterns dependent on the pres-

ence of certain genes in their bodies, according to Medical News Today.

Shifted circadian rhythms keep night owls awake Nina Zietlow Staff Writer Diane Huang Online Editor-in-Chief

After regular late nights during the school year, it is nearly unfathomable that students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School would choose to stay up later than they have

to in the summer, but the culture of night owls is a strong one and students find all kind of reasons to stay up past their bedtime, many of which stem from their biological clock.

For sophomore Raffi Toghramadjian, not knowing why he sleeps late is the reason why he is a night owl. “I just don’t get tired until midnight,” he said.

He doesn’t know what he does that keeps him awake. “I don’t really know what I do, that’s the problem — I just kind of do stuff,” Toghramadjian said.

The hormone melatonin is the primary agent in causing the brain to become drowsy and eventually fall asleep. The time at which the pineal gland releases melatonin depends on the body’s circadian rhythms, known as the body’s “internal

clock.”

To g h r a m a d jian is a prime example of a shifted circadian rhythm.

“There are times I’ll go [to bed] before 11 p.m. and [sleep] just doesn’t happen,” he said.

He also cites starting his work late as a reason why he sleeps later: “One time I went to bed at [6 a.m.] because I had some homework I didn’t want to do so I didn’t start it.”

Toghramadjian admits he is “a pretty easily distracted person.” “I get home pretty late so I’ll talk to people at school and pretend to do work,” he said.

In general, the last thing he does before heading to bed is finish his homework. “Sometimes I’ll do other homework that I don’t really need to do [before more urgent work],” he said.

Night-owls like junior Ingrid Topp-Johnson find that they are most intellectually

stimulated and creative considerably later than the average person, so they end up staying up far later than the predicted bedtime for most teenagers, between 10 and 11 p.m. Their natural circadian rhythm, which guides a person’s sleep-wake cycle, is longer than average, resulting in later bedtimes. Though many night owls will leave their homework till late, others use the night as personal time to do what they enjoy.

“I like to read...and I embroider while I watch Miami Vice,” Topp-Johnson said.

Topp-Johnson stays up to around midnight every night, not because of homework over-load but to spend time for herself and also to care for her pets.

“My fish get really antsy and I try to feed them three times a day but that only really works if I stay up late,” she said.

Despite delayed circadian rhythms for night owls, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention still recommends 9-10 hours of sleep for teenagers. With many schools starting around 8 A.M, the recommended amount of sleep is nearly impossible when school is in session.

“I get enough [sleep] to function, [but] I don’t know if I get a healthy amount,” Toghramadjian said.

Studies have noted a trend of sleep deprivation in teenagers. In recent years, even doctors have been pushing for schools to have later start times. A study by Dr. Judith Owens states that “Chronic sleep loss and associated sleepiness and daytime impairments in adolescence are a serious threat to the academic success, health, and safety of our nation’s youth and an important public health issue.”

Luckily, for night owl teens, not only do circadian rhythms fall back into place upon becoming an adult, the recommended amount of sleep also drops down to 7-8 hours.

Fast Fact Night owls’ circadian rhythm is longer than average ILLUSTRATION: Noor Qureishy

8

C o v er THE RUBICON

Of bikes and skateboards: as summer Q&A

Go local to buy and repair wheels in the Twin Cities: Biking

Skateboarding

St. Paul

St. Paul

Hoven talks family bike rides and long distance races

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Mathew Hoven

Cycles For Change 712 University Ave W.

Erik’s- Bike, Ski, Board 2191 Ford Parkway Minneapolis

UPPER SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER MATHEW HOVEN bikes along one of Minnesota’s many bike trails. “What really changed me to serious biker, however, was experiencing the Minneapolis infrastructure... The extensive trail system made it easy to get on the bike for short trips to the store or the park,” Hoven said.

Mari Knudson Cover Story Editor

How long have you been bikng?

Lowertown Bike Shop 253 E. Fourth Street

Grand Performance 1938 Grand Ave

Familia Skateshop 2833 Hennepin Ave

Minneapolis One on One Bike Shop 117 Washington Ave N.

Angry Catfish 4208 28th Ave S.

The Alternative Bike & Board Shop 3013 Lyndale Ave S.

I’ve been playing around with bikes since I was a little kid, building, rebuilding, spray painting, and sometimes destroying the bikes I inherited from my older brothers and sister.

However, it wasn’t until I was eighteen or so that I realized I could go as far on a bike as I could in a car and get there in better spirits if I rode a quality bike. That’s when I bought my first name brand bike (a Giant mountain bike) with quality components.

What really changed me to serious biker, however, was experiencing the Minneapolis infrastructure.

Down south, getting on a bike involved a life or death decision-will the dude in the dually hit me with his spit can or his bumper, or will he simply yell obscenities?

Up here, I felt surprisingly safe to bike. The extensive trail system made it easy to get on the bike for short trips to the store or the park or the museum. I could put my four-year old in a bike trail without wanting to call DFS on myself.

Do you usually bike alone, with a friend, with a group?

Cal Surf 1715 S. Lake St.

I used to bike alone (and still do whenever no one else wants to go out), but now I bike with big groups of 40-50 people on the weekends. After the big group rides, I’ll wrangle my family onto bikes and Burleys and go out for another fifteen miles.

Tell us about a memorable bike trip you’ve taken.

FAIR USE IMAGES: All above images were taken directly from the company websites

I’m still flying high from riding the Almanzo100 down in Spring Valley, MN, last weekend. Started by a guy named Chris Skogen, it’s a bike race without sponsors, without support, and without pavement-- all on gravel back roads.

It’s 102 miles long, and total feet of climbing ranges from 5,500 feet to 6,000 feet.

Over half the ride looks like Hobbiton, and the other half takes you through freshly fertilized (with manure) farm lands. At one point, you end up carrying a bike across a stream.

Regardless of the conditions, the people are beyond Minnesota nice.

Covered in filthy gravel dust with mud splattered jerseys, we smile and talk about how stupid we all are for putting ourselves through this hell (even though we’ll all be back next year).

What appeals to you about biking?

I see a meme occasionally on social media: “I bike to keep the crazy away.” That’s part of it-peace of mind.

The exercise, the camaraderie, and the exposure to the elements enliven me-- they get me out of my head. Another part of it is the environmental impact. Anytime I bike, I’m not polluting the air.

Also, there’s the social justice aspect-- a bike lets all of us be mobile. In a bike economy, $150 will get you solid, dependable transportation.

Finally, it’s the freedom to go as fast and as far as my body will let me.

If someone were interested in getting into biking, especially distance biking, what would you recommend they do?

Find a group of friendly bikers. Check out Twin Cities Bicycle Club or one of the local bike shops’ organized rides (The Hub, Freewheel, Erik’s, One on One, or Omnium). Riding in a group will build confidence and make you go faster.

No, you don’t have to wear spandex, but don’t knock it until you try it. Buy a decent bike with decent components ($150 [used]$1,000 [new] will get you a decent, dependable ride).

S tory May 2015

9

r rolls in, students bring out wheels Boraan Abdulkarim

Best places to bike and skate:

Editor-in-Chief

Biking To some extent, every​ one is familiar with it: the feeling of the wind rushing through one’s hair, the whooshing sound as air rushes past one’s ears on a steep downhill, the crescendo of a skateboard rolling against the pavement. ​Especially in the spring and summertime, students and teachers alike take advantage of the sunny weather and clear sidewalks to ride various wheeled contraptions.

Sophomores Justine Miller and Lutalo Jones both ride skateboards.

The Gateway State Trail This trail provides 18 miles of paved trails for non-motorized use.

Begins in St. Paul, heads northeast through cities of Maplewood, North St. Paul, and Oakdale; ends 4 miles northwest of Stillwater.

Lucy Line State Trail Spans 63 miles from the western metro suburb of Plymouth to the small town of Cosmos in west-central Minnesota.

Lebanon Hills Mountain Bike Trails Accessible to riders of all skill levels, Lebanon Hills provides almost 12 miles of trails for the adventurous mountain biker.

The Root River Trails 60 miles of paved trails in Southeast Minnesota. Runs from Lanesboro through Rushford to Houston.

Sophomore Justine Miller has been using a skateboard since she was eleven years old. She can’t quite pinpoint exactly what the allure of the wheeled contraption is but she definitely has had fun on a skateboard.

West and East River Parkways Especially pleasant in the springtime, these two trails run from deep St. Paul to deep Minneapolis.

Midtown Greenway Cedar Lake Trail This popular trail is America’s every first bicycle freeway. Begins on downtown Minneapolis’ River Road and ends 4.5 miles later in the western suburbs.

With practice, a fun pastime can become a skill.

It takes time to develop enough control over a set of wheels to do tricks but with practice, it’s possible. “I can Ollie, Pop Shove-it, 180, and sometimes kickflip depending on the day,” Miller said.

Skateparks Third Lair Located in Golden Valley, this park is open to skate boarders, inline skaters, and bikers. It contains both indoor and outdoor ramps and trails. Rental equipment is available as well as instructors and a pro shop.

Sophomore Lutalo Jones has been skateboarding since the age of 5. He uses his skateboard primarily for fun and transportation to and from school. Jones enjoys the social aspect of skateboarding, along with the freedom of movement.

“I always thought it was really cool… It brought my friends and I together. It’s fun to be free and move,” Jones said.

Jones also enjoys learning new tricks and perfecting his skateboarding skills.

“I can do an ollie or a pop shove it,” Jones said.

Overpass Situated in Hopkins, Overpass is an outdoor park built under the Highway 196 bypass. Contains over 18,000 square feet of track.

Open to skateboarders, inline skaters, and bikers.

YMCA Tri-City Skatepark This Edina park consists of one huge 17,000 square foot concrete bowl. Open to skateboarders, inline skaters, and bikers. Helmets and pads are required.

Interviews conducted by Javier Whitaker-Castaneda and Paul Watkins PHOTOS CREDIT:: Mari Knudson

10 fe at ur e

May 2015

THE RUBICON

Diets and detox regimens can cause harm Popular diet trends cause negative long term effects on the body Boraan Abdulkarim Editor-in-Chief

Television show host Doctor Oz smiles through the computer screen, promising to eliminate headaches and ten pounds, activate fat-burning genes, boost mood, and eliminate all health problems by rooting out the source of illness. He speaks of a ten-day detox, a snowflake in an avalanche of detox regimens, a subset of ever-changing fad diets.

Bloggers show off water bottles filled with colorful fruits and green mint, commenting on their revolutionized lifestyle and telling readers that they can feel the same way. But are these water bottle trophies, so to speak, anything more than eye candy?

Fad diets, like all diets, draw adherents in with two things: promises and success stories.

These two factors, however, conceal significant drawbacks and convoluted explanations for the apparent benefits. “A fad diet is considered a diet that somebody goes on to try to lose weight or feel like they are making themselves healthier. Basically, if you’re removing a food group from your diet or restricting something, it’s considered a fad diet,” Upper School Fitness for Life teacher Kaitlyn Frenchick said.

The person or people who dream up the fad diets are not usually doctors, although that is sometimes the case. However, the people behind them are always in

it for the money. How can such a generalization be made?

Because none of the fad diets work.

Had anybody been able to find a fast and easy way to lose weight forever, everybody would do it, and it wouldn’t be a fad diet. A fad comes and goes. If a single one of these fad diets stood the test of time, it wouldn’t be a fad diet.

Then comes the question of the success stories. The before-and-after photos and the I feel better testimonies.

The weight loss is a partial truth: with any diet, weight initially lost is going to be gained back as soon as the diet is discontinued and the risk of gaining weight increases after dieting.

Why? There are three main reasons according to Traci Mann, a Psychology teacher at the University of Minnesota health and eating lab, and they stem from one central fact. Dieting is starvation, and that’s exactly how the body reacts to it—as if the dieter were starving.

The first reaction of your body is neurological: The hypothalamus, the part of your brain that regulates body weight, has a range of ten to fifteen pounds, called the set point, which it deems healthy and works to maintain. When dieters lose weight, the hypothalamus sends out chemical signals telling the body to gain weight at every possible opportunity, especially when normal eating habits are continued. Additionally, the

brain increases reward value for the foods that are avoided on a diet, literally making it harder and harder to resist the foods that diets forbid.

The body’s second reaction is hormonal: When body fat is lost, the balance of hormones changes.

A fad diet is considered a diet that somebody goes on to try to lose weight or feel like they are making themselves healthier.

U p p e r S c h o o l Fi t n e s s fo r L i fe t e a c h e r K a i t l y n Fre n c h i c k

The hormones that make you feel full decrease, and the hormones that make you feel hungry increase.

The final reaction of the body is metabolic: the body learns to run on fewer calories because it’s in starvation mode. It then stores any excess calories in the form of the enemy in question: fat. Simply put, starving only makes it harder to lose weight.

The apparent feeling of well being is also a partial truth. For example, if someone who’s trying

out the gluten free diet cuts out gluten, he or she may feel better.

This isn’t caused by cutting out gluten but by cutting out so many processed and junk foods that contain gluten in them.

“If you’re eating healthy or getting rid of processed foods, you’re going to feel a little bit better,” Frenchick said.

The Placebo effect also has a role to play in this. When hearing from others that they feel better because of a certain diet, take it with a grain of salt because in reality, diets cause feelings that are the opposite of good: according to Michael A. Gleiber for the Huffington Post, malnourishment can cause fatigue, nausea, dizziness, and increased irritability.

That’s not healthy living.

The latest fad diets can be split into two categories: diets and detoxes. The latter, a more recent phenomenon, is proof of our collective human gullible nature.

With the exception of serious medical treatment for drugs, anything that claims to detoxify the body is a scam, according to Dara Mohammadi for The Guardian.

Detoxes claim to rid the body of accumulated toxins. In reality, according to Gleiber, the human body has absolutely no need for this. We all have a complex system comprised of multiple organs that does this for us; our kidneys, our livers, and intestines. One of the most popular forms of detox is a juice cleanse: for anything from three to twenty one days, its adherents are told to ingest nothing

but water and juice. The promise is that the toxins will be gone after the grueling number of days, and since there’s no tangible way to prove such a thing didn’t happen, it’s an appeal to ignorance.

What the detoxers don’t know is that juicing takes out all the good stuff from the fruit (pulp, skin, etc contain the most benefit, but they get filtered out in the juicing process), that fruits are high in sugar, and that drinking only juice does not remove the toxins, which didn’t exist in the first place. Like diets, this is another form of starvation and malnourishment and leaves one dizzy, nauseous, fatigued, and irritable. No benefits, major drawbacks.

So fad diets either don’t work at all or have temporary effects linked with severe drawbacks.

What’s to do? Eat when hungry and stop when full. Avoid the processed foods without ruling out entire food groups. “[If you’re] eating from the five food groups, you’re gaining nutrients, so you shouldn’t need to rely on a multivitamin to keep yourself healthy because you’ll be getting it from the meals you eat. Even taking a brisk walk for an hour or so is going to make you feel better, and is going to sustain you for longer, especially for kids in high school, than trying to go on a fad diet.

Exercising and eating right will make you live healthier than trying to diet,” Frenchick said.

Cait Gibbons works as lifeguard during the summer Gitanjali Raman Online Managing Editor

Getting Started

Junior Cait Gibbons is no stranger when it comes to the pool. She has been with her team for numerous years. “I’m on a swim team that practices at two pools owned by the city of St. Paul and becoming a lifeguard is something that everyone on my team does,” Gibbons said.

Gibbons started swimming when she was young child. “I also took swimming lessons at the same pool when I was little, and I used to go there all the time for open swim. So I have basically spent my whole summer at that pool — now I just get paid for it!”

Gibbons said.

Lifeguarding

Hot summer days coupled with the cool, blue water lapping at your ankles. This is what is like to be a lifeguard, but that is only half of a lifeguard’s job. The other half is watching out for the swimmers in the water. “Being a lifeguard is kind of stressful because you have to be on your A game 100% of the time because you never know when something could happen,” Gibbons said.

There are so many things that you have to be aware of and you have to be ready to jump into any kind of action and at any second junior Cait Gibbons

Anything can happen while at the pool, which is why it is a big responsibility to be a lifeguard.

“There are so many things that you have to be aware of and you have to be ready to jump into any kind of action and at any second,” Gibbons said.

Accidents happen without notice, which is why it is extremely important for a lifeguard to be aware of the situation. “On my first day I was guarding the diving well and a little girl jumped off the diving board into the pool and she couldn’t swim very well, so I just had to blow my whistle

Submitted photo: Cait Gibbons

jUNIOR CAIT GIBBONs (in red life jacket) lifeguards a summer job. “Being a lifeguard is kind of stressful because you have to be on your A game 100% of the time because you never know when something could happen,” Gibbons said.

and jump in and pull her up onto my tube. She was fine, but it was my first day guarding ever so I was a little thrown off,” Gibbons recalled.

Requirements

The RedCross requires a prospective lifeguard to be at least 15 years old and pass a written exam with a score of at least 80% af-

ter attending training sessions. In total, the training session last 35 hours. Gibbons learned several ways to save swimmers who were drowning or unconscious. While in the training classes, Gibbons also learned to use Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and to perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). There are also

several physical requirements necessary to pass including prolonged standing, bending, stooping, and stretching.

Lifeguarding is no easy job.

But it is rewarding. “Definitely just the feeling of responsibility and using the knowledge and power that I have to help people at the pool,” Gibbons said.

fe at ur e 11

May 2015

THE RUBICON

Parsons and Flom-Staab to spend year in Germany

Two seniors earn exchange scholarship Marlee baron Arts & Entertainment Editor

Photo Illustration: Iya Abdulkarim

SENIORS EVVA PARSONS AND MADDIE FLOM-STAAB will be traveling to Germany this summer to spend the year abroad with the Congress -Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX).

“It’s a big intense application process with interviews and all that jazz. It was like another college application,” Flom-Staab said.

I swore off

While most Saint Paul Academy and Summit School seniors are going to spend their next year in college, seniors Evva Parsons and Maddie Flom-Staab will be spending the year studying in Germany. They are both winners of the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX).

“The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is a scholarship that sends American students to Germany and German students here. There are three sections of the program: the Youth Exchange (15-18 year olds) is a year at a high school, the Vocational Exchange (18-19 year olds) [which] is a year doing internships, and the Young Professionals Exchange (18-24 year olds) is a year at a university and doing an internship. I applied for all three and am doing the Vocational program and Maddie applied only to

culture. “Too many of the representatives from other programs tried to reassure me by letting me know I would be with other Americans the whole time and that is not what I was looking for,” Parsons said.

This is the first time in SPA history that two students have won the award, and the third time that any SPA students have won the award in the last ten years.

“The award consists of one full academic year in Germany—all costs [including] transportation, room and board etc. are fully covered,” Crowder said.

Parsons and Flom-Staab will be leaving late July 2015 and returning early July 2016. They will both be living with a host family and going to school in Germany for no cost.

“I think living with a new family is going to be the hardest part but also what I am most excited about,” Flom-Staab said.

acebook for a week, and here’s how it went Fast Fact

Diane Huang Online Editor in Chief

I was pretty sure I would go through some sort of life-changing ordeal when I gave up Facebook for a week. I had it all figured out for this story: the first few days would probably be pretty tough. I’d go through a withdrawal where I felt a lack of purpose in the void of my life that was scrolling and clicking through endless posts that were liked by my friends, Nerf Wars, rehashes of worn out Tumblr posts and Vines, Humans of New York, invites to play Texas Hold ‘Em, and much, much more (extremely important stuff).

I was sorely mistaken.

Believe it or not, when something is loosely connected to the rest of your life, it’s not too difficult to cut it out completely for some time. Sure, I missed a few messages from my Nerf Team, my Book Club in English class, The Rubicon editors, a number of my clueless friends, and my mom.

But, even after Facebook came knocking at my virtual door (my Gmail inbox) begging me to come back, I was unconvinced that I’d ever want to go back to its blue embrace.

So, what did I lose without Facebook?

The first thing I lost was mindless scrolling. However, Instagram took care of that in a more condensed and meaningful way.

The difference between Facebook and Instagram is that the lat-

the Youth Exchange one which is what she is doing,” Parsons said.

“It’s a big intense application process with interviews and all that jazz. It was like another college application,” Flom-Staab said.

The Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange is such an esteemed program that former Secretary of State and 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has said that other government sponsored exchange programs are modeled after it.

“It is a prestigious program and highly competitive selection process. Students apply and based on their essays, interviews, [and] teacher recommendations, they selected for the award,” Upper-School German teacher Jutta Crowder said.

Parsons will be participating in the science oriented Vocational program. One of the main things she wants from the program is a complete immersion in German

Photo Credit: Boraan Abdulkarim

The FIRST THING I DID was post a notification on my profile for all my friends to know that I would be inaccessible through Facebook for a week. Then, I promptly logged out.

70% of SPA Upper School students reported having a Facebook account.

According to an online poll

Photo Illustration: Iya Abdulkarim

Facebook infiltrated my email even though my messages and notifications hadn’t built up to any urgent amount. I guess the only thing that was missing anyone was Facebook missing me.

ter doesn’t pressure me to record everything I like and ultimately follow it, and it also doesn’t inundate my feed with everything else the people I follow like.

Instagram also makes it difficult to share other people’s posts, ultimately forcing users to generate their own content, which for Instagram, means a lot more thought overall in how you plan to post a picture that says what

you want it to—unless it’s just a screenshot of some text.

The best thing about Instagram was that it didn’t take long for me to scroll far enough until I found images which I had already looked at the day before. As for Facebook, the last time that happened was probably the first month that I had it. It’s easy to get lost on Facebook because of the sheer amount of content that it

throws at you, but Instagram limits content to posts by who you follow.

Besides mindless scrolling, I lost my main source of news.

This made me explore other areas of the Internet by typing in “nytimes.com” into the omnibox (yes, that’s what the text box at the top of your browser is called) rather than typing “f-” and then having my Internet browser fill out the remaining “acebook.com” for me. Interestingly enough, all the news that I normally ignored in my news feed were at the very front of the website, so instead of reading about Bongo Lady, I actually caught up on current events.

Leaving Facebook also meant more time for my favorite TV shows, friends, books, and this thing called homework. I was finally able to catch up on all the new TV shows that I had unwittingly picked up over the past year, and I was no longer con-

stantly distracted while attempting to finish my work.

I’ve been told that giving up Facebook won’t change a thing because there are so many other things to distract me. The problem with Facebook is that it doesn’t end like all the episodes of The Flash that I watched on Hulu or all the comics on The Oatmeal.

Instead, it continues on in an endless infinity where no one can really say they’ve reached the bottom after a year of usage. That is the core of why getting rid of Facebook really does create more free time.

At some point, looking for things to entertain yourself on the Internet outweighs the reward and doing work just seems to be the final option. Facebook, on the other hand, will always be the IV drip of mindless distraction.

One of the biggest things I learned is that I am not addicted to Facebook. For something that took such a large chunk of my time—roughly an hour a day (but I might just be afraid to admit it was any more than that)—I had no true dependency on it. It wasn’t necessary for school, and my Nerf Team could go on without me. Of course, there was always my email and my phone readily available in case anyone really felt committed to contacting me. But, while some people might say, “I can quit whenever I want!” I now know that I can.

Sorry Facebook, I think we should just be friends.

Read more at RubicOnline

Drake Gallery hosts Senior Art Seminar artwork PHOTO CREDIT: Nina Zietlow

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The Harry M. Drake Gallery hosts renowned artists and alumni from all over the Twin Cities but come the month of May the space hosts the emerging artist community, the students from Senior Art Seminar. This spring’s artwork ranges from mixed media to ceramic mugs to watercolor self portraits.

Senior Eva Zaydman’s work portrays New York City scenes drawn in vibrant, abstract colors. “For a while I found myself searching for something that I was truly passionate about drawing and eventually realized that New York would be the perfect theme,” she said.

& En t erta i n m en t

THE RUBICON

May 2015

Urinetown showers audience with social commentary Meghan Joyce Arts & Entertainment Editor

Welcome to the future, and please accept the deepest of condolences about that. In the dystopian future city that St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s brilliant Upper School production of the comedy Urinetown: The Musical takes place in, society has quite literally gone down the toilet. One certainly wouldn’t want to live in the world where this musical is set, but every aspect of its production is sensational to experience.

Following 20 years of drought, a terrible water shortage led the nefarious Caldwell B. Cladwell [senior Halsey Moe] to create the Urine Good Corporation and pass laws preventing people from peeing without paying. Should anyone attempt to evade these laws, a brutal and corrupt police force (maybe this isn’t that far from reality...) will deport them to Urinetown, the mysterious and endlessly contemplated place of punishment which gives the musical its name.

Enter Bobby Strong [junior Jack Romans], a poor boy full of regret and with a desire to help his full-bladdered community. When he meets optimistic young Hope [senior Maddie Flom-Staab], the two become star crossed almost lovers and inspire one another to listen to and follow their hearts in the first of several dazzling duets between these characters whose Broadway-caliber voices complement one another so pleasantly.

Severson nominated for Educator Tony Shaymus O’Brien Staff Writer

Usually when one hears the words “Tony Award” they think actor or musical—not educator.

But with the nomination of US Theater director Eric Severson for a Tony this year, that perception is changing.

Severson’s passion for the arts is clear in every production, large or small, each theater season.

“What I love about theater is that each performance is a unique, shared experience between the cast and the audience,” he said. “Even though the lines may be the same, a play is never performed quite the same way

PHOTO CREDIT: Meghan Joyce

Spring cast of urinetown rehearse for the big show on May 15. One certainly wouldn’t want to live in the world where this musical is set, but every aspect of its production is sensational to experience. Pictured dancing, from left to right, are freshman John Gisselquist, senior Bill Naas, junior Maren Findlay, junior Taylor Rients, senior Dozie Nwaneri, junior Nissa Rolf, junior Caswell Burr, and freshman Maya Threstha.

Their budding relationship turns awry upon the reveal of Hope’s last name, but not even love can dissuade Bobby from his mission as he launches a rebellion against the UGC and causes at least four of his followers to faint from the overwhelming strength of his charisma, passion, and powerful singing voice.

Anyway, time to move on. As the witty, oversharing narrator Officer Lockstock [senior Evan Leduc] taught everyone, too much exposition can ruin a musical, and the same is true of a musical review The Urinetown cast was good at being bad. The diplomatically evil scheming and bribing among the rich as they tried to make cash and the menacing grins and glares

among the revolutionaries as they dreamed of murder were executed to a tee. The musical featured elaborate ensembles filled with talented voices, call and response clapping/snapping/chanting sessions, and intricate choreography, and the cast kept up their deviousness all the while.

The music, orchestrated by US Choir Director Anne Klus and performed by pianist Tim Kraack [SPA Class of ‘05], percussionist Todd Mulliken, string bassist Josh Schwalbach, woodwindist James Prindville, and junior Alex Qin, was the perfectly timed powerhouse of the musical, giving life to its songs and drama to its performances.

Some of the best moments in Urinetown were those of physical

twice and the audience is ever changing. This creates a personal connection between the theatergoers and the actor and, when done right, it’s a truly fantastic experience,” Severson said.

This is the description of the award: “The Tony Awards® and Carnegie Mellon University are looking for the teachers who create the next generation of theatre artists. These are dedicated professionals who discover talented students, nurture them, inspire them, and set them off on a lifelong journey as theatre supporters and professionals.”

Should Severson win the Tony, the honor includes a $10,000 cash prize for the winner’s school, a flight for two to New York City along with hotel accommodations, and a pair of tickets to the Tony Awards Ceremony and Gala.

Since Severson joined the SPA faculty in 2002, the US Theater program has become intrinsically tied to his name. The programs’ consistent success and high standard for performance is reflected

in the awards brought home from the MSHL One-Act play competition, including first place in subsections for performances such as “Black Comedy” in 2012, “Yellow Wallpaper” in 2013 and “Metamorphosis” in 2014.

Further, the challenging choices for productions, including Hairspray (2013), The Trojan Women (2011), and this spring’s Urinetown combine social commentary and performance education levels.

Severson’s style of direction revolves around bringing out both the best in his actors and in the play itself: “I always try to fulfill my vision of what I perceive the play to be while at the same time involving all of my actors as fully as possible in the performance,” Severson said.

This is what pushes the actors to enthralling performances on stage; they have been taught not to be rigid, to go with the flow and be in the moment, and — in doing so — these actors create a living, breathing work of art.

comedy, an art form that much of the cast learned in the US Fall Play One Man, Two Guvnors. It would be a shame to miss a UGC executive [sophomore Ivan Gunther], a UGC scientist [sophomorew Lea Moore], a cop [freshman Tess Hick], and another cop [junior Tessa Rauch] acting as a human conveyor belt for Cladwell as they sang his praises. Or worse still, not to see Mr. McQueen [junior Justin Zanaska], a suck up member of the UGC staff with a nasally high pitched voice and an argyle vest, pretending to be a bunny that was shot, shocked in an electric chair, and fashioned into fuzzy slippers with a mallet and some clippers.

Urinetown had the audience laughing and clapping for two

He [Severson] makes sure to push everybody to reach their full potential onstage. junior Justin Zanaska “[Severson’s] directing is unique not because of how he works with the people who are center stage but because of how he works with the kids who are in the background. Seves insists, not just suggests, that everyone who’s not speaking should be in character at all times,” junior Riley Wheaton said.

Severson was rightfully nominated for this award by Megan Lewis, a former colleague and

and half hours straight culminating in the eventual standing ovation every night. On the final night, Flom-Staab and senior Sophia Harrison listed all of their thank yous and handed out bouquets to the crew, orchestra, and Sarah Converse herself as it was the final US production to take place in the Lower School Campus with the new Huss Center under construction.

US Director Eric Severson echoed that sentiment, noting the irony of Urinetown being performed at an auditorium with only a single unisex bathroom available, and assured the audience that the Huss Center will have 11 stalls in the girls bathroom alone. That was met with even more applause.

Urinetown is not just a hilarious musical with an incredible cast and crew, it has purpose and meaning for the real world, too (cue the cast dramatically saying “whaaaaaaaaaaat?” and exaggeratedly turning in unison). As Little Sally said, Urinetown isn’t so much a place as a metaphysical place. And Urinetown exists everywhere, even here. Part of what mawkes the musical funny is the comical implausibility of it all, but global warming is bringing the planet ever closer to the Stink Years.

Maybe people don’t like to be told that their way of life isn’t sustainable, but when presented with that truth in as comical and beautiful a way as Urinetown, it is nearly impossible not to enjoy.

professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Lewis and Severson have worked together since the 1990’s.

Student actors take away many lessons from working with Severson: “Seves has taught me that acting is more than reading a script. No matter how stressful things may get, he makes sure to push everybody to reach their full potential onstage,” junior Justin Zanaska said.

Severson cares not only about the play he’s directing, but about the actors performing in it. He has touched the lives of actors and those who watch them.

Senior Maddie Flom-Staab said that “[Severson’s] been my director since I was eight so he kind of brought me into the theater world and I’m eternally grateful for that. He has taught me so much over the years and I’m just so glad I could work with him for so long.”

The Tony Awards Ceremony will broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall June 7 on CBS.

RUBICONTEST: Win 2 tickets to July 26 VANS Warped Tour Fair use image: Warped Tour Press Kit

May 2015

Warped Tour’s 21st touring season brings the “Best Day Ever” to Canterbury Park on July 26. With 94 bands in the possible lineup, Kevin Lyman, WARPED TOUR founder, confidently defines the tour as “America’s premier music and lifestyle festival of the summer.”

The Rubicon is giving away two tickets to the tour. For a chance to win, choose a band featured at http:www.//vanswarpedtour.com/ dates/minneapolis-mn-3. Send us the band name, your favorite song by them, and what you love about their sound via e-mail to rubicon. spa@gmail.com. In the subject, write VANS WARPED TOUR. All entries are due by June 1.

Congratulations to sophomores Johnny Addicks O’Toole and Lutalo Jones, who attended the All Time Low concert with tickets courtesy of The Rubicon.

A rt s & En t erta i n m en t 13 THE RUBICON

After Spring Preview show, Circus Juventas performers get ready for 1001 Nights Fast Fact

PHOTO CREDIT: Marlee Baron

“A lot of the time Circus people are passed off as being clowns, but they are seriously strong.” junior Michelle Heilig said. Freshman Marlo Graham practices about five times a week for three to five hours a day.

DIanne Caravela Feature Editor

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, prepare for the most amazing, spectacular, death-defying performance you have ever seen. The summer Circus Juventas’ show 1001 Nights features the circus’ most advanced performers under the tent Jun. 31-Aug. 16.

“They are so athletically and artistically talented,” junior Michelle Heilig said.

“A lot of the time circus people are passed off as clowns,

but they are seriously strong.”

Heilig has been involved with Circus Juventas for several years.

Freshman Marlo Graham will be performing in the summer show for the first time this year, although she has been involved in Circus Juventas for nine years and performed numerous acts in all three versions of the spring show this year.

About circus, she said “It’s a lot [of work], but it’s fun.”

In the summer show, Graham will be performing in bike,

Circus originated in China. In fact, Confucius’ father was an acrobat. dance, and theatre acts. The show has eighteen performances with as many as seven performances a week and sometimes even two a day, and missing performances is not an option.

Preparation for the show starts nearly a year before the show. “I just had auditions for the summer show of 2016,” Graham said. “We start learning new tricks for the next year two weeks after the shows are over.”

Audience members agree that the show certainly is fun

to watch. “It’s really entertaining and crazy good,” freshman Naya Tadavarthy said.

Tadavarthy has performed in the spring show since she was three years old and goes to the summer show every year.

“There are lots of new acts in the show every year,” Tadavarthy said. “You have to be really brave to do some of the acts.”

Heilig attends the summer show on a yearly basis. “I love watching silks, triangle trapeze, and teeterboard, but really you can’t go wrong with any of the summer show acts,” Heilig said.

Audience members who have seen the spring but not the summer show can expect a big production, with more of a storyline than the spring show.

“The August shows have a plot and characters, which the May shows don’t have,” Heilig said.

This summer’s performance is 1001 Nights, and tickets can be bought on the Circus Juventas website starting June 29.

More circus at RubicOnline

Students perform in Circus Juventas Spring Show

@therubiconspa

Fair use image: Circus Juventas

Want to know more?

Circus Juventas is a non-profit performing arts circus school for ages 3-21. In addition to regular classes, the school offers summer camps. More information can be found at www.circusjuventas.org.

Music helps retain learning, but only if it’s the right study playlist Iya Abdulkarim Feature Editor

When a student puts on their headphones or their earbuds in while studying, they tend to do one of the following: they sit down and plow through their work, or they sit and stare at it as they mouth the lyrics to the song they’re listening to. Fear of the latter option has lead many students to believe that listening to music while studying won’t work well for them.

It may be the case that listening to any type of music is simply distracting. In 2014, a study was performed to compare brain activity and connectivity patterns to music which different people preferred and disliked along with their favorite songs. The results showed that listening to preferred music engaged more parts of the brain than the liked or disliked music. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that listening to music you love will help you focus: the activity of other parts of the brain might cause you to think of other things, pushing aside your homework. “[Music] helps me concentrate, and it also gets me in a

mindset where I want to get things done,” sophomore Cole Staples said.

[Music] also gets me in a mindset where I want to get things done, s o p h m o re Co l e Staples An online poll sent to St. Paul Academy and Summit School students showed that over half of students listen to music while doing homework or studying. Nearly 45% of students listen to music while studying because it puts them in a better mood, and 26% said that music helps them focus.

Freshman Maya Shrestha said “having some background noise helps me focus on my work.”

In 1993, a study concluded that listening to Mozart has a short term positive effect on spa-

tial reasoning and one’s IQ level. This effect generally lasts for only 12 minutes, but has initiated other studies that question the effects of other music.

A French study led by Fabrice Dosseville in 2011 took a group of students, half of whom attended a lecture and were tested afterwards. The other half of students did the same thing but with classical music playing in the background during the lecture. The scores of the students with music playing during their lecture were higher than the scores of the other students. This study showed that generally classical music has a positive impact on one’s learning and studying abilities.

“I find music to be distracting while doing homework,” freshman Ben Konstan said. 49% of SPA students cannot focus on their work while listening to music. “It’s too distracting, and I don’t get anything done,” junior Blaire Bemel said. Possible solutions include listening to classical music, which is what 32% of SPA students already listen to. There are also instrumental pieces without lyrics, which can even be the background music to popular songs. For someone who simply

Photo Illustration: Iya Abdulkarim

Freshman maya shrestha listens to music while studying in the gym foyer. “Having some background noise helps me focus on my work,” she said.

cannot listen to music, binaural beats are another alternative. Binaural beats, which can be found online, are sounds generated to assist focus.

Sophomore Jack Indritz enjoys listening to music while doing his homework, and believes that it helps him take his mind off of his work because he doesn’t like thinking about his homework too much. “It depends what type of homework I’m doing, but often I listen to Jazz, whatever is on the

radio, [and] I listen to some Mexican music,” Indritz said.

Playlists for studying can be found for free on iTunes radio, Pandora, and Spotify. Helpful search terms to find non-distracting music include study and focus.

Finding suitable music or sounds will help avoid distractions and truly help get work done.

Listen to a classical musical playlist on RubicOnline

New Wolfpack football team combines rival teams, hoping for fall wins

After extensive speculation regarding the future of the Spartan football program, the Minnesota State High School League has approved the proposal for a new co-op football team that includes students from St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy, and The Blake School.

“As somebody who has been a part of the program for a while and loves the sport, it means a lot to be able to play on a team with enough players and a great coaching staff ... I’m really excited to see how the season goes,” junior quarterback Michael O’Shea said.

SUBMITTED LOGO: Ami Berger

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Check out sports photos on Instagram @TheRubiconSPA

S P ORT S The rubicon

MAY 2015

Seniors jump to next level for college sports Lauren Boettcher News Editor

Sports often provide entertainment, a social environment, or a way to build your college resume.

They provide students with leadership roles within the school and build a skill set that will last far beyond high school.

In college, however, the playing field changes drastically. As university freshmen experience independence and learn to adapt to increasingly demanding academic coursework, student athletes need to also find a way to balance campus life with competitive athletic programs.

According to the NCAA, while 8 million students participate in high school sports, only 460,000 will play a sport in college. According to Senior Dean Isaacson, participating in athletics in college eases the transition: “You basically already know a bunch of people, and by meeting them you’ll get to create friendships that could last a long time.

Also, by having friends within the team you can make new friends through those friends.”

Many seniors have made the decision to continue their athletic pursuits in college, with varying reasons for involvement.

Isaac Forsgren has committed to play soccer at Loyola University in Chicago. “My two older brothers played soccer in college so that probably boosted my interest but the bigger aspect is just that I really enjoy playing soccer and I really wanted to continue

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-Greene

FUTURE COLLEGE ATHLETES SHOW OFF THEIR GEAR

From the left, seniors Andrew Chuniard, Nancy Moyers, Mary Naas, Jordan

Moradian, Isaac Forsgren, Jackson Lea, Dozie Nwaneri, Haris Hussein, and Dean Isaacson pose with their future college gear. The entirety group will be playing sports in their freshman years “I really enjoy playing soccer and I really wanted to continue playing soccer at a high level,” Senior Isaac Forsgren said.

playing soccer at a high level,” Forsgren said.

Family connections run true for Molly Fiedler as well, who will be joining the Gophers at the University of Minnesota playing D1 soccer. Fiedler’s brother Matt (‘13) pitches for Gopher baseball at the U of M, starting 12 of 21 games in his freshman season last year.

Dean Isaacson has committed to playing soccer as Hamline University Piper in St. Paul. “I wanted to play there because the

coach said that I might be able to start as a freshman. I thought that was awesome because no other coach had told me that that was even a possibility. [I chose Hamline because it] was a little close to home compared to the other schools that recruited me,” Isaacson said.

Luke Bishop will play Football with the Macalester College Scots during his time at the school. “The main focus of my college process was academics, not athletics. However, Maca-

lester is a very good school that has a top-notch football team.

[Macalester] also has a pre-architecture program, which is perfect for me. Most liberal arts schools don’t have pre-architecture programs,” Bishop said. “I guess I didn’t necessarily choose to play football at Macalester; I chose to study there. Football is just a part of my experience at Macalester —it’s not the main focus.”

Two record-setting runners for the Spartans, Mary Naas and Mike Destache, will continue

Track and Cross Country in college.

Naas has committed to run at Wellesley College, a liberal arts school in Massachusetts.

“My mom, my two cousins and my aunt went there so I grew up hearing about the college and visiting. They also have really good science programs and I am interested in pursuing some kind of science major,” Naas said. Naas feels comfortable in her ability to balance academics and athletics at Wellesley: “College athletics tend to be more intense and time consuming, but I’ll just have to get used to it and make time.”

Mike Destache will run at the University of Iowa. Destache believes that “[Sports] keep you out of trouble, teach you more responsibility, help you make friends, make your overall experience better, keep you active.”

Jackson Lea will run as a Grinnell Pioneer. “I enjoy the sport and want to continue running and competing,” Lea said.

Students choose to continue their athletic careers in college for many different reasons. They do it because it keeps them in shape, or because they need something to do in their free time, but whether they go D1 or D3 with their sport, members of the Class of 2015 will continue playing the sport they love at the collegiate level.

Sparta Award winners express appreciation for sports Emily Thissen News Editor

Dedicated. Committed. Determined.

These are the words that describe the recipients of the Sparta Award, an honor given out to Spartan Athletes. The Sparta Award is given to students on 3 JV or Varsity teams, the Gold Sparta Award is for those who play 3 varsity sports and the Platinum Award goes to 3-sport Varsity Captains.

As a three sport athlete, sophomore Liam McVea focuses on keeping his fitness level up all year around, even when he is not in season.

“I play club soccer three times a week, and I try to work out as much as I can to stay in shape,” McVea said. This hard work

is something that is common throughout all of the award recipients.

Sparta award recipients were celebrated at the Spring Recognition assembly on Apr. 27.

“It is nice to see that sports are so highly acknowledged at SPA,” freshman Sparta Award recipient Jesper Salverda said.

For all of the award-winners, athletics are a significant part of their life and have taught them lessons that go much further than just on their field of play. The team environment of any sport provides an opportunity for athletes to engage with others in a meaningful way.

“Sports, especially at SPA have helped me a lot with just being able to work with other people,” freshman Gold Sparta Award recipient Val Hart said.

“When it’s a really hard practice and someone is mentally struggling, I’ve learned to talk things out with them, and then on the next interval they go and just kill it and it makes me happy,” Hart said.

Sports also provide a prime environment for the development of leadership skills. “Even though I am an underclassman, each year, me and my teammates from my grade have been able to step into a little more of a leadership position, which is super cool to see,” sophomore Gold Sparta Award recipient Lauren Hansen said.

Each athlete learns something from their sport, something that they are able to pass on to others, and continually become stronger from. The commitment these Spartan athletes show is what gives them the power to grow.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lucas Johnson

ST. PAUL ACADEMY AND SUMMIT SCHOOL SPARTA ATHLETES are awarded a set of pins at a recognition assembly to commemorate their hard work and impressive accomplishment. “It is nice to see that sports are so highly acknowledged at SPA,” freshman Jesper Salverda said.

Varsity Softball wraps up their season with a young roster; optimistic amidst losses

Read more Sports at RubicOnline

Mari Knudson In Depth Editor

After playing their final game against Concordia Academy-Roseville on May 15, the Spartan Varsity Softball team finished with an overall record of 3-17. The Spartans lost against Concordia 10-16 in the first round of section 4AA playoffs.

“It was a disappointing loss, but we worked hard,” sophomore softball player Justine Miller said.

The team, a cooperative sponsorship between SPA and Nova Classical Academy, was relatively young with no seniors. It was composed of mostly sophomores and juniors. “We had a lot of talent on the team this year,” Miller said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim

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MAY 2015

THE RUBICON

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Charity runs spark interest among students to give back

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-Greene

JUnior matti solomon (centered) plays in a doubles match here with senior Elliot Tong.

Solomon participated in section play and was the only varsity member to make it to the second round

Regular seasons wrap-up as teams move to sections Varsity Softball: 5/9 Benilde-St. Margaret`s Tourney vs. Coon Rapids 1-19 L 5/9 Benilde-St. Margaret`s Tourney vs. Mpls Roosevelt 1-13 L 5/9 Benilde-St. Margaret’s vs. Aitkin 6-17 L 5/11 Concordia Academy-Roseville 12-16 L Varsity Baseball: 5/6 St. Thomas More 9-4 W 5/8 Breck 6-2 W 5/9 Providence Academy 2-12 L 5/11 Blake 0-10 L 5/13 Minnehaha Academy 4-17 L Varsity Girls Golf: 5/12 Minnehaha Academy 213-257 W Annette Vargas 48 Medalist Varsity Boys Golf: 5/8 Breck 188 – 190 W Tony Morice 42 *Medalist* 5/11 St. Paul Academy Invitational: 10th grader Drew O’Hern captured medalist honors by shooting a 75 1. St. Thomas Academy 328 4. Minnehaha Academy 342 2. St. Paul Academy 334 5. Henry Sibley 348 3. Totino Grace 339 6. Shattuck St. Mary’s 351 Varsity Boys Tennis: 5/8 St. Paul Central 6-1 W 5/11 Highland Park 3-2 W 5/13 Section vs. Washington Tech 7-0 W Track and Field: 5/11 At Blake 400 M: Peter Baker 6th 55.90 800 M: Mike Destache 1st 2:08.45, Kyle Ziemer 4th 2:24.60 4 x 800 Relay: 1st 10:48.61 Greta Sirek, Izzy Gisser, Shefali Bijwadia, Emma Hills 4 x 100 Relay: 1st :56.64 Stephanie Frisch, Hallie Sogin, Sorcha Ashe, Lauren Hansen 300 M Hurdles: Lexi Hilton 1st 52.83, Emma Hills 2nd 54.30, Hallie Sogin 3rd 56.46 Long Jump: Lauren Hansen 1st 14’9”, Lauren Datta 3rd 14’7.5” Triple Jump: Izzy Denny 2nd 28’5” Discus: Lauren Datta 5th 81’7” Varsity Girls Lacrosse: 5/12 Rochester Century 17-8 W Varsity Boys Lacrosse: 5/8 Breck 2-15 L 5/11 St Paul Celts 5-8 L 5/12 Mpls Co-op 14- 5 W *Results current at time of publication with season ongoing

Fair use image: NEDA Facebook Page

A large crowd gathered at the Mall of America to support the National eating disorder Association’s charity walk “People don’t really understand what eating disorders are ... [the walks are] good because it’s having everyday people come out of their lives and do things for other people,” said freshman Ellie Findell.

Noor Qureishy In Depth Editor

There’s nothing like the feeling of wind rushing by, feet moving in rhythm, heart beating wildly. There’s nothing quite like running - especially when the exercise isn’t just to keep your body in shape, or to burn off some steam.

Students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School have run for issues including eating disorders and cancer research in the hopes that their efforts will help raise awareness, bringing light to causes that the public may not know much about.

Freshman Ellie Findell participated in a walk for eating disorders at the Mall of America, with the NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association). “We started at the top of the mall and we had shirts that said NEDA,” Findell said. “People don’t really understand what eating disorders are… [the walks are] good because it’s having everyday people come out of their lives and do things for other people.” In Findell’s experience, the interactivity of the runs makes them more effective. “[Running for a cause] is an effective way [to raise awareness] because people can see them [cause supporters] running, and it can draw their attention to something they might not have known about before then,” sophomore Matthew Jaeger said.

Jaeger hasn’t participated in any runs for a cause, but the cause he wants the most to run for is breast cancer. He believes that a lack of access to local charity runs is part of the problem for students who don’t participate.

Although there are countless runs and walks for causes planned every year in Minnesota alone, finding one within a reasonable driving distance poses a fairly daunting challenge. A few events that are located relatively closer to the Twin Cities during the summer include the Stop the Trafficking 5K walk/run, the Walker Methodist 5-10K walk/ run, and the St. Jude walk/run.

The Stop the Trafficking 5K is an event in Eden Prairie that aims to raise awareness about human trafficking. This event requires a $20 entry fee, and participants can sign up on the day of the race on Jun. 7. Dry fit t-shirts, beverages, live music, and informational booths from local anti-trafficking organizations will also be present for the run/walkers.

The Walker Methodist 5-10K is hosted by the Walker Methodist foundation, which specializes in providing older adults with lifestyle, housing and healthcare services. This event takes place in Minneapolis on Jun. 6, and refreshments, t-shirts, and prizes will be given to participants.

Although the St. Jude walk/ run occurs at the beginning of the next school year on Sept. 19, stu-

dents can still help raise money to end childhood cancer for a registration fee of only $10 if they cannot run. The funds will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospitals and help pay the bills for the treatment, travel, housing, and food for the families that have children with cancer.

Findell was researching online about walks for eating disorders when she found the opportunity sponsored by NEDA, and she described the experience as “rewarding, to know that you’re doing something for a cause that’s affecting a lot of people,” she said.

Findell also encourages other students to take initiative and register for these runs/walks for a cause. “It doesn’t even have to be that much...you’d be surprised how many walks there are for things like diabetes. [It’s important to] get involved, it just takes a couple of hours,” she said.

Jaeger hasn’t seen a lot of students participate in runs, or walks for a cause. “People would probably be too lazy [to run for a cause], they would be willing to buy from a bake sale but they don’t want to go out and run,” he said. However, as Jaeger said, the people that have the knowledge, access, and most importantly, the motivation to go to the runs/ walks exhibit in other words, “to do more than buy a cupcake at a bake sale, they’re willing to work to spread awareness.”

16 C ol l e g e

List

THE RUBICON

MAy 2015

Seniors float to new places this fall Abid, Zeeshawn University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Ademite, Katherine Texas Christian University Applebaum, Marley University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Arora, Mansuda Sarah Lawrence College Bijwadia, Shaan Boston College Bishop, Luke Macalester College Black, Olivia Bennington College Bogolub, Louis University of Denver Carter, Delaney Butler University Chuinard, Andrew Normandale Community College Claiborne, Jeline Hamline University Clark, Margaret College of Wooster Daub, Mattie Macalester College Destache, Michael University of Iowa Fiedler, Molly University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Fitch, Olivia Augsburg College Flom-Staab, Madeleine Luther College* Forsgren, Isaac Loyola University Chicago Gleeman, Andrew DePaul University Grinsfelder, Mira Emory University Hansen, Julia University of Pennsylvania Harrison, Sophia Tulane University* Heilig, Brian University of Wisconsin, Madison Hughes, Jordan Washington University in St. Louis Hussain, Haris University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Irish, Alexis Davidson College Isaacson, Dean Hamline University Jaeger, Caroline Scripps College Kett, Madeline McGill University Kihtir, Deniz Lewis & Clark College Koch, Nicolas University of Arizona LaBlanc, Isabella University of Minnesota, Twin Cities* Labovitz, Jackson George Washington University Lagos, Julia Macalester College Larkins, Roy University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Lea, Jackson Grinnell College

Leduc, Evan University of New Hampshire* Linn, Samantha University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Little, Sarah Macalester College Martinez, Isabella Bard College Masood, Asad University of Minnesota, Twin Cities McCarthy, Ellen Bowdoin College Merriam, William Washington University in St. Louis Miller, Evan Georgetown University Mische, Jonah Davidson College Mischke, Sonja Augsburg College* Moe, Halsey St. Olaf College Moradian, Jordan Tufts University Morris, Mychal Regis University Moyers, Nancy Hamline University Naas, Mary Wellesley College Naas, William Gustavus Adolphus College Nwaneri, Chidozie Trinity University Olson, Jacqueline Indiana University at Bloomington Osman, Abdulsalan Hamline University Parsons, Evva Colorado College* Patterson, Kevin Middlebury College Perez-Greene, Eva Columbia University Pettee, Benjamin Marquette University Prozinski, Emmeline Bryn Mawr College Rahman, Aliza University of Toronto Ramachandran, Sandhya Johns Hopkins University Rasmussen, Frederick University of Denver

Riley, Catherine Pepperdine University Rodgerson, Emma Mt. Holyoke College Romans, Sarah Duke University Sandozi, Afsar Northwestern University Seplak, Tyler Northeastern University Skarjune, Amber Wellesley College Strombeck, Kennedy Lake Forest College Sullivan, Sheila Gustavus Adolphus College Sussna, Ian Milwaukee School of Engineering Suzuki, Samuel Colorado College Taubenberger, Katiana George Washington University Thakkar, Neerja Dartmouth College Tiedemann, Daniela Grinnell College Toghramadjian, Thomas Boston College Tong, Eliot Washington University in St. Louis Trevathan, Jonathan St. Olaf College Tutuncu, Emre Syracuse University Umscheid, Valerie Carleton College Vargas, Annette Suffolk University Vega Zaragoza, Jesus Rice University Viksnins, Laura Elon University Weatherspoon, Kyler University of Notre Dame Wendlandt, Kailey University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Zaydman, Eva Rutgers University-New Brunswick Zelle, Eli Emory University

f o s s a l C

2015 *Taking a gap year, will be starting college in Fall 2016