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St. Paul Academy & Summit School
1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN
November 2013. Volume XXXXI. Issue III.
What’s your ride? Students share stories of their routes to and from school
COVER p. 8-9
A&E p. 14
SPORTS p. 13
IN DEPTH p. 10
Drake gallery hosts guest photographer Sylvia Horwitz.
Fitness for Life welcomes new instructor Kaitlyn Frenchick.
Senior Sela Patterson explores vegan options.
Musicians rehearse for Pops Concert
Photo Credit: Thomas Toghramadjian
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The block schedule has brought some changes in how music groups rehearse, but as the Pops Concert draws near, “I’m sure we can pull off a good show just like we have in the past,” Orchestra Conductor Almut Engelhardt said. This year, the Pops Concert theme has been described as “eclectic” by Choir Director Anne Klus. Though there are “big holes in the schedule,” Engelhardt said, “it is much better than I had feared.” Engelhardt agreed with what Klus said about concert preparation: “you have to be as efficient as you can be and creative as you can be to get the most rehearsals in that the students need.” The Pops Concert is the first all groups performance of the year. It will take place Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at The O’Shaugnessy at St. Kate’s.
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
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In Depth Editor
Senior Jared Mosher stands at the board and illustrates his point in preparation for the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. It’s good practice for Mosher, who will do this again for new conference attendees. A metaphorical mosaic is this year’s SDLC theme and the St. Paul Academy and Summit School seniors helping to create one are Jared Mosher, Ysabella Johnson, Emma Chang, Marcus Alburez, and Ava Gallagher. The National Association for Independent Schools organizes the SDLC in an effort to support students of color, who are the minority in independent schools across the nation. The conference confronts issues surrounding race, privilege, power, and identity as well as fostering diverse leadership within the independent school community. This year, the SDLC will be held in National Harbor, Maryland on Dec. 5-7. The conference kicks off in National Harbor where attendees
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[The] openness, honesty, and discussion is something I want to bring back to SPA. s e n i or Ja r e d Mo s h e r will take part in the conference’s opening ceremony. Throughout the course of the conference, students will have the opportunity to listen to a variety of speakers and attend small affinity group sessions and workshops. “It will be learning 24/7,” said Mosher, co-president of Common Ground, a group for students who share and connect with each other over race related topics. SPA attendees will be integrated into smaller affinity groups with students from other inde-
Voting for the first time is always exciting, and for some Saint Paul Academy and Summit School seniors, Nov. 5 was a special day. City elections took place that Tuesday. Minneapolis elected a new mayor, city council members, and Parks and Recreation board members. St. Paul elected a new mayor and school board member. St. Paul mayor Chris Coleman, the favorite in the election, won the mayoral race in St. Paul with almost 80% of the votes. This will be his third term in office. In Minneapolis, Betsy Hodges won 49% of the vote and will take over from former Mayor R.T. Rybak. “I was really excited to vote. I felt very proud to finally have a say in who my elected officials were,” senior Zoe Matticks said.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Students will explore identity at Diversity Leadership Conference Eva Perez-Greene
Seniors cast first ballots in city elections
Photo Credit: Eva Perez-Greene Seniors Jared Mosher, Ellis Evans, and Emma Chang prepare for the Student Diversity Leadership Conference. “The honesty you see from people—it’s just amazing! Kids just break down and tell their deepest darkest secrets,” Mosher said.
pendent schools; discussion will serve as the primary medium for learning and sharing. “I think the fact that you don’t know each other helps you open up more,” Mosher said. “It takes bravery to go into the middle [of the group circle] and talk because you know that people are going to take what you share to heart.” Reasons for attending the SDLC are as diverse as the conferences attendants, who vary in age, race, sexual orientation and religion. Johnson, co-president of Intercultural Club, attended last year and said it was one of the most life changing and formative experiences she’s ever had. “When you go there you don’t feel like you have to censor yourself, you don’t feel like you have to dress a certain way... you are allowed to be exactly who you are,” Johnson said. Mosher also attended the SDLC last year and said that “the atmosphere was so welcoming, and I really wanted to have that again.”
A people-person, Mosher felt both overwhelmed and energized by the number of diverse, candid perspectives he gained from the conferences’ attendants. “The honesty you see from people— it’s amazing! Kids just break down and tell their deepest darkest secrets,” he said. “That openness, honesty, and discussion is something I want to bring back to SPA.” Johnson and Mosher will serve as SDLC peer facilitators, a leadership role available to teens attending the conference for their second time. Alburez, also a senior co-president of the Common Ground group, hopes to gain the leadership skills he needs to encourage self-acceptance and diversity in the weekly Common Ground meetings. “There are still lots of kids who are pretty insecure about where they come from… I’m treating this trip as a workshop to bring back to Common Ground,” he said. Mosher can confirm the conference’s impact on his ability
to lead, saying, “the conference definitely changed how I view people in certain circumstances.” Similarly, Johnson feels the conference gave her the confidence to lead in the community: “I didn’t think that I would want to be a leader in general before the conference, but the conference got me interested in running for president of IC,” she said. “It was able to help me understand how to include people’s different opinions into a discussion, and I was able to find different resources that would help particular issues in our school.” In addition to cultivating leadership skills the SDLC provides high school students with the opportunity to examine their own diverse identities and roles within the community. “We’ll all be looking at our own backgrounds and learning how to be comfortable with them,” Alburez said. “It’s so important to embrace those differences.”
thinking...if only for 10 minutes,” Nahurski said. Nahurski’s knows the reality of the situation: “for the vast majority of Mix It Uppers, this lunch day will serve only to annoy them and make them resent the class leadership councils,” Nahurski said. However, he still has a very positive outlook on the event. “If this lunch blossoms even one relationship it will have been a success. We have nothing to lose from Mix It Up day, and everything to gain,” Nahurski said. Freshman Jackson Jewett looks back on Mix It Up day fondly. “Right away I felt very welcomed and we all had a good discussion on some of the questions that were on the table,” Jewett said. His expectations of this new event were surpassed when he
sat with three sophomore girls. “I was very surprised how well it went because we really didn’t know one another and we still managed to have a very good conversation without it stopping,” Jewett said. “I hope that students would learn to be able to sit down with a group of people and have some filler conversation that perhaps leads people to believe they have more in common than they thought. Mix It Up day can be considered practice for maybe a similar situation they will most certainly face at some point down the line,” Nahurski said. On the whole, students agree that Mix It Up day should remain an SPA tradition: “During this lunch I met multiple new people and it helped a lot with not everyone sitting with the same exact people every day,” Jewett said.
Students embrace the awkward on Mix It Up day Ava Gallagher
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Chief Visual Editor
“Embrace the awkward!” Signs around the hallways warned of the upcoming event: Mix It Up at Lunch day, a Teaching Tolerance national campaign that encourages students to sit with new people. The St. Paul Academy and Summit School Senior Class Leadership Council coordinated the Oct. 29 Mix it Up day in an effort to bring students from different social groups together. SCLC member Frank Nahurski describes the reason Mix It Up day was created in the first place: “Across the country, across all schools, lunchrooms cause students anxiety. You’ve probably felt this yourself if you’ve gotten to lunch early and had to sit by yourself for a bit until people
Photo Credit: Lucy Li On most days, SPA students sit with a familiar group of friends. “If this lunch blossoms even one relationship, it will have been a success,” SCLC member Frank Nahurski said.
arrived. It doesn’t feel good,” Nahurski said. During Mix It Up day, students entered the lunchroom and were randomly assigned to sit with people they may have never had
an exchange with. Nahurski and the rest of SCLC have hopes for the conversations started during the day. “It isn’t designed to be game changing, but it might stimulate one to change their way of
Around 50 seniors drove to the Lower School on Oct. 28 to help out with the annual kindergarten pumpkin carving tradition, which has been in place for roughly 15 years.
Photo Credit: Lucy Li Senior Jack Reich and a Kindergarten student carve a pumpkin together Oct. 28.
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Debate prepares for upcoming tournaments The Rubicon is feeling social
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Upcoming invitational and national qualifier tournaments leave the St. Paul Academy and Summit School Debate teams preparing in earnest. Both tournaments will be held on the Randolph Campus: the invitationals Dec. 7 and the national qualifier Dec. 14. Four teams are chosen to go to the national qualifier tournament by Upper School Debate Coach, Tom Fones. Senior Bilal Askari said, “We have a new topic, that we haven’t debated yet--immigration. I’m definitely looking forward to it.” Askari added, “[The national qualifier is] going to be a tough tournament but it’ll also be exciting since it has such grand implications.”
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Seniors and parents prepare for brunch
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I’m excited to celebrate our time at SPA and see our growth from when we were little to now. s e n i or A i d a n A r n o l d
Photo Credit: Lucy Li Senior Nick Cohen poses for his senior brunch photo. “Generally it’s a time to come together with the parents, for whom senior year has a lot of emotional pulls,” Upper School Dean of Students Judy Cummins said.
Lucy Li
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Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief
Dark blue invitation cards arrived at the homes of seniors in late October, a new design inviting them to an old tradition of St. Paul Academy and Summit School: Senior Brunch. “The Senior Brunch is a kickoff to your senior year and it’s to celebrate all your accomplishments,” parent of senior Hannah
Johnson and chair of the senior brunch committee Beth Johnson said. “[It’s] just to say that you’re going to have an awesome year.” The Class of 1996 initiated the senior brunch tradition: “[It’s about] getting parents and students together to celebrate and acknowledge a very busy but very significant year,” Upper School Dean of Students Judy Cummins said. Senior Aidan Arnold looks forward to “getting together as a
grade in a more social setting than an academic one.” “I want to see the baby pictures,” senior Emma Chang said. She anticipates spending time with friends and family, and of course, enjoying the food. This year’s brunch will uphold many traditions, including a teacher speaker, video, and slideshow of now and then pictures, along with many secret surprises. “They’re a little different every year,” Johnson said. Cummins will emcee the event, and Head of School Bryn Roberts and Upper School Principal Chris Hughes will also attend. This year’s speaker will be
Upper School math teacher James McVeety. A parent-run committee chose the speaker and had hoped to find someone who hadn’t spoken before at previous brunches. “It was a hard decision because there were many qualified teachers,” Johnson said. The planning for the brunch is completely run by around 19 parents of current seniors who split into subcommittees, each with its own purpose. For example, one subcommittee may be in charge of the venue, which is the Town and Country Club this year, one the decorations, one the food. Another may be in charge of communications, including in-
Center. Her novel, Strangers in Our Midst, tells a Thanksgiving story that, according to the story’s overview, “re-imagines a critical moment in our continent’s history.” Her story shows the relationship between a European woman and a young Wampanoag woman. They discover differences between themselves and form a friendship despite the struggles and rules enforced by their separate societies. Vellenga is also a former Minnesota Legislator. While in legislation she won numerous awards from organizations for her efforts to support the needs of children and their families. Historical fiction is like a time machine to many readers of this genre. “It’s interesting… You get to pretend that you are in that time period,” sophomore Isabelle Saul-Hughes said.
woman who loses her husband in World War II. Upon her return to her childhood home, she rekindles love with a former college sweetheart. The two families join, and there is an “uncontainable attraction” between their children.
vitations. Kristine and David Matenaer, parents of senior Anna Matenaer, are part of the brunch planning committee. “[We] liked being involved with the [Upper School and Middle School] Parent Association and with the kids themselves and help out where we can,” Kristine Matenaer said. David Matenaer, who works with video and web design on a regular basis, “thought that he could use some of his business talents to put together a nice program,” Kristine Matenaer said. These parents also plan the seating arrangement at the brunch and perform a song for the seniors. Each year, the theme for the song is different. The brunch highlights the relationship between seniors and their parents as both navigate the students’ final year of high school. “Generally it’s a time to come together with the parents, for whom senior year has a lot of emotional pulls,” Cummins said. “I’m excited to celebrate our time at SPA,” Arnold said, “and see our growth from when we were little to now.”
Book Fest hosts an amalgam of fiction authors Gita Raman
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Feature Editor
“I like [reading fiction] when I feel an emotional connection with the characters,” sophomore Claudia Rosario said. “I know it is a good book when I’m sorry that the story is over.” Rosario’s sentiment about fiction reflects this year’s Book Fest theme, “Fiction, Fantasy, and Folly.” The annual event focuses on fiction after a series of years that celebrated other genres. “It was our intent to highlight fiction this year, since the past two years the Keynote authors were both non-fiction writers,” Peggy Hansen, Book Fest co-Chair, said.
John Coy Keynote Speaker John Coy opened the Book Fest week with a Middle/ Upper School Assembly on Nov. 18. Coy writes sports fiction, and his young adult titles include Crackback and Box Out. Crackback was a finalist in the 2010 Nutmeg Awards and was seOCTOBER CORRECTIONS:
lected for the 2007 Young Adults’ Choices list of the International Reading Association. Coy also has a new novel called Independent Living. “[Independent Living] is about a high school senior whose parents will pay for college if he studies what they want him to. He has to decide if he is willing to accept their terms,” Coy said. Coy’s favorite part about writing fiction “is hearing from people who connect strongly with the story and characters. Even after fifteen books, I am still amazed that my job is to imagine a world, make up a story that can become a book, and then hear from students what they think about it. I love that exchange and am grateful that I get to write fiction.” In his time as a writer, Coy has traveled to all 50 states and over 30 countries around the world. “This school year I am going to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, India, and Guatemala,” Coy said.
Kathleen Vellenga Kathleen Vellenga will be signing books on Nov. 19 in the Summit
Karen Kelly Karen Kelly asks the reader to “look ahead,” which is the Latin translation of her novel’s title, Prospice. Her novel follows a
Charlie Quimby The newest book featured at Book Fest is Charlie Quimby’s Monument Road, which has already received advanced praise and was named a Big Indie Book for Fall 2013 by Publisher’s Weekly. Monument Road was published Nov. 12 and is Quimby’s first fiction novel. The novel is about a man’s promise to his deceased wife and the challenge that Quimby describes as, “Encounters on a route that intertwines old wounds and new insights that make him question whether his life is over after all.” “I started [writing fiction] because I have been a writer all my life and when I was retiring I figured that writing a long fiction novel would be my last goal as a writer,” Quimby said. The inspiration for Quimby’s
novel comes from his childhood. “I grew up in Western Colorado and have lived in Minnesota for a number of years. In the last six or seven years I have been going back to the landscape where I grew up. It’s called the Colorado Plateau—it’s the edge of the mountains and desert, and that’s where the story is based,” Quimby said. For Quimby the landscape provides an important contrast, “between the religious inspiration and where people feel small and go to end their lives is really important in Monument Road,” Quimby said. Fantasy authors Andy Hueller and William Alexander will also be on campus during the week. National Book Award winner Alexander will sign copies of Goblin Secrets Nov. 22. Hueller is author to two fantasy novels: Dizzy Fantastic and her Flying Bicycle, Skipping Stones to the Center of the Earth and a Middle and Upper School English teacher. The annual Book Fest is hosted by the MS/US Parent Association. It serves to celebrate what students like Rosario already love about fiction: “The fact that it [a book] can actually be about anything, and that it can put you into a new world.”
News: Kent Hanson, Marcus Alburez Myers, Chloe Wilkens names were misspelled. Maggie Clark is a junior. PAWS stands for People for Animal Welfare and Safety. Opinions: Junior Evan Miller’s mother is Syrian. Cover Story: the photo of Aimeric Lajuzan was taken at Afton
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November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
STAFF
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Staff Editorial
the rubicon
2013-14 Editor-in-Chief Hannah Johnson
Online Editor-in-Chief Print Managing Editor Lucy Li Chief Visual Editor Ava Gallagher News Editors Nina Zietlow John Wilhelm Opinions Editor Thomas Toghramadjian Sports Editors Katie Braman Katrina Hilton Cover Story Editor Boraan Abdulkarim Feature Editor Gita Raman A&E Editor Laura Slade In Depth Editor Eva Perez-Greene Copy Editor Netta Kaplan Columnist Nick Cohen Adviser Kathryn Campbell
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Staff Writers Shefali Bijwadia Patrick Commers Ali Duval Diane Huang Meghan Joyce Mari Knudson Eva Malloy Sarah Murad Noor Qureishy Amodhya Samarakoon Emily Thissen Clare Tipler Paul Watkins Javier Whitaker-Castaneda
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the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 AWARDS JEM All-State Gold (Print and Online) MHSPA Best in Show 1st Place - Print 5th Place - Online NSPA All American w/3 Marks of Distinction
It’s time to re-examine trendy vocabulary “That’s so ratchet!” is a phrase that you are likely to hear while roaming the hallways of St. Paul Academy and Summit School. The word is often followed by laughter and a buzz of agreement. Most don’t take offense and walk right by when they overhear the term in the hallways. The term “ratchet,” which has gained enormous popularity both in face to face conversation and social media interactions, may seem like the cool new thing to say. But, despite its currency, what many people don’t know is that the term has racist undertones and pokes fun at people with different socioeconomic backgrounds. Slang terms originating in African American communities, such as “ratchet,” “ghetto,” and even “basic,” are often taken out of their original context and misused in an offensive way. These words have become more prevalent in pop culture and have been used by many noted celebrities including Lady Gaga and Beyonce. “Ratchet” is often used to label things as trashy and inexpensive. It is important that we take into account what we are really saying when we casually throw the term “ratchet” around. Though it might start out as a way to lightly make fun of things that are “tacky,”
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difficult to know what is and isn’t okay to say. the intentions behind the words are often lost and it can quickly evolve to associate negative connotations with specific social groups. Though it is unfortunate that many popular slang terms are offensive to different cultures, it is even more disappointing that these words are so widely and ignorantly used. Students are taught as young children not to use hurtful names and words, but these lessons are overpowered by social media and pop culture as students grow older. Students now are held responsible for their own choice of words and must decide for themselves if they will follow the trend of using certain
Editorial Cartoon: Ava Gallagher Offensive and misused terms such as “ratchet” have had an increasing presence in social media, music, television and clothing.
slang terms. Beyond these very specific terms, it is always important that we are conscious of our language and the negative connotations that it might have. It is often difficult to know what is and isn’t okay to say, and it’s even more tempting to get caught up in the whirlwind of popular slang language. When new terms such as “ratchet” gain popularity within the community, take time to do some research, find out where
the word comes from and what it means before diving in and integrating it into your everyday language. It is also important to think about why you are using a word. If it is intended to make fun of or degrade someones culture, it’s probably not a good idea to use it.
Visit The Rubicon Online to share your opinion about the word “ratchet” or other language trends. www.rubiconline.com
Mini-Editorials Pops concert Typhoon calls Go on a book Macbethfest ending strong for student blind date at sets stage for tradition fundraising Book Fest fun learning The crowd awaits with anticipation every year for the finale that ends the Pops concert of the year, until now. For the first time in St. Paul Academy and Summit School history, the annual Pops concert will no longer end with its former tradition, a finale piece with the orchestra, band and choir. It has been a part of the concert since the first Pops concert first started and is often the highlight of the concert for many musicians and the audience alike. With the new schedule, the music teachers felt that there wasn’t enough time for the all three music groups to come together and rehearse the finale. Leaving out the finale might make the Pops concert feel incomplete, with no unity between the three music groups’ performances throughout the night. The concert finale was a way for all three music groups to come together with their talents for the last performance, and without this opportunity, the audience won’t have the chance to listen to SPA’s joined musical talents in one final song.
The people of the Philippines and Vietnam experienced a powerful and immense typhoon, Typhoon Haiyan, on Nov. 8. that compared to a level four hurricane in the United States. It is predicted that up to 10,000 people were killed, with thousands more left without homes, family or food. Relief efforts by organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross and UNICEF have begun aiding peoples affected by the typhoon. It’s also important for students to reach out in any way they can outside of their country. It would be a good idea to start having fundraisers to gather money that can be donated to the Red Cross and be put towards aiding their relief efforts in the Philippines. In 2012, when hurricane Sandy hit Cuba and eastern parts of the U.S., St. Paul Academy and Summit School students had bake sales to raise money that was donated to the Red Cross. Now is a chance for the students at SPA to do something within their community that can reach farther beyond to lend a helping hand to the people that were affected by the typhoon.
When students hear “blind date” there isn’t really a chance that they’ll think of books, but St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Book Fest could be the time for the students to change their minds. Many students judge a book, literally, by its cover and miss the opportunity to read some amazing literature. By looking beyond the cover, students could possibly discover their new favorite books. Here’s what students could do: Wrap a book in brown paper. Write some main genre and theme points on the cover. Spread a few dozen books on a table. Browse for possible “dates.” Pair a book with a person and the date can begin! Book Fest is approaching fast so blind dates are out for this year, but in the future, wouldn’t it be nice to try something new? Not judge a book by its cover? Branch out from your favorite book, series or genre? Students should challenge themselves to leap out of their comfort zones, and go on a blind date with a book.
One of the most notable milestones of freshman year is the Macbethfest.The traditional Macbethfest performances are a great way to get students of all ages engaged in Macbeth, as seniors and freshman alike go to watch. The performances allow students to look at what they are reading more in depth, catching and learning about small details that could be missed otherwise. This can help freshmen learn more about what they have read. It’s especially helpful because the freshmen have to put the scene in a new context, which lets the performers relate more to the story. Acting is also a nice break from the monotonous cycle of writing essays and journals for English class. Macbethfest is a tradition that St. Paul Academy and Summit School should continue doing, because it gets students to connect with and appreciate what they are reading and appreciate it more than they otherwise would. All are encouraged to watch the Macbethfest performances the last week of November.
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St. Paul Academy and Summit School
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Latenesses do not always teach lessons Detentions may not provide sufficient incentive for punctuality Catherine Braman
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Sports Editor
William Shakespeare said, “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late.” This quote highlights the importance of being on time, if not early. While the administration and the faculty at St. Paul Academy and Summit School do not expect students to be early, they do expect them to be on time. For students who have excessive lateness or tardiness, some “time” in detention results. However, does serving detention deter students from being late? According to the SPA Student Handbook, students are granted two latenesses per semester to school and to each individual class without penalty. Technically, students who arrive after the four minute passing time are marked tardy by the teacher. The third tardy results in detention and a parent notification. Students may serve detention before or after school for forty-five minutes every day except Fridays after school. They report to Room 206 and check in usually with the Dean of Students, Judy Cummins. Almost always a student proctors detention when the dean is unavailable. As an incentive for proctoring detention, a student is credited for serving two detentions. Sophomore Rafa Buettner-Sa-
Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Junior Ben Pettee (front) proctors an after-school detention. “For me, [detention] is a great way to get schoolwork done,” senior Emun Solomon (back left) said. Detentions are assigned as a consequence for latenesses to school and class and can be completed before and after school.
lido, who has not served detention, thinks that the policy could use improvement. “There are some teachers who are vigilant about marking students tardy and some who are more lenient.” He added that most students try to get to class on time. “ If students are late, they usually have a reason.” Buettner-Salido does not think that tardiness is a big deal at SPA. “The first few minutes of class are often used by the teach-
er and students to catch up, share thoughts, and prepare for class.” He also mentioned that last year when the classes were shorter, it was a bigger deal to be on time. A challenge for some students is when classes are scheduled at opposite ends of the school day which sometimes results in being late and a tardy. Alex Qin, a sophomore, thinks that the current policy is fair. When he served detention, he
liked that fact that he was able to do his math homework after school. “It gave me more time to study.” Cummins reports that detention motivates some students to be on time for class and for school, but not others. “I don’t think it is the sole answer because for a lot of students they say they get a lot of work done in detention. It doesn’t feel like a punishment to them.” One important point that
Cummins made was that “arriving to school or class late is disrespectful to teachers and to classmates.” When students come late in the middle of discussion or instructions can often disrupt the flow of the class. Senior Emun Solomon, a regular visitor to detention, thinks that the policy is fair. However, he said that “there are some classes where it is just unrealistic for me to be on time to because of the location of my classes.” Solomon, who recently moved fifteen minutes further away from school, mentioned that it is now harder to get to school on time. Solomon thinks that for some, detention has a negative connotation. “For me, [detention] is a great way to get schoolwork done.” While detention may not be the best solution to curb lateness, Cummins is open to new ideas and recommendations from students. Historically, SPA had Saturday School where students were required to attend school on Saturday. Sometimes they would do classwork and other times to assist in the maintenance of the building. Instituting this kind of policy today would pose a lot of problems for families with hectic weekend schedules, but it may be more effective in getting students to comply with school expectations. Perhaps there is more to detention than getting homework done.
Mix It Up day should set a lasting precedent John Wilhelm
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News Editor
More than anything, they draw uncrossable lines. They break hearts, they ruin friendships, they divide people amongst race and creed and class and clique—yes, of course: lunch tables. Unlike the rest of the day, lunch is entirely student-centric. The student chooses where to sit, what to eat, and who to eat with. And because it’s the choice of the teenager, lunch tables can accurately represent many of the problems associated with being a teenager—most namely, debilitating cliquey-ness. That can mean many things, but it’s a lot like the Mafia: to get in, you have to be willing to assimilate and swear absolute loyalty, and the only way out is in a body bag. It was for this reason that SCLC
hosted Mix It Up day, an occasion where students are urged (see also: forced) to sit at a random table, to do unheard of things like “embrace the awkward” or even “make new friends.” Every year, Mix It Up day combats the evils of cliques and high school awkwardness, and is soundly beaten into the ground—or, at least, deemed hopeless. Often, Mix It Up day comes under fire from all sides. The students get mad at the administration for making them uncomfortable for a day, the administration gets mad at the students for not complying, and both parties get mad at the day for being ineffective. All the while, the day is called either unproductive or pointless, because no one participates—or no one participates because the day is called either unproductive or pointless. But it isn’t that the Mix It Up
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We need to build up the ability to branch out. day criticisms are unwarranted, it’s more that the day’s purpose is widely misconstrued. The important aspect isn’t to set aside a single day out of the nine month school year to sit out of your social group once. That would be silly and meaningless. Mix It Up day seeks to set a precedent that sitting, conversing, and learning about someone who you don’t
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know is entirely feasible. The day tries to disarm the ubiquitous but needless notion that sitting next to a new person would be “totes awkward, lol.” That’s a notion that’s hard to understate, because the social skills to carry on a conversation with someone you haven’t gone to school with for five and half years are vital, even moreso in the future of every student. Beyond that, “mix-it-up” carries another notion that if a senior girl isn’t sitting with a freshman boy, it isn’t “mixing it up.” This year, seeing certain teachers berating students who sat amongst tenuous “friends” for “not mixing it up” solidifies that—but it’s simply untrue. Mixing it up means changing who you sit with. It’s inconceivable that everyone in the school will always be friends with everyone—that’s why social groups
exist. To “mix it up” can mean as little or as much as you want, as long as there’s some effort involved. In a school with vastly varying levels of social anxiety, we need to build up the ability to branch out—disarm that notion at first, while setting the precedent. In the same vein—getting into a cold pool, it’s far easier to dip a foot in, test the water, and ease yourself into the cold without jumping in and entering cardiac arrest. To that, many might say, “I would rather jump in and get it all over with.” But that’s truly the beauty of mix-it-up day. If you want to, you can make your transition as stark as you’d like—and if you don’t, the day is a precedent for others, throughout the year, that it’s safe to jump in. It’s our job as a school to keep that alive.
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6 Fe atu re
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Battle of the Beans Photo Illustration: Gita Raman
Local coffee shops provide a regular hangout... and coffee, chocolate, and chai
You’re tired. It’s another Monday. You had to wake up way too early and can barely keep your eyes open. You are seriously craving a latte to get you through your day. What do you do?
It’s mid-day on a Wednesday. The students in your advisory are complaining that they are starving. You desperately need a smoothie and some banana bread to help combat your mid-week blues. Where do you go? Photo Illustration: Gita Raman
It’s a Thursday and your tutor wants to meet with you after school so you can study for a big test. What do you do? Photo Illustration: Gita Raman
Clare Tipler
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Staff Writer
For St. Paul Academy and Summit School students, the answer to these questions comes down to a fairly simple choice: take a short walk to either Caribou Coffee or Espresso Royale. Both have locations less than a block away from the Upper School. However, all coffee shops are not created equal and brand and location matter—even if the locations are less than 200 feet apart. Caribou Coffee is a large chain with 417 locations nationwide—including 229 in Minneso-
ta - and is known for its reliable coffees, teas, smoothies, pastries, and other snacks. To most people, Caribou feels familiar with its recognizable logo, decorated chalkboards covering the walls, and comfortable seating next to huge windows. Caribou is “rarely a let-down in terms of a delicious snack,” freshman Muneil Rizvi said. But since Caribou is such a household name, it can be crowded, busy and impersonal. “Anybody can go to Caribou and find something they like,” senior Zoe Matticks said. “This can make the line annoyingly long and can fill up all of the chairs.”
In contrast, Espresso Royale is a relatively small coffee chain with only 23 locations in the United States, and just three locations in Minnesota. Espresso Royale has a cozier atmosphere with minimal crowds and plenty of open seating options as well as a more laid back and relaxed serving staff. “Espresso Royale is quieter and the people there are regulars,” Matticks said. Just like Caribou, Espresso Royale serves snacks and drinks, but also has a wide variety of meal items like sandwiches. Some, like Matticks, would even argue that the coffee at Espresso Royale tastes better. However, despite a
more varied menu and arguably better tasting coffee, the SPA student preference for Caribou over Espresso Royale comes down to two very simple things. First, location. To get to Espresso Royale, students must cross both Randolph Avenue and Fairview Avenue instead of just Randolph to get to Caribou. “It makes a pretty big difference when I’m choosing a coffee place. It’s a hassle to cross [Fairview],” sophomore Andrea Olson said. Second, brand. In addition to the extra street crossing, it appears that a national brand really does matter to SPA students. “I don’t know why I’ve never been
By The Numbers Caribou or Espresso Royale? Hot or iced, students have opinions about local shops Data compiled from surveys administered to students grades 9-12 on students’ habits concerning two local coffee shops, Caribou Coffee and Espresso Royale.
Infographic Credit: Netta Kaplan
to Espresso Royale. It seems like a cool place. But everybody just goes to Caribou. It’s what we do as a whole. I’m sure the coffees taste almost identical,” freshman Macy Blanchard said. Matticks agrees, concluding that “I usually see more SPA kids at Caribou.” “Espresso Royale? Hmm. Never been. I don’t know why, I just know Caribou is there, so I just go. Everyone does,” freshman Emerson Egly said. As Rizvi puts it, “Caribou is the SPA crib.”
Where do we go? Espresso Royale Caribou Coffee
What do we drink?
33%
hot chocolate
28% mocha
18% tea
Why do we go?
20%
12% 9% smoothie
latte
When do we go?
just for drinks
43%
after school
59%
socialize
26%
before school
24%
do homework
15%
with advisory
12%
after-school snack
13%
free periods
6%
tutoring/mentoring
2%
80% What do we eat?
Photo Illustration: Wordle.com
Fe atu re 7 November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Bakers aim to make days delicious Javier Whitaker-Castaneda has food at all of their meetings,
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Staff Writer
Food is a basic part of human survival, but instead of treating it like a chore, humans have embraced the art of eating food and found ways to make it more fun and appetizing. As some St. Paul Academy and Summit School students have found, baking is a great way to move away from eating out of necessity and instead make eating fun. Many SPA students and faculty have baked as a hobby for a long time and also enjoy sharing their craft with their peers. Baking is these students’ bread and butter, but without being able to share their creations, it just wouldn’t be as sweet. Sophomore George Stiffman has become a well-known face at SPA due to his successful cookie business. He started the business Stiffman Cookie Co. to raise money for a trip with his soccer team last year and his love of baking has evolved from there. Though Stiffman started baking solely at school events his business became more popular as he followed his newfound love of baking. Stiffman started promoting his business by holding tasting events and creating special menu items. “Chocolate chip cookies and snickerdoodle cookies were the best sellers,” Stiffman said. Despite the popularity of these original cookies, Stiffman would invent new special cookies for holidays. Senior Charlie Rosenblum also has a special reason to bake. He is part of the student group Intercultural Club and occasionally bakes for their meetings. “I think food is a central part of many different cultures,” Rosenblum said. For this reason, Intercultural Club
even if it is store bought. “Food gets people to sit down together and talk,” Rosenblum said. When Rosenblum bakes for his interest it helps the group sit together and talk proving that baking brings people together. Once a year, Upper School math teacher Mickey Scott brings her students delicious pies to eat. “Everyone is thrilled to get a pie,” Scott said. Luckily for her students, they get a special treat on March 14 most years. The date March 14 is representative of the special number pi because the number starts with the digits 3.14. This is why “pi day” is celebrated during the third month of the year, on the fourteenth day. “Pi day is a fun excuse to treat my classes to pie,” Scott said. Some bakers bake for specific purposes at SPA but most just bake for fun. Freshman Neeti Kulkarni bakes during her free time and sometimes, to the delight of her peers, brings what she bakes to school. “I really like the simple things that I bake,” Kulkarni said. She often bakes cookies and cupcakes but she has recently started making varieties of breads more frequently, especially zucchini. Similar to Kulkarni, junior Mattie Daub also bakes for fun and tries to find every opportunity to share with others. She bakes for Wednesday’s advisory snack and often for her fellow actors at play practice. “I baked for the People for Environmental Protection rain garden fundraiser,” Daub said.“I’m not even in PEP!” Stiffman and Rosenblum often bake for school and special events but others have their earliest memories of baking with their families. “My mom and grandma would get together and we’d make Christmas cookies,” Up-
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Screen capture: Stiffman Cookie Co.
I’ve put in more work [for Stiffman Cookie Co.] than I’ve put in for most other things. s o p h om or e G e or g e St i f f m a n
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I really like the simple things that I bake. f r e s h m a n Ne e t i Ku l k a r n i per School English teacher Eric Severson said. He often bakes macaroons and ginger snaps for his cast in school plays or for his English classes. Daub also thinks back to her early childhood for memories of baking, “I was home sick from school and my mom was making cookies. I dumped a lot of Tylenol in the batter so it was obviously not for serving.” Daub continued to want to help with her mom’s cooking and so her mother taught her to bake pies, cookies and cakes.
Kulkarni was still motivated to bake by her parents but not quite in the same way. “When someone else from my family would cook they kind of burned everything. I wanted to make something without burning it,” Kulkarni said. Though it is becoming more popular, baking is not a piece of cake. Baking takes a fair amount of time and effort. You can’t just throw things into an oven; there are plenty of do’s and donut’s. “I’ve put in more work [for Stiffman Cookie Co.] than I’ve put in for most other things,” Stiffman said. He had to stop inventing new cookie varieties and having tasting events due to the amount of time it was taking up in his schedule. “I’ll still bake people cookies if they order them,” Stiffman said, that is, if you pay him the dough. Baking requires focus and technique. This may be tasking on some but others embrace the challenge and love to bake even more for it. “Baking is a stress release for me,” Severson said. There are two important factors that keep these bakers baking. The first is a love of food. “I just love tasting food,” Stiffman said.
“I would travel places, try something new [and] then I’d try to recreate it.” Severson said. Loving food is important but perhaps even more important is a love of feeding others. These bakers love to taste their own creations but at the same time they feel the knead to share with others. “In my mind, the food that I bake tastes really good, but I enjoy watching people’s reactions to confirm that they really enjoy it,” Severson said. Kulkarni showed similar feelings when she said, “When I make something good and people try it, their satisfied faces leave me with a really good feeling.” In fact the idea of giving treats to others seems to be what keeps the food coming. “I like sharing food with people,” Daub said. The hobby of baking is really heating up at SPA. With advisory snack on Wednesdays and the new long class schedule there are numerous opportunities for bakers to give out treats. Bakers at SPA take advantage of these opportunities and gain satisfaction from baking and sharing their food. After all, if it makes a fellow student’s day better, it’s the yeast they can do.
re s: Cookie or cream, students can’t get enough Boraan Abdulkarim
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Cover Story Editor
“Milk’s Favorite Cookie” is, apparently, St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s, too. The wildly popular Oreo sandwich cookie is an SPA tradition. It’s easy accessibility, relatively cheap price, and the large variety of flavors all make it the ideal snack to bring in for advisory or student group meetings. “It’s rare you find a passionate hate for Oreos,” junior Sonja Mischke said. With 56 calories and four grams of sugar per cookie, according to the package’s nutrition label, Oreos are sure to please an energy-drained student, at least in the short term.
“They taste good, and they are sugary,” sophomore Alena Porter said. For those who don’t appreciate chocolate, or the previously lard-based plain creme filling, plenty of different flavor options are available. Vanilla, or “golden” cookies can replace traditional chocolate. Colorful sprinkles grace the center of “Birthday Cake” flavored Oreos, and orange centers are featured in “Candy Corn” Oreos. As for the easy access, Oreos are available in any drugstore or supermarket. “They’re just so widely spread that anywhere you go, you can pick up a pack of Oreos,” Porter said. When a student who is assigned snack one week forgets, they can “go to the store,
pick up some Oreos, and are out of there in two minutes,” according to Porter. Oreos’ cheapness make them superior, for some people, to another popular SPA snack: Bruegger’s Bagels. While most people are indifferent to Oreos, finding the same blue box of cookies in the middle of the Harkness table for advisory makes some feel like they’re “the most overdone snack,” according to senior Michael Wilkens. “They’re okay,” he said. Having the same sugary confection over and over again is bound to wear out the appeal of it. “I’ll get sick of Oreos really quick,” Porter said.
Photo Illustration: Boraan Abdulkarim Sophomores Navodhya Samarakoon, Lexi Bottern, Lukas Kelsey-Friedemann, and Brendan McGlincey enjoy a box of Oreos. Many students enjoy Oreos; however, the snack causes some students disappointment because Oreos are brought to often to student meetings. “I’ll get sick of Oreos really quick,” sophomore Alena Porter said.
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C OV E R
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St
Freshman Paul Watkins enjoys taking the public bus to and from school Paul Watkins
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Staff Writer
A yellow cord graces the wall of the number 87 bus as I stare out the window. My stop is four blocks away, and after about a block I can pull that cord to signal my stop. I thank the bus driver, get off, and walk across the street to where I can catch the final bus of the morning. I’m always paranoid about scheduling, but thankfully I can call Metro Transit’s hotline and get a more accurate schedule than what is posted. Six minutes until the next 74 comes. Great. Time passes slowly when you’re sitting on a cold metal bench, but it moves on eventually and the bus always comes soon enough. I like this route in particular because it gets me so close to campus. I’ve tried other routes, but they either seem to get me to school late or get me there a half-mile away from school. This one is reliable and gets me a few hundred feet away from the campus parking lot, which is nice. Most days I even get to school early enough to do some homework. Bus cards are only given out to students who live close enough not to need a school bus, only a fraction of the student population. Compared to taking a school bus, public transportation is more flexible in schedule and more versatile in its uses, although less efficient in
its school-sanctioned purpose, as more complex routes require more transfers. School passes, as it usually does, so I put my bag on and either wait at the bus stop across the street from campus or walk to a shelter. Depending on how late I get out, I start to walk home, about 10 blocks away, as some days that can be faster than waiting for the bus. The 74 comes at 3:14, like it usually does, and I board it, press my bus card to the sensor, and look out the window. Only a few blocks left. Contrary to popular belief, buses are most always populated by people with answers to questions commonly asked, perhaps about a bus route, or maybe about local destinations. The population of bus riders exemplifies the traditional American ideal of its country being a melting pot, a conglomerate of ideas, cultures, and traditions being passed on not through a genetic line, but through a cultural one. I take the same route home that I do to school, so getting home is easy as well. I transfer to the 87 and within five minutes I’m home, ready to start again the next day. When asked to describe what taking the bus is like, my mind sometimes falls to a blank. After all, busing is routine for me, like driving or taking a school bus for other people. Previous schools I’ve attended had an incredibly easy bus route, so easy that it seemed borderline ludicrous not to take it. I
Amod
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Hea the pa sweat their h wheel, the unp Wh first tim perienc happin able to withou anymo dents a mit Sc they m wracki drive. “Ye don’t w Colin O driving ed taki over th taking is hop skills a behind wheel. driving laughin As b ier road less-tra accusto nervou ing on Bohjan it [lear Bohjan Robert license
Photo Credit: Paul Watkins To signal the bus driver that their stop is approaching, riders must pull a yellow cord.
could even get a student bus pass, similar to the ones this school gives out, and not worry about fare for commuting. Different music lessons were just one or two transfers away and any destination I could want to go to was accessible by bus or train. Busing was never presented as an alternative method to driving or biking, it was just there. Moreover, I like taking the bus. I like sitting in a sometimes uncomfortable and visually stale seat, staring out the windows as I look at scenery I’ve seen dozens of times before. Busing is what I’m comfortable with and unlike some people, I look forward to when I can look out the windows and pull that yellow cord.
Photo Credit: Paul Watkins Students who live close to school receive bus cards. Compared to taking a school bus, public transportation is more flexible in schedule.
Sophomores, upperclassmen discover ups and downs to driving Laura Slade
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A&E Editor
How do you get to schoo
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5
dom of self-reliance, the responsibility needed to operate an automobile, or just a love for cars, there is something special about being able to drive.
24% h ave permi ts
20% have licenses
ollars
s o p h om or e Blaire Bemel
have 56% er neith or se n licen it perm
Five D
I have to get up earlier to scrape ice off [my car], but that’s okay.
5
“I’ve seen trucks tipped over, cars spin out, but nothing has ever happened to me on the way to school,” Senior Michael Wilkens said. Wilkens, among many other St. Paul Academy and Summit School students, drives himself and his siblings to school. While there are many enjoyable aspects of having that privilege, there are also challenges students have to face. In Minnesota, the legal driving age is 16--the age most students approach in sophomore year. While some students get their license and begin driving themselves right away, others choose to hold off, sometimes indefinitely. Sophomore Blaire Bemel has been driving herself to school since Sept. 6, the day after her 16th birthday. She enjoys the freedoms of being able to go out for food in the morning and never having to wait for her parents, but as it gets colder
she doesn’t get the chance to sleep in as long. “I have to get up earlier to scrape ice off, but that’s okay,” Bemel said. Unlike Bemel, Wilkens is accountable for his two younger sisters when he drives. “I still have a schedule that I have to keep track of,” Wilkens said. “Sometimes my sisters have to stay after school or get to school early and I don’t really have any control over that.” While Wilkens normally only has himself and his sisters in the car, he also tries to carpool whenever he can. When Bemel first began driving herself to school, she said it helped her wake up in the morning. “The first week I was driving to school, I was so anxious and scared that by the time I actually got to school and was out of the car my adrenaline [level] would be really high,” Bemel said. “For the next hour or so I would be really hyper. It made me more awake in the morning.” Driving appeals to everyone for different reasons, some big and some small. Whether it’s the free-
R
S T ORY
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
9
tudents give insight to the process of driving
dhya Samarakoon
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Staff Writer
arts pound, tensions rise, and alms of pale-faced students as they recall the first time hands gripped the steering when they ventured out into predictable world of driving. hen students are driving for the me with their license, they exce a nervous excitement and ness at the prospect of being get from one place to another ut depending on their parents ore. However, before the stuat St. Paul Academy and Sumchool can start driving alone, must go through the nerve ing process of learning how to
es, you’re nervous ‘cause you want to hit anybody,” freshman O’Hern said when asked about g for the first time. He starting Drivers Education classes he summer and is currently his behind-the-wheel. O’Hern ping to ease into his driving as he transitions from sitting d a desk to sitting behind the “You don’t want me in a car g on a freeway,” O’Hern said, ng. beginners start driving on busds as opposed to the safer and aveled-by roads they’re most omed to, students tend to get us. “I think I’ll first start drivcountry roads,” freshman Sara nen said. “If my brother can do rn how to drive], I can do it,” nen said. Bohjanen’s brother, t, is a senior at SPA and has a e.
Photo Credit: Amodhya Samarakoon Upper school students walk towards their cars after school. “Most people, a good third [of our class], started taking [Driver’s Ed] classes freshman year. There were a couple stragglers that took it sophomore year,” senior Sarah Coleman said.
Sara Bohjanen still hasn’t started driving yet, but is currently taking Drivers Ed. Once a person applies for a permit, they must go to Drivers Ed classes for a total of 30 hours, where the instructors teach the students about the rules of the road. Bohjanen also described her class being shown videos about the ramifications of driving. “In a video this guy took out his crossbow and fired at someone who was tailgating him,” she said. Bohjanen is still nervous about driving for the first time but is focusing on passing the knowledge test, which must be taken before enrolling in behind the wheel lessons. A handful of this year’s freshmen are starting to take Drivers Ed or have already taken it. Fresh-
man and sophomore year are typically when students start driving. “I’ve had my license for about a year,” junior Sarah Coleman said. “I started taking classes as a freshman. Most people, a good third [of our class], started taking classes freshman year. There were a couple stragglers that took it sophomore year. The real stragglers got it as juniors,” Coleman said. Freshmen and sophomores are the least experienced out of the drivers in the Upper School since most are in the process of getting their license or have just obtained it. After the initial stage of excitement that comes along with getting a license, some juniors stated that they don’t really feel the need to drive: “I don’t
have any time to drive places,” junior Amber Skarjune said. “I mean, where am I going to drive to?” Many of the seniors, appear to be driving the most out of the four grades in the Upper School. “[The first time I drove with my license] I was coming back from DMV [Department of Motor Vehicles] after I got my permit,” senior Emun Solomon said. At first while Solomon was driving everything was going fine; “But, when I merged I didn’t look back,” Solomon said. “My mom grabbed the wheel and jerked it.” Students have a decent amount of faith in their friends to drive them safely. Bohjanen stated she would trust most of her friends to drive her once they had gotten their licenses.
Others are much more picky about who sits in the front seat. “There are certain friends I wouldn’t want driving me,” senior Sam Carlson said, laughing. “But, it’s funny seeing friends freak out behind the wheel,” Carlson said. After going through the stress of Drivers Ed and behind-the-wheel lessons, there are definitely some perks that come along with finally being able to drive. “I was pumped [the first time I drove] ‘cause I could go wherever I wanted as long as I could use my mom’s car,” Coleman said. “It’s also really nice having friends that can drive.” Coleman also mentioned that there is more freedom that comes along with driving. “Your parents don’t have to drive you places. You can hang out with friends more on your own schedule,” freshman Samantha Bluhm, who doesn’t drive yet, said. “I’m not looking forward to driving my brother around. My mom says I’m gonna have to go grocery shopping and drive my brother everywhere when I get my license,” Bluhm said. As students make their way through SPA, they will achieve many accomplishments, but one of the most anticipated milestones that a high schooler will reach is finally getting their license. All of the stressful situations and moments of hesitation they experience before obtaining their licenses are worth it as students complete the transition over the years from the back seat as a child, to shotgun, to finally sitting behind the wheel.
Bus drivers frequently overlooked Mari Knudson
ol?
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The Rubicon conducted a poll on students’ modes of transportation in the morning. Data is compiled from 49 Upper School students.
s bu 4%
city
k l 4% Wa
6% Use SPA bus
90% Use a car
Infographics Credit: Boraan Abdulkarim
Staff Writer
It’s big and its wheels go round and round. About 10% of St. Paul Academy and Summit School students, according to business office assistant Melissa Hemric, use the bus to get to and from school, mainly for its convenience. But often overlooked is the person behind the wheel. “I don’t think I actually know her name,” sophomore bus rider Maggie Vlietstra said. “I just call him ‘sir,’” freshman Ellis Tomlinson said. It is common for students not to go beyond exchanging simple pleasantries with their bus driver. “I say good morning in the morning and goodbye in the afternoon,” freshman Cara Pomerantz said. “[My bus driver]’s really nice. Quiet, but friendly if you talk to her,” freshman Justine Miller said. The bus is a place where students can relax and talk about their day on the ride home after school. “It’s really
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[My bus driver]’s really nice. Quiet, but friendly if you talk to her. f r e s h m a n Ju s t i n e M i l l e r fun,” Tomlinson said. However, sometimes the noise level can get out of hand. “It’s loud. There are a lot of noisy middle schoolers,” Vlietstra said. The youthful atmosphere and the noise level has driven away many upperclassmen with the ability to drive. “I absolutely hate riding the bus. There are no upperclassmen on it,” junior Evan Miller said. “A lot of kids in the Upper School have cars and can drive themselves,” Hemric said.
It’s the job of the bus driver to both control their passengers and get the students safely to and from school on time. This is an especially hard job in Minnesota with the unpredictable climate.
10 I N D E P T H
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Eating green: going vegan Senior Sela Patterson satisfies her sweet tooth-vegan style Hannah Johnson
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Editor in Chief
Imagine walking through the grocery store and having to painfully pass the bakery aisle because of your diet. Many students cannot even fathom a life for themselves without dairyrich comfort foods like brownies, cakes, and cookies. Some believe that vegans, who refrain from eating all animal products, cannot luxuriate in the tastiness of sweets; however, this is simply not the case. During a three-week trial with veganism, senior Sela Patterson could not stop thinking about all the different deserts she was missing out on. “I am vegetarian for moral reasons of how [the
animals]’re treated before they’re killed, not the fact that they are killed,” Patterson said. Her mother shared a documentary that changed their views on food. Looking to satisfy her sweettruth, Patterson searched online for a vegan cinnamon roll recipe. “It was the first one to pop up,” Patterson said. “It only had seven ingredients, so [my mom and I] we thought it was the easiest one and went with it.” The recipe, which she found on minimalistbaker.com, substituted regular butter with vegan Earth Balance butter and cow’s milk with almond milk. Patterson followed the simple instructions and waited rather impatiently for the rolls to finish baking.“I thought they looked really, really good and they smelled
good too,” Patterson said. Her first bite surpassed all expectations she had for the rolls. “I definitely thought they held up to the normal ones,” Patterson said. She noted that the vegan cinnamon rolls were more flaky and less dense than normal, dairy-rich cinnamon rolls. Although Patterson has quit veganism and returned to vegetarianism, she still plans on baking vegan cinnamon rolls. “I thought they were almost better than other homemade cinnamon rolls I had made before, so I think I would make them again.” When asked if she finished the whole pan, she guiltily responded, “Yeah...I did!”
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I am vegetarian for moral reasons of how [the animals]’re treated before they’re killed, not the fact that they are killed. s e n i or S e l a Patte r s on
The World’s Easiest (Vegan) Cinnamon Rolls
Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson
INGREDIENTS: 1 packet instant yeast 1 cup unsweetened almond milk 1/2 cup Earth balance (vegan butter) 1/4 tsp salt 3 cups all purpose flour 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon 1/4 cup & 1 Tbsp sugar
Photos submitted by: Sela Patterson
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat the almond milk and 3 Tbsp Earth Balance
butter until warm and melted, never reaching boiling. Remove from heat and let cool to 110 degrees, or the temperature of bath water. It should be warm but not too hot or it will kill the yeast.
2. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle on yeast. Let activate for 10 minutes, then add 1 Tbsp sugar and the salt and stir.
3. Add in flour 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you go.
The dough will be sticky. When it is too thick to stir, transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or so until it forms a loose ball. Rinse your mixing bowl out, coat it with canola or grapeseed oil, and add your dough ball back in. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
4. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured sur-
face into a thin rectangle. Brush with 3 Tbsp melted Earth Balance and top with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 – 1Tbsp cinnamon.
5. Roll up the dough tightly and situate seam
side down. Then with a serrated knife or a string of floss, cut the dough into 1.5 – 2 inch sections and position in a well-buttered 8×8 square or comparable sized round pan (you should have about 10 rolls). Brush with remaining 2 Tbsp Earth Balance (melted) and cover with plastic wrap. Set on top of the oven to let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Bake rolls for 25-30 minutes or until slightly
golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes and then serve immediately.
7. Frost with dairy free cream cheese frosting or a simple mixture of powdered sugar and almond milk.
I ND EPTH St. Paul Academy and Summit School
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
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Vegan lifestyle fuels freshman Moira McCarthy Hannah Johnson
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Editor in Chief
For freshman Moira McCarthy, starting a vegan diet did not come as much of a challenge. McCarthy has been a vegetarian, along with her entire family, for her whole life, so she only needed to cut out some animal products herself. Still, McCarthy, who became a vegan three months ago, wished to find a substitute to the dairy-rich sweets she still loved. She found her answer in an
abundance of vegan brands which can be found at local grocery stores such as Lunds and Whole Foods. “I really like a lot of protein bars from a company called Vega, McCarthy said. “They are all plant based and are really healthy but they taste really good.” She also enjoys So Delicious dairyfree soy ice cream and Silk dairyfree fruit yogurt. McCarthy, an avid cross country and track runner, also creates her own vegan concoctions to supply tastiness and nutrients energized herself for school and
Moira’s Berry Vegan Smoothie INGREDIENTS:
Photo submitted by: Moira McCarthy Freshman Moira McCarthy prepares to make a smoothie. “I usually for school make a smoothie with fruit and sometimes kale or beets because you can’t taste it,” she said.
1-2 cups of raspberries 1/4 cup of frozen blueberries 1/4 cup of frozen peaches or mangos 1 frozen banana A few scoops of vanilla soy ice cream Orange juice and sometimes carrot juice 1/4 a cup of frozen beets and or kale 1 scoop of Vega vanilla protein powder
sports. “I usually for school make a smoothie with fruit and sometimes kale or beets because you can’t taste it,” she said. “I have a new protein powder called Vega All in One; it’s vanilla flavored.” The smoothie has the perfect amount of probiotics, vegetables, fruit, flax and plant-based protein to prepare McCarthy for the day to come. “It has a bunch of really good nutrients so that is what I usually bring for school,” she said.
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It has a bunch of really good nutrients, so that is what I usually bring for school. freshman Moi r a Mc C a r t hy
Vegetarian and vegan lifestyles gain popularity Eva Malloy
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Staff Writer
Vegetarians diets and variations on meatless diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. “We have students who enjoy a vegetarian diet and can feel supported within our dining services,” Chef Simon Barrow said. “We usually prepare for about 120 [vegetarians] each day. We try to stay with say, an Italian vegetarian or vegan option if we serving a Italian meat option,” he said. Some vegetarian dishes, like curries with jasmine rice and veggie burgers, have wide appeal beyond the vegetarian population. Speaking on how the kitchen prepares for these options, “We try to go with what is freshest from our provider. I also use an organic farm, so whatever is freshest, I plan around those items,” Barrow said. One trending variation on the vegetarian lifestyle is the vegan lifestyle. Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism. Vegans do not eat any animal products, and this includes eggs, dairy, and honey. There are many different reasons for choosing a vegan diet. Some students chose to be vegan because of the treatment of animals. “I became vegetarian because I don’t agree with the
way animals are raised to be slaughtered. We should let them live in the wild,” freshman Emily Schoonover said. “Four or five years ago I made a choice to go vegetarian. Both my parents are veterinarians, and it made me sad to eat meat,” sophomore Emilee Skadron said. When asked why she is not a vegan, Skadron responded, “As a
teenager, it is hard to get the required nutrition as choices are limited.” Some students have eaten a vegan diet their entire lives, typically because their parents chose to follow a vegan diet at home. Many of these families may be vegan or vegetarian because of their faith. Twenty to thirty percent of all Hindus are vegetarian,
What’s on your plate?
as well as many Buddhists. Many factions of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism believe that a vegan diet has biblical foundations. Some of the followers of Islam and Judaism make the choice to eat a vegan diet, as it can be difficult to obtain meat that is processed in accordance with their religious practices. Other families have moral reasons for eating a
vegan diet completely removedfrom organized religion. Some families simply believe that it is healthier to refrain from eating meat products. Whatever the motives for being vegan are, SPA is accomodating of personal health and moral choices, and that is something to be thankful for.
Why do you eat vegetarian? Other 15% Health 33% Dislike taste of How frequently do you meat 26% Protect practice a vegetarian diet? environment Religion 4% 22% Other 15%
Do you regularly eat a diet other than the typical omnivorous diet?
Always 18%
Yes, Vegan 3% Yes, Other
Once a day 41%
12% The Rubicon conducted a poll on students’ eating habits and vegetarianism. 35 students responded.
Yes, Vegetarian 20%
No 65% Once a week 26%
Infographic Credit: Lucy Li
12 S P ORT S
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
Playing for improvement Club sports provide unique levels of competition
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Winter Sports Preview
John Wilhelm and Thomas Toghramadjian
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News Editor and Opinions Editor
Teammates share hopes for the season Boys Swimming “Our goals are to get more swimmers to State, win Conference again, get a higher spot at Sections, and beat Central High School.” -- sophomore Karsten Runquist
Photo Credit: Emily Thissen Freshman Jackson Jewett skates at a game with his Highland Central hockey team on Nov.2 against White Bear “[Playing on the team] lets me have more playing time, and it’s also really fun,” Jewett said.
Emily Thissen
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Staff Writer
A growing trend for student athletes is to participate in sports that are not affiliated with St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Freshman soccer player Cara Pomerantz thinks that sports outside of school offer “a way to separate [myself] from school friends and meet new people. It also takes up less of my time.” Many other students take advantage of sports outside of school to step up their game off season and to make friends outside of the SPA community. Some students look for sports with a different schedule from school team sports. But students play the very same sports outside of school, sometimes recreationally, and sometimes at very high levels. Outside of school sports have a different atmosphere than in school sports, and that is a driving reason students participate in them. Freshman Jackson Jewett decided to play outside of school sports instead of in school sports. This year, Jewett decided to play hockey for a club team rather than the SPA team. In Jewett’s case, club hockey “lets me have more playing time, and it’s also really fun. It will get me ready to play for school next year.” As a freshman, he felt like he could reach his potential more by participating with his Highland Central team. Other students hope that club sports will assist them in gaining attention from colleges. These people are not eligible to play during the high school season because they play for elite teams. The soccer club, Minnesota Thunder Academy, has “academy” teams that are elite. These club
“
[Sports outside of school] offer a way to separate [myself] from school friends and meet new people.
“We have a small team that is pretty young, but we still have pretty strong swimmers. We have a new coach this year and we’re excited to be able to work with her.” --sophomore Sam Matenaer Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton
Coming off of a successful season, the St. Paul Academy and Summit School-Highland Park Highschool cooperative boys swimming team has set a high bar for this year. Three swimmers, including SPA sophomores Karsten Runquist and Sam Matenaer, qualified for the state competition. Runquist and Matenaer advanced to the section semifinals, and the team placed first in the Tri-Metro conference.
Dance Team “I’d say we’re in a building year, but I’m really excited for the season. We have a great group of girls.” --senior captain Cynthia Zheng
“I’m really excited for the season, because I’m trying this as something new and so far, everything looks really fun and inviting.” --sophomore Maren Findlay
freshman C a r a Pom e r a n t z teams allow for college scouting. Senior Sam Forsgren plays for an “academy” team and said that they are different from SPA soccer because “our practices are very different. Varsity practices were a good time, but the amount of competition and intensity at my academy practices is really demanding physically and mentally.” Forsgren enjoyed getting to know people outside of school through his soccer team. Although he really enjoys academy, he does admit that “I missed playing for SPA a lot. Although the level of play isn’t comparable to academy, its a lot of fun to play with your classmates,” Forsgren said. SPA has such a wide variety of athletes. Students can choose whether they are active in sports inside or outside of school. These opportunities are not only available for hockey and soccer players, but also for athletes that compete in any sport.
Can’t get enough sports? The Rubicon Online posts up to date game scores, special features, and team news.
Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton
This year, dance team is getting a new coach, which could greatly change the course of the season. The team is focused more on learning dance and building a bigger team, but they also hope to do well in competition.
Boys Hockey “We graduated four seniors, but we got a lot of guys too—there’s a bunch of freshman and sophomores who joined the team, and that’s a big help.” --senior Cal Nicholson
“We’re going to do good this year. I’m looking forward to playing at the next level.” --freshman Noel Parker
Photo Credit: John Wilhelm
Boys hockey’s strong season last year should translate to another strong season this year. An experienced group of seniors for the coming season should give the new team members time to learn and improve, while keeping the team as competitive as it was last year.
Girls Hockey “I think everyone agrees that we have to go to state this year.” --freshman Lauren Boettcher
“Everyone’s mutual appreciation and passion for hockey unites us all. We have some good talent coming to the program this year, so it will make up for the players we lost.” --senior captain Alev Baysoy
Photo Credit: Thomas Toghramadjian
After making it to the section semi-final last year, the United Hockey Team, a cooperative between SPA and Visitation Academy girls teams, is well-positioned for another successful season. While the players come from different schools, they don’t feel any division when they’re together on the ice.
S P ORT S 13 November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Nordic Skiing
“We lost a lot of good seniors last year, and we have a pretty young team this year, but everyone just has so much potential. It will be really exciting to see the growth and improvement.” --senior captain Sela Patterson
“All of our hard work and the handful of experienced seniors really helped the team win conference last year.” --sophomore Lexi Hilton
Photo Credit: John Wilhelm
The Girls and Boys Cross Country team’s success early in the year could also contribute to a strong season for the Nordic team. Many runners, including State participants Mary Naas and Mike Destache, are transitioning to Nordic as the cross country season has ended.
Girls Basketball
Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton Upper School Physical Education and 7th Grade PE teacher Kaitlyn Frenchick separates her seventh grade class into teams to play handball. “[I hope] to have a successful season while having fun on and off the court.” --freshman Lea Moore
“If we take advantage of our speed, versatility, and work hard enough, we can become one of the best pressure defense teams in our conference” --senior captain Jonte Claiborne
Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson
The Girls Basketball team hopes that a new coaching staff, including new head coach Nick Novak will help the program gain more wins in their last year in the Tri-Metro Conference. The team hopes to beat conference rivals Blake, Breck, Mounds Park Academy and St. Agnes.
Boys Basketball
“We are excited to welcome Joel Hanson, father of sophomore Kent Hanson, as our new assistant.” --senior captain Aidan Arnold
“We are looking to make one last run in the Tri- Metro, as this is our last year in the conference.” --sophomore Angel Smaller
Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton
The season never really ends for the Boys Basketball team. Throughout the offseason, they meet for optional workout sessions and open gyms, intensifying as the season draws near. Despite losing several key senior players from last year’s team, the team intends to work their hardest and play to their potential.
“This year we are anticipating a few new middle-schoolers and didn’t loose any people last year. There are about four to six new people, which is a large amount for skiing.” --junior Eli Zelle
Alpine Skiing
“We want to see the team’s overall record and conference status improve from last year. We hope to have good runs at sections, and have a few State participants, especially since a couple of people were so close last season.” --junior captain Julia Hansen
Photo Credit: Thomas Toghramadjian
The Alpine Ski team hopes to edge out last year’s state champion and rival Blake for the title of Tri-Metro Conference champions. With five skiers awarded all-conference last year, the team also hopes to send some team members to State.
I’m excited to get the year started. We seem to have a great team dynamic and mix of skill levels.” --junior Evan Leduc
Fencing “I’m definitely looking forward to leading the team in my new role as captain and pushing myself, along with everyone else, to do their best.” --senior captain Philip Swanson
Photo Credit: John Wilhelm
Having graduated three state finalist captains last year, this fencing season should be a rebuilding year but the team has picked up many new fencers, including upperclassmen.
Frenchick reinvents Fitness for Life program Katrina Hilton
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Sports Editor
From being the fastest fourth grader on her local recreation center track team to becoming a college varsity runner, Kaitlyn Frenchick knows what it takes to be an athlete. Frenchick has coached the St. Paul Academy and Summit School cross country and track and field teams for the last two years. Halfway through last school year, Frenchick stepped in as a long term substitute for Carol King, the Middle School physical education teacher. This year, she was hired full time and brought her knowledge and passion for fitness to the SPA Fitness for Life program. For Frenchick, passing down her love and knowledge of fitness is the reason she enjoys her job. “It’s fun and entertaining to teach the youth about how to keep themselves healthy, physically and mentally. A lot of kids these days don’t understand that it’s okay to go out and have fun,” Frenchick said. Under Frenchick’s supervision, the Fitness for Life program has undergone many changes to become more multifaceted. “Fitness for Life is no longer a beginning weight training class, it is now a class where there is a health part for half of it and then for the other half we do some type of physical activity,” Frenchick said. Frenchick adds a new
flavor to the traditional gym class by providing students with physical activity from different sports and games. “I try to get them moving as much as possible with the games we do, not necessarily just straight up running. We play squirrel tag. It is kind of like a cat and mouse type of game. It’s fun. We’ve done ships across the ocean. My background is in running, but I understand many students enjoy doing other sports,” Frenchick said. The class now also includes a larger health component, in addition to the physical components. The beginning of each class begins with a half hour discussion about health. “The biggest thing I cover is nutrition. We talk a little bit about eating disorders, which loops back to mental health,” Frenchick said. She informs students about health by pulling from what they previously knew and correcting any perceived norms or incorrect information the students have. Frenchick wants students to put their best effort into every class. “My biggest thing is trying to make them improve. I’m not trying to see who’s the best athlete in the class, I’m trying to see who’s trying to make themselves better and improve on their skills.” For Frenchick, Fitness for Life is not just your average gym class, but a chance to help students become more conscious about their health and well-being.
Love gaming?
Read the story by Paul Watkins on The Rubiconline www.rubiconline.com
Is the book better than the movie? “As the cold sets in, the time approaches to spend winter nights cozied up with a movie. But looking at the list of films out this November, quite a few have something in common: they’re adaptations of popular books.”
Read the story by Netta Kaplan on The Rubiconline www.rubiconline.com
14 A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
Catching Fire Image via Hunger Games Explorer Press Kit
“Among the typical jobs of SPA students, one stands out: freshman Enzo Vinholi’s job as a competitive video game player whose matches are broadcast to the world...”
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Drake Gallery hosts thought-provoking show
Photo Credit: Lucy Li Artist Sylvia Horwitz talks to a drawing class about one of the pictures in her gallery installation DESAPARECIDOS: Mothers of the Disappeared. “It’s important to find a purpose. What little piece here can I do to heal the world?“ Horwitz said. The installation will be in the Harry M. Drake Gallery through Nov. 26, followed by the annual student art show.
Photo Credit: Lucy Li Sylvia Horwitz stands by her pictures in the Harry M. Drake Gallery at her show’s opening. “I was deeply moved and inspired by the Madres and Abuelas and wanted to make a visual record of what I was experiencing,” Horwitz said.
Noor Qureishy
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Staff Writer
Yellow light, like artificial sunshine, spreads over the walls, enveloping lined faces, fists held in defiance, startled pigeons, pain, joy, desperation, anger, all in a sea of creamy gold. There is a happy, almost innocent glow illuminating the pictures of people fighting to reclaim their loved ones, lost during a period of military dictatorship in Argentina. Under the brutal military junta that succeeded President Juan Perón, individuals who supported dis-
senting student, social or labor movements “disappeared.” The Harry Drake Art Gallery is hosting a collection of pictures through Nov. 26 of the Madres, mothers of the children who disappeared. The pictures were taken by Sylvia Horwitz in an attempt to inform the world outside of Argentina about the terrible events that occurred there. Horowitz found her inspiration to do this work when she went to Buenos Aires, Argentina, intending to photograph tango dancers. Instead, she found the Madres. “In Argentina’s capital city, I met a group of activist women in 2005
who have participated in weekly protest marches on Plaza de Mayo for over 35 years…I was deeply moved and inspired by the Madres and Abuelas and wanted to make a visual record of what I was experiencing,” Horwitz said. “It’s kind of hard to look at these pictures because the colors are so pretty. I can appreciate the beauty of the pictures, but the story they’re telling is so sad,” senior Mary Merrill said. Merrill studied the Madres in her Spanish class junior year, and had some background information on the subject. Freshman Spencer Evert also knew a little about the Madres. “I read about it in the paper once… [It was] horrifying… very gripping,” Evert said. The Madres, or the Abuelas, are a group of women attempting to reunite with family members taken away from them by the government. Although they were met with limited success, the Madres represent a struggle to find truth and justice, and avenge those whose lives have been twisted for their government’s sake. “The kids were hooded and blindfolded, with hands cuffed behind their backs… we waited, hiding and waiting to see what would happen; when they would bring them… that was the last time we heard of them… now
thirty-two years have passed… this was the fate of the ‘disappeared,’” Beatriz Lewin, a member of The Madres said in an interview with Horwitz. Lewin’s son and daughter-in-law were taken by the police and military men during the period of military dictatorship in Argentina in 1976. This persecution resulted in about 30,000 people being taken to concentration camps. “Exiles to Europe, Israel and other countries … destroyed our scientific community … thousands of those who couldn’t leave had to pass through the experience of a concentration camp and death,” Lewin said. Men and women, young and old, journalists, intellectuals, lawyers, musicians, anyone who tried to spread the truth or support opposition movements were sentenced to labor, torture, and eventually death. Pregnant women were also taken to the camps, and once they gave birth, the mothers were killed and the babys’ IDs were changed. Only five out of 400 babies and 89 out of 30,000 children have been found after thirty-five years, but the Madres still search for records and files that say what the government did with all those who disappeared. “It was genocide,” Lewin said, recalling the terrors of that time. “[The kids] did not die of sickness nor accident… they were dropped
from planes into rivers while still alive… tortured and murdered.” The Madres are also concerned about memory – remembering those who are still missing and educating people who don’t know about the events that took place. “[This is] a task for peace, against war so that these things will not be repeated... nunca mas [never again],” Lewin said. “The courts are very slow; justice is slow, but we continue demanding.” Horowitz found her mission with the Madres; she encourages all the students of SPA to find theirs as well. “It’’s important to find a purpose. What little piece here can I do to heal the world? Right now, I have more meaning in my life than I know what to do with,” Horowitz said. “Stand up against something thats wrong, don’t just be complacent, saying ‘not my problem.’ [The Madres are] not just something to be aware of... do something, indirectly or directly, to give meaning to your life.” Many St. Paul Academy students did not know about this event before hand, but were touched nevertheless. “I thought the pictures and the story were very moving,” freshman Justine Miller said. Students who have visited this exhibit described it as “emotional,” “eye-opening,” “interesting,” and “touching.” “The pictures are historic, emotional, and informative. Since I haven’t heard about this event beforehand, the pictures for me were quite shocking to look at. I wasn’t aware that such photographs exist,” sophomore Danish Mahmood said. “It’s interesting to see old people protesting, rebellions seem like more of a young people thing,” junior Evva Parsons said. “They’re still out there, raging hell,” Horowitz said with a laugh, pointing at the picture with an elderly woman, shaking her fist as she fights for memory, truth, justice, “It’s amazing.” “Usually people think old women are useless, only grandmas... but this really shows that seemingly weak people can really make a difference in the world,” freshman Johnny Addicks O’Toole said. “If you passed this woman on the street, you wouldn’t think she was anything special... but she’s out there, making a difference.” “A primary intention of my work is to ‘open minds and hearts’ to the seeking of truth and justice in our world,” Horowitz said, “[just like] SPA’s philosophy.”
Students take to Twitter to share their taste in music
A RT S
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Meghan Joyce
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Photo Credit: Meghan Joyce Freshman Cole Thompson, junior Halsey Moe (sitting) and senior Charlotte Hughes rehearse a wedding scene from The Caucasion Chalk Circle. “The cast has been absolutely phenomenal,“ Upper School theater director Eric Severson said.
The Caucasian Chalk Circle comes full circle
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Staff Writer
As rehearsals for The Caucasian Chalk Circle come to a close, some things get hectic, while others fall perfectly into place. Time and again the cast performs the same part of the same act, trying to perfect the action or memorize the line that has been escaping them. They need all the time they can get; after all, there’s not much time left until they perform for live audiences. “It seems like it’s coming up so soon,” junior Mansuda Arora, who plays an innkeeper and an expert, said. Sophomore cast member Anna Biggs, who plays a musician and a chef, thinks that the audience will enjoy this play, as it will be different from what most people are used to. “It’s not really like anything we’ve ever done before… it’s kind of fun, a new experience,” Biggs said. The biggest change for the 37 person cast is that there are around 60 parts, so most people have two parts, and in many cases even three. “Everybody is essentially a different person in each act,” Biggs said.
E N T E RTA I N M E N T 15 November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
“Generally people who play multiple characters are the same kind of person in different occupations so it’s not too confusing for anyone,” Arora said. Unlike most performances, this play will have a musical element to it. Upper School theater director Eric Severson was happy to see Tim Kraack (‘05) return to compose the original music for the play. “What Tim has mirrored in the music, which I love, is that the musical phrases which [senior Emily Ross, the singer] sings don’t really end... it keeps this energy and this ambiance continuing,” Severson said. “I have most of my songs memorized,” Ross said. “I really like If You Walked in Golden Shoes, and the Act One finale songs.” Biggs is a musician for part of the play, so it’s not surprising that one of her favorite parts of the play is how the music works with the unique narration. “It’s going to be cool. We’re going to have people singing all these really weird augmented harmonies, and they’re all in minor and creepy sounding… I think that there’s also going to be digital effects in the background, videos helping to tell the story, which is what Calla [Saunders, sophomore film enthusiast] is doing,” Biggs said.
These uses of video and song are typical methods that Brecht, the original playwright, would use in his performances. “[Brecht] tries to use different mediums to get his point across,” Severson said, “to find another way to engage the audience… that isn’t just the traditional theatrical way of words.” Severson is most excited to see how the audience feels about the story and how it is staged. For example, “the biological mother is [at the trial], but she’s had no real connection to her child in the way that we’re staging it. Sonja Mischke, who plays the governor’s wife, actually never touches the child until the very end,” Severson said. “It ends in a way that is fulfilling for the audience, I think, as well as the characters.” “The cast has been absolutely phenomenal. ...They’re a beautiful ensemble and are supporting each other and working really well together,” Severson said. Performances for The Caucasian Chalk Circle are free and open to the public. Both the Nov. 22 and Nov. 23 performances begin at 7:00 p.m.
Disney magic lives on in the hearts of students and teachers
Kennedy Strombeck (11)
Dan Ertl, US Science
Tommy Dicke (9)
Ellie Klein (12)
Deniz Kihtir (11) Fair use images taken from movies.disney.com
Shefali Bijwadia
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Staff Writer
Disney movies may be aimed at kids, but that doesn’t stop Upper School students and faculty from continuing to find the magic that Disney movies bring. St. Paul Academy and Summit School students still love their favorite Disney movies and love Disney even with the controversial messages they send audiences. Junior Kennedy Strombeck was confident in her answer to favorite Disney movie. “Obviously The Little Mermaid,” Strombeck said. Sophomore Elena Youngdale had a harder time selecting her favorite Disney film. “Oh that’s hard… I like them all I guess,” Youngdale said. Freshman Tommy Dicke’s fa-
vorite Disney movie is Sky High, a superhero movie released in 2005. He enjoys non-animated movies. “[I prefer] strict Disney movies [over Disney-Pixars] because Disney-Pixars are all animated,” Dicke said. “I don’t watch Disney [animated movies] that much.” “My favorite Disney princess is Aurora,” senior Ellie Klein said. “But my favorite Disney movie is The Lion King.” “[My favorite Disney movie] is A Bug’s Life,” Junior Deniz Kihtir said. Upper School science teacher Dan Ertl prefers older Disney movies. “My ultra favorite movie is Treasure Island because the head pirate Long John Silver set the standard for world pirates. [Long John Silver] is better than Jack Sparrow,” Ertl said. “Now the movie with the most profound influence on my childhood was The
Battle of Davy Crockett. [Davy Crockett was] a hero to millions of boys in the late 1950s.” The Battle of Davy Crockett was released in 1955 and started the craze for raccoon hats. Ertl’s favorite more recent Disney movie is The Little Mermaid. While Disney movies are made to entertain audiences, some people find messages sent by Disney movies and Disney princesses offensive, inaccurate, or perfectly fine. For example, some students find the Indian scene in Peter Pan to be racist, untrue representations of First Nations people. Also, many find the body types of princesses to encourage girls to be super skinny, curvy, and have big eyes if they want to be attractive. Klein finds no problems with Disney princesses. “I honestly think Disney is fine, I just think they’re stories… I guess I can
see where [people who don’t like the messages Disney sends] are coming from,” Klein said. Klein accepts Disney movies as just stories that entertain audiences and shouldn’t be thought of as anything other than good stories. Strombeck reflected on Disney princess messages. “I think [Disney movie messages are] good,” Strombeck said. Some students and faculty, however, find that Disney does not send the best messages. Youngdale finds Disney movies can be slightly inaccurate, but good overall. “I guess they do [send a good message]. I guess they’re off from what they really are, like Pocahontas was really a young chubby girl. [Disney movies] can be really stereotypical, but it’s easier for kids to understand,” Youngdale said. Kihtir thinks Disney movies
can portray characters in a racist way. “I think that [in] most of Disney movies, when you look back at them you find things that you didn’t notice before,” Kihtir said. She gave the Peter Pan example: kids would not notice that the First Nations people are portrayed in a stereotypical racist way when they watch the movie for the first time as young children. Ertl does not agree with the messages sent by Disney movies and princesses. “They don’t [send good messages]. Let’s face it -- big eyes. There’s something genetic that makes people react positively [to girls with big eyes]. It’s alleged beauty,” Ertl said. From the excitement coming from high schoolers and adults about Disney movies they enjoy to this day, it is obvious that Disney movies are for all ages.
16 B AC K C OV E R
November 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue III.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
The whimsical world of fandoms Harry Potter spin-off movie causes stir among Potterheads Sarah Murad
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Photo Credit: Sarah Murad Freshmen Andrew Michel and Phoebe Pannier enjoy the Harry Potter book series in the Upper School Library. “I don’t think [Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them] will be as good as the other movies, but anything that J.K Rowling is writing will be great,” Pannier said. “Commercially, I think the movie will be a success since lots of people will go to the premeire. It will be beautiful. “
Staff Writer
Bestselling author J.K Rowling has reawakened the magical world of Harry Potter with the production of her latest movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, although the release date is yet to be announced. The series of fantasy novels follows the adventures of wizard Harry Potter as he struggles to defeat Lord Voldemort, with the help of his two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Following the release of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Rowling released a 42-page fantasy resembling a textbook referenced in the movie. The book contains the history of Magizoology (mash-up of magic and zoology) describing 75 magical species found around the world. Although the book isn’t part of the Harry Potter collection of novels, it has sold around 500,000 copies. Due to the book’s success, on Sept. 12, Warner Bros. announced that J.K Rowling would be making her screenwriting debut in the first of a planned series of film adaptations, exciting Potterheads (the name Potter fans call themselves) all over the world. “I don’t think it will be as good as the other movies, but anything that J.K Rowling is writing will be great,” freshman Phoebe Pannier said. Harry Potter is the highest grossing film series of all time with 7.7 billion dollars. “Commercially, I think the movie will be a success since lots of people will go to the premiere. It will be beautiful,” Pannier said. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Rowling said,
“Although it will be set in the worldwide community of witches and wizards where I was so happy for 17 years, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is neither a prequel nor a sequel to the Harry Potter series, but an extension of the wizarding world.” The film based on a guide for magical creatures and will center around the life of the fictional author, Newt Scamander, and includes an entirely new cast of actors, playing Sacamanders friends and other characters. This surprising revelation has left Potterheads ecstatic for the new release. “From a marketing standpoint, I think its a brilliant plan. They want more money, and it’s a smart move because there are millions of Harry Potter fans who are going to go see the movie and it will make a ton of people happy, but it’s also a risk,” freshman Andrew Michel said. He thought that J.K Rowling writing the script would make the movie even better. “I think that its a really good idea if she writes it. Everyone knows her style, so if they like the books, they will like the movie,” Michel said. However, not all fans believe its such a great idea. “I think that people should leave the Harry Potter movies as they are; I don’t think people should make more movies purely for income. I just think that the Harry Potter movies were many people’s childhood, and there is no point to this except for the money,” sophomore Miriam Tibbetts said. The revelation of this new series of films shocked all Harry Potter fans, and has now left them on the tips of the toes, restlessly waiting for the continuation of the magical world they thought had come to a close.
Upcoming 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who excites Whovians worldwide Ali Duval
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Staff Writer
The poster is released, the date has been announced, the actors have filmed. Everything is ready for the epic Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special, and all the whovians, fans of the show, wait in anticipation. The classic Doctor Who was a BBC show, and the first episode of the originals aired in 1963. The last episode of the classic Doctor Who series aired in 1989, excepting a television movie in 1996. The show is centered around a face-changing,1000-year-old Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels in space and time in his spaceship, the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space), and saves humans and aliens from life-threatening situations with a constant companion to keep him from getting into too much trouble.
“The show is good because it shows that anyone who is ordinary can be fantastic,” junior Sandhya Ramachandran said. After that, the show went on a nine year hiatus, and returned in 2005, with Christopher Eccleston playing the ninth regeneration of the Doctor. Eccleston remained on the show for only one season, when he was replaced by David Tennant in season two of the new series, starting in 2006. Tennant played the 10th regeneration of the Doctor for three seasons, until he was replaced by Matt Smith, in 2010. On the Christmas special of 2013, Matt Smith will be replaced by Peter Capaldi as the 12th regeneration of the Doctor. When the Doctor regenerates, he changes face and personality, even though he is still the Doctor. His species, the Time Lords, uses regeneration as a way to cheat death. “I’m really excited because
Tennant is coming back and he’s probably my favorite doctor. I still really like Matt Smith though, and I’m sad that he’s going to regenerate soon,” Boettcher said. The Doctor also has a constant companion, who travels with him on his adventures and changes every few seasons. For example, from seasons one to season two, appearing with both Eccleston and Tennant, Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) was the companion. Other companions include Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman), Donna Noble (Catherine Tate), Amelia “Amy” Pond (Karen Gillan), Clara “Oswin” Oswald (Jenna-Louise Coleman) and River Song (Alex Klingston). “In my opinion, David Tennant was the best Doctor. I also really liked Rose. I also think they should have tried to give Clara more personality, and they should do more with her,” Ramachandran said. The 50th anniversary special
will air on Nov. 23, and will be starring Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman, with David Tennant and Billie Piper returning as their previous characters for the special. The episode will also contain several other actors and actresses, many of which have made small appearances in previous episodes of the series. “I’m very excited about David Tennant’s return. I think that lots of people agree with me,” senior Bilal Askari said. The movie will premiere on BBC channels in many countries, and, for several countries including America, the episode will be shown in movie theaters as well. “I’m glad that the 50th anniversary is finally here. It’s been so long since the last episode,” Askari said.
Fair Use image taken from news.cnet.com The 50th anniversary special of Doctor Who premieres on BBC America on Nov. 23. “The show is good because it shows that anyone who is ordinary can be fantastic,” junior Sandhya Ramachandran said.