November 2014 issue

November 2014. Volume XLII. Issue III.

THE RUBICON S t . P a u l A c a d e m y & S u m m i t S c h o o l - 1 7 1 2 R a n d o l p h Av e n u e - S t . P a u l , M N 5 5 1 0 5

experiencing the world with color blindness and synesthesia Science & Technology p. 10

• • •

Staff Members review D.C.’s Georgetown cupcake Farm to table movement puts down roots in twin cities five easy and delicious studentmade recipes to try at home Cover Story p. 8-9

life as the sibling on campus: both a blessing and a curse Student Life p. 6

COVER DESIGN: Boraan Abdulkarim

Sarah Murad, Jonah Mische and Neeti Kulkarni strike a pose in the kitchen.

Students (including those pictured) share their favorite makeit-yourself recipes in Cover Story P. 8-9.

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Gourmet vending machine installed in athletic area

news

PHOTO CREDIT: Javier Whitaker-Castaneda

SOPHOMORE ANDREW MICHEL uses the new vending machine, which is filled with healthy snacks and ready-to-go meals.

Finally, the solution for any student who knows one meal is not enough for a whole school day. On Nov. 13, a vending machine and microwave were installed near the bathrooms at the end of the athletic hallway. The goal of the new vending machine is to provide varied, healthy option. “They’re are helpful, especially for after school practices because if I forget a snack I can grab something from the vending machines,” sophomore Emerson Egly said.

Offerings from Taher, who also caters lunch, range from small snacks to heatable meals, many of which were taste tested Oct. 22.

Did you miss the story? Check out the Feature on RubicOnline.

November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

Mix It Up Day embraces the awkward

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Gym doors locked due to security concerns

PHOTO CREDIT: Javier Whitaker-Castaneda THE MAIN GYM DOORS FROM LILY COURTYARD closed and locked Oct. 13. The PHOTO CREDIT: Meghan Joyce TABLE 6 offered these students a space to talk

doors will remain locked until 3 pm when they open for the convenience of after school sports. “We want people to access the school in places where we have safety and security officers or other school employees available to watch,” US Principal Chris Hughes said.

with a group they regularly might not sit with.

“It’s fun. I get to learn new things,” freshman Elsa

Javier Whitaker-Castaneda

Runquist said.

Cover Story Editor

Netta Kaplan Managing Editor

The lunchroom seemed especially busy Oct. 28, with colorful paper perched on the tables and an Intercultural Club music selection faintly playing on speakers. The buzz of conversation was louder than usual. For the most part, people seemed to be “embracing the awkward,” the slogan of this year’s Mix It Up Day. Class leadership councils plan MIUD, when students sit by peers who share a number, whether they know them or not.

“All the leadership groups were hoping to revive it and turn it from something people dread to a new way to have fun,” JCLC member Sabrina Brown said.

MIUD always meets mixed reactions. For some, embracing the awkward is a good way to spice up a normal week: “It’s fun. I get to learn new things,” freshman Elsa Runquist said.

To help alleviate the possible awkwardness of eating with strangers, the student leadership councils provided sheets of questions to break the ice. “We’re doing questions, having fun,” senior Isabella LaBlanc said.

Given the fact that most freshmen and sophomores eat early lunch and most juniors and seniors eat late lunch, it was hard to have students mix it up as much as they could have, but many students did their best to sit with new people. “[They should] spread out the tables because there’s all the sixes over here. I guess it doesn’t really matter,” sophomore Colin O’Hern said.

Although the setup of the day may not be perfect yet, it still manages to achieve the day’s goal: getting people together in new and different ways. “I think it was pretty successful, though.

There wasn’t really any flaw that I saw,” freshman Hunter von Tersch Pohrer said.

Pathways in and out of school have changed a great deal this fall. One of the more recent and noticeable changes is that the typical student entrance by the gym door is locked. Though this change has caused an immediate reaction, it was a decision made with planning and thought.

Ever since the doors were locked on Oct. 13, lots of the focus has been on the negative effects of this action. The doors have rerouted students’ paths and has affected how early students must leave their house in the morning. “[The locked doors] add like 5 minutes to the time it takes to get in the building,” junior Claire Ristau said.

Students may be unaware of why the locked doors are necessary and feel frustration at another long walk from the parking lot.

Many students speculate that the door is locked for construction reasons but that is only partially true.

“The gym doors are locked primarily in the interest of security,” Upper School Principal Chris Hughes said, “We want people to access the school in places where we have safety and security officers or other school employees available to watch who is coming in. That’s just basic good practice.”

The gym doors are locked in the morning, but re-open with security present for the convenience of those in after school activities at the end of the day.

Though the locked doors represent security for the school, they mean something different for students, especially for those who need to access the part of the school near the gym. “[The locked doors] mean I have to leave for school earlier so I can go all the way over by the senior lockers to get inside, then I have to walk all the way over to the freshman lockers, then I have to walk all the way to my advisory [in the language wing],” freshman Terry Cheney said.

“

The gym doors are locked primarily in the interest of security.

U S Pr i n c i p a l Chris Hughes

A security increase is one overall benefit from locking the doors, but another reason they need to be locked is that construction for the Huss Center for Performing Arts will encroach that space in the near future. “As construction continues, the new building will be linked to the existing gym hallway, which will close off that lob-

by area at some point, likely near the end of the year,” Hughes said.

A new entry point will be built to connect to the gym lobby but will be more accessible from both parking lots.

Even with these doors locked, administration has ensured that there are ways for student to enter the school building in the morning. In addition to the normal Summit Center doors at Davern Lobby being open, the doors by the lunch room patio have also been unlocked so that there are still two entrances when students are arriving at school.

The slight inconvenience will eventually lead to a new chapter in SPA history but for now it is hard to look past the immediate changes that were caused by the doors being locked. “[The change] was annoying because the gym doors were where I usually went in. Now I have to walk farther to the sophomore benches, which is where I usually hang out before school,” sophomore Spencer Allen said.

The locked entry doors by the gym is just one of many ways increased security measures and the new performing arts center will change how SPA operates. It has temporarily shifted the way students enter the building and soon it will shift again to a new entrance for the Upper School with a consistent security presence.

Get a look inside the Huss Center @ RubicOnline.

BookFest welcomes Benjamin Freyinger as guest speaker Diane Huang Online Visual Editor

Javier Whitaker-Castaneda Cover Story Editor

The Randolph campus kicked off another exciting installment of the annual BookFest during Assembly Oct. 17 with the traditional practice of a Keynote speech.

Students heard from alumnus Claus Benjamin Freyinger (‘96) who focused on the topic of architecture and pleasurable spaces. Freyinger works at LADG, a firm that branches out from creating purely functional spaces and diverges into artistic forms of architecture.

Freyinger looks to avoid the traditional architectural model of simply designing shells for different programs, or uses of space.

“We think there is a different possibility to turn the shell container inside out. In this case, program is the shell. In other words we can make a bunch of things and use the daily activities of people’s lives to hold all of these things together,” Freyinger said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Diane Huang BENJAMIN FREYINGER gives a speech about his architecture firm, the Los Angeles Design Group, as the guest speaker of the annual Middle and Upper School BookFest. Themes included pleasure, comfort, and interactions with inanimate objects in space.

Throughout the lecture Freyinger emphasized the ideas of IDS tower architect, Philip Norton. “All architecture is shelter; all great architecture is the design of space that contains cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the person in that space,” Norton said.

One of the ways LADG creates cuddliness and stimulants is by using hollowness: “Our brand of hollowness invites interaction, peaks curiosity, and leaves room for imagination,” Freyinger said.

He emphasizes the usefulness of exposed hollowness (visible

hollowness that inspires interaction), implied hollowness (intuitive hollowness that warrants investigation), and hermetic hollowness (enclosed hollowness that invites imagination) as ways to connect the program more to the architecture.

By interacting with the audience and programs, architecture can be made more pleasurable.

This is the style of architecture that Freyinger strives to create.

By using tools like hollowness Freyinger sends an invitation for investigation and different use of

the space, elevating the “architectural shell” to modern architecture.

But what does all this interaction, hollowness, and cuddliness lead up to?

In the end, they all connect to pleasurable architecture. In Freyinger’s words, “For us, pleasurable architecture is one bodily object. It’s sensual in terms of being tactile, but it also touches the eyes based on deliberate color and line combinations. It is playful, we fill rooms with objects and when we fill up the room with more, we have more friends to play with,” he said.

This year’s theme for BookFest was Time, Place, Self. Freyinger’s talk challenged students to think of space as it relates to reading.

As a part of BookFest, Freyinger attended many art classes and his designs are currently on display in the Drake Gallery. This year, the BookFest did not have any visiting authors, but facilitated a plethora of events including a book marathon.

Learn more about BookFest at RubicOnline.

Path from parking lots to gym foyer open in front of Drake Arena

PATH FROM PARKING TO GYM FOYER OPENED Nov. 11 and students take immediate advantage of this shorter walk. “Now it’s just so much easier for me [to get around], freshman Olivia

On the first snow of the year Nov. 11, students and faculty were welcomed to campus with a shorter route from vehicle to doorway. The path from Drake Arena to the Lily Courtyard through the construction was highly anticipated because of the high student traffic that was temporarily rerouted.

The path is paved right next to Drake Arena, similar to where the old pathway was. Students had anticipated its opening for some time and are taking advantage of the new path. “Now its just so much easier for me [to get around],” freshman Olivia Williams said.

Although Upper School Principal Chris Hughes thought the path was supposed to open in Oct., safety was the most important factor and student interest was in mind.

Before the path was opened, Hughes said, “It will open as soon as there is no construction overhead... when it is safe for students to walk underneath.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim Williams said.

Staff Writer Breandan Gibbons was recognized

by Best of SNO for his story about the Washington team name protest.

Read it now: www.rubiconline.com

news

NOVEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

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Admissions open house invites prospective families Boraan Abdulkarim Chief Visual Editor

For most St. Paul Academy and Summit School students, the annual admissions open houses are secondary events, their existence nothing significant. However, some students came in on Nov. 16, devoting their Sunday to leading tours at school. For other students, the main reason they attend SPA is that their family visited the school for one of these open houses.

“It’s a nice way for families who are just starting to think about schools to have a more informal opportunity to see the school,” Associate Director of Admission and Financial Aid Anne Marso said.

A large part of an open house are the student tour guides who see their role in the admissions open houses as a way of portraying an accurate representation of school life. “Students know a lot more about what it means to actually [attend] the school, so they have a lot of personal experience, rather than [an administrator] giving a general idea of what goes on. A student gives a more

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim FRESHMAN STEPHANIE FRISCH acts as a student tour guide, guiding students and families through the halls and classrooms, at the admissions open house Nov. 16. This is one of three annual open houses, all of which rely on student participation. “Students know a lot more about what it means to actually [attend] the school, so they have a lot of person experience [to give tours]”, junior Justin Jallen said.

personal feel to it,” junior Justin Jallen, who toured prospective families around SPA, said.

The process of giving a tour is relatively simple. Jallen found that questions guide the conversation. “Most of the time they have enough questions to keep it going,” Jallen said. Frequent question topics included homework load, extracurricular activities,

and the nature of classes.

Sophomore Katie Brunell makes a point of explaining the one-of-a-kind community spaces in the school. “When I pass the library, [for instance,] I’ll talk about how a lot of people hang out here, and that this is where we study, I’ll point out a [certain] fun spot for interaction, but I’ll also talk about community in the

classrooms as well. The Harkness tables are something that a lot of people aren’t familiar with, so I talk about that experience and what it’s like. I’ll talk about the math area too, because that’s something that’s pretty unique to the school.”

There are three open houses in a year: a “during the day” session in Oct., the open house in Nov.,

and a student panel in Jan. All of them rely heavily on student participation.

During the Nov. open house, there are no student classes taking place. Instead “we have our tour guides to the best they can to make the classrooms come alive, so we ask our tour guides to spend time in different classrooms, and talk about their experiences, and what they’re doing in the classrooms, which is why student tour guides are so important: because they have a different perspective than we would necessarily have,” Marso said.

Tours end in the dining hall where families can have in depth conversations about curriculum with Upper School teachers. There, Head of School Bryn Roberts talks to prospective SPA families.

“It’s just being able to hear from a student, know who our students are, because our students are wonderfully articulate and have really great stories, and can share their own personal experiences differently than I can giving a tour. We’re proud of all of our kids, and we like to have them demonstrate who our kids are,” Marso said.

Powell acts as helpful guide through college search process Eva Perez-Greene Editor in Chief

Upper School College Counselor Karna Humphrey’s substitute John Powell began working one-on-one this month with Humphrey’s advisees as they navigate the application process.

Powell founded Expedition College, a private college consulting business, and was contacted by Director of College Counselling, Mary Hill, in late spring about filling in at SPA. Humphrey worked closely with Powell in the weeks leading up to her maternity leave, introducing him to each of her advisees and discussing their colleges of interests, academic backgrounds, and personalities.

“Ms. Humphrey is so easy going that when we met with students, she made it very easy for me to participate with students.

We felt as we met and talked with kids that we were already starting to pass that baton,” Powell said.

From student services to admissions to college counseling, Powell has diverse, extensive experience in the world of undergraduate education. He has been the Assistant to the Dean of Students at Bowdoin College, Assistant Director of Admissions at Macalester College, attorney at Felhaber Larson Law Firm in St. Paul, Director of College

“

[Helping students find the right college] is just really exciting.

It never gets old.

J o h n Po we l l

Counseling at the Prairie School in Wisconsin, interim college counselor at the Breck School, and most recently, founder of his own consulting business.

“College was a great time in my life. It was a real intellectual awakening. I made great, interesting new friends and became much more of an individual. I felt like I was really at the right place to do that, so to help kids find a place that will allow them those similar opportunities for growth and fun is just really exciting,” Powell said. “It never gets old.”

At this stage in the college process, Powell is aiding seniors as they’ve continue the application process. Humphrey pre-wrote her

letters on behalf of her advisees, so it’s now Powell’s job to support them as they take the necessary steps towards admission.

“Some kids are still refining their college lists so we might be both expanding and contracting those, balancing it between reaches and likelies.There’s also a lot of work on essays, a lot of looking through common applications and activities sections, too,” he described.

Powell remains in touch with Humphrey, though the job has largely become his own. He is familiar with this experience, having covered leaves at other independent schools during this period in the admissions process.

“The great thing is that I’ve got this great team here with me- Dr. Sachs and Ms. Hill. When I have questions that are SPA specific, it’s a small enough place that they know students here and can help me out with a lot of that...But if there’s something urgent, by all means, I’ll get in touch with her [Humphrey],” he said.

Powell has used humor and his strong listening skills to connect with Humphrey’s advisees throughout the stressful college application process. “Soliciting and trying to be really sensitive to what students’ priorities and needs are, meeting those, is important. And I do think that humor is something that I use in every

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-Greene INTERIM COLLEGE COUNSELOR JOHN POWELL works at his temporary desk in the college counseling office until College Counselor Karna Humphrey returns from maternity leave. “I’ve really been impressed with everything I’ve seen from students to faculty,” Powell said.

aspect of my life to make things go more smoothly and more fun.

At the end of the day, if you’re not laughing it’s not a good day,” he said. So far, the transition has gone well with Powell receiving visits from Humphrey’s advisees regularly.

Humphrey will return in mid-January, and the College Counseling office has made a final smooth transition period a priority. “Ms. Humphrey and I will overlap at the end for a period of time just to make sure that nobody feels abandoned. We made sure that there was going to be a really nice transition period on both ends so that everybody felt very comfortable,” Powell said.

From Powell’s perspective, his interim job as a college counselor

has been very agreeable. “I’ve really enjoyed being here. The kids here are great. They’re bright, they interact really comfortably with adults. And so many students here have developed really personal interests in a wide range of fields. I’ve really been impressed with everything I’ve seen from students to faculty,” he said.

When all is said and done, Powell will return full-time to his consulting business where he strives to “help out students who go to parochial schools where the counselors don’t have as much time.” He will also begin training for a 200 mile gravel road bike race in Kansas, biking and spending time outdoors being major hobbies of his.

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op i n ion s

NOVEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

TheRubicon

S taff

2014-15 Editor-in-Chief Eva Perez-Greene Chief Visual Editor Boraan Abdulkarim Managing Editor Netta Kaplan Online Editor-in-Chief Catherine Braman Online Chief Visual Editor Diane Huang News Editor Clare Tipler Opinions Editor Amodhya Samarakoon Sports Editor Emily Thissen Cover Story Editor Javier Whitaker-Castaneda Feature Editor Nina Zietlow Student Life Editor Noor Qureishy Arts & Entertainment Editor Meghan Joyce In Depth Editor Mari Knudson Science & Technology Editor Paul Watkins Columns Editor Thomas Toghramadjian Copy Editor Gita Raman Photographer/Arts Critic Patrick Commers Staff Writers Iya Abdulkarim Marlee Baron Lauren Boettcher Rafael Buettner-Salido Dianne Caravela Breandan Gibbons Jared Grossman Lexi Hilton Ben Konstan Stephanie Li Ben Mellin Shaymus O’Brien Lillian Pettigrew Tucker Waltenbaugh Adviser Kathryn Campbell

the rubicon 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 First Place w/marks of distinction CSPA Gold Medal w/All Columbian Honors

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

STAFF EDITORIAL

Teachers build positive learning community A student knocks on an office door. The teacher looks up, eager to assist, and provides the student with explanations, resources, and extra clarifications.

At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, a place which welcomes students to collaborate and speak with an open mind to teachers, this is a common situation.

Teachers are passionate about helping their students gain a deeper understanding of the ideas covered in class. The teachers at SPA help develop the minds of students while motivating them to discover more about a subject.

The schedule change contributes to these quality student/ teacher relationships. Similarly, the addition of the tutorial period enables and encourages students to check in with their teachers on a daily basis.

If a student takes five minutes to speak to their teacher one on one, it saves them unnecessary stress while showing the teacher they care. The extra time that a teacher is willing to spend with a student to help him or her learn is extremely beneficial.

However, students have to be willing to take advantage of teachers’ help and actively seek teachers out. Google is easily accessible to every student but it is important to remember that, while it may provide answers, teachers can give the same, if not more nuanced, ones.

The process of learning truly becomes beneficial to students

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Meghan Joyce TEACHERS ARE PASSIONATE about helping their students gain a deeper understanding of the material. Taking into account everything that teachers do for students at SPA, it is important to stop by and thank them for their generous drive to help students succeed in all their endeavors.

when they learn how to ask their teacher their questions rather than simply type them into a search engine.

Teachers are very useful resources, they challenge and inspire students to fully grasp concepts. Meeting with teachers about extra questions, or ways to learn more about a topic, shows interest while helping to develop good relationships.

The teachers at SPA build positive relationships with students each time they ask questions and drop by their offices to visit. They

allow students to relate to them and speak their minds with confidence. This trusting relationship between the student and teacher is invaluable because it allows the student to feel comfortable making mistakes Besides being interesting people who’ve had many unique experiences, teachers also eagerly provide students with a variety of resources such as access to labs, internships, people to shadow, recommendation letters, and professors outside of school.

In addition to helping students

and providing them with support and connections, teachers do a lot of work behind the scenes. Planning lessons, balancing the work of different periods, and correcting tests and essays are enormous tasks.

Taking into account everything that teachers do for the student body at SPA, stop by a teacher’s office and thank them for their generous drive to help students succeed in all their endeavors.

Mini-Editorials Designing Change class draws up plans for new vending machines

Talking is best kept face-to-face, not face-to-screen

Respect for diverse opinions lacking in recent discussion

Sandwiches, pastas, wraps, a microwave along with other wonderful food creations, available at the push of a few buttons, have satisfied insatisfiable high schoolers from all corners of St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

And who are these formerly hungry, and now full, students to thank? Their peers in the Designing Change class.

Crowds can be seen gathered around the machine, staring in awe, and no doubt they are grateful but most often they just thank the school in general for caring so much about its students’ needs.

However, it was, in fact, this elective class which came up with the plan for the new, full service vending machines which are located below the gym foyer.

The Designing Change class also advocated for the gym foyer to be opened a space to eat, making it convenient for for those students who stay late after school for sports, as well as for some other students who are simply hungry during the school day.

The real world application of this class’s ideas benefit our entire student body.

It’s Tutorial or a free period.

Students crouch over their smartphones, texting furiously. It seems like they’re on another planet.

They come together to learn and socialize at school every day, and for the most part they’re really good at that.

From classes to advisory to sports to student groups, SPA students are outgoing and in sync with eachother. However, since the change in the cell phone policy, more students have been tuning out, and that’s disappointing.

When in school, where it’s easier to meet in person, students ought to try and do so as in today’s digital age, it’s harder and harder to connect face-to-face.

Texting is without a doubt a great form of communication, but it becomes silly when it replaces a deeper, readily available form of communication.

Students need to check phones less and look at each other more.

Spend Tutorial in a face-to-face conversation today; ask a friend about their plans for break; go talk to a favorite teacher. It will be worth that missed instant Facebook update, text or tweet.

A conversation began on the opinions board the third week of Nov. regarding racism. Started by Intercultural Club, it related to racism’s definition and whether it applies to white people.

This discussion spread from a single post to a series of responses, extending off the board in only a matter of days. It is amazing that this discussion, based around a sensitive topic, could incorporate the voices of so many different students within the community.

However, students wrote “-1” on posts to indicate disapproval rather than simply writing “+1” to show support. Of course disagreeing is perfectly fine -- disagreements are the core of strong and engaging discussions -- but, no matter what opinion a student chooses to stand by, the board should be a safe place to share thoughts.

Students need to find a way to maintain respect for all opinions, whether or not they concur, and continue to engage intellectually and emotionally with the topics that matter to them most.

The Rubicon

Editorial Policy:

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

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

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

Our Mission

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

Op i n ion s

November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Finish this sentence: Sharing grades with peers... .... motivates competitive students to improve

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...should only be discussed between friends Emily Thissen Sports Editor

Photo Illustration: Emily Thissen Grade sharing creates

a healthy competition that balances all students’ grades at

very high levels more consistently.

This“Viewpoints” opinion pieces is meant to be an intellectual argument and may not fully reflect the writers point of view Javier Whitaker-Castaneda

Cover Story Editor

Sharing grades is vital to the process of creating a balanced, motivated academic community. If every student knows where they stand relative to their classmates, then the student body will achieve good grades more consistently.

Without grade sharing, a student has no point of reference to show them whether they should improve or maintain their work ethic.When students become aware of how they compare to others, they can strive to achieve higher grades, improving the class average.

If this competition was not created it would minimize the improvement of each individual student, and therefore reduce the success of the entire school body.

All student development

would be harmed if there was no competition created by grade sharing.

Compare this competition to competition in a sports league. A better team would not improve if they aren’t playing anyone at their level because they are not being challenged. Similarly, all student development would be harmed if there was no competition created by grade sharing.

This competition would also benefit students later in life. The student would be trained to constructively compare themselves to others, using this skill in college and work environments.

By analyzing how others around them do, students can take control of their own developments and further their progress academically. Without the knowledge of where they stand, the students are not aware of how they should develop and improve.

The classic “Wait, what did you get?” seems to be the only question on students’ minds as tests and grade sheets are handed back. Students yell out their scores in response, without being conscious of who is around them.

This creates an awkward situation for students who have a different perspective on grades.

Everyone in St. Paul Academy and Summit School community has different standards, and when these standards clash, there is no way to know how someone may feel about their own work. To one student, a B might be considered a great achievement, but to another it might be disappointing. This is why yelling out scores can create unnecessary tension.

Talking about grades among close friends provides an outlet where students are able to share their achievements in a class, or something they may be partic-

VIEWPOINTS

Photo Illustration: Diane Huang Grade sharing should only be encouraged when everyone is comfortable with it, in a smaller group of students who know each other’s standards well.

ularly upset about, and they are able to do so without worrying about upsetting other students.

Students never know how their peers feel about a certain grade, though they may think they do.

It is important to be mindful of how other students feel, and share grades in a small group of friends rather than in front of the entire class.

A student might be shut down by another who unknowingly talks down their grade because of a difference of standards.

Smaller groups allow for grade conversations with less judgement and tension because close friends know each other and their

standards well. When a student talks to their friends, they are more aware of their boundaries and know what’s likely to upset the people they are talking to.

SPA is known as a welcoming community, and being conscious of who you are sharing your grades with ensures that it stays that way. The actions of students contributes to how the environment is perceived and how students experience it. Creating a safe community is important at SPA, and grade sharing should only be encouraged when everyone is with comfortable with it, in a smaller group of students who know each other’s standards well.

...creates stress and strains academic improvement

The Rubicon staff members share four opinions on grade sharing

...should be anonymous Photo Illustration: Diane Huang

Diane Huang Online Chief Visual Editor

Competition is extremely beneficial for students to mutually improve. Of course, to create this competitive environment and establish ranks, students would need to share grades. A great way to combat the negative effects of personal grade sharing, would be for teachers to post anonymous lists of recent grades, such as tests. This would give students the option to see how they compare to their peers.

While announcing grades allows for competition and awareness of one’s rank among peers, those who are more sensitive to competition or academic stress should not have to be unwillingly exposed to grades.

Often, grade announcements from particularly competitive students appear as outright boasts or, “modest brags.” Also, standards among many students vary

WHEN Two Students share their grades

with each other, one student will

often walk away feeling less intelligent , the other with a false sense of superiority.

Mari Knudson In Depth Editor

Photo Illustration: Amodhya Samarakoon For those who are motivated

by competition, anonymous grade postings by

teachers would allow competition without subjectivity.

greatly and when students apply qualifiers to each grade, such as a “good” or “bad”, the same grade could mean many things, depending on the student.

Attributing higher capability to students with higher standards creates a differentiation between “dumb” and “smart students.

This divide lowers the confidence of students who may have lower academic standards than those of the very highest achievers. As a result, students with lower standards lack trust in their ability to improve and achieve .

Competition is set in place so that everyone can strive towards improvement–the true indicator of learning. Ideally, students would improve as they continued to advance in rank. In this way, students work towards their own goals, not those set by the school community.

For those who are motivated by competition, while some students may enjoy competing with specific people, anonymous grade postings by teachers would allow competition without subjectivity.

Picture this: instead of students’ grades in class being private, each student’s name is ranked on a list in the classroom in order of highest to lowest grade. Most students would be appalled if this system was enforced at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Why then, are SPA students compelled to share grades with their peers, which is essentially the same as a list, whether they ask for it or not?

Often, motives behind grade sharing are academic; students want to know how they are doing relative to their peers. However, when two students share their grades with each other, one student will often walk away feeling less intelligent and the other with

a false sense of superiority.

One student’s grade in a class or assignment is insignificant to their entire academic journey.

SPA is a competitive learning, many students are driven further by the desire to do better than their peers.

However, the long term goal of school is to master content and satisfy a passion in a subject for a student’s own benefit, not to simply do better than others.

Furthermore, students viewing their peers as people standing in the way of their own academic success rather than a potential aid fractures the community.

While competition may be ingrained in the SPA culture along with grade sharing, it is never too late for students to actively take it upon themselves to scale back on both practices.

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November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

BIG

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

little

Siblings share stories of sharing home & school

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Boraan Abdulkarim PHOTO CREDITS: Meghan Joyce (headshots of big siblings), Catherine Braman (cutouts of little siblings) SCHOOL AND SIBLINGS don’t always mix, but there’s no denying the support siblings recieve from having brothers or sisters already on campus. “I was not constituionally inclined to do...anything that involved public speaking - [I was] painfully shy. But the fact that Hagop did it...gave me confidence that I could,” senior Thomas Toghramadjian said. From left to right: Charlie Hooley, Michael Hooley, Ellen McCarthy, Moira McCarthy, Thomas Toghramadjian, Raffi Toghramadjian, Justin Jallen, and Ashley Jallen.

Big siblings serve as classmates & offer advice Meghan joyce Arts & Entertainment Editor

Sibling dynamics are undeniably complex. Only siblings can know each other well enough to be both the bane of their siblings’ existence and their best friend.

“I get along with them. My siblings don’t [get along with each other]. But I’m like the best, so…” junior Charlie Hooley said.

Hooley is the oldest of four siblings, all of whom attend St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

As “the best [sibling],” Hooley has tried to pass down essential lessons, usually basic tips for getting through life or navigating high school. Apparently, his siblings fail to recognize the wisdom of his vast, worldly knowledge. “I do [give them advice] sometimes, but they won’t listen,” he said.

Junior Justin Jallen is the oldest of his siblings at SPA. According to Jallen, his little sister is open to hearing his advice. “I’ll tell her how to do homework, how not to do homework… give her the rundown on teachers,” Jallen said.

Sometimes I wish I had someone b e f o r e me so I could learn from their mistakes. senior Ellen M c C a r t hy

Senior Ellen McCarthy said she wants to give her sister, sophomore Moira McCarthy advice too, although Moira never needs it: “She has learned some things just from me going through everything first, but she’s pretty independent and smart,” McCarthy said. “Sometimes I wish I had someone before me so I could learn from their mistakes.”

Senior Thomas Toghramadjian said he thinks having an older sibling at SPA is an asset to his little siblings. “It helped me to be following in Hagop [Toghramadjian, ‘13]’s footsteps, and I think hopefully I’ve helped Raffi out,

too,” he said.

The support provided by having an older sibling encouraged Toghramadjian to try things he otherwise wouldn’t have. “Basically, being in the ‘Toghramadjian Dynasty’ is like having a lot of good expectations… I was not constitutionally inclined to do debate, Upper School Council, or anything that involved public speaking - [I was] painfully shy. But the fact that Hagop did it made me feel both an obligation to do them and a desire to do them, he gave me confidence that I could,” he said.

It can be tough to be the older sibling, but Hooley said he is glad to be the oldest. “I’m kind of in charge, and I like that they make my house more fun,” Hooley said.

McCarthy has fun being at school with Moira. “There really isn’t a bad part; I love seeing her at school… and I love making her laugh. She literally has the best laugh,” McCarthy said.

Often, McCarthy hears about “Moira Moments” from her friends and teachers. “She tends to do things that stand out, so I

hear about them,” she said.

Toghramadjian often talks about his siblings with teachers.

“I think because it’s so obvious that we try to follow each other, they try to intentionally avoid comparing us. They want us all to be independent, but at the same time they definitely ask us about [each other]…we’ll talk a lot about Raffi’s debate progress.

They’ll ask about Hagop, too, in college.”

Hooley enjoys spending time with his siblings. “My little brother and I play basketball and baseball and we like the same sports.

And then my other little brothe -- we’re closer in age, so we hang out a lot,” he said.

The McCarthy sisters both run ross country and track, and while Moira McCarthy is unable to Nordic ski with her sister, she manages the team. But the real way that they bond is over food.

“We like to make pasta together.

That’s a big one. Or smoothies!”

McCarthy said.

According to Toghramadjian, his siblings do a lot together. “We all played on the same baseball teams, read the same

books, debated together. We’ve played duets...done a lot of music ensembles casually, we do a lot of church activities together…

Then there’s the Academic World Quest team…student council, too,” Toghramadjian said.

Some older siblings drive their little siblings to school every day.

According to Hooley, the hardest thing about it is listening to his sibling’s crazy music on the way to school. For Jallen, it’s not so bad. “I drive my younger sister to school every morning but she’s pretty quiet: sometimes she sleeps, so not much goes on there,” Jallen said.

More than driving or fighting or looking after their little siblings, the biggest burden of the older sibling is the inevitable moment when they leave the nest and their siblings behind. While sibling dynamics are complex, it can be difficult to say goodbye.

“I’m going to miss her next year [at college],” McCarthy said. “We’re probably the closest we’ve been since we were really little and didn’t have school, so I’m especially going to miss her now,” she said.

Younger siblings utilize support & guidance from older siblings Catherine Braman Online Editor in Chief

From earlier bedtimes to handme-down clothes, it is not easy being a younger sibling. There are several sets of siblings who make the trek to the Randolph Campus together each day. Some of the younger siblings share their perspectives about going to the same school as their older brothers and sisters.

“A lot of my friends complain about how their brothers are mean to them. I feel fortunate to have a brother who is so kind,” freshman Ashley Jallen said, referring to her older brother, junior Justin Jallen.

She considers him a friend, a driver, and an important part of her support system, “He is always there to answer any questions that I have, whether it is about school, academics, or socially. He is always pretty helpful,” Jallen said.

Attending a school with an older sibling already there “made me more comfortable,” she said.

The McCarthy sisters, sophomore Moira, and senior Ellen, have similar interests and enjoy doing activities together. “I like having [my sister] here [at SPA] because it is fun to see her in the halls,” sophomore Moira McCarthy said.

The sisters share a love for running. “We run cross country together. It is fun to talk about the team together and have that camaraderie of not only being on the same team but being in the same family,” she added.

According to McCarthy, one drawback to being in the same school is when teachers assume that she learns just like her sister.

“I am more organized that her.... teachers have occasionally made reference to Ellen but not specific details about her,” McCarthy said.

Freshman Michael Hooley appreciates having an older brother

at SPA. Hooley’s older brother is junior Charlie Hooley. “[Charlie] has given me some advice to take ninth grade seriously,” Hooley said.

In Hooley’s opinion, “going to school is better if you have an older sibling. Social and academic advice from my older sibling makes it easier,” he said.

He also thinks that having an older sibling helped him develop a good reputation in the middle school because his brother was a good student and stayed out of trouble. However, unlike the McCarthy sisters, the Hooley brothers’ extra-curricular interests are different. “I like mountain biking and skiing. [My brother] plays a bunch of school sports that I don’t,” Michael Hooley said.

Regardless of differences, older siblings provide their younger siblings with someone to look up to. “Having an older sibling at SPA has definitely helped me a lot. I have learned from his [Thomas Toghramadjian’s] expe-

It is fun to... have that camaraderie of not only being on the same team but being in the same family. s o p h o m o re M o i r a M c C a r t hy

riences,” sophomore Raffi Toghramadjian said.

Toghramadjian added that Thomas’s connections and advice “made me more comfortable around older students…[also] I can ask for help because Tommy has experience with the same problems.”

He noted that one disadvantage is when he is stranded at school later than he would like to be due to his brother’s after

school activity or meeting. “I usually do homework or sit and talk with my friends in that spare time. Because my parents drive us and they only want to make one trip back home [to Blaine], they pick us up at the same time,” Toghramadjian said.

With both brothers participating in the debate program, “we talk about ideas together. Each of us will take a side on an issue and then we argue against each other,” Toghramadjian said.

Most of the time, older siblings have taken the same classes their younger siblings have and gone through experiences that are similar to those of their younger siblings. Support from an older sibling can help the younger sibling navigate the halls and classrooms.

“Always listen to your sibling’s advice because even though it may not seem like it, they are usually right and [the advice is] usually really helpful,” Jallen said.

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St. Paul Academy and Summit School

7

Teachers’ writing goes beyond classroom

Anderson, Kerman review Twin Cities theater, film on blogs Marlee Baron Staff Writer

Hypnotic, consciousness-raising and scathing: these adjectives appear in reviews on either Upper School English teacher Emily Anderson’s blog Bad Entertainment, or US French teacher Sophie Kerman’s reviews for Minnesota Playlist, a popular arts website.

So what is an art blog? Kerman describes it as a blog with a focus on the arts that frequently publishes opinions.

Kerman started working for Minnesota Playlist in Oct. 2014/ Before then she owned and ran Aisle Say, another Twin Cities arts blog. According to her Authors Index on Minnesota Playlist Kerman “also moonlights as a translator of European sportswear ads and tourist brochures.”

Kerman got into blogging while she was attending graduate school, focusing on French theater. Her professor introduced her to Aisle Say which she started out just reviewing for, but eventually took over. She switched to Minnesota Playlist because it has a larger viewership and it is easier because she is only reviewing for it, not running it. Kerman mostly critiques plays and a little bit of dance and opera.

Anderson co-owns her blog Bad Entertainment with Minneapolis-based lawyer, Eric Prindle.

“I blog about film, theater, literature, dance, and painting in the Twin Cities,” Anderson said.

“

I’m always asking my students to think critically and this gives me the opportunity to do that as well.

Upper School English teacher Emily Anderson

Her favorite types of art to blog about are theater and film.

“Blog visits mean that there are people out there who are interested in thinking about art, and this is a good thing. It’s always interesting to see which reviews people are more drawn to, but I write in order to keep myself engaged with the arts community. So, when someone else reads my reviews it’s just an extra reward for what is already fulfilling work,” Anderson said.

“I got into blogging because I wanted to give back to the arts community and because, as an English teacher, I’m always asking my students to think critically so I wanted to do that as well,” Anderson said.

Anderson and Kerman practice what they evaluate on their own.

“I was very involved in theater as an actor and director and now I play piano,” Kerman said.

According to Kerman’s Author’s Index on Minnesota Playlist “She also currently plays

chamber music with the Esperanza Ensemble.”

Anderson writes poetry and fiction in addition to her reviews.

Blogging about art and critiquing art can help in the classroom.

“I know what to ask for when I’m asking students to give opinions,” Kerman said.

Although their shared hobby of art blogging and critiquing art can help in the classroom both teachers mostly blog for their own enjoyment.

“I use my blog to remind myself how difficult good writing is but also how rewarding it is,” Anderson said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-Greene US FRENCH TEACHER SOPHIE KERMAN writes theater reviews for Minnesota Playlist, the second theatre blog she’s worked with in the Twin Cities. Kerman describes her blog as a space with a focus on the arts that frequently publishes opinions.

Read Anderson’s reviews at Bad Entertainment: http://www.bad-entertainment.net

Read Kerman’s reviews at Minnesota Playlist: http://www.minnesotaplaylist.com

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-Greene US ENGLISH TEACHER EMILY ANDERSON blogs about film and theater at Bad Entertainment, a blog she co-owns with Eric Prindle. “I use my blog to remind myself how difficult good writing is but also how rewarding it is,” she said.

Choy finds passion in writing creative poetry and stories Ben Mellin Staff Writer

Writing is an escape from the world for some. It is a source of reflection for others or a simple way of finding peace. For Middle School English teacher Jacey Choy writing is way of showing her perspectives on the world.

“It’s just a way of expressing how I feel or how I see life,” Choy said.

Writing has always been Choy’s silent voice, even if she didn’t realize that being a writer was something she wanted to do from a young age.

“I think that in my life I have always enjoyed writing. I have always been a writer and I have always been a reader. So when I was in elementary school I read a lot...and then I also started writing. You know, when you are in middle school, you start keeping journals and diaries, I had…pen pals that I would write to,” she said.

Choy never seriously contemplated becoming a writer because she was pushed in other directions, like becoming a lawyer or doctor, more “concrete” professions she said. Choy first serious-

“

Writing has really been a way for me to look at the world and to express how I feel about the world.

Middle School English teacher Jacey Choy

ly considered becoming a writer in college.

“I never really thought about it until...college… I took a creative writing class that I did really well in, and had a lot of fun with, and that’s when I started thinking [that] maybe I could do something with this,” she said.

Choy still manages to find time to express herself through writing. Her writing schedule “is chaotic… I just try to find time, I don’t think of it daily anymore because I just don’t have time every day or energy, but I think of it

in weekly terms so I try to, especially on the weekends, set aside Sunday for sure to write, and hopefully carve out some time on Saturday...and then during the week, if there is something I really want to write about then I just try to sneak that in, but that is as much of a schedule that I can get.

It’s different in the summer when I don’t have a job, and then I will write every day.”

Choy published the short story “Red Cranes” featured in Fiction on a Stick, a collection of short stories written by Minnesotan authors. “Red Cranes” is a story about a young Japanese girl in the 12th Century whose father becomes very sick. She wants to grow into an individual but can’t because of the setting. Choy’s poem “Snow Storm in the City” placed in a competition held by Park Bugle, a local newspaper from Saint Anthony Park.

Choy’s writing often deals with “family… and home and what it means to be not with those things, like not with family and not with home, because I am not, and I think that’s why I tend to write about those things most.”

The theme of family shines through in “Red Cranes” as the

main character struggles between taking care of her mother and becoming her own individual.

Being a reader has added to Choy’s life in so many ways, allowing her to understand situations because she has already experienced them through reading, encouraging her to have more empathy.

“Sometimes you don’t meet people or situations like the ones you read about, but you can imagine that…so that when you meet people you have different kinds of relationships with [those] people, you can think about them in different ways, [reading] maybe gives you more empathy,” she said.

Being a writer has given Choy the chance to fully express herself: “Writing has really been a way for me to look at the world and to express how I feel about the world,” Choy said.

“A lot of writers are introverts, and I am one of those, and it is easier for me to express myself in writing than it is to be in front of a group performing.”

For Choy, writing will always be a way to communicate how she observes the world without requiring her to say a word aloud.

Snow Storm in the City Snow falls out of the sky like letters falling off a page.

Silently, creating mounds over trees, bushes, cars, lampposts, roads and sidewalks, everywhere I can see, transforming the landscape, writing a new story.

Like words on a page, I can read the snow, follow the narrative, know who is in charge.

-- Jacey Choy

Read more Feature at RubicOnline

BOOKFEST KEYNOTE SPEAKER Claus Benjamin Freyinger’s shares insights about his reading habits; spends two days talking design in Fine Arts classes.

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November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy an

From appetizer to entrée: f

Farm to Table movement grows in the Twin Cities Nina Zietlow Feature Editor

Meat Packing plants, slaughterhouses, animals being force fed through tubes. These are images nobody wants to have when thinking about where their food is coming from. Now picture a local farm, privately run with a quaint vegetable garden, plump happy animals roaming a field. Isn’t that nicer? The farm to table movement, with the goal of promoting the use of sustainable food sources such as local farms and

gardens, has gained enormous popularity in recent years. In the Twin Cities many local restaurants such as Heartland, French Meadow Cafe, and Bonfire, have embraced this movement in an attempt to be more environmentally friendly and delicious.

The farm to table movement started as a way to emphasize the importance of the connection between farmers and consumers and to explore ancient food production methods. It was popularized during the organic food craze of the 60’s and 70’s

and gained recognition in the past ten years as many privately owned restaurants embraced the movement. Usually restaurants that operate under a farm to table ideology buy produce directly from farmers. The farm to table movement is also traditionally against genetically modified foods.

Farm to table restaurants put a lot of emphasis on the health aspect of food as well as the taste.

At French Meadow Cafe for example, one can order kale salads, organic eggs, and whole grain

5 student recipes that anyone can make

Lauren Boettcher

-1 egg -1 cup of milk -1 cup of flour -2 tablespoons of sugar -1 banana and 5 strawberries

succeed, try, try again.

Perhaps the problem lies in the recipe,or maybe there was no recipe to begin with. Here are five simple recipes ideas that won’t require an excessive amount of labor or talent.

The ingredients above are all it takes to make sophomore Sarah Murad’s favorite fluffy breakfast food.

“I make them normally on Saturday mornings. I make them for my siblings because they can’t cook,” Murad said.

Few things have been known to make a child happier than waking up on Saturday morning to pancakes covered in syrup, whipped cream and sprinkles, like Murad’s favorite topping.

Lark Smith’s

Edible Cookie Dough -salt -flour -butter -vanilla -brown sugar -chocolate chips -granulated sugar Sometimes great things are the most unexpected. This was certainly the case for freshman Lark Smith’s edible cookie dough.

“I was trying to make chocolate chip cookies,” Smith said, “but I messed up.”

Because the cookie dough contains no eggs, it can be eaten without the fear of salmonella poisoning. Smith doesn’t use a recipe, instead she chooses to taste test her concoction of butter, brown sugar, vanilla, flour, granulated sugar, salt, and chocolate chips.

Kate Brunell’s Nutella Paninis

-nutella -1 tortilla -powdered sugar

“I got the idea for Nutella Paninis on Buzzfeed,” sophomore Katherine Brunell said about the discovery of her favorite self-prepared meal.

Brunell uses her panini maker to create this special treat. To make this delicious dish Brunell uses a panini maker or a grill.

Sarah Murad’s

Strawberry-Banana Pancakes

Staff Writer

The fire alarm sounds, the kitchen fills with smoke, and the culinary masterpiece that was supposed to emerge from the oven is now nothing more than a charcoal colored brick that will never separate from the surface of the non-stick pan meant to contain it. But as the saying goes, if at first you don’t

bread. Organic, locally sourced food, though delicious, comes at a price. Farm to table restaurants are usually significantly more expensive than others and organic food in general is hard to afford. That being said, many of the restaurants mentioned above offer more affordable food options and healthy eating doesn’t end at farm to table restaurants.

This lifestyle is one of many that people practice to improve their health.

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim

Jonah Mische’s

Ice Cream Smoothies -milk -ice cream -your choice of fruit For those who’ve had more than one or two bad experiences around kitchen appliances that emit flames, frozen foods might just be a safer option. Senior Jonah Mische reported making an Ice Cream Smoothie for breakfast nearly every three days.

“I bring them to school or give them to people, or I just have them myself,” Mische said.

Mische mixes whatever fruits he can find with ice cream and a few choice ingredients.

“The last one I made was strawberry, vanilla ice cream, banana, and soy milk,” Mische said.

While ice cream might not be high on the list of popular breakfast foods, it certainly is for this senior.

Maddie Flom-Staab’s

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-

Caramel Apple Boraan Abdulkarim Chief Visual Editor

With myriad varieties of fall flavored treats available at almost any bakery, I wasn’t sure if I wanted the caramel apple cupcake to be what I choose from the almost legendary Georgetown Cupcake.

The tantalizing towers of colorful classics (including chocolate ganache, lava fudge, vanilla squared) and other seasonal cupcakes were tempting, However, on something of a whim, possibly induced by the leaves swirling around the brick sidewalk right outside the window, I went ahead and declared my choice to the cashier, who was waiting for me to choose. I could not have made a better decision. The name had prompted me to imagine actual baked apple pieces enveloped in caramel cupcake. I bit into it unsure of what the cupcake really was. While it didn’t necessarily represent a caramel apple, it did remind me more of a pumpkin spice cupcake. The cream cheese frosting lead me to double checking that this really was the caramel apple and not the pumpkin spice cupcake. While it didn’t really get at the essence of a caramel apple, it did taste like fall, and the level of sweetness was nowhere near overwhelming, as it is in most other cupcakes. This cupcake was spectacular in every sense of the word, from flavor to presentation.

Home-style Chicken Curry

Maple Chocolate Chip

-chicken -1 bottle of curry sauce Although it may not be as authentic as traditional curry cooked in restaurants. or curry found in other parts of the world, homestyle chicken curry is an easy fix.

“It’s spicy and flavorful it also goes really well with rice,” senior Maddie Flom-Staab said.

The only manual labor required for Flom-Staab’s relaxed approach to this dish is letting tiny pieces of chicken to sizzle in a pan and adding store bought curry sauce.

Kathryn Campbell Adviser

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim

Follow The Rubicon on Pinterest for access to our Easy Food Recipes board and many others

Cupcake for breakfast? Why not? The morning after our trip to Georgetown Cupcake, I cracked the lid of that uber girly pink box of to-go cupcakes and lifted out the Maple Chocolate Chip. It tasted just like pancakes in both consistency and flavor, except that this little bite of heaven didn’t need to be warm to be good. The maple frosting blended perfectly with a cup of morning coffee and – although I have to admit I’m grateful there was no nutrition label to read – it felt like a hearty (and decadent) start to the day.

S tory

NOVEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

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food how-to’s and reviews

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The Rubicon staff reviews Georgetown Cupcake

-Greene

Standing just outside the big glass windows with large pink dots obscuring much of the view, a glance in reveals nothing but a crowd. The simple white storefront sits on the corner of a posh shopping neighborhood in Georgetown, and the day we arrived, we were relieved to see the line did not stretch for blocks, as it often does. We squeezed through the door and saw a shop decadent in every sense of the word. The cupcakes glimmer behind glass cases and the menu, which changes daily, hangs like a blackboard on the wall. There is an atmosphere of anticipation, the excitement teasing the air like sprinkles on the top of a birthday cupcake. When it was our turn, we ordered a dozen, sat at little white cafe tables, and took peeks into (and many photos of) the famous kitchen where sisters Katherine Kallinis Berman and Sophie Kallinis LaMontagne started the little family business that burgeoned into five locations, nationwide shipping, two books, and a show on TLC. Here’s what we ordered:

Red Velvet

Lemon Blossom

Lava Fudge

Stephanie Li

Noor Qureishy

Eva Perez-Greene

Student Life Editor

Editor in Chief

With a memorable flavor like dissolving flower petals, the Lemon Blossom cupcake in Georgetown certainly lives up to it’s name. From the candied lemon slice perched at the tip of a creamy, lemon frosting blanket to the delectable cake within, this dessert left a unique, lingering taste that made me, a chronic chocoholic, want more. Although I expected a more tangy, tart flavor, the light sweetness and perfect balance between the frosting and cake provided a pleasantly simple treat, not an overwhelming, sensory explosion. The elegant design was aesthetically pleasing as well--my favorite touch was the candied lemon slice, which had an unexpectedly sour taste that completed the cupcake. I’m glad I decided to try something new and choose this cupcake, even though the other options had names like “Lava Fudge” and “Salted Caramel”, since it proved to be not only exquisite in appearance and flavor, but also a fresh addition to my evening meal. I could have eaten this confection all day without getting sick of the taste; my only regret is that I didn’t order more of them to nibble over the course of the day.

Having checked out their cake schedule in advance, I entered Georgetown Cupcakes with a mission. Three words: Lava.

Fudge. Cupcake. The name, especially when compared to others like “Salted Caramel” and “Coconut” sounds sort of dramatic--images of a sweet deluges of thick chocolate sauce or cartoonish fudge avalanches come to mind. But real desert’s dramatic. Simply put, this cupcake was downright histrionic in the best way possible.

From its light, cloud-like vanilla butter cream ( no chunky butter flavor here) to its molten dark chocolate core, it really takes the cake. It was the perfect size, capable of being devoured in 3-6 bites depending on how much willpower the eater has.

Aesthetically, the cupcake’s design was simple with just a pillow of butter cream and a bolt of chocolate fudge atop a small chocolate cake .

Yes, yes, yes. Georgetown Cupcake’s Lava Fudge Cupcake can’t be beat!

Staff Writer

I had always wanted to go to Georgetown Cupcakes and now that I was finally standing in front of the decorative shop, I had to pick the perfect cupcake to savor. It was such a hard decision - the cupcake menu bombarded me with over fifteen delicious cupcake flavors. Right away, I wanted to try every single cupcake but I could only choose one.

My eyes were set on the classic red velvet cupcake. It’s the perfect go-to cupcake with a thick white marshmallow-like frosting perfectly layered onto a dark luscious red cake. A small red candy heart is placed on the frosting, adding a splash of color and giving the cupcake an aesthetic appeal. One tiny bite into the red velvet cupcake reminded me of cheesecake. The frosting was soft and creamy and I detected the rich and smooth cream cheese flavor. I was definitely not expecting this taste. All the red velvet cupcakes I’d eaten in the past couldn’t compare to this Georgetown cupcake.

The frosting complimented the cake portion of the cupcake exquisitely. I wanted to devour the small-sized delight in one bite but I had to enjoy this tiny morsel of cupcake slowly while it was still in front of me. It was one of the best cupcakes I’d ever tasted, I would definitely consider the red velvet a quality dessert.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: The Rubicon staff THE RUBICON STAFF enjoys quick treats at Georgetown Cupcake in Washington D.C. during the annual National Scholastic Press Association’s journalism convention.

Peanut Butter Fudge Catherine Braman Online Editor in Chief

The melting of the peanut butter fudge was something that cannot be compared to. I am usually not a huge cupcake fan, but this was different. This was the best cupcake I had ever tasted. The design of the cupcake was simple with chocolate filling and peanut butter frosting; and to top it all off, a fudge star drizzle.

Like desserts? Check out our story on local ice cream flavors at rubiconline.

GEORGETOWN CUPCAKE provided cupcakes for The Rubicon staff in its classic pink box. Flavors included Caramel Apple, Peanut Butter Fudge, Red Velvet, Lemon Blossom, Lava Fudge, and Maple Chocolate Chip.

: Noor REDIT C O T PHO

hy Qureis

s c i enc e & t e c h nolo g y

10 Visual diagnoses allow people to perceive the world differently NOVEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Synesthesia adds vibrant color to daily interactions aMODHYA sAMARAKOON

Opinions Editor

Tasting a smell, hearing a texture or seeing spoken words in color are, to most, uncommon experiences which can be difficult to understand since they are experienced by only a small percentage of the world’s population. This condition is called synesthesia, literally meaning “union of senses,” and the people who experience this phenomenon are called synesthetes.

In “Some People Really Can Taste the Rainbow”, author Audrey Carlsen writes that synesthesia is a “neurological condition in which stimulation of one sense (e.g., taste) produces experiences

This is what a person with average sight would see.

in a totally different sense (e.g., sight)”.

In a video by the Research Channel on YouTube titled “Red Mondays and Gemstone Jalapenos: The Synesthetic World”, non-synesthetes often experience synesthesia-like symptoms. For example, when someone is sleeping and suddenly hears a loud noise and wakes up, they may see a bright flash of light which coincides with the sound.

This average experience bears some similarity to one of the most common types of synesthesia which is colored hearing, where the synesthete detects colors in sounds, music, and voices.

According to researchers at the American Psychological Association, “most synesthetes report

Staff Writer

Protanomaly - red weakness

Tritanomaly - yellow/red

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Paul Watkins

with sounds and emotions, SaulHughes states that smells also have colors as well.

A young synesthete might not be conscious of his or her subconscious, atypical perceptions caused by synesthesia until diagnosed; Saul-Hughes had just recently realized she had synesthesia but she states that it doesn’t hinder her daily lifestyle.

Synesthetes have been living with this condition for their whole lives so if it was taken away from them, that loss would greatly affect them. “I would be much less creative without it… it has drastically increased my appreciation for beauty, and I’m deeply grateful for it.” Saul-Hughes said.

GRAPHEME

COLOR SYNESTHESTHESIA

Is the form of synesthesia in which each letter and number is associated with a certain color for an individual

Color blindness both impairs and empowers: it’s all perspective Stephanie Li

Deuteranomaly - red/green

that they see such sounds internally, in the ‘mind’s eye’”, meaning that their actual view isn’t impaired and it occurs subconsciously. An example used in the Research Channel’s video was that a non-synesthete can picture something in front of them, such as a pumpkin - they can see it in their minds eye, but they know it isn’t there in front of them.

Junior Isabelle Saul-Hughes has colored hearing. “Physical feelings and emotional feelings have texture and density, different people’s voices have shades of color, personalities have color, sounds have color - a song will have bursts and swirls, and if it’s got vocals, the words being sung have the same kind of coloring as mentioned,” she said. Along

Everyday, people around the world have to deal with color blindness - their perception of shades and intensities is altered.

Imagine standing in the middle of Times Square and seeing a green and white Coca-Cola advertisement - this form of color blindness is called protanomaly and deuteranomaly (most common).

This is when the eye has a reduced sensibility to red and green light. People with either of these color blindness conditions tend to have difficulty identifying red, green, brown, and orange.

According to the Color Blindness Awareness organization, color blindness is present in 8% of men and 5% of women in the world. A usually hereditary condition, it can be detected at childbirth or later in life, caused by other illnesses and conditions such as diabetes, sclerosis, liver and eye diseases.

The cause of color blindness is because rods and cones, the light sensitive cells in the retina, can’t function properly in processing images. Rods maintain night vision and cones are responsible for color differentiation in daylight.

There are three types of cones which perceive different colors: green, blue, and green. When light enters the eye, it stimulates the three cone cells to generate the color spectrum, allowing people to match a color to the image projected in the back of the eye.

A likely theory as to why people are color blind is that it develops due to a fault or deficiency of the cones in a person’s eye.

However, there is still research being done today to find the exact

cause. It is also possible that the pathway that connects the eye to the brain is not functioning properly.

Many children who develop color blindness at a young age aren’t conscious about their condition. However that was not the case for sophomore Henry Ziemer. He realized at around age 10 that his mind perceives greens and reds as darker than they are, often confusing dark green with black.

He explained how he came to know of his color blindness: “My middle school had a test and they showed you - red and green dots together - and there was a number in the dots and I couldn’t discern where the number was in the dots.” Ziemer said.

When it comes to common knowledge, many people assume that people with the condition have a significantly degraded sense of color, but most forms of color blindness aren’t that severe.

“I know that a chair is red and that trees are green but it’s more like if there’s a painting and someone asks, ‘What do you see?’...I might say black and yellow when it’s actually green,” Ziemer said.

He states it doesn’t cause him a huge amount of trouble, since he isn’t fully color blind: “Just don’t ever ask me to cut the red wire,” Color blindness and synesthesia are two of the many neurological conditions in the world that people have to deal with everyday.

But, synesthetes and color blinded people don’t view it as a barrier to living ordinary lifestyles, as they are able to live their lives around this obstacle that has been thrown at them. “It’s really fun to have it sometimes,” junior and synesthete Isabelle Saul-Hughes

said. Synesthetes and color blinded people, believe it or not, actually enjoy experiencing in life where they can taste the sound of music or see the world through a unique viewfinder.

“

Just don’t ever ask me to cut the red wire. s o p h o m o re Henry Ziemer

“I do not think I would change my color blindness, it’s how I have always lived and I find that it gives me a different way to view the world, in general I enjoy my vision and have learned to live well with it,” Ziemer said. Many students without color blindness or synesthesia may view these conditions as barriers to living ordinary lives, but members in the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community are able to go about their day without any serious problems.

Due to this lack of understanding among non-color blind and non-synesthetic students, they should be educated to the ways of perceiving the world as few can understand and rather than being seen as an obstacle, these conditions should be celebrated by the school community.

SOPHOMORE HENRY ZIEMER experiences Deuteranomaly, or red/green color blindness. “I know that a chair is red and that trees are green but it’s more like if there’s a painting and someone asks ‘What do you see?’...

I might say black and yellow when it’s actually green,” Ziemer said.

i n dep t h

November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

“How did you sleep last night?”

Late nights compromise students’ well being

Paul Watkins

senior Sonja Mischke

5-6 hours 7-8 hours

4-5 hours 8-9 hours

Student report varying levels of sleep in every grade, with more freshman reporting the recommended 8-9 hours of sleep, and a majority of juniors reporting only 6-7 hours.

8-9 hours 4-5 hours

S op

ho

m es or

ining start times right now, and at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, the Wednesday late start gives students a sampling of a suggested start time. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends schools start no earlier than 8:30, keeping with their recommendation of 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep for teenagers.

According to studies led by Kyla Wahlstrom, Director of the Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota, the change improved attendance, decreased tardiness, and left kids more alert, better prepared and even less depressed and less likely to visit the school nurse.

Sophomore Lea Moore is skeptical that a later start would have benefits at SPA: “My primary concern would be after-school activities,” she said. “If school started later it would have to end earlier. For basketball we didn’t start until 6:30, which is really really late. If we had a later start it would push that back more.”

Late start or not, the recommended amount of sleep is something senior Sonja Mischke rarely gets. “I don’t think [it’s] ever going to happen,” she said. “It’s a combination of homework and activities…. and also not wanting to work every second of my life.

en

“

It [lack of sleep] is a combination of homework and activities... and also not wanting to work every second of my life.

7-8 hours

5-6 hours

Data was compiled from a survey given to 100 students 9-12, with more than half responding.

6-7 hours

8-9 hours 4-5 hours

Ju s or ni

If there is one constant throughout humanity, it is this: everyone needs to sleep.

Tucking into bed at night and calling it a day is one of the most beneficial things in seemingly all aspects of human function. Getting the correct amount of sleep improves awareness, cognitive ability, mental acuity, and overall state of being, regardless of age.

However, most teenagers struggle to get the recommended 9 hours of sleep each school night. According to the National Sleep Foundation, only 15% of teens report getting a full night’s sleep. The effects of this lack of sleep can be detrimental for students especially-- without a good night’s sleep, grades suffer, attention wanes, and learning is impeded.

“I try to get 9.25 [hours]...

Most nights I get 8.5 - 9 hours,” sophomore Moira McCarthy said.

“I always try to stop my homework at night, or try to stop working at 9. If there’s stress, that will affect it more than time,” sophomore Moira McCarthy said.

She attributes her restfulness to her routine: “I shower right after I get home from sports, and then I can do homework at dinner. After dinner I do homework.

Usually I try and do it the night it’s assigned, so if I don’t finish it it’s okay.”

Most people have an internal clock -- something scientists call one’s Circadian rhythm. This rhythm is ultimately responsible for sending the message from the brain that tells the body when it’s time to go to sleep. During puberty, this rhythm is shifted back, causing adolescents go to sleep later and wake up later. This holds true for the overwhelming majority of teens.

Although some schools have tried to fight this natural rhythm by opening and ending early, other schools show more success in adjusting their schedules to align with students’ Circadian rhythms.

St. Paul Public Schools are exam-

Fre sh m

Science/Technology Editor

Sometimes I will read a book for fun and then it gets really late.

Most times it’s just a lot of work to do. Especially with college applications and stuff.”

Drowsiness or tiredness can also be deadly. According to the National Sleep Foundation, over 60% of American drivers have reported drowsiness behind the wheel, and over 35% reported falling asleep while driving. A study published in Nature showed that staying awake for 18 hours produced an impairment roughly equivalent to a 0.05% blood alcohol concentration. 204 hours produced a 0.1% BAC. This figure is higher than the legal limit for drunk driving, which is 0.08% BAC. If this is true, then sleeping can actually prevent loss of life something students could combat by getting to bed earlier.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are many ways to get a good night’s sleep. The most important one is to stick to a constant sleep schedule: “Being consistent reinforces your body’s sleep-wake cycle and helps promote better sleep at night,” the clinic writes in a blog post.

Stress can also impact sleep, something that freshman Rahul Dev can attest to. “It usually depends on the night. There are some nights [homework] definitely affects my sleep. If I don’t have it done, then there are nights where I don’t sleep as well,” he said.

Although SPA students reporting double the average for teens getting recommended sleep, this 31% is a paltry figure in the face of the drawbacks that can result from a lack of sleep. With this in mind, students need to tuck in sooner and dream of the benefits that result from a good night’s sleep.

6-7 hours

11

5-6 hours

6-7 hours

7-8 hours

4-5 hours 8-9 hours

S en ior

s

Be able to answer:

“I slept so well!”

7-8 hours 5-6 hours

6-7 hours

The Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School shares several tips: Avoid caffeine 4-6 hours before going to bed.

Build a relaxing bedtime routine: take a bath, read a book.

INFOGRAPHIC CREDIT: Netta Kaplan

Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time each day.

Don’t press SNOOZE on the alarm clock in the morning.

Take short naps, if tired, before 5:00 p.m.

Exercise at least 3 hours before it’s time to go to sleep.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Paul Watkins Senior Dani Tiedemann pretends to catch a quick nap in the Summit Center between classes. Students who suffer from lack of sleep may struggle to stay awake at school and have difficulty paying attention in class, according to the National Sleep Foundation.

INFORMATION CREDIT: Healthy Sleep, WBGH Educational Foundation and Harvard University

One Man, Two Guvnors, sure to bring laughs to audience

PHOTO CREDIT: Patrick Commers

Classic comedy takes on a modern edge in One Man, Two Guvnors, the Upper School Fall Play at St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

The show allows students to explore a genre of theatre, Commedia del l’arte which involves elements of physical comedy, something new for many of them.

One Man, Two Guvnors brings traditional comedy to the SPA Fall Play program for the first time since 2006 (besides Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.)“Working with the students in the theater program I saw some amazing comic talent emerging over the years and I wanted to find a way to showcase it,” US Theater Director Eric Severson said.

a rt s & en t erta i n m en t

Check out reviews of the latest movies and music at www.rubiconline.com

12 Students share favorite genres, reading habits November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

All images courtesy of: apple.com

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Must Reads

Lillian Pettigrew Staff Writer

The Fault in Our Stars. If I Stay. Looking for Alaska. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. The Book Thief. Thirteen Reasons Why. Eleanor and Park. Chances are most of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s students haven’t read or even heard of these titles, though they are the teen books that have been at the top of The New York Times Bestsellers List for weeks, months even. But how representative of SPA’s taste in books can this one list really be? And if students aren’t reading these books, what are they reading, and why?

Freshman Sabrina Rucker, an avid reader, prefers fantasy to all other genres. “All the unexplained things in the world that we will never get answers to, all the unknown—fantasy worlds can explain which gives me more to think about and figure out. Fantasy is best when you can connect it to your world,” Rucker said.

Rucker said she thinks that people love to read a variety of things because we all relate differently to certain types of writing. “Everyone who reads does

PHOTO CREDIT: Eva Perez-Greene JUNIOR NAVODHYA SAMARAKOON BROWSES at Bookfest to find some of the books she has on her list of must reads. “There are a few books I really want to read at Bookfest. I Am Malala [by Malala Yousafzai ]and 1491 [by Charles C. Mann], mainly,” Samarakoon said.

so because they connect to something [in the book].”

Senior Sandhya Ramachandran, also an avid reader and lover of science fiction and fantasy, agrees: “I like [fantasy] when there is something to tie it into the real world.”

Relating to characters or ideas within books is arguably the most important part of reading. Devoted readers want desperately to inhabit the worlds or lives within stories, to befriend and often fall in love with the characters.

Writers have long realized that nobody likes an ideal hero. They

all must have, if not a fatal flaw, some variety of quirks and imperfections. Rucker thinks highly of writers who, “[have] the character make a dumb decision and suffer for it.” “[I appreciate books that are] well written and have very interesting characters,” sophomore Andrew Michel said. “Generally I find books by having them recommended to me by friends.” The most common way to find books, though, is browsing through bookstores and libraries.

“I’ll spend a few hours at a bookstore and grab a huge pile of

ILLUSTRATION CREDIT: Lillian Pettigrew

books based on what looks interesting, or what the bookstore puts on display, and just start reading,” Ramachandran said. She also reads a number of books and stories online, a method which she said she recommends for those who find themselves reading less and less as their schedules fill up.

“With school being really intense, a lot of us read less,” Ramachandran said. “So I read online.”

Each individual at SPA has their own unique take on what to

- No. 6 by Atsuko Asano - The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind - Stephen Hawking’s science books - The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan and later Brandon Sanderson - Gone by Michael Grant - The Ruins of Gorlan, Book One of the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan - The Artemis Fowl series

by Eoin Colfer - The Skullduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy read and where to find it. Whendiscussing books, students are eager to share the “hidden gems” they love, rather than the ordinary books one might expect teens read, and the bestsellers they

Not That Kind of Girl elegantly shares wisdom and wit

Fair use image courtesy of lenadunham.com NOT THAT KIND OF GIRL, actress and producer Lena Dunham’s first book is a memoir and collection of fictionalized autobiographical essays.

Clare Tipler News Editor

Lena Dunham’s collection of personal essays titled Not That Kind of Girl is a teenage girl’s guide to the passage into adulthood through the clumsiness and boldness to the eventual grace and self confidence that Dunham herself portrays. Dunham is the creator, producer, and star of

HBO’s hit TV show Girls, based off of her life experiences. Similarly, her book reflects her journey as a young woman.

Her novel is a fun, easy, yet compelling read that twists the tale of a hilarious young woman encountering ordinary things and dealing with them in extraordinary ways.

When Dunham recounts her childhood and post-college struggles with body image, growing up, living in the adult world, and long-term success, she creates a relevant and relatable portrayal of women in modern times. Unlike most books of same kind, Dunham’s contains recollections that are accurate. She holds nothing back from her readers, telling stories ranging from jobs gone wrong to the dirtiest and most personal details of what summer camp taught her.

One of the most memorable chapters of Dunham’s memoir wasn’t really a chapter at all: it was a list. She spent several pages listing all of the things she is afraid of, completely revealing herself to the reader and opening her life up to the public eye. This list includes uncleaned meat, ap-

pendicitis, the subway, and milk.

It weaves humor seamlessly into Dunham’s novel, lightening what is a very serious, intimate tale of growing up with legitimate fears.

In her more explicit chapters, Dunham tells stories of men, college, and again, body image.

These stories, raunchy and personal as they are, have lessons to share as well. Through her often mortifying and occasionally obscene struggles, Dunham sheds light on pertinent issues, helping other women ride with ease over the same bumps in their own roads towards adulthood.

Body image was an important thread throughout the memoir, with Dunham devoting an entire chapter to all of the things she ate for several weeks on her journey to lose weight. Dunham is known for being criticized about her body by the media, but in her novel, she addresses the hard times she went through struggling to accept her body. In the novel she finally tells of how she has come to accept her body for what it is, and convinces others to think the same.

In addition to struggles with her body, Dunham often writes

Fair use image from Not That Kind of Girl’s YouTube channel IN PREPARATION FOR HER BOOK’S RELEASE, Lena Dunham released a series of advice videos on You Tube titles “Ask Lena.” In the videos, she covers topics ranging from feminism to dealing with OCD to body image.

of her misguided journey through life in relationships with friends, lovers, and family, and how seemingly random people can influence one’s life in mysterious ways.

In one story, of a past boyfriend, she writes about things that most everyone thinks about when in a relationship, but no one has the guts to record in a book.

Dunham’s raw and genuine perspectives offer such a timely and funny view of the world of love and beyond.

Not That Kind of Girl is must read because, though blunt at

times, Dunham effectively shares bits of her world and thoughts to help readers get through their own hard times with the grace and elegance that Dunham wishes she had had at a younger age.

Dunham’s sophisticated writing makes the book appear flawless and timeless as well as profound, and her writing style varies immensely between family-friendly and explicit, but throughout the book, the messages she conveys are valuable for girls of any age.

Taylor Swift’s latest album has listeners partying like it’s 1989

Taylor Swift’s new album 1989 appears to be one of her strongest creations, celebrating its second week at number 1 on the Billboard top 200 and selling nearly 1.7 million albums since its release on Oct. 27. Swift has abandoned her country roots and has adopted a completely new sound for this album, unlike anything in her earlier works. A concern about 1989 that is leaving many of Swift’s fans confused is the meaning behind many of the tracks. Is she making social commentary about her perceived

boy craziness by embracing that image and then smashing it (and burning, tearing, and ripping it, as she does in the music video for Blank Space)? Or is it just revenge music about past flames that have dared scorn her? Track 04, for example, called Out of the Woods, contains a complex and hard to interpret message which seems to be directed at a certain individual. Despite controversy about the meaning and new direction, 1989 has already made a large splash and will continue to rise.

a rt s & en t erta i n m en t

13 Female artists release controversial chart-toppers November 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

DIANNE CARAVELA Staff Writer

Women artists have filled the top five spots of the Billboard Hot 100 songs for five weeks in a row for the first time ever. With this recent landmark in the popularity of female artists, people have been discussing how body positive messages impact young girls.

“Girl power songs should inspire girls to stand up for themselves and be independent,” sophomore Justine Miller said.

But the songs have not gone without controversy, mainly over whether or not they are actually empowering to women.

“All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor has been criticized for shaming thinner girls and emphasizing the importance of how women look. Fans of Trainor argued that she is singing about body acceptance, but people are misinterpreting the lyrics.

In an interview with The Guardian, Trainor said her point is self acceptance and that “any body type is beautiful.” Trainor said people are taking the song

Fair use image from MeghanTrainorVEVO YouTube channel CAN SONGS THEMSELVES REALLY IMPACT how girls thinks? Sophomore Kathryn Schmechel thinks empowering songs really can motivate girls liker her. “They can contribute to how people view themselves and others,” she said.

too seriously and “All About That Bass” is a fun, feel-good song.

Freshman Web Lemann thinks the overall message of the song is good, but thinks Trainor’s hit has some questionable lyrics. “It’s good to be comfortable in your own body,” he said.

Senior Em Prozinski agrees.

She really likes the line “every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top,” but she dislikes the way the song portrays skinnier women. “If [“All About That Bass”] really wants to break down beauty standards, it’s be-

ing counterproductive because it shames skinny women,” she said.

Sophomore Maya Edstrom really liked “All About That Bass,” but the more she listened, the more problematic she found it. “It implies the main reason to love your body is because a man likes it,” she said. “I think it’s awesome that [Trainor] tried to write a song that combatted fat-shaming and was body-positive, but she ended up body-shaming girls who are not curvy...and encouraging of the male gaze, but with that being said, I don’t think its message of

accepting one’s body should be ignored,” Edstrom said.

Nicki Minaj’s “Anaconda” has also attracted debate. Critics have argued that her video objectifies the female body, while supporters have insisted that “Anaconda” is a different kind of empowerment and that Minaj, despite the suggestive dance moves and revealing clothing, is in control the entire time. They say her video is about embracing her sexuality and not letting men determine what she can and cannot do.

Minaj herself has been cryptic in her answers about the video, telling GQ that the video that it was about “the female taking back the power.”

Edstrom didn’t like Anaconda much at first, but her opinion has changed. “By sampling lyrics from an objectifying song (“Baby Got Back” by Sir Mix-A-Lot) and turning it into something empowering, she shows that women are not just objects,” Edstrom said.

“For me personally, this song and music video is a step in the right direction,” she added.

Sophomore Moira McCarthy

thinks there’s a fine line between accepting women’s bodies and objectifying them. “You don’t want to be slut shaming anyone, but you also don’t want to be reinforcing the idea that women are objects,” she said.

Whether or not they like the songs, many people seem to agree it’s good to have more successful women artists. “It’s really good for young girls to have more women of all shapes and sizes to look up to in the world of pop,” freshman Anna Commers said.

But can songs themselves really impact how girls thinks?

Sophomore Kathryn Schmechel thinks empowering songs really can motivate girls. “Songs can contribute to how girls view themselves and others,” she said.

Prozinski hopes these songs might have an impact. “These songs make it more acceptable for female musicians to release songs about girl power, and that will hopefully make a lasting impact on younger kids who listen to that music.”

‘Tis the season: looking ahead to video game releases as, which each represent distinct regions of Earth-That-Was. One new change from other versions of Civilization is the affiliation system, which changes a faction dramatically depending on which technologies or buildings they build. Civilization: Beyond Earth is out now.

Paul Watkins Science & Technology Editor

With the holiday season fast approaching, many video game publishers are rushing to release their latest and greatest games for people to buy. Big companies like Nintendo are putting out new installments in their franchises with the new Super Smash Bros., Pokemon, and Bayonetta games out or soon to be released this fall. Other, more mature games include new installments in the Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty franchises, as well as new Civilization games set for release.

Students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School are no exception to the hordes of buyers scrambling for the latest games. sophomore Cole Staples, an avid PC gamer and enthusiast, said he is excited about new video games. “I’m planning on getting Witcher 3. I’m planning on getting Evolve, if it’s any good,” he said. “With video games with me, it’s more of a ‘Is it going to be any good?’ thing because with a lot of stuff it’s hard to find out if it’s any good or not.”

Super Smash Bros.

Nintendo’s new addition to this much-beloved franchise comes in the form of two new games. Super Smash Bros. for 3DS is the video game company’s first foray

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Meghan Joyce STUDENTS AT ST. PAUL ACADEMY are no exception to the hordes of buyers scrambling for the latest games. “I’m planning on getting Witcher 3. I’m planning on getting Evolve, if it’s any good . With video games with me, it’s more of a ‘Is it going to be any good?’ thing because with a lot of stuff it’s hard to find out if it’s any good or not,” sophomore Cole Staples said.

into a mobile Smash Bros. game.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is the sequel to the highly-praised Super Smash Bros. Brawl and comes with new characters, new ways to play, and HD graphics.

Super Smash Bros. is typically a big seller for Nintendo, so the company is counting on it doing well.

Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire These games, remakes of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire for

the Game Boy Advance, bring the new engine and features from Pokemon X and Y to the muchloved story and region from Ruby and Sapphire. The games take place in the Hoenn region, a region of water and trumpets, like Ruby and Sapphire, and feature the same characters, Brendan and May, but bring an all-3D environment and battles over from X and Y. The game will also feature the 719 Pokemon from X and Y and bring back features removed, like diving and secret bases, fan fa-

vorites from Ruby and Sapphire.

Look out for these games in late November.

Civilization: Beyond Earth The newest addition to the turn-based strategy game Civilization takes players to a distant planet. After a so-called “Great Mistake” that sends humanity back before modern technology, different factions colonize a planet in hopes of restoring humanity to its former glory. Players can choose 8 different factions to play

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare The newest addition in the long-running Call of Duty franchise takes place 50 years in the future. Unlike other installments in the Call of Duty franchise, this game isn’t available on Nintendo’s consoles, a first for the franchise. “After this, a lot of gamers will probably buy a new console in order to play the game and stick with that because they have more variety. And big game companies will stop developing for Wii U. It’ll start a big switch,” sophomore and avid gamer Nina Perleberg said. The game will also feature female characters, only the second game in the franchise to do so; however this character will not be available in single-player mode. Since its release on November 3rd, it has garnered mainly positive reviews among critics with a Metacritic score of 83. Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is available for PS4 and Xbox One.

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november 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Winter Sports heat up coolest season of the year Dance team tackles challenge looking forward to tougher meets Amodhya Samarakoon Opinions Editor

The dance team kicked their way through recruiting new members and captains practices, almost doubling their members from last year. Half the team graduated summer of 2014 so they have been eager to gain new dancers. Two of their new recruits include sophomores Isabelle Bukovsan and Samantha Bluhm, however junior and dance team captain Calla Saunders stated that the amount of dancers has been varying as people are still coming and going.

This year, the team will be competing at large invitationals rather than just against other

teams at their level. “A really big school will host a huge invitational with single A, double A and triple A [teams],” Saunders said, meaning that the meets will, overall, be more difficult.

“Since most people will be new, we’re hoping that everyone improves,” Saunders said.

In terms of team bonding, junior and dance team member Miriam Tibbets stated that they’re planning on finding time for it. “We were thinking [of doing] maybe a team sleepover or getting together to bake cookies,” Tibbetts said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Amodhya Samarakoon The dance team works on kicking during a captains practice on Nov 11. “Since most people will be new, we’re hoping that everyone improves,” junior captain Calla Saunders said.

Boys Basketball ready to put in time, effort to make it to state again Clare Tipler News Editor

PHOTO CREDIT: Clare Tipler The boys basketball team runs shooting drills during practice on Nov 10. “I am most excited to get back on the court with the guys,” Peyton said. The team has a game on Nov 29 against Minneapolis Roosevelt at Minnesota Transitions Charter School at 2:15.

Girls Basketball gains edge over competitors through earlier training

Meghan Joyce Arts & Entertainment Editor

“You should play basketball,” sophomore Lea Moore said.

“Especially girls. Because boys would read that and think ‘Oh, there are so many [basketball players],’ but girls? We’re losing people.”

The team may be hoping for more players, but Moore said that they expect a successful season no matter what. “I think the team goal is just to get our groove and stick with it,” Moore said.

That goal will require some hard work and flexibility. According to Moore, most players on the team other than

With one trip to state under their belts, the St.Paul Academy and Summit School Boys Varsity Basketball team hopes to have another successful season.

This year though, they want redemption. “Last year was good with the trip to State but we want to go back and do better,” sophomore Emerson Egly said.

Like most sports, the basketball team has rivals, including Minnehaha Academy and Caledonia High School. The Spartans face off against the Red Hawks on Jan. 20 and Feb. 6, and against the Warriors on Jan. 19.

“It’s always fun to play in such intense games,” Egly said.

With only 2 seniors graduating last year, very few players will be new to the team. “We are a more mature team...we won’t

the new freshmen recruits are point guards. She said that it is a strength and a weakness for the team, because they are strong but will need to work on rounding out their talents.

The team hopes that their place in the new Independent Metro Athletic Conference will give them drive to succeed. “[The IMAC Conference] should be more competitive,” Ademite said.

“Last year we had a way better winning streak than in previous years, so this year we’re hoping that we can boost those numbers even more,” junior Sami Brattland said.

The girls basketball team

be losing our cohesiveness,” junior Captain Dalante Peyton said.

“I think we will be even better this year. We lost a couple seniors, yeah, but we’ve already made it to State and we are all even bigger, stronger, faster, and better this year,” Egly said.

Though a state title will take a lot of time and hard work, the team remains positive. “Work now, win later,” Egly said.

Above anything else, the SPA Boys Basketball Team is a family. “I am most excited to get back on the court with the guys,” Peyton said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Meghan Joyce works on shooting during captains practice on Nov 11. “ I

think the team goal is just to get our groove and stick with it,” sophomore Lea Moore said.

Sp ort s

NOVEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Fencing team embraces members from grades 6-12

PHOTO CREDIT: Catherine Braman sophomore sal ciresi participates in a fencing match at

Clare Tipler

the Twin City Fencing Club

during the 2013-14 season. Anybody is welcome because anybody can learn and do well,” sopho-

News Editor

The Fencing season lunges into action this winter at St. Paul Academy and Summit School with a new coach and high hopes.

Fencing is a unique sport at SPA with participants ranging from grades 6-12 with varying skill levels, but the Varsity team has been very successful in the past, going to State almost every year.

This season, the Fencing team gains Coach Grace Hartman, an SPA alum and good fencer. “It will be different, but hopefully everything goes as well as last

15

year, maybe even a little better,” sophomore Drew O’Hern said.

The team has a reputation of being very welcoming and inclusive to all members of the SPA community. “Anybody is welcome because anybody can learn and do well,” sophomore captain Colin O’Hern said.

“This year will be a lot different due to the team having lost some of the best fencers who graduated last year,” senior captain Eva Zaydman said, but she looks forward to “bonding with the new members.”

more captain Colin O’Hern said.

Boys Hockey gets ready to battle top rivals on ice, make it to state Clare Tipler News Editor

Skates begin to scrape and pucks begin to fly as winter rolls around at St. Paul Academy and Summit School with the SPA Boys Hockey team excited for the season.

With 2 seniors and only a handful of juniors, the team will be relatively young. “We will probably have a rough start because we have so many young players,” sophomore Riley Bowman said, “but young doesn’t mean bad, it just means young,” he added.

“Our youth will not hurt us as long as we compete and battle, day in and day out,” senior Captain Tyler Seplak said, “and we have the ability to be one of the most competitive teams in the state,” he added.

With the season opener against St. Cloud Tech on Nov.

20 at Inver Grove Heights Rec. Center, the team amps up for an exciting and hopefully long season. “I really want to go to State this year, that would be my ultimate goal,” Bowman said.

To become a successful team though, they need to work hard and play a team game. “It’s important in a sport with so many players on the roster not to get selfish, so we need to learn to play as a team and trust each other on the ice,” Seplak said.

The team anticipates exciting games for their first Hockey Day Minnesota outdoor game on Jan. 17 and against conference rivals Blake and Breck. “I’m looking forward to playing all of the talented teams in our conference for the last time in my career,” Seplak said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Clare Tipler fRESHMAN DEV MCCABE shoots on sophomore Ross Kirby during practice on Nov 12th. The Boys Varsity Hockey team has their first home game on Nov 22nd against St. Cloud Tech. “Our youth will not hurt us as long as we compete and battle, day in and day out,” senior Captain Tyler Seplak said.

New coaches, player, and drive add up to successes for Girls Hockey Meghan Joyce Arts & Entertainment Editor

Shawty, styles, CD remix, LEG, 16, BP, woo wap, get lowww, G penny, Herzy.

To the average listener, that sentence was meaningless gibberish. To the St. Paul Academy and Summit School and Visitation United Girls Hockey team, it’s an anthem of accumulated inside jokes from over the years to motivate the team between periods of their games.

That cheer is just one of many traditions on the team. “We have a lot [of traditions]. After warm ups and before the first period, we come in and do individual quiet time while we’re listening to [Bastille’s] ‘Bleed it Out’,” junior captain and goalie Catherine Johnson said.

According to Johnson, road to state is the team’s main focus for SUBMITTED PHOTO: Peter Sawkins THE girls hockey team

cheers before the Nov 8 game against Breck at Drake Arena. The team fell to Breck 0-4. “We have a lot [of traditions].

After warm ups and before the first period: we come in and do individual quiet time while we’re listening to [Bastille’s] ‘Bleed it Out’,” junior captain and goalie Catherine Johnson said.

the season. Last year following a regular season record of 16-81, they made history as the first Girls Hockey team in St. Paul Academy Summit School history to make it to the State hockey tournament, where they placed fourth.

Helping the Girls Hockey team along their road to state will be two new coaches, Billy Belmore and Nate Mauer. “I think they’ll be really good for us this year, help out with new systems and help us to get more modernized,” Johnson said.

With new coaches, new players, and a renewed drive to make it to state, the Girls Hockey team has a promising season ahead of them.

16sp ort s

november 2014. Vol XLII. Issue III.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Winter swimmers & skiiers glide to the finish Swim team’s numbers keep them closer, stronger Meghan Joyce Arts & Entertainment Editor

submitted photo: Kartsen Runquist Junior karsten runquist swims the butterfly during a meet in the 2013-2014 season. “There’s a lot of teasing and making fun of but by the

Being part of a small team can be difficult from a competitive standpoint, but for the Boys Swim and Dive teams it brings them closer and makes them stronger.

“Our biggest strength is the connection we have with each other. There's a lot of teasing and making fun, but by the end of every season its like a big family, which is more important than anything to us,” junior Karsten Runquist said.

The team’s family atmosphere has led to the creation of some strange traditions and antics over the years. This year, they aren’t sure that they will go through with their notorious head shaving before the sections meet, but there are plenty of other quirky team things to look forward to.

“We don't have any traditions that actually involve swimming.

Our favorite one is stealing fruit from the coaches lunch and hiding the fruit in different areas in the pool,” Runquist said. “Our coaches also promised to try and make practices more fun and entertaining throughout the season, while at the same time getting in a good workout.”

Despite the limited number of swimmers, Runquist said some of the swimmers have a chance at making it to state, beating personal records, and destroying the Central team, one of their main rivals.

“Everyone should come to the Central meet when it happens!

Seriously, the more fans the better, and its really fun when you have all your friends there,” Runquist said.

The Trojans team is comprised of swimmers from SPA and Highland Park Senior High.

end of every season its like a big family, which is more important than anything to us,” Runquist said.

Nordic team skis with, supports each other Amodhya Samarakoon Opinions Editor

The Nordic Ski season has started, and members already have high goals set for the season.

Senior and Nordic team captain Mike Destache hopes for the team as a whole, that since “there are a lot of middle schoolers, so we just want everyone to improve,” Destache said.

Meets last 3 to 4 hours, but don’t leave much room for downtime: “At least an hour before your race you are warming up,” Destache said.

The Nordic team also has a very close and supportive relationship with one another, and many of them carry on friend-

ships from Cross-Country Running season in the fall into skiing season.

“As a team, we all have personalities that get along with each other...it creates a really great environment,” freshman Val Hart said.

“Even though not everyone skies together we are always at the same venues so we all cheer each other on and support each other,” Destache said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Amodhya Samarakoon THE NORDIC SKI TEAM practices on the St. Paul Academy and Summit School campus on Nov 17. “As a team, we all have personalities that get along with each other...it creates a really great environment,” freshman Val Hart said. The team has a meet on Dec 4 at 3:45 at Elm Creek.

Alpine ski team gives 100% effort, 100% focus Amodhya Samarakoon Opinions Editor

PHOTO CREDIT: Amodhya Samarakoon

“[Our Alpine team is] very close,” sophomore skiier Lauren Hansen said.

“We have four hours to spend together almost every day, and we end up getting very comfortable, like a family.”

Hansen has been skiing since she was eighteen months old, and has skied for St. Paul Academy and Summit School since 7th grade.

Hansen states that the competitions are casual, with a lot of down time.

“But we still get in the zone when it’s our turn to race,” she said.

Fans are always welcome at skiing competitions; Hansen’s advice is to wear warm clothing and bring hot chocolate.

The alpine skiers have a positive outlook on this season: senior Kevin Patterson hopes that the team can make it to state while Hansen said that if “you give 100% effort and 100% focus you’re bound to get better, and that is a goal I know the entire team wants to accomplish.”

The first Alpine Ski meet is Dec. 12 at Buck Hill.

The alpine ski team has fun during captains practice on Nov 10. “You give 100% effort and 100% focus you’re bound to get better, and that is a goal I know the entire team wants to accomplish,” sophomore Lauren Hansen said.

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