October 2013

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St. Paul Academy & Summit School

1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN

October 2013. Volume XXXXI. Issue II.

treme Students dare to turn up the risk factor with extreme sports. COVER 8-9

Volleyball team raises money to fight breast cancer.

SPORTS 15

Senior Dylan White and band release new album.

A&E 12

Community works to update cell phone policy NEWS 2

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About the Cover: Senior Christian Koch, junior Nicolas Koch and sophomore Lukas Kelsey-Friedemann participate in extreme sports such as snowboarding and motocross.

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St. Paul Academy & Summit School

1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN

October 2013. Volume XXXXI. Issue II.

Read more in Cover Story - 8-9

treme Students dare to turn up the risk factor with extreme sports. COVER 8-9

2 N EWS

Volleyball team raises money to fight breast cancer.

SPORTS 15

Senior Dylan White and band release new album.

A&E 12

SPA debate ranked first in state

BOOKFEST POSTER WINNERS

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Community works to update cell phone policy NEWS 2

MS/US Bookfest 2013 “Fiction, Fantasy and Folly,” will be celebrated Nov. 18-22.

Poster contest winners and finalists have been announced.

Winners: senior Lucy Li eighth grader Sabrina Rucker Honorable mentions: senior Kristen Datta seventh grader Lily Nester sixth grader Zachary Juhn

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

Continuing its tradition of excellence, the SPA debate team is currently ranked first in Minnesota, and tied for seventh in the U.S. The varsity team has placed within the top five of every tournament thus far: third at Blaine, second at Chanhassen, and first at Anoka. Congratulations!

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

iOS7 update receives mixed reviews Diane Huang

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Seniors submit early decision applications

Staff Writer

Upper School Technology Coordinator Chris White misses the old icons from iOS6. “They [the new icons] are a little cartoonish, and it seems like Windows 8,” he said.

The new iOS7 was released on Sept. 18 at noon. The new iOS is a huge change for the earlier systems on Apple products, sporting new graphics and exciting features.

At first glance, it seems Apple has swapped its shiny, realistic icons for simpler and modern ones. iOS7 has kept the trademark rounded square app icons but flattened them out to a more 2D appearance. The app icon designs are simpler too, some bordering on cartoonish, but also interactive and animated. “The designs for the new apps, in general, is pretty cool,” junior Em Prozinski said.

Despite this, not everyone likes these new animations: “I don’t like the delay when I put the phone to sleep,” freshman Tony Morice said.

News sources such as TIME magazine, The Guardian, and Forbes have reported cases of motion sickness because of the foreground and background, called “parallax” on the home screen.

“It’s still the same,” freshman Ethan Meitz said, noting that the general function and layout of iOS7 is very similar to iOS6 — allowing iOS7 users to ease into the new iOS. “It’s a lot slower too when I touch it,” Prozinski said on iOS7 on her iPhone 4S. White noted that iOS7 is faster on his iPhone 5S than his iPhone 4.

There are still some people who haven’t switched to iOS7.

Some don’t have the time or are waiting for bug fixes. Others simply can’t make the switch. “If I could get it I would get it,” senior Sarah Coleman said holding up her iPhone 3GS which is incompatible with iOS7. iOS7 also requires at least 3 GB of space to download.

Apple has already fixed several bugs in iOS7 and there are most likely more to come. Although there are still small flaws in the new iOS, “...but they’re also in a time of constant change and they’re being smart about it,” White said.

Photo Credit: Eva Malloy

Photo Illustration: Patrick Commers Sophomore boys use phones for gaming and music during X period. “We want to create a policy that accommodates the needs of the students as well as the faculty,” sophomore Upper School Council representative Alena Porter said. L to R: Michael O’Shea, Solomon Johnson, Kent Hansen, Ryan Peacock, Matti Solomon.

Council examines cell use Patrick Commers

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Staff Writer

The idea of letting students use their cell phones during the day has started a discussion in St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Upper School Council and around the school.

“We should be able to use our phones during the day for a certain reason, not going on Facebook or Twitter. Texting or calling your parents, I think, should be allowed,” junior Dean Issacson said.

“Many people during the day already use their phones; we should just change the policy to be able to use them rightfully,” sophomore Chloe Wilkins said.

USC is talking about the current phone policy at SPA and if it is time for a revision.

The students and faculty completed surveys in their advisories in early October, as USC tried to get a whole range of opinions about not only community knowledge of the current policy, consistency of enforcement, and suggestions for how the policy might be revised.

Alena Porter a sophomore USC representative said, “We want to create a policy that accommodates the needs of the students as well as the faculty.”

Some students are hoping for some type of change. “People should be able to use their phone however [they choose], but only in free periods,” junior Sarah Lit-

tle said.

But senior Bryant Carlson sees nothing wrong with the current policy. “I don’t really care about it; I don’t use my phone in school,” Carlson said.

Administration will have the final say, but USC hopes to have a strong voice in the decision: “The policy will be changed, but we are still discussing how it will be changed,” Porter said.

USC spoke with a panel of three teachers and five students on Oct. 15. The conversation brought a mix of opinions, but nothing was clearly decided.

“The goal is to have a new policy in place by the second semester,” junior Zeeshawn Abid, a USC representative, said.

The sound of Takbeer, clear and strong over the rumble of people chattering, greets friends and neighbors alike, hugging strangers on sight, wishing them a happy Eid. Sophomores and juniors had to choose between celebrating the day or taking the PSAT Oct. 16, a nationwide standardized test that provides “exposure to testing format and environment” and determines qualification “for National Merit awards and scholarships,” according to Mary Hill, Director of College Counseling.

Freshman Heba Sandozi, who will take the PSAT next year, said, “the organizers of the PSAT [in the US, nationwide] have to be more sensitive to the needs of students...they need to become more aware of religions and their holidays. I’m sure some [Muslim students] won’t even opt out of it

since it’s so important.”

Madeeha Rizvi was such a student: “I feel really bad about missing namaaz [prayer] for the PSAT... Eid namaaz is important to me. I wish there was a better solution.” Normally, Rizvi would have taken a half day off; instead, she missed going to morning prayer, parties, and spending time with family to take the test.

Bilal Askari had a similar experience two years ago: “We went to prayers in the morning and then came back to school to take it,” he said.

Junior Aliza Rahman said she is annoyed with the organizers.

“The PSAT testing happens in advance and plus it’s only a practice test... an extra thing to put on your application. I don’t want it to come on a holiday... no one should have to take a PSAT on a holiday.”

PSAT scheduling conflicts with Eid Noor Qureishy

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Staff Writer

Photo Illustration: Noor Qureishy and Diane Huang Junior Aliza Rahman poses for a photo on Eid Al-Adha last year. This year, the PSAT occurred on the same day as the Muslim holiday on Oct. 16. Before the test Rahman said, “I just don’t want it to come on a holiday... No one should have to take a PSAT on a holiday.”

Junior Mansuda Arora and Senior Emma Chang meet with a college representative.

“The process can seem really stressful and really hard but it doesn’t have to be.”

Assistant Director of College Counseling Karna Humphrey said.

Eva Malloy

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October brings early acceptance college application deadline options for seniors. Early acceptance is an opportunity for seniors who are confident and have a clearly defined first choice college.

While this sits well for many, for others it’s not the question of what college to attend but if they are prepared to transition to the college environment.

“We work with students and families to think about what is the college process about and ultimately transitioning from high school to college. SPA counseling finds the correct fit for each student,” Assistant Director of College Counseling Karna Humphrey said. “The process can seem really stressful and really hard, but it doesn’t have to be,” Humphrey added.

Academically, SPA has a rigorous college prep curriculum.

Seniors may find filling out the academic portion of applications to be the easiest aspect of the college process. Today’s path to college is marked by test deadlines, personal interviews, college fairs, campus visits, portfolio or personal video auditions.

While these obstacles often seem daunting, seniors at SPA feel ready. “Classes at SPA are a lot like college classes,” senior Alicia Zhang said.

“Just based on my test scores, I can get into both the colleges I want,” senior Victoria Guest said.

Many seniors feel SPA has prepared them academically, but some expressed some concern about handling the emotional aspect of applying for colleges. “I am nervous about leaving home,” said senior Steven Go-Rosenberg.

“I am not prepared to leave home and apply to colleges.”

Drama in the Upper School will be brought to a whole new level when theater specialists from the SpotLight Program evaluates and watches the school’s productions. They will be coming to watch the plays this year, and evaluating them for the SpotLight awards and showcase. Students and performances that receive awards or honorable mentions are then able to perform in the showcase, which will be in early June.

“They have local theater professionals come to the show and evaluate it, and they mostly do constructive evaluation, so it’s not a competition between the schools or anything,” Upper School theater director Eric Severson said.

SpotLight Program to evaluate theater productions Screen capture from Spotlight Youtube via Hennepin Theater Trust

For more on Spotlight and SPA Theater, go to The Rubicon Online www.rubiconline.com

N EWS 3 October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Senior Modern Asian History students hold their peace flags, which will become part of a virtual quilt of peace in the Global Challenge 20/20. The students work with students at Covington HS in Virginia and Jiangsu College for International Education in Nanjing, China to solve global problems. “The three schools look at the issue through different lenses,” US history teacher Sushmita Hodges said. Senior seminar students (L to R): Victoria Guest, Eddy Sharifkhani, Robert Bohjanen, Michael Wilkens, and Marcus Alburez Myers Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton

Modern Asia class takes Global Challenge 20/20 Shefali Bijwadia

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Staff Writer

Students prepare to follow what our mission statement promises: they work to change the world by fixing a global issue for our local community. The senior elective class Modern Asian History, taught by Upper School history teacher, Sushmita Hodges, participates in the Global Challenge 20/20 this year. Students started working Oct. 10 on the challenge project.

The Global Challenge is an In-

ternet based program where two or three schools across the globe work as a team to find a local solution to one of twenty global issues. The Modern Asian History class partners with Covington High School, a public school in Virginia as well as Jiangsu College for International Education in Nanjing, China. The global challenge 20/20 is run by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and hundreds of schools participate in the program every year. The 20 possible issues come from the book High Noon: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to

Solve Them by J.F. Rischard.

The Modern Asia class’ issues are peacekeeping, conflict prevention, and combating terrorism.

“The three schools [in our team] look at the issue through different lenses,” Hodges said.

The modern Asia class examines conflict in a historical context in places including India and China, while the Covington High English class looks at literature and art as a means for peacekeeping.

Jiangsu College for International Education looks at UN’s role for keeping peace, preventing conflict, and combating terrorism.

The class will be taking the following steps to solve their issue: identifying the problem, responding to conflict, finding relevant articles, problem solving, creating a visual narrative, and making a simulation to share with the two other partner schools.

The class started their work by connecting to the SPA community: “We did the peace sign here, on International Peace Day, that was kind of part of [Global Challenge 20/20] as well,” Hodges said.

Students in all three participating schools made peace flags; each designed a square that de-

picts conflict causes and/or symbolizes peace. “Making the flags was a great time. I spent a lot of time working on mine,” senior Marcus Alburez Meyers said. The squares will be photographed and sent as attachments to the teacher in the school in China, then all the squares will be arranged in a virtual quilt.

Hodges participated in the Global Challenge 20/20 with past classes twice before, looking at the issues of worldwide education and global poverty. In previous collaborations, SPA partnered with schools in India.

Halloween Dance canceled, activities schedule revised Ali Duval

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The Halloween dance for 2013 has been canceled. The SAC says that the dance has been canceled this year because students have been requesting change. The dance has been going on for several years, and it came as a shock to the student body when it was canceled this year.

Many students didn’t even know it had been canceled. “I was looking forward to the dance. I didn’t know it had even been canceled,” freshman student Oona Prozinski said.

“We’ve gotten some feedback in years past, and normally the Halloween dance is really close after the homecoming dance, so SEPTEMBER CORRECTIONS:

they’re really close in time. People aren’t all that excited to go to another dance after they’ve had Homecoming really recently.

Also, the Halloween dance just hasn’t been that fun, and people were wanting some changes. It’s been going on for at least 10 years.

We’ve had some low participation with the Halloween dance, and we want to change it up so people will want to be involved,” Claire Foussard, co-president of the Student Activities Committee said.

Although many of the staff members of the school didn’t like the dance in the years it had been going on, senior Ria Guest liked it. “The Halloween dance was always my favorite. I went to it every year.”

“As a teacher, I always prefer to not chaperone dances, because

it’s a bit uncomfortable as to what the rules are around dances. I think the students like it, but I’ve never really cared for any of the dances,” Upper School History Teacher Ben Bollinger Danielson said.

The student body seems to agree that is was time for a change. Officially, the dance was canceled because the participation at the dance in years past has been less than in the other dances, and people wanted a change.

People had been asking for quite a while for it to be canceled, and the Student Activities Committee have decided to act on the issue.

“It was kinda fun last year, because it was different from the other dances,” junior Maggie Clark said. “But I’m happy it was canceled.”

“I thought that the dance was

pretty fun. It was a little too close [in date] to the Homecoming dance, though. I think it was a good idea to cancel it because then the breaks between the dances will be more even,” sophomore Kyle Salverda said.

“I don’t really know why it was canceled, but from what I understand, that students wanted a different dance, so they moved it to a winter dance, a Sadie Hawkins one,” Bollinger Danielson said.

The dance will be replaced with a Sadie Hawkins dance on February eighth. Until then, the next dance for freshman and sophomores will be the Valentine’s Day formal dance on January eleventh.

Students, especially the girls of the school think that this is a great new change. But some

people have concerns about the whole point of a Sadie Hawkins dance, and, specifically, the girls only being able to ask the guys.

“It will make girls think that this is the only time they can ask a boy out to the dance,” senior Maggie Clark said. “And what if people want to go alone to a dance?”

SAC already has a solution to the problem, which was brought up to the co-president at one of the Thursday Gay-Straight Alliance meetings and was well addressed.

“When we promote the dance we are going to try and make it clear that people can go in groups, by themselves, or ask anyone they want to,” Foussard said..

Opinions: Mattie Daub’s name was misspelled; Feature: Upper School science teacher Ned Heckman teaches sophomores; Sports: Rachel Hotvedt is a sophomore and Neeti Kulkarni is a freshman.

4 S T U DE N T G R OU P N EWS October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

PEP fights pollution with flowers

Google Maps Screen Capture: Sarah Murad The Upper School landscape will include a burst of color if People for Environmental Protection can raise funds for a rain garden. “We want to bring a part of the community to the campus that will benefit SPA as well,” senior Kaia Findlay said.

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Staff Writer Minnesotans know that as October ends, winter lurks close by and with it many months of rain and snow. These damp and soggy conditions that go hand in hand with Minnesota weather can lead to excessive water runoff that flows directly into our lakes.

Saint Paul Academy and Summit School’s student group People for Environmental Protection hopes to reduce the effects of dangerous runoff by planting a rain garden.

“We want to add a little bit of color and a bit of beauty to the campus. We want to bring a part of the community to the campus that will benefit SPA as well,” senior Kaia Findlay, PEP Co-President said. “PEP had considered the idea last year but never had enough motivation behind it.”

If SPA administration approves the design, which is still current-

ly in progress, PEP plans to make this a year long project. They intend to complete all planning and fundraising before spring so the garden can be planted as soon as the ground thaws.

Rain gardens typically host plants native to the area and resemble any other flowerbed, but they are specially designed to soak up more water than a typical garden. This benefits Minnesota’s environment by preventing dangerous chemicals from entering the water cycle, most commonly ones found in daily, domestic-use cleaners and other standard household substances. Instead of allowing dangerous runoff to flow into bodies of water, rain gardens soak up the runoff and it filters harmlessly into the earth. This is crucial to protecting natural water cycles, especially in places with lots of runoff like Minnesota.

Though it has not yet been decided where or how large the garden will be design planning is underway.

“It must be small enough to be easily maintained but large enough to make a difference in SPA’s water runoff,” Findlay said.

To help with these uncertainties PEP will be working with local company Metro Blooms who will aid in the planning process and in achieving the best possible result for the surrounding ecosystems. Metro Blooms does workshops on the environment but their main goal is to help with community projects such as rain gardens throughout the Twin Cities to ensure a better future for Minnesota’s well being.

On Oct. 31 representatives from Metro Blooms will visit campus to find out where the ideal place for a rain garden would be by searching for areas with the most runoff. With the assistance of Metro Blooms, PEP is confident that they can plan a design for a rain garden that will be approved and have a positive effect on the environment and this community.

When it comes time to plant, “We will have to do more research but flowers like Perennials, Black Eyed Susans, and other sun and water plants will be included,” Findlay said.

PEP kicked off their campaign to reach their financial goal by selling small plants at the Homecoming Carnival on Sept. 27.

More fundraisers are in the works and incoming donations for the project are always welcome.

When planting begins, all students are invited to help and enjoy the experience of contributing to the health of the SPA environment.

Students donate old, used backpacks

Art installation will advocate for homeless teens Meghan Joyce

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Staff Writer

Imagine that 250 backpacks line the street, each representing a Minnesotan youth without a home. Some of the luckier homeless teens are able to stay at a shelter, such as one of the Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative shelters, which has been working with St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Community Action and Service student group to raise awareness about this issue by collecting these backpacks.

The task was harder than anticipated, as many students didn’t turn in backpacks. One popular reason for not turning them in was that people tend to use the same backpack year after year, “I’ve had the same backpack since kindergarten,” sophomore Maren Findlay said. “No extras.”

Other students had negative opinions about the idea, believing that money would be more useful to these homeless people than awareness.

This negativity was compounded by Community Action asking for backpacks in any condition, meaning many of the

Photo Credit: Patrick Commers Community Action collected 39 of the 250 backpacks needed for the Beacon project.

“It’s pretty impressive... considering our small student body,” junior Olivia Carry said.

backpacks collected won’t be donated after being lined up unless they are in good condition.

This made it impossible for Community Action to collect all the 250 backpacks, receiving 39.

The Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative also reached out to other sources for donations, going to local private schools including Highland Catholic School and Nativity of Our Lord Catholic School.

The Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative is determined to accomplish the task. “We are collecting backpacks to raise awareness… if we can raise awareness, we can get support.” Jenny Mason, a congregational partnership organizer at Beacon, said.

Sophomore Vanessa Miller,

who donated four backpacks to the cause, agrees that homelessness is an important issue to work on: “I feel like it’s something that people need to know about,” Miller said.

If all goes according to plan, the 250 backpacks will be lined up on Summit Avenue in St. Paul sometime this October. Beacon is now also looking into creating some guerrilla art installations by putting backpacks at famous Minnesota landmarks for just an hour or so at each location.

Guerrilla art is a means for an artist to convey a message using something often more complex than traditional graffiti, such as sculptures, projections, and now maybe backpacks.

Their plans are ambitious, but even if the organization is only able to collect 50 backpacks, Mason is sure that Beacon will “still find a way to make it carry an impact.”

“I wish that people at SPA had gotten more involved,” junior Olivia Carry, member of Community Action said, “but I think it’s pretty impressive that we got a whole 39 backpacks considering our small student body.”

Photo Credit: Amodhya Samarakoon A few of the freshmen interested in bringing PAWS back pose in the 9th grade hallway for a picture. “I was so excited to support something I really cared about,” freshman Sonia Sukumar said. Back row, left to right: Elena Macomber, Emily Schoonover, Shelby Teitle, Lauren Boettcher, Sammie Bluhm. Front row, left to right: Stephanie Li, Sonia Sukumar.

Underclassmen animal lovers reconsider PAWS Amodhya Samarakoon

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Many of the animal-loving members of this year’s freshmen class were stirred up after discovering that the student interest group People for Animal Welfare had disbanded mid-last year, but they are passionate about bringing it back. The group PAWS faded around mid-last year, about three years after it began.

Three girls started the group and immediately knew what they wanted to do and how. Their purpose for PAWS was to “encourage people to support animal welfare,” Anne Marie Shimkus, Upper School math teacher and former advisor for PAWS said.

After some of the 9th graders had found out that PAWS was no longer a student interest group, they were surprised and quite disappointed.

“I know there are lots of people that care about animals,” freshman Sonia Sukumar said, “I was so excited to support something I really cared about.”

Other students weren’t that aware of PAWS or weren’t affected by the group disbanding; “It doesn’t really make a difference to me because I’m on GSA (Gay Straight Alliance),” junior Em Prozinski said.

“Everyone should have a group they believe in,” senior Ellis Evans said, though she wasn’t part of the group.

“I’d like to go to animal shelters, raise money and donate it, that kind of stuff,” Sukumar said.

And, while PAWS was together, they raised a lot of money and they were able to donate it to organizations that supported animal welfare.

Last year, the group raised over $100 to donate to Rosie’s Rescue, an organization that’ rescues and finds homes for dogs and educating people about owning a dog. Just last year, they sold puppy chow during lunch to students to raise money for Animal Arc, Minnesota’s largest no-kill animal shelter.

However, despite their success with fund-raisers, interest within

the group started to fade as they came to a point where the members were stuck and couldn’t find other activities, besides fundraising, that they could take part in to support the groups cause.

“The interest kind of waned,” Mrs. Shimkus said. “It was suggested that the group should do something besides fundraising, like education about animal welfare.”

There wasn’t much energy around the idea of doing so and finding places to volunteer proved more difficult than it first seemed.

Members of the group researched organizations to get involved in but weren’t able to find anything that allowed them to sign up without requiring parent accompaniment for volunteers under 18 years of age.

Student groups are created by the students and are kept up and running purely on student interest, hence the title Student Interest Groups. “The groups rise and fall,” Dean of Students Judy Cummins said. “Sometimes student groups naturally die.” “[PAWS] was definitely a good idea but if people were losing interest then they probably needed to change something. I mean, it’s hard to be a part of student groups sometimes,” sophomore Anna Biggs said.

When a group of students has an idea that they’re passionate about, they can talk to Dean Cummins and try to start a group.

There have to be people interested in the group and an available teacher that would like to advise them; Shimkus stated that she’d be fine with advising a new group for PAWS since she is interested in animal welfare.

Without the usual energy, interest, and opportunities to do something other than fundraising, the group disbanded. But, considering the sparks of interest among these new animal-loving freshmen along with the possibility of some curious upperclassmen, there’s a great possibility that they will attempt to re-start the group next year.

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St. Paul Academy and Summit School

STAFF

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

Staff Editorial

the rubicon

2013-14 Editor-in-Chief Hannah Johnson

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

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Staff Writers Shefali Bijwadia Patrick Commers Ali Duval Diane Huang Meghan Joyce Mari Knudson Eva Malloy Sarah Murad Noor Qureishy Amodhya Samarakoon Emily Thissen Clare Tipler Paul Watkins Javier Whitaker-Castaneda

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the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 AWARDS JEM All-State Gold (Print) JEM All-State Gold (Online) MHSPA Best in Show First Place (Print) Fifth Place (Online) NSPA First Class w/three Marks of Distinction

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No shame in asking for help

Students should feel confident in using resources available to them With one class left in the day, some students get a start on homework in advisories or in the hall. Some do puzzles, listen to music, or talk to their friends.

Others meet to work on a group project, and still others meet with teachers. Tutorial offers a time for students to do what they need to, whether it be meeting with teachers or working independently or in groups.

Built into the day as a way to make sure everyone is able to meet with a teacher or work with another student, tutorial has been a key addition to this year’s schedule. However, convenience and ability don’t make up for the stigma our community has unintentionally built around seeking help.

Going to a teacher because you need help isn’t shameful; it’s the right and responsible thing to do. It doesn’t mean you aren’t as smart or able as others. Rather, it shows assertiveness and maturity.

Pursuing extended learning outside of class doesn’t contradict St. Paul Academy and Summit School ideals of committed and outstanding students. It exemplifies them.

Meeting with a teacher doesn’t necessarily mean being behind or lacking understanding; plenty of people seek extended learning to gain greater knowledge of a sub

Mini-Editorials

Maybe I’ll stop in later...

Now that we all understand l’Hôpital’s rule...

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Seeking assistance outside of class doesn’t mean you aren’t as smart or able as others.

Rather, it shows assertiveness and maturity.

Photo Illustration: Ava Gallagher

Students should not be afraid or stigmatized when consulting with teachers.

ject or continue a conversation begun in class.

Yet the structure of tutorial can promote shame, especially for students planning to visit teachers with freshman or sophomore advisees, who work in advisory during tutorial. Admitting what may seem like faults in front of eight to ten of your peers creates an atmosphere of public humiliation. While we may all know going to get help or simply continue a conversation outside of class isn’t a bad thing, something makes it seem that way. While

Tri-Metro withdrawal is a strong move

Sophomores build more than dressers

After fifteen years competing in the Tri-Metro conference, St. Paul Academy and Summit School sports teams will adopt an independent status, effective next fall. It’s easy to perceive this decision as an admission of inferiority or even an indictment on the current state of Spartan athletics.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The addition of five large schools prompted several current Tri-Metro teams, including Blake and Breck, to withdraw from the conference to maintain competitive balance. SPA’s withdrawal from the conference allows each sport flexibility in creating its schedule, preventing gross mismatches, as well as throwaway games against lower ability teams. The change will increase, not decrease, the quality of our competition. There is, however, one major drawback in leaving an official conference: Spartans can no longer win conference titles or all-conference individual recognition. We should have faith in our teams to work their hardest, and find new challenges in sectional and state play.

Everyone knows that sophomore year maintains a focus on service. On the PSAT day, the afternoon is traditionally spent bussing to service organizations from Feed My Starving Children to making cards in retirement homes.

Instead, service came to St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Bridging, Inc. has been an option in past years, but this year they facilitated the work.

Sophomores came together for a common goal, building dressers and community while getting to know classmates better than before. The group exceeded the goal of 50 dressers and had a lot of fun in the process.

Becuase the entire class got to be together for the afternoon instead of being transported around the city in small groups, there was more community built into the day. Sophomores worked in advisories, friendly competition ensued, and the day ended with a celebration in the courtyard with treats.

This event was definitely a 10.

many see tutorial as a time to meet with teachers, it must be kept in mind that it’s also a time to collaborate with peers, whether to work on a project together or get help from other students.

It’s a time to mentor and support each other: both the peer tutors and the peer mentors programs meet during tutorial. The creation of the Peer Tutors in the library during this time promotes an increase in collaborative work between students, one of the original goals of the tutorial period.

As a community, we need to

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transform the way we view tutorial and seeking help in general. It’s natural that some people won’t completely understand something the first time around and need more time to understand it, and that’s entirely normal. As students, we are here to learn, and part of learning is making mistakes and trying new things. But accepting and seeking help as a normal and admirable action is only the first step.

Tutorial is new and filled with potential for increased learning experiences. We’ve been granted a time in our busy schedules that facilitates collaboration and extended learning; we should take full advantage of it.

Upcoming Sadie Hawkins dance raises excitement and disappointment

The Homecoming dance was a bit of a letdown, and some freshmen expected the Halloween dance to compensate for a disappointing first impression.

However, the cancellation of the Halloween dance is a welcome development, because having a more formal dance between the Homecoming dance and the Sadie Hawkins breaks up the informality, giving everybody a chance to dress up. It makes sense to change the Halloween Dance to a Sadie Hawkins, since students have been requesting one for years. Still, freshmen have never gone to a Halloween dance and some of the former middle schoolers may have hoped to experience it.

Having the Sadie Hawkins dance also pressures many girls to ask someone to the dance. What about girls that want to go to the dance alone? Many students are stressing about it despite it being quite far away, in February.

Also, the Winter Formal and Sadie Hawkins are only about a month apart, so after then, there are no other dances to fill the year

for the sophomores and freshmen, while the other upperclassmen have prom to look forward to.

Many upperclassmen have said that the more formal dances are usually better than the informal ones, so people have high hopes for the Winter Formal. If the Sadie Hawkins dance was formal, many people would have better expectations. Some freshmen have even started to miss the “middle-school-social experience.”

Hopefully SAC will take into account all the comments people have made about Homecoming and make the Sadie Hawkins a really amazing informal dance.

A strong showing could change mixed opinions about the Halloween Dance being canceled, and about informal dances in general.

Many students, and probably some faculty, are happy about the change but it’s hard to be certain if it was a good choice until after the Sadie Hawkins dance happens.

6

O P I N ION S

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Exams paint an incomplete picture Standardized tests imply a one-dimensional evaluation Eva Perez-Greene

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In-Depth Editor

Students in their junior year at St. Paul Academy and Summit School encounter a new kind of stress as they take their first cognizant steps towards the world of upper academia.

The Preliminary SAT, taken junior year, is just a taste of what is yet to come: a series of tough standardized tests needed to gain acceptance into most American colleges senior year.

While a student’s score on the PSAT does not count against the student when applying to colleges, the question still remains; what message does the PSAT convey about the approaching admissions process?

Standardized testing has taken over education, allowing admis-

sions officers to gage the aptitude of thousands of college applicants. It makes sense that the PSAT is given as a reminder to juniors of America’s test-centric admissions system and as a reminder to study for the real deal, the SAT. Adhering to this formula by taking the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and AP tests is often the safest route for juniors at SPA who wish to attend college. It’s frightening to question the system which dictates the futures of thousands of students across the country. Still, students worry they’re going to be reduced to a few numbers in a file on the laptop of an admissions officer.

To address this problem, colleges have adopted a “holistic” admissions process. But even highly selective schools, which take into account extracurriculars

“

It’s frightening to question the system which dictates the futures of thousands of students across the country. more than state schools do, have clear test score cutoffs. If a student doesn’t make the cut off, that student will almost surely not be considered for admission.

What about the tests themselves? What do they really mea-

sure? Some believe the PSAT, SAT, and ACT measure intelligence like an IQ test. Others reject the notion that these tests measure intelligence at all and assert instead that they measure accumulated knowledge.

If it’s true that these standardized tests measure intelligence, they are limited in scope; they don’t measure important forms of intelligence such as intrapersonal intelligence, existential intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence, and emotional intelligence.

What they do measure are spatial, linguistic, logical, and mathematical intelligences, all important indicators of future success but by no means the whole picture.

To score high on these standardized tests, a student must score high on all sections, possess “well rounded” knowledge, a

good indicator of future success.

However, studies suggest that often, asymmetrically intelligent students are as gifted and impactful in whatever course they choose to take in life. So, possessing a broad scope of intelligence may not be more desirable than showing strong, marked intelligence in one or two areas.

After all, some of history’s most famous thinkers, inventors, and revolutionaries were asymmetrically gifted.

A single student may not be able to challenge the standardized test-centric admissions formula but they can remember its limited nature. After all, the College Board has said on its website, “You are not your test score. You are unique.”

Designated spaces create division among students Catherine Braman

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Sports Editor

A freshman makes his way through the hallways, looking for a place to do his work. He approaches a long bench outside the upper level of the library. Wanting to check over his math homework, he is told that only sophomores can sit there. He strolls down the stairs and sees another long bench outside the lower library and across from the technology department. Thinking he can sit down and check Veracross, he is now told that these benches are for only juniors to use. Feeling a little frustrated, he ventures back down the hall, pokes his head in a room across from Señor Castellanos’ classroom, and mistakenly ends up in the senior lounge.

Designated spaces exist at SPA. These spaces may appear open to everyone, but in reality it may not feel like it all of the time to all students.

The history of the modern designated spaces started with the creation of the senior lounge. According to the Dean of Students Judy Cummins, the Class of 2002 proposed having a space just for seniors. The students presented the rationale that a senior lounge would provide a place to build a sense of community within the class and that it would be a privilege for seniors to have their own

space. The administration honored the request and the senior lounge emerged. “The sophomore and junior benches happened when we put new lockers in the school in the early 1990’s.

Students congregated near the benches located by each of the sophomore and junior lockers,” Cummins said. She added that freshmen traditionally did not have much free time to hang out in a certain space because study halls and a more structured environment.

However, with the new academic schedule, many ninth graders seem to be gathering in the gym foyer area.

According to both students and faculty, there are advantages to having designated spaces. Upper School history teacher, Mollie Ward said “If I need to find a junior or sophomore, I have a good chance of finding them [at the benches].”

Cummins added that “these spaces create a feeling of community and are a place where everyone feels welcome.”

A lot of students enjoy gathering with their classmates.

Sophomore Lexi Hilton sits on the benches during her free periods. “I like having a specific area where I can either work alone or with others [on schoolwork].”

These spaces also have some drawbacks. One concern that Cummins mentioned was that

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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.

Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Members of the Class of 2015 line the junior benches on the first floor. “If I need to find a junior or sophomore, I have a good chance of finding them [at the benches],” Upper School history teacher Mollie Ward said.

students who use the benches and the senior lounge can be loud and disruptive to the students in nearby classes. Since it is kind of a social space, students sometimes leave papers, trash, and even laptops around these areas.

Sophomore Anna Biggs commented that there is not enough room on the benches for the entire grade. She prefers going to the library because it is quiet and it is where her friends go. “The benches are nice, but they’re loud and distracting,” Biggs said.

Even though the spaces for sophomores, juniors, and seniors are intended to be places where everyone in each class feels comfortable, one concern is that they are exclusive in nature. Could there be students who feel uncom-

The Rubicon Letters Policy:

The Rubicon welcomes letters to the editor.

They can be mailed to us or sent to rubicon.spa@gmail.com. Letters should be limited to 150-200 words and published by discretion of The Rubicon staff.

fortable sitting on the benches?

There may be some perceptions that only certain groups or cliques are welcome in these particular places. Cummins emphasized that the designated areas should not be for one social group. It is evident that while students may be reluctant to say anything, they do not feel comfortable or welcome in these spaces. They find their own areas within the school that they consider their own “designated space.”

From Hilton’s perspective, she does not think that the benches are exclusive or inclusive. “Students can sit there if they want, but they don’t have to.”

One place on campus that is designated for all students to use is the Summit Center which is lo-

cated on the second floor near the admissions offices. With several tables and couches in this area, students from all classes use this space. “This area is a really open and welcoming to the community.

Anyone can stay here and collaborate on homework or just talk with each other. People from all grades and all backgrounds come here to relax and study,” junior Sandhya Ramachandran said.

The benches and the senior lounge provide a social outlet for students, as well as an area to study with friends. It would be a bonus to have more of these integrated spaces for students on campus. While that is an unlikely possibility, Hilton did have a suggestion: pillows for the benches.

Memberships

National Scholastic Press Association Minnesota High School Press Association

Columbia Scholastic Press Association

Quill and Scroll International Honor Society

I ND EPTH 7 October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Map from Google Maps

Factoring Syria into the local equation Upper School students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School are grappling with the crisis’s effects, or lack thereof, on their personal and academic lives.

War hits close to home for sophomore Boraan Abdulkarim Thomas Toghramadjian

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Opinions Editor

While the Syrian conflict provides many students with a topic for intellectual discussion and debate, it impacts others on a much more personal level. Sophomore Boraan Abdulkarim has family in the city of Lattakia, a major port and manufacturing center in northern Syria that has undergone shelling by the Syrian navy over the course of the past two years.

“My paternal grandparents, three aunts, and cousins all live in Syria,” Abdulkarim said. She talks with them over the phone

every weekend, but the connection is tenuous at best. “Sometimes the phone lines are down, so it’s kind of nerve racking because we don’t know if they’re okay or not. Also, we can’t really talk openly with them about sensitive topics, because the phone lines are tapped,” she said.

Abdulkarim’s family reached Lonna Mouraya, a family friend also from Lattakia via email.

While Mouraya has stayed in Syria for the duration of the conflict, many of her acquaintances have left the country.

“I have a few friends left in Syria but a lot of them have left to Lebanon. They come frequently to visit,” Mouraya said.

She, however, has no intention of leaving. “I have only thought to leave temporarily to visit my family in the USA or to go to Mecca but I would like to stay in my home.” Although Lattakia has not remained untouched by fighting, Mouraya said that “we are much luckier than the other areas of Syria.”

There have, however, been a few near misses. Abdulkarim related a recent instance in which a family member narrowly avoided an attack that destroyed his workplace:“My aunt’s husband had his car parked at work one day, and instead of driving home, he decided to walk the short distance and come back for the car the next

day. This simple choice saved his life, because when he came back the next day, the building in which his office is and his car was parked, had been destroyed, and he was so lucky not to have been there at the time.”

“Life has changed since the start of the war. As I said before, we are luckier than most people.

There are multiple checkpoints near my house, things are expensive, it is not safe to go out at night; people are depressed,” Mouraya said.

Interview with Lonna Mouraya and translation courtesy of Boraan Abdulkarim.

Students voice their opinions on Syrian conflict The resolution that I want to see is one that will take significant time, effort and negotiation over the course of months, and will occur not on the battlefield, but in a political forum in which all involved parties are represented.

- junior Evan Miller

I don’t think much discussion is happening in school right now except in [Student Political Union], but I think there should be.

- sophomore George Stiffman

Quotes compiled by Nina Zietlow

It’s really hard [for students] to find out about anything that’s going on because it’s a really complicated situation.

- sophomore Liza Bukingolts

Faculty tries to include Syrian crisis into classroom setNina Zietlow

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News Editor

St. Paul Academy and Summit School prides itself on its rigorous curriculum, aimed at shaping active and curious global citizens.

However, there is little to no discussion of global issues within the classroom, sparking the question: Is SPA doing enough to educate its students on current events?

Understandably, academics are the number one priority at SPA, but many current events affect the student body and this fact is not being addressed when teachers decide what to discuss in class. The conflict in Syria, for example, affects members of the SPA community who have family

living in affected areas overseas, but it has not been brought up in everyday classroom discussions.

“Syria is a country nobody used to know about so that fact that people are talking about it at all is big to me, but I still wish that people were more involved,” sophomore Boraan Abdulkarim, who has family living in Syria, said.

“I don’t think much discussion is happening in school right now except in [Student Political Union], but I think there should be,” sophomore George Stiffman said.

SPA offers a current events class taught by Upper School history teacher Mollie Ward but it is not available to underclassmen.

Even with an available class, it would be challenging to teach

students about current conflicts such as Syria due to the depth of the situation. “It’s really hard [for students] to find out about anything that’s going on because it’s a really complicated situation,” sophomore Liza Buckingolts said.

Nonetheless, SPA is doing the minimum to work through this complexity. “If you’re really going to talk about this topic you have to know about Syria, you have to know about its history, you have to know about the history of chemicals in the world,” Upper School History teacher Tom Fones said. “It’s the school’s responsibility to keep global affairs and USA’s role in the world in front of students.

We try, but it is a competition for

time,” Fones said. Some senior history electives, such as Ancient World, begin class each day with current events discussions. If this system was applied into more of the classes it could serve as a possible solution to the issue of time balance.

The reality is that with so many conflicting opinions in our news it is hard to get the full story about these issues. “We have a media that tends to be aligned one way or another politically,” Fones said. This makes it hard for students to get a full understanding of the issue and for teachers to educate students on the issue in nonpartisan matter. “I think we know six inches deep, I don’t know that we know three feet deep.” Fones said.

Q&

A with Evan Miller Thomas Toghramadjian

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Opinions Editor

Junior Evan Miller, who

is half Syrian, offers his perspective on the crisis thus far.

Question: Let’s start with the politics. What was your opinion when the prospect of American intervention was initially discussed?

Evan: The short answer is that I didn’t approve of it. While I by no means support Assad and his actions (specifically the significant chemical attacks), and I recognize that it is important for the Obama administration to uphold Obama’s line in the sand regarding the use of chemical weapons, I felt that an armed intervention was premature and rash.

Question: Did you think the president’s red line on chemical weapons was ill-advised as well?

Evan: Morally, no. But in a political situation in which the only option to enforce the strict policy is to engage in further conflict, it would be a poor decision to uphold the policy.

Question: How legitimate and feasible do you think the Russian proposal is?

Evan: I think that the proposal is completely reasonable, but the proposed time frame is not. Due to the ongoing conflict, I think it is ridiculous to give Syria only one week to hand over all chemical weapons, especially due to the reported quantity and dispersal.

Question: Can you see the war ending anytime soon?

Evan: The war could end as abruptly as it began, but I fear that any resolution which occurs relatively soon would likely occur either as a large political overthrow which we have already discussed the consequences of (likely due to a withdrawal of Russian support or a UN approved military strike against the Assad regime) or a continued stalemate in peace talks combined with increased support militarily from Russia, which would ultimately suppress the rebels.

Neither of these short term solutions are favorable to me. The resolution that I want to see is one that will take significant time, effort and negotiation over the course of months, and will occur not on the battlefield, but in a political forum in which all involved parties are represented.

8

C OV E R

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Students savor thrill of snowboarding

From rock climbing to snowboarding, students and teachers alike participate in extreme sports they are passionate about.

Senior Christian Koch performs a jump as onlookers cheer. “The scarier [the trick] is, the more fun it is,” his brother junior Nicolas Koch said.

Eva Perez-Greene

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In Depth Editor

It’s fair to say that most people would retract at the mere thought of descending the fifth steepest slope in the United States on a snowboard. However, St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior Christian Koch and junior Nicolas Koch reveled in the fear they experienced last spring break as they slid down slope Lakeshutz at Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado.

“The scarier it is, the more fun it is,” Nicolas Koch said about snowboarding’s inherent fear factor.

Senior Chloe White has a similar affinity for the thrills of snowboarding: “I’ve always liked sports where you move really fast, like horseback riding and hockey, sports that will make you move faster than a normal human could go on their own,” she said.

More often than not, extreme

sports junkies have grown up immersed in an extreme sports’ culture, learning at an early age how to face their fears head on. They develop a tolerance for fear that enables them to take uninhibited strides.

Brothers Christian and Nicolas Koch do not fit this profile as they learned how to snowboard at ages 14 and 12 respectively. Former SPA students Nick Thorsgaard and Eliot Wilhelm taught them the basics and from that point onwards, the brothers became autodidacts, driven to learn the intricacies of snowboarding and increase their skill. “When you’re completely beginning, it can help to have a friend to point you in the right direction but past that, instruction would just be somebody forcing their style on you which isn’t what snowboarding is about,” Christian Koch said.

Nicolas Koch describes the definite and tangible improvement he sees himself making in snow-

boarding as an appealing aspect of the sport. “You can really tell when you’re getting better,” he said.

Amidst the rewarding victories one experiences as a snowboarder, are the literal and figurative falls.

The road to improvement is unavoidably laden with failure, which is something Nicolas Koch accepts and appreciates. “You just can’t get better without falling,” he said.

Sophomore Lukas KelseyFriedmann isn’t afraid of falling either, despite the concussion he received from snowboarding in the recent past. “It’s just part of the sport,” he said.

White hasn’t fallen or injured herself as many times as Koch or Kelsey-Friedman, but she does share a common appreciation for the never-ending process of self improvement, inherent to snowboarding culture.

In the past year she has diverted her attention from the advancement of her own technique to the ad-

Photo submitted by Nick Thorsgaard

“

I’ve always liked sports where you move really fast, like horseback riding and hockey, sports that will make you move faster than a normal human could go on their own. s e n i or C h l o e W h i te vancement of others’ teaching beginners at Afton Alps, Wild Mountain, and TrollHaugen ski and snowboard sites. White described the eight, nine, and ten year olds she instructed as “cute, but very difficult to work with at times” Her job as a snowboarding instructor exemplifies the sport’s broad and encompassing culture.

In addition to the physical act of snowboarding, snowboarding

Students ride the thrill with motocross racing

fosters social interaction among friends and teaching opportunities between the experienced and inexperienced. Engaging in the sport seriously is engaging in a larger, multifaceted culture of companionship, risk taking, and creativity.

“It’s gnarly,” as Nicolas Koch described it.

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S T ORY

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

9

Students prepare for upcoming rock climbing competition season Lucy Li

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Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief

Colorful tape and ropes stretch across sharp, gray rock angles inside the rock climbing facility Vertical Endeavors. Climbers ascend the rock, their ropes trembling as they move.

Freshman John Connelly practices here at least twice a week. He first decided to try rock climbing around a year ago due to influences from family members, including his sister, Brigid Connelly ‘13. “I kind of wanted to know what it was like so I went in and it was just really cool,” he said. Connelly also said that his parents thought of him as “a little monkey, because I just grab things and climb on [them].”

Currently, he competes with a team from Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul. There is a variety of different levels, and Connelly’s team is around the middle of the range.

“What people don’t always realize is there’s a lot of strategy around [rock climbing],” he said. “There’s a lot of knowing how to use your energy wisely, because in competition you’re doing a lot of climbing in one night.” In indoor climbing, the different colored tape marks different routes of varying difficulty levels.

Freshman Ellis Tomlinson also climbs at Vertical Endeavors, but in the Minneapolis location. Tomlinson was first introduced to rock climbing by his neighbors, whose kids are national rock climbing champions, a few years ago. “It’s a really hard personal challenge and it is never the same,” Tomlinson said. He joined the team at Vertical Endeavors last April and anticipates participating in the approaching winter season, which lasts about ten weeks. He classifies himself as an intermediate-level climber.

Competitions start out local and often bigger, advanced teams can move on to the championships that were held in Atlanta, Georgia last year. Connelly and his team haven’t made it that far yet, while Tomlinson hasn’t competed yet.

Connelly also climbs outdoors, at sites such as Barn Bluff in Red Wing, Minnesota, and Seagull Lake in Grand Marais, Minnesota. Tomlinson, on the other hand, enjoys climbing at Joshua Tree National Park and in the Black Hills. “Outdoor climbing is called ‘natural,’” Tomlinson said. “When you’re indoors there’s a lot of colorful holes so you know exactly where to put your hands, [while in] outdoor climbing you have no idea where to put your hands… unless it’s a premarked route.” Often, outdoor

“

It’s a really hard personal challenge. freshman Ellis Tom l i n s on climbing entails feeling around the rock to find spots to hold onto.

For those who wish to start rock climbing, Tomlinson advises to practice often. “When I was on a team, [I] climbed about three to four times a week for two to three hours,” he said. “The more practice you get in, you learn a lot of the basic skills.” Some of these skills include knowing a route well enough to climb more easily and without too many surprises.

“It’s a complete challenge,” Tomlinson said. “Your mind is completely working to be able to find where your next hold is and what to do.”

Tomlinson continues climbing to face the test of strength and skill that the sport involves. “It just develops your entire body,” he said.

Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson An instructor at Vertical Endeavors in St. Paul, the indoor rock climbing facility where freshman John Connelly practices, speaks to a group of children about youth programs. “What people don’t always realize is there’s a lot of strategy around [rock climbing],” Connelly said.

Rock Climbing Terms and Equipment: Webbing - A flat rope-like strip or tube, often made of nylon, with many uses, including in harnesses and anchors.

Belaying - A technique used to prevent a climber from falling, in which another person act as the “belayer.”

Carabiner -An oval or D-shaped metal loop used for connecting ropes and other equipment. Also called “biner”.

Free climbing - Climbing in which equipment is only used for protection Aid climbing - Climbing on a rock surface that has artificial handholds and footholds.

Lajuzan snowboards across the globe Hannah Johnson

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Editor in Chief

As many St. Paul Academy and Summit School students begin to hit the slopes at Buck Hill ski area, they might run into someone familiar speeding past them on a snowboard. Not only will this person look familiar, but many students have had him as a French teacher. It is Aimeric Lajuzan, Upper School French teacher by day and seasoned snowboarder by night.

Lajuzan first began snowboarding in 1998 in France during his first years of college. “I was starting college and I had never snowboarded before,” Lajuzan said.

“There was a ski and snowboard club.”

For only $15, Lajuzan was equipped with snowboarding equipment, a lift ticket, a bus ride to the mountains and a beginner’s lesson. All suited up, Lajuzan attempted to hit the slopes.

“My first time [snowboarding] was really, really bad,” he said.

Though his first time snowboarding was full of many mistakes

and falls, Lajuzan was hooked on the sport.

“I did [the snowboarding club] six or seven times. I saved up to buy used equipment of my own,” Lajuzan said.

Soon after, Lajuzan became more skilled at the sport. He mastered the basic skills and started to do riskier and more advanced tricks. “Back in France I used to do a lot of cliff jumps,” Lajuzan said.

After moving to Minnesota in 2006, Lajuzan ran into an issue: there were no mountains to do cliff jumps on while snowboarding.

“Back in Minnesota there were not big mountains so I learned more tricks and rail stuff. The thing I am most proud about is a backside board slide in a big battlefield rail,” Lajuzan said. The backside board slide is a trick where you ride on a rail facing forward while your board is horizontal.

He quickly found a snowboarding home at Afton Alps in Afton, Minnesota. “I was an instructor

Photo submitted by Aimeric Lajuzan Upper School French teacher Aimeric Lajuzan snowboards in Buck Hill ski area. “That, it is the tiny little improvements that you do and the things you need to do over and over and over again and you get more comfortable,” Lajuzan said.

at Afton Alps for a while,” Lajuzan said. “So I still go there out of nostalgia. [Today], I mostly go to Buck Hill and I occasionally trip out West to the mountains.”

Lajuzan’s favorite part about

snowboarding is mastering new tricks. “When you start to do tricks and all that, it is the tiny little improvements that you do and the things you need to do over and over and over again and you get more

comfortable,” he said. “Adding the 180 [degrees] to a spin or you do a trick on a rail and you change the way you get off the rail, that kind of thing, it’s really cool. It feels like an awesome achievement.”

With high jumps and sharp turns taken at high speeds, motocross racing is definitely an extreme sport.

Check out The Rubiconline for the online exclusive story by Laura Slade. www.rubiconline.com

10 F E AT U R E

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

One for One brings TOMS® to Madagascar

Leiter helps trace feet, make memories for new students John Wilhelm

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News Editor

“W

e thought ‘we’re just gonna get a couple hundred pairs of these shoes,’” former Upper School math teacher George Leiter recounted. “They sent us a container of—I think it said— 12,000.” While Leiter’s teaching area hasn’t changed much in the last few years, his geographical area has. He currently teaches math at the American School in Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar.

Leiter was recently invited to help with a Saturday program that takes care of impoverished Malagasy children. “Basically, it’s a little program for the street kids,” Leiter said. “They work for an hour, then they get to play for an hour, then they all line up and get a snack, a bottle of water, a piece of food.” The work that the children do varies; in this case, they helped clean up a school.

In recent weeks, though, the Saturday program received an extra gift to give away to Malagasy children—a massive shipment of TOMS ® shoes. “We got these clipboards with paper on them.

You’d trace around the kid’s foot.” Leiter continued, “We’d write down their names, ages, and match them up with some shoes.”

One for one is both the tag line and business model of TOMS ® (short for “tomorrow”) shoes. For every pair purchased, TOMS® sends a pair to a child in need in countries including Argentina, Ethiopia, Haiti, Guatemala, South

These kids are resilient little guys, but the poverty here—I think it’s the poorest country on earth. for m e r Up p e r S c h o o l m at h te a c h e r G e or g e L e i te r Africa, and Madagascar. Similar to many for-profit companies with philanthropic components, their website is plastered with pictures of smiling children holding up shoes. But lines of geography, finance, and culture divide the two worlds of the St. Paul Academy and Summit School student who buys shoes, and the Malagasy one who receives them.

Because of those lines, knowing where shoe money is going can be difficult. “I’d heard of TOMS ® shoes before,” Leiter said, noting that he was familiar with the one for one program. “But it’d be easy to say ‘we give away shoes,’ and never actually get around to it. It’s nice to know they’re really giving shoes away.”

SPA has the unique opportunity to watch both sides of the TOMS®-shoe-wearing world.

Here in the U.S., TOMS® are more than in vogue, and watching

feet for a while will reveal just how prevalent they are. “They’re quick and easy to put on, comfy, and they’re still pretty cheap,” senior Sarah Coleman said. “They go with anything. Sending other pairs [to kids in need] is an added bonus.”

Thousands of miles away, Malagasy children feel the same way. “The kids are definitely excited,” Leiter said. But living in a developed nation, it’s easy to forget just how important something as simple as a pair of shoes is.

“I’ve been [helping out with the program] for a while now,” Leiter continued. “It’s fascinating, both sad and happy at the same time. These kids are resilient little guys, but the poverty here—I think it’s the poorest country on earth.” Estimates vary widely, but with a GDP per capita of around $450, the poverty in Madagascar is unquestionable. For comparison, the GDP per capita in the US is just under $50,000.

With such a massive economic disparity, international relations, especially by a private enterprise like TOMS®, can be difficult.

“There’s a lot more to the logistics of an intercultural program like this than meets the eye,” Leiter said. At least momentarily, though, TOMS® seems to have figured out those logistics, and TOMS®-wearers at SPA can enjoy being on one end of that intercultural exchange.

“I think TOMS® are awesome,” senior Frank Nahurski said. “It’s nice to know there’s kids somewhere else looking stylish.”

Photos submitted by: George Leiter Former Upper School math teacher George Leiter measures a group of Malagasy children for new TOMS© shoes on Sept. 26. “I’d heard of TOMS ® shoes before,” Leiter said. “But it’d be easy to say ‘we give away shoes,’ and never actually get around to it. It’s nice to know they’re really giving shoes away.”

Children in Madagascar pose with their new TOMS® shoes, courtesy of the One for One program. “I think TOMS® are awesome. It’s nice to know there’s kids somewhere else looking stylish,” senior Frank Nahurski said.

“It’s both fun and frustrating” -- Leiter talks Mad(agascar)ness

I Map from Google Maps Former Upper School math teacher George Leiter lives in Antananarivo (marked red).

Mad(agascar) Facts Madagascar has a population of 17 million.

The capital Antananarivo has a population of 1.7 million

The island itself is 226,000 square miles, which is equivalent to roughly 17 United States.

Average life expectancy is 55 years; in America it is 79 years.

Literacy rates: 65% (Madagascar) 99% (U.S.) Internet usage: 1.45% (Madagascar) 78% (U.S.) Prevalence of obesity in adults: 1.6% (Madagascar) 33% (U.S.)

Statistics retrieved from findthedata.org and National Geographic

t’s been just under two months since former US math teacher George Leiter arrived in Madagascar Aug. 19, making this his fourth month on the island. The first two months were a visit last December and January.

The cultural differences between Madagascar and the US are varied, but foremost is the language barrier. “English is not widely spoken here, so I’m very determined to learn Malagasy.

It’s frustrating to want to talk to people on the street, and to not be able to.” Malagasy takes its roots from Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines—a quality that makes it distinct from many other African languages, which tend to be either Afroasiatic or Niger-Congo. “It’s both fun and frustrating,” Leiter added.

Second only to the difficulty of learning a language, driving in Antananarivo is also quite difficult. “This is a relatively large city, and it’s just chaotic. We have a car, and I’ve driven it a few times,” Leiter said, “but oh my god, it just scares the bejeebers out of me.”

“

It’s intense at times, but it’s cool.

G e or g e L e i te r Not only are there no yield signs in Antananarivo, there are no traffic lights either. “But people are very considerate of each other,” Leiter noted. “At an intersection, there’s six cars trying to get to different places, and everyone just takes turns. No one is screaming, and I’ve never seen anyone yell at anybody,”—a different mentality from American intersections, where road rage can take over even with traffic lights, at times.

The American School of Antananarivo, where Mr. Leiter teaches, was founded in September 1969. The total enrollment is roughly 220, and the school is K-12. “The parents send their kids here because they want an American education,” Leiter said.

But for such a small student body, the school exhibits a surprising level of diversity, with students representing more than 30 nationalities. “It’s a really cool mix of cultures,” Leiter continued, “A good part of the kids are Malagasy by birth, but their parents come from other parts of the world. Primarily India, China, Korea.”

Many of the children know four or more languages, including English, Malagasy, their native language spoken at home, and the language they learn at school.

“To all the schools having trouble with the diversity question, just have a school in Madagascar!”

Leiter said.

Aside from teaching and learning the language, Leiter also plays in a band of expatriates. Leiter noted how playing at

different venues allowed him to see the many sides of Malagasy culture. “On the same Saturday from working on the street, helping kids measure their feet for shoes, we went to a house where the door was answered by a butler in a tailcoat. It was a party by this guy’s pool, in a giant mansion,” Leiter said, “I just thought ‘there’s a little contrast!’”

Despite all the contrast between America and Madagascar, Leiter maintains that the weather is nicer. Since Madagascar is in the Eastern hemisphere, its summer starts around October, right as Minnesota begins its dark descent into winter. “I’m telling a lot of people who I Skype with that they can expect some spitebased weather reports,” Leiter laughed. “Pretty much every day here is 75 and sunny.”

Ultimately, though, Leiter has enjoyed being in Madagascar thus far. “It’s intense at times, but it’s cool,” Leiter said. “I bear my tidings to everyone.”

F E AT U R E 11 October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

For the love of the rhythm Students create music to their own beat

Photo Credit: Ava Gallagher Senior Jared Mosher poses as he prepares to drop a beat. Mosher enjoys splitting off whatever comes to his mind around friends. “I like freestyling around new people and getting their opinions,” Mosher said.

Ava Gallagher

r

Chief Visual Editor

On the bus ride to the Class of 2014’s junior retreat, multiple students in the back of the bus revealed some hidden talents. One of these students was senior Sam Carlson, who looks back on the experience of sharing his talent at the junior retreat quite fondly.

“When I am in front of people I like to stick to the basic beat that I have developed, but when I am feeling really good I try putting other ideas together,” Carlson said.

Carlson’s interest in beatboxing is purely a hobby, but he enjoys the art quite a bit. “I think of beatboxing more as a hobby than a skill. I like to listen to rap songs and hear the different elements

that are in the instrumentals.”

Carlson said. Carlson’s talent for beatboxing comes from his natural ability to replicate sounds with just his mouth.

“I like to copy those sounds with my mouth as best as I can and see if I can make a beat out it,” Carlson said. “I also like how simple beats can be just as cool as fast paced beats when they are done well.

As for the other side of homemade hip hop, freestyling is also popular specifically in the senior class. Freestyle rapping is a style of rap where words and rhymes are improvised on the spot, with or without instrumentals. Senior Jared Mosher enjoys spitting off whatever comes to his mind around friends, and pretty much anyone else. “I like freestyling around new people and

“ I like freestyling around new people and getting their opinions.

s e n i or Ja r e d Mo s h e r getting their opinions,” Mosher said.

In Mosher’s opinion, as far as other people are concerned, the more the merrier. “It’s fun to do it in a group where everyone is rapping because you can build off what other people say,” Mosher said. “It’s something that I have

put time into to improve on. I would consider myself a good rapper, but I’m not the best,” Mosher said.

As for improving and moving forward with their skills, both Carlson and Mosher only consider their skills as fun hobbies, whether because of stage fright or

slight lack of confidence in real talent.

“I like to show it off on various occasions but I keep it to myself mostly because I get embarrassed sometimes,” Carlson said.

Mosher feels a bit more at ease with sharing his skill, despite the fact that both are highly praised in the grade for their performances on certain occasions. “I like freestyling more than rapping because since it’s off the dome, people don’t care if you mess up.

I usually only freestyle around friends so I don’t get nervous,” Mosher said.

“If I had the real skill to, I would totally produce beats.

But in actuality, I have a greater chance of becoming a rocket scientist,” Carlson said.

Innovation, creativity fuel Designing Change class Netta Kaplan

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Copy Editor

“Does the school have a saw?” is not a question you often hear in class. But this isn’t a regular class.

Students in Designing Change are working to solve real problems at St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

When the class was first proposed to rising freshman and sophomores by Upper School English teacher John Wensman and US physics teacher Steve Heilig last spring, it was clear it was something out of the ordinary.

To introduce the class, Wensman and Heilig performed a rap, and possibilities for a new kind of learning drew many students to sign up for the new class. “It sounded like there was going to be a lot of room for creativity and new thinking, and learning about a new way to create ideas,” sophomore Claire Walsh said.

The class studies the process of solving an issue, starting with the basics. After breaking up into groups of four, each group chose a project to work on, such as creating a better doorstop or finding a better way to erase whiteboards

and chalkboards. Students then researched who would use the end result, interviewing people who are affected by their problem and creating an empathy chart.

Using that as a building block, groups began to develop ideas to solve those problems, then make those ideas real. “This class is different because... we’re making stuff. It’s not like theory; it’s not all just talk about what you think about it -- you create it yourself,” sophomore Tommy Monserud said.

The supplies students have to work with are notable as well; pillars in the classroom are painted with dry erase whiteboard paint, giving more surfaces potential for creativity and creating an innovative atmosphere.

Perhaps most impressive is the 3D printer, which students use to create parts for their projects and for other activities. “The fact that we have the ability and the opportunity to use it is really exciting,” sophomore Peter Baker said.

“I think it’s a really interesting tool,” sophomore Lexi Bottern added.

And yes, the school does have a saw.

Students in Designing Change work on their next project, redesigning tutorial.

The class, new this semester, focuses on strategies for solving issues, as well as the physical creation of those solutions. “This class is different because... we’re making stuff. It’s not like theory; it’s not all just talk about what you think about it — you create it yourself,” sophomore Tommy Monserud said. Students work with unusual materials like a 3D printer and wet-erase markers.

Photo Credit: Gita Raman

COURSE DESCRIPTION EXCERPT We will combine creative and analytical approaches, we will improve through failure, and we will use your knowledge and skills in communication, science, social studies, and technology.

Do you want to change the world? Start here.

Battle of the Bands back on

When former math teacher and Battle of the Bands founder George Leiter left the school last year, many thought the annual Battle of the Bands tradition was over.

Fortunately, a group of students and faculty has come together to bring back the musical program. Unlike previous years, however, the event will be organized by interested members, not Student Activities Committee.

While still in the initial stages of organization, Battle of the Bands is planned to be held on May 11, 2014. Anyone interested in participating should contact Upper School French teacher Aimeric Lajuzan.

Check out junior Maddie Flom-Staab’s personal playlist at the Rubicon online! www.rubiconline.com

Check out The Rubiconline for exclusive news, photos, polls and more. www.rubiconline.com

A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T 12 October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

Photo Credit: Catherine Braman

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

August Blues makes the most of their time together Lucy Li

r

Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief

August Blues singer McKenna Selissen’s voice floats across the white tents of the Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival, soothing visitors who sit on soft bales of hay to watch the mellow acoustic band.

The music is confident, despite the shy introduction Selissen gives for the song, and the tapping drum beat keeps the audience fixed on the show amid orange pumpkins and heavy pines.

The band’s second album, Crossing the Blue, was released on Sept. 27, and they performed at the Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival on Sept. 28-29. Their first album, released last year, is titled Out of the Blue.

August Blues originated in Hudson, Wisconsin, and is made up of St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior Dylan White on drums, Cavan Denning on guitar, and Selissen on vocals.

New aspects of this second album include the appearance of guest guitarist and vocalist Ben Tresselt.

“He is really talented; it’s not easy to play guitar and sing at the same

“

It’s just having that constant need and want to play. s e n i or D y l a n W h i te time,” White said. The band found Tresselt at a talent show at Hudson High School, where Selissen and Denning also go to school. “[Tresselt] also just gave us more variety because people want to hear new things and they want to see the band try new things,” White said. “You have to keep the crowd engaged and happy.”

Over the past year, the band picked up many more performances, or “gigs,” than previous years. “In general we’ve started to practice more and I think our sound has become a lot more crisp and organized,” White said.

They’ve picked up gigs at differ-

Photo Credit: Lucy Li August Blues performs a song at the Spirit of the St. Croix Art Festival which took place on Sept. 28-29. “You have to keep the crowd engaged and happy,“ senior Dylan White, the band’s drummer, said. The band’s second album, Crossing the Blue, was released om Sept. 27.

ent venues for over two years, often performing at art fairs, coffee shops, and charity events. Last year, they played at First Avenue and 7th Street Entry, which was a memorable experience. “We were opening for a group, but the focus was on music,” White said, “so it was cool to have that focus and play at such an iconic club.”

Friends since kindergarten, White and Denning began playing music together in fifth grade for fun. They saw Selissen perform right after them at a talent show three years later, and their admiration for her voice brought the trio together. They originally used electric guitars and a full drum set, calling themselves “Rolling Catastrophe,” but later transitioned to their current genre and name.

Tresselt graduated high school last June, while Selissen will graduate Hudson Senior High School

a semester early to pursue her interest in music therapy at music school in January. Denning has played guitar for ten years, and although he can’t read sheet music, he helps the band avoid boredom with their music. “[Denning]’s usually the one who offers a suggestion in terms of changing a song,” White said.

The members of the band are all very close, which helps them stay efficient while practicing and creating new songs. The only challenge is balancing gigs and practice with the band members’ work or school schedules. Often, individual members take time over the week to brainstorm ideas and practice on his or her own before coming together on the weekends. “It’s just having that constant need and want to play; it’s going to make you that much better,” White said. “I know that everyone in our band definitely

plays their instrument or sings on a regular basis.”

This coming year will bring big changes for August Blues, as several of its members will move on to college. They will continue to perform together throughout the summer of 2014, but “after that I think we’re mostly going our separate ways,” White said. “There’s a good chance that we could get back together for certain occasions to play gigs, especially in the summers.”

White doesn’t plan to pursue a career in music, but in college, he might join another band and perform locally. “I’m pretty open to the music I play,” he said. One of the key lessons he has learned from playing in a band is communication, whether it’s with those who organize events for performances or if it’s within the band.

“If you love [music], it’s pretty easy to commit to,” he said.

Lines are blurred over controversial pop song Sarah r Murad

Staff Writer

International star Robin Thicke has caused a worldwide controversy with his single Blurred Lines, which has topped the charts in 18 countries and has become the second most-sold single in the United Kingdom.

In colleges and universities in the U.S., school officials are considering banning Blurred Lines, claiming that the lyrics undermine women.

“A lot of people don’t think about the meaning because it’s catchy,” freshman Heba Sandozi said. “If the majority of people aren’t getting the negative mes-

sage out of it they’ll wonder why it’s being banned, but they need to know what the song is about.

Personally, I wouldn’t want to listen to that.” Sandozi believes that the song should be banned from school grounds because of its inappropriate lyrics and message.

According to The Huffington Post, the lyrics promote rape culture – the concept that sexual violence is linked to societal norms.

In the song, Thicke sings “I know you want it,” suggesting that although a man’s sexual advances are rejected, they are still desired.

The song includes loaded phrases like “you’re a good girl” and “you’re an animal.” However, in an interview with The Huffington Post, Thicke claimed that the song

was actually a “feminist act within itself,” despite the fact that many people have spoken out against its lyrics.

Freshmen Enzo Vinholi’s thoughts differ from Sandozi’s: “People should be able to listen to what they want to as long as it doesn’t disturb others around them,” Vinholi said.

Junior Maggie Clark thinks that because the song isn’t currently banned at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, students must choose for themselves whether or not to listen to it.“I don’t promote censorship,” Clark said. “I think you should have a moral compass where you shouldn’t want to listen to it.”

Fair Use image taken from youtube.com Despite its chart-topping status, Robin Thicke’s Blurred Lines has fallen under great controversy and is being banned from schools internationally. “If the majority of people aren’t getting the negative message out of it they’ll wonder why it’s being banned, but they need to know what the song is about ,” freshman Heba Sandozi said.

Students tweet about the music they’re listening to and the concerts they can’t wait to attend.

A RT S

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

E N T E RTA I N M E N T 13 October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

&

Music Seminar offers a unique learning experience Thomas Toghramadjian

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Opinions Editor

Today’s lesson involves rules for conversion between major and minor scales, but in a matter of minutes, several students make it clear that they don’t understand the notes written on the whiteboard.

“Excuse me, may I?” Director of Choral Activities Anne Klus asks a student watching from the piano bench. She begins teaching from behind the piano, counting the half steps out loud as she demonstrates a scale. Then, everyone wheels the piano to the middle of the choir room, and the Music Seminar students gather around to try for themselves.

“We do not sit at a Harkness table; we choose where ever we want to sit. We can get up and walk around during class, to stay focused,” senior Emma Chang said. “Class is very hands on; we get to practice our lessons by

playing the piano and listening to music,” Chang added.

“It’s a really great class because we sometimes go off on tangents-but those are always about music. Someone may just start singing something, or we’ll listen to a piece of music, or Ms. Klus will tell us something awesome related to music,” senior Vittorio Orlandi said. “I’m surprised how much we learn/get done considering how fun and relaxed the class is.”

Despite Music Seminar’s free-flowing lesson plan, or perhaps because of it, the students manage to get through an astonishingly wide range of subject matter.

“The objective is to introduce the students to the basics of music theory, beginning ear training, melodic and rhythmic dictation, harmonic analysis, beginning composition and the history of Western music from the medieval [era] through the 21st century,” Klus, the class instructor, said.

“That’s a lot to cover for one year!”

According to Klus, St. Paul Academy and Summit School has offered Honors Music Seminar for more than twenty years.

“My mentor and predecessor, Dr. Olive Jean Bailey, taught the class before she retired and I took over,” Klus said.

The class currently consists of twelve students, and is offered to juniors and seniors recommended by the music faculty.

“Each student brings their own expertise and musical insight into the class. Some years I have had more vocalists taking the class.

Some years there are more students who play in the orchestra or jazz ensembles, and that brings a rich dimension to the class as well,” Klus said.

Chang, who sings in Academy Chorale and Chamber Academy Chorale, decided to join the class because “I have a passion for music and I wanted to know learn more about the history of music and music theory.”

Orlandi, a pianist, elected to

Photo Credit: Thomas Toghramadjian Upper School Choral Activities teacher Anne Klus teaches the Music Seminar class. “Each student brings their own expertise and musical insight into the class,“ Klus said.

take the class for both available semesters. “I hadn’t heard of the class and I’m really into music so I thought I’d try it,” he said.

“I definitely think it gives the music students a much deeper understanding and appreciation,

both theory-wise as well as history wise, [of] what the music they are performing is all about. They make connections and have more insight because of what they are studying,” Klus said.

Students share personal playlists Sophomore Kent Hanson rocks to anthems di

Junior Laura Viksnins enjoys pop and dance

d Cu

t ” - Ki h g i N ‘n’ “Day

“Blo wn

Aw ay” -

“How To Save a Life” - The Fray “Let He

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“ Tita

r Go” - P asseng

“1+1” - Beyonc e

Car ri

er

anced” -

hanna

w ” - Ri o B a e

“ Tak

“Kiss Me” - Ed Sheeran

“Wake Me U

od

uetta

d Thunde

“And We D

rwo

nium ” - Da vid G

“Lights an

est sy” - Kanye W ta n a F rk a D “

nde

r” - Krewe

Macklem

lla

p” - Avicii

“Roar” - Katy

ore

Perry

“Red” - Taylor Swif

t

“Young and Beautiful” - Lana Del Re

y diers” l “No Sleep” - Wiz Khalifa o S Z y y a J / “ To st nye We a K “Apollo” - Hardwall ” t I ve a H a t t “Go

m Emine

“Favorite Song” - Chance the Rapper Photos Credit: Catherine Braman

Defending state singles champion senior Sonya Das won the Section 4A singles tennis title. She will head to the Girls’ State tennis tournament, which begins Oct. 24.

Go the The Rubiconline for updates on Girls Varsity Tennis. www.rubiconline.com

14 S P ORT S

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

SPARTAN TRIVIA

After every meet, the SPA/ Highland Park swim team wears footie pajamas.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Spartans withdraw from Tri-Metro Conference

Private school rivalries will be built during 2014-15 seasons FAST FACT

“

SPA Athletics joined the Tri-Metro Conference in 1998.

It is going to have a very positive outcome for us.

At h l e t i c D i r e c tor Pe te r S aw k i n s

Meghan Joyce r Patrick Commers Staff Writers

Big changes are coming to the Tri-Metro Conference. Three large new schools, Academy of Holy Angels, Fridley High School, and Columbia Heights High School, will be added to the Tri-Metro Conference, despite opposition from the current teams. The opposition to this huge growth in the size of the Tri-Metro Conference prompted St. Paul Academy and Summit School, as well as five other schools (Blake, Breck, Minneha-

ha Academy, Mounds Park Academy, and Providence Academy) to leave the conference at the end of the school year.

“It just seemed very unwieldy and did not seem like a cohesive conference anymore. For the best interest of the student athletes here and the program overall we thought it best to go independent,” SPA Director of Athletics Peter Sawkins said.

Most athletes agree that the change will be for the best. Junior and three sport athlete Kevin Patterson said, “I think it is a good idea because the schools that are joining would most likely beat us.”

Photo Credit: Patrick Commers Briggs gymnasium has banners of all the school affiliated with the Tri Metro Conference.

After this school year the Spartans will no longer be a part of the conference. “We can go out of our way and schedule against other good teams so that we’re playing to improve for section,” junior soccer and basketball player Julia Lagos said.

Junior Julia Lagos, a soccer and basketball player, looks forward the new freedom that leaving provides teams. “[In the Tri-Metro Conference] you play teams that aren’t necessarily as competitive, just because you have to,” Lagos said. Now, she said, “we can go out of our way and schedule against other good teams so that we’re playing to improve ourselves for sections.”

One consequence of leaving the Tri-Metro Conference is that

there will no longer be conference level awards such as all-conference player or rankings of which school in the conference is doing best. However, it might not be a such a bad thing.

Lagos is undecided about not getting awards or rankings. “It’s kind of sad because I was hoping to get some kind of award my senior year,” she said. At the same time, “I feel like that takes some of the pressure off.”

“It’s going to have a very pos-

according to a letter from Head of School Bryn Roberts to the S PA c o m m u n i t y

itive outcome for us; it will allow us greater flexibility in terms of our ability to schedule games against schools we want to play from a competitive perspective but also from a traditional rivalry perspective,” Sawkins said.

New head coach brings excitement to United Hockey Mari Knudson

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Staff Writer

They waited. And waited. And now, finally, they have a coach.

Finding a hockey coach is an important job, and the girls of United Hockey waited patiently.

The St. Paul Academy and Summit School/Visitation co-op took their time replacing the head girls hockey coach Carrie Holldorf, who resigned at the end of the last season.

“Hockey coaches are hard to find,” SPA Assistant Director of Athletics Mike Brown said.

Brown worked to find a new coach along with Athletic Directors Peter Sawkins of SPA, Mike Brill of Visitation, SPA boys hockey coach William Owens, and SPA Upper School Principal Chris Hughes.

The long wait left some of the hockey players wondering if they would ever find a coach. “I was a little worried that it was taking so long but I knew it was because they were taking their time finding the right coach,” sophomore hockey player Andrea Olson said.

United put an end to the waiting by hiring David Cole as the new head hockey coach late in August.

Cole comes from a strong ath-

Photos reprinted with permission from David Cole New Girls Hockey Coach David Cole started in youth sports and worked his way up to the National Hockey League before heading United Hockey this winter. “I think that the team will love him and the assistant coaches because they are great people who really know how to interact with their players,” senior girls hockey captain Alev Baysoy said.

letic background, as he played hockey as a goalie at Williams College. According to Cole, his wife was the one who got him into coaching in the first place.

“I was living in New York City on a fine arts degree. My wife, who was working for a sports club, suggested I coach for Joe Espinosa, a youth sports club. For seven years I coached kids and ran summer clubs, for all different kinds of stuff. I loved it,” Cole said.

With a special interest in coaching hockey, he went on to work with National Hockey League teams the Atlanta Thrashers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, focusing on fan development. He then went to coach for The Blake School under the late legendary hockey coach Brano Stankovsky

and is owner and head coach for Cole Hockey Systems.

His extensive resume in hockey has impressed many of the players. “His greatest strength is his ample experience in the hockey world,” senior hockey captain Alev Baysoy said. “Through working with players who ranged from the youth level to the professional level, he carries years of experience with him on the ice.

He has great knowledge of the game and I think that he will really make a positive transition for our team this year.”

Cole enjoys coaching girls hockey because he appreciates the social fabric holding the team together, which he believes holds more power in girls hockey. “It’s like a family,” Cole said.

He admires the United team

especially because he believes they have a lot of potential: “I think there’s a lot of talent on this team. This is a team I wanted and coveted for a long time.”

As a new coach, Cole is especially interested in establishing the culture of the hockey program. He assigned hockey players homework to put together an acronym for what they think United Hockey stands for to get their opinion on the culture of their team.

An interesting aspect of Cole as a coach is that he was a goaltender and a goalie coach for much of his hockey career. “I think it’s really unique to have a coach who was a goalie,” freshman hockey player Clare Tipler said.

Cole plans to tie his experience in goalkeeping into his

coaching style,which he describes as “very energetic, including a lot of cross-referencing with music, art, and politics.”

One of Cole’s goals for the hockey season is to have fun.

“Teams should have peaks and valleys, but if you’re not having fun then what’s the point?” Cole said.

Sophomore goaltender Catherine Johnson appreciates this about Cole. “He is very energetic.

If you’re having a bad day he will be able to cheer you up,” she said Baysoy predicts that Cole will make a good impression on the team. “I think that the team will love him and the assistant coaches because they are great people who really know how to interact with their players,” Baysoy said.

While Cole lists fun high on his agenda for the season, ambitions are also high among the United hockey team for this season. After losing to Totino Grace in their second playoff game last season, the team hopes to make it even further this winter.

“Hopefully we will make it to state this year; that is my ultimate goal and I know that with Coach Cole’s help, we can achieve it,” Baysoy said.

The Football team raised over $500 for the American Cancer Society during their Coaches vs.

Cancer game against Providence Academy on Oct. 11.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press named juniors Mike Destache and Mary Naas Athletes of the Week on Oct. 8.

Photo Credit: Lucy Li

S P ORT S 15 October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Fall Sports Recap: Boys Soccer Varsity: 3-13-1 JV: 8-3-5 C: 4-6-3 Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Junior captain Jordan Moradian and freshman Ethan Maione on Sept. 10 against Holy Angels.

Cross Country

Girls: 2nd in conference Boys: 5th in conference

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Sophomore Meghan Joyce races at St.Kates on Sept 12.

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Senior Anna Matenaer practices the freestyle stroke at Highland Park High School on Sept. 4.

Girls Swimming and Diving 2-6-0 Highlight: 91-45 win against Humboldt on Sept. 10

Volleyball

Varsity: 11-7-0 JV: 4-8-0 C: 3-7-0 Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Juniors Mira Grinsfelder and Nancy Moyers block at their Sept. 26 game against Blake.

Girls Tennis Varsity: 14-4-0 JV: 7-5-0 Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Senior Aria Bryan and junior Eva Zaydman practice volleys before their match against St. Anthony Village on Sept. 12.

Football

Varsity: 2-5-0

Highlight: 26-12 win against West Lutheran

Playing for a cure

Gita Raman

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Feature Editor

The navy and gold that usually adorns St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Briggs Gymnasium was overruled by a color with a cause on Oct. 8. Banners, balloons and ribbons in many shades of pink paraded the walls and bleachers. Fans poured into the gym wearing their pink-hued outfits.

“We had so many more people wearing pink [compared to last year],” varsity head coach Rebecca Zenefski said.

The SPA Volleyball program’s second annual Dig Pink night was met with much enthusiasm and energy from players and supporters alike.

Players sold sparkly headbands during lunch periods the week prior to the gamehe week prior to the game and had a box for donations outside the gym door on game night. The money raised went to the Side-Out Foundation, a foundation started by Virginian volleyball coach Rick Dunetz, which was created to reach out to athletes and cancer patients.

Between games, the team hon-

“

Dig Pink night made us more energetic. s e n i or A l e x M i l l e r ored members of the audience who had either had cancer or currently battling against it. This included eighth grade volleyball coach Pam Bersie, who is a survivor of breast cancer and is now cancer free.

With an original goal of raising $500, the team well surpassed and accomplished their goal by raising almost triple of their original goal with a total of $1230.08.

“I think Dig was a huge success this year. We raised over $1200. Whereas last year, our first year doing it we raised about $170. It was a nice way to see it

financially improve,” varsity volleyball coach Rebecca Zenefski said.

“Dig Pink Night made us more energetic,” senior defensive specialist Alex Miller said.

The team’s great energy lead to their 3-0 victory over Providence Academy.

“It made it all the sweeter, because we had a good three set win against a team we had won the previous year with five sets,” Zenefski said.

“We played really well, I think we played well together as a team,” Miller said. Although the crowd was not very large, “everyone wore pink and was respectful when we needed them to be,” Miller said.

Support of the team was shown when one of the audience members decided to pump the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd by doing the Spartan Beat.

Zenefski said that the program plans to continue Dig Pink night and fundraising next year, when they will hopefully raise even more money and awareness for the cause.

With additional reporting by Hannah Johnson

Spartan Boosters revamped

Photo Credit: Lucy Li Junior Louie Bogolub runs past Providence Academy players on Oct. 11.

Girls Soccer Varsity: 9-9-0 JV: 10-4-0 Photo Credit: Catherine Braman Senior Zoe Matticks and junior Catherine Riley contest a header in a Sept. 26 game against Minnehaha Academy.

Photo Credit: Gita Raman The volleyball team huddles before the Dig Pink game on Oct. 8 against Providence Academy. “We played really well. I think we played together as a team,” senior defensive specialist Alex Miller said. This was the volleyball program’s second annual Dig Pink night.

Boraan Abdulkarim

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Cover Story Editor

“The new Boosters.” This is the term sophomore Lexi Bottern uses to describe the future of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Upper School Thursday student group, Spartan Boosters.

Bottern and other leaders of Spartan Boosters are transforming the group this year, increasing productivity, gathering money to sponsor events, and working to “be a big deal,” according to Bottern. “We’re trying to take on this huge role, and it’s been kind of a joke in the past. We’re doing a lot to change it,” she said.

Check out the rest of this article at The Rubiconline, along with up to date game scores, special features, and team news.

16 B AC K C OV E R

October 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue II.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Students decipher

SECRET MENUS

at their workplaces

Customers can order items that are not on the official menu Secret menu reviews Izzy’s Cherry Port Wine satisfies with rich flavors Eva Perez-Greene

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Photo Credit: Lucy Li Junior Mattie Daub serves ice cream to a customer at Izzy’s Ice Cream during her evening shift on Oct. 9. “We have our lesser known flavors -- mystery flavors -- that do not have tags yet because they are new,” Daub said about secret menu items designed by customers.

Hannah Johnson

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Editor in Chief

eciding what to order on a menu can be very stressful and chaotic. With your mouth watering and eyes darting from item to item, ordering food can seem like life’s most important decision.

This decision can be even trickier when there is an additional menu full of secret recipes and items at the shop. Three students explain what it is like to work at food shops with secret menus.

Most customers don’t know about a restaurant’s secret menu, and sometimes, the staff doesn’t know about it either. This was the case for senior Jonathan Sogin, who is a cook at Punch Neapolitan Pizza.

Sogin had to learn about the restaurant’s secret menu when someone took him by surprise and ordered one. “I learned on the go,” he said.

Punch Pizza, which is run by freshman John Soranno’s family, offers delicious paninis to those who know that they are available.

All the cooks are prepared to make the sandwich, as it is not too different from a classic pizza.

“What they do is they just take the pizza dough, fold it in half and then, a panini,” he said. “You can get most pizzas as a panini, as long as they have a tomato on them.”

Another local shop, Izzy’s Ice Cream, owned by sophomore Ora Hammel’s family, also has secret menu items. Junior Mattie Daub, who began working at the ice cream store this summer, explained that some of the flavors are even secret to her.

“It is really fun,” Daub said. “[The counter workers] don’t know all the secrets; it is more of the kitchen people.”

Izzy’s is always getting new flavors, thanks to a popular flavor

contest in which customers may design their own.

“We have our lesser known flavors -- mystery flavors -- that do not have tags yet because they are new,” she said. Customers can send in their own ideas to the kitchen staff. While some of the submitted flavors become permanent residents of the ice cream box, others come and go in waves of popularity.

“Some of those [other flavors] are really good, some of those are kind of interesting and really weird,” Daub said.

One of these past peculiar flavors included Hound Dog, which included fudge and caramel swirls and Scooby Doo fruit snacks. The flavor was available this past summer, but is no longer available.

With all of these mystery flavors coming and going, Daub is required to memorize the ingredients of each flavor. “You get a little flavor dictionary, which is really cute,” Daub said.

Another junior, Alex Lindeke, works at the fast food restaurant McDonalds.

McDonalds’ secret menu items include “McGangBang”, a Double Cheeseburger and a McChicken Sandwich with a McChicken in the middle, and “Poor Man’s BigMac,” a McDouble with lettuce, onions, pickles, and Mac sauce. The “McCrepe” is a pancake with a yogurt parfait in the middle. Lindeke also recommends a secret shake, a combination of the strawberry, vanilla and chocolate shakes.

Lindeke, who works in the assembly line, drive thru window and cash register, explained that he needs to manually create the special order for these secret items. “They are not on the register,” he said. “I have to know what they are and ring them up as separate sandwiches so that [the assembly line] assembles it themselves.”

In Depth Editor

Cherry Port Wine was the “mystery” and “limited edition” flavor which junior Mattie Daub recommended to me when I visited her at her job at Izzy’s Ice Cream Cafe.

The ice cream tasted of pure and classic custard with strong, satisfying undertones of red wine.

Real cherries macerated in port wine were integrated throughout

the ice cream, a very pleasing surprise for me as I savored the ice cream’s base. The Cherry Port Wine ice cream possessed a simplistic yet sophisticated balance between the sweet richness of an eggy base and the deep, slightly acidic flavors of Port Wine. It tasted similar to a cherry cordial but much less sweet and much more satisfying.

Definitely a flavor worth trying again before it disappears and Izzy’s concocts a new divine test batch.

Punch Pizza’s paninis may look half as large, but they are three times as good Boraan Abdulkarim

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Cover Story Editor

The “panini” pizzas on Punch Neapolitan Pizza’s secret menu are a fun, interesting twist on the traditional neapolitan wood-fired pizzas Punch specializes in.

The panini, or Calzones, consist of any pizza that has tomatoes as a topping, folded over with crushed tomatoes on top, and fired in the oven The margherita extra panini, when cut open, oozes with melted cheese and basil leaves, and the texture is doughier than the usual thin crust pizza. It is like a deep dish Punch pizza.

The ingredients are so fresh and work so well together. It’s definitely something distinctive, delectable, new, and worth trying.

Photo Credit: Boraan Abdulkarim Check out The Rubicon Online for a review of Starbucks Coffee’s secret menu item, dirty chai. www.rubiconline.com

Jamba Juice caters to secret sweet indulgences Laura Slade

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Photo Credit: Laura Slade

A&E Editor

The first sip of the White Gummy smoothie tastes just like Jamba Juice’s traditional drinks -- cold, smooth, and fruity -- but then a different, sweeter flavor hits and leaves the mouth with the taste of a gummy bear. The white gummy smoothie is one of

the secret flavors that Jamba Juice makes, along with others such as Rainbow Skittles, Sour Gummy, Pink Star, and more. These flavors aren’t on the menu because they don’t have the same health value as the other drinks, which is very clear from its sugary taste. The regular menu will cater to a fruity power drink craving, but for an indulgent treat, a secret smoothie is a quick fix .

Chipotle’s secret menu hides in plain bite Katrina Hilton

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Sports Editor

After being turned down at the first Chipotle location because an employee said they were too busy, I was nervous as I approached the counter of a second location.

The Quesorito. a rumored secret menu item, is a burrito with a quesadilla in place of the regular tortilla. Luckily when I requested the secret item the second time,

I was met with a smile from the cook. The quesadilla was grilled before the contents were added, giving it a crunchier texture than that of a normal burrito. I liked it even better than having cheese in a plain burrito, because the cheese was more melted. I would definately recomend the masterful combination of flavors of the Quesorito to everyone. Chipotle’s secret menu is also rumored to feature nachos.

Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton