April 2018 Issue by SPA Publications

the

RUBICON the student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue - Saint Paul, MN 55105 Volume 45. Issue 7. April 30, 2018

Increase public transportation use. Opinions 6

History’s imprint: Redlining and neighborhood changes, In Depth 8-9

Personal growth after International travel. Feature 10

IN THIS ISSUE: 2-3 NEWS • 4-6 EDITORIAL/OPINIONS • 7 SCI/TECH • 8-9 IN DEPTH • 10-11 FEATURE • 12-13 A&E • 14-16 SPORTS

COVER DESIGN: Jonah Harrison

the

RUBICON the student news of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue - Saint Paul, MN 55105 Volume 45. Issue 7. April 30, 2018

Increase public transportation use. Opinions 6

History’s imprint: Redlining and neighborhood changes, In Depth 8-9

GROWTH. Flowers bloom and trees bud as snow finally melts. Seniors look ahead to project internships. (FEATURE 11). The Twin Cities continue to expand (IN DEPTH 8-9). Students address political issues (NEWS 2).

Students around the metro rally at the Capital for stricter gun laws

Personal growth after International travel. Feature 10

N ews

IN THIS ISSUE: 2-3 NEWS • 4-6 EDITORIAL/OPINIONS • 7 SCI/TECH • 8-9 IN DEPTH • 10-11 FEATURE • 12-13 A&E • 14-16 SPORTS

Follow @TheRubiconSPA on Twitter to watch drone video coverage of the protests. Go to RubicOnline to read the interactive story from the day. See photos on Instagram @TheRubiconSPA

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

Students walk out to protest gun control inaction On the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting, students call for stricter gun control MARLEE BARON Managing Editor

“Protect students, not guns” “We are enraged” “Thoughts and prayers are not bullet proof.” These are just some of the mottos plastered on signs that filling the Huss Center of St. Paul Academy and Summit School on Apr. 20, when students gathered to walk to the Capitol to rally against gun violence. This particular walkout, although not the first of its kind, is special because it took place on the 19th Anniversary of the Columbine shooting and was a nationwide event. Students from schools all around the Twin Cities met at the Capitol to rally; the SPA walkout was organized

by sophomores Anna Snider, Savita Yopp, Naomi Wilson, Martha Slaven and Nina Smetana. Snider said she decided to plan the event after the Feb. 14 Parkland shooting: “The day after...I talked to one or two other people and this was just an idea we had because we were fed up...we want to give people a voice and a way to speak up,” Snider said. Along with planning the walkout, the students helped plan the events at the Capitol. “We planned an open mic for students to speak, and [read] poetry regarding gun violence,” Smetana said. The walkout was planned as a way to give students a voice at a time when legislators are debating school safety:

“we

want to give

people a voice and a way to speak up.”

-sophomore

anna snider

“Most of us [students] can’t vote yet but we’re the ones who are being affected by gun violence. Politically we don’t have a lot of power so walkouts are a way of saying that we do have power and a way of communicating with people who do have political power,” Snider said. Smetana added, “I want [students] to not be afraid to continue to fight for their

voices to be heard. Gun violence isn’t a trend that will go away without prompting or constant efforts to change the laws.” Students from all grades participated in the walkout. Junior Ben Atmore marched with a sign that read “We are enraged” with the letters “nra” in the word “enraged” crossed out. He said, “I believe it is important to rally with a national cause even if it means [missing] one day of school because I can easily make that up. For this national cause in particular where lives are literally at stake, it is extremely important.” 9th grader Gavin Kimmel wore orange, the color of the gun control movement, to the

walkout to show his support. “I think it’s really important to support gun reform. [...] We are remembering the horrible things that have happened in the past, acknowledging them and not just ignoring them,” Kimmel said. 9th grader Gracie TilneyKaemmer also participated in the walkout. “Throughout my lifetime at least,” she said, “I’ve become so accustomed to mass shootings. Nothing has changed yet and I think [walkouts] are a good way to draw public attention to it because people are becoming used to [mass shootings] as if they are the norm but kids dying in school each year shouldn’t be the norm.”

RUBICONLINE PHOTOS:Mimi Geller #NEVERAGAIN. Students from around Minnesota gathered at the Capital in Saint Paul on Apr. 20 to protest gun control laws. (Top): 9th graders Lucy Benson, Evelyn Lillemoe, and Gabriella Thompsen climb the Capital steps. (Far Left): Ava Garcia and Amina Smaller advocate for safe schools. (Left) Thousands of students participated in the walk out. (Center) Tina Wilkens holds a sign asking for action. (Right) Bailey Donovan, Max Moen, and Gabby Harmoning stand on the steps of the Capitol. (Far Right) The hashtag #neveragain has been central to the movement since the Parkland shooting on Feb. 14. See the full photo gallery at The Rubicon Facebook page.

RUBICONLINE PHOTO:Ethan Dincer CLAIMING SPACE. On April 17, Common Ground members spoke about their experiences of racism within and outside of SPA to educate the community.

Common Ground intimately calls for social change

EMMA SAMPSON RubicOnline Editor

On Tuesday, Apr. 17 during X-period, the student group Common Ground held an assembly with the intention of sharing their experiences with racism and discrimination inside of the walls of St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Each student spent time speaking on the stage

and giving insight into their experiences. “The goal of today’s assembly is to share our experiences and have the audience listen. Now everyone can be held accountable,” senior Eva Garcia said. Read the full story at

N ews 3

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

SSJ meets with Senator Pappas to discuss child marriage law JENNY SOGIN

The Rubicon Editor

High schoolers in America can get married before becoming a legal adult.The current Minnesota Marriage Law allows any 16 year old to marry with consent from a parent or guardian. According to Frontline, between 2000 and 2015, 207,459 minors in America were married; 483 of which were married in Minnesota. On the surface, the law does not seem as harmful as it actually is. However, because 83% of minors who are married were girls and 86% of minors married a legal adult; these statistics hint at a much darker trend. UNICEF reports that 13% of girls married between the ages of 15-19 experience sexual violence from their husbands. Child marriage jeopardizes a girl’s education, economic opportunities,

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Kristin Trapp, assistant to Senator Pappas LOBBYING. SSJ met with Senator Pappas to discuss her new child marriage bill. Senator Pappas is in the middle wearing blue, Dr. Ellen Kennedy from World Without Genocide is on the far right and the rest of the adults are also from World Without Genocide.

increases her risk of domestic violence, and puts her at risk for dangerous pregnancies. However, there are many programs and people working to change these harmful laws. On April 10, Students for Social Justice (SSJ) brought a group of students from the school community to meet with Senator Pappas about her

new Child Marriage/ Age of Consent bill. “[Pappas explained] why raising the age from 16 to 18 for child marriage is so important and [brought up] some action steps we can take,” co-president of SSJ Elea Besse said. “[She also] emphasized how it’s really on young people to pass this bill.”

Besse got in contact with Pappas through their contact at World Without Genocide. “We were talking to Ellen Kennedy, the director of World Without Genocide, and she [told] us about the meeting with Senator Pappas, which is about the Child Marriage bill.” SSJ’s focus on genocide

led them to seek out more information about this particular issue. “We wanted to emphasize how women are impacted by genocides, especially with sexual assault and rape. And that is translated into how women are still targeted as a community because the majority of people who get married before the age of 18 are women, so we wanted to extend that piece of safety for all genders to this trip,” Besse said. Not only will SSJ and others who attended the meeting take away more knowledge about the cause and ways they can help, they also walked away with a lot of hope. “It’s exciting to see that young people can make a change, and I hope that we can really get this bill passed. I hope that other people will see that it is possible to make a change,” Besse said.

Voter Outreach Specialist encourages seniors to exercise their democratic rights IYA ABDULKARIM Editor-in-Chief

During the senior class meeting on April 16, Voter Outreach Specialist Michael Wall from the office of the Minnesota Secretary of State helped inform and educate the seniors about voter registration. Wall guided those interested in registering through the online process. St. Paul Academy and Summit School was one of the 21 schools Wall visited with the League of Women Voters. They hope to host registration sessions for seniors across St. Paul schools to encourage students to exercise their democratic rights once eligible. Senior Sorcha Ashe chose to register during the class meeting. “I registered because I thought it was good preparation for the next elections and a convenient future time-saver,” Ashe said.

Not every member of the senior class was 18 years old at the time of the class meeting, but that didn’t stop them from registering.

“I

registered

because

thought

it was good preparation for the next elections.”

-senior

sorcha ashe

“You need to be 18 on or before November 8th, the general election date. If you will not be, you can register after that,” Wall said. Senior Henry Zietlow did not register during the class meeting. “I did not register to vote during the class meeting because I’ll still be 17 on election day this fall,” Zietlow said.

“However, I still thought that it was really important for a voting outreach specialist [to come] to our class meeting, and I thought it was great that such a large amount of our grade was able to register to vote,” he added. Some seniors sat and watched as their peers registered because they had already registered. One such individual was Kelly Feidler, who had already registered two weeks earlier while at school. “There were plenty of people around me who weren’t [registering] but I wasn’t judging anyone and I didn’t feel judged,” Fiedler siad. “I think it was a good idea to have [registration] it be an option and have someone who really knows how walk us through [the process] even though it’s super simple anyways,” Feidler added. However, some seniors

THE RUBICON PHOTO:Iya Abdulkarim

CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. Voter Outreach Specialist Michael Wall demostrated how to register to vote online and encouraged all seniors who would be turing 18 before the election to register.

found there to be no reason to bring in a guest speaker for the relatively straightforward registration process. Senior Ashley Jallen, who was eligible and registered to vote during the meeting, was one such person. “I think it was helpful getting the whole registration process out of the way, but I don’t think it was completely necessary to bring someone with a thorough presentation

in,” Jallen said. “The registration process, once on the website, is very self-explanatory. I finished registering (in the class meeting) before he even began with the first instruction,” she added. “I think it would be just as efficient to email all of the seniors a link to a website and not take up their free time,” Jallen said.

CORRECTIONS POLICY

LAST MONTH’S CORRECTIONS

During the post-critique process, staff members will identify innacuracies and report on feedback from readers. Corrections will be printed in the next edition of the newspaper in the News section.

FEATURE 12- Savita Avasthi-Yopp and Swati Avasthi names spelled incorrectly. SPORTS 16- Mirai Nagasu was the first American woman to successfully execute a tripel axel in the Olympics.

E ditorial

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

MINI EDITORIALS

Support the STC It’s no secret that we’re all trying to adapt to a more quickly evolving, tech-centered world. Who better to oversee this transition for the student body than a group of qualified students who are passionate about technology? Not only will the proposed Student Technology Commission (STC) be a great opportunity for student leadership, it will open a channel of communication with the Technology department, a constant presence in student life. Students should support this new project and, when the time comes, vote for a qualified candidate who will ensure the group’s ambitions become reality. Editorial Cartoon: Melissa Nie

CUTTING CLUBS: The administration needs to protect club meeting times on Thursday x-periods so clubs can perform the meaningful role they are designed to for students, the school, and the community.

Truth in advertising: prioritize student clubs EDITORIAL

The Rubicon Staff

Student led clubs offer a unique opportunity to meet and share common interests or beliefs. Ideally, clubs are a consistent activity that allows members to meet weekly and execute the goals of the club. However, this year that has not been the case. With clubs meetings rarely and on inconsistent days, they lack unity. This needs to change. The school has guidelines pertaining to clubs and meetings. The Upper School Handbook states: “The school offers a diverse range of clubs, organizations and committees for students. Students are invited to participate in those which reflect their interests. The periods from 9:25 to 10:10 on Tuesdays and Thursdays are reserved for these meetings.” However, countless times this year the Thursday x-periods reserved for student led clubs have been replaced

with other events, or have had required attendance at something else that makes it impossible for all members to attend their club. SPA prominently advertises the strength of clubs to prospective students and families, but clubs don’t seem to be as big of a priority to the administration as they are advertised to be. On the SPA website Clubs and Organizations page, it is again stated that “These groups are important pieces of the student experience, and time is set aside every week during X-period for groups to meet.” Inconsistent meeting times have made it difficult for clubs to organize their members and events, and many clubs have inadvertently been reduced to casual discussion groups or social opportunities. While it is important for clubs to foster a friendly environment, most clubs have intended purposes.

Fast Fact

Student Clubs met only once on Thursdays in April without other events scheduled. With the administrative restructuring next year, now serves as the perfect time for both the administration and the student club leaders to reevaluate the student led clubs system. Clubs should include service component in their charter. One of the greatest strengths of a club is its ability to unite students’ shared values and interests. While there are currently loose guidelines in place encouraging service hour requirements, having clubs connect their members to specific club based service opportunities would be a proactive way for clubs to stay

active. Even if a club is not explicitly a social justice or affinity group, there are plenty of opportunities for clubs to mobilize its members. Second, Thursday x-periods should be reserved as the time for clubs to meet and clubs should not be pushed back in favor of other events. Like Fridays are reserved for Senior Speeches, clubs deserve the same priority. Club members should be able to depend on a weekly meeting time in order to ensure survival of the club. Finally, club leaders should develop clear goals and an agenda for the year, and have structured meetings in order to maximize efficiency and ensure that the full potential of their club is reached. If SPA advertises clubs as being “important pieces of the student experience” now is the time to ensure that is true by prioritizing Thursday meeting times and setting more specific charters for new and existing clubs.

Banish the snaps (and instas and...) It is very hard to focus on studying or doing homework with a cell phone is sitting right nearby. It’s a source of distraction, whether it be from Snapchatting friends, scrolling through Instagram, or playing an addictive game. They all cause lost focus and waste time that could be used to get work done. According to Your Brain at Work by David Rock, “...employees spent an average of 11 minutes on a project before being distracted. After an interruption it takes them 25 minutes to return to the original task, if they do at all.” Answering just one Snapchat while writing an essay puts the brain’s attention somewhere else; that one seemingly small distraction impacts the ability to put necessary focus on the essay again. Sure, phones do not always have a negative impact on studies—they are a source of information and a way to contact people for help— but they also are a serious distraction to getting work done. Put the phone across the room and on silent until necessary work is complete.

THE RUBICON

St. Paul Academy and Summit School • 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 • rubicon.spa@gmail.com • www.RubicOnline.com • @TheRubiconSPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR COPY EDITOR NEWS EDITOR OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURE EDITORS IN DEPTH EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY ILLUSTRATIONS/INFOGRAPHICS

Iya Abdulkarim Jonah Harrison Marlee Baron Jack Benson Kat St. Martin Norberg Lucy Sandeen Jenny Sogin, Chloe Morse Quinn Christensen Claire Hallaway Andrew Johnson Jasper Green Melissa Nie

DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURE EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITORS CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHER VIDEOGRAPHER ILLUSTRATIONS/INFOGRAPHICS COLUMNISTS

Mimi Geller Web Lehman Ellie Findell Michael Forsgren Nitya Thakkar, Isabel Gisser Peter Blanchfield Flannery Enneking-Norton Emma Sampson Annie Bottern, Jake Adams Kelby Wittenberg Sharee Roman Noah Raaum Ellie Nowakowski Will Rinkoff Isabel Saavedra-Weis

STAFF WRITERS

Michael Bagnoli, Julia Baron, Izzy Brooks, Eloise Duncan, Rylan Hefner, Lizzy Kristal, Liv Larsen, Maren Ostrem, Aman Rahman, Lynn Reynolds, Jenny Ries, Tommy Stolpestad, Bobby Verhey

ADVISER

Kathryn Campbell

O pinions 5

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

Fighting stereotypes: video games reduce stress, foster social interactions

CLAIRE HALLAWAY The Rubicon Editor

With the ability to be taken to a new artificial world, video games expand across a huge platform and allow teens to dictate their own experience within the game. For regular users, this can bring both strong benefits and disadvantages depending on how the game is specifically used. Video games can easily be used in a negative frame, but with the right regulations and knowing how to use them properly, their usage can be maximized to promote social connections and a productive way to relieve stress. According to PEW Research Center, teenage boys are the heaviest users of video games; 84% of teen boys play compared to 59% of teenage girls. Teenagers especially experience high rates of stress from school and outside sources, so one of the biggest benefits a game can provide a user with is stress relief. Video games provide users with a distraction from other worries and allow them to clear their mind when they are immersed in a completely different world. Along with stress relief, a game provides users with great feelings of satisfaction. Games are linked to a feeling of connection; whether it’s playing against others or as a team, they foster a variety of social interactions through a common passion. For 9th grader Nathan Forsberg, each game genre caters to a different experience and provides different benefits, which allows users to play their specific interests. “[Games like] platformers can kind of help with creativity, first person shooters can help with socializing. Each game genre has its own benefit, entertainment of course being one of them,” Forsberg said.

is commonly no pre-defined end. Games often involve rewards like currency or levels that keep building with more and more playing time. This keeps a continuous cycle going, making overplaying extremely easy because the user doesn’t get a satisfying feeling of closure after playing. This makes it even more important for users to be mindful of how much time they are spending on the games and that they’re keeping their priorities straight. In a poll sent out to St. Paul Academy students on April 9 with 36 respondents, the average response for how long teens should be playing video games per week was around 4 or 5 hours. “Regulation is important. I think if you grow up and you want to have video games be your career, which is possible

now, that's fine. But if you have school and stuff, try to prioritize everything else over video games. Like socializing, eating and going outside. Just giving yourself a general time period of how long you should play for, maybe 3 hours a day if you really want to,” Forsberg said. Along with the way that video games can easily become addicting, violence is often viewed as one of the reasons video games can be so damaging for teens, although many students agreed that this has more to do with the person’s mental stability before going into the game than the impact of the game itself. Making sure that the games are regulated and that those who play know the difference in game world and real world are both important in making sure teens aren’t influenced by violence present within the games. “Some people will argue that if you can go around and shoot computers in a game, some teens start going and doing that in real life. But I think it’s completely different, there’s a disconnect, there’s a difference between it being a computer and being an actual people. So the potential is there, but it’s there with really anything around media,” Putaski said. “There is the potential for harm, but I personally play a lot of different games. I even do play some shooters, but I honestly feel for the majority of people, it helps more than it hurts because you're able to relieve stress in a way that’s a lot more beneficial and be able to relax and hang out with friends. The people that are going to be noticeably affected by a game probably has other issues going on and I could see being effected just as easily by something like a bunch of violent movies or something,” Putaski said.

given to joint effort assignments, with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states “Additional reporting provided by” followed by the name of the reporter.

will be the preferred method of anonymity.

Association, MN High School Press Association, Quill and Scroll Society

ANONYMOUS SOURCES

POLICIES detailed The Rubicon

About how long do you spend playing video games a week? 14.3% 0 hours a week

17.1% 2-4 hours a week

14.3% 6-11 hours a week

31.4% 3-6 hours a week

22.9% 11+ hours a week

What do you use to play? 65.7% Laptop or PC

51.4% Gaming system

42.9% Phone or App

What video game do you spend the most time playing? 45.5% Other games

25.8% 5.7%

5.7%

11.6% Do not play

5.7%

INFOGRAPHIC: Lucy Sandeen Data based on aggregated results from a poll sent out to students in grades 9-12 with 35 responses.

One of the biggest ways to maximize the benefits of a game is to understand how exactly it can affect the user and be aware of what the game has to offer. Junior Ben Putaski is a consistent user and agrees that video games can provide many benefits and he understands what makes them so appealing. “A lot of [video games] are almost reaching a point where they could be considered interactive like movies, in a way. They’re also a social thing too. There was one video I was watching and it talked about three main reasons why people like to play them. The two that I remember are that it provides a feeling of accomplishment. It’s like figuring out a big puzzle: it takes a certain amount of skill, but then there’s also the social aspect of being able to play

“For

the majority

of people,

[games]

help more than

they hurt because you’re able to

relieve stress in a way that’s a lot more beneficial.”

— JUNIOR BEN PUTASKI

with other people and talk with them,” Putaski said. The sense of accomplishment referenced is definitely one of the many reasons that users can get sucked into playing the games. It’s no doubt that video games can become addicting; one of the biggest problems with most video games is that there

POLICIES, MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon

is published eight times a year. We distribute 750 copies of each issue to the Upper School which are available for free.

ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.

EDITORIALS articulate the

collective opinion of The Rubicon staff, while mini-editorials, opinions pieces, arts reviews, and columns belong to the author of works published in the Opinions section.

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Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or online edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words and may be edited for style. All pieces must be submitted with a full name.

BY LINES credit the individual who conducted interviews, drafted, revised and fact-checked an assigned story. Double bylines are

Although it is always preferable to use names when reporting, there are times when it is necessary to protect those we report on. In the case of a student, the use of grade level as a name designation

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS At time, stories will be updated as new information surfaces, and verified inaccuracies will e corrected.

policies are published at RubicOnline.

MEMBERSHIPS Columbia

Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press

PUBLICATION AWARDS

NSPA All-American, Pacemaker (Online) and Finalist (Print) CSPA Gold Medalist (Hybrid), Silver Crown Award (Hybrid), SNO Distinguished Site JEM All State Gold

O pinions

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

COLUMN NO RIGHT ANSWER

What is considered healthy? ISABEL SAAVEDRA-WEIS Columnist / Blogger

There are magazines, books, TV shows, public speakers, trainers, meal planners, Weight Watchers dedicated to this one buzz word: health. And it feels like everyone has different advice. At a certain point, who do we believe, and why? I care a lot about my health. I want my body to feel and look it’s best, I want to know that I’m taking the best care of me. I think a lot of people start out thinking like this. However, it’s really easy to get lost on your health journey because everyone has something to say about health. I tried to follow other people’s definitions, but I found a lot of contradiction. And, honestly? I wasn’t feeling any healthier. I think health is a very personal thing. I also think it’s a social construct. We have images of what health looks like plastered all around us. I’m used to seeing skinny girls and buff men with rock hard abs as the health spokespeople, and after seeing that image enough times, it’s almost inevitable to feel the pressure to match that definition of health. But, take a trip to an art museum and you will realize how much of health is a social construct. At one point in time, being rounder meant you were healthy because you could afford food. There are paintings of chubby women in gorgeous dresses, or completely naked, because those were the bodies that were glorified. I’ve seen an ancient sculpture of Athena, the Greek goddess of beauty, and she had tummy rolls. She was not stick thin, you could not count her ribs, and she was considered the most beautiful woman. Health, and the image of it, changes all the time. My health means I exercise to feel good and to be able to focus better. It means I eat when I’m hungry and don’t eat when I’m full. It means I treat myself to chocolate and I don’t count my calories. It means I don’t weigh myself on a scale. It means that I feel good about my body and in my body and that I prioritize my body and it’s needs. And not everyone’s health looks like mine, which is the point.

White feminism pervades social justice at SPA MELISSA NIE

The Rubicon Editor

In 1989, feminist Audre Lorde delivered a keynote presentation at a conference for women’s rights. She was one of only two black women invited. “What woman here is so enamored of her own oppression that she cannot see her heelprint upon another woman’s face? What woman’s terms of oppression have become precious and necessary to her as a ticket into the fold of the righteous, away from the cold winds of self-scrutiny?” Lorde asked. Lorde’s words, criticizing how white feminists ignored issues of racism, still ring true today. Just as racism was not “solved” in the 1960s with the end of segregation, white feminism pervades the ideologies of modern social movements. White feminism can be defined as pushing for change that only benefits you directly and ignoring issues that affect people who you do not identify with. White voices are heard the most, which gives white feminists a large amount of influence when it comes to politics. If they ignore issues such as racism, homophobia, and ableism, among others, little to no progress will be made. One white feminist celebrity is comedian Amy Schumer. Although she claims to be a feminist, Schumer has made many derogatory remarks about groups such as the LGBTQ+ community and people of color. The Washington Post reports that Schumer “draw[s] on shared cultural stereotypes and use[s] dehumanizing language that gives life to an ecosystem of racial fear and violence.” These

instances show that Schumer only advocates for issues that personally relate to her, putting down other groups for the sake of “comedy.” Since the majority of students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School are white, their voices are heard the most often. Senior speeches define whose stories are being told and how they are perceived by the rest of the school, so this is an invaluable platform for social discussion.

When

students

simply don’t talk about

intersectionality, it creates a

bigger problem of ignorance.

Senior speeches about gender, feminism, or politics tend to spark discussion and praise outside of the auditorium, while speeches that focus on racism or homophobia are often ignored because people don’t relate to them or they don’t want to say anything wrong. During Harkness discussions, students tend to be comfortable discussing gender discrimination, but the atmosphere changes when the teacher poses a question about race or sexuality. Part of this stems from a fear of being wrong. However, when students

simply don’t talk about intersectionality, it creates a bigger problem of ignorance. Read more about this on RubicOnline. It is important to note that not all feminists who are white are white feminists, and that feminists of color can be white feminists. That being said, anyone who claims to be a feminist must aim for intersectional feminism. According to the International Women’s Development Association (IWDA), intersectionality illustrates “the interplay between any kinds of discrimination.” Thus, intersectional feminism entails listening to people who have experienced different forms of discrimination and actively lobbying for change with them. Unity lies at the crux of any social movement, and feminism is no different. Social divides can and will prevent change from happening. If progress is to be made, activists must address the issues that do not impact them directly, listen to those with different experiences, and support each other.

ILLUSTRATION: Jonah Harrison

Make public transit integral in SPA culture ANDREW JOHNSON The Rubicon Editor

Public transit is a relatively forgotten form of transportation in Minnesotan society. This has to do with the convenience of cars, with high school students and their parents being the primary users. Rarely, if ever, will an SPA student be in a situation where public transit is the only form of transportation available. This is due to

multiple factors, the first being public transit’s lack of accessibility. Many students live in suburbs, where public transit is not an option. And, students who live in cities lean towards the convenience of the cars, and subsequently, away from public transit. This is a disappointing reality, and it needs to be changed. One of the many reasons why public transit needs to hit SPA’s mainstream is the possibility of increased

usage keeping children safer from automobile accidents. According to Minnesotans for Safe Driving, as recently as 2015, 21.9% of crashes were “teen involved.” If teens begin to use public transit as a consistent form of transportation, it is inevitable that teen automobile fatalities will decrease significantly.

Read the rest at

RUBICON online

COLUMN THE CURRENT (EVENTS)

Bridging the gap between technology and government JACK BENSON

The Rubicon Editor

Self-driving cars, renewable energy and terraformation are all examples of the technologies that our society will be grappling with in the near future. I have high hopes for the benefits of this technology, but significantly lower hopes for the policies and regulations the government will enact to deal with this tech boom. Many of our country’s policy makers have a severe disconnect with the magnitude that quickly evolving technology has. This became especially evident when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg went in front of the Senate’s Commerce and Judiciary committees to talk about data security. Afterward, the internet was plastered with memes about Zuckerberg’s awkwardness and the Senate’s ignorance about technology. For example, when the topic rose to whether or not Facebook has a monopoly, Senator Lindsey Graham asked, “Is Twitter the same as what you do?” Another favorite was when Senator Orrin Hatch asked “How do you sustain a business model in which users don’t pay for your service?” Zuckerberg sneaked a smile and replied, “Senator, we run ads.” This excerpt does not fairly represent the entire congress, but it does show how drastic some senators’ lack of knowledge is. As the role technology plays in American life continues to grow, it will become more and more important for our policy makers to catch up. Two things need to happen. The first is that the way cuttingedge technology must become a central issue to campaign debates. Whether it’s countries attempting to influence our election with technology or the role autonomous cars will play in the transportation industry, leaders should know the nuances of each issue. Second, it is our jobs as citizen to elect technologicallyliterate people, people who understand that we are at a turning point in history. Technology is a powerful but dangerous tool. It is the safe and smart decision to elect people who can handle this rapid growth.

S ci -T ech 7

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018 Subways and metros produce 76% lower greenhouse gas emissions than single-occupancy vehicles.

Weighing the environmental costs of public transit JACK BENSON

The Rubicon Editor

Public transit’s effect on the environment is one that is often assumed but not discussed. Is public transit really an asset in the struggle against global warming? It’s not as one sided as so commonly perceived. The Twin Cities may seem underdeveloped when compared to the expansive systems of New York City and other large metropolitan areas, but at both the city and state level, government is pushing for more public transportation. But, despite common notions, some believe from an environmental point of view that public transit may be more of a detriment. The more often heard arguments for those who are pro-public transit include the argument that public transit can be especially important in dense metro areas, where air pollution is a big problem.

According to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), “Public transportation can reduce the need for many separate trips by private vehicles in dense urban areas, replacing many separate emissions-producing vehicles with fewer transit vehicles that generally emit less pollution on a per person basis.”

“In

most cases,

many decades of energy savings would be needed to repay the energy cost of

construction.”

— RANDAL O’TOOLE In the case of The Twin Cities, the lightrail produces 62 percent less greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile than the average singleoccupancy vehicle, according to FTA date. The issue with

this statistic is that it does not include the energy needed to construct a light rail system, a main argument from those who oppose transit growth. Randal O’Toole, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, writes that “Even where rail transit operations save a little energy, the construction of rail transit lines consumes huge amounts of energy and emits large volumes of greenhouse gases.” O’Toole continues: “In most cases, many decades of energy savings would be needed to repay the energy cost of construction.” Environmental conservation is only one reason that people choose to use public transportation. According to the American Public Transportation Association. It enhances personal opportunities, providing mobility. It reduces road congestion. It provides jobs. Each person needs to decide if the benefits outweigh the potential challenges.

If there was no public transit in 2005, there would have been 541 million more hours of delay in urban areas.

Infographic: Melissa Nie Source: Federal Transit Administration

Using public transit saved 947 million gallons of fuel in 2004.

thePeriodical

of work and markets. This

ScienceBlog simple need of having places

American cities lack walkability JASPER GREEN

The Rubicon Editor

In the creation of European cities, the main planning factor was the ease of walkability, because historically, people needed to commute to and from places of leisure and work all in the light of day. Because of this limitation, it was only feasible that humans could live a certain distance away from amenities like their place

that one could walk to from their home created the dense and lovely cities of Europe that we know and love. In The United States, on the other hand, the invention and mass availability of the automobile made roads a priority, so highways were cut through the cores of our cities. And roads that led outward fueled the ability for Americans to suburbanized. Americans wanted to live glamorously, and they found their dream in the suburbs, but it came with a price. Through the separation of housing from places of work, leisure, and stores, those who lived in the suburbs were forced to own cars in order

Americans

wanted to live glamourously,

and they found their dream in the suburbs, but it

came with a price. to be able to meet their basic needs. The large number of commuters from suburbs drove up congestion on roads so a vast network of highways was built, cutting through many communities of color throughout the United States. In Minnesota, for example, when Interstate 94 was built,

much of the historic Rondo neighborhood was destroyed. Commute times, in general, have also always been a caveat of suburban living. Currently, According to ABC News, the average American drives 16 miles to work each way, with their daily commute adding up to an hour round trip. In recent decades, city planners have recognized this issue and implemented public transportation to make it possible for people to live in cities and not own cars. For large cities such as New York, subways have enabled the masses to live without owning a car. According to nyedc. com, out of the three million residents of the city, only 1.4 million owned a car. That’s

only 47%. And, although cities such as Minneapolis have expanded their public transportation networks, according to governing.com, 82.9 percent of households still own cars. Recent strides in city planning have embettered many communities throughout the United States, closing the walkability gap between American and European cities, through the creation of walker-friendly urban corridors. If people live close to urban corridors, it enables them to go places by foot and bring life back to the city streets.

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periodicalscienceblog.wordpress.com

In De

THE RUBICON

The hi

LUCY SANDEEN The Rubicon Editor

Northern states have a dark history of segregation, and Minnesota is no different. While the North is often idealized as a universally racially and socially progressive society because of its roots of abolitionism, its racism is only more insidious. In 1885, Minnesota passed the Equal Accommodations Act, which guaranteed Black Americans equal access to public spaces and hotels. In 1897, the Minnesota passed a civil rights law that ensured Black Americans’ right to service in restaurants. Despite these early civil rights policies, Minnesota’s population was loathe to accept racial progress. In 1920, three black men were lynched in Duluth while a crowd of thousands watched. Discrimination and inequality was also rampant in the Twin Cities housing system. A system of legalized segregation called redlining categorized city neighborhoods in terms of “quality,” which was defined as the number of residents of color who lived in the area. These areas were drawn out and colored on maps: an area classified as “green,” was a homogeneously wealthy

a n w r s r r a A w a y w

r m w b Th r w b n “ p w r h C e T

LEGEND A - “Best” B - “Still desireable” C - “Definitely Declining” D“Hazardous” For more information, visit Mapping Inequality’s website, https://dsl. richmond.edu/panorama/ redlining/#loc=4/36.71/96.93&opacity=0.8

REDLINI Fair use image from Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America

epth

• APRIL 2018

istory of the Twin Cities’ segregated housing system

and white neighborhood, while a blue neighborhood may have been less wealthy and may have had a couple of residents who were people of color— specifically, Black residents. A yellow or red neighborhood had even more Black residents, and were classified as “third” and “fourth grade.” For example, Summit Avenue would be classified as green, while Highland Park would be blue, the area around the Ford plant might be yellow, and the Rondo neighborhood would be red. Black residents were in danger of racial violence if they attempted to move into a white neighborhood, as white residents were unwilling to accept black families into their communities. This was not only because of inherent racism, but because the redlining system was racially structured so that if a black family found housing in a “blue” neighborhood, it would quickly become “yellow” and the value of the area would plummet. This housing discrimination was institutionally enforced as well— restrictive covenants and discriminatory housing practices permeated the Twin Cities throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As a result, the Twin Cities developed as an extremely

racially segregated city. “Redlining resulted in a racialized urban setting that still exists today,” Upper School history teacher Ryan Oto said. “Not only are we legally racially segregating out cities, we’re also seeing the development of urban poverty. We’re seeing the development of racialized urban landscapes. So when people are saying, ‘Oh, don’t go to the South Side of Chicago, it’s really dangerous,’ they’re talking about it in its context as a Black community. They’re talking about it in its context as a space that’s not safe for white people, because it was an imagined representation of black inferiority and anti-blackness that now has a real manifestation,” Oto said. “Urban renewal” was another form of redlining in cities. As white families began to move out of cities and into suburbs, its goal was to encourage those white residents to move back into the cities, and to force black residents and families out. One of the strategies to do this was to build freeways through predominantly black and lower-income neighborhoods. First, developers encountered the least amount of resistance in predominantly black

neighborhoods, or, they were less likely to respect the resistance that existed.

“Redlining

properties, because they don’t care, and they know that the city’s not going to hold them responsible for that, because ‘urban renewal’ is supposed to take care of that. And two, they jack up the rent prices, so now you’re paying more to live in a worse place,” Oto said. Today’s equivalent of redlining manifests itself in gentrification, or when wealthier citizens capitalize on the cheaper real estate of poorer neighborhoods and purchase property only to then ‘flip houses,’ or renovate and sell houses at a much higher price than that at which they bought them, which then increases the neighborhood property values and forces longtime residents out. “Redlining is very much the reason why our cities look the way they do today, and it’s why we have these misrepresentations, especially in northern, urban areas, of black inferiority,” Oto said. Junior Olivia McCauley says that redlining reveals the insidious nature of northern racism. “[Redlining] shows that the Twin Cities suffer from the same systemic problems around racism that the rest of the country does,” McCauley said.

is very much

the reason why our cities look the way

they do today, and it’s why we we have these misrepresentations,

especially in northern urban areas, of black inferiority.”

— US HISTORY TEACHER RYAN OTO

Second, urban renewal by policy makers was seen as a way to get black people out of neighborhoods. Landlords had no desire to maintain the properties that they had in those neighborhoods, but they also knew that the people who lived in their properties had almost no choice but to live there. “So, [the landlords] don’t upkeep the

I-94, Rondo, and the land bridge In the 1950s, the St. Paul Rondo Neighborhood, south of University Avenue, was home to almost 85% of St. Paul’s Black population. It was most definitely a “red” neighborhood, in antiquated redlining terms, and in 1956, that neighborhood was intentionally destroyed. Interstate 94, which countless Minnesotans and Twin Cities residents use to commute every day, was built directly through the Rondo neighborhood. Originally, the freeway was to be built through University, but the Prospect Park community, which was made up of mostly white University of Minnesota professors and students, protested. Instead, the developers moved to the Rondo neighborhood, whose residents were either unable to protest or their protests went unheard. As a result, thousands of Rondo residents were displaced into the segregated and discriminatory housing market of the Twin Cities, and the previously vibrant and independent neighborhood was largely erased, according to the Minnesota History Center. Junior Maya Orey, who lives in Prospect Park, says that the segregation is still apparent.

“In Prospect Park, we have a housing project to the west of us, which is majority Somali refugees, and you notice that all of the houses in Prospect Park, the back of them are facing Glendale (the project),” Orey said. Today, transportation and urban city planners are developing plans for a “land bridge” or freeway cap that would theoretically reconnect the community that had been destroyed nearly 60 years ago. According to State Department of Transportation Commissioner Charlie Zelle (‘73) for MinnPost, “We have to do something to bridge the economic divide. We have to bridge our workforce divide and there are numerous efforts across the region, but here’s a tangible example of what can be done. I’m very positive about this idea.” In the interview, which can be found on the MinnPost website, Zelle also emphasized that the initiative has to come from the Rondo community. “This has to come from within Rondo. It has to have the spirit of Rondo. It has to have leadership from Rondo, and I’m just thrilled that we’re accepted to be partners,” Zelle said. While the land bridge may be a

ING

thoughtful gesture of apology, Zelle’s remarks that the project must emanate from the Rondo community is of paramount importance. Without the enthusiastic and active support of Rondo, the bridge is simply a shallow attempt at ‘reconciliation’ that allows the city to rid itself of its historical guilt without actually making amends.

“[the

land bridge] has

to come from within

Rondo. It

has to have

the spirit of

Rondo. It

has to have leadership from

Rondo,

and

I’m

just thrilled that

we’re accepted to be partners.”

— STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER CHARLIE ZELLE (‘73)

“If this land bridge actually something that the community wants and desires? In reality, what Rondo may need is more money for their libraries. Maybe they need more public funding for their infrastructure projects, maybe infrastructure projects are happening on Summit when they should be happening in Rondo. Those are the types of questions that policy makers and citizens

don’t tune into, and as a result we think that we can just solve problems for other people, when they’re perfectly capable of solving problems themselves,” Oto said. Even while Rondo has had its neighborhood and community destroyed, even while redlining and policymakers have done everything in their power to attempt to displace and erase its vibrant community, Rondo’s story is not just one of tragedy; it’s a story of resilience and survival. Former residents such as Floyd Smaller and Marvin Anderson, who lost his home and whose father lost his business when I-94 was built, have worked to revive the community by founding Rondo Avenue Inc. and Rondo Days in 1982, which celebrate and preserve Rondo history and work to share the stories of Rondo’s “faith, family, hope, resiliency and the continued growth and successes of the community,” according to Rondo Avenue Inc.’s website, rondoavenueinc.org. “With Rondo, there’s this point where we actually have to ask ourselves, ‘at what point are we actually willing to let a community find its own solutions to problems? Not in this capitalist liberal sense, but in the sense that we hear what you need and we want to be in partnership with that,” Oto said. Rondo’s story is one of nauseating racial discrimination and a malevolent and intentional neglect of respect, decency, and civil rights, but it is its counter narrative that we must foster: not a story of “poor them,” but a story of the community’s strength in their fight to be remembered. Only by recognizing their true and personal story can we truly and accurately pay homage to the Rondo neighborhood.

F eature 10

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

Spring trips foster personal growth

LUCY SANDEEN The Rubicon Editor

India

When sophomore Gustav Baumgart learned of the annual history department trip to India, he knew that between learning about culture in a part of Asia and getting far away from Minnesota into a warmer climate, he couldn’t miss it. “He summed up the cultural experience by saying, “It seems like chaos, but everybody’s driving safely in

their own way.” The trip caused Baumgart to reevaluate how he lived his life. He cut down on the meat in his diet and on the amount of water and energy that they consumed, because he observed that in India, the population uses much less. “I started to realize that I had more than I needed, and that I used more than I needed. It was more of a reminder, because back when I was in Peru we also used a lot less resources,” Baumgart said.

One of Baumgart’s favorite parts of the trip was the reflection that they wrote near the end. “I wrote about the people on the trip, because they were what made it special. It would have been just a trip if it hadn’t been us,” he said. The only thing he would change was the length of the trip. “[I would change the] time. I would stay there longer. I get most attached to something when it’s going to be gone,” Baumgart said.

China

For sophomore Paige Indritz, the China trip was an opportunity to apply classroom learning to personal and authentic experiences; to put her language skills to the test. “I actually didn’t really know what to expect. I didn’t really know a lot of the people, so it was nice to get to know new people,” Indritz said. “Before in Chinese class, I was always

apprehensive to make mistakes. [In China] it was total immersion: learning from your mistakes and then just going with them. I learned that it’s okay to make mistakes. It’s so hard to learn a language, and you shouldn’t put yourself down because you don’t know some words.”

2 5 Spain Senior Erik Quillopa is no stranger to the annual Spanish exchange trip: this is his fourth year traveling with the school to experience two weeks of life in Spain. Quillopa enjoyed seeing Spain and the experience of the trip change over time, and he was excited to see how his senior year trip would be unique. This year, the trip placed emphasis on the experience of an exchange. Students spent the majority of their time in Madrid and with their exchange families. “Since I’m a visitor in a foreign country, they always wanted me to have the best experience,” Quillopa said. Toledo, a small town near

Madrid, has always been a highlight of Quillopa’s experience, and he enjoyed revisiting it this year. “It’s a small, walking town—cars literally don’t fit in the streets. It’s very peopleto-people and doesn’t have the hustle and bustle of urban life. It can be a quiet little town, but is also busy with tourism,” Quillopa said. While Quillopa acknowledges that he is a tourist on his trips, he feels that his four years of experience on the Spain trip have allowed him to feel comfortable and fully engage with the culture.

Germany

Junior Janie Brunell has been looking forward to the language department’s trip to Germany every since she came to SPA. Brunell was afraid that the trip might be boring and largely educational and expected it to consist mostly of touring and sightseeing, but the activities, coupled with her group of friends, made the trip fun. According to Brunell, the trip was extensively scheduled and densely filled with sightseeing and activities.

7 During the second week of the trip, students spent almost every minute with their host families. “Every night, we would all hang out after school, get dinner, and walk around at either the mall or the streets and take pictures of cool things. They brought us to typical German places,” Brunell said. Brunell felt that her week with her host family allowed her to experience

Read the complete version of these stories at

German culture as an insider instead of a tourist. Throughout the trip, Brunell grew in her abilities in both language and personally. She spoke German for the whole trip, even though it wasn’t perfect, and as a result, it drastically improved.

RUBICON online

SPRING TRAVEL. 1: Sophomore Gustav Baumgart stands to the side of a stepwell in Ahemedabad; SUBMITTED PHOTO: Gustav Baumgart. 2: Baumgart dances Bachatta in front of the Garasias, a local pastoral community in the Araavali Mountains; SUBMITTED PHOTO: Gustav Baumgart. 3: Sophomore Pauge Indritz smiles in a pedi-cab in China; THE RUBICON PHOTO: Kat St. Martin-Norburg. 4: Indritz sits with her host student in her school auditorium; THE RUBICON PHOTO: Kat St. Martin-Norburg. 5: Houses perched above a cliff in Ronda, Andalaucía; RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Mimi Geller. 6: Students walk through a street in Sevilla, Andalucía; RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Mimi Geller. 7: View from the Volspark Stadium, where students saw a critical game between Hamburg and Berlin's soccer teams; PHOTO: Kieran Singh. 8: Juniors Janie Brunell and Muriel Lang stand in front of the Konzerthaus in Berlin; SUBMITTED PHOTO: Janie Brunell.

F eature 11

THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

Leaping Lizards Gisselquist defies the norm, finds job and passion with reptiles JACK BENSON

The Rubicon Editor

From Twin Cities Reptiles’ Facebook Potsie. The 25 year old lizard, Potsie, that sneezed on Gisselquist wears a hat on its head.

Fast Fact

Twin Cities Reptiles has an extensive guide on their website to answer any questions new reptile owners might have. The store is over 6000 square feet, making it the biggest reptile specialty store in Minnesota. Twin Cities Reptiles supports The United States Association of Reptile Keepers which is an organization that advocates for the responsible ownership of reptiles.

It’s not your typical hotel. Instead of a bed, television, or shower, the rooms are equipped with heating lamps, branches, and the occasional mouse. The residents are diverse and exotic, a combination which means each staff member needs a thorough knowledge about their guests. Twin Cities Reptiles is the largest reptile specialty store in Minnesota. From pythons and boas, to iguanas and basilisks, they have it all. Because of the specialized knowledge required,working there might not seem like the average job, especially for a teenager. However, St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior JJ Gisselquist has worked amongst the reptiles at this store for the past seven months. The desire to work at TCR didn’t strike Gisselquist like

a snake, rather, there was period of time where his interest grew.

“[my

favorite

memory was] when the four foot,

year old

rhinoceros iguana named potsie sneezed on my face.”

— SENIOR J.J. GISSELQUIST

“I’d been going there as a customer for almost five years before I got a job.” Gisselquist said, “I’d wanted to work there for a really long time. I thought I was too young to work there but I applied just to see and got it!” Sometimes he does more regular tasks like working at

the cash register, but often the job requires a deeper knowledge. “I either work in front doing cash register stuff or in the back where I get people their feeders” Gisselquist said. Feeders are what go in the reptile’s belly, so usually mice or insects. But TCR stocks a variety, from frozen rabbits, to chicks, quail, African soft furs, hamsters, and gerbils. Gisselquist’s own interest in reptiles has allowed for additional roles at the store. “I answer people’s questions they have about their reptiles, sell them animals, help them get their setups and take care of the animals we have at the store.” Gisselquist said. Gisselquist’s passion has become a source for income and funny experiences. A favorite memory was: “When the four foot, 25 year old Rhinoceros Iguana named “Potsie” sneezed on my face.” Gisselquist said.

International science fair provides nontraditional senior projects JASPER GREEN

The Rubicon Editor

JAKE ADAMS

The RubicOnline Editor

As co-heads of the senior projects committee, Tom Fones and Steve Heilig go through student proposals and finalize each senior project. And, for as long as anyone can remember, senior projects have been an integral part of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s history. “I’ve been here for 20 years; it started long before I got here. Ms. Ward did a senior project when she was a student here so it’s been going on since at least before then… The point behind it is to really get people a chance to use the skills that they have been developing in high school somewhere out in the world. Sometimes students will choose something specific because they are interested in that career and they want to see what that job is like,” Heilig said.

Heilig shared how he views senior projects as a way to expand oneself through the development of new skills and by learning what students are passionate about. “The senior project should really help you to become the person you want to be. If that’s developing a new skill, that’s great; if it’s reinforcing something that you already know something about and enjoy that’s also a good thing. Sometimes it changes people’s lives and sometimes it doesn’t, but every senior gets the opportunity,” Heilig said. There are certain senior projects that are common and happen every year, such as students who shadow professionals in the fields of medicine, law, and journalism. “Every year we have a few people who shadow a doctor, and that’s really cool because sometimes they get to be in the operating room. Some people shadow lawyers and sit in on meetings with them, and they can’t tell us the details

because it’s confidential. We also usually have people who deal with news media,” Heilig said.

“the

senior

project should really help you to become the person you want to be.”

— US PHYSICS TEACHER STEVE HEILIG

Some students also choose to work in groups. Heilig recalls a certain project where a group of students built a canoe and then explored the boundary waters for four weeks while discussing literature. “One year a few students worked together to build a cedar stripped canoe. They built it for the first two weeks and for they second two weeks they went on a canoe trip and they talked someone into going along with them

who would be the discussion rewarding, though, because leader of some books they my project entailed a whole lot had read. Then they discussed of hours alone in the woods, the novels while they were often lost. But overall, I am canoeing out on the boundary thankful for the experience. waters,” Heilig said. I learned how to be patient While most seniors will and how to trust the scientific have a focus for the project, process,” Enneking-Norton an activity, and service hours said. that they need to find, three Ellis and Hall built a selfstudents have an activity all driving car using 3-D printing set up for them in the form of and neural networks. the International Science and “To have my work, as Engineering Fair. well as my classmates’, Seniors Daniel Ellis, recognized on a national stage Michael Hall, and Flannery is an amazing feeling. This Enneking-Norton have the experience is surreal for me,” opportunity to travel to the Daniel Ellis said. Carnegie Science Center in Their projects, which they Pittsburgh, PA to be a part of have been working on for this annual Science Fair. They months, will compete against qualified for their projects projects from all across the in the Advanced Science globe. They will be competing Research and Advanced from May 13th-19th. Technology classes. Enneking-Norton’s research Read more about Ennekingfocused on the relationship between two invasive species, Norton’s, and Ellis and earthworms and buckthorn. Hall’s senior projects at “I was honestly surprised that people cared about my worms. The recognition feels

The Weeknd utilizes artistic talents to perfect “My Dear Melancholy,”

MICHAEL FORSGREN RubicOnline Editor

Caught somewhere between complete stardom and emotional turmoil is Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd. The Weeknd has the ability to top charts in all his categories and make them his own, and his new album

“My Dear Melancholy,” has officially debuted at number one on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. Each and every one of these songs is layered with seemingly raw and painful emotion, proving to likely be the most honest album of 2018. Tesfaye has proved he has the lyricism and vocals to take listeners on a bus of

emotions with him, but with “My Dear Melancholy,” he certified that he was the king of this skill. Rating: 5/5

other video games seem to be.”

— JUNIOR JENNIE VERHEY

friends, or just play it alone. The thrill of winning is so much bigger than in other games,” Fleming said. However, the game has well-

documented negative aspects, which are not lost on these SPA students. “It sucks your time up. I would sit down and suddenly spend three hours on Fortnite and miss a meal because I was just excited to play the next round. It’s completely addicting,” Zukowski said. “The worst aspect would be that it’s addictive and consumes people’s time when they could be spending it with actual people,” Verhey said. The positives and negatives of the game make it difficult to judge if the game is really worth the hype. “If your life is based more around [...] computers, then it is super fun and you can do as much as you want on it. But since I play hockey and enjoy being active and working out, I don’t think I could have Fortnite in my life anymore,” Zukowski said. “It has a positive impact when played in moderation,” Fleming explained.

S pring S ports 14 THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

Baseball stays optimistic for coming season BOBBY VERHEY Staff Writer

Spartan Baseball has endured many changes over the years. Players and equipment come and go. The field was renovated. However, one thing remained the same: the coach. Mike Brown, for 45 years, was the one constant. Brown retired during the offseason this year, ending his long run with the Spartans. Now the reins belong to Rob Thompson. Thompson worked as the JV coach at St. Thomas Academy last year before coming to the Spartans. Thompson has begun his tenure by teaching players the fundamentals of the sport. The only setback so far has been the snow, as the

baseball team was forced into the gym for the first several weeks of the season, unable to get outside. Despite being in small confines for practice, the Spartans continued to work to make another deep run in the section tournament. Senior Jesper Salverda said, “I want to make it to state. That’s my goal.” Salverda captains the team this year with fellow senior Tom Patterson. “We have a lot more younger guys this year,” Patterson said. With so many young players, it’s reasonable to think the Spartans would have a down year, but that’s not their plan. “The guys are much more focused this year then last

Golf teams maintain humor, whatever the weather

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Jill Griffiths SNOWED OUT. The golf team poses in the snow. Warm weather is needed before games can be played. “[Golf is...] really fun because you get to get outside,” junior Jennie Verhey said.

year. I think we could replace the fact that we have less seniors with our work ethic,” senior Jack Hermann said. Spartan Baseball’s new look will be interesting to watch as the season picks up. The Spartans have double headers most of the spring because of the snow. Still, “Our goals for this season are to create a good team bond, make a run, and build a foundation for year to come,” senior Jake Adams said. Despite the usually long indoor part of the season, an an opener loss to Minnehaha Academy on Apr. 25, the team remains optimistic. The Spartans will face Minnehaha Academy again on May 7 at SPA.

IZZY BROOKS Staff Writer

BRIAN ORZA

Ibid Editor-in-Chief

As the everlasting snow plagued the courses, both golf teams practiced in the Goodrich Golf Dome for the first month and a half of the season. Although they enjoyed bonding through activities indoors, they eagerly awaited the day to get rolling into the season on the course. “[Golf is...] really fun because you get to get outside,” junior Jennie Verhey said. This year, both teams have a mix of grades, ranging from middle school through seniors. Despite the range of grades and the fact that golf is more of an individual

PHOTO: Bobby Verhey TOO LONG IN THE GYM. “We have been inside for about a month, and other yeas we’ve been outside by the beggining of April. This means we will have a lot of games and double headers in May, which increases the workload for our pitchers so it’s important to keep your arm healthy,” captain Tom Patterson said.

“WHILE WE TAKE IT VERY SERIOUSLY, WE TRY TO HAVE FUN.” -SENIOR GUS GRUNAU performance sport, they still have a strong team spirit. “I like playing with my teammates; it is a good bonding experience and we all have a fun time,” captain Gus Grunau said. However, everybody still experiences the individual aspect of golf. “I really like golf because it is an individual sport. I do not have to rely on other players...

it is just me and the ball,” 9th grader Thomas Reinhart said. “[The dynamic with the boys team is] very competitive. Coaches make practice fun when we do activities such as compete for candy bars and it gets pretty intense,” Reinhart added. Grunau agrees: “While we take it very seriously, we try to have fun and laugh,” Grunau said. For girls golf, the team dynamic is always positive and supportive of one another. “Everyone has a really positive attitude. We cheer each other on,” senior Sky Li Griffiths, a captain, said. Boys Golf will play at 4 p.m. on May 8 at Somerset. The Girls next competition is also May 8 at the Goodrich Golf Course at 3:45 p.m.

Boys Lacrosse uses State competition ambition to motivate MICHAEL BAGNOLI Staff Writer

Sophomores Tommy Stolpestad and Duncan Fleming have been valued members of Blackhawks Lacrosse since last year, when they both joined the team. In his 9th grade season, Fleming led the team in scoring with 31 points, not far behind was Stolpestad, who was fifth. They were key players last year and look to continue in the coming season. Blackhawks Lacrosse is a co-op between SPA, Minnehaha Academy, DeLasalle, St. Croix Lutheran, Trinity, Nova, and Concordia. This unique blend of schools brings many different faces and people to the Blackhawks

Lacrosse team. Stolpestad embraces this aspect of the team. For him, co-op sports teams are nothing new to him. “I really enjoy playing with all these kids from different schools; it’s nice to see some new faces and be good friends with kids outside of school. It helps to play on the Wolfpack [football] team, too, so it’s nothing new,” Stolpestad said. He appreciates the opportunity to meet different athletes and become friends with those outside of his normal social circle. Now, after playing with students from so many different schools, but especially Minnehaha, on the same football and lacrosse team, Stolpestad has made

some close friends through both teams. This season, the Blackhawks are excited and anxious to begin playing. “We do have a tough section, as always, but that shouldn’t stop us from going pretty far into the postseason,” Fleming said. Obviously, playoffs will be difficult for them, but with a season already under Fleming’s belt, he is optimistic to go farther in the playoffs than the team has in the past. Stolpestad knows this and is excited to improve on last year’s early playoff defeat. “Our goal this year is to make it to state,” Stolpestad said.

PHOTO: Michael Bagnoli SNOW PRACTICE. The boys lacrosse team warms up outside. Melting snow will bring the start of a long season. “We do have a tough section, as always, but that shouldn’t stop us from going pretty far into the postseason,” sophomore Duncan Fleming said.

S pring S ports 15 THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

New softball coaches set high expectations LIV LARSEN Staff Writer

PHOTO: Liv Larsen UP TO BAT. Junior Ellie Knowakowski swings the bat. This years team is dealing with the arrival of a new coach. “I’m excited to get to know the girls, start building up this team and create a family.” senior captain Sophia Rose said.

Snow and spring sports are not the best combination. The softball season began with three postponed games setting their competition season weeks behind. With three new coaches and losing 12 seniors after their 2017 season, the 12 person team has their work cut out for them. “I’m excited to get to know the girls, start building up this team and create a family.”

senior captain Sophia Rose said. Getting a new coach can be stressful, and the softball team has three new coaches this year. Luckily, the new coaches arrived ready to challenge the players. The team has set four goals for the season: outplay the opposing team, even if they lose; have fun, get to know each other, and give 100% in practice. “[The new coaches] are very focused and they set their expectations for this season

very clearly,” sophomore captain Kathleen Bishop said. With only 12 people, the team is a mix of all grade levels, but their small numbers don’t stop them from having team spirit. “For me, [softball is] the most spirited sport because when you’re batting only one person is up so you can’t exactly high five them or anything. The only way you can really be a teammate is by cheering for them,” Rose said.

Girls Lacrosse rebuilds with young teammates LIZZIE KRISTAL Staff Writer

The sound of heavy panting and feet shuffling across the floor pierces the air. All players are wearing red and white jerseys with duct tape on the back, stating their name and number. This is nothing other than tryouts for the United Girls Lacrosse Team. On one side of the gym are the girls that risk getting cut, and on the other are players that may make varsity, and the pressure is on. Nothing is better than a hard working team, which girl’s lacrosse clearly has, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a winning season. Senior and Co-Captain Hayley Hoffman (called Hoff by her teammates) says, “We are

expecting to have a younger team this year and based off of what I’ve seen in tryouts.” Pushing themselves as hard as they can in practice will help, but in the end, the players may not have a game winning season because of their age. Luckily, this could mean a bright future for the team. With such a young team, in a year or two, the players will be older and have a stronger skillset. 9th grader and six year lacrosse player Erin Magnuson said, “It’s definitely more of a building year for the team...I don’t know how well we’re going to do statistically.” The main teams that are their biggest competitions are Blake, Breck, and CretinDerham Hall.

“Blake has an unbelievable lacrosse program so we haven’t been able to beat them in quite some time. Breck and Cretin on the other hand have historically been very competitive games, always ending in a close score,” Hoffman said. The team makes it easy for girls to feel welcome. “It doesn’t take much effort for the team to work together. We are one big family,” Hoffman says. The team has a sleepover to bond with each other. “We spend pretty much every day after school together talking and bonding,” Hoffman said. The older girls mentor the young girls, and the young girls look up to the older girls.

PHOTO: Aman Rahman GYM PRACTICE. The girls lacrosse team has to practice in the gym when the fields are snowed out. This year the young team will focus on rebuilding. We are expecting to have a younger team this year and based off of what I’ve seen in tryouts.” senior Co-Captain Hayley Hoffman said.

Track team anticipates bright future with new coach MAREN OSTREM Staff Writer

PHOTO: Maren Ostrem HIGH KNEES. From left to right: sophomores Kate Thomas, Vera Ladenburger, Alessandra Costalonga, ninth grader Addie Morrisette, junior Eliza Reedy, senior Dianne Caravela, and ninth grader Jasmine White warm up at track practice. “Mr. Minter is a great coach. He brings an equal amount of pressure with fun and it makes a great environment where everyone wants to improve,” junior captain Koji Gutzman said.

Kellan Minter is dressed in a puffy down coat over a long sleeved shirt, wearing a winter hat, and gloves. He wasn’t going skiing, sledding, or ice skating. Instead, he was coaching a track practice. This year has been particularly challenging for spring athletes, as their seasons were pushed back because of snow and cold weather. Track and field participants have been forced to run outside on a track coated in ice, or to work out inside, and the SPA track and field team participated in an indoor track meet on April 22. However, the less than ideal weather conditions have not been the only different thing

about this year’s season: the team has a new head coach. Minter had filled in for US Physical Education teacher Cari Jo Anderson when she was on maternity leave and has now taken on the role of head coach of the track and field team. Minter participated in many sports during his high school experience, but said that track and field was his favorite. “I made the most connections, the most friends out of that, and…you get done with winter and you’re outside all of a sudden, and everything just feels a lot better during track,” Minter said. Minter believes that a good coach is key to a good experience on a team. “I had

a lot of really good coaches in high school and just growing up in general,” Minter said. Minter hopes he can have a similar influence on his athletes. “I learned more from [my coaches] about being a good person than I did about sports in general,” he said. “Mr. Minter is a great coach. He brings an equal amount of pressure with fun and it makes a great environment where everyone wants to improve,” junior captain Koji Gutzman said. Overall, Minter is ready for the season and is optimistic about the future. He looks forward to getting to know more SPA students and helping them succeed on the course.

S pring S ports 16 THE RUBICON • APRIL 2018

Boys Tennis witnesses the exit of 5 year player JULIA BARON Staff Writer

“Competing and winning feels like you’ve achieved something,” senior captain Duke Nguyen said. This feeling of accomplishment is what motivates him to work hard, even if him and his team are being forced to play indoors, or outside in not-soideal conditions. Nguyen has played tennis since he was 5 years old, and started playing for SPA in 7th grade. Nguyen has enjoyed being a captain so far because it has given him a chance to be leader to the younger players on the team. e team that look up to him. Nguyen thinks that it is very important to motivate your teammates and be vocal. “When you win a point, you have to make sure your

team knows,” Nguyen said. Unfortunately some of the boys’ games have been postponed because of the weather, leaving them with many practices to improve their pre-season game. Early in the season, before they’ve had to chance to compete, they focus on the technical aspect on their game, learning how to move or hit. Later in the season after the team has matches, they will focus on the strategical part of their game. The boys team works hard in practice, because it will pay off once they get into a match. “Try to get everyone to play their best everyday, not just in matches” Nguyen said. Being a captain, Nguyen tries to motivate his teammates and lift their spirits. Getting frustrated and angry is a reality in most

sports, and tennis is no different. “Getting upset can be healthy and an important part of competing, it shows that you have your heart in the game and that you’re willing to recognise what you did wrong,” Nguyen said. Nguyen thinks that if getting frustrated motivates you to do better, then it’s fine. The SPA boys tennis team is a very competitive team, because they all want to push each other and improve. Nguyen thinks that their competitive nature comes from their coach. “Working hard and being competitive is something that I strive for, and most of my teammates strive for too,” Nguyen said. The boys tennis team’s next match is on May 1 against Providence Academy at SPA.

PHOTO: Lynn Reynolds EYES ON THE BALL. Sophomore Max Soll prepares to return a ball. This year the team will focus on hard work. “Try to get everyone to play their best everyday, not just in matches” senior captain Duke Nguyen said.

Trap team learns important lessons of firearm safety TOMMY STOLPESTAD Staff Writer

PHOTO: Garrett Small SHOOTING CLAY. The trap team poses with their firearms. I think [the team is] really fun, you can just hang out with your friends and shoot some trap. It also teaches kids and young adults the proper way to handle a firearm because safety is the number one priority when trapshooting,” junior captain Riley Tietel said.

With the spring sports season offering many exciting headlines, the Spartan trapshooting team is not one to be overlooked. The team meets every Saturday to hang out and shoot clay pigeons while working on hand eye coordination and firearm safety. For those who have been on the team in previous years, it has been an activity filled with adrenaline rushes and competitiveness. “I think [the team is] really fun, you can just hang out with your friends and shoot some trap. It also teaches kids and young adults the proper way to handle a firearm because safety is the number one priority when

trapshooting,” junior captain Riley Tietel said. Not only does trap shooting teach the importance of gun safety, but is also a sport that requires a multitude of skills that are learned through practice. “For me [the most important aspect of trap shooting] is hand eye coordination and not thinking because the target moves fast enough where if you think, you are already too slow and it just has to be muscle memory, ” Tietel said. Tietel knows what it takes to be a successful trapshooter, and after playing the sport for more than four years, he has valuable experience under his belt. While trap shooting is a more individual focused sport, the team aspect of the sport plays an important role.

“For the team aspect, it’s just helping everybody shoot the best they can, and for sportsmanship it’s just being respectful and quiet when other people are shooting,” Tietel said. As for competition, trap shooting is not always a laid back environment and teammates can help shooters be the best they can. “You just want to shoot the best you can and shoot better than your buddies,” Tietel said. The SPA trap team is more than just a fun weekend activity. The team teaches important lessons of firearm safety and skill and with big things coming this season, Riley Tietel and the rest of the Spartan trap shooting team are looking forward to another successful season.

Ultimate Frisbee teams experience drastic growth in team numbers ELOISE DUNCAN Staff Writer

It is a beautiful, sunny, springtime day in April; the grass is green and the trees and flowers are budding. Students are running across the Historic Lang Field, throwing a frisbee back and forth. Unfortunately, this dream-like picture is not yet a reality for the ultimate frisbee team at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. The fields are covered with snow, mud, and slush, and the temperature has been much colder than the usual April weather. This long winter has made it difficult for the ultimate team to practice play-

ing with each other. They have to come up with other ways to grow closer as a team until the weather warms up and the fields are usable.“As long as it’s still snowy and we can’t play outside we are trying to get indoor space to get the team more comfortable with each other, and we run a lot of workouts just to get people to spend time together,” senior captain Numi Katz said. The team has grown to around 70 players, the second biggest sport after soccer. There has been a major increase in enthusiasm for this sport, which, according to Katz, “is really exciting [...]

to see other people buy into that [passion for ultimate].” Next year, ultimate frisbee will become an actual SPA sport instead of just a club, which will make a lot more things accessible to the team, such as uniforms, field space, game play, and support from the athletics department. The Ultimate Frisbee team’s focus for this season may not be to win every game, partially because the snow has postponed their practice time. Instead their focus is on creating a fun and learning environment and good relationships between the variety of new players.

PHOTO: Eloise Duncan GOOD CATCH. Junior Reuben Vizelman gets ready to catch the disc. The ultimate team also needs good weather to practice. “As long as it’s still snowy and we can’t play outside we are trying to get indoor space to get the team more comfortable with each other, and we run a lot of workouts just to get people to spend time together,” senior captain Numi Katz said.