September 2013

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Students react to the new schedule.

-- Cover Story, 8-9

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St. Paul Academy & Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN September 2013. Volume XXXXI. Issue I.

the world

CHANGE

Shape the

minds

Shape the

hearts

New mission statement

-- Feature, 7

-- Opinions, 4

News in Brief

Twenty-four new Spanish exchange students arrived on Sept. 17 and will stay with Spanish students for two weeks. There are new faces to see in the hall, new people to chat with, and new experiences and fun times to be had.

-- read more @ www.rubiconline.com

Photo Credit: Ava Gallagher

Student groups and the Modern Asian history class collaborate to construct peace sign for the National Day of Peace.

-- see it @ www.rubiconline.com Read More News

N EWS 2 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

The Rubicon Online St. Paul Academy and Summit School

School introduces updated security plan Students practice new fire and lockout drills during assembly

“

[The assembly] helped to get rid of any confusion and it gives us a plan for these types of emergencies.

Up p e r S c h o o l Hi s tor y te a c h e r Na n D r e h e r

Clare Tipler

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Staff Writer

St. Paul Academy and Summit School announced revised fire, lock-down, and general security procedures during a grade 6-12 assembly held on Sept. 16.

After careful review this past summer, faculty administrators determined that the previous fire emergency safety locations (generally the sidewalks surrounding buildings) were closer to the school than regulation requires.

To comply with regulations, stu-

dents and faculty must now evacuate to the athletic fields, and meet with their advisories at a designated location.

This change creates better accountability as faculty can more easily take attendance and determine if anyone is missing. SPA’s lock-down procedures have also been revised. Many doors on campus will remain locked during school hours, and to ensure that personnel are more closely monitored faculty and staff will be required to wear identification badges during the day.

Upper School Science teacher Steve Heilig waves his hat with seniors (L to R) Michael Wlkens, Katherine Jones, Kristen Datta, Steven Go-Rosenberg, and Cristina Zarama to gain the attention of his advisory as students gathered out on the soccer fields during the fire drill.

Photos Credit: Lucy Li

“[Having the assembly] was a good way to realize where we need work. It helped to get rid of any confusion and it gives us a plan for these types of emergencies,” Upper School history teacher Nan Dreher said.

Students, agreed that safety should be the first priority but questioned whether these revisions actually improve overall safety. “The new system is certainly less efficient but more effective which is what matters,” sophomore Milo Wittenberg said.

Students move to their advisory location on the athletic field for a fire drill during the Middle/Upper School security assembly. “The new system is certainly less efficient but more effective which is what matters,” sophomore Milo Wittenberg said.

Freshmen set record for largest incoming class at 112 students Thomas Toghramadjian

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Opinions Editor

Thirty-three new students accepted their admission to St. Paul Academy and Summit School, enrolling in the Class of 2017, but none by so thin a margin as freshman Lauren Boettcher.

“I only committed to SPA four days before orientation,” she said.

Behind Boettcher’s protracted indecision, there was a difficult choice for her to make. She could opt for her local East Duluth High School, or attend SPA, roughly 150 miles from home. The latter option meant moving to St. Paul alone, where she stays with the family of sophomore Andrea Olson.

It took the double promise of strong academics and a competitive hockey program to merit such a sacrifice.

“I chose SPA because I knew a few people, and my coach really wanted me to. I wanted to go because the academics are so much

better than where I’m from, and it was a better opportunity for me to go to a competitive school and play competitive hockey,” Boettcher explained.

While Boettcher’s decision is likely unmatched in terms of sheer improbability, it is archetypical of the factors behind the unprecedented size of the freshman class – 112 students.

Like most private schools or universities, SPA over-admits, predicting that a certain proportion of the potential students will chose to go somewhere else. This year, not many did.

Freshman Spencer Allen chose SPA over Henry Sibley High School and Stillwater High School, both closer to his home.

Explaining his decision, Allen cited a “family component” –his brother Connor Allen is enrolled in the senior class. However, he added that a large part of his decision came from the quality of education at SPA. “The academics at SPA are just so much stronger,” Allen said.

Freshman David Santos, who

has attended SPA since middle school, explained why he believes SPA is such an appealing choice. “[It’s] because of the small individual class sizes. Some school may have five hundred kids in a

“

I wanted to go because the academics are so much better than where I’m from, and it was a better opportunity for me to go to a competitive school and play competitive hockey. freshman L au r e n B o e ttc h e r grade which often leads to less attention from a teacher. But SPA provides students with lots of study halls where students can meet with teachers,” Santos said.

Principal Chris Hughes outlines some of the logistical issues presented by the rapid growth of the Upper School.

“Our class sizes are a little bit bigger than they have been- 15, 16 students as opposed to 13 or 14 for a general class,” Hughes said.

“Electives are also really full just because of the new schedule.”

However, measures such as adding an additional period for debate helped the administration meet the demand for electives, which resulted largely from the additional period included in the new schedule.

While the SPA community can take pride in the school’s broad appeal, the unprecedented influx of freshmen, combined with the already expanding Upper School threatens to cause a crisis of overcrowding. Hughes explains some of the steps taken by the administration to conserve room.

“We tried to grab back space wherever we could… one thing we’re doing differently this year is really utilizing the 4th floor for classes to meet.”

According to Hughes, a storage closet in the upper west corridor was converted into an advisory space, and Room 222, formerly used for senior electives is now open for students to study.

“You’ve seen the library’s been reorganized, study hall’s moved into the library so that frees up the lecture room. So until we get to new buildings around here that’s the best we can do,” Hughes said.

SPA’s prestige was certainly a factor in drawing such a large proportion of the admitted freshmen, but the school’s attraction goes deeper than that. Boettcher noticed something out of the ordinary during her first visit.

“Everyone was there to learn, which was something I’d never seen at a school before. And above that, everyone was at least respectful of each other,” she said. ”That was something that was also really important to me.”

Students show interest in computer science class St. Paul Academy and Summit School offers several clubs, classes, and now the school is considering a Spring offering of a student-run AP Computer Science class. Henry Swanson (‘13), taught the same course in last school year. Junior Shaan Bijwadia would teach this course, either after school or during an available time in the school day.

Some students say the class would be valuable. “Not something I would do, but I think a lot of people would benefit from it,” sophomore Andrea Olson said.

Other students are excited about this possibility, “That’d be so cool; any student taught classes would be cool,” freshman Isabelle Bukovsan said.

Check out The Rubicon Online for exclusive news, including a story about the visit from spoken word poet Joyce Lee.

N EWS 3 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

School embraces new mission

Shorter statement aims to fully encompass the environment Boraan Abdulkarim

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Cover Story Editor

The gymnasium buzzed with a mix of excitement and disappointment at the start of a new school year on Aug. 27. Slowly, the conversations hushed and the Welcome Assembly began. After the greeting and a presentation

by Upper School Principal Chris Hughes, Head of School Bryn Roberts presented a speech about one of the many new changes to the school this year: a new mission statement.

Throughout the speech, everyone was quiet. Roberts, with the click of a button, advanced to the culminating slide of the power-point presentation with the new St. Paul Academy and Summit School mission statement printed clearly in the middle.

Shaping the minds and the hearts of those who will change the world.

Though the mission statement is new, the concept is not; it describes the SPA community as it is. “The mission statement is like a guide, a north star. It’s very important in capturing the essence of the institution,” Roberts said.

Sophomore Madeeha Rizvi agreed: “I think it gives the school a clear goal, just having it there. It helps the school focus on what’s important. Then, that helps us improve, like with the new schedule,” she said.

Submitted Photo: Director of Communications Ami Berger The new mission statement was crafted by a group of teachers, students, parents, and administrators to develop a sense of what the community is and what it aspires to be. Freshman Noel Parker said the new statement will be “preparing [students] for bigger things.”

Last year, nobody could have rattled off the mission of SPA. According to Hughes, “[a mission statement] becomes meaningless if you have to go and look it up.”

Now, though, the SPA mission statement has undergone a transformation. It’s quick and straight to the point. Those 13 words sum up the ambitions of SPA. “I think if a mission is going to be valuable, it ought to be something people know and understand,” Hughes said.

Students agree.

“I think that this mission statement is a lot better because it’s actually possible to remember it.

It stays with people,” sophomore Elena Youngdale said.

Freshman Noel Parker thinks

the new Mission Statement will be “preparing [students] for bigger things. ” The new mission statement not only changes how SPA students, parents, teachers, and faculty see the school, but how outsiders and prospective students see it, too.

Director of Communications Ami Berger believes that although the mission statement alone will not make someone wish to attend the school, it will spark interest. “There is absolutely nothing I could do, there’s no magazine I could write, no mission statement I could write, that would be a hundredth as powerful as a prospective student or parent coming in here and sitting in a classroom or talking to a current

student,” Berger said. “[Students] are the ones who breathe life into [the mission statement],” Roberts said.

Senior Nick Cohen does not see the mission statement changing SPA life, but also views it as important for newcomers to SPA. “I think the place that [the mission statement] is going to be important, is outside relationships,” Cohen said.

Cohen was part of a committee of students, teachers, and faculty the helped with the development of the new statement. Berger finds that this committee was “so important in shaping the mission, which is incredibly important to us, because this means nothing if the students don’t live it and feel

like it represents their experience there,” Berger said.

Cohen agrees that the group influenced the final product. “I think [the committee] actually had a lot of input and a lot of weight in the process,” he said.

The committee only met twice, engaged in the endeavor. “[We] didn’t sit down at a conference table and say ‘I think this is what the statement should be, or the mission statement should sound like this,’” said Cohen.

Rather, the group “did a bunch of activities to try and flesh out what the ideals of the school are, what is upheld in the daily routine.” Cohen described one activity in which multiple pictures were laid out on the table, and the members of the committee were told to choose pictures that represented SPA, and what SPA aspires to be.

Hughes, along with many others, noticed that the mission statements of other schools all follow a similar pattern. “There’s always stuff about leadership, and service and community and learning and passion. And those are all great things, absolutely who we are, but there’s no way to distinguish one school from another,” he said.

The new mission statement attempts to give a unique voice to SPA and distinguish it from other schools.

“It makes SPA something more than your average school,” Parker said.

Historic Briggs Gymnasium undergoes renovation Katrina Hilton

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Sports Editor

Any returning students or faculty that walk into the Randolph Campus gym immediately notice something is different. The space transformed over the summer.

Both the large and small gyms underwent many renovations.

The maintenance team and contractors repaired, installed, and upgraded, giving the gym a facelift for the start of the 2013 school year.

A construction company refinished the floors and walls to update the gym. Long overdue, the floors in the small gym were sanded, redone, and repainted. “That hadn’t been done in 30 or 40 years so it really made a dramatic difference and lightened up the whole

space,” Director of Athletics Peter Sawkins said. The insulation and duct work was completed.

Other changes focused on making the gym more aesthetically pleasing. New, clear plastic backboards took the place of the old metal ones. A big Spartan head with SPA was painted on the south side of the gym. New conference foe signs hang on the north bridge wall.

One of the most significant changes is the purchase of a brand new scoreboard. The new board “has all the details for basketball for the players and the points and how many fouls they have,” Sawkins said.

Future renovations might include hanging championship banners that list the conference and state accomplishments of the different sports.

Along with the new physical changes to the school come more opportunities for students to use the gym during school hours.

“Being a basketball player, it’s nice to get a couple shots up during the day, especially when I have a couple minutes here and there open in my schedule,” sophomore Kent Hanson said.

Open gym time is not just for athletes; students may be playing an organized sport or walking while socializing with friends.

The timing of the new Upper School schedule changed the timing, so open gym had to be adjusted. Students are now able to access the gym multiple times a day. Hours are posted on gym doors, as they may change from week to week.

Photo Credit: Katrina Hilton The Girls Varsity Volleyball team practices on the new gym floor. The gym is now more open to students during school hours. “Being a basketball player, it’s nice to get a couple shots up during the day, especially when I have a couple minutes here and there open in my schedule,” sophomore Kent Hanson said.

4 O P I N ION S

September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

STAFF the rubicon

2013-14 Editor-in-Chief Hannah Johnson

Online Editor-in-Chief Print Managing Editor Lucy Li Chief Visual Editor Ava Gallagher News Editor Nina Zietlow

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

EDITORIAL

Our school is confident in its students’ abilities to make a difference.

Opinions Editor Thomas Toghramadjian Co-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 Macy Blanchard 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 John Wilhelm

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the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 2011-12 AWARDS JEM All-State Gold (Print) JEM All-State Silver (Online) MHSPA Best in Show NSPA All American CSPA Silver Medal

Editorial Cartoon: Ava Gallagher

Shape the hearts. Shape the minds. Change the world.

New mission celebrates achievement Faith in students’ future success feels narrow During the unveiling of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s new mission statement, at our first Upper School Assembly of the year, a parade of successful men and women floated across the projector screen. These alumni/ae, who research Alzheimers, invented toys and impacted the Civil Rights Movement fit the idea of the school’s new mission statement, “Shaping the minds and the hearts of those who will change the world.”

While the presentation featured some awesome alumni/ae, it shaped our perspective in an unproductive way. SPA uses these examples of notable graduates and past students to show how the school’s rigorous curriculum and

strong education prepares students for entering the world and making their lasting mark. These include familiar names like explorer Ann Bancroft, soccer player Tony Sanneh and of course, author F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The pressure students feel from parents, teachers, and themselves to succeed could add to the stress level the school has attempted to alleviate with the new mission statement. Its call to "change the world" is daunting in the day-today context of homework, activities, and getting enough sleep.

Those who hope to become great parents, dedicated volunteers or hard-working small business owners might feel pressured by the new mission statement to

make a widely-recognized change in the world. Not all students or alumni/ae want to become famous explorers or write the next American classic. And what we need to learn as a community is that this is not only perfectly OK, but actually an essential component of the uniqueness of our students and school.

SPA takes pride in the diversity of its students and faculty, whether that be racial, socio-economic or gender. We should be just as proud of the different successes and paths each student takes in their education and career. A “C” on an American Literature essay or a failed experiment in Chemistry can lead to as much growth and maybe even more un-

derstanding than bringing home a 4.0 grade point average or top honors in Science Alliance.

We are fortunate enough to attend a school where we not only study core subjects and concepts, but also learn study habits, self-advocacy and problem-solving. Our school should not just focus on results and legacy, but rather take the time to focus on the “shaping the hearts” of these future leaders and successes.

While some students love the boldness of the mission statement and others dislike it, one thing is obvious: our school is confident in its students abilities to make a difference.

M I N I - E DI T OR IA L Speak up about extra homework

It’s time to call out fallacies in the current cell phone policy

The administration made a point of assuring students that despite the new two day gap between classes, the old homework load of 45 minutes per class period would remain. Some teachers have managed to nail the mark perfectly. But in other classes— an alarming number of them— teachers have expanded their homework to fit the two day gap.

While the rule at SPA has always been “stop after 45 minutes,” students rarely adhere to it, not wanting to fall behind.

So where does that leave students? The simple issue is that if students leave the homework conversation to teachers, nothing much will be changed. The best way to address the issue is to make sure teachers are aware of it. So, to students: vocalize your issues. To teachers: be receptive and open to change. Hopefully, with our powers combined, we can conquer the new schedule.

The first line of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s current cell phone policy states, that cell phones can divert attention, distract from the academic focus of the school day, and inhibit the development of students’ self reliance, but wouldn’t that apply to our personal school laptops as well?

“This is an issue that the Upper School Council is currently working on, bringing up questions of the phones’ effectiveness as a tool as well as the negative effects that cell-phones can bring,” explained Chris Hughes, Upper School Principal.

Recently cell phone technology has advanced to the point that laptops can be used for many of the distracting behaviors that led to the current policy where cell phones are to be shut off and stored during the day. This has brought up questions about the current phone policy and the need for an update.

Working on a revision of this policy is very important to the school if SPA wants to continue evolving with current technological advancements. Many students carry cell phones that can be used to access the internet for important educational websites and contain storage space for information and student work. Schools across the country have instituted Bring-Your-Own-Device policies, acknowledging that sometimes cell phone are a superior technology for learning.

There is also no justification that laptops are less distracting than phones, as laptops also have games that “divert attention” and access to websites that could “inhibit the development of students’ self reliance” as the policy states. Cell phones should not be treated any differently than student laptops. The phone policy must be changed to allow students to have more learning resources during school hours.

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.

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.

O P I N ION S 5 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

A year of change requires trust

Both students and faculty need to adapt

Nina Zietlow

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they are certainly less stressful than an eight period day with less than four minutes of passing time between classes. Longer classes allow more time for learning and collaborating with both teachers and peers, a definite benefit to reduce stress and promote healthier learning.

Change can be scary and although there can be some fear that accompanies the drastic changes this schedule entails, it is important not to overlook the positive side of the situation. The reality is that the schedule has done much more good for our community then bad. The SPA community needs to take into account the preparation and research that went into creating this schedule and trust that the administration, consultants and faculty committee knew what they were doing when these changes were put in place. It is essential for students to be able to adapt to these everyday changes in order to maintain an effective learning community.

News Editor

The new schedule added stress to the beginning of the school year. The rotating block schedule and lack of bells have been difficult to figure out, but beyond the initial confusion, the longer classes and daily tutorial periods have paved the way for less homework and more effective learning.

Having fewer assignments every night makes it easier for students to balance their time between each subject. It also allows more time for in depth thinking about each assignment instead of the frantic rush to finish assignments for nearly every class, every night.

Another clear advantage to the new schedule is the opportunity it presents for down time between classes. Instead of multiple classes back to back, the new schedule’s lunch period, X period, and daily tutorial allow the day

Designed on Wordle.net

Illustration Credit: Lucy Li

It is essential for students to be able to adapt to these every day changes in order to maintain an effective learning community.

to feel more spread out and give students a sufficient amount of time to transition to new subjects.

Last year with 45 minute periods, classes felt rushed. Teachers would struggle just to cram in all the material before the bell rang and often students were left in the dust, unable to process the huge wave of information. In science it

was difficult to finish labs and often data charts were left uncompleted.

Many student have expressed concern about their ability to focus through the longer periods.

It has been hard to jump from 45 minute periods to 75 minute ones, but despite the fact that these longer periods may seem tiring

Dress code policy revision singles out girls Laura Slade

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A&E Editor

Changes to the Upper School Handbook have left female students struggling to adapt their outfits to new dress code regulations.

Sophomore Cait Gibbons is more concerned with how she will be able to express herself as the dress code gets stricter.

“These rules are making people dress more similar,” Gibbons said.

Dress code changes typically occur when new styles emerge.

The new rule published in the US Planner in addition to the Handbook reads: ...yoga pants and leggings are permitted ONLY if they are covered by a shirt, skirt or dress that reaches to upper thigh.

The Middle School adapted dress code rules last fall to address the issues of leggings and inseams, and -- at the time -- discussion swirled about US dress on a MS/US campus with many shared spaces.

Judy Cummins, Dean of Students, works with policy and enforcement at the school and understands that “developmentally, students are at different levels. We give seniors privileges we don’t give eighth graders,” Cummins said. “We were really thoughtful of what this means to our community and can we have two sets of values in one school.”

But this new change in dress code seems to bring MS and US expectations in line.

The other items the dress code addresses are undergarments visible to others, including bra straps, underwear shirts and boxer shorts, clothing displaying sex-

“

They won’t call out some girls.

They’re being unfair with body types.

“Distracting”

“Lady Like”

“Classy

“Revealing” “Lady-like”

“School-Appropriate”

“Dress Code Violation” Photo Illustration: Ava Gallagher, Hannah Johnson

s o p h om or e R a c h e l Ho t v e d t ual, drug/alcohol related or offensive slogans or graphics, clothing that elicits negative or unwanted attention (no spaghetti straps, sheer, strapless, racer back or halter-tops; no short shorts or skirts, no tops that display cleavage or expose midriffs), hats in classrooms, dining hall or community gatherings, and pajama pants.

In print, these rules apply equally to all genders. The rules about leggings and sheer or strapless shirts focus on dominantly on female dress while the hats and boxers generally apply to boys.

However, conversation around dress code traditionally gravitates towards what girls can -- or more frequently can not -- wear.

“They’re oversexualizing girls’ bodies,” by paying such close attention to whether or not fashion is school appropriate,” sophomore Sabrina Brown said.

Brown typically wears leggings five days a week, and buying jeans will be an inconvenience and expensive. “I feel like

Although Dean of Students Judy Cummins said that the new dress code policy is designed to address “How we present ourselves to go to school,” many girls believe that students will challenge the policy. “The rule should have been enforced before now if people are going to take it seriously,” junior Maddie Daub said.

they’re trying to make us dress up more, but really people are getting lazier. There are a lot more sweatpants already,” Brown said.

Others believe that leggings are not as distracting as other articles of clothing. "Leggings are just pants. If people are distracted by leggings or shorts, they have more of a problem than the people wearing the leggings. Neon colors and words on shirts can be more distracting that wearing slightly revealing pants," freshman students Sonia Sukumar and Phoebe Pannier said.

“How we present ourselves to go to school is really the issue for me,” Cummins said. “How do we let kids be individuals, and how do we still have a decorum of what we want school to look like?”

When the rule was first announced, many assumed that it was because when girls wore leggings and yoga pants it distracted

boys in the classroom setting, and though this has been the reason for other schools enforcing the same rule, Cummins assures that this was not the administration’s motivation.

The dress code states that all clothing must not [present] a distraction from the learning environment for fellow students or faculty.

However, many female students believe that dress regulations are not enforced equally.

“The rule should have been enforced before now if people are going to take it seriously,” junior Mattie Daub said.

“They won’t call out some girls,” sophomore Rachel Hotvedt said. “They’re being unfair with body types.”

With additional reporting from Staff Writer Ali Duval

A balanced lunch period schedule may be difficult to find Diane Huang

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Staff Writer

Along with the new block schedule in the Upper School, the lunch schedule has also changed.

Most freshmen and sophomores go to early lunch from 11:25 a.m. to 11:55 a.m., Middle School lunch is from noon to 1 p.m., and juniors and seniors are scheduled for late lunch from 12:40 p.m. to 1:10 p.m.

US Principal Chris Hughes said that the reason for the new lunch schedule is to “take lunch out of being an academic period” and also to allow middle school students to have an exclusively grades six thru eighth grade lunch period.

But since US students and faculty are only allowed to go to lunch at their designated times, many juniors and seniors are forced to each lunch at 12:40 p.m. instead of any earlier time. This lateness is even further pushed on Wednesdays when there are late starts.

Students that experience this extremely late lunch talk of how it is hard to play an after school sport after finishing lunch so late and also being hungry despite the new snack during X-Period.

Junior Maggie Clark suggests “conserving silverware” because the majority of it is used by the time late lunch comes around.

Peggy Holzem, who works in the dining hall, talks of an uneven flow of students throughout the lunch period. She notes that there has been no difference to her besides early and late lunches being faster than middle lunches.

On the old schedule, US students had designated lunch periods, but they weren’t restricted from going to any other lunch periods if they did not have a class.

Understandably, it is important that MS students are able to eat lunch, but it is unlikely that enough US students are free during the middle lunch period so that younger students would not be able to eat lunch.

It would make sense to get rid of restrictions so that students would can eat an earlier lunch if possible and also allow for an even flow of students through the dining hall so that there is no lack of food or silverware near the end of the time lunch is served. Of course students and faculty alike recognize that it is the matter of making it work with the new schedule that is most difficult.

What is important though, as Holzem said. “It all works out – everyone ends up being fed.”

6 Fe atu re

September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Junior Zeeshawn Abid meets regularly with freshmen Emilio Alvaro and Wyatt Bliss, attending extracurriculars and helping them navigate Upper School. “I love being [a mentor]…Freshmen this year have such a great opportunity that none of us had,” Abid said.

Photo Credit: Thomas Toghramadjian

Mentors, tutors build community ties Thomas Toghramadjian

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Opinions Editor

“He came to the beginning of my soccer game too,” freshman Emilio Alvarado said of his mentor, junior Zeeshawn Abid. Outside of spontaneous sports spectatorship, the pair met at the Aug. 26 freshman orientation, and again during the scheduled tutorial period meeting times. “He also gave us a quick tour of places you don’t really know about,” Alvarado said. “The things we’ve done so far are pretty fun.”

The 2012-13 St. Paul Academy and Summit School Upper School Council drew up plans for mentoring and tutoring programs

over the course of second semester last year, hoping to implement them the following fall. Thanks to high numbers of applicants and some planning over the summer, both programs have come to the Upper School in a very visible fashion.

Senior co-presidents Nick Cohen and Hannah Johnson, Dean Cummins, and USC advisor Jim McVeety led a workshop for mentors on Aug. 26. While senior mentor Marcus Alburez found the content of the presentation somewhat general, it reaffirmed his faith in the depth of commitment his fellow upperclassmen feel toward the program.

“People who signed up to be mentors didn’t just do it be-

cause they felt like doing something during their free time. They joined because they knew high school isn’t the easiest of times for some people and their way of giving back is through this program. They’re the ones who are taking it seriously at this point,” Alburez said.

Senior Jessica Wen signed up as a tutor out of a similar desire to give back to the community at large.

“Some of my friends came to me for help, and it was really rewarding when I could help other people understand something they struggled with,” she said.

While all freshmen will meet with their mentors once a week until the end of September, then

again before midterm exams, there are no mandatory times for tutoring. USC will create a schedule ensuring that at least one tutor for each subject will be present in the lunch room during any given tutorial period. However, the mentoring and tutoring programs are developing a degree of autonomy from the council.

“The [mentoring and tutoring] programs depended more on USC in the beginning because we handpicked matches and organized times… but after this it’s really up to the students to utilize it or not,” Wen, also a USC member, said.

Indeed, whether or not the freshmen choose to continue seeing their mentors after the manda-

tory meeting expire could determine the eventual impact of the program.

Alvarado plans to continue meeting with Abid after the mandatory meetings expire, “probably once every two weeks.”

“I love being [a mentor]…

Freshmen this year have such a great opportunity that none of us had,” Abid said.

Alburez has high hopes for the mentoring program.

“Initially, many of [the freshmen] may be hesitant to approach and be open with us… but I’m sure as we begin to meet on a more regular basis and get to know each other better they’ll begin to appreciate the program even more,” he said.

Three new faculty welcomed to Upper School class Eva Perez-Greene

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Photo Credit: Eva Perez-Greene

US English teacher Philip de Sa e Silva has extensive experience as a writing coach and enjoys conferencing with students. The discussion academic model at SPA was “completely irresistible” to him as he searched for a teaching position after graduation from Harvard. Students hope he will bring some of his glee-club and stand-up comedy experience into the classroom: “I enjoy making people laugh when I am able to,” he said.

In-Depth Editor

In a year where change feels like a clear theme, one change students look forward to is meeting new faculty.

“Everyone here is always smiling, which is great because I am super smiley too!” new Upper School Biology teacher Ned Heckman said about the students and faculty at St. Paul Academy and Summit School.

Heckman’s “smileyness” reflects his comfort with and enthusiasm for the art that is teaching.

“I’ve been teaching since I was sixteen in various capacities,” he said.

From the East Coast originally, Heckman taught Marine Biology and Ecology at the St. Paul School in Concord, New Hampshire. He now directs the school’s Advanced Studies program and will fly to New Hampshire over the summer to pursue his passion for teaching.

In addition to his work with the St. Paul School, Heckman tutored and taught college level Nutrition courses through the TORCH (Tackling Obstacles and Raising College Hopes) program in Northfield Minnesota while studying at Carleton College.

“I’m just very connected to education,” he said.

New Upper School history teacher Amy Weisgram has a similar spirit for teaching. “There is nothing more exciting for me than seeing a student feel success!” she said. Weisgram has always been deeply interested in school and social studies; however, she did not pursue a career in education until later on in her life.

Having earned a BA in Economics at St. Olaf College, Weisgram felt the natural step to take was to move into the corporate world.

After years of working as a corporate supervisor, she realized where her true passions lay and obtained her MA in Education at St. Thomas University. In the

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Coming back home

Fe atu re 7 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

Truman returns from year in Spain Lucy Li

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Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief Senior Nate Truman had barely recovered from 36 hours of traveling from Minnesota to Spain when his host sister left him alone at a metro station without any clue as to what was going on.

“So what happened was my Spanish was really terrible,” he said.

Turns out, Truman had mistaken the Spanish words for club, discoteca, for the Spanish word for library, biblioteca. So when he thought his host sister was inviting him to study at the library, she really meant that he could go out clubbing while she studied by herself.

At 2:00 a.m. and after spending several hours partying, Truman finally got a hold of his host sister to pick him up.

That night was only the beginning of Truman’s nine months in Spain.

The early stages The summer of Truman’s sophomore year, he and his family had been driving up north for vacation when the idea to study abroad came up. “Hey Nate, if you like Spanish so much, you might really like going for a semester or a year in Spain,” his father had said.

After a weekend of consideration, Truman announced his decision on the car ride back home.

Upper School Spanish teacher Rolando Castellanos supported Truman throughout the experience. “I thought that that would be amazing to have someone like him who in my opinion enjoys learning language to actually do

that,” he said.

“Señor Castellanos really fostered a real passion for the Spanish language [and] the Spanish culture that was really, really powerful for me,” Truman said.

Truman has been at St. Paul Academy and Summit School since first grade and wished to meet new people in a new setting.

He was initially nervous about his lack of experience with the Spanish language. In the School Year Abroad program that Truman was with, a majority of the students had taken Spanish for six or seven years, while Truman only had two years. “In English… it doesn’t require active thought just to understand what’s going on around you and when it does, it’s incredibly exhausting,” he said.

Establishing new friendships was also a challenge. “Diving into a new place where you know no one is very intimidating because you’re dealing with people who you have no history with,” Truman said, “which is very uncommon here at SPA.” “It was both the thing I was seeking and the thing I was worried about,” he said.

Nine months away from home

Truman stayed with a lower-middle class Cuban family of three in Zaragoza, Spain. His host sister was his age and went to a local school. “You’re dealing with a socioeconomic group that is completely different from that people who are here [at SPA].” he said. “[It] gave me an entirely different perspective on how people live, on how people think, how people value family, [and] how people value money.” He discovered that

money didn’t affect happiness, and “it was sort of an eyeopening experience.”

Truman attended an American school with students from all over the United States. The students had to speak Spanish at all times, except in English and math classes, which were taught in English.

The city where Truman lived, Zaragoza, is approximately the same size as the Twin Cities and located in northeastern Spain.

The lack of tourists allowed the students to avoid English-speaking environments that were abundant in larger cities like Barcelona and Madrid.

When Truman first arrived, he felt “overwhelmed,” he said, a feeling that would persist for over a month. Luckily, Truman’s Spanish skills improved dramatically over the course of the year. “As the year went on, I grew more and more comfortable with the language,” he said. Soon, he could hold a conversation as well as his classmates.

When SPA students went on the exchange trip to Spain last March, Truman met up with them. He also stayed in contact with Castellanos through Skype.

“It was great to see him become a very confident young man with a very impressive command of the language and having grown and matured to be a very well balanced individual,” Castellanos said.

One aspect of Spanish life that Truman noticed was the approach people had to working. “They take a much more relaxed standpoint,” he said. “You work, but you do it slowly over the course of the day. You punctuate it with a lot of breaks.” He also witnessed

Photo submitted by: Nate Truman Senior Nate Truman sits in Alquézar a municipality inside of the Sierra de Guara National Park. Alquézar is built on a limestone out crop and west of the Rio Vero. “It [Spain] was both the thing I was seeking and the thing I was worried about,“ Truman said.

how Spanish culture was very socially and family oriented.

Coming back Returning to Minnesota juxtaposed the two worlds to allow for some reflection. “There is maturity, open mindedness, [and] a wider perspective that I have now that I didn’t have when I left the U.S,” Truman said.

The first few weeks at SPA felt strange, if not difficult, for Truman. “You go out the bubble that is SPA, and you have to come back into it,” he said.

“I responded to the question ‘How was Spain?’ probably fifty times last week,” he said, referring to the first week of school.

Part of the challenge of coming back included figuring out

new dynamics with his friends, his teachers, and the school community in general. “[For] most of seniors here, their big adventure coming up is going to college,” Truman said. “I’ve already been away from home, [and] I’ve already done a lot of the things that hold that excitement that people are looking forward to.”

Still, Truman values his experience abroad and looks forward to the future. Traveling by himself and living in an environment where he couldn’t regularly speak English has allowed him to “come out the other side stronger and better,” he said.

Castellanos agreed. “He impresses as an individual who embraces challenge and opportunity,” he said.

rooms and hallways as another school year begins

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The sense of community that I hoped for is absolutely here.

Up p e r S c h o o l Hi s tor y Te a c h e r A my We i s g r a m past ten years, she has taught US History, AP US Government, AP Macroeconomics, and Western Civilization at Benilde St. Margaret’s.

Weisgram kept SPA on her radar since she began her teaching career and jumped at an opening in the history department. She

now teaches World History I and American History in addition to advising eleventh graders.

“Everybody is really generous and really helpful. The sense of community that I had hoped for is absolutely here!” Weisgram said about her experience at SPA thus far.

Also among the new teachers at SPA is Upper School English teacher Philip de Sa e Silva. de Sa e Silva earned his BA in English with honors at Harvard University and obtained his teaching license through Harvard’s teacher training program. de Sa e Silva pursued his interest in the English language and writing as a tutor for Harvard’s Extension School Writing Center and later became a teaching intern in Boston’s public school system. de Sa e Silva also served as the vice president of Harvard University’s Glee club and continues to experiment with stand-up comedy, a hobby he discovered in

college. “I enjoy making people laugh when I am able to,” he said.

While de Sa e Silva’s interest in stand up comedy has taken a seat since moving to the Midwest, his passion for teaching followed him on his journey from Massachusetts via his home state Washington to Minnesota.

He was drawn to SPA’s English department and academic model, describing a job in which discussion based classes are the norm as “completely irresistible.” “There were so many conditions that encourage learning and thinking at SPA, and that is something you cannot find everywhere,” he said. de Sa e Silva now teaches American Literature and British Literature I and will teach Seminar in Visual Narrative in the Spring.

His expectations seem to have lived up to reality as he said on his second day of teaching that, “It’s been a really enjoyable start so far. My students have been so thoughtful and engaged.”

Photos Credit: Eva Perez-Greene [Above] US Math teacher Ned Heckman writes out upcoming assignments for a freshman class. Heckman, a recent graduate of Carleton College, is a first year teacher, but “I’ve been teaching since I was 16 in various capacities,” he said.

[Left] “Everybody is really generous and really helpful. The sense of community that I had hoped for is absolutely here!” teacher Amy Weisgram said of her welcome to the US History department. She joins the faculty after 10 years at Benilde St. Margaret’s.

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St. Paul Academy and Summit School

New schedule introduces chan Catherine Braman

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Staff Writer

Friday is Day 6, but only this week. We completed the first cycle rotation on the Monday of Week 3. There’s X-Period, Tutorial, and a seperate lunch block. Students color-code planners and teachers create 75 minute plans as the new Upper School schedule rotates and shifts.

The students, faculty, and administration are adjusting to some significant changes. For faculty, “Those adjustments were mostly thinking about how much homework we might assign and what we might do in class,” US English teacher Emily Meisler said. Meisler served on the scheduling task force.

The new academic schedule emerged from a two and a half year planning process by which the task forc worked with teachers, administrators, and an outside consultant.

One overall goal was to slow down the pace of the day. “There are many examples of students who raised great questions at minute 39 [in a 40 minute class] and there was no way of answering it,”

US Principal Chris Hughes said.

By extending class periods to 75 minutes, teachers and students can delve into topics with greater depth. “It gives us a lot more permission to explore ideas and put the student in charge of exploring ideas,” Hughes said.

One academic area that benefits from more the longer blocks is science class. Prior to the new schedule, teachers had to set up labs before students arrived. With longer periods, students can now participate in setting up lab experiments, which is an essential part of the learning process.

Hughes highlighted that the new schedule should also reduce the amount of homework in many classes because students have fewer classes per day.

A key change to the schedule is that school starts at 8:45 a.m. on Wednesdays, instead of the usual 8:00 a.m. because the faculty has meetings before school. This allows students extra study or sleep time.

The schedule rotates on an eight day cycle and classes also rotate to different periods in a given day.

Since students have -- at most -- four classes per day, there is less homework to manage than there

was when all classes met every day.

“I think that the homework schedule benefits students a lot because they are able to plan ahead and they don’t feel overwhelmed by one subject,” Meisler said.

Another plus is that students have more time to connect with teachers and classmates with lunch, X-Period and Tutorial.

“There are just things that we couldn’t do with the old schedule that we can now,” Hughes said.

The built-in flex time provides students with some freedom to choose what they want to do and whether or not they need support from teachers or collaborative work time with classmates.

“I really like this new schedule.

It gives [teachers] time to say hi to students and [greet them personally],” Meisler said.

Upper School Dean of Students Judy Cummins shared that one advantage of the schedule is the way that each class rotates time periods from day to day. For example, a sophomore may have American Literature first hour one day and the next time the class meets, it is at the end of the day. This variety gives students the chance to have classes at different times in the day which is good for students who are

Student Senior Claire Foussard and sophomore Maya Smith play flutes in a winds sectional class.

“I don’t really like how we have to do more stuff during tutorial, but I don’t think it’s that bad,” senior Alex Miller said.

Photos Credit: Lucy Li Junior Julia Hansen works on a white board in her French class. Teachers have worked to plan more variety in the activities during class. “[The new schedule] hasn’t been perfect, but I think it’s a matter of getting used to [it],” Upper School Science teacher Karissa Baker said.

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S T ORY

September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

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nge “

I think that the homework schedule benefits students a lot because they are able to plan ahead and they don’t feel overwhelmed by one subject.

Up p e r S c h o o l E n g l i s h te a c h e r E m i l y Me i s l e r not as alert in the morning or perhaps get tired by the end of the day.

With the new schedule, many teachers revised and modified their curriculum.

“One of the greatest challenges is always being aware of how you effectively teach in a longer period,” Hughes said.

He added that “none of us should do anything for seventy-five straight minutes in a class.”

The goal is to keep students engaged in the topics being covered in each particular course for the entire period. Hughes remarked that even though the administration carefully planned and prepared the new scheduling system, teachers and student need to understand the

importance of being flexible.

While the school year is just getting started, Hughes said, “my hope is for students and teachers to keep an open mind and keep talking about the things that work and the things that don’t. I don’t expect that we got everything perfect the first time.”

The ultimate outcome of the new schedule is to provide the best environment for students to grow and learn.

Photo Illustration: Katie Braman Sophomores Rachel Hotvedt and Liz Shaheen compare their schedules for the year. “My hope is for students and teachers to keep an open mind and keep talking about the things that work and the things that don’t,” Upper School Principal Chris Hughes said.

T

he new schedule provides time for engagement and investment both in and outside of class, helping implement the new mission statement.

ts adjust to new schedule Lucy Li

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Managing Editor Online Editor in Chief

What’s first today? Period three or Period six? These are some common questions heard in SPA hallways this year. Students and faculty had to adjust not only to coming back from summer vacation, but also to a new rotating block schedule. Reactions varied as the Upper School managed to adapt. Here is what some consider to be the mixed, the not so great, and the best:

The Mixed

The shorter lunch periods brought hesitant support. “It hasn’t bugged me yet, but last year, I definitely had time to work on homework and things in the same lunch period and I don’t know if I’ll have that time this year,” sophomore Will Donaldson said, “but that’s still okay.”

“Compared to the 75 minute periods, [the lunch periods] feel shorter than they probably are,” junior Mansuda Arora said.

“I don’t like to be rushed when I eat,” junior Kailey Wendlandt said.

Aside from lunch, other effects of the schedule haven’t brought as much positive change as some had hoped. The new schedule should result in less homework, and for some students, such as senior

Alex Miller, it worked. “I’ve had less homework personally so that makes it so much easier to not be so stress out during sports practices,” Miller, who plays volleyball, said.

However, others felt that the homework load was close to the amount last year. “I’d say it’s about it same with the two days; it’s about the same amount that I’m putting in each night,” Arora said. Wendlandt noted that some classes’ homework, such as science, took her more than 45 minutes to complete.

The new structure for music electives is based on both a rotating eight day cycle and a weekly cycle.

For example, orchestra meets for half a class period and two times a week during tutorial. “I don’t really like how we have to do more stuff during tutorial, but I don’t think it’s that bad,” Miller said, because she liked having half of her orchestra class period free.

The Not So Great

The first few days of the new schedule were puzzling, especially since class times changed everyday. “It’s incredibly vexing,” Wendlandt said on the third day of school. “My schedule [sheet] is like my Bible right now.”

“I have a feeling that I’ll never know it,” Arora said. “I’ll never not need to look at my schedule.”

Other aspects of the schedule

were also not too favorable. “I think [the lunch periods are] way too crowded; it’s really hard to find a place to sit,” junior Nicolas Koch said. His schedule also has an unusual balance of four classes on one day and two on the other. “It’s weird the way they set that up,” he said.

The Best

For the majority of students, the last time they had a block schedule was back in Middle School.

Although Donaldson said there isn’t too big of a difference, he believed the new schedule was more preferable to the block schedule he had experienced before due to the greater freedom upper schoolers have.

Donaldson also enjoys having the mandatory free period every other day in his schedule and finds the rotating aspect helpful. “Last year in the schedule I didn’t do as well in my really early morning classes because I’d be really tired,” he said. When choosing classes, he was also able to have one more elective than he would’ve taken with the old schedule.

The 75 minute free periods were praised by many: “There’s a lot more free time,” Koch said.

“I really like how long the free periods are because I feel like they give me the time to actually do a

full subject of homework, take a nap, or leave campus,” Miller said.

In class, the longer periods allow for more depth than before.

“We get a long time for discussions,” Arora said.

For Upper School Science teacher Karissa Baker, the class periods have gone by faster than she expected, but with enough room to not feel rushed. “In Earth Science we’ve been able to do some things we haven’t been able to do before,” she said. Likewise, her Environmental Science class had enough time to walk to St. Catherine University and conduct a field study

during one class period.

The late start on Wednesdays is also a favorite aspect of the schedule. “It was awesome,” Donaldson said of the first last start. “I got to wake up an hour later, and it was just ideal.”

“It was amazing; I did yoga in the morning,” Wendlandt said.

Overall, some of the bumps in the new schedule may straighten themselves out over time. “It hasn’t been perfect, but I think it’s a matter of getting used to [the new schedule],” Baker said.

All Illustrations: Boraan Abdulkarim

Up now through Oct. 16 in Drake Gallery: Peter Brooks ‘63, Peter Zelle ‘83, Molly Lamb ‘93

Homecoming Dance

The homecoming dance will be on Sept. 28 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. The price of admission is $7 with a toga and $10 without. Students Activities Comittee is working hard to plan a fun dance for everyone.

“We are never going to please everyone, but we try our best, we try to do better every year, the song list will be the best ever,” junior SAC member Maddie Flom-Staab said.

Coming Oct.25: Sylvia Horwitz

A RT S & E N T E RTA I N M E N T 10 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

Make sure to check them out!

Glass pieces by Peter Zelle in the Harry M. Drake gallery

Photo Credit: Laura Slade

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Theater plans coming to fruition

Completion of performing arts center slated for 2015 Boraan Abdulkarim

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Cover Story Editor

“Chaotic, cramped, complicated:” these are words that St. Paul Academy and Summit School sophomores Claire Walsh and Alice Tibbetts used to describe the current setup for drama and music rehearsals and performances.

For years, fine arts performances and rehearsals have taken place in the Lower School’s Sarah Converse auditorium. “It’s about time we had a theater for the Upper School, and I think all the theater people would agree,” Tibbetts said.

Previously, using the Sarah Converse auditorium added inconvenience and took away precious rehearsal time for the fine arts students and teachers.

“Because there aren’t as many seniors this year, getting to the Lower School is going to be a problem, because we do rely on [upperclassmen] who have cars to drive everybody,” Walsh said.

“During the plays and tech week, we would think, ‘oh, it would be so easy if we had our own auditorium,” Tibbetts said. Tibbetts is especially looking forward to “the excitement of performing in a new theater.

The Middle School play rehearsals currently take place in the Sarah Converse Auditorium.

Taking a bus is no longer a sensible option because every bus ride costs $100.00. The students have to carry their backpacks, equipment, and musical instruments

back and forth each day, because they do not return to the Upper School after rehearsals.

“The music and drama programs have long outgrown our current spaces and we are in desperate need for a more appropriate venue,” Upper and Middle School Music instructor Almut Engelhardt explained.

Similarly, Upper School Drama Teacher Eric Severson said, “Over the years, the SPA Theater Program has grown and we are outgrowing our current space.” As a temporary solution, the Upper and Middle School orchestras, band, and choir have been performing in different locations, but soon the group became too big.

The groups have been performing at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium at St. Catherine University for three years now. For Upper and Middle school Choir Instructor Anne Klus, moving between the Randolph Campus and St. Kate’s requires “more time for planning rehearsals and moving a lot of equipment.”

Students and teachers alike have been wishing for a Randolph Campus performing arts center for a while. “It’s probably been active conversation for 20 years and it really picked up speed the last six or so,” Head of School Bryn Roberts said.

“As long as there are lights, sound and curtains I’ll be happy,“ Severson said.

Sophomore Ingrid Topp-Johnson has a more specific desire, stating “It would be really nice to have there be good dressing

“

” Photo Illustration: Boraan Abdulkarim

rooms for the actors. Actually, we have to go down to the cafeteria of the Lower School for plays, and that was kind of a hassle.”

It looks like it will finally become a reality.The new theater will feature 650 seats, a balcony, practice rooms, a set design shop, a new lighting and sound system, and more.

With such a large space, Roberts hopes to be able to hold plays, senior speeches, community meetings, and concerts there in the future. “ It won’t just be a place for the performing arts, but in addition will be serving as a community gathering space,” Roberts said.

The design is still in a developmental stage. It will be built in the parking lot area in front of Drake Ice arena and behind Briggs Gy-

mansium.

This first phase plan isn’t only about a new performing arts facility. According to Roberts, it will consist of a dramatic new entryway to the school. There will be a driveway that will come up to Fairview Avenue, So parents can drop students off in front of the performing arts center.

“It is a big project that will transform how we think of the school, what we can do, it’ll be bold and exciting, we’re really looking forward to it,” Roberts said.

SPA made a commitment to building the new theater in 20092010, according to Roberts. The reason for the delay was because of the state of the economy. “We really had to, we thought, get through the recession before we

launched the capital campaign,” Roberts said.

The fundraising began about two and a half years ago. Roberts hopes to begin construction before the end of 2014. “We would love to put a shovel in the ground and get going a year from now,” he said.

The fine arts center, he estimated, would take around a year to build, once started. Now that this dream is becoming a reality, there’s room for more than just physical expansion in the fine arts program at SPA. There will be a lot of opportunity in terms of experimentation with what the SPA community is capable of.

“We’ll be able to try new things, and experiment more with our space,” Walsh said.

“This will make it a lot easier to put on great performances and may provide us with more creative opportunities that we didn’t have before,” Klus said.

“You really want to feel part of a community when you go to a performance as it heightens your experience of the art – this new space can really embody the strong sense of community at SPA,” Carl said.

“I see this as a special space for our entire SPA community,” said Orman.

“We are going to have opportunities to put on performances, to perfect our craft,” Roberts said.

“So we really think this’ll be transformative in so many ways.”

Students anticipate fall play The Ca Eva Perez-Greene

try something new,” sophomore In-Depth Editor Claire Walsh said. Walsh auditioned for the play on September 19th and 20th.

“I like to do things that people Echoing Walsh’s sentiments, don’t expect -- things that chal- sophomore Maggie Vlietstra anlenge me.” ticipates the new and close bonds That is how Upper School she will undoubtedly form this Theater Director Eric Severson fall. “I am so excited to learn explains his selection of The Cau- more about the story, and also casian Chalk Circle for the fall become close with the cast,” said play.

Vlietstra.

Students at St.Paul Academy The play’s title lines out the and Summit School are excited plot in a remarkable concise way. and intrigued by his selection. Understandably, many students “I don’t know much about the have assumed that the word “caupiece, nor about this specific type casian” in the play’s title refers to of play and so I am excited to race; however, “caucasian” in the

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play’s context refers to the region in which the play is set called the Caucasus. The Caucasus is the geographical region encompassong modern day Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia.

The “chalk circle” mentioned in the play’s title refers to a story in the Hebrew Bible in which King Solomon rules between two women claiming to be the mother of one child. This biblical reference directly reflects the plot of The Caucasian Chalk Circle, as the show chronicles the life of a peasant girl who rescues her high standing employer’s abandoned baby and raises it as her own. The

baby’s biological mother returns years later demanding custody of the child and sparking the central point of conflict in the show.

Viewers are meant to feel torn between the adoptive peasant mother’s claiming of the baby and the neglectful yet biological mother’s claiming of the baby.

Severson performed in Bertolt Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle as a soldier during his freshmen year at St. Olaf College and is a fan of early modernist playwright Brechts’ cerebral and socio-politically charged style.

Naturally, directing a Brechtian epic has been high on his list for

some time. “I’ve always loved The Caucasian Chalk Circle and it feels like the right time and the right group to do it with,” Severson said.

However, how he plans to stage the show will be unveiled during performances in November. Severson is debating between a classical rendition of Brechtian epic theatre or a different, more original rendition of Brecht’s work.

“It sounds like a challenging piece, and I’m excited to see where it goes,” said Vlietstra.

What’s certain is that St.Paul Academy and Summit School

Students buzz about Miley Cyrus “Twerking has been all over the news and social media networks after Miley Cyrus’ controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards...”

The show will go on!

Check out Rubiconline.com for the full film club lineup, Drake photo gallery and more!

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

A RT S

Read more online at rubiconline.com

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E N T E RTA I N M E N T 11 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

Fair Use images taken from IMDB.com

What was old is new again

Film Club features originals of well-known movie remakes as this year’s theme John Wilhelm

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Staff Writer

What do a disfigured and murderous Tom Cruise, a Beyonce Knowles that flirts with Steve Martin, and an gigantic mutant dinosaur that has been reincarnated an innumerable amount of times all have in common? They all belong in movie remakes! But the suave antics of George Clooney, Matt Damon, or Brad Pitt in Ocean’s 11 (2001) won’t swagger across the screen at Film Club this year; instead, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis Jr. w trade quips in Ocean’s Eleven (1960). Want a wackier Willy Wonka than Depp? Gene Wilder is wilder in the same film, 34 years earlier.

St. Paul Academy & Summit School’s very own Film Club chooses a theme that will encompass the eight to ten movies to be shown, each at 6:00 pm on a Wednesday. After painstaking discussion and consensus amongst

Film-Clubbers, they revealed this year’s theme: Originals.

“An original is any film that’s been remade,” senior Michael Wilkens said. Wilkens is co-president of Film Club with fellow senior Christian Koch.

A fairly well-known example of an original film would be the first Karate Kid (1984)—the one with Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita, instead of the 2010 remake with Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan. A lesser known original might be Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954), remade into Disturbia (2007), which stars Shia Labeouf.

The Film Club administration expressed high hopes for the new theme: “We have a great lineup of movies,” Koch said. “Originals are super fun because a ton of people have seen the remakes of these movies, whether they know it or not.”

Wilkens put forth a similar sentiment. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to do originals—the people [at school] have seen the remake. It’s interesting to see how

movies have changed.”

Film Club advisor Randall Findlay agrees. “So often we see movies, but we lack the perspective to compare them [to how the have been produced before]. But this [film selection] brings in an automatic comparison. Anyone who has seen the remake can say ‘I like the remake better’—or ‘I like the original better.’”

Film Club chose many contemporary favorites for showing, like Ocean’s Eleven (1960), The Pink Panther (1963), and True Grit (1969). But the lineup also includes more obscure movies, like Bedazzled, a 1967 British comedy about what happens when a dissatisfied and introverted young man receives seven wishes in return for his soul, in a deal with the devil. 20th Century Fox remade Bedazzled 33 years later, to significantly poorer reviews (a drop of 32% on Rotten Tomatoes). Accompanying the eight originals this year are four foreign films, which include other three originals—one Spanish, Abre Los

aucasian Chalk Circle alum Tim Kraack and junior Sandhya Ramachandran will be the musical accompanists for the show, Kraack on the piano and Ramachandran on the violin.

Kraack has kept in touch with SPA since his graduation in 2005, working with the Summit Singers and Academy Choral in the past Kraack is currently hard at work composing original music for SPA’s production of The Caucasian Chalk Circle and will begin to rehearse with Ramachandran during late October and November.

“My experiences working with Tim in the past have always been

fantastic. He’s an extremely gifted musician, and besides that is great at coordinating everything,” Ramachandran said.

Ramachandran is already looking forward to the show’s opening night describing it as the best because “you see your classmates become the characters and, playing the music, you tend to get really invested in it because of the emotions that are present in music.”

In addition to the musical components of this year’s fall play, Severson plans on implementing video projection in order to enhance the political and social

themes laced throughout the show. The use of visual media on stage will hopefully create a richer, more multi-dimensional viewing experience of The Caucasian Chalk Circle.

The show opens on Friday, November 22 in the Sarah Converse auditorium from 7-9pm and will run a second night in the same location on Saturday November 23 from 7-9pm. Admission will be free of charge.

“It is definitely going to be a must see!” said Walsh.

Ojos (1997), remade into Vanilla Sky (2001), and two Japanese movies—Gojira (1954) and Ringu (1998), remade into Godzilla (1998) and The Ring (2002), respectively. Another standalone French film, La Cage aux Folles, is also scheduled. All foreign films are shown in their native language with subtitles.

Film Club evenings begin with a short film before the feature.

Opening for each film this year is Zorro Rides Again (1937), a 210 minute serial split into twelve different parts, each with a climactic cliffhanger. The story follows the great grandson of the original Zorro, as he battles railroad-taker-overers with his twin pistols and whip.

“I’m excited for Film Club,” sophomore Miriam Tibbetts said, who holds the club member title “Resident Anarchist.” “I’m a fan of the lineup, and I’m a fan of originals.”

Wilkens and Koch encourage students to attend Film Club nights whenever they can. “You

can come to Film Club meetings and movie night independently of one another,” said Koch. “Some people go to the meetings, but don’t go to the movie nights. Some people come to the meetings, but aren’t seen on movie nights.”

“Feel free to come,” added Wilkens. “If you’ve seen the movie and don’t want to go to movie night, but you still want to discuss it, go ahead and come [to room 207 on Thursday, during X-Period]. Even if you’ve just seen the remake—we’re open. we like people.”

Film Club kicked off Originals with the 1971 classic Charlie and the Chocolate factory. The next show is The Producers (1968) , a Gene Wilder comedy flick about two misfits who try to get rich by directing a deliberately awful play. It is scheduled to air on Wednesday, October 2nd in the Lecture Room at 6:00 PM. Free food accompanies almost all movie showings. “You gotta see the movies,” Wilkens said. “The movies are fun.”

12 I N D E P T H

September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Students share thoughts on school diversity Netta Kaplan

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Diversity is a hard concept to grasp and an even harder one to quantify. The word often refers to any kind of variety, but when it comes to people and communities, agreeing on a definition and a system of measurement can bring together some conflicting ideas.

For some students, diversity just means differences. When asked what the word diversity signifies to them on a recent survey, one senior wrote, “People from different social, racial, or religious backgrounds.” A junior responded with just the phrase: “Differences among people.”

However, others believe it reaches deeper than that. “The word diversity to me signifies people being different and people still accept them for that,” freshman Macy Blanchard wrote. Another ninth grader wrote: “Having a diverse community, to me, means that there is at least one person in every one of your classes whose culture/religion you don’t know everything about, but respect nonetheless.”

The school as a whole boasts a 29% visible diversity rate, with the Upper School at 28%. Until the recent change, even the school’s mission statement included the phrase “a diverse… group of young people,” and there remains a Diversity Action Plan. But what is diversity really like at St. Paul Academy and Summit School? Moreover, what does diversity mean?

A strictly numerical approach indicates that SPA is ahead of the curve in terms of diversity.

The school’s 29% visible diversity rate is a full 2% above the national average for independent schools. A 2012 census estimate suggests that Minnesota’s population is just under 20% people of color, making SPA significantly more diverse its state. But the

The Rubicon sent out a survey on how comfortable students were with sharing aspects of themselves in school. The data below are based on 225 responses.

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Staff Writer/Copy Editor

Diversity is a colorful variation in everyday life, a heterogeneous “normal.”

I am comfortable sharing my religious beliefs in class.

120

100 80

s e n i or Jon te C l a i b or n e city of St. Paul reported over 40% people of color in the 2012 census, putting SPA approximately 10% behind.

Looking through another lens, SPA is already diverse, as each student brings their own cultural background and experiences.

“People should be who they are.

Everybody brings diversity to this community… Diversity isn’t just about race and about people of color in our community. Really, everybody adds to the diversity of this school,” Diversity Dean Karen Dye said.

Sophomore Miriam Tibbetts describes diversity as “different kinds of cultures, personalities, ethnic backgrounds anything that would differentiate you from anyone else; a mashup of all those different things, different people, in a community.”

That might describe the kind of diversity walking the halls of our school today, it wasn’t always this way. It’s only in more recent years that diversity has become a focal point in our community.

Historically, the school put much less effort into uprooting the uniformity of the student body.

The first non-white students enrolled in St. Paul Academy in 1961. By 1967, there were children of color enrolled in almost every grade in the Summit School, according to an announcement by headmaster John Iversen. The merger of St. Paul Academy and Summit School in

Diversity over the years Several years served as landmarks in the diversifaction of St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Here are a few of them:

1969 brought new obstacles concerning gender diversity. In 1996, the school board president organized the Diversity Committee, as well as gender focus groups.

Since then, SPA has worked to create a more diverse community through recruitment as well as facilitating better understanding of the people in the community, according to Dye. Many SPA students come from similar economic backgrounds, simply because of the cost of tuition. Despite financial assistance and various scholarships, student population is still tilted towards one part of the socioeconomic scale. “When you have a community that’s traditionally white, traditionally affluent, traditionally from a certain kind of background -- a traditional background, traditional to private schools, the biggest challenge is getting people to understand and to accept and to embrace some of the diversity efforts,” Dye said.

“At this school, because of who and what SPA traditionally was, it served a very specific and a very narrow population in the past. I think both because of its history as well as what’s going on outside of our community -- in the city, in the country, in the world -- we need to stay on top of it, because diversity is not just an issue at SPA. Diversity is an issue everywhere. It’s something that you have to consciously think about everywhere,” she added.

60 40 20 0

120

Summit School joins the school Scholarship Service, broadening the economic base of its students.

60 40 20

0

1998 SPA works for economic diversity by founding several scholarships and increasing the number of students on financial aid.

First Jewish faculty members are hired.

1968 SPA hires its first female teacher, Helen Busyn.

1965

disagree

strongly disagree

Check out more survey results @ www.rubiconline.com

1972

1917

strongly agree agree

SPA forms a diversity committee to track the implementation of diversity initiatives, goals, and strategies.

Title IX passes mandating equal opportunities in athletics for girls. SPA does not comply.

1900

strongly disagree

80

1978 1967

disagree

100

1969

Two African Americans are enrolled at SPA with an almost unanimous approval of the admissions board.

Summit School is founded.

agree

I am comfortable sharing my political beliefs in class.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School merge.

1961

St. Paul Academy is founded.

strongly agree

The Martin Luther King Scholarship is endowed.

1989

S P ORT S 13 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

There’s a chill in the air, but athletics are heating up the season...

Fall Sports Preview Homecoming Football - 16

Boys Soccer - 14 Girls Tennis - 15 Girls Swimming and Diving - 15

Volleyball - 15 Cross Country Running- 14

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Sophomore Rachel Hotvet and freshman Emily Thissen pass the ball up the field during their game against Eastview on Sept. 9. “We are all willing to work our hardest all the time, which is definitely an asset,” junior Julia Lagos said.

Young Girls Soccer team excited about huge potential Gita Raman

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Feature Editor

The names of each of the players are called and each of them do their personal good luck handshake with their teammates and then turn their attention to the other team and extend a friendly handshake.

Each of the girls wears a serious look on her face. The National

Anthem rings through the stands and the players head to the field for a long, tough game.

This is the tone of a home game as the Spartans takes the field.

The Girls Varsity Soccer team is looking forward to time to rebuild after eight seniors graduated last year.

Senior goalkeeper Danielle Socha has high hopes for the Spartans: “We have a ton of very talented players on the team, in-

cluding a lot of talented younger girls, so the team has a huge amount of potential for this season and seasons after,” Socha said.

This year the majority of the players are younger, including one member who is in 8th grade.

Junior center defense Julia Lagos is very excited to rebuild the team. “We are all willing to work our hardest all the time, which is definitely an asset,” Lagos said.

Freshman striker Kate Bond, “I’m excited to play on a whole new team and playing with people that better than me.” The team Bond feels, “aren’t as much of a high scoring team but we have a really good back line and goalie.”

Ben Bollinger Danielson, the Spartan Girl’s Varsity Soccer coach has to cope with the younger players by, “trying to be patient,” Bollinger Danielson said.

Bollinger Danielson expects the

same amount of hard work and effort by the senior players and the younger players.

After a series of wins early in the season, the girls came back from a series of losses with a 2-0 win against Providence Academy on Sept. 11. At press time, the team’s record was 4-4-0. Their next home game is Sept. 26 against Minnehaha Academy.

S P ORT S 14 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Rebuilding year for Boys Soccer “

There is a lot of young talent on the team and many of us have not played together.

S e n i or c ap t a i n M a s on Mo h r i n g

Catherine Braman

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Co-Sports Editor

The Boys Varsity Soccer team opened their season with several new players on the pitch. After graduating 12 seniors from last year’s state runner up team, the program is looking to stay competitive in the Tri-Metro-Conference.

Starting the season with a 1-61 record, it is a rebuilding year for the Spartans with 15 new players to the squad and only two return-

ing starters.

“Our goal is to really work hard playing together as a team” junior captain Tyler Seplak said. He added that the new players will need to adjust to the faster pace of the varsity level.

“There is a lot of young talent on the team and many of us have not played together,” senior captain Mason Mohring said.

Because of that, there are players stepping into new roles and positions on the field.

Drew O’Hern, a freshman whose twin brother Colin also plays on the varsity squad, thinks

Photo Credit: Catherine Braman From left: junior Sam Suzuki, freshman Drew O’Hern, junior Jordan Moradian and junior Tyler Seplak look for an open kick in their game against Academy of Holy Angels on Sept.10. “Our goal is to really work hard playing together as a team,” junior captain Tyler Seplak said.

Juniors Sam Suzuki, Jordan Moradian, Tyler Seplak, and freshman

the team will be successful if “we take a lot of shots, put pressure on our opponents, and work on passing.” He also mentioned that he has had to adjust to more intense workouts and the strong emphasis on conditioning.

Varsity Head Coach Max Lipset realizes that it will take

time for the players to develop individually and as a team. He hopes that since many of them trained and worked out over the summer, they will stay healthy and injury-free throughout the season.

Coach Lipset hopes this year’s team will have a strong, success-

ful soccer season.

“I think we’re kind of seeing the departure of one really strong group of players and were seeing the emergence of another really strong group” Lipset said.

Cross Country teams hope to win conference Laura Slade

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A&E Editor

The cross country team started their season with roster changes, both good and bad.

“We lost about four seniors total, who were important contributors to the team, but we have some really good younger runners who are really growing into the team,” junior captain Ellen McCarthy said.

This season has seen a larg-

er group of new runners joining the team, and the older members have been very welcoming. “The older runners are really helping out our younger runners,” junior captain Mike Destache said.

Both McCarthy and Destache said that the season has been going really well, and they are feeling optimistic about what is to come. “I’m not expecting any challenges,” Destache said. “We have some really big races, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we do as a team. We have

been making really good progress.”

A highlight of the season is the Swain Invitational in Duluth on Oct. 5. “It is always really fun” McCarthy said.

McCarthy is also looking forward to the conference and sections meets at the end of the season “Our goal is for the team to win the conference meet; it will be a challenge, but our team has the potential and attitude to do so,” McCarthy said.

“

Our goal is for the team to win the conference meet; it will be a challenge, but our team has the potential and attitude to do so. ju n i or c ap t a i n E l l e n Mc C a r t hy Photo submitted by: Jeni Alcakovic From left: Senior captains Alicia Zhang, Charlie Rosenblum, and Charlie Southwick begin their race at Bassett Creek Park on Sept. 7. “We have some really big races, and we’re looking forward to seeing how we do as a team. We have been making really good progress,” junior captain Mike Destache said.

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan From left: Junior captains Ellen McCarthy and Mary Naas, and eigth graders Val Hart, Neeti Kulkarni, and Greta Sirek visualize before their race at St. Catherine University on Sept.

12. “We lost about four seniors total, who were important contributors to the team, but we have some really good younger runners who are really growing into the team,” junior captain Ellen McCarthy said.

On Sept. 12, junior Mike Destache set a new personal record, completing a 5K race in 15:55.

S P ORT S 15 September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Sparks Swimming and Diving team bonds on land and in the water

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Sophomore Maya Smith practices the breaststroke at practice on Sept. 4. “ We’re pretty close and we all practice together, so we all get to be really good friends. Everybody gets to know each other really well,” senior captain Anna Matenaer said.

Netta Kaplan

erywhere, with splashing and Staff Writer/Copy Editor the soft slap of water against the pool walls. Somehow, the St. Paul Academy and Summit School The floor around the pool is Girls Swimming and Diving team soaked, and the benches around has found the perfect blend of the edges of the room are packed hard work and fun. Everything with backpacks, swimming bags, about the team denotes friendand water bottles. Almost no one ship, diligence, and commitment. speaks, but it’s far from quiet. From the drives to the pool to the The noises of swimming are ev-

jokes in the locker room, it’s clear that everyone wants to be there, practicing and getting better.

“I think people are a little more committed to the team than they have been in previous years, and there’s more positivity surrounding the coaching staff and workouts,” senior captain Sela Patterson said.

Girls tennis improves with every match

Laura Slade

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Team springs back after star players graduate Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Sophomore Ella Hommeyer warms up before a tennis match on Sept. 12.

“People are willing to try to be better and put in the effort to be better,” senior captain Anna Matenaer said.

SPA students make up about a quarter of the team, which is joined with Highland Park Senior High School. “We’re pretty close, and we all practice together, so we all get to be really good friends,” Matenaer said. “Everybody gets to know each other really well.”

The Sparks compete in around 15 meets every season, finishing up with the conference tournament. At the team’s first tournament on Saturday, Sept. 7 at St. Catherine University, the team scored 202 points, putting them in seventh place out of the eight teams competing. Mahtomedi

High School took first place with 433 points. Still, the team has high hopes for the season. “I think we can beat Como and get third place at Conference,” Patterson said. refering to the team’s rival, Como Park Senior High School.

The team won by 46 points at their meet on Sept. 10 against Humboldt Senior High School and Washington Technology Magnet School for a total score of 91 points. The team’s record at press time is 1-2-0. Their next meet is on Sept. 8 at 1pm at Skyview Middle School.

A&E Editor

After a slow start, the girl’s varsity tennis team has been motivated to improve. “We are improving with every match,” senior captain Alida Mitau said.

The team took a hit when it lost 2013 state doubles champions Sarah Hays and Gina Nguyen, but the team has responded well to the new players. “We work really well together, everybody gets along really well, and we all have really good sportsmanship which is awesome,” Mitau said. The record at press time is 4-6-0. They have a match at home against Minnehaha Academy on Sept. 26 at 4 p.m.

Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan Doubles partners senior Aria Bryan and sophomore Ella Hommeyer get high-fives from their teammates before a match against St. Anthony Village High School on Sept. 12. “We work really well together, everybody gets along really well, and we all have really good sportsmanship which is awesome,” senior captain Alida Mitau said.

Team chemistry drives volleyball team to stay competitive Laura Slade

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A&E Editor

“We lost only two seniors from last season, so we didn’t take too much of a hit,” junior captain and outside hitter Mira Grinsfelder said. “As of now our lineup is pretty stacked,” she continued.

The team has had a great start to their season with wins against St. Paul Humboldt and St. Paul Highland Park. “I think this season will be a huge improvement over seasons before,” Grinsfelder said.

Sophomore middle hitter Chloe Wilkens is also very confident about the team’s chemistry. “We’re all really close on and off the court,” Wilkens said

“We feel that is one of our biggest strengths, that we’re all friends.”

Wilkens supports Grinsfelder’s statement about this season will be better than previous. “I think this year is one of the years that we have the strongest team that we’ve ever had,” Wilkens said.

Wilkens mentioned that the team tends to play down. “We don’t play to the level that we could when other teams aren’t as good as us. We play to their level instead of playing as we should be playing,” Wilkens said.

Grinsfelder is more concerned about the teams they will be playing against. “Vis[itation] and St. Croix Lutheran are the big fish in our conference, so we’re hoping to take a set off them,” Grinsfelder said. Luckily, the team does not play them until near the

“

We’re all really close on and off the court. s o p h om or e C h l o e Wi l k e n s end of the season, so they will have plenty of time to practice.

The squad’s record in press time is 2-3-0. Their next match is at home against Blake on Sept. 26 at 6 p.m.

Photo Credit: Thomas Toghramadjian From left: Junior captain and outside hitter Mira Grinsfelder and senior captain and middle hitter Claire Foussard are in the ready stance in a match against Minnehaha Academy on Sept. 16. “I think this season will be a huge improvement over seasons before,” Grinsfelder said.

16 B AC K C OV E R

September 2013. Vol XXXXI. Issue I.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Spartans face off against the Warriors

Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson From left to right, senior Andrew Thao, junior Luke Bishop, junior Mychal Morris, sophomore Charlie Ward, Mounds Park Academy junior Billy LeMire, Mounds Park Academy senior Brendan Boyle, and senior Sam Carlson head out onto the field at the start of a game against Spectrum High School on Aug. 30, which the team won 25-22. “I’m extremely confident in our ability to come out and shut down the West Lutheran offense,” senior captain Nick Hoffmann said.

Hannah Johnson

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Editor in Chief

The Varsity Boys Academy Football team hopes to break a bad streak by beating the West Lutheran Warriors in this year’s homecoming game. The team, with a history of small numbers and losing records, has been working hard to make a change in the program. “I think we are going to be improved,” junior linebacker Louis Bogolub said. “We put more work in this summer than we have in twenty years.”

“We are going to be flying right out of the gate and we are not go-

ing to slow down at any point of the game, which is an attitude we have developed through the dedication of the players in the off-season,” senior captain Nick Hoffmann said. This work included captains practices and weightlifting sessions, which helped the team become close on and off the field and motivated the team for a successful season.

Hoffmann continued, explaining that the team is focused on using their strengths to defeat West Lutheran. “I’m extremely confident in our ability to come out and shut down the West Lutheran offense,” he said. “Then it is up to one of the most solid offen-

sive groups I have seen at SPA in a long time, to step up and put together some quality drives down field.”

Bogolub agrees. “I do think we can win, we have a very strong running game, we have an improved defense, also our passing is good,” he said.

Most importantly, the team is mentally prepared for winning the first homecoming game in nine years. “We all have the same thought going through our heads the week of homecoming, and that is that we will refuse to lose,” Hoffmann said.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School Mascot: Spartan This year’s record as of Sept. 18: 1-2-0 Has never played West Lutheran Tri-Metro Conference School Population: 388 Color: Navy Blue and Vegas Gold

West Lutheran Mascot: Warrior This year’s record as of Sept. 18: 1-2-0 Has never played SPA Independent Conference School Population: 193 Colors: Green and White Read and watch daily homecoming Source: http://www.mnfootballhub.com/

updates at www.rubiconline.com and like the Rubicon on Facebook.

Preview: Students ready for homecoming week Hannah Johnson

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Editor in Chief

sophomore Student Activities Committee member Minnie Arnold said confidently about this year’s homecoming week. SAC worked hard since this summer to make St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s homecoming the highlight of the school year.

Not only does SAC plan the toga dance and pepfest, but also organizes dress-up days, designs the homecoming t-shirt and creates excitement about the homecoming game. “I really hope the students keep an open mind about homecoming and join in all of the activities, because SAC puts so much work into it,” senior co-president Claire Foussard said.

These activities include a pingpong tournament and lip sync and the pep fest.

SAC uses feedback from past homecomings to make this year’s week as fun as possible. “We’re trying to make dress up days a bit easier to encourage participation,” Foussard said. These changes in dress up days include the revival

”

They are going to love it, I know they are going to love it, of dress as your friend or date day and cowboy/cowgirl day.

For those who are not into dressing up in crazy outfits, there is still opportunity to join in on the fun. SAC has also worked hard to create a new look for the homecoming T-shirt. “For homecoming we tried to make the shirt more simple instead of more intense,” sophomore SAC member Lexi Bottern said.

“I am always a fan of blue and gold day,” senior SAC co-president Mick Sullivan said. “It always shows a lot of school spirit and charging down the field in a mass of school colors is really cool.”

SAC has also made some big changes in the pep fest on Friday before the football game. “We can’t do chariot races this year,” Arnold said, “so we are going to do something even more fun, its going to be better than chariot races.” The pepfest will also be Upper School only, while in the past the eighth grade has attended.

Though the committee itself

is anticipating watching their work pay off, the most rewarding part of homecoming week will be watching their fellow classmates have fun.

“Realistically, the success of this year’s homecoming depends on what the students think, and I’m feeling really good about what we have so far so I have high hopes for this year,” Foussard said.

Dress Up Days: Monday Class Color Day Tuesday Twins Day Wednseday Cowboy/Cowgirl Day Thursday Dress As Your Friend or Date Day Friday Blue & Gold Day

Photo Credit: Hannah Johnson Senior Connor Allen cheers, excited for his entire Spartan costume to arrive before Homecoming week. “I am going to cheer better than any Spartan ever has or ever will,” he said.

Connor Allen fulfills dream as new Spartan mascot One of the most outspoken members of the senior class will now bring their energy and school spirit to Spartan Athletics. Senior Connor Allen was named the new Spartan mascot at the beginning of the school year. Allen has had his eye on the Spartan costume for a long time, “ever since my first day of SPA, of course,” he said. He is also very confident that he is fit to do the job of the Spartan, which includes starting

cheers and chants at SPA athletic events, including crowd favorite, the Spartan Beat. “I am going to cheer better than any Spartan ever has or ever will,” Allen said with wide smile. Every Spartan needs their signature move to get the crowd going, and Allen is armed with his favorite moves. “The roller coaster will make a lot of appearances at SPA sporting events,” he said.