September 2014. Volume XLII. Issue I.
THE RUBICON S t . P a u l A c a d e m y & S u m m i t S c h o o l - 1 7 1 2 R a n d o l p h Av e n u e - S t . P a u l , M N 5 5 1 0 5
In Construction transforms Randolph Campus News p. 3
with the
new
Homecoming Week celebrates athletics and Spartan traditions See more @ The Rubicon Online and The Rubicion on Facebook
Huss Center, new faculty & student faces contribute to a literal and figurative remodeling of SPA Cover Story p. 8-9
About The Cover...
Cover Design: Boraan Abdulkarim Davern Photo: Catherine Braman
September 2014. Volume XLII. Issue I.
THE RUBICON S t . P a u l A c a d e m y & S u m m i t S c h o o l - 1 7 1 2 R a n d o l p h Av e n u e - S t . P a u l , M N 5 5 1 0 5
In Construction transforms Randolph Campus News p. 3
with the
new
Homecoming Week celebrates athletics and Spartan traditions See more @ The Rubicon Online and The Rubicion on Facebook
New in 2014-15:
Affinity, student interest groups privide options
Huss Center, new faculty & student faces contribute to a literal and figurative remodeling of SPA Cover Story p. 8-9
Alphabet Soup, Poetry Aloud, PLAY, and Spartan Beat. Students are taking initiative and creating opportunities that allow them to connect over new niche interests in Thursday and affinity groups. Juniors Anna Biggs and Nissa Rolf have started the a cappella Thursday group called Spartan Beat, with the support of Upper School Choir Director Anne Klus. Sophomores Diane Huang and Javier Whitaker-Castaneda are bringing back the fun of middle school gym class days with the student group PLAY (People for Lasting Activeness Throughout the Year). Upper School Counselor Susanna Short and Biology teacher Ned Heckman advise a LGBTQ affinity group, Alphabet Soup, which meets after school on Wednesdays.
Can’t get enough news? www.rubiconline.com
2 Ne w s Dress code conversations are ongoing September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Mari Knudson In Depth Editor
Some high schools require students to wear uniforms while others let students dress as they choose. St. Paul Academy and Summit School Lower School students fall on the uniform end of that spectrum, whiel the Middle School and Upper School policies allow more freedom in clothing choice. Upper School students want to see more changes in the dress code, and the community will discuss and dispute them this year. Recent revisions to language, but not expectation, were sparked by student concerns related to perceived bias in wording that targets female students. “It makes me feel self-conscious when I come to school and I’m fully clothed but I still feel like I need to hide my body. This is the age where kids develop body issues and calling girls out at what they wear is really unhelpful,” sophomore Ella Matticks said. To address student concerns about the dress code, the Upper School Council and administration began conversations at the end of last school year and over the summer to revise the wording.
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler UPPER SCHOOL COUNCIL MEMBERS (L to R) Shaan Bijwadia, Jack Labovitz, Raffi Toghramadjian, Thomas Toghramadjian, Diane Huang, Numi Katz, Claire Walsh, Moira McCarthy, and Neerja Thakkar facilatate a discussion on the future revisions to the dress code with a panel of student body members.“I don’t think that anyone has taken a good, serious look at [the dress code] in I don’t know how long,” US Principal Chris Hughes said.
“What we wanted to do, before we even got into discussion, was remove the wording that felt like it was targeting and shaming,” Upper School Principal Chris Hughes said. “It was just time [for the old wording] to go; it was old school wording that didn’t belong.” The old dress code’s wording, established many years ago, had remained essentially unchanged.
“It’s been adjusted and adapted a little bit over the years, but frankly I don’t think that anyone has taken a good serious look at it in I don’t know how long,” Hughes said. Particularly concerning in the former dress code was language that targeted female clothing items deemed inappropriate: halter tops, spaghetti straps, and racerback tops among them.
The new dress code replaces these lines with “students should not wear clothes that are specifically designed to highlight and expose stomachs, backs, chests or undergarments.” “[The dress code] was a little offensive towards female students, so I think it definitely needed to change. The new wording is a more positive way at looking at the dress code and I’m glad they changed it,” sophomore Lutalo Jones said. Although the changes eliminated wording that targeted females, many male SPA students are still involved in the matter. “For guys, there are not a lot of clothing restrictions. But I understand how the dress code can create a lot of problems for girls because it talks about a lot of girls’ clothing,” freshman Turab Naqvi said. “It [the policy] still needs to be edited. They changed it in some positive ways but it still is offensive to a lot of people,” junior Hallie Sogin said. While only the wording of the dress code has changed so far, students can expect to hear more regarding the actual expectations of the dress code within the community in upcoming USC-facilitated panel discussions.
“Just like we did with the cell phones last year, I want the student council to work on this and to come back with recommendations,” Hughes said. USC is currently at work discussing the dress code, and the larger SPA community will also be involved in these discussions within the next year. While not final, student input will certainly have a large impact on the dress code going forward. “I think that there should be boundaries… but I still want to be able to wear what I feel comfortable in to school,” Matticks said. The new dress code still contains a line about leggings and yoga pants, typically considered female clothing: “Yoga pants and leggings are permitted ONLY if they are covered by a shirt, skirt or dress that reaches to upper thigh.” While student input on the dress code will have a large impact, all changes will ultimately need to be approved by the administration. Decisions on future revisions are expected to be made some time within this school year.
Nut Safety allergy policy protects community members Amodhya Samarakoon Opinions Editor
As food allergies become more prevalent, high schools across the country are enforcing peanut and tree nut restrictive policies to ensure the safety of all students. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, a similar policy has been instilled this year in an effort to keep students, faculty, and staff healthy. “I’m really sad but I understand as to why because it’s life threatening,” sophomore Stephanie Li said. “It’s hard [to keep the school nut-safe] because a lot of things contain nuts.” The policy was a collaborative effort, recognizing perspectives in and out of the building: “Some parents, families and their doctors were in communication with the school as we discussed our policy on nuts,” Upper School Principal Chris Hughes said. This new policy, however, is not unique to SPA. The Lower School has had a tree nut/peanut policy in place for years, primarily in result to student allergies. Although this policy is far from atypical, it is a significant change in an US with historic freedom around snacks consumed during the day.
Photo Illustration: Amodhya Samarakoon SOPHOMORES NEETI KULKARNI, Katie Brunell, and Stephanie Li use sun butter, a substitute for peanut butter under the new nut-safe policy, to make sandwhiches at lunch. “I’m really sad but I understand as to why because it’s life threatening,” Li said.
“We based the decision on discussions with families, and allergists and physicians who treat some of our students. We looked at relevant research and recommendations from government sources such as the CDC [Centers for Disease Control],” Hughes said. Along with these sources, other schools with a nut-policy in place in the Twin Cities area were consulted. Hughes himself is allergic to fish, but says it’s different from an
allergy to peanuts and tree nuts. “The problem with nut allergies is that [they’re] connected to the [peanut] oils, which can be a danger for contact as well as eating,” Hughes said. Peanut oils can be left on unwashed hands, stuck under nails or left on door knobs if not careful. In effect, SPA students have been asked to refrain from bringing any snacks containing nuts of any sort on campus as a safety precaution. In establishing this new school-wide policy, two former
staples have been removed from the dining hall- peanut butter and nutella. In place of peanut butter is sunbutter which is an alternative made of sunflower seeds. However, Li believes that students should be understanding of this life-threatening condition.“I would feel a lot safer [if I had a nut allergy] and secure in a school without food containing nuts,” Li said. Junior Lauren Woessner, who is severely allergic to nuts agrees.“I actually like [having the nut-policy] because I don’t have to worry about anything as much,” Woessner said. Ultimately, the new Upper School peanut policy has created an environment in which students with severe nut allergies feel safe. Students are expected to be aware and respectful of the fact that this change isn’t unusual and helps make many people in the SPA safer than they would be otherwise. “Even though there is no way for us to guarantee that our campus is nut-free (nor are we claiming to guarantee that), it is our responsibility to make our campus as safe as possible for all of our students,” Hughes said.
When to be mindful: • • • •
Lunches from home Advisory snacks After school snacks Concessions at after school events and programs • Any treats brought to campus • Student group bake sales
What not to bring: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Peanut butter Nutella Almond butter Trail mix Butterfingers Almonds Snickers bars Peanut butter cookies Clif Bars Tree nuts Honey Nut Cheerios (plain Cheerios are okay) Nature Valley bars Puppy Chow Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Raw peanuts, almonds
Suggestions adapted from a letter sent to MS/US families by Assistant Head of School Cindy Reis-Richter in August
NEWS
Photo Credit: Netta Kaplan
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Wi-Fi connection installed in dining hall Paul Watkins Sci/Tech Editor
The dining hall, once an empty space at all times save for lunch, now bustles with the activity and sounds of students at work. Books and computers are spread over elongated tables, surrounded by students. What was once almost exclusively the sound of kitchenware is now the sound of thoughtful, collaborative work. There’s one thing to thank for all of this: the addition of Wi-Fi to the lunchroom. Attached to the once-empty ethernet ports are sleek, white, wireless access points. Although students could use the lunchroom at any time previously, students couldn’t bring computers and expect the same internet connection they get anywhere else in the building. “Our concern was more about damage to computers than anything else,” says Garry Clum, part of the Tech Department at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. “To not be eating or drinking next to the computers.” Despite this, student wishes won out and led to this addition. “I talked to [Upper School Principal] Mr. Hughes and [Upper School Tech Coordinator] Mr. White who asked the cost and process,” Clum said. “It was simply a matter of purchasing access points and having
Staff Writer
Meghan Joyce
Arts & Entertainment Editor
With the Huss Center for Performing Arts construction project underway, students modify their routines to accommodate the blocked-off work zone and heavier traffic. Construction leading to the Huss Center began in the old parking lot in front of Drake Arena on June 24, and is set to end in fall of 2015. Until then, construction dominates the surrounding area, altering car and student traffic. Before construction began, St. Paul Academy and Summit School students could walk from the parking lots straight into the Lily Courtyard, but now they must walk around Drake Arena to enter the building. Students have complained about the longer walk to school, but others see it as worthwhile in the long run. “It’s for a good cause so I’m not too bothered by having a little
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Emilia ToppJohnson reaches Broadcom MASTERS semi-finals Freshman Emilia Topp-Johnson stands beside her project at the MASTERS. “Research is something I want to do for the rest of my life,” she said.
Noor Qureishy Student Life Editor
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler Upperclassmen work in the lunch room during Tutorial, now with laptops since the new WiFi was installed. “It’s nice because it is a quiet space and I get to work on group projects and get it done with wifi,” senior Nancy Moyers (pictured above left) said.
them installed. We use something called Power Over Ethernet (PoE) to connect everything, so we didn’t have any other electrical need beside what was already there.” Despite the relative simplicity of installing WiFi access points in the dining hall, it was not cheap. Mr. Clum estimated a cost of $2,000 for installation and equipment. So far, the undertaking has proven successful. “When I need
to do homework in the lunchroom it is really nice to have that option,” junior Minnie Arnold said. “[The Wi-Fi is] working great. Students are happy with the ability to go to the lunchroom. Already it’s relieved a lot of traffic from the access points in the lower library,” Clum said. “The only issue is the number of students in the lunchroom and the saturation of the access points. We foresee that we might have to add more [access points] in case
it becomes a popular place,” he added. At present, the effects of the change are immediately observable. Visit the dining hall during any tutorial, and you will see students at work on their computers. And all this thanks to the addition of two WiFi access points at opposite ends of the hall.
Huss Center construction redirects traffic, walking Lexi Hilton
Homecoming Football on Twitter @TheRubiconSPA
Students for Social Justice, Intercultural Club, and Poetry Aloud planned an all-student event to recognize the International Day of Peace. Upper School students on the Randolph Campus assembled on the front lawn Sept. 22 to form a human peace sign for the second year in a row. Senior Bella Martinez read “No Flowers for Terrorists,” by Linda Lerner. Dozens of students joined to honor and observe this day of global peace. “I had fun reading the poem,” Martinez said, “because it felt significant.”
Student groups collaborate to facilitate International Day of Peace celebration
detour,” senior Jackson Lea said. Students won’t have to worry about taking the scenic route into school for much longer. Once it is safe to enter the construction area, a short path will reopen. “The path in front of Drake should be open again in mid-October,” Upper School Principal Chris Hughes said. Worsened traffic can be attributed, in part, to the construction. Making Wheeler Street into a one-way leaving school means that all Upper Schoolers must enter the school through Juno Avenue and all Middle School students through Davern Street. Traffic is worst at those two remaining access points to SPA, where long, seemingly unmoving lines of cars wait each morning. Turning from Fairview Avenue onto Juno Avenue to get to the new parking lot has caused backups since construction started. “I’ve heard about traffic being worse,” sophomore Macy Blanchard said. Currently the construction site contains mostly dirt and construc-
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler THE HUSS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS has been under construction on the site of the old Drake Arena parking lot since June of 2014, creating a longer walk for students. The path now goes all the way around Drake arena to get to the Lily Courtyard. “It’s for a good cause so I’m not too bothered by having a little detour,” senior Jackson Lea said.
tion equipment, but soon the Huss Center will take form and house senior speeches, new classes, fine arts, and lounging areas. While the current senior class won’t be at SPA to experience this much needed and much dreamed
of facility, its importance is widely acknowledged. “I’ve been at SPA for a long time, so its good to know that after I go its going to be getting better,” Lea said.
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“I find more joy in scientific research than I do in almost anything else.” Freshman Emilia Topp-Johnson When students think of scientific research, images of upperclassmen hunched over complex lab reports and petri dishes of bacteria usually come to mind. However, freshman Emilia Topp-Johnson has been researching the interactions between a fungal pathogen of maize called Ustilago maydis and five otherfungal endophytes since she was twelve. These are fungi that live inside plants, defending them from pests without causing adverse symptoms. Afters years of hard work and commitment, she has become a 2014 Broadcom MASTERS competition semifinalist. The Broadcom MASTERS competition is affiliated with the Intel Science and Engineering Fair, and only the top 10 percent of middle school projects from science fairs across the United States are invited to apply for it. Topp-Johnson’s application was one of 300 selected to advance to the semi-finalist stage. On the Dec. 17, she will learn if she’s one of 30 finalists to receive on an all expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. and compete in the Broadcom MASTERS National Science Fair. Topp-Johnson is excited and honored to participate at all stage of the competition. She is passionate about her research, saying, “I find more joy in scientific research than I do in almost anything else. I love finding things out through isolation of variables. Research is something I want to do for the rest of my life.”
4 Op i n ion s
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
the rubicon
S taff 2014-15
Editor-in-Chief Eva Perez-Greene Chief Visual Editor Boraan Abdulkarim Managing Editor Netta Kaplan Online Editor-in-Chief Director of Social Media Catherine Braman Online Chief Visual Editor Diane Huang News Editor Clare Tipler Opinions Editor Amodhya Samarakoon Sports Editor Emily Thissen Cover Story Editor Javier Whitaker-Castaneda Feature Editor Nina Zietlow Student Life Editor Noor Qureishy Arts & Entertainment Editor Meghan Joyce In Depth Editor Mari Knudson Science & Technology Editor Paul Watkins Columns Editor Thomas Toghramadjian Copy Editor Gita Raman Photographer/Arts Critic Patrick Commers Staff Writer Lexi Hilton Adviser Kathryn Campbell
THE RUBICON the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 Our Mission We strive to capture the spirit of the community through its stories while inspiring deeper conversations. Above all we stand for integrity in our pursuit to inform and engage our readers. Awards JEM All-State Gold (Print and Online) MHSPA Best in Show 1st Place - Print 5th Place - Online NSPA First Place w/marks of distinction CSPA Gold Medal w/All Columbian Honors
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
STAFF EDITORIAL
Grade level isolation weakens community
The doors to the Davern Lobby swing open and closed as students shuffle into school each morning. Just as one student enters the school, the door closes behind them and another student pulls the same door open again, making his or her way in. These students don’t enter the doors to their respective grades, but by the way students intentionally isolate themselves along grade levels, one could very well assume so. SPA prides itself as an inclusive and welcoming community, but in order for that to actually hold true, the grade-level dissociation needs to stop. While it is rare to see an upperclassman so much as smile to a freshman passing by in the hallway, it is common to hear that same person inquire about “the freshman drama.” The problem is that a grade level hierarchy dominates our social interactions and makes an uncomfortable environment for everybody. Unspoken rules limiting who one can talk to, admire, or even compliment based on grade level are followed precisely. Dozens of unique individuals in ninth grade are dismissed as “just freshmen.” However, this condescending attitude reaches well beyond just that one grade level, effecting more than those who are targeted by it. Many a possible friendship or exhilarating conversation has been inhibited by fear of breaking the rules that nobody formally established or enforces. The idea that the more years one has spent in high school, the more knowledgeable that person is about it is justifiable. However, when this concept expands to the egocentric idea that the older a
Editorial Cartoon: Boraan Abdulkarim GRADE LEVEL HEIRARCHY AND ISOLATION not only weaken the bonds between grade-levels, but affect the way St. Paul Academy and Summit School students are viewed.
group of people is, the better they are than everyone in grades below them, there’s a serious problem. At one point, every senior had been a freshman, and every junior had been a sophomore. There is no guarantee that one person’s experiences and actions when he or she was in that lower grade level were perfect, and even if they were, that absolutely does not mean that he or she stands above anyone else. If anything, it means that they might be in a better position to help others out and look out for them. It’s easy to get caught up in one’s own head when following the patterns of isolation by grade level, but it’s important to stop and take a reality check when things get out of hand. The student body needs to operate as one unit, one school community. Ultimately, outsiders
don’t judge us by grade level or age group; they judge the collective institution. And no matter how tight knit each individual grade is, if individual students don’t come together as a school, they lay the foundation for a permanent culture of being an unwelcoming community. Grade level pride is great. Class Color Day had higher participation during Homecoming than any other, and class retreats create lifelong memories. Pride builds indispensable bonds and strengthens the community. It’s one step towards a unified school. Unfortunately, the only circumstance in which students reach out to those in other grades is when grade level mixing is organized, such as in student groups, mentee-mentor meetings. Once a student steps outside of the bounds of an organized activ-
ity, grade levels are on lockdown. There’s no way to interact with students from other grades. The only step left after grade level community is school wide community, the interweaving of friendships between all four grade levels of the Upper School. Don’t leave the job half done. So ask a classmate how their day is going. Help the disoriented new student get to the lunchroom, maybe even walk them there. Give a pointer to the underclassman struggling with a math problem. All of these actions take barely any effort but their effect is long lasting. These little things are what will take SPA one step forward and enhance our communication within and our image from without. In the end, every student enters the school from the same main door. Might as well hold it open for the next person.
Mini-Editorials New student groups show initiative Cheers to the newest student affinity and interest groups. In its free periods, off-campus privileges, and homework policies, St. Paul Academy and Summit School demonstrates its faith in the volition and integrity of its students. The large number of new student clubs this year at SPA are a testament to this spirit of independence which the school encourages. Now, SPA has its own official a cappella group, spoken word poetry club, and for those students who love playing traditional middle school gym class games like dodgeball and ultimate frisbee, PLAY. SPA students are taking their interests from paper to practice and shaking up opportunities available to other students, both new and longstanding, in the process. Students should take note from these new group leaders and continue to take action and bring new interests to campus.
Lack of available Unprepared counselors calls students detract for action from HarknessOur community of respect- discussions ed adults is excellent, but more adults who specialize in promoting the mental and emotional health are desperately needed. Despite being a generally supportive community, those in executive positions of support are spread too thin. A student can walk into Upper School Counselor Susanna Short’s office but the door might be closed because she’s booked. The same student could then go to US Dean of Students Max Delgado’s office, but most likely it’s empty as he is in a meeting. US Principal Chris Hughes is also often unavailable due to meetings and appointments. The Upper School should consider hiring grade level counselors, or at the least two counselors with grade level specialties (freshman/sophomore) and (junior/senior) to help students deal with the stress and emotions that often pile up on students in high school.
The Harkness table, which students use to help facilitate discussion and figure out difficult topics collaboratively, are only effective if everyone brings something to the table. Harkness discussions are meant to put students in the lead, rather than relying on teachers. Many students are mistaken in believing that having a Harkness discussion in class is an opportunity to not do any homework and come to class unprepared. The expectation for discussions is that everyone prepares outside of class. Students who do not do this lessen the discussion’s effectiveness, and do a great disservice to those peers who did prepare and came to class ready to learn. In being unprepared for Harkness discussions, students hurt not only themselves, but their peers as well.
The Rubicon
Editorial Policy: The Rubicon editorials are representative of the opinions of the Staff Editorial Board, which is made up of all students in journalism/Editorial Leadership. All other opinion pieces are the opinions of the authors themselves.
Letters Policy: Longer opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor and may be published in the print or online edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and may be edited for style. Cases of fraud and impersonation are prohibited and will be reported to the Dean of Students and the Discipline Committee. Letters can be mailed to us or sent to rubicon.spa@ gmail.com.
Read more Opinions @ The RubicOnline
Op i n ion s 5
SEPTEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Locked block provides consistent beat for music New schedule renews order and increases tutorial productivity
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler LOCKED THIRD AND SEVENTH BLOCKS in the new schedule are effective in streamlining orchestra students’ schedules as well as providing more tutorial time to meet with teachers. “The new schedule is nice because we don’t have to always miss so much tutorial and there is more time to meet with teachers,” sophomore orchestra student Neeti Kulkarni said.
Clare Tipler News Editor
With so many student musicians, winter and spring concerts are always lively. Finding times to practice, however, used to be a nightmare. As a solution, the administration tweaked the Upper School’s schedule to better fit the needs of music students which, so far, has proven successful. With last year’s transition to the block schedule, orchestra students noticed that there was little consistency in their practice times and that they didn’t benefit as much as other students from tutorial practice
So with the help of student input, administration set to work on tweaking the Upper School’s schedule to better fit music students by creating a mid-day locked block. This beneficial change makes it so that on odd days, period three always occurs as the third class and on even days, period seven always occurs as the third class. The other six classes rotate as normal, but the change allows for a 6 day rotation to better match the middle school’s schedule. “It’s important to match [the middle school’s] schedule because we share music teachers,” Upper School Principal Chris Hughes said.
The tweaked Upper School schedule provides a sense of order and predictability. “Now we are both on a six day rotation and can better match our music times,” Hughes said. In the past, Upper School orchestra students missed two tutorials per week and could not practice on day two. “The new schedule is nice because we don’t have to always miss so much tutorial and there is
more time to meet with teachers,” sophomore orchestra student Neeti Kulkarni said. As not many high schools have a tutorial period, it is essential that SPA students maximize its potential, which is now possible for many more students. “Tutorial is really great for me because I know I can always find my teachers,so it is good that the new schedule adds some tutorial time,” sophomore Lutalo Jones, a percussionist in Honors Sinfonia, said. “But having it every day would be even better,” he added. With so many music classes in a day, it is impossible to fit everyone in during the day’s four blocks, making tutorial practice
Students offer input on new decisions this year Dress code and nut policy spark conversations in the community
Students submitted their answers to a poll on pressing topics and decisions made this school year such as the nut policy, school dances, wi-fi in the dining hall and the dress code. The topics which stuck out amongst students reponses were upcoming dress-code revisions and the new nut policy. These numbers were aggregated from a total of 193 grade 9-12 students.
62 percent of students believe that revising the dress code is one of the most pressing issues of this school year.
percent of students believe the new nut policy should be changed, reviewed, or addressed.
female clothing items from the previous dress code were omitted from the new interim dress code this year.
Americans have a food allergy according to Dr.Kari Nadeau, director of the Stanford Alliance for Food Allergy Research.
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male specific clothing items were articulated in the previous dress code.
items that “are not appropriate during the academic day and violate the dress code.”
Priorities for Managing Food Allergies are set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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31
percent of students believe that traffic around the Huss Center construction is problematic this year. Illustration Credit : Diane Huang
The girls at SPA should be allowed to come to school feeling comfortable, valued, and respected. Not afraid, ashamed or objectified. senior
Sarah Little
a must. “This is a good solution to the music problem and we are happy that we improved the schedule,” Hughes said. As students adjust to the schedule, its success has become evident. In addition to music students, the lunch crew also benefits from the modification of the schedule. “Lunch was hard to figure out because the flow was so inconsistent. Now it is easier for the lunch staff to plan the meals,” Hughes said. The tweaked Upper School schedule provides a sense of order and predictability which last year’s erratic, rushed schedule lacked. It’s better for students and faculty on all fronts.
Thursday and elected groups to write guest columns
Sample Discipline Commitee Chair Riley Bowman’s column below. It is the first installement in a bi-weekly Rubiconline series of student group columns. When I heard about this idea of elected/selected group updates, I was really excited. I think that most of the student body isn’t aware of how DC operates on a day to day basis. But as I started to write I came up against the trouble that much of what we do is confidential. Nevertheless, I’ll try to give some sense of what DC’s been doing with its time and our plans for the future. DC had its first meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9 and hit the ground running. We have four new representatives this year, as well as two new teachers, a new chairman, and a new Dean advising. This year’s committee has a variety of fresh blood, a lovely contingent of returners, excellent senior leadership, and forms a very committed group. The first order of business was to remind ourselves of the serious work we do, and the second was to ensure future snack availability. We discussed how DC proceedings can be most effectively reported... To continue reading this column visit www. rubiconline.com
6 Fe at ur e
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Student volunteers take on Bike Classic
Volunteering tradition continues to help out bikers Eva Perez-Greene Editor in Chief
What drew approximately 6,000 people out of bed and onto 35 miles of St. Paul streets between the cool morning hours of 7 and 9 a.m.? The St. Paul Classic Bike Tour, which fell on a sunny September 7 this year, did for the twentieth year in a row. The Classic, produced by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota, boasts a safe, family-friendly biking environment replete with rest stops, beverages, treats, live music, and ride support. On the organizational end, the Classic pulls from its one to two hundred volunteers annually to bring the event from paper to the paths. St. Paul Academy and Summit School has been a part of the The St. Paul Classic Bike Tour with students traditionally biking, cheering, and volunteering along the tour’s 35 miles of “traffic free glee,” year after year. Not surprisingly, this year was no different. “The St. Paul Classic is one of SPA’s two most popular service events with Thanksgiving’s Meals on Wheels being the other,” Bike Classic volunteer coordinator at SPA Mollie Ward said. This year SPA students participated in the event for a number of reasons, but the need to fulfill sophomore service hour requirements takes the cake. “The Classic’s about three and a half volunteer hours. I count the half hour of breakfast too,” Ward noted. Breakfast is held at 10 a.m. volunteers can head over to Champs American Bar and Grill. The student volunteers’ time commitment has been, traditionally, minimal. Students arrive at their outposts at 7 a.m. and get
Photo Credit: Eva Perez-Greene SENIORS CARRIE JAEGER, ALEXIS IRISH, AND MADDIE FLOM-STAAB cheered on bicyclists participating in the St. Paul Classic Bike Tour at the corner of Mississippi River Boulevard and Randolph Avenue on Sept. 7. “It’s a beautiful day! I enjoy the pink-I appreciate your style!” Flom-Staab yelled in encouragement.
home around 10:30 a.m. depending on where they live. “They’re done by the time they’d usually be waking up!” Ward said. In preparation for the Classic, Ward and her senior advisee Asad Masood formed groups of student volunteers and assigned them to various blocked-off junctures along Mississippi River Boulevard at the head of the tour. Each at their specific locations, volunteers directed traffic and cheered on bikers. SPA’s annual Bike Classic service opportunity appeals to students because, simply put, it’s easy, fun, and a way to hang out with friends. “We had the classic, pre-Bike Classic sleepover!” junior Blaire
Bemel said, referring to the girls in her volunteer group. “Wanna pancake? We made them this morning!” she said, gesturing to a plate on the curb of the road. Junior Alena Porter, part of Bemel’s volunteer group, enjoys the experience of cheering and watching from the sidelines too, especially from a tent which she and her friends mounted before the start of the race. “We’ve got music going so it’s chill. You just get to hang out with people,” Porter said. Junior George Stiffman’s had an experience volunteering at the Classic this year which could be described as anything but “chill.” “About 30 minutes into the race, a guy wearing dark sun-
glasses obscuring his face came up to our group, pulled his bike onto the curb and without saying a word, pulled a stuffed animal out of his back pocket and threw it at me,” he said.“None of us had any idea who this guy was. We were so confused! But then the guy took off his glasses and I realized it was a friend’s dad.” As a sophomore looking for ways to complete her volunteer hours, junior Minnie Arnold volunteered at the Classic, and ended up really enjoying herself. “It was fun because a bunch of people did it! My favorite part was waving to the bikers and cheering them on,” she said. Junior Sabrina Brown felt really good telling people to ‘just
keep going!’ “It was nice to cheer bikers on, especially because there weren’t a lot of people doing it already,” she said. “It sounds like an early morning,” was junior Ryan Peacock’s reflex reaction to the St.Paul Bike Classic when asked if he’d ever participate. “Plus I did my service hours in the summer on a mission trip, so I left it (the St. Paul Classic) to other people who needed it.” An “early morning” took on a different meaning for Brown when she participated in the event as a volunteer. “It’s nice that it’s early in the morning because then it doesn’t take up your whole day!” she said. Sophomore Sarah Wheaton prefers to bike the Classic, having done so three times already with her dad. “It’s been something we’ve done together for awhile and I think he’d be bummed if I didn’t want to do it with him,” she noted. From a biker’s perspective, the Classic is very different. Baked goods and live music pop up seemingly everywhere along the Classic’s route, as do some pretty treacherous hills. “I’ve done both the short route [15 miles] and the long route [30 miles]. Usually the long route though. In the short route, you’ve got to go up Ramsey Hill-which is awful,” Wheaton said. “But it’s [the Classic] really for everybody and it’s not as long as it sounds. You don’t have to train for it,” she added. The St. Paul Classic Bike Tour has got something for just about everyone, stalwarts and newcomers alike. Good new is, it’s not going anywhere, as some good things really are perpetual.
Stitching and embroidering provide useful, enjoyable hobbies Noor Qureishy Student Life Editor
While some of us have distinctive pastimes like duct tape art, rock collecting, or juggling, juniors Blaire Bemel and Ingrid Topp-Johnson have a hobby that is both quirky and useful at once. They sew. From sewing skirts and pencil pouches to embroidering and embellishing their own clothing, Bemel and Topp-Johnson magnify the creativity of their everyday lives in stitches. However, their proficiency in the art of sewing, a rare talent among teenagers today, didn’t develop overnight. Bemel discovered her passion during her sophomore year. “Last year during winter break I was volunteering at a children’s hospital and I walked in and saw a quilt that had been made by a volunteer. I wanted to make one just like it,” Bemel said. Now she sews “skirts, pencil cases, aprons, pillows, stuffed animals, and
Photos Submitted By: Blaire Bemel Left: Some of junior Blaire Bemel’s creations include pillows and pencil cases. Right: Bemel poses with her sewing machine ‘Elna.’ “It’s a really good feeling when someone asks you where you got something and you can actually say you made it,” she said.
baby blankets—really, whatever comes to mind.” Bemel uses a sewing machine she calls Elna, and isn’t a fan of patterns, typically just going with what works best with what she’s making at any given time. “Usually I give them [my creations] away to friends and family. I’ve donated some blankets,” she said.
“If my friends ask me to make something, I’ll charge them for the fabric and five dollars for my work. I have my own tags for when I give things away.” Although Bemel does sell some of her creations to her friends, she does most of her sewing projects simply for her own enjoyment. “It’s super relax-
ing,” she said. “It’s a really good feeling when someone asks you where you got something and you can actually say you made it. More people should do it.” Like Bemel, Topp-Johnson also sews as a hobby, although she started much earlier, as a first grader who loved historical fiction set in times when elaborate needlework and fine threads were all the rage. “I do most of my work with embroidery [by hand]. I experiment with machine sewing and dressmaking and I’m in the process of embroidering a pillowcase I made in fourth grade,” she said. “I mostly make stuff for myself, for my own use, sometimes purely for artistic or aesthetic value.” Topp-Johnson loves the balance between art and practical use which sewing provides her. “I really like the process of creating something really tangible, a piece of art that also has a concrete use,” she said. Sewing is not only an extremely handy hobby,
but it also helps Topp-Johnson to focus and multitask—skills needed in many life contexts. “I often embroider while I’m watching television,” she said. “It’s a good skill to have. It’s really easy for me to fix my clothes, embellish them, etc.” Ultimately, Topp-Johnson thinks that the question to sew or not to sew really comes down to one’s personal interest. “If it’s something that appeals to you, go for it!” she said. While the sewing may not captivate the majority, it has a special place in both Bemel and Topp-Johnson’s lives. “For me, it’s less of a craft and more of an art,” Topp-Johnson said.
Fe at ur e 7
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
The Upper School welcomes 11 new faculty members English teacher Emily
Science teacher Andrea Bailey
Anderson
Fine Arts teacher Daryn
Science teacher Meg
Lowman
O’Connor
Dean of Students Max
Science teacher Scot Hovan
English teacher Matt Hoven
Delgado
History teacher Ryan Oto
History teacher Jon Peterson
History teacher Aaron Shuler
Math teacher Beatrice White
Photos Credit Meghan Joyce: Bailey, Hovan, Hoven, Oto, Peterson, Shuler Photos Credit Gita Raman: Anderson, Delgado, Lowman, O’Connor, White
New faculty faces grace halls, classes Meghan Joyce
Arts & Entertainment Editor
&
Gita Raman Copy Editor
High numbers of teacher retirements last year and departmental expansions as a result of the new schedule led to teacher searches that incorporated many students in process. Student panels chimed in on the new faces that now fill the teaching and administrative positions open at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. “[It was] interesting to see closer into their styles of teaching,” sophomore panel member Lea Moore said.
Which new teacher do you have the most in common with? Find out by answering a few questions on the flow chart below:
Illustration Credit: Nina Zietlow
8
C o v er
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and
St. Paul Academy and Summit Sch
Photo
CONSTRUCTION ON THE RANDOLPH CAMPUS continues during the school day.
“I’m really pumped to have a theatre,” Schoonover said. Schoonover is a member of SPA’s drama progr
actors, looks forward to performing in SPA’S very own performing arts space.
Newest faculty ad Catherine Braman
New Faces at SPA
Online Editor in Chief
THERE ARE MORE THAN 30 NEW STUDENTS entering
13% New Students
grades 9-12. This year 22% of the faculty and 13% of the students are new to the Upper School.
22% New Faculty
“You have to adapt to whatever the culture is. Once you figure out what the culture is, then you can start to change small things or make little alterations,” US history teacher Jon Peterson said. Peterson joined the department this fall to teach US history and US foreign policy since World War II. Adapting to a new environment is a process. Every school year brings change to the St. Paul Academy and Summit School community. This year, there is more change than usual: new members of the community, construction of the new Huss Center for the
Performing Arts, ademic schedule, of new teachers a 22% of the facult dent body is new All of these facto a cultural shift tak US Math De Boulger recalls th this large in the the 1969-1970 sch year of teaching currently the facu longest tenure. “When I came the year that the St Paul Academy That was an incre schools. The big
New students diversify and integrate into school cu Gita Raman Copy Editor
There are more than thirty students entering grades 9-12 who are entirely new to St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Each of these students have to adjust to a new grade level, a new schedule, and a new building. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School many key parts of students’ lives are being modified, so adjusting to change is important, especially for new students. New Students This is year’s freshman class has 97 students, 23 of whom are new to SPA. Freshman Sylvie Schifsky came from
St. Croix Preparatory Academy and said she liked the atmosphere at SPA. “It is really structured and at the same time super chill. And it is a big change from my old school,” Schifsky said. She switched, because she believed that SPA teachers provide support for extensive learning. “Since it was college prep, if I was kind of struggling in something, then they [the teachers] wouldn’t be that concerned. They would expect you to take care of it yourself because that is what you have to do in college, but I needed more help,” Schifsky said. It is very common for many new freshman to appear in the student body, however it becomes very uncommon for sophomores and juniors to receive
new members in their classes. “[SPA] is different and I like it. It allows me to socialize more and fit in better,” new junior Max Chen said. One way that SPA is different, according to Chen, is in its teaching styles. “We sit in a round table and the students are very active,” Chen said. Coming all the way from Portland, Oregon, junior Tessa Rauch agrees with Chen. “I think the teachers [at SPA] are all really great. I think SPA is awesome.” Adjusting “The school I was in last year was too small. Here it is bigger and I can socialize more and fit in better,” Chen said. The number of students enrolled
in the Upper School is 391, compared to Chen’s smaller school this allows a lot of socializing and meeting new peers in his classes. Freshman John Gisselquist appreciates how open and friendly the SPA community has been so far. “Its been a pretty easy transition. The kids who have been here for a long time are really welcoming and you fit in with people because there are so many different people who like so many different things. You can always find a person who is similar to you,” he said. Chen completed his sophomore year at the International School of Minnesota. Some students need to adjust to the difference by taking classes above or below their grade level. Chen
is enrolled in both sop and also senior classe [United States] histor gy, topics for math, w yearbook and jazz ban Junior Peer Helper to make new students welcome. “I sit with ne to them, you know figu are about, what they li relate to them, I tell th culture and the comm events that we do,” Ro With the influx o shapes its students, a shape SPA. Overall, is active, friendly an Chen said.
S tory
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
d Summit School
9
hool embraces new culture Construction transforms Randolph Campus Paul Watkins Sci/Tech Editor
Looking out toward the Lily Courtyard, the view of rubble, accented by bright yellow cranes, dominates the scene. At Saint Paul Academy and Summit School, it is impossible to not let the construction affect the Randolph campus. After all, the Huss Center for the Performing Arts, the construction’s replacement, the target of millions of dollars of donations and thousands of combined work-hours, will next year
o Credit: Paul Watkins
be up and running. Sophomore Ali Duval, an active member of SPA’s drama program, is skeptical of the construction’s shortterm effects. “The construction’s annoying because of where the buses come,” she said. “Walking to the lunch place is the wrong direction. The buses used to come next to the parking lot,” However, she is convinced of the Huss Center’s eventual success. “We’ll actually have a theater. We’ll actually have someplace to rehearse,” she said. “[The construction is] not as loud as I thought it’d be, which is good,” Other members of the drama pro-
gram are giddy when asked about the Huss center. “Everyone’s really excited except the seniors. The seniors won’t be here to be in Huss,” sophomore Emily Schoonover said. Schoonover is also an active member of the drama program. “I’m really pumped to have a theater, ” she said. Sophomore Nina Perleberg, a member of the SPA choir, is not excited about the current construction. “I think I’m going to have to walk a lot more. Things might get separated. I feel I might not see people as much,” she said. Construction of the Huss center
started at the beginning of the summer, when the parking lot was relocated. Houses, owned by SPA, were knocked down to make room for the parking lot. “When the people moved in they knew they had to move out when they needed to begin construction,” Duval said. “I do feel kind of bad, though,” Whatever peoples’ outlook, it is impossible to doubt the different culture that will be in place after the construction has finished. “I think it’ll be really nice [when it’s done]. The arts area will be more than a hallway. The arts are important,” Perleberg said.
ram and, like her fellow
dditions offer school opportunity grow and re-evaluate
, changes in the ac, and a high number across most subjects. ty and 13% of the stuto the Upper School. ors are contributing to king place at SPA. epartment Chair Bill he last time a change faculty took place in hool year. In his 46th g at SPA, Boulger is ulty member with the
e to this school, it was two schools merged; y and Summit School. edible change for both ggest change was that
both boys and girls [were at] the same school together,” Boulger said. While SPA prides itself on its history and traditions, it also considers itself progressive and open-minded. “There is a lot that we assume about the SPA way to do things. I think when you have enough core people who are new, it really does push us to think about how we explain things like Homecoming, expectations for dances, and what exams are like,” US Principal Chris Hughes said. As a result, subtle cultural changes-new ideas- have begun to form at SPA. Ryan Oto, a new US history teacher perceives SPA as an environment known for its academic reputation but also its open-mindedness.
“It is really exciting to be at a school that is known to be so good, but at the same time so willing to change at any given moment,” Oto said. New upper school math teacher Beatrice White brings a refreshing view to the latest faculty additions. “Part of the reason that SPA has this really strong community is that it has developed that community over time. There are [a lot of] new teachers at the school this year and I think we probably each bring in a little bit different perspective without losing sight of the existing culture,” White said. SPA’s focus on inclusivity and growth is a natural part of its essence, Nonetheless, it requires a constant concerted effort.
“Cultural change is very difficult. You have to focus on it. You have to be sure people understand that there is a cultural change,” Boulger said. It is important to embrace and accept the changes that are happening to our community. Emily Anderson, a new Upper School English teacher, anticipates collaboration in the community and a “willingness to talk about ideas and an openness when it comes to sharing both our triumphs and the mistakes that we have made.” Oto added that he hopes that the SPA community consists of “[people] that push me to become a better version of my professional self and personal self.”
Oto hopes to contribute new ideas and new creative options to the SPA community. “I think I am on the right path and in the right school to make some sort of change,” he said. When new teachers and students join the SPA community, there is an opportunity to re-evaluate how things are done and why. “Getting new faces is an important part of the school growing. [Students and faculty] bring in a new perspective into the school too,” Hughes said. After all, for a school that is 114 years old and as well established as SPA, getting a fresh look is a very good thing.
ulture
phomore classes, es. “I am taking ry, honors biolowriting seminar, nd,” he said. Nissa Rolf helps s adjust and feel ew people. I talk ure out what they ike to do, if I can hem about SPA’s munity, and the olf said. of change, SPA and its students “SPA’s culture nd independent,”
Photo Credit: Katie Braman NEW AND OLD STUDENTS gather together in Historic Briggs Gymnasium for the homecoming pepfest. “The kids who have been here for a long time are really welcoming and you fit in with people because there are so many different people who like so many different things. You can always find a person who is similar to you,” frehman John Gisselquist said.
10 S c i enc e
& T e c h nolo g y
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
Transtition to
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Drive signals shift in technology
Move away from Microsoft software increases dependence on cloud service
Photo Credit: Paul Watkins SOPHOMORE PHOEBE PANNIER works with sophomore Emily Schoonover on an assignment via Google Drive. “It’s helpful to be able to collaborate with peers on group projects,” she said.
Emily Thissen Sports Editor
Technology within schools is ever developing, with new software coming out incredibly frequently. St. Paul Academy and Summit School has turned over a new leaf by fully transitioning to the use of Google Drive, a storage system that joined with Goo-
gle Apps, is a way for students to work on documents whether they are on campus or off, and a way for them to collaborate more with their teachers and peers. Previously, SPA used predominantly programs that are part of the Windows Office suite, such as OneNote, Word, and PowerPoint. Google Apps has replacements for all, with Office-like programs,
such as Google Docs and Gogle Sheets for Word and Excel. One of the most prominent differences, however, is that Google Drive saves work automatically. As soon as something is typed into a Google document, all changes are saved in the Drive. Sophomore Riley Bowman uses Google Drive to complete homework in many of his classes. “It’s really nice that it saves automatically. It makes doing work much less stressful because I don’t have to worry about losing it,” Bowman said. Departments at SPA, including History and Science, are starting off the 2014-15 school year with fully functioning folders within Google Drive. Typically there will be communal Edit and View folders for each class, in which students work on shared documents and view class documents like assignment sheets. Each student also has an individual Drop- folder to which only he or she and teacher have access. Using Google Drive, students have a way to turn in and complete assessments and teachers
“
[Google Drive] makes it easier for me to get my work done. junior
Cait Gibbons
can know exactly when work gets turned in. “It’s really nice that I can edit my work on my school computer or on my home computer. It makes it easier for me to get my work done,” junior Cait Gibbons said. Students also recognize some limitations within Google Drive. Junior Lexi Hilton expressed concern about not being able to draw: “I really liked drawing in OneNote. That’s one thing I will really miss,” she said. Google Drive can be customized, and with apps available for download, disgruntled students like Hilton are able to add apps like Sumo Paint and Google
Drawing free of cost, fulfilling some of their most missed OneNote features. Google Drive can also be very useful in group projects. “If a teacher assigns a project, all students can work on it from anywhere, and teachers are able to see how much work everyone did,” Upper School Technology Coordinator Chris White said. Using Google Drive, students can work together in the same document at the same time, editing each others’ work and creating a cohesive project simultaneosuly. “The biggest change is that you can access [Google Drive] from anywhere from any device, as where OneNote you had to be on campus to sync,” White said. Google Drive will continue to be integrated into classrooms at SPA throughout the school year, and students will get more opportunities to explore what it has to offer.
Ebola outbreak calls for global education rather than fear Nina Zietlow Feature Editor
Whenever a newspaper is presented, a website opened, they are there. Biohazard suit clad, heads down, unidentifiable ghost-like figures often pictured carrying the latest victim of the rapidly spreading Ebola virus. Despite the paranoia these images induce, the Ebola epidemic, though horrific, has little chance of spreading outside of West Africa, and is not an imminent threat to our community’s health. “It’s awful that so many people are suffering from this outbreak and all I can do is support doctors and scientists trying to help and hope it doesn’t spread,”junior Alena Porter said. The most recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa is the largest outbreak yet. It began in Guinea in December of 2014 but was not detected until March. Since then, the epidemic has spread to Liberiaw, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and recently Senegal. The outbreak has infected approximately 5,932 people and killed 3,082. Ebola is a serious disease with a high mortality rate (about 50-90%), but it can only be spread through direct contact with the bodily fluids of someone that is infected. Additionally, bodily fluids can still spread the disease after death, meaning that the bodies of those who have died from Evola must be handled with protective measures and properly disposed of. It
cannot be transferred through the air and therefore if a sick person is properly isolated, and proper biohazard suits are used by doctors, there is little chance of the disease spreading. The problem is, in these West African countries there are fewer points of access to health care and less public health awareness in general.
disease will harm us. We would be better served by instead taking the time to educate ourselves on how to help these stricken West African communities and provide them aid in order to get through the horrors they are experiencing.
During this time, it isn’t our community’s role to stress about how this disease will harm us. If the disease spread to a more developed country, such as the United States, it would be much easier to control, and therefore less of a threat to public safety. There is no cure for Ebola, but with this large of an epidemic there are new experimental treatments developing every day. One of the most buzzed about, ZMapp, was administered to two American missionaries who contracted Ebola after time spent in West Africa. Though they both survived, it was unclear what role ZMapp played in their recovery. The bottom line is, the recent Ebola epidemic is scary but not a direct threat to us. That being said, Ebola has ravaged communities and economies throughout the countries that is has affected. During this time, it is neither rational nor effective for our community to stress about how this
Senegal Guinea
ria
Nige
Sierra Leone
Liberia
Dem. Rep. of the Congo
5,932
Confirmed cases of Ebola
3,082
Confirmed deaths due to Ebola As of September 24, 2014
One person = 30 cases
0
Cases of Ebola contracted outside West Africa Source: World Health Organization Infographic credit: Paul Watkins Created with infogr.am
I N DE P T H 11
SePTEMBER 2014. Vol XliI. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Lurking in the lunchroom
Students share allergen reactions
Food allergies not to be taken lightly Amodhya Samarakoon
Opinions Editor
Food allergies are ubiquitous and don’t discriminate. People of all ages, genders, and races can experience allergy symptoms ranging from mild stomach aches and faint rashes to severe, life-threatening throat constrictions and anaphylactic shock.
Fast Fact
“My mom would always tell me that she made peanut butter and jelly in a tortilla and I didn’t eat it. Wherever it touched me, my skin would turn red.” -junior Lauren Woessner
“With eggs my face puffs up and my breathing becomes a little weaker, but it’s nothing like nuts.” -freshman Noah Solomon
“When my mom eats wheat she’s sick for at least a week.” -sophomore Mary Grant
Illustration Credit: Mari Knudson
Nearly 15 million Americans have a food allergy. According to Standford University School of Medicine
Dr. Kari Nadeau, who directs the Stanford Alliance for Food Allergy Research at Stanford University School of Medicine in an Apr. 2013 NPR segment “The Doctor Trying to Solve the Mystery of Food Allergies” states, “nearly 15 million Americans have a food allergy, ranging from moderate to severe. One of every 13 children has one.” Junior Lauren Woessner discovered early in life that she is allergic to peanuts.“I don’t remember this but my mom would always tell me that she made peanut butter and jelly in a tortilla and I didn’t eat it. Wherever it touched me, my skin would turn red,” she said. St. Paul Academy and Summit School has a number of students with food allergies, some of which were discovered when they were teens. “I figured it out freshman year in yearbook,” junior Karsten Runquist said. “I was starving and the teacher was passing out granola bars and I just went for it. After about five minutes my throat swelled up… I had my mom bring me to the ER.” Runquist has a severe allergy to tree nuts. In line with national standards for allergen safety, the Upper School has recently gone nut-safe. Upper School Principal Chris Hughes states that the decision to convert SPA’s campus nut-free isn’t unusual: “The Lower School has been nut-safe for a while now,” he said. Allergic reactions to food, like nuts, are triggered when the body’s overly sensitive immune system misinterprets it as a threat. Instead of recognizing the food as innocuous, the body perceives it as a foreign intruder and releases defense mechanisms which may lead to severe and life-threatening reactions. This is something freshman Noah Solomon experienced four
THE BODY’S RESPONSES TO ALLERGENS Neurological: anxiety, feelings of dread, headache
Cardiovascular: dizziness/ lightheadedness, pale/ blue color, weak pulse, fainting, shock, loss of consciousness
Throat and Mouth: swelling, metallic taste
in mouth
Respiratory: coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath, pain or tightness, throat tightness, trouble swallowing, hoarse voice, nasal congestion
Gastrointestinal: nausea, stomach pain or cramps, vomiting, diarrhea
Skin: hives, swelling, itching, warmth, redness
Illustration Credit: Mari Knudson Information from www.allergyhome.org
FREQUENT RESPONSES TO ALLERGENS vary from person to person depending on the severity of the allergy and the quantity of allergen ingested or exposed to.
“
Nowadays I carry an EpiPen with me pretty much wherever I go. junior
years ago when he got his allergies tested. “They had a tray of all the allergens...but they didn’t feed it [food he is allergic to] to me,” Solomon said. The doctor dipped a toothpick in the allergen and scratched Solomon’s back. Then, an allergist checked the skin for signs of major allergic reactions. “With eggs my face puffs up and my breathing becomes a little weaker, but it’s nothing like nuts,” Solomon said, mentioning that his reaction to nuts is the worst out of his three main allergies: fish, eggs and nuts. “[My nut reactions are] the same as everybody else: Anaphylaxis. If I were to eat peanuts, it would be really bad; [my throat] would close even more,” he said. The Mayo Clinic Staff wrote in a January 2013 online article titled “Anaphylaxis Definition,” that “the flood of chemicals released by your immune system during anaphylaxis can cause you to go into shock; your blood pressure drops suddenly and your
airways narrow, blocking normal breathing.” This can be fatal and requires a trip to the Emergency Room. “My throat starts feeling really tight and swallowing just gets harder and harder, pretty scary stuff,” Runquist said. Allergies to the same foods can cause different reactions depending on the individual. Sophomore Mary Grant’s family members’ allergic reactions differ widely: “My sister eats dairy and her stomach hurts, but when my mom eats dairy her ears drip [from excess moisture],” she said. Not only do many students have allergies, but their family members deal with them as well. Grant’s mother is allergic to wheat, dairy and many other foods.“I mean, I see that when my mom eats wheat she’s sick for at least a week. It’s a big deal,” she said. In eighth grade, Grant even wrote an essay to read before her class about her family’s allergies.
Karsten Runquist
Many students at SPA have food allergies, the most common of which are nuts and shellfish. Some students just have to be cautious and keep an eye out for spoons labeled for allergens at lunch, while others carry an EpiPen with them. “Nowadays I carry an EpiPen with me pretty much wherever I go and I just stay away from anything that might have nuts unless the person that made the food tells me it wasn’t made with nuts,” Runquist said. “I’m just more cautious as a person when it comes to eating now.” Either way, mild food allergies can be difficult to live with. These people must be extra careful when picking what to eat. Having labeled utensils along with the nut-policy are meant to help take away some of the worry. It is important for fellow classmates to be aware and considerate of the members of the SPA community with severe allergies that impact them on a daily basis.
12
A rt s & En t erta i n m en t SEPTEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
ED SHEERAN E
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
CITES CONCERTGOERS
Eva Perez-Greene Editor in Chief
“
So in love...so in love... so in love. E d S h ee r a n , “Tenerife Sea” How does a guy in a t-shirt and jeans ginger up an audience of 9,000 with just a guitar and a mic? This isn’t a trick question, as the answer’s plain: he’s gotta be Ed Sheeran, a young, prolific love ballad writing Brit with a strikingly sweet affect and a ginger mane to boot. Very tough to match, that Ed. At 23, he’s got so many feelings - so much art - to share with the world. Not surprisingly, Ed withheld nothing on the Minneapolis’s Target Center’s stage on Sept. 15. “Let’s go back to thuh dinjay tymes where thing were more simple, ehh?” he asked the crowd, 10 minutes into the concert. Now let’s dissect these angelic words of his, as they’re telling. First off, note the “let’s” and “ehh?” Sheeran works with the crowd, feels the crowd. He’s an entertainer in the truest sense of the word. Also of import: he actually asked to go back to the “dinjay tymes” before a crowd of 9,000 international fans. Need one say more? If that request doesn’t set a tone of humility, I’m not sure what does. With that in mind, the concert itself was like one big, deluxe 120 minute singalong with Sheeran, backed only by an acoustic guitar and some electronic tracks to lay-
Photo Credit: Gita Raman AUDIENCE MEMBERS STARE DOWN at the stage, mezmerized and waving their bright smartphones, as Ed Sheeran performs. “Let’s go back to thuh dinjay tymes where things were more simple, ehh?” Sheeran said.
er his sounds. The musical program was a balanced mix of tender love songs (his main claim to fame) and some booming experimental rap, pop, and folk tracks from his newest record ‘x’ (said multiply). Sheeran’s single ‘Don’t,’ the story of a former girlfriend’s particularly wounding betrayal, sent a palpable wave of energy through the sea of raving teenage girls (“How dare she!!”). It was performed with such resolved buoyancy and vulnerability, that even I felt a little enraged on Sheeran’s behalf come the end of it. “So in love....So in love….So in love.” The swoon factor really began to kick in when Sheeran played his new song Tenerife
Sea. He generously answered every (honest) viewers burning question - who the heck is this song for? - by dedicating it to a man who shrieked “I LOVE YOU ED,” from the audience. “This one’s for you big guy,” he said. “Shhhh...Will you let the man have this moment?!” he asked the audience. Sheeran had the audience so enthralled that they acquiesced immediately, waving their bright smart phones back and forth through the air in what seemed like a warm, fuzzy trance. It’s the Ginge Effect, and quite honestly, it should be the default for everyday life. Photo submitted by: Liz Shaheen AT THE CONCERT, juniors (from left to right) Liz Shaheen, Chloe Wilkens, and Dhara Singh pose for a picture.
Linklater creates masterpiece in Patrick Commers Arts Critic
Richard Linklater spent over twelve years creating the movie Boyhood — twelve years well spent. Centering on a boy starting at the age of six, the film traverses the major events of any childhood and encapsulates them all in a three hour movie. Mason is your regular six year old. He loves video games, he thinks his sister is annoying, and he loves to hang out with his friends. His single mother moves the family very early on into the movie so that the mom can finish getting her degree to provide and make a better life for her children. A lower income family trying to get by, they move around a lot, with the mother entering into a
Fair use image from: boyhoodmovie.tumblr.com BOYHOOD OPENS WITH MASON at age six, staring up at the sky while he waits for his mom to finish talking to his teachers.
series of very troubled marriages. Mason gets up to hijinks, goes to parties, finds an interest in photography, and grows into a young man. One of the best parts of the movie is when Mason and his sis-
ter get to spend time with their father. Ethan Hawke, who plays the father, is thought of as a slacker at first, but throughout the movie it is interesting to see him grow up with the kids and make a better life for himself as well.
Most likely done purposely by Linklater, the story is never the same for more than 30 minutes. Constantly moving from topic to topic that a child might face in their young life, it is perfect to keep the movie interesting and keeps you wanting more. Ellar Coltrane, who plays Mason, gives a not-so-innocent look into the life of a child growing up. From first love to going to college, it is always a treat to see what mischief he is getting himself into. His performance going through some of the best and worst times of his young life is amazing. Anyone can say that he does so well because he is just acting as himself, but Coltrane does a great job in any way you think about it. He captures what it must feel like to grow up in such
a convoluted and sometimes dysfunctional family situation and puts it on the screen. What Linklater has done in Boyhood is something that will be applauded for years to come. Not only should it be regarded as a masterpiece, but the style that is done in is something that we might not see again for a long time.
Should you see it?
Yes! Boyhood is the best coming of age story that has ever been on the big screen. I don’t usually make Academy Award predictions this early, but I would not be at all surprised if this movie received Best Director and Best Motion Picture.
A rt s & En t erta i n m en t SEPTEMBER 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
13
Summit Singers reaches record size Nina Zietlow Feature Editor
When the Summit Singers file into class before school, a buzz of chatter fills the space as students take their places in the choir room. They have been meeting like this for years, but this fall something is different. There is a bit of a scramble to find enough chairs; the room feels a little more cramped than it did last year. Why? Because with over 70 students, this is the largest Summit Singers in St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s history. “It’s quite a bit bigger than it was last year, and we lost a lot of seniors from last year too,” choir director Anne Klus said. Summit Singers is an all girls choir that meets twice a week before school. Though this year is the largest class yet, it has consistently been big, the before school aspect of it appealing to students. “A lot of ninth graders do Summit Singers because they’re so worried about packing [choir] into their day but they still want to sing,” Klus said. Additionally, Summit Singers is a good option for girls who are involved in orchestra during the day but also want to be in choir. Another factor that has lead to having such a large choir is the
size of some of the recent incoming classes. The sophomore class has more than 112 students and the freshman class has 97. Larger classes mean more people want to get involved in choir, and Summit Singers isn’t the only choir that has been effected. “A lot of students want to continue on from middle school choir,” Klus said. As a result, the Academy Choral has grown in numbers too, bringing the number of students in the Upper School choir program to more than 110. Klus is not at all worried about the choir being too big. “Its an exciting problem to have, and its not really a problem. It really just becomes a management issue to make sure there are enough risers, and you’re not squashed like sardines and there is enough music,” she said. Senior Sonja Mischke agrees. “The more the merrier! It’s fun to see all the new faces and the number of people we have will create such a full sound,” she said. According to Klus, the way she runs rehearsals has not at all been affected by the large size. Students still file into the choir room and go through the process of warming up, practicing the music and occasionally breaking off into sectionals. This year’s song selections include popular hits such as an ar-
Photo Credit: Nina Zietlow THE LARGEST SUMMIT SINGERS in St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s history gathers before school to practice. “The more the merrier! It’s fun to see all the new faces and the number of people we have will create such a full sound,” senior Sonja Mischke said.
rangement of “Shake it Out” by Florence and the Machine and the opening number to Disney’s acclaimed movie Frozen. And though there is still a bit of a transition period, enthusiasm is high. “I think some of the [new] girls are still a little timid singing loudly but that will change fast. You aren’t supposed to get a song right the first time around. I certainly don’t,” Mischke said. With the expanding of Summit Singers, some have expressed an interest in a similar program for male singers. Unfortunately, Klus
thinks logistics make this idea unlikely. “Even if we wanted to have a special boys choir, I don’t know how we’d be able to get it before the day as well,” Klus said. Additionally, there are simply fewer male students interested in singing. “There are always so many girls, so many that want to sing, not so many boys and sometimes that’s a perception thing, they think it’s not cool,” Klus said. That being said, Summit Singers is not just comprised of one type of person. It is quite a di-
verse group. “One of the coolest things I like to see is when you’ve got really great athletes who also want to sing, male and female,” Klus said. “I think it’s going to be a really great year and choir is going to have a really great sound,” she said. “It seems like there is this new energy coming in and new people, and that is going to be a really good thing for the program.”
Schoonover takes the stage at Lollapalloza
“
Mari Knudson In Depth Editor
It’s not uncommon for students to feel nervous giving their senior speeches before the entire school, but imagine giving your speech in front of 100,000 people. Sophomore musician Emily Schoonover can imagine this from when she performed at Lollapalooza on Aug. 1-3, one of the Midwest’s largest music festivals. She got in through a national competition called School of Rock All Stars Tour, in which over 24,000 competed. She was one of two high school students in the Twin Cities to make it through the competition. “Through the music program School of Rock... we have opportunities to audition to play tours, so I got into the second round of one that ended up playing in Lollapalooza,” Schoonover said. “I went on tour and I played Summerfest in Milwaukee and in audition I got past the second round and I made it to the third round of the Lollapalooza tour and I got into that too,” she said. Lollapalooza, which takes place in Grant Park, Chicago, featured headliners Outkast, Kings of Leon, and Eminem this year. It’s a gig which many established and up and coming professional artists would love to get, due to the popularity of music festivals. Impressively, Schoonover actually got to meet some of the
I talked to Iggy Azalea and waved at Lorde, but she kind of ignored me. S o p h o m o r e E m i ly S c h o o n ov e r Photo submitted by: Emily Schoonover ON STAGE AT LOLLAPALOOZA, sophomore Emily Schoonover (third from right) poses with members of the band Portugal. The Man and other artists that she had met on tour.
famous artists playing at Lollapalooza. “We got to eat in the same hallway as Lorde and the Arctic Monkeys... people would try to talk to them from our group but they were just unresponsive and like whatever, but it was still really cool,” Schoonover said. “I talked to Iggy Azalea and waved at Lorde, but she kind of ignored me.” Schoonover was initially supposed to perform at Kidzapalooza before 20,000 people instead of the 100,000 people she eventually performed in front of on the main stage. A band named Portugal. The Man saw Schoonover perform at Summerfest and asked her to join them on stage for their
performace at Lollapalooza. “We sang 30 seconds of their [Portugal. The Man’s] outro [ending of a song], they did their song ‘Creep in a T-shirt and Jeans’ and they made that go into Queen’s ‘We are the Champions’ and we sang backup for them,” Schoonover said. While performing before a crowd of 100,000 people sounds nerve-wracking, Schoonover said when the crowd gets so large, it all blurs together. “Because there are so many people you are literally unable to
see the individual people and are unable to make out their faces, it just looks kind of like grass but the grass is actually people, not grass,” Schoonover said. Now that Schoonover has come back to the real world and school work, she has to work hard to keep her music career and student life balanced.
“I use my free periods and study halls and lunches and tutorials and basically everything I possibly can, because there’s maybe two days a week where I don’t have a music practice of some sort,” Schoonover said. Along with music practice and school work, Schoonover also is involved with two different bands, Local Motive and Bruised Violet. Despite her new experience performing at a large music festival, Schoonover doesn’t think the fate of her bands will change much. “It’s a really cool experience and it’s awesome for bragging rights and it will look really good on a resume if I wanted to do something with it,” Schoonover said. “As far as my band goes I’m not going to go out in public and people be like ‘hey that’s the girl who sang for 30 seconds at Lollapalooza.’” SPA students can listen to Schoonover perform on her Youtube channel Local Motive. EMILY SCHOONOVER SINGS with the two other young artists that Portugal. The Man had recruited for the main stage at Lollapalooza. “We sang 30 seconds of their [Portugal. The Man’s] outro,” Schoonover said.
Photo submitted by: Emily Schoonover
14
sp ort s
Sp ort s
september 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Spartan fall sports teams Cross country
Catherine Braman Online Editor in Chief
On a chilly morning before a cross country meet, the runners visualize their upcoming performance in the race. They form a circle, close their eyes, and breathe deeply. This helps them relax before a big race. “I am very positive and can get people motivated,” senior Girls captain Mary Naas said. The Girls team has high hopes to return to the state tournament. Motivated to prepare for the fall season, many runners ran over the
summer with trainer Max Lipset at the Power House at Highland. “[Our goal is] to make it to state again and to hopefully do better than last year. We were a little bit surprised that we made it to state and once we got there I think that our team wasn’t as strong as usual,” Naas said. “What I really like about cross country is that it is a true team sport. The first five runners to finish for your team score the points. The sixth and seventh runners are still important because if they can finish ahead of other teams scoring runners, it makes that team’s score higher,” head coach Rob
FOOTBALL Netta Kaplan Managing Editor
The St. Paul Academy and Summit School football team hasn’t had a great reputation the last few years, and with less than half of the 25 varsity players coming from SPA, school spirit is less-than impressive. (The remaining players come from Mounds Park Academy, Great River School, Twin Cities Acade-
my High School, and Nova Classical Academy.) Still, the Homecoming win over Spectrum High School last year has many hoping for a more successful season this year. “It feels pretty good [coming off the win last year],” Salverda said. But winning takes more than skill and strategy alone, and the team still lacks support from the student body. “It would be a lot nicer if we had a lot more support, but it’s a small school,” Sal-
Donnelly said. Senior Boys captain Mike Destache thinks that “most of the [Boys] team is so young that we are sort of looking to the future, not just this year,” he said. His leadership style is a little more laid back. “I am a lot less serious. It makes it a lot easier for the other athletes to come and talk to me. It makes the other runners more comfortable around me,” Destache said. The next competition for both teams is Conference Championships on Oct. 9 at Battle Creek at 4:30.
Varsity Soccer game against Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Aug. 28 which ended in a 1-0 loss.“[On] game days, [we] generally meet in the lecture room and talk about goals for the game,” Moradian said.
strive for success, wins
SWIM & DIVE Clare Tipler News Editor
The Swim and Dive team at St. Paul Academy and Summit School is splashing into their season with high hopes. The team, the Sparks, co-ops with Highland Park Senior High. SPA contributes 10 swimmers and divers to the Varsity roster. “My hopes are that we can get some new PR’S [personal records] this year as a team and
Photo Credit: Catharine Braman The girls cross country team practices at St. Catherine [Our goal is] to make it to state again and to hopefully do better than last year.
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler swims freestyle in a recent meet against Como Park. “Everyone is looking great and
verda said.Low turnout at games and lack of faith in the team all contribute to an atmosphere of general negativity towards football at SPA. Despite this, the team is still working hard. “The goal this year is to win more games than we did last year and take steps forward to be the best team we can be,” Salverda said. The team has their next game on Oct. 2 at home at 7:00 against the Blake School.
Boraan Abdulkarim Visual Editor in Chief
Photo Credit: Patrick Commers The football team huddles up before the Homecoming game on Sept 19 against Minnehaha Academy. “The goal this year is to win more games than we did last year,” Salverda said.
boys SOCCER
With 14 returning players, the season looks promising for Boys Varsity Soccer. One of the main issues from last season was the numerous new team members who had never played together. “We worked all summer with a lot of commitment from a majority of the team. Over the summer workouts and training helped us form bonds and gel as a team,” junior Quinn Smith said. This year, however, the team will build off of the work it put
into improving last year. “We have some really good young players like eighth grader Eric Lagos and freshman Eli Goldman,” senior captain Jordan Moradian said. Visualization is a huge part of the game. “[On] game days, [we] generally meet in the Lecture Room, talk about goals for the game, and go over the lineup and strategies. A few minutes before walking out on to the soccer field, we turn off the lights, put our heads down, visualize, and put on the song ‘Prayer’ by Kid Cudi,” Moradian said.
After a 12 losses and 3 wins last year, the team has dramatically turned things around. “The season has started out really well. We faced some challenges against Apple Valley, Benilde, and Holy Angels. Those games helped make us stronger as a team,” Smith said. The teams, their record has 7 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie, BVS seems to be back on track and moving toward a very successful season. The boys soccer teams’ next game is on Oct. 1 at Edina, at 7:00 against Edina.
Long before the school year officially started, there was one noise in particular that marked the presence of students on the campus: the thwack of tennis balls traveling across the nets of the St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s tennis courts. The 12 girls on the Girls Varsity tennis team come from a wide variety of grade levels, ranging from the youngest player in seventh grade to the oldest girls in 12th. The team is captained by seniors Sheila Sullivan and Isabella Martinez. As a co-captain, Sullivan lists staying positive as “our number one [goal], we always tell our team that before matches.”
Both Martinez and Sullivan hope to keep up team spirit. Junior Pauline Clémence, a Swiss exchange student, sees the goal of the team as “to play our best tennis and to have fun. If we win, it’s [even] better”. This season, the team’s lucky number is six, as it has gained a total of six new players and six returning players. All in all, the team’s new, younger players are a major asset to the team. In terms of strength, Sullivan notes the team’s consistency. “Our strengths are that we all have strong mental drive and are diligent when it comes to working hard in practices or even sudden changes in lineup,” senior Eva Zaydman said. Rivals for the team this year include Breck and Mounds Park Academy. The Girls Varsity tennis team’s
vOLLEYBALL
Visual Editor in Chief
One open, green field greets each of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s girls varsity soccer players as the game begins. The scoreboard looms over the bleachers, expressing that the game hasn’t started yet: Spartans: 0, Visitors: 0 - a clean slate. GVS is led this year by seniors Julia Lagos, Molly Fiedler, Julia Hansen, and Catherine Riley. According to Lagos, the team has only gained a few new play-
ers, including Fiedler, her fellow co-captain. “We definitely have a lot of experienced players who have played on the varsity team before, so that helps matters,” Lagos said. “We have a goal to make it to state and beat Blake,” sophomore goalie Maria Perkkio said. From a more technical point of view, the team’s biggest strength is defense. “We have a really solid defensive back, so not much gets through them because they’re pretty organized,” Lagos said. Perkkio agreed: “I trust my defense a lot; they’re a brick
house.” With a smile, Lagos remarks that the team doesn’t have any weaknesses. “We’re pretty good,” she said. The GVS team is known their team spirit. and that’s what Lagos believes is key. “What keeps girls coming back and playing at school is the sense of community, It’s really nice to have twenty girls who you know have your back.” The girls begin playoffs on Tuesday Oct 7.
GIRLS TENNIS
relationship goes beyond the courts: traditions bring together the team’s members and strengthen their relationships. These traditions include attending the homecoming toga dance together in matching togas: “That’s always really fun,” Sullivan said. Just as the team members had enough faith in their captains to elect them for that position, the captains have even more faith in their team. Martinez describes her teammates as “positive” and “hardworking”, and Sullivan describes the girls as “driven.” The captains aren’t the only ones who admire the team’s positive energy. “All the girls [on the team] are really friendly, and we have fun together,” Clémence said.
Photo Credit: Emily Thissen Photo Credit: Catherine Braman senior captain julia lagos dribbles down the field in a game against Visitation on September 4. The girls defeated Visitation 5-1. “We have a really solid defensive back, so not much gets through them because they’re pretty organized,” Lagos said about the team.
Freshman sophia rose
dives to bump the incoming ball during a
game at the Blake School. “We’re trying to win [the] conference because we just switched to a new conference,” junior Chloe Wilkens said.
Photo Credit: Catherine Braman SENIOR cAPTAIN SHELIA SULLIVAN hits the ball across the net at a recent tennis match against St. Paul Central. Never giving up is key, because“we’ve had a lot of matches that we’ve come back from,” Sullivan said.
Netta Kaplan Managing Editor
GIRLS SOCCER
Boraan Abdulkarim
individually,” sophomore swimmer Kathryn Schemechel said. It’s early in the season, and with two non-scoring invitationals to open competition, the girls currently hold a 1-1-0 record, with a win against Humboldt on Sept. 9 and a close contest against Como on Sept. 16. The team has had a successful season so far, beating Humboldt 81-38 on Sept 9. “Everyone is looking great and trying their best. Our relays are looking strong so that’s something we are excited for,” Schemechel said.
University on Aug. 27. “
JUNIOR CAIT GIBBONS
Online Editor in Chief
Senior cAPTAIN JORDAN MORADIAN fights for the ball in a Boys
15
trying their best,” sophomore Kathryn Schemechel said.
Catherine Braman
Photo Credit: Catharine Braman
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Bump, set, spike—the basics of volleyball are universally recognizable, and it’s hard to forget about the St. Paul Academy and Summit School volleyball team. Still, the team has faced several challenges this year, with almost all new coaching staff and fewer players than in the past. Despite this, they’ve got high hopes for the season. “We’re trying to win [the] conference because we just switched to a new conference, so we think that we have a pretty good chance,” junior Chloe Wilkens said. As part of the new Independent Metro Area Conference, the
team will face off against Blake School, Breck School, Mounds Park Academy, Minnehaha Academy, and Providence Academy. This is a big change from last year, when Visitation and St. Croix Lutheran were the teams to beat in their conference. Something else that took adjusting to were the new coaches. “They’re really great, we have all male [coaches] instead of female this year. We still have two returning—one assistant varsity coach and one C team coach that are still the same as last year,” Wilkens said. “I really like the new staff,” she added. The number of volleyball players has taken a hit as well, with quite a few injuries. “Our pro-
gram is a lot smaller than it has been in the past. We almost had to do two teams instead of three but we pulled it together,” Wilkens said. “We still have some girls who are bubble players, so they play in between JV and varsity.” The younger team will be the most affected by the small size, according to Wilkens. “There’s a wider variety of skill levels on every team which is kind of hard to play as a full team when there’s such a difference between them.” The volleyball team’s next game is on Oct 2 at home at 6:00, against Blake.
14
sp ort s
Sp ort s
september 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Spartan fall sports teams Cross country
Catherine Braman Online Editor in Chief
On a chilly morning before a cross country meet, the runners visualize their upcoming performance in the race. They form a circle, close their eyes, and breathe deeply. This helps them relax before a big race. “I am very positive and can get people motivated,” senior Girls captain Mary Naas said. The Girls team has high hopes to return to the state tournament. Motivated to prepare for the fall season, many runners ran over the
summer with trainer Max Lipset at the Power House at Highland. “[Our goal is] to make it to state again and to hopefully do better than last year. We were a little bit surprised that we made it to state and once we got there I think that our team wasn’t as strong as usual,” Naas said. “What I really like about cross country is that it is a true team sport. The first five runners to finish for your team score the points. The sixth and seventh runners are still important because if they can finish ahead of other teams scoring runners, it makes that team’s score higher,” head coach Rob
FOOTBALL Netta Kaplan Managing Editor
The St. Paul Academy and Summit School football team hasn’t had a great reputation the last few years, and with less than half of the 25 varsity players coming from SPA, school spirit is less-than impressive. (The remaining players come from Mounds Park Academy, Great River School, Twin Cities Acade-
my High School, and Nova Classical Academy.) Still, the Homecoming win over Spectrum High School last year has many hoping for a more successful season this year. “It feels pretty good [coming off the win last year],” Salverda said. But winning takes more than skill and strategy alone, and the team still lacks support from the student body. “It would be a lot nicer if we had a lot more support, but it’s a small school,” Sal-
Donnelly said. Senior Boys captain Mike Destache thinks that “most of the [Boys] team is so young that we are sort of looking to the future, not just this year,” he said. His leadership style is a little more laid back. “I am a lot less serious. It makes it a lot easier for the other athletes to come and talk to me. It makes the other runners more comfortable around me,” Destache said. The next competition for both teams is Conference Championships on Oct. 9 at Battle Creek at 4:30.
Varsity Soccer game against Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Aug. 28 which ended in a 1-0 loss.“[On] game days, [we] generally meet in the lecture room and talk about goals for the game,” Moradian said.
strive for success, wins
SWIM & DIVE Clare Tipler News Editor
The Swim and Dive team at St. Paul Academy and Summit School is splashing into their season with high hopes. The team, the Sparks, co-ops with Highland Park Senior High. SPA contributes 10 swimmers and divers to the Varsity roster. “My hopes are that we can get some new PR’S [personal records] this year as a team and
Photo Credit: Catharine Braman The girls cross country team practices at St. Catherine [Our goal is] to make it to state again and to hopefully do better than last year.
Photo Credit: Clare Tipler swims freestyle in a recent meet against Como Park. “Everyone is looking great and
verda said.Low turnout at games and lack of faith in the team all contribute to an atmosphere of general negativity towards football at SPA. Despite this, the team is still working hard. “The goal this year is to win more games than we did last year and take steps forward to be the best team we can be,” Salverda said. The team has their next game on Oct. 2 at home at 7:00 against the Blake School.
Boraan Abdulkarim Visual Editor in Chief
Photo Credit: Patrick Commers The football team huddles up before the Homecoming game on Sept 19 against Minnehaha Academy. “The goal this year is to win more games than we did last year,” Salverda said.
boys SOCCER
With 14 returning players, the season looks promising for Boys Varsity Soccer. One of the main issues from last season was the numerous new team members who had never played together. “We worked all summer with a lot of commitment from a majority of the team. Over the summer workouts and training helped us form bonds and gel as a team,” junior Quinn Smith said. This year, however, the team will build off of the work it put
into improving last year. “We have some really good young players like eighth grader Eric Lagos and freshman Eli Goldman,” senior captain Jordan Moradian said. Visualization is a huge part of the game. “[On] game days, [we] generally meet in the Lecture Room, talk about goals for the game, and go over the lineup and strategies. A few minutes before walking out on to the soccer field, we turn off the lights, put our heads down, visualize, and put on the song ‘Prayer’ by Kid Cudi,” Moradian said.
After a 12 losses and 3 wins last year, the team has dramatically turned things around. “The season has started out really well. We faced some challenges against Apple Valley, Benilde, and Holy Angels. Those games helped make us stronger as a team,” Smith said. The teams, their record has 7 wins, 3 losses, and 1 tie, BVS seems to be back on track and moving toward a very successful season. The boys soccer teams’ next game is on Oct. 1 at Edina, at 7:00 against Edina.
Long before the school year officially started, there was one noise in particular that marked the presence of students on the campus: the thwack of tennis balls traveling across the nets of the St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s tennis courts. The 12 girls on the Girls Varsity tennis team come from a wide variety of grade levels, ranging from the youngest player in seventh grade to the oldest girls in 12th. The team is captained by seniors Sheila Sullivan and Isabella Martinez. As a co-captain, Sullivan lists staying positive as “our number one [goal], we always tell our team that before matches.”
Both Martinez and Sullivan hope to keep up team spirit. Junior Pauline Clémence, a Swiss exchange student, sees the goal of the team as “to play our best tennis and to have fun. If we win, it’s [even] better”. This season, the team’s lucky number is six, as it has gained a total of six new players and six returning players. All in all, the team’s new, younger players are a major asset to the team. In terms of strength, Sullivan notes the team’s consistency. “Our strengths are that we all have strong mental drive and are diligent when it comes to working hard in practices or even sudden changes in lineup,” senior Eva Zaydman said. Rivals for the team this year include Breck and Mounds Park Academy. The Girls Varsity tennis team’s
vOLLEYBALL
Visual Editor in Chief
One open, green field greets each of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s girls varsity soccer players as the game begins. The scoreboard looms over the bleachers, expressing that the game hasn’t started yet: Spartans: 0, Visitors: 0 - a clean slate. GVS is led this year by seniors Julia Lagos, Molly Fiedler, Julia Hansen, and Catherine Riley. According to Lagos, the team has only gained a few new play-
ers, including Fiedler, her fellow co-captain. “We definitely have a lot of experienced players who have played on the varsity team before, so that helps matters,” Lagos said. “We have a goal to make it to state and beat Blake,” sophomore goalie Maria Perkkio said. From a more technical point of view, the team’s biggest strength is defense. “We have a really solid defensive back, so not much gets through them because they’re pretty organized,” Lagos said. Perkkio agreed: “I trust my defense a lot; they’re a brick
house.” With a smile, Lagos remarks that the team doesn’t have any weaknesses. “We’re pretty good,” she said. The GVS team is known their team spirit. and that’s what Lagos believes is key. “What keeps girls coming back and playing at school is the sense of community, It’s really nice to have twenty girls who you know have your back.” The girls begin playoffs on Tuesday Oct 7.
GIRLS TENNIS
relationship goes beyond the courts: traditions bring together the team’s members and strengthen their relationships. These traditions include attending the homecoming toga dance together in matching togas: “That’s always really fun,” Sullivan said. Just as the team members had enough faith in their captains to elect them for that position, the captains have even more faith in their team. Martinez describes her teammates as “positive” and “hardworking”, and Sullivan describes the girls as “driven.” The captains aren’t the only ones who admire the team’s positive energy. “All the girls [on the team] are really friendly, and we have fun together,” Clémence said.
Photo Credit: Emily Thissen Photo Credit: Catherine Braman senior captain julia lagos dribbles down the field in a game against Visitation on September 4. The girls defeated Visitation 5-1. “We have a really solid defensive back, so not much gets through them because they’re pretty organized,” Lagos said about the team.
Freshman sophia rose
dives to bump the incoming ball during a
game at the Blake School. “We’re trying to win [the] conference because we just switched to a new conference,” junior Chloe Wilkens said.
Photo Credit: Catherine Braman SENIOR cAPTAIN SHELIA SULLIVAN hits the ball across the net at a recent tennis match against St. Paul Central. Never giving up is key, because“we’ve had a lot of matches that we’ve come back from,” Sullivan said.
Netta Kaplan Managing Editor
GIRLS SOCCER
Boraan Abdulkarim
individually,” sophomore swimmer Kathryn Schemechel said. It’s early in the season, and with two non-scoring invitationals to open competition, the girls currently hold a 1-1-0 record, with a win against Humboldt on Sept. 9 and a close contest against Como on Sept. 16. The team has had a successful season so far, beating Humboldt 81-38 on Sept 9. “Everyone is looking great and trying their best. Our relays are looking strong so that’s something we are excited for,” Schemechel said.
University on Aug. 27. “
JUNIOR CAIT GIBBONS
Online Editor in Chief
Senior cAPTAIN JORDAN MORADIAN fights for the ball in a Boys
15
trying their best,” sophomore Kathryn Schemechel said.
Catherine Braman
Photo Credit: Catharine Braman
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Bump, set, spike—the basics of volleyball are universally recognizable, and it’s hard to forget about the St. Paul Academy and Summit School volleyball team. Still, the team has faced several challenges this year, with almost all new coaching staff and fewer players than in the past. Despite this, they’ve got high hopes for the season. “We’re trying to win [the] conference because we just switched to a new conference, so we think that we have a pretty good chance,” junior Chloe Wilkens said. As part of the new Independent Metro Area Conference, the
team will face off against Blake School, Breck School, Mounds Park Academy, Minnehaha Academy, and Providence Academy. This is a big change from last year, when Visitation and St. Croix Lutheran were the teams to beat in their conference. Something else that took adjusting to were the new coaches. “They’re really great, we have all male [coaches] instead of female this year. We still have two returning—one assistant varsity coach and one C team coach that are still the same as last year,” Wilkens said. “I really like the new staff,” she added. The number of volleyball players has taken a hit as well, with quite a few injuries. “Our pro-
gram is a lot smaller than it has been in the past. We almost had to do two teams instead of three but we pulled it together,” Wilkens said. “We still have some girls who are bubble players, so they play in between JV and varsity.” The younger team will be the most affected by the small size, according to Wilkens. “There’s a wider variety of skill levels on every team which is kind of hard to play as a full team when there’s such a difference between them.” The volleyball team’s next game is on Oct 2 at home at 6:00, against Blake.
S t uden t l i fe
16
September 2014. Vol XLII. Issue I.
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
He shoots, he scores Introducing freshman soccer star
Eli Goldman
“
My biggest goal [for the season] is to make the AllConference team as a freshman. Freshman Eli Goldman
Submitted by: Eli Goldman FRESHMAN ELI GOLDMAN POWERS THROUGH a Boys Varsity Soccer game, jumping up to kick the ball back in for his team. “Eli is very driven...towards our team goal of winning and also towards playing his best,” senior Dean Isaacson said.
Emily Thissen Sports Editor
Running around on a green grass field and kicking a ball into the goal has been a part of freshman Eli Goldman’s life since he was 6 years old. Now, in his debut year on
St. Paul Academy and Summit Schools Boys Varsity soccer team, he is the leading goal scorer for the team. But how did he get there? Goldman began his soccer career playing recreational soccer at Lyndale Farmstead Park in Minneapolis. At the age of 8, the earliest age trav-
eling soccer is available, he started playing for Minneapolis United. He is currently playing on the Boys U15 premier team. One of his fondest memories of soccer was from the club team he is currently on. “We won state 4 years in a row. It has made us all like best friends,” Goldman said. High school soccer has been a completely different experience for Goldman. As a freshman playing with seniors, he now faces a whole new level of competition. Intimidation wasn’t an issue for long, though. “Everyone was really welcoming to me, especially the seniors. It was easy to be part of the team,” Goldman said. Along with being welcoming, his teammates have made his transition into the Upper School easy. “I already
had a lot of good friends from my team so I wasn’t too worried going into the first day of school,” Goldman said. Goldmans’ teammates admire him. Aside from saying what a great soccer player he is, sophomore soccer player Colin O’Hern said “he shows people how fun soccer can be.” Senior Dean Isaacson, another one of Goldman’s teammates, also commented on Goldman’s work ethic. “Eli is very driven - towards our team goal of winning and also towards playing his best,” Isaacson said. Getting his homework done is a priority for Goldman, and he makes sure he utilizes all of his study halls and free time well. “I like getting all my work done because if I get home late from a game, it is hard to focus on
finishing homework,” Goldman said. Outside of his already very busy school and soccer life, Goldman’s favorite pastime is hanging out with his friends. “It’s always very laid back and fun,” Goldman says of the time he and his friends spend together. When he and his friends are together, Goldman said they “chill and do whatever comes to mind.” “Me and my friends eat pizza rolls a lot,” Goldman said with a laugh. Goldman has been taking everything in stride, from working hard and playing well with his teammates on BVS to balancing school work and soccer. He has high hopes for the season: “My biggest goal [for the season] is to make the All-Conference team as a freshman,” Goldman said.
Goldman talks life on and off the soccer field Q & A Do you go by a nickname? What is it?
I don’t really have a nickname, but my dad, teammates and my club coach call me ‘E’ short for Eli.
What was your favorite childhood TV show?
I could fly to the World Cup and watch a game, and it would only take me a second
Ninja Turtles
to get there.
What’s your favorite show now?
What’s your dream job?
If you could have any superpower, which one would you have?
Which movie do you think deserves a sequel?
Sports Center.
To fly wherever I want so
To play pro soccer.
Glory Road
Which fictional character from a book or movie would you bring to life?
If you had three words to describe yourself, what would they be?
What would you refuse to do, even for a million dollars?
What smell do you love the most?
Santiago from the movie Goal.
Jump into a trampoline full of rats and spiders for five minutes.
happy energetic talkative
Sweet Martha’s cookies