September 2015 issue

September 29, 2015

THE RUBICON

the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave — St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 43. Issue 1. www.RubicOnline.com • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Vine • Pinterest • YouTube • @ TheRubiconSPA

COVER STORY P.8-9

Unisex bathrooms open, grade spaces go: making SPA safer

HOMECOMING P.16

Girls Soccer plays Friday Homecoming game

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT P.12-13

Student actors talk about the Huss Center for the Performing Arts

TIMES ARE CHANGING

ISSUE INDEX

1 - Cover 2-3 - News

4-5 - Opinions 6 - InDepth 7 - Health 8-9 - Cover Story 10-11 - Feature

12-13 - Arts & Entertainment 14-15 - Sports 16 - Homecoming

ABOUT THE COVER

THE rUBicOn

COVER DESIGN: Meghan Joyce

St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 www.RubicOnline.com • Facebook • Twitter • Vine • Pinterest • YouTube • @TheRubiconSPA

Teaser

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Times are changing

ISSUE inDeX

The halls have buzzed with conversations of policies, spaces, and safety since students returned to school Sept. 1.

Class of 2016 delivers inaugural senior speeches in Huss Center

The Friday assembly tradition of senior speakers continues, but for the first time they take place in the new auditorium of the Huss Center. Inaugural speakers who presented on Sept. 18 set a high bar, sharing dreams for the future, naming labels that must be overcome, and pushing through fears.

Highlights of speeches can be found in the Feature section each week at RubicOnline.

SENIOR SPEECHES began Sept. 18 with opening speakers Emilee Skadron, Liza Bukingolts, and Rachel Hotvedt.

2 The Huss Center brings excitement to the community 1 - Cover 2, 3 - News 4, 5 - Opinions 6 - InDepth 7 - Health 8, 9 - Cover Story 10, 11 - Feature 12, 13 - Arts & Entertainment 14, 15, 16 - Sports

NEWS

SUBMITTED PHOTO: SPA Facebook

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015

New Peforming Arts Center is first step in Building Futures Campaign GITANJALI RAMAN

Online Managing Editor The completion of the Huss Center stands as a proud accomplishment and beautiful space in the community, but it is just the first of multiple building phases envisioned for the Randolph Campus.

The Building Futures Campaign is the official title of the large project planned to improve the school and its facilities. “It is a campaign to talk with donors about the building of facilities,” Head of School Bryn Roberts said.

“People perceive SPA as a top academic institution, whose teaching facilities, especially in the Upper School, aren’t equal to its program,” Director of Institutional Advancement Dorothy Goldie said.

The other phases of the Building Futures Campaign include renovating the Upper School, building a field house, and improving Drake Arena.

“It’s very possible that there could be a new wing for the math and science classrooms. It’s very possible that all of the spaces in the Upper School would be drastically remodeled for languages and the humanities,” Goldie said.

“But it’s very tentative.”

Campaigning for the Huss Center began in 2011. “The Board of Trustees said, ‘Let’s go ahead with [the Performing Arts Center],’ and that’s when campaigning actually began [for the building],” Roberts said.

The renovation and building plan did not begin in 2011 but nearly a decade ago. “There was a master building plan for the cam-

Huss Center lobby becomes popular hang out space CLARE TIPLER Sports Editor

The deep red walls, gray modular furniture, and fantastic lighting make the Huss Center a comfortable place to work and socialize.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gita Raman HEAD OF SCHOOL BRYN ROBERTS poses in the Red Leaf Art Commons of The Huss Center for Performing Arts. “We wanted to raise money for something we really needed for the students in the community,” Roberts said. pus and [the performing arts center] was just one element of it.”

Building a performing arts center had long been a top priority for SPA. During the years 2008-09, there was an [economic] recession; “We waited until we got through the beginning of the recession, then we enacted the plan,” Roberts said.

“It was very interesting when we did the Huss Center. It was overwhelmingly clear that donors agreed it was a top priority for the school,” Goldie said.

The cost for adding new math

and science wings while redoing the history and language wings is estimated at $20-30 million. This is still a tentative plan and the new building is being drawn up.

Donors provide the essential capital for these projects. “The source of money for all capital projects like the Huss Center or a new Upper School comes from donors. It’s important that [an institutions’s] donors agree with the priorities that the [school] sets, or they won’t contribute money, “ Goldie said.

Donor contributions are ap-

sophomore JACK HERMANN

Sophomore Jack Hermann mostly uses the Huss Center to hang out with friends. “It’s a cool space, but also really useful.

I always hang out with friends in the commons,” Hermann said.

“The couches are super comfortable, but I wish we were able to have food and drinks in there. I get that they are trying to keep it clean, so overall I really like it,” he said.

As a new student to the Upper School, freshman Jane Brunell is still getting used to being in high school. “It’s cool, but I don’t really know what it was like without it,” she said. “Inside the theater looks really modern and the outside is pretty functional. I like sitting on the couches to do homework. There are always people there so I feel like I can sit there whenever,” Brunell said.

parent in the Huss Center, with names like Driscoll and Redleaf on commons spaces and other donors etched into the red curving panels on the wall (above):“We wanted to raise money for something we really needed for the students in the community and we wanted to do it without getting any debt or borrowing money.”

“Within a hour of the opening assembly, there were kids sitting in those lounges down there.

They were just using it and it seemed like they had been there forever,” Goldie said.

senior SHAYMUS O’BRIEN

junior KATHRYN SCHMECHEL

freshman JANE BRUNELL

Taking a quick walk by the lounge in the Huss Center, a smell reminiscent of a new car still lingers but all the good seats in the room are taken.

The Huss Center Gala opens the facility to a broader community on Oct. 10 with performances from the Fine Arts students.

“It’s going to be really inspiring,” Goldie said. “When you’re in a facility that top notch, it just changes everything.”

Junior Kathryn Schmechel utilizes the Huss Center during free periods to work on homework.

“It is a very functional space to use, and it usually stays pretty quiet,” Schmechel said.

As a senior, Shaymus O’Brien doesn’t use the Huss Center as much as other students. “With the lounge I don’t sit there all the time, but it’s nice to have. It’s still super new so just looking at it is fun,” he said. “It makes we want to go see our theater program perform because it’s so high-tech and cool-looking,” O’Brien said.

Safe Space task force formed

After both the sophomore and junior benches were removed following reports of targeting behavior, the spaces in St. Paul Academy and Summit School are being reviewed. A recent all-school assembly revealed the results of a student poll conducted last year about the safety of SPA’s spaces. Following this information, a task-force has been created, consisting of one representative from each elected group, various faculty members, and 10-15 additional student applicants. The faculty leaders of the task-force are Dean of Students Max Delgado and US history teacher Nan Dreher. “There’s a lot of wisdom within the students, so [we wanted] a group of students to look at the data to come to their own interpretations and make recommendations for next steps,” Delgado said.

US HISTORY TEACHER NAN DREHER shared results from the Safe Space Survey data in assembly on Sept. 11. All Upper School students were invited to participate last spring, with close to 90% of the student body responding.

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim

NEWS

SEPTEMBER 2015 • THE RUBICON SPANISH EXCHANGE participants pose for a photo at a group gathering. “I hope to give my exchange student a good time here, make him feel comfortable, and let him have a taste of American culture,” sophomore Erik Quillopa said.

Submitted by: Bea Duarte SPA HOSTS: (a to z) Marlee Baron, Barbara Bathke, Sara Bohjanen, Kate Bond, Emily Dieperink, Ellie Findell, Jack Herrmann, Jack Indritz, Peter Kilborn, Jak Kinsella, Hana Martinez, Liam McVea, Maria Perkkio, Cara Pomerantz, Erik Quillopa, Sabrina Rucker, Hannah Stanley, Eli Striker, Emily Thissen, Emilia Topp-Johnson, Enzo Vinholi, Javier Whitaker-Castañeda, Genevieve Zanaska, and Kyle Ziemer.

Spanish exchange offers round-trip cultural immersion AMODHYA SAMARAKOON Health & Wellness Editor

With one thing central thing in common, the study of each others’ national language, teens in the exchange welcome each other into their homes and lives for two weeks to learn more than Spanish or English classes can provide.

Upper School Spanish teacher Rafaela Salido said that “From what I’ve seen, [the exchange] is one of the most memorable things they do in high school … I think they gain in every aspect, not only academically but as a person.”

Host students are not the only ones who benefit from the experience: the 24 students from Colegio Malvar were officially welcomed to St. Paul Academy and Summit School on Sept. 14.

During assembly, they shared a video about their village just outside Madrid.

Host participants met for the first time when the Spanish students arrived on campus the afternoon of Sept. 13. Participants were given contact information for the person they’re hosting beforehand and many have kept in touch via texting and email over the summer.

Junior Sara Bojhanen said she chose to participate in the exchange because it feels more fullfilling. “I wanted to show [my exchange student] American culture and clear up misconceptions,” Bohjhanen said. She states that her favorite part about the exchange has been building a relationship with the spanish students, and hopes to continue those relationships after ths year.

Sophomore Erik Quillopa decided to participate in the Spanish exchange after volunteering in Spain as a freshman and enjoying the sightseeing and Spanish cuisine. “I hope to give my exchange

student a good time here, make him feel comfortable, and let him have a taste of American culture,” he said.

Most host students will go to Spain to stay with a host family over Spring Break in March: “[We’ll both] see more of what every day life is like as a student [in another country],” Quillopa said.

The students who participate in this exchange not only learn to act as hosts and manage time better, but also “become teachers, teaching and being ambassadors of our culture, our class, and our country,” Salido said.

Marriage Equality ruling this summer makes American history STEPHANIE LI

Arts & Entertainment Editor Summer may have been a break from classes, but it wasn’t a break from history, as significant news stories brought social issues to the forefront, none so much as the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality.

“I remember I was in California and I was kind of surprised, except at the same time I was kind of expecting [the legalization of same-sex marriage] because it’s been going on for a really long time and I was like ‘Wow, it’s finally happening,’” senior Karsten Runquist said.

On June 26, 2015, same-sex marriage was legalized by the United States Supreme Court, when Obergefell v Hodges ended with a vote of 5-4, making the United States the 21st country to reach this milestone. St. Paul Academy and Summit School students welcomed the news.

Senior Maren Findlay added, “The gay marriage ruling was really important because I think it’s about time that all 50 states got

with the program.”

Sophomore Lauren Datta said, “I was in San Francisco at the time of the announcement, on a mission trip to help the homeless population. It was amazing to know that when I grow older and I find someone I love deeply, no matter who they are I could go and make the commitment of marriage with them with the protection and support of the state and of the people of the US. It was an amazing morning followed with a car ride across the golden gate bridge with the windows down and my entire group singing along to songs by LGBTQ+ artists. On that Sunday we managed to spend some time at San Francisco PRIDE. The excitement was high and every one was happy. It was definitely a highlight of the summer.”

Supporters waved rainbow colored flags, advocates spread the news all over social media, and Obama called Obergefell to congratulate him on his courage and persistence. That night, the White House was lit with rainbow colors, representing the le-

Fair use image from: Wikimedia THE WHITE HOUSE LIT WITH THE RAINBOW on June 26 after the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in Obergefell v. Hodges making samesex unions legal. “It was a very big breakthrough for our country,” freshman Reuben Vizelman said. galization of same-sex marriage.

Proof that couples are part of a same-sex marriage can now be verified on official documents like birth and death certificates. “[This change] affirms what we already know which is that the public is more accepting of most people now, because a lot of states had already kind of moved towards legalizing gay marriage,” junior Kyle Ziemer said.

A constant battle since the 1970s, same-sex marriage supporters have finally triumphed.

“It was a very big breakthrough for our country,” freshman Reuben Vizelman said.

Junior Ivan Gunthar added, “Finally, the Supreme Court makes the right decision.”

Junior Isabel Buckovsan added, “The marriage equality ruling by the supreme court is definitely a major step towards equality.

However, this is by no means the end of the battle. I am excited to see what changes happen to even further equality in the United States.”

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Refugee crisis ravages Syria LUCAS JOHNSON Sports Editor

Damascus represented a rich and bustling culture before 2011, showcased by swamped markets and colorful buildings packed tightly in the narrow streets.

However, after a ravaging civil war between a long-standing government family and those who wished to remove them from power, Damascus and the surrounding area has been reduced to gray rubble with its people desperately searching for a fresh start. For many, that new beginning will lie in Europe, where Syrian refugees are seeking hostel from the war that turned their lives upside down.

AN ESTIMATED 9 MILLION SYRIANS HAVE FLED THEIR HOMES SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF CIVIL WAR IN MARCH 2011 — UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES In recent months, the European Union has increased their support of those afflicted by this war.

According to syrianrefugees.eu, a collaboration between university and migration policy centers, member states have pledge to resettle 33,000 Syrians, with 85% of those spots pledged by Germany. While that equates to only around 150,000 refugees, the impact that the European Union is having will cement itself in the books of history.

What has made this refugee crisis especially attention grabbing this month has been the circulation of a photo of a young Syrian boy lying motionless on a Turkish beach. He is laying face down, still in his small red tee shirt and sneakers. The photo has rocked the world to its core, bringing renewed conversation about displaced Syrians as refugees, not migrants, due to the dangerous conditions.

During his visit to the U.S., Pope Francis rebuked Congressional Republicans on Sept. 24 for their lack of compassion for the refugees.

According to the government site US Aid.gov, the U.S. has provided $4 billion in assistance to Syrian refugees since 2011.

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OPINIONS

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015

MINI EDITORIALS

WHAT ROLE DOES SAFETY PLAY IN LEARNING? The editorial asserts that protection leads to hypersensitiviey and overreaction, while the counterpoint argues that safety allows for confidence building as adolescent identify forms and students learn.

Editorial Cartoon: Meghan Joyce

Too much safety limits perspective 75% of The Rubicon staff agrees with this editorial

Please go to Opinions at RubicOnline to share your opinion in Comments or as a Letter to the Editor

THE RUBICON STAFF Editorial

It’s a great thing, to be part of a safe and welcoming community. There are no fist fights in the hall, no students arrested for bringing clocks to school, and no one gets sent to detention for appropriately testing authority.

But have you ever been afraid to ask a question because you were afraid of hearing wrath instead of an answer? Stayed silent because you weren’t sure what the most politically correct terminology was? Taken the back seat in a conversation on a touchy subject because you were worried you didn’t know enough about it? It’s not an uncommon or unjustified feeling; after all, no one wants to say something that could unintentionally be perceived as offensive or otherwise hurtful.

St. Paul Academy and Summit School is a safe space until someone gets emotionally or intellectually hurt. Then, ignorance is the crime, and it is punishable with endless verbal attacks and talk behind the offender’s back... and it is a type of offense that never seems to be erased from the small community’s collective memory.

This isn’t to say that it’s bad that SPA is a space where most students feel tremendously safe.

It’s fantastic that students here get to spend years of their lives learning how to collaborate and communicate productively in an environment that promotes shameless self-expression within the bounds of complete respect for one another. It’s fantastic that we self-report an 8 out of 10 on the school’s Safe Space survey.

STUDENTS AREN’T JUST SAFE HERE; THEY ARE BEING KEPT SAFE FROM THINGS THEY DON’T LIKE. It’s great that the administration cared enough to support a Safe Space survey at all, and now we have created a student-centered task force with the sole mission of bumping that perceived safety score as high as it can go.

What isn’t fantastic is that none of it is real.

Students aren’t just safe here; they are being kept safe from things that they don’t like. When students step out of SPA, they are doing it with unrealistic expectations and hypersensitivity to those

expectations not being met. SPA students are in for a culture shock when they leave. There are no Safe Space Task Forces, no micro- (or even macro-) aggression police, no guarantee of unisex bathrooms or trigger warnings or acceptance.

Students who go here are unbelievably lucky to have so many options for developing a standard of respect for one another, but in the long run, people need to also learn how to go without those comforts.

It isn’t about giving up on things that matter personally. It’s about understanding that people are… well, people: programmed to make assumptions and prone to make mistakes, no matter how hard they fight it. Not everyone will walk around with the same SPA-like fear of saying something offensive; some people will let the wrong things slip without thinking twice. And when they do, we can’t let it slide, but we shouldn’t attack either.

The broader world is as horrible as it is beautiful. Being sheltered from the things out there that aren’t comfortable equates to living in denial of them. Facing all of the coarseness of the world with experience and intention is the best way to define one’s character and really make a change.

Safety provided Exchanges build at school essential lifelong connection, awareness for empowerment EDITORIAL COUNTERPOINT It is true that St. Paul Academy and Summit School is not the real world; in the larger community, little regard is given toward the feelings and well being of others. However, the purpose of any school is simple: to learn. Included in the knowledge students aquire in class is an intuition about what’s morally right, respectful, politically correct. Students don’t believe that they are helpless to change the brutality of the world, and it’s essential to instill the confidence that they have the power to right wrongs.

Doing this doesn’t develop weaknesses that will set a student back in the future. On the contrary, students will bring these skills with them to their future offices, studios, businesses or friendships and families.

Most students, to some extent, will have the opportunity to institute some level of change in the world based on their experiences at SPA by contributing to the development of adapted societal norms. And if they can’t do that, at least they will be inclined— although not guaranteed—not to contribute to to the harshness of the real world.

It’s invaluable to have places like SPA as a temporary safe haven from judgement, aggression, and racism. And what more valuable time for a respite than in the education-focused years?

The world isn’t equally harsh: students of color, minority gender, and Muslim students all face harsher racism, sexism, and a spectrum of phobias and ignorance than most of their peers will ever experience. It’s important for students to learn and develop in a school environment in which they are on equal footing with all their peers, free from the real world pressure to change who they are.

Once their identity has the solid foundation of four years of upper school education, students are equipped with the self confidence and strength of philosophy to stay true to themselves, come what may.

Walk into a Spanish class and hear half a dozen native speakers sitting at the table speaking with animation and fluency; it’s worth stopping to appreciate. Student exchanges spark connection and provide glimpses into another culture’s varying habits and lifestyles. The smallest interactions with exchange students make a big impact.

Exchange programs also teach students to respect differences and make students aware that the way they live isn’t the only way to live, and it’s a lesson we don’t have to travel across the world to learn. Appreciation goes to administration for supporting the exchanges, language teachers for coordinating and planning the time, student and family hosts, and those who foster a welcome presence for the exchange students during their visit.

New dress code sets the standards: it’s time to honor them

Adherance and enforcement of dress code last year fell away as students didn’t feel governed by a set of problematic rules under construction. With the new code published in planners and presented at Assembly Sept. 11, there’s no excuse to dismiss the policy. The purpose of the dress code is not to stifle creativity or enforce modest dress; it is to encourage a degree of professionalism in the school. Upper School Council worked hard to incorporate students’ opinion, draft neutral language, and honor diversity. Continued indifference toward the dress code is disrespectful.

It’s time to honor the policy and dress accordingly.

THE RUBICON • St. Paul Academy and Summit School • 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 • rubicon.spa@gmail.com www.RubicOnline.com • Facebook • Twitter • Vine • Pinterest • YouTube • @TheRubiconSPA 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.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR ONLINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ONLINE MANAGING EDITOR NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURE EDITORS COVER STORY EDITOR HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDITOR INDEPTH EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS ONLINE SPORTS EDITOR COLUMNIST VIDEOGRAPHER ADVISER

Boraan Abdulkarim Meghan Joyce Javier Whitaker-Castañeda Diane Huang Gitanjali Raman Lauren Boettcher, Emily Thissen Sophie Jaro Dianne Caravela, Iya Abdulkarim Mari Knudson Amodhya Samarakoon Noor Qureishy Marlee Baron, Stephanie Li Lucas Johnson, Clare Tipler Breandon Gibbons Riley Wheaton Rafa Buettner-Salido Kathryn Campbell, 2015 MN Journalism Educator of the Year

STAFF WRITERS Jake Adams, Jack Benson, Peter Blanchfield, Ellie Findell, Michael Forsgren, Stephanie Fresch, Mimi Geller, Jasper Green, Claire Hallaway, Jonah Harrison, Ethan Less, Ellie Nowakowski, Isa Saavedra-Weis, Krista Schlinger, Garret Small 2014-2015 PUBLICATION AWARDS JEM All-State Gold (Print and Online), MHSPA Best of Show, (Print and Online), NSPA All American (Print) and First Class (Online), CSPA Gold Medal w/ All Columbian Honors, CSPA Silver Crown Award, Best of SNO Medalist, Pacemaker Finalist

MEMBERSHIPS Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association, Minnesota High School Press Association, Quill and Scroll Society PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon is published eight times a school year, We distribute 750 copies of each issue which are available for free.

EDITORIALS Editorials articulate the collective opinion of The Rubicon staff, while mini-editorials, opinions pieces, and columns belong to the author of those works.

BY LINES Authors of full story content are credited in by lines.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or online edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words and may be edited for style.

All pieces must be submitted with a full name.

POLICIES detailed policies are published in the “About” tab at RubicOnline: www.rubiconline.com

5 Community catches a bad case of complaint culture OPINIONS

SEPTEMBER 2015 • THE RUBICON

MARI KNUDSON

Cover Story Editor Like a knee-jerk reaction, one of the most common human responses to change is to complain.

Based on recent backlash from students to changes in the community at the start of the 2015-16 school year, members of St. Paul Academy and Summit School are no exception to the culture of complaining.

Among the popular topics of conversation in the hallways of SPA throughout September were the new developments in school policies and school spaces, including the removal of the junior and sophomore benches and the lack of door on the senior lounge.

While it is reasonable that students want to discuss these changes, the widespread tone of negativity that surrounds these discussions is not.

In small doses, complaining can be a beneficial outlet to express discontent. If students were not allowed to react unfavorably to school developments, there would be a lot of built up frustration and not a lot of critical thinking. Nonetheless, the extent of complaints at SPA isn’t helpful and isn’t getting the community to a place where students can focus on what’s important and central to the larger conversations.

While expressing discontentment can lead to positive action, most often when people complain, they expect sympathy rather than solutions. Any solution that is offered is most likely rejected without a second thought.

COMPLAINING CAN LEAD TO A PATH OF SELF-PITY AND UNHAPPINESS This type of complaining can often lead to a path of self-pity and unhappiness. A study performed by Bogdan Wojciszke in 2009 exploring the psychological impacts of complaining showed they included a decrease in mood.

When people complain without attempting to change their situation, they focus on the negative aspects of their lives, convincing themselves they are worse off than they actually are.

It’s no surprise that complaining can be a source of conversation for students who would otherwise have nothing to talk about.

Other times, students complain to distinguish their refined tastes; for example, students criticizing the school lunch to highlight their gourmet palate, or students opposition towards purchasing sports gear from anywhere other than

name brands. Rather than focus on the negative, students should start small talk about sports, weather, or what’s going well today. These simple alternatives substitute the steady supply of whining with something more mentally stimulating. Despite the prevalence of complaining in the community, aware students have the power to vastly diminish its occurrence. Conversing more conscientiously can go a long way towards reducing complaining. Individuals in the community should challenge themselves to go one week without grumbling. The website A Complaint Free World sells purple bracelets that could be switched from wrist to wrist every time customers catch themselves being excessively critical, challenging them to go 21 days in a row without a complaint.

Perhaps the simplest course of action would be to simply wait an hour after they think of a complaint to voice it, if they even remember it after that long.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Sophie Jaro

COMPLAINTS RAIN DOWN as people learn about school changes this fall, but the complaints offer no solution or comfort.

RUBICOLUMN

LEGOs®: little bricks promote engineering and creativity for all RILEY WHEATON Columnist

Have you ever stepped on a LEGO® barefoot in the dark?

To say that it’s unpleasant is like saying a volcano can be used for warmth. As the otherwise borderline unpalatable comic Tim Hawkins once famously said, “I think we should fight the terrorists with LEGOs®, I really do.” Tim continued, “find a bunch of caves, throw a bunch of LEGOs® at them” and he mimed the pathetic limp we could expect from our unfortunate enemies. Whether or not this last plan could work (and I’m certain it would) we know that LEGOs® are both fun and powerful. However, the company that makes them is descended from carpenters and is incredibly male centered. Does that mean we shouldn’t buy LEGOs®? I don’t think so. LEGOs® are useful in promoting spatial awareness and engineering, for teaching creativity and teamwork.

LEGO® has come under heavy fire for not offering quality toys for girls in their lineup.

While they have knights, firemen, and wizards aplenty, they’re sorely lacking in strong female characters for girls to identify with. After this incredibly moving letter from a young fan and aspiring LEGO® master builder pleading with LEGO® to “make more LEGO® girl people and let them go on adventures” they re-

Fair use image from Flikr Creative Commons WHILE IMPERFECT when representing demographics, LEGO® is still a great tool for creativity and beginning engineering for children of all kinds. leased the now famous “Research Institute” which was so popular that by the time I went to order one it was sold out for the foreseeable future. While I’m excited that one of my oldest recognized brand names is updating itself I’m still frustrated at how slowly they’re moving. Long story short, is LEGO® making progress? Definitely, but they need to get it in gear! However, I’d be doing a disservice to you if I let it stand at that.

IGNORE THE STORY ON THE BOX; WRITE YOUR OWN.

LEGOs® spur a young fascination with engineering. I used to love going over to my cousin Nathan’s house since his base-

ment was a museum of LEGO® structures. He bought the biggest and the most complicated things he could find and he built them with care and precision. He’s now a successful mechanical engineer, exploring how to build the medical devices of tomorrow. Nathan’s not alone; Tiffany Tseng is a graduate researcher at MIT and remembers fondly her days learning about construction, geometry, and space through LEGOs®.

She says that her colleagues often “visit the lab and tell us how LEGO® inspired them to study engineering.” Whether it’s the mindstorms robots or just a house with a roof that needs to stay up, these little bricks can teach kids about their physical world.

LEGOs® are fantastic teaching aids. When teachers try to

encourage creativity they sometimes struggle, but it turns out the solution may be LEGOs® as Christoper Pike claims in his 2002 study on the impact of LEGOs® as teaching tools of creativity. I think Jill VanWey, preschool teacher extraordinaire, would agree with him as she uses these bricks in her classroom in a variety of illuminating ways.

Building with LEGOs® in the classroom also fosters teamwork, and most of all, compromise.

Back in the day I had to work very hard to let go of control of the collaborative building process with the phrase “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” but that which only almost kills us makes us stronger, so it was with me.

Finally, LEGOs® are also fantastic around the house… Or as the house. From coasters to key racks it appears that just about any household item can be built with LEGOs®. Some of these are definite keepers and some may be more trouble than they’re worth but your own tolerance will determine how many of these 24 you choose to acquire for your own dwelling.

A generation of young engineers are standing on LEGO® shoulders, but the brand isn’t doing nearly enough for gender equality. How do we solve this dichotomy? Should we all boycott LEGOs® and burn them in a bonfire? Should we support them in the hopes that they’ll change their ways? This company does good work that assists in the edu-

cation and joy of many around the world and connects different ages and cultures like very little else can, but they’re disappointing us in a really important way.

Here’s what I think: ignore the story on the box; write your own. It’s really the genius of LEGOs® that allows them such wide appeal and power. So build a castle and let the princess save the prince. Build a monster truck, and who’s to say if it’s male or female? Teach the kids to make a house and send the mom off the work while the dad stays home.

Whatever story you want to tell is right there waiting for you.

More than anything else, though, let’s use these bricks and robots in classrooms and teach kids that the world is theirs no matter who says otherwise, and let’s recommit to confounding those Danish carpenters with the most brilliant generation of kick-ass female engineers and scientists the world has ever seen. We’ve been given a great tool, it’d be a shame to let it go to waste.

So go on, pick a brick.

Want to read more from Riley?

Every other Tuesday, The Observatory is published at RubicOnline.com. Follow Riley on Twitter @rileyobservato1

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IN DEPTH

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015 2% Donald Trump

Policy Or Personality?

2% John Kasich

2% Rand Paul

5% Marco Rubio

5% Ben Carson

13% None/undecided

Hillary Clinton

29%

42%

Bernie Sanders PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Clare Tipler

STUDENTS SELECTED THE CANDIDATES they identified with most at this point in the election.

Students deliberate over candidates for the Presidential Election

SOPHIE JARO

Opinions Editor An abundance of bumper stickers, a torrent of campaign slogans, and a hailstorm of heated twitter battles are just a few of the signs that the presidential candidate selection process is underway. Although general elections are over a year away, 2016 presidential candidates have decided that now is persuasion prime time.

Candidates are trying to convince old and young voters with both “policy and personality,” freshman Charlie Gannon said.

This fall, students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, particularly the seniors, are learning to process frequent presidential press releases and form their own opinions.

I’D WANT TO PICK SOMEONE WHO CAN WIN THE PARTY AND BEAT SOMEONE THAT IS ON THE OTHER SIDE. — SENIOR PATRICK COMMERS The first time that voting students will be able to act on their presidential preferences will be at the Minnesota caucuses in March 2016. Unlike a primary, where citizens simply cast their ballots, a caucus is a local gathering where voters openly decide which candidate to support.

Because caucuses attract more hardcore voters, people with a party affiliation are more likely to be involved in the election process at this point. However, the campaigns occurring during the primary elections do not paint a completely accurate presidential portrait. “The thing that is kinda messed up about the candidates right now is that they are applying

far right or left because they are trying to get those ‘crazy’[politically extreme] people to come out and poll for them. To win their own party, they go extremely to the right because they know the people that are loyal to them are gonna stay with them. Then they have to move back to the center to get independents by the general election,” A member of Mike McFadden’s Senate campaign and YMCA Youth in Government, senior Patrick Commers said.

In the general election, people from all parties vote to pick a single president from the candidates provided by caucuses and primaries. With the election timeline featuring campaigns beginning now, caucuses in spring 2016, and general elections in fall 2016, potential voters have a little over a year to decide who they will ultimately vote for. In the meantime, they have to consider what kind of candidate they want as the nation’s next president.

Adhering to party-based politics is one way SPA students sort through the campaigning noise.

“I would be affiliated with the Democratic Party and that narrows it down significantly, especially in this election,” senior Netta Kaplan said. In a poll conducted by The Rubicon, one-third of students reported that party took precedence over individual candidate.

Of the poll respondents who favored a Republican candidate, votes were split between Marco Rubio and Ben Carson. In the same poll, 42.5% of respondents disclosed they favor Democrat Bernie Sanders at this point in the campaign over national frontrunner Hillary Clinton, who only polled at about 30%.

Kaplan considers some of the front-running Democrats: “Clinton is a big, known candidate… she’s just kinda running on the

Democratic Party, really, all the things that they stand for. On the other hand, Bernie Sanders is definitely running on a more leftist platform, on economic issues specifically. He’s been very popular with young people because his strong opinions about wealth gap and wage gap,” Kaplan said.

Social media also has strong influence on exposure and sentiments toward a specific candidate. “The first social media campaign was in 2008. It has grown since then and I think that 2016 will have all different types of social media firing on all cylinders,” Commers accounts.

I THINK ELECTIONS ARE MOSTLY A WAY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO LET US FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A SAY IN WHAT HAPPENS. — SOPHOMORE SABRINA RUCKER Poll respondents listed issues ranging from freedom of marriage to foreign affairs to environmental protection as pivotal to their voting preferences.

Once a student picks a party and pertinent problems, they have to pick a politician who supports more than just their personal opinions, but also has a chance to win for the party. Commers explains, “If you were to look at the three front runners in the Republican Party right now, it would probably be Donald Trump, Ben Carson, and Jeb Bush. I’m not for Donald Trump. In addition, Chuck Todd on NBC was saying Walker or Rubio will be in a good position to win the 2016 election for Republicans. If I had to pick from those, I’d want to pick someone who can win the party and beat someone that is on the other side.” At the time of interview, Commers determined Marco Rubio to hold these winning qualities.

Before a judicious voter can evaluate a presidential contender, they have to hear about all of their voting options. “I love the Snapchat sponsored stories,” Kaplan said, “I felt like the one for the Republican debate was really useful because there were so many candidates.”

Commers explains how nasty social media can become, “especially with various twitter wars that have been going on. This morning it was Donald Trump bashing Bobby Jindal. I also saw some things with Hillary Clinton versus Jeb Bush.”

Social media’s cynical political outlook seems to have infected the SPA community. 55% of students thought that their vote would not make a difference in the general election. “I think elections are mostly a way for the government to let us feel like we

have a say in what happens,” said sophomore Sabrina Rucker.

In spite of listlessness regarding the election process, some students reinforce the significance of fulfilling their civic duty. “I think it is very important for everyone to 1) get involved and 2) get educated on the issues…you can’t really complain if you’re old enough to vote, but choose not to vote, ” said Commers.

“I’m already registered to vote.

I’m trying to get the whole senior class registered before we graduate,” Commers said, “I would like to get as many students as possible to go to the Minnesota caucuses.”

March 1, 2016 will be an exciting day of election mayhem when twenty-four states hold primary elections and caucuses to get motivated voters to vouch for their favorite candidate.

In preparation for the upcoming events, students can explore their party, issue, and candidate preferences on the website ISideWith.com.

33%

Speaking Ability

25% 30%

Political Experience

Popularity among family and friends

12%

Opinons on a particular issues

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Boraan Abdulkarim QUALITIES THAT MAKE OR BREAK student’s choice of candidate are listed above, based on importance.

HEALTH

What’s your

L

SEPTEMBER 2015 • THE RUBICON

Style?

r n n a i g e IYA ABDULKARIM Feature Editor

In every class, information is passed to students through textbook readings, demonstrations, videos and games. These methods target different learning types to allow for understanding.

According to renowned education professor Alan Pritchart’s book, Ways of Learning: Learning Theories and Learning Styles in the Classroom, people began digging deeper into the idea that individuals possess different learning styles around the 1970s. Beginning with the work of Dr. Russel French on different learning styles, the idea that

different people learn in different ways continued to develop. Later on, teacher Neil Fleming developed a categorizing system called VARK (visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic.)

The major cognitive learning styles are commonly used today to define the facets of learning strengths: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.

It’s possible to identify with a single or multiple learning types.

No matter which or how many someone falls under, here are a few methods for studying effectively.

The Visual Learner

VISUAL LEARNERS ARE the most common learning type and benefit from the presentation of information in an observable manner such as in images, diagrams and charts.

As a visual learner, one val- endar is better than Veracross, A more decorative element ues aesthetics and organization. a school planner, and an iPhone would be a bulletin board, hung Studying is significantly more calendar. Being able to see it all up in plain sight. One may put enjoyable when it’s been made allows one to literally visualize up/tack reminders, inspiration, so. There are lots of different any events and assignments. An- and important concepts to keep ideas and tips on how to enhance other suggestion is color-coding, in mind. Finally, sticky notes prohomework, but here are a or having a basic system for notes vide a very efficient system. few of the most successand homework.

After jotting down a phrase ful. Primarily, a visual Furthermore, one may apply or sketching a quick diagram on learner should be able to a color system to folders, note- these handy papers, one can place see all important things. books and binders--if each sub- the piece of paper anywhere and Everything must be jects is assigned a color, finding everywhere. in one place--for exany related material can be done ample, one calwith ease.

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Effective learning behaviors complement learning styles

SOPHOMORE HENRY ZIETLOW draws on a board to illustrate one of the strategies for visual learners. Visual learners value aesthetics and organization.

The Auditory Learner

AUDITORY LEARNERS BENEFIT from hearing information in the form of lectures or discussions. Hearing an idea, and even listening to it over again, is the most efficient way for auditory style students to grasp it.

The most suggested tip for auditory learners is to have background music playing as they work, with or without lyrics.

While music may not work well for everyone who fits into this learning type, some other background noises are a possibility.

In either case, having ear buds, headphones or a speaker may come in handy.

Speaking is another option Talking out loud allows the individual to hear the idea, as would explaining it to someone else.

Asking a friend to explain their understanding of a concept is a

great way to hear a description.

When in doubt, a student may drop by the teacher’s classroom and ask for a brief explanation for clarification purposes.

To stay on top of a busy schedule, students could try using alarms on a computer or smart phones flexibly. Another option, which is also quick and easy with a smart phone, is voice recording.

Whether the task is a quick noteto-self or a description to keep in mind, recording these things and listening to them later serves as the auditory version of sticky notes.

FRESHMEN NINA CIRESI AND KAIA LARSEN act out a discussion - a very effective method for auditory learners.

Talking out loud allows auditory learners to remember an idea better.

The Kinesthetic Learner SOPHOMORE SARAH MURAD poses as if doing a lab, showing one engaging activity which benefits kinesthetic learners.

Movement is an important element in their learning processes.

ALL PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS: Iya Abdulkarim

THOSE WHO IDENTIFY as kinesthetic learners learn through interaction and motion. This ranges from discussing a question with a partner to demonstrating an idea in large group activities.

Opting for physical elements and activities, Kinesthetic learners makes action out of ideas.

Any student who considers themselves kinesthetic has a few options.

It is essential to study in an area with space for movement.

Whether stretching, tapping one’s foot, or using one’s hands to explain a concept out loud, space is needed.

Education consultant Donna Goldberg’s writes in her book The Organized Student, that “They [kinesthetic learn-

ers] learn best when they... act out concepts and construct models.”

Interactivity is also important in a student’s study area, so using a dry erase board to write ideas down or keeping some paper handy may be important.

An article by the VARK website states that “If it can be grasped, held, tasted, or felt it will probably be included.”

Kinesthetic learners appreciate five-minute walk and talks, writing ideas on the board in class, and labs.

For more health & nutrition news, visit The Rubicon health blog Good for You: www.tisgoodforyou.wordpress.com

INFORMATION FROM: VARK website

THE RUBICON

Times are changing at SPA: community re-

Gender neutral bathrooms aim to welcome gender diversity NOOR QUREISHY InDepth Editor

Sleepy infants snuggle in pink or blue blankets. A thin, firm line splits the clothing section in Target; an avenue of pink ruffles parked alongside one with graphic t-shirts sporting ripped superheroes on the other. The bathrooms send a clear message, stick figures and labels guarding the door; there is no third option, no place for those who identify as neither exclusively male nor exclusively female.

Although school often provides little respite from the problems strict gender distinctions supply, this fall, three single-use gender neutral bathrooms have been provided for students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School that identify as non-binary or otherwise.

“In May of last year, Lauren [the Vice President of GSA] and I went to a faculty meeting and talked to the faculty about getting the single use adult bathrooms for non-binary students,” junior Isabelle Bukovsan, President of the Gay Straight Alliance Club said. “There wasn’t that much resistance, [but] some people were confused about why people needed them in particular.”

Freshman Benjamin Atmore has also seen a lack of awareness in the community.

“I don’t know if there’s much knowledge about them in the 9th grade...I’m noticing that there’s a lot less gossiping [about which gender] people identify as. People are using the appropriate pronouns for other people - even I, within a week, have learned them,” Atmore said.

THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF BACKLASH; [IT WAS MOSTLY] LOGISTICS. -SOPHOMORE LAUREN DATTA Sophomore Lauren Datta, the Vice President of GSA, also hasn’t seen a negative response.

“There was not a lot of backlash; [it was mostly] logistics,” she said. “The bathrooms will make a difference for non-binary people. It’s a good way for them to find acceptance with themselves about their gender…[I’ve seen] friends going through it;it can be incredibly stressful for them,” Datta said.

Although many are familiar with LGBTQ+ terms, (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other identities), knowledge about non-binary individuals is limited in the SPA community. Someone with a

non-binary identity identifies as neither completely male nor completely female. Therefore, to be made to choose a gender every time they enter the bathroom causes anxiety.

“I know for me, [going to the bathroom has] been a lot better because [gender neutral bathrooms] decrease the stress a whole lot. It makes it feel like the community is more aware of my existence…[my gender identity] feels more like a real thing, rather than just something that I have inside of me,” Bukovsan said.

[MY GENDER IDENTITY] FEELS MORE LIKE A REAL THING, RATHER THAN JUST SOMETHING THAT I HAVE INSIDE OF ME. —JUNIOR ISABELLE BUKOVSAN Identifying as non-binary themself, Bukovsan uses the gender neutral bathrooms. “[The bathrooms] allow the stress and angst to be taken down a little because [non-binary people] are not forcing a gender onto themselves,” Bukovsan said.

Last year, some measures were taken to ensure that students who identified as non-binary could use the adult single-use bathrooms, even if they weren’t specifically gender neutral.

“I was advocating for it with the rest of GSA,” sophomore Alex Duval said.“It kind of starts to break down that instant boygirl type thing…[the bathrooms] start that conversation,” Duval said.

However, they doesn’t believe they will make much of a difference for people outside of the LGBTQ+ community: “I haven’t seen many people give it much thought except us four [non-binary students], who are really relieved,” Duval said.

Bukovsan believes that having gender neutral bathrooms is an essential step to making the school community a more welcoming place for all.

“There should be something that’s there even if there are no [non-binary students] because there could be someone coming later, someone who’s visiting.

[Having gender neutral bathrooms] also presents a more open and progressive community,” Bukovsan said.

Datta agrees: “It’s something very simple to do...it gets people used to diversity. We need to plan for students who are coming to this school,” she said.

Atmore echoes this sentiment.

“Even the last few years, coming

out and identifying as non-binary has become a lot more common...I feel that for future generations that will definitely make a difference,” he said.

Reactions from students have left something to be desired, but have been mostly positive.

“I think a lot of people will think it’s weird or it doesn’t affect them [in the future]...[but the response] seems to be really good so far,” Datta said.

Bukovsan has seen a similar response. “A lot of people are like ‘there are more bathrooms closer to me!’” they said. “It’s not being taken as something very strange and weird, but I think there’s a lack of awareness about why it’s happening.”

Although the installation of gender neutral bathrooms is a positive change for the community, this solution remains far from perfect.

It can still be inconvenient and uncomfortable for non-binary students to use the gender neutral bathrooms since they tend to be significantly farther away than the gendered Upper School bathrooms.

“In some situations I use the gendered ones to avoid those conversations,” Duval said “You don’t want to explain why [it takes so long], but there are also some people who would rather take a long walk than go to the more convenient one,” they said.

Naturally, this problem varies from person to person; for some, it’s not uncomfortable at all to make the long trip.

Regardless of the difficulties the bathrooms present, Duval is immensely happy to have them.

“It’s really invalidating to not have something for you there… [so] just having the option is better than not having it at all,” Duval said.

However, both Bukovsan and Datta’s opinion is that “just having the one is great progress, but obviously the goal is to completely remove the genders from the bathrooms.”

Bukovsan is optimistic about the changes in the community the gender neutral bathrooms could initiate: “It was a fair amount of work for GSA so I’m glad people are noticing...willingness to learn is the most important thing, because if people aren’t willing to learn nothing’s going to change.”

GENDER V OC

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COVER

AB

R A L U

Y

GENDER BINARY: SYSTEM CREATED BY SOCIETY WHICH SPLITS GENDER INTO TWO CATEGORIES, MALE AND FEMALE

CISGENDER: ONE WHO IDENTIFIES WITH THE GENDER THEY WERE ASSIGNED AT BIRTH GENDERQUEER: COMMONLY HELD IDENTITY OF THOSE WHO IDENTIFY OUT OF THE GENDER BINARY

TRANSGENDER: ONE WHO DOES NOT OR DOES NOT EXCLUSIVELY IDENTIFY WITH THEIR GENDER ASSIGNED AT BIRTH. ENCOMPASSES MANY DIFFERENT IDENTITIES.

CISSEXISM: SOCIETAL SYSTEM OF PREJUDICE AGAINST THOSE WHO DO NOT IDENTIFY AS CISGENDER

ALL-GENDER PRONOUNS: RANGE OF PRONOUNS THAT REST OUTSIDE THE TYPICAL GENDER BINARY. EXAMPLES: ZE, HIR, AND HIRS; THEY

ubicOnline.com Check out Rubiconline to read more stories on changes to the SPA community.

9

STORY

• SEPTEMBER 2015

-examines long established practices Dress code evolves to include less gendered wording Hats are not permitted in classrooms, class meetings, assemblies, or the library Another item of clothing must be worn under sheer pants and tops

Strapless tops are not permitted

Sleeve openings on tops must extend no lower than midway down the rib cage Shirts must extend below the waist, over the navel area Undergarments must not be visible to others, except for over-the shoulder bra straps

Pajama pants are not permitted

Footwear must be worn at all times

Pants, dresses, skirts, and shorts must extend to at least mid-thigh

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Mari Knudson THE NEW DRESS CODE’S language is now more gender neutral and aims to incorporate the needs of the many cultures and generations represented in the community. “It’s always difficult to satisfy the needs of every individual in the school, but through surveys and public forums, I think that the final result was great,” sophomore Adnan Askari said.

NOOR QUREISHY InDepth Editor

Like the many shades of fall everywhere from crusty brown, to a deep, vibrant red or sunny yellow - closets are ordinarily packed with clothing of every persuasion.

The material, style, shirt or short length that makes one person feel secure in their skin won’t work for someone else with a different personality, body type, gender identity, or any other distinguishing feature.

This year, students at Saint Paul Academy and St. Paul Academy won’t need to face as many restrictions as they did last year with the dress code, as a new draft sticks to less gendered language and new guidelines for faculty to report on discrepancies with students.

Junior Sarah Wheaton and sophomore Adnan Askari answer questions about the new dress code below.

Q: In what ways do you think the dress code changed for the better this year? In what ways did it become worse?

Sarah: I think the biggest improvement was updating the language of the dress code to actually match what is expected day to day [...] I also think the effort to make it less gendered is also an important step.

Adnan: I think it’s really important that the new dress code is gender neutral – it prevents one gender from being targeted more frequently than another [...] Additionally, limiting dress code enforcement to the Dean or Mr. Hughes ensures that the exact same standards are set for all areas of the school.

Q: How do you feel about the dress code right now? (Any problems you’ve noticed, your reaction to it, how it’s affected you personally) Sarah: I still think that the system of enforcement is somewhat uneven and a lot slips through the cracks, which sometimes makes people feel slighted when they are called out and others are not.

Adnan: As someone who only wears dress shirts and sweatshirts, the change in the dress code had a small impact on me personally.

Q: How have you seen other people react to the dress code? (what seems to be the general consensus on it?)

Sarah: I think this is just officially announcing something that has been rumored and essentially in place for quite a while, so there isn’t as much “buzz” as there sometimes is about major announcements. However, it does seem that opinions about it are certainly that it is an improvement.

Adnan: Overall, the response I’ve seen has been very positive, but there are still some complaints. Some of my friends are frustrated that our stance on hats has yet to change Q: Why do you think its been so difficult defining a “school appropriate” but also non-sexist dress code for the SPA community?

Sarah: Girls are encouraged to wear clothing that shows a lot of skin, and guys are taught that this is “provocative” behavior meant to entice and distract them. The way that this has developed makes

it extremely difficult to create an “equal” dress code, because men and women are expected to play different, albeit unhealthy, roles.

It’s great for SPA to try and combat that, but we can’t completely erase it.

Adnan: All changes in the dress code had to go through the administration, so it was difficult to find the right balance between promoting an inclusive, non-sexist environment, and making sure that no clothing items can come across as offensive or not school appropriate.

Q: Do you think the dress code adequately addresses the interests of people of all cultures and genders as it claims to, including genderqueer people?

Sarah: No dress code is ever going to satisfy [everyone]. There are definitely people who believe that being told that what they wear is not appropriate is never acceptable and always shaming and sexualizing. There are others, particularly older adults, who would rather the code be stricter than it is. I personally think USC [...] has done a very nice job.

Adnan: It’s always difficult to satisfy the needs of every individual in the school, but through surveys and public forums, I think that the final result was great. Still, as always, there are places to improve.

Q: What changes would you like to see in it in the future?

Sarah: I think teachers shouldn’t be asked to confront students directly. I once had a male teacher say to me “I will never call a female student out on the dress code because I don’t want her to feel like I’m judging her clothing and body while I’m teaching her.” [...] I have heard it suggested that when teachers want to call someone out they instead tell the dean, who then finds the student and talks to them [...] this could alleviate some of the problems.

Adnan: Hats.

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FEATURE

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015

Sophomores balance two science courses EMILY THISSEN News Editor

As part of a significant shift in science curriculum offerings, sophomores had the option of taking both Biology and Chemistry this year.

Due to the changes in the science curriculum for the whole Upper School, in which students take Physics 9 freshman year rather than Earth Science, a new possibility for those students who love science opened up. Twelve students in the sophomore class are doubling up, taking Biology (the class for tenth graders) and Chemistry. “We decided to offer a group of students that were currently in ninth grade honors science and also meeting certain criteria within our mathematics program the option of enrolling in both Honors Biology and Honors Chemistry,” US Science Department Chair Karissa Baker said.

Sophomore Emilia Hoppe has taken the opportunity to double up. “So far I am really enjoying taking two science classes because they are both interesting to learn about,” Hoppe said.

At SPA, workload is something many students have to overcome,

PHOTO CREDIT: Meghan Joyce SOPHOMORES IYA ABULKARIM, EMILY CARTER, AND EMMA HILLS work on problems in their Honors Chemistry class. “I’m happy I got the opportunity to complete both subjects this year to open up my options for the coming years,” sophomore Emily Carter said. and adding a second science class puts extra pressure on students.

But most say they are handling it well. “It’s just like taking another class, so it’s an extra 45 minutes or so of work compared to last year,” Hoppe said, “ but it isn’t too overwhelming.,” Hoppe said.

The idea of walking from one science class to a second, different science class on a completely different subject may seem daunting, but Hoppe is taking it in stride. “Leaving Bio and walking

12 SOPHOMORES ARE DOUBLING UP, TAKING BOTH BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY. to Chemistry is a lot less mentally exhausting than I thought it would be before the school year started,” Hoppe said. “They are two very different environments with all different people and I think that makes it easier to transition.”

One benefit, which weighed into most students’ decision to take two science courses, was the opportunity to have more class choices in the future. “I’m happy I got the opportunity to complete both subjects this year to open up my options for the coming years,” sophomore Emily Carter said.

“We want to allow students to further explore areas of interest and passion within the sciences through the future implementation of second-level electives and

the selective Advanced Science Research course,” Baker said.

Besides the requirements to be considered for taking a double science course, all of the students share one thing: a passion for science. “I’m the type of person who really likes to learn and understand new things. Science class has always been a place where this type of learning is abundant and, as nerdy as it sounds, I’m excited to get to learn so much in one year,” Hoppe said.

Urban geocaching: it’s the trend that’s geo-catching on EMILY THISSEN News Editor

Hundreds of people walk by a certain stop sign every day without giving it a second thought.

However, that stop sign has a secret: it conceals a small, magnetic tube, inside of which is a small slip of paper. Every so often, someone nonchalantly approaches the stop sign, locates the magnetic tube, removes and signs the slip, returns the tube and walks away as if nothing had happened.

This mysterious person is a geocacher, and concealed in that stop sign is a small container called a cache.

Originating in 2000, after GPS technology became widely available, geocaching has built a community of participants, including those in the local Twin Cities area. The rules are simple: after selecting a nearby cache, participants use GPS technology to locate its coordinates. The only requirements are a smartphone with GPS and a free Geocaching.

Read more FEATURE on ubicOnline.com @TheRubiconSPA

com membership, making it easy for anyone to participate.

With nearly 20 geocache sites within a one mile radius of St. Paul Academy and Summit School, the activity is readily accessible for SPA students willing to give it a try. Those who enjoy nature hikes or exploring the city may be attracted to geocaching.

While the cache is a most often a box and contains no actual treasure, participants are encouraged to leave non-food items such as a small toy in the cache for the next person. Additionally, each cache contains a log-book for finders to sign, allowing cachers to see who was there before them.

Part of geocaching etiquette includes not revealing the existence of the cache to onlookers.

If the cache is located in a busy area, participants are expected to locate the cache as quickly as possible and sign it before bystanders, known colloquially in the geocaching community as “muggles”, can realize what is happening. This air of secrecy

adds to the excitement and challenge of the activity.

Geocaches can be hidden in any number of places, ranging from inside a street sign to underground. Some are located in more secluded nature sites and others are stashed along a busy street.

Caches also come in all sizes and type; some simply contain a slip of paper for participants to sign,

GEOCACHES CAN BE HIDDEN IN ANY NUMBER OF PLACES, RANGING FROM INSIDE A STREET SIGN TO UNDERGROUND. others are full to the brim with various knick-knacks.

There are more than a dozen different types of caches, including Mystery and Puzzle Caches, for which geocachers must solve a puzzle to determine the cache’s

See more images online and share your geocaching stories with us in the comments.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mari Knudson CACHES, such as this one, contain various small prizes such as pencils, pens, temporary tattoos, beads, and newspaper. Anyone can begin geocaching with just a smartphone with a GPS and a free Geocaching.com account. coordinates. Additionally, a type called EarthCaches allow participants to learn about geological processes by including educational notes with the coordinates of the cache.

Although the prizes geocachers obtain may be not be extremely valuable, participants know

they serve mostly as mementos to the experience. Of the many reasons people geocache, some enjoy exploring new parts of town or the outdoors; others enjoy the time spent with friends and family; others still simply revel in the thrill of a real life treasure hunt.

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FEATURE Expanding faculty includes new and familiar faces SEPTEMBER 2015 • THE RUBICON

Anderson implements new P.E. courses, Fitness for Life changes MARLEE BARON

Arts & Entertainment Editor

PHOTO CREDIT: Iya Abdulkarim PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER CARI JO ANDERSON teaches Fitness for Life. “As I learned more and more about SPA, I decided that I really wanted to be a part of the community,” Anderson said.

“P.E. instills a passion for sports and education, and is very beneficial for learning,” Upper School physical education teacher Cari Jo Anderson said.

She hopes to bring energy to the St. Paul Academy and Summit School physical education program. While this is her first year at SPA, it will be Anderson’s fourth year teaching P.E. and health. She formerly taught at St. Anthony as a P.E. and health teacher.

“I learned more and more about SPA, I decided that I really wanted to be a part of the community,” Anderson said.

I AM OPEN TO ALL IDEAS FROM STUDENTS ABOUT THE NEW ELECTIVES SINCE THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR I’M OFFERING THEM. — PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER CARI JO ANDERSON She has already introduced two new P.E. courses available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors, one for each semester. During the first semester, Anderson will be teaching about team and individual sports.

“We will be playing a lot of games and having fun tournaments,” Anderson said.

Anderson hopes to focus on weight training and conditioning in the second semester course.

“I am open to all ideas from students about the new electives since this is the first year I’m offering them,” Anderson said.

Also different from last year, Fitness for Life will include a brief health and fitness lesson during almost every class, as opposed to alternating between P.E. and health classes. Much of the curriculum will also remain the same, as Anderson plans to have a nutrition unit, and teach all freshmen CPR and AED.

Reid directs bands with a strong note BREANDON GIBBONS Online Sports Editor

Walk into the band room and it’s not uncommon to hear loud melodies and syncopations and, until his sabbatical, to see US band director Bill Mayson in front, conducting the band. For the first semester, while Mayson is away, Randy Reid is the man leading the Intermediate and Advanced Jazz bands, as well as the middle school band.

Reid has been teaching for 17

years, after spending time at Edgerton, Mounds Park Academy, and The Blake School.

“When I was at Mounds Park Academy many years ago, I had two Jazz Ensembles there, and I really enjoyed doing the Jazz ensemble aspect of the program,” Reid said.

In his first weeks at SPA, Reid has seen a lot of great things in the band room.

“The Intermediate Jazz Ensemble has been really great to work with. They’ve made lots

of progress in just the first three weeks of school,” Reid said.

“The Advanced Jazz Ensemble has really blown me away with their ability to learn stuff quickly,” he added.

Reid will be the first band director to lead the bands in the new Huss Center.

“It’s a beautiful space,” Reid said of the auditorium, “I’m looking forward to being the director that gets to have the Jazz Ensemble play in there for the first time—It’s really cool.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Dianne Caravela BAND DIRECTOR RANDY REID conducts an Advanced Jazz Band rehearsal. “[They] have really blown me away with their ability to learn stuff quickly” Reid said.

Mr. Tisel returns to school as Dr. Tisel, joins upper school Science Department MARLEE BARON

Arts & Entertainment Editor

PHOTO CREDIT: Dianne Caravela SCIENCE TEACHER JIM TISEL teaches a senior physics class. “I want to share the subject of physics,” Tisel said.

US science teacher Jim Tisel is known as a middle school math and science teacher, but after finishing his doctorate, Tisel has begun the career he has always wanted. “I remember sitting in the library in 12th grade telling my friends that I wanted to be a high school physics teacher and a basketball coach,” Tisel said.

Tisel, who started working at St. Paul Academy and Summit School a decade ago in 2005, has taught all over the world.

He worked in Germany, teaching physics and mathematics, and at the John F. Kennedy German-American school in Berlin teaching math and physics to students in grades 7 through 12.

Tisel has also worked in at the American School of the Hague in the Netherlands teaching both subjects.

“I want to share the subject of physics—I really enjoy the subject and I want students to be inspired to do more physics in their future[s],” Tisel said. ”I really loved the energy in the middle school.”

I WANT STUDENTS TO BE INSPIRED TO DO MORE PHYSICS IN THEIR FUTURE. — UPPER SCHOOL PHYSICS TEACHER JIM TISEL Even though he will miss that energy, Tisel is excited about working in the Upper School doing what he’s always dreamed of doing.

Wickstrum wants athletics to provide valuable lessons BREANDON GIBBONS Online Sports Editor

For the first time in Saint Paul Academy and Summit School history, there is a female Athletic Director.

Dawn Wickstrum is the new Director of Athletics. She was hired last spring from the Frances Park School in Chicago, Illinois.

She officially took over the position on July 1 from former Athletic Director Peter Sawkins.

In Wickstrum’s first year she doesn’t want to completely overhaul the program: “I want to observe this first year,” Wickstrum said, “...what I really don’t want to do is to come in and change

I WANT PEOPLE TO LEARN LIFE LESSONS FROM THE ATHLETICS AT OUR SCHOOL. — DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS DAWN WICKSTRUM everything this program does, because it is a great program.”

In the first few months of Wickstrum’s tenure, there has already been some change in the program after the resignation of former Boys Basketball coach Kevin McKenzie and the hiring

of Isaiah Wallfred to replace him, in addition to the promotion of Matt Funk from Assistant to Head Coach for Boys Hockey.

Wickstrum’s long term goal for the program focuses on more than just sports. “I want people to learn life lessons from the athletics at our school, because most of our student athletes do not move on to play in college,” Wickstrum said.

Wickstrum is “really excited to start the year and see what the program is like,” she said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Diane Huang For more about Wickstrum, go to RubicOnline.

Dawn Wickstrum sits at her new desk after assuming the position of Athletic Directer from Peter Sawkins. “I want people to learn life lessons from the athletics at our school,” Wickstrum said.

RUBI REVIEW

GIPHYCAM adds creative, funky effects to animate photos BORAAN ABDULKARIM

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Editor-in-Chief

A small fish in a wide sea of video editors, Giphy Cam allows users to create GIFs in two waysby creating a stop-motion video out of a series of photos or simply through a normal video recording. The app offers a variety of filters, stickers, and moving effects that range from cutesy (cat whiskers and ears) to crazy (a projection of pizza and donuts raining from the sky that overlays the background of the image). The app is easy to use; one can go from zero to GIF in ten seconds flat. The finished product is also easy to share through text messaging, Insta-

gram, or saving to camera roll. What’s more, Giphy Cam is free. However, this app is lacking in that the speed of the stop-motion video can’t be adjusted and there is no photo upload feature to turn previously taken photos into a stop-motion video. Overall, it’s an infectious app that threatens to leave you making exaggerated expressions at your smartphone all afternoon.

4.5/5

Fair use iamge from: GIPHY Official Website GIPHYCAM provides students with a way to personalize videos and easily share them on various social media outlets, message, or email.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015

Wilson movie shot in Woodbury with Maya Shrestha LUCAS JOHNSON Sports Editor

The quiet suburb of Woodbury goes about its business on a breezy July afternoon. Families walk their dogs, a group of teens bikes by on their way to the baseball diamond, Hollywood star Woody Harrelson walks calmly through a park, and a couple enjoys a picnic in the sun. Wait a second. Woody Harrelson is in Minnesota? Wait scratch that Woodbury?

Harrelson, among other Hollywood names, was here this summer filming Wilson. The movie is an adaptation of a graphic novel initially written by Daniel Clowes. The story follows a middle aged and divorced Wilson who reunites with his estranged wife only to discover that he has a teenage daughter.

Clowes’ other graphic novels have made the leap from print to film with his work Ghost World

recently made into a comedy film featuring Scarlett Johansson.

Not only was this a local film in terms of location, but also in terms of talent; sophomore Maya Shrestha was cast as an extra when the movie was filmed down the street at Cretin Derham Hall.

“I actually found a notice online that said they wanted teenage extras for the movie so I went in and filled out some information and they took a picture of me. A couple weeks later I got an email saying that I was going to be an extra that gave me some information about the shoot,” said Shrestha.

Now most of us common folk would not think of a Hollywood set as being a place where the stars are interactive extras, but this was not the case on the set of Wilson.

Claims Shrestha, “There was one point between takes when the crew was moving the camera angle when Woody Harrelson start-

ed to pass a soccer ball back and forth with his personal assistant and it came over to a group of extras so he invited us to come play with him which was pretty cool.”

But that’s not where the friendliness stopped.

“After the shoot was over the extras were together eating and talking and Isabella Amara, who is playing Woody Harrelson’s daughter, came down and introduced herself to us and talked which was really cool because she was the same age as a lot of us,” said Shrestha.

Maybe our Minnesota nice rubbed off on them a bit.

In addition to being an excellent opportunity for people to get involved in a high-profile Hollywood film, the fact that the movie was filmed entirely in Minnesota will be a big test for the state’s film industry.

According to WCCO news, the producers are “giving a thumbsup to the locations and the local

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Glenn Baron WOODY HARRELSON was spotted strolling on the streets of Woodbury near the shooting location. talent they’ve found,” which is great news for the future of Minnesota as a filming destination.

This is the first time a prime time movie has been filmed here since the Coen Brothers filmed A Serious Man in the Twin Cities back in 2009. Wilson is set to hit

theaters in 2016 and Minnesota movie-makers everywhere hope the film is a success that will categorize Minnesota as a prime location for filming.

Artist Activists advocate feminism through photography gained more experience over the years following her project. “The biggest thing I’ve learned is that as a white person, my thoughts surrounding feminism aren’t the same as everyone’s, especially women of color .. because they are dealing with things like systemic racism and oppression,” she said. After learning more about social justice issues, Edstrom’s views and knowledge of these problems developed.

AMODHYA SAMARAKOON Health and Wellness Editor

Activism takes on many forms, but rather than using speeches and campaigns, many students use art to convey their message.

Artist activists use varying mediums to educate people and mobilize change.

Junior Nora Kempainen used her photography skills in an art activism project on rape culture and sexism last year. She developed the idea in photography class for an assignment called a Power Project, meaning the students had to use photography to convey their stance on an issue regarding traits such as gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. “I chose to photograph sexism/rape culture because it’s an issue that is very important to me and I don’t think that enough people are really aware of it,” Kempainen said.

THE BIGGEST THING I’VE LEARNED IS THAT AS A WHITE PERSON, MY THOUGHTS SURROUNDING FEMINISM AREN’T THE SAME AS EVERYONE’S — JUNIOR MAYA EDSTROM Rape culture is a phrase to symbolize the actions many people participate in everyday which promote or validate sexual violence in society, specifically tar-

MAKING PEOPLE AWARE THAT [RAPE CULTURE] IS A PROBLEM IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS FIXING IT. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Amodhya Samarakoon JUNIORS NORA KEMPAINEN AND MAYA EDSTROM SHARE their photography with the community.

“Some people, especially those who do not experience objectification, mainly those people who do not identify as female, don’t actually think it affects their classmates, and I wanted them to see on a personal level that it does,” Edstrom said. geting women. Examples of this would be catcalling, victim blaming in events of rape and harassment and objectification. “Women are so often objectified and put down by society and by their peers … So many people, even in our own community, think that rape jokes are funny and that it is okay to treat women a certain way because of [their appearance] or certain decisions that they choose to make,” Kempainen said.

It’s normal for anybody who puts their opinion out in public to face backlash, but Kempainen states that she wasn’t concerned

about people acting defensively about her project.

“I think if people are truly educated on the issue then they won’t react negatively to it, and if they do get defensive, they likely don’t fully understand the issue.”

One of her main motives behind choosing this topic, besides her strong personal opinion on it, was to raise awareness. “Making people aware that it is a problem is the first step towards fixing it,” she said.

Similarly, junior Maya Edstrom created an art activism project called Not An Object

which also focused on rape culture, specifically the objectification of women. “I was starting to educate myself about feminism and other social justice issues .. it’s an important issue as I and many other [people] face daily,” Edstrom said.

Her project included photographs of women in her class with the phrase “Not An Object” written across their foreheads paired with handwritten notes detailing their personal experiences with objectification.

Edstrom states that she learned a lot as she did research and

— JUNIOR NORA KEMPAINEN Much like Kempainen, Edstrom realized that many people are uneducated about the focus of her project. “Some people, especially those who do not experience objectification, mainly those people who do not identify as female, don’t actually think it affects their classmates, and I wanted them to see on a personal level that it does,” Edstrom said.

Artist activism like these two projects - using members of the school community - ensures that the message is loud and clear.

RUBI REVIEW

The Weeknd tops charts over the weekend BREANDON GIBBONS Online Sports Editor

Abel Tesfaye, better known by his stage name “The Weeknd,” continues his rise to the top of the music world after he dropped his second studio album Beauty Behind the Madness. The record includes three singles: “Can’t Feel My Face,” which has been able to reach the number one spot in the American charts, “The Hills,” and “Earned It,” a song from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. The album is truly unique because it solidifies The Weeknd’s style, his falsetto, the powerful synthetic bass hits, and the slow tempos coupled with his powerful

lyricism. His inspirations: Prince, Michael Jackson, and R. Kelly, have clear impacts on his sound.

He is able to couple those inspirations with his own lyricism, comprised of a slowed down, modern beat. He is able to combine all these to create a cohesive sound that is very simple, yet powerful. On the 12th track of the album, “Dark Times,” featuring Ed Sheeran, the two artists are able to mesh their sounds effectively and alternate verses, while simultaneously exhibiting their own identity and style.

4/5

Fair use image from: The Weeknd Official Website THE WEEKND ALBUM FEATURES 14 unique songs that add new rhythms and sounds to the music charts .

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT SEPTEMBER 2015 • THE RUBICON

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Theater students respond to new performing arts center LAUREN BOETTCHER News Editor

With its white walls, tall windows, and plush seating, the newly opened Huss Center for the Performing Arts is truly a work of art on its own. However, many students may not see more than that. Aside from becoming a new place to study, socialize, and hold assemblies, the Huss Center seems to be a simple extension of the school; for some students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, this building represents a new chapter in the school’s history.

While SPA’s debate team and other academic programs have long been praised as some of the school’s most impressive groups,

the Drama program has time and again been overlooked and undervalued. The Huss Center features an auditorium capable of seating the entire Upper School, with state of the art sound engineering and a large stage that will allow the Drama program to make itself right at home.

“Rehearsals [for performances] were at the lower school campus on Goodrich. it’s a nice space but it took a while to get everyone over to there in order to rehearse, so we lost a bunch of time doing that every day,” junior Phoebe Pannier said. Regarding thoughts on the theater’s and stage’s significant size change, senior Justin Zanaska added, “It’s a bigger stage, and that allows us to try lots of different things we

weren’t able to [at] the small lower school.”

The relocation of the Drama department to the Upper School will also provide students with an interest in Drama the opportunity to try it out for the first time.

“It’s a really fun thing to do and it’s always nice to work with a large variety of people. I hope it’ll make theater seem more accessible to people who want to try it out, even if only for one show,” Pannier said.

With the dates for the fall play The Laramie Project quickly approaching, the Huss Center will no doubt help the Drama program continue to excel. “I am so incredibly grateful to the people who donated in order to make it possible,” Pannier said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Boettcher THEATER STUDENTS GET EXCITED about performing in the new Huss Center. From left to right: junior Kyle Ziemer, senior Maren Findlay, juniors Phoebe Pannier, Andrew Michel, and Cole Thompson.

Ed Sheeran charms the audience with his fantastic music NOOR QUREISHY InDepth Editor

“I encourage you to dance like an idiot.” With these promising words, Ed Sheeran launched into his set at the Xcel Center Energy Center in St. Paul Minnesota on Tuesday, September 2015. Sheeran’s plaid shirt, casual trope of instruments (basically just him and his guitar for most of the songs), and endearing banter made for a wonderfully laid-back, yet adrenaline inducing concert. It felt like everyone - even the people sitting in the back, like me - were part of the experience.

The enormous screens behind Sheeran had both beautiful

song-related visuals (including scenes from The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug for “I See Fire”) and images of him on stage, which was really helpful since it was nearly impossible to actually see him onstage from the back.

The opening acts, Jamie Lawson and Christina Perri, also charmed the audience with “I Wasn’t Expecting That” (Lawson) and “Jar of Hearts” (Christina Perri). Sheeran also sang two mashup songs, “Take it Back” with “Superstitious” (Stevie Wonder) and “Bill Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers). He also mixed “Don’t” with “No Dig-

gity” (Blackstreet), the classic mashup song, which felt a little tedious - he probably could have been more creative with that.

Christina Perri reappeared on stage to sing “Be My Forever” with Sheeran; causing the audience to smile so hard their faces hurt from the sheer cuteness of it all. The Xcel Energy center was a fairly good venue for this concert, as there was more than enough room for everyone and the sound carried pretty well.

Although the music was occasionally much too loud, especially during “Human” by Perri and “Bloodstream” by Sheeran.

Attending this concert was defi-

Read more Arts & Entertainment at Wark contributes cheerful ceramics to Alum Art Show

PHOTO CREDIT: Sophie Jaro WARK EXPLAINS TO STUDENTS her methods of preparing ceramics for the application of bright colors.

SOPHIE JARO

Arts & Entertainment Editor This past Friday, St. Paul Academy and Summit School art students had the opportunity to hear alumnae Marry Ann Barrows Wark discuss her choice of color and artistic medium while on a gallery walk of the exhibition. In addition to Wark’s art, the display included paintings and sculpture from recent graduates.

“I attended the Summit School fifty years ago,” explains Mary Ann Barrows Wark. “I had the same art teacher for six years. At the time I went to the school, we didn’t use ceramics. Instead we painted, sketched, welded, and woodworked.”

In a discussion with SPA’s senior art seminar class, Wark recalled her high school art teach-

PHOTO CREDIT: Noor Qureishy SHEERAN CHARMS THE AUDIENCE with songs like “Lego House” and “The A Team.” “I encourage you to dance like an idiot,” Sheeran said. nitely worth the terrible parking - most of the songs had the audience on their feet, cheering

and dancing along with Sheeran, spellbound by his evocative melodies and vibrant stage art.

ubicOnline.com IN CERAMICS, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE END. — ANN BARROWS WARK ‘65

er’s requirement that every art piece include the color red.

“When working with ceramics, red is a very difficult color to use,” she said.

Since that time, Wark has chosen her own scheme of colors, including lime greens and gray blues, to enliven the bright scenes on her pottery.

Gesturing toward two ceramic bowls she created using an identical process, she points out the two totally different outcomes.

“In ceramics, you don’t know what it will look like in the end,” said Wark.

Because of the media’s unpredictability outcomes, this artist-alumnae says she prefers printmaking, water color and ceramics to more meticulous art forms.

“No one expects a paper doll to look realistic, right?” she asked the class.

Fifty years later after her graduation from the Summit School, Wark’s fondness for dynamic color palette, illustration, and three-dimensional shape still communicate whimsy and happiness to the school.

@TheRubiconSPA

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SPORTS

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015

Boys Soccer focuses on defense BORAAN ABDULKARIM Editor-in-Chief

A flurry of white uniforms clusters together then spreads across the soccer field, standing out against the bright green grass in the eventide sun. A hush falls over the bleachers, where students, parents, and teachers wait for the game to begin. Every player on the St. Paul Academy Boys Varsity soccer team is poised and ready to go.

Eyes on the ball.

A whistle blows, the soccer ball goes thwack, and the game has started.

In preparing for games such as this, the team´s primary focus is organization. ¨It’s a very new team. In terms of the starting lineup, we have 13 new players because 13 kids graduated last

year,¨ senior co-captain Quinn Smith said.

While fresh blood is always welcome on a team, captains are posed with the challenge of building team unity. “Getting used to that — communicating, organization — on the field are all really important. In club soccer, your organization doesn’t matter that much; what matters is that you’re skilled. But in high school soccer it matters a lot more,” Smith said.

Namely, making defense more organized is a focus for the team, and they have been taking action to remedy this. “Our first two games, our defense wasn’t so good. We had to give up nine goals in two games.” To solve this, “We moved to a different formation and a different lineup in the back,” Smith said.

The team’s greatest strength,

however, is comprehensive; “We have really good backing players and midfielders, too- ome of the best midfielders In the state. As a combination we play very well together,” Smith said.

Junior Emre Kihtir, a midfielder for BVS, said, “So far this season, we have shown so much potential to face any opponent. We show so much skill and technique on the field.”

“I really love playing with the team this year. I love playing with them,” Smith said. Indeed, in watching the team play, one aspect of the experience is undeniable- no matter what the scoreboard reads, there is a distinct sense of passion, focus, and togetherness within the team that radiates off those white jerseys and into the crowd.

PHOTO CREDIT: Boraan Abdulkarim THE STARTING BOYS VARSITY SOCCER LINEUP prepares for their pre-game introductions. Sophomore Robin Bartlett and senior Sam Parkhurst prepare to be called. “I really love playing with the team this year,” senior co-captain Quinn Smith said.

Girls Soccer works through losses to keep positive mindset LAUREN BOETTCHER News Editor

PHOTO CREDIT: Clare Tipler SOPHOMORE DINA MORADIAN fights for the ball during the team’s first game against Wayzata on Aug. 27. “We’ve not gotten the results we’ve wanted now but sections are what counts. Don’t underestimate us based on our record,” junior Ella Matticks said.

The Girls Soccer team has stepped under the spotlight this season, as they not only represent the Spartans for the first time ever in this year’s Friday Homecoming game, but attempt to battle their way to the state tournament.

Last year’s season ended with a “golden goal” in overtime during a section game against Convent of the Visitation, cutting short their journey to State tournament before it had a chance to begin.

The team’s captain this year are seniors Minnie Arnold and Taylor Rients, and the team’s head coach is Ben Bollinger Danielson.

Although they’ve only won two games so far, the team continues to work hard and not giving

up. “We’ve not gotten the results we’ve wanted now but sections are what counts. Don’t underestimate us based on our record,” junior Ella Matticks said.

To make it past sections this year, the team has been working hard to set smaller goals they can achieve throughout the season: “Our main goals are to be more attack oriented, play more off of each other’s strengths, make it to state, win our conference, be a team that the school wants to cheer for, and just play the beautiful game and be entertaining to watch,” Rients said. “It always pumps us up when fans are there and when they are loud and proud. We are very honored to play the Homecoming game this year and hope fans and friends can be there,” Rients added.

Boys Cross Country sets sights on team improvement for season DIANNE CARAVELA Feature Editor

Most teams would feel like giving up after losing their top seniors, but the St. Paul Academy and Summit School boys cross country team is feeling positive about their season and are excited to compete.

“Our oldest guy is a junior and we have one sophomore, a couple freshmen, and a bunch of middle schoolers,” freshman Ethan Less said.

Although losing alumnus Mike Destache (‘15) was difficult, freshman Tom Jaeger points out that “we have a really supportive team.”

This year, the team focuses on improving, not winning:. ”We’re looking to build our skills. We are definitely not a contender this year but in maybe in a few years.

So we’re just focusing on building our talent,” sophomore Larry Chen said.

Junior Kyle Ziemer agrees.

“We’ve got a decent team this

year, but we’re young; I think we’ll be better next year,” Ziemer said.

At practices, the boys work hard. “We’ll do long runs and then speed work,” freshman Jonah Spencer said. “I enjoy long runs more because you get to talk to more people, but speed work is more challenging and mentally exhausting,” he added.

YOU’RE RUNNING FOR MAYBE AN HOUR. YOU WANT TO STOP BUT YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOURSELF GOING. — SOPHOMORE LARRY CHEN

Chen says practice can really test a runner’s limits. “Practice is basically a test of endurance, mentally and physically. You’re running for maybe an hour. You want to stop but you have to keep yourself going, and eventually that’s what helps you win races,”

Chen said. “I think a will to keep going is a very important life skill to have.”

“It’s a lot of hard work. At the end of every day, you’re exhausted,” Less said.

Although practices and meets can be grueling, the team atmosphere is lighthearted. “It’s a lot of hard work every day, but it’s a fun team atmosphere. It’s not as competitive as other sports. We’re a pretty positive team,” Less said.

As the team looks ahead to their prospects at state in the next few years, the boys feel hopeful.

“I think our group could get to state next year, or the year after,” Spencer said. “The girls went to State last year and they ran really well as a team, so I think that’s what we need to do,” he added.

Running as a team is definitely a priority for the boys. “Towards the end of a longer run, when you’re really tired when the mental part of running comes into play, having teammates that you know and like really helps,” Jaeger said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Meghan Joyce JUNIOR KYLE ZIEMER sprints to the finish line during the meet at St. Catherine University. “We’ve got a decent team this year, but we’re young; I think we’ll be better next year,” Ziemer said.

15 Girls Cross Country hopes to take entire team to State Meet SPORTS

SEPTEMBER 2015 • THE RUBICON

LAUREN BOETTCHER News Editor

The 2014 Girls Cross Country season ended with a photo finish, earning the team a conference championship and sending three runners to compete for a state title. This year, the team is working hard to uphold its reputation and hopes to get the entire team to the state meet. Sophomore Val Hart believes the team can accomplish this if they bond together: “The team’s goal for this season is to get closer. Being close has made our running better because we are all running together which promotes pack running. This will help us win against other schools,” Hart said.

The girls dedication to each other already seems to be paying off; the team placed first in their Sept. 2 meet against Highland Park Senior High and Cre-

PHOTO CREDIT: Meghan Joyce

JUNIOR NEETI KULKARNI runs toward the end of a race at St. Kate’s. “The team’s goal for this season is to get closer,” sophomore Val Hart said. tin Derham Hall at the University of St. Kate’s. “People are always cheering everyone else on, even

if it’s just during workouts,” junior Nora Kempainen said. “Everybody supports one another no

matter what level the runners are at,” she added.

Leadership for the team includes senior captains Lexi Hilton and Hallie Sogin with Head Coach Rob Donnelly. Without the team’s previous lead runner and all state award winner Mary Naas, who graduated last year, everyone is stepping up to fill her shoes. “We’ve all been running harder because we want [to make it to state] so much,” Hilton said.

Their next meet is on Oct. 3 at 3:30pm at the Swain Invitational.

“Cross country is fun to watch because we run past twice and it only lasts about 20 minutes,” Hilton said.

While the cross country girls are working hard to prepare for their meets, they believe their biggest challenge has yet to come: “We have made it [to State] the past two years and have a really good chance again this year,” Hart said.

Girls Tennis plays hard, continues to develop team chemistry EMILY THISSEN News Editor

Tennis is a sport full of agility, mental strength, and composure, and the girls varsity tennis team is looking to channel all of those skills into a successful season.

The young team also provides a new team dynamic in comparison to previous years. “This season we have a much younger team with a lot of new players, so the team dynamic is really different compared to my first year,” sophomore Numi Katz said.

Despite the young team, there is still a bond the group holds.

One important thing to all of the

players is working hard so the seniors have a successful last season. “I’m really looking forward to playing doubles with Ella this year. We’ve played together for a long time and this is her senior year and it’s really special so I hope to make the most of it,” Katz said.

Mounds Park Academy serves as the team’s biggest rival this year. “We have very similar teams in terms of our ability to play. We have the capability to beat them but it is always a good match,” Brandtjen said. The team lost to MPA in a close 3-4 match on Sept. 8, but will face them again on Oct. 19 at MPA.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Thissen JUNIORS NINA PERLEBERG AND AMODHYA SAMARAKOON compete in a doubles match against Cretin Derham Hall on Sept. 10. The young team provides a new team dynamic in comparison to previous years. “We have very similar teams in terms of our ability to play,” sophomore Isabel Brandtjen said.

Girls Swim and Dive Team warms up to ambitious new coach MARLEE BARON

Arts & Entertainment Editor

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Sam Matenaer SPARKS SWIM AND DIVE take position on the starting block before entering the pool for a race. “There are nine teams in our division and we normally place 4th, but this year I think we can place 3rd,” senior Maya Smith said.

Even with a young and small team, the St. Paul Academy and Summit School girls swim and dive team has high hopes for the season.

The swim and dive team is led by senior Captains Cait Gibbons and Maya Smith. “There are nine people on the team and the oldest person other than Cait and me is a freshman; everyone else is in middle school, so it is a very young team,” Smith said.

The team is a co-op with Highland Park High School, but

doesn’t always compete with them. The dive team is also a coop with Highland Park, but practices with Cretin Derham Hall at St. Catherine’s University. “It’s a really fun team, even though it’s small, but that means we get to know the team really well.” freshman Abby Lanz said. Lanz is the only SPA member of the three person dive team.

This year the swim team has a new head coach, Katy Vandam, who previously coached the SPA/ HP co-op of the boys swim and dive team.

“We were really close to our old coach, but [Coach Vandam] really helped the boys team and

I’ve already seen the improvement in my own swimming,” Smith said. This new coach has brought some changes, one of them being that she has taken away morning practices.

Even though the team is fairly young, Smith is confident that they will do very well this year.

“There are nine teams in our division and we normally place 4th, but this year I think we can place 3rd. Even though our team is young, everyone is willing to try hard and is very dedicated.”

Smith said.

The team won their first meet and feel hopeful that they will win more.

Girls Volleyball continues to improve with age EMILY THISSEN News Editor

Despite years of changing coaches and dominantly young players, the varsity volleyball team is looking forward to defending their conference championship and playing their best every game.

Coming back from a conference win the previous year, the team has a confident outlook on the season and the future of Spartan Volleyball.

“Our team goal is that we want to be closer than ever as a program and develop a strong volleyball [team] for the future,” junior Emily Dieperink said.

Part of this bonding is game day dress ups, which are a way for the team to get pumped for the upcoming game. Dress up days have included blue and gold, camouflage themed, and beach day apparel.

Head coach Jim Abbott, who was new last season, is making a positive impact on the team. “We

love Jim; it doesn’t even feel like he’s new anymore,” Dieperink said.

With the title of reigning conference champion comes rivalries.

“Our biggest rival is Providence [Academy] because they are in our conference and they don’t think we deserved to win conference last year when we beat them in the championships,” Dieperink said. The Spartans faced Providence Academy on Sept. 24 and will again on Oct. 13.

PHOTO CREDIT: Emily Thissen VARSITY VOLLEYBALL plays against Mounds Park Academy on Sept. 17. The team anticipates a heated match against Providence Academy. “Our team goal is that we want to be closer than ever as a program,” junior Emily Dieperink said.

16

HOMECOMING

THE RUBICON • SEPTEMBER 2015

Homecoming week changes SPA traditions JAVIER WHITAKER-CASTAÑEDA Managing Editor

Homecoming is generally considered a consistent, almost static week every school year. It’s around the same time every year, there are always dress up days, always a Pep-fest, always a Homecoming football game, and always a toga dance. Wait? There’s no toga dance and the Homecoming night game is a soccer game?

This year’s Homecoming week will certainly be similar to previous years but it will be accented with a few massive changes.

One of the most notable changes is that SPA is switching up it’s Homecoming athletics schedule. In previous years the Spartan Football Team has played on SPA Homecoming nights. This year, three SPA athletic teams will represent the school during Homecoming Week with the Homecoming night game being played by the Girl’s Varsity Soccer team. On Oct. 2 GVS will play the Hill-Murray Pioneers at 4:30.

“Playing the Homecoming game is special for me because GVS has never played Homecoming before, so it’ll add a nice memory to my senior season. The team is so excited because we’ve been working so hard this season and appreciate the support of the whole community,” GVS captain Minnie Arnold said.

GVS player are excited for the game because of many reasons, but mostly “all the fans, everyone is going to come watch us and no one usually does,” junior Kate Bond said.

PLAYING THE HOMECOMING GAME IS SPECIAL FOR ME BECAUSE [GIRLS VARSITY SOCCER] HAS NEVER PLAYED HOMECOMING BEFORE, SO IT’LL ADD A NICE MEMORY TO MY SENIOR SEASON. — SENIOR MINNIE ARNOLD

The GVS game will be right after Pep Fest on Friday but don’t forget that SMB Wolfpack Football also has a game on Friday at Breck at 7. The Wolfpack hope to continue their impressive season and add to Homecoming festivities with this game. The final Homecoming week game is on Saturday Oct. 3 when Boy’s Varsity Soccer will play the Wellstone International Lions at home at 11am.

Though some things will change, there will still be some

very recognizable features throughout the week. Traditional dress-up days will stay the same with class color day on Monday, twin day on Wednesday, and blue and gold day on Friday. These dress up days stay consistent because there are always high levels of participation.

“Generally we find that participation [in dress up days] revolves directly around the ability of people to participate in them,” SAC co-president Milo Wittenberg.

There will also be red, white, and blue day on Tuesday and dress as a character you remember from your childhood on Thursday. The Ping pong tournament on Thursday and Pep-fest Friday will also be the same.

Small changes that SAC have made this year include revamping the Lip Sync competition and introducing games during Wednesday’s Advisory. The changes to the Lip Sync competition were made to address the usual lack of participation in the event.

“The grade level with the most participants in the Lip Sync will win a prize,” SAC adviser Pamela Starkey said. This change will hopefully increase diversity in an event that typically had only senior participation.

The other larger change is for the Homecoming Dance itself.

SAC is replacing the tradition of wearing a toga to the dance with

a whiteout. In previous years students could get a discount on the entrance fee if they were wearing a toga.

This year that same discount is available to those who are wearing white or a Homecoming shirt. Though most of the school will be dressing in white, seniors are asked to wear neon colors to stand out against the white.

“Seniors will stand out [against the white shirts] as sort of a celebration of their senior year Homecoming,” Wittenberg said.

So, similar to how the 2015-16 school year was accented with the addition of the Huss Center, SPA’s Homecoming week also has some huge changes. The addition of the GVS Homecoming night game and the change of tradition for the Homecoming dance will make 2015 Homecoming really special.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Clare Tipler SPA SPARTAN BRENDAN MCGlINCEY poses ready to lead the Homecoming pep fest with school spirit to spare.

2015 CALENDAR

SPA HOMECOMING MONDAY

SEPT 28

TUESDAY

SEPT 29

WEDNESDAY SEPT 30

Class Color Day: Dress up and show your class pride. 9th gradegreen, 10th-yellow, 11th-red, 12th-blue.

Kickoff Assembly: Get pumped for the rest of the week.

Red, White, and Blue Day: Dress as patriotically as you can.

Lip Sync: The grade with the most participation gets a prize from SAC.

Twin Day: Grab a friend and rock your matching outfits.

Wednesday Advisory: SAC has games for advisory groups planned during this time.

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

OCT 1

Childhood Day: Dress as a character or childhood hero you remember from your childhood.

Ping Pong Tournament: Come to play or to watch.

OCT 2

Blue and Gold Day: Show school spirit with school colors.

Pep-fest and Storming the Field: Get excited for Homecoming week athletics.

GVS at home at 4:30: GVS will play the Hill-Murray Pioneers.

SMB Wolfpack at Breck at 7:00: The Wolfpack will play against Breck.

OCT 3

BVS at 11:00 a.m. at home: BVS will play the Wellstone International Lions.

Homecoming Dance: The dance is from 8pm to 11pm at SPA. Seniors wear neon while freshman, sophomore, and junior students wear white. Tickets are 7 dollars if you dress to the theme.

INFOGRAPHIC CREDIT: Javier Whitaker-Castañeda