October 2021 Issue

the

RUBICON

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021

rubiconline.com

StartUp club launches cookbook sale

the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 49, Issue 2

@therubiconspa

Q1 ends, conferences coming up

PHOTO: Eliza Farley

PHOTO: Helen Townley RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. Co-president of StartUp Henry Burkhardt holds the online bilingual cookbook Comida Unida. “It’s been great bringing a lot of people together. I have learned a lot producing the book,” Burkhardt said. The cookbook, a collaboration between two schools and two generations of teachers, is currently being sold as an ebook for $20.

RUBICON PHOTO: Hazel Waltenbaugh BUS STOP. Athletics has struggled to get buses for away games, but the daily school routes, according to freshman Lorenzo Good hasn’t been affected. He has seen them impacted for his sister who attends public school: “My sister has basically been forced to quit riding the bus to their public school, because the bus either never shows up, or shows up 30 minutes late,” he said.

Limits on buses requires plan JACOB COLTON STAFF WRITER

HELEN TOWNLEY STAFF WRITER

Comida Unida, a bilingual cookbook initiated by two generations of teachers and created by SPA StartUp and Christel House México, was finally published after two years of hard work.

The connection between Mollie Ward, a history teacher at SPA, and her son Harry LaVercombe, an English teacher at Christel House México, initiated the project.

LaVercombe had his students write a family recipe in English, and he wanted to collaborate with SPA on it.

“I wanted to give my students a chance to use their English for a purpose, in this case fundraising on an international scale,” he said.

The idea was brought to StartUp, CAS, and Latinos Unidos. Together, they had a fundraiser for the cookbook.

COOKBOOK CONTINUED ON P. 3

6

UNDERSTANDING THE BUS SHORTAGE Bus drivers have long been unsatisfied with irregular hours. Being paid for work only at the beginning and end of the school day is a problem for bus drivers trying to make a living. Additionally, over the summer they have no work because there isn’t school. Up until the pandemic, the shortage could be managed because of retired workers who just wanted a small job they could do during the day.

However, many of these drivers are elderly, and are worried about the COVID-19 risk, leading them to leave the job.

STANDING UP How did the speech go? Ovations shouldn’t be part of the criteria. Learn why in Opinions.

A shortage of buses has left an increasing number of schools without transportation. This has forced schools to find alternative modes of traveling.

Schools all around Minnesota have struggled to find willing bus drivers to bring students to and from school.

However, according to freshman Lorenzo Good, SPA has managed the crisis well so far. “[The shortage] hasn’t affected me much,” he said.

Good takes the bus to school every day and said that the bus has always shown up on time. Good rides one of the route buses, one of the buses that brings students to and from school. So far, SPA has not had to cancel any route buses.

Director of transportation Melissa Douden manages the transportation.

She said that the main reason SPA has been able to keep all of their bus routes going is because it is smaller than most public schools. “[Having to cancel bus routes] hasn’t been too difficult for SPA,” Douden said, “For other schools it’s been a very big challenge. [Public schools] have to run so many buses and have so many neighborhoods to pick up in, there’s a lot of students that are not getting transportation this year.”

Good said his sister, who goes to a public school, has been affected by the shortage.

“My sister has basically been forced to quit riding the bus to their public school, because the bus either never shows up, or shows up 30 minutes late,” Good said.

Sports teams have also been impacted, and games have been canceled be-

11

cause transportation hasn’t been available. SPA also has a lot of field trips, Douden said, which are harder to get drivers for than for bus routes, because they are in the middle of the day and usually get back right before school ends, which doesn’t give time for bus drivers to pick up their usual routes.

The shortage started before COVID-19, but the pandemic has expedited the crisis. Bus drivers deal with hard hours and relatively low pay. Bus drivers also have irregular schedules.

During the summer there is no school, which means there is no demand for school bus drivers. There are also long breaks within the school year, like winter and spring break, another time when bus drivers struggle to find work.

School bus drivers have to pick up students in the morning, then drop them off in the afternoon. This leaves useless time between the beginning and end of the school day where bus drivers are neither on or off duty. Most drivers don’t have time to drop their bus off and go home only to drive back and pick up their bus again to head to school. This means that most school bus drivers are on the job from before the beginning of the school day to the end. However, they only get paid for the time they are driving kids. That doesn’t include the time they spend waiting for the end of the school day.

Bus drivers usually spend about six hours driving kids, but with midday time spent waiting to drive, it adds up to around 11 hours. The average pay for a school bus driver is $16.67 per hour.

The average per year is around $34,670, despite working 11 hours, 5 days a week.

MONEY MATTERS Why do stocks matter? Read the ups and downs of the market in this month’s Good Question.

IN THIS ISSUE:

MIDWEEK MADNESS. Sophomore Annika Lillegard completes a project at the end of Q1. “We’ve really crammed in a lot of learning in the past week,” freshman Ava Schluender said.

ELIZA FARLEY

STAFF WRITER

As the seasons change, so does the grading period.

The first school quarter ended on Oct. 8, with many departments scheduling assessments in its final week. Although not by much, it’s the shortest quarter of the year.

Students have felt that the first quarter went by in a flash. “I think that [the end of quarter 1] came really quickly, it doesn’t feel like we’ve been in school so long yet,” freshman Ava Schluender said.

Individual quarter grades aren’t officially recorded on a report card (unless you’re a senior applying early action or early decision), so people who are unhappy with their scores still have time to pull them up before the end of the semester.

Still, the many tests and quizzes that happen to fall around this time can add academic pressure.

“It’s been stressful just on top of the other things I’m doing outside of school and college applications,” senior Kishori Patel said. “After the quarter ends, hopefully, things will start moving in a much slower manner.”

END OF QUARTER 1 CONTINUED ON P. 3

BUSING CONTINUED ON P. 2

16

ROCKER AESTHETIC Does your music taste match your shoes?

Quenby Wilson, Raina Fawcett and Kai Sia answer yes in Music.

1-4 - News • 5-7 - Opinion • 8-9 - In Depth • 10 - Feature

• 11 - Good Question • 12-13 - A&E • 14-15 - Sports • 16 - Music

2

NEWS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

BUSING CONT. FROM P.1 Prior to the pandemic, schools were able to manage the declining number of bus drivers with only a few cancellations and delays. Now the trend has accelerated.

This is, in part, due to the age of bus drivers: the average age being 56.8 years, with 92% of bus drivers being over 40.

Many of the older bus drivers are concerned for their health and COVID-19 risk, so they have left the job.

Minnesota schools have tried different strategies of managing the crisis. Many districts are offering incentives to become a bus driver, such as Minneapolis Public Schools. They are offering a $3,000 incentive to become a bus driver and are reimbursing parents who drive their kids to school.

“I think part of the problem with the bus shortage is that bus companies are actually not paying their drivers enough to be in a COVID situation with a bunch of kids,” Good said.

With the demand for bus drivers increasing, the shortage is not likely to end soon.

Supply chain experiencing delays

FLICKR CC: Greg Lilly

SHIPPING DELAYS. President Joe Biden authorized 24/7 operation of the Port of Los Angeles Oct. 18 in an attempt to curb delays and help the economy.

GRACE MEDRANO STAFF WRITER Phones, toilet paper, Lego sets and giant boxes of chips. These are all things that have been affected by the supply chain shutdown that’s been affecting small and large businesses across America.

During the COVID-19 lock down, people started excessively buying things in bulk, so much so that it was hard to even find toilet paper. Now, stores are having a hard time recovering from a period where people bought

most of their food, and toiletries in bulk, to a period of very little business.

In the Small Business Pulse Survey conducted by the US Census Bureau, 67.5% of small businesses reported having suffered from overall negative effects on their business due to the coronavirus pandemic. With consumer demand much higher than it was during the pandemic, suppliers are having a hard time getting items on the shelf quickly enough. Pre-pandemic, an item would go unsold for an average of

about 43 days, but now it’s closer to 33. Suppliers can’t make products fast enough, so stores aren’t fully stocked on the items people are looking for.

This has, in turn, affected what other businesses have access to. According to the Small Business Pulse Survey, 38.8% of small businesses reported having (domestic) delays in shipping.

Shipping delays have affected the SPA community as well.. Students may have a harder time acquiring technology they require, as well as basic supplies.

from THE RUBICON online:

Freshman Madelyn Moser said, “I didn’t notice clothes or food missing from them...

[The Rosedale Mall, Oxendale’s Market] it was harder to find my school supplies, though.”

Meanwhile, with administrators, teacher’s are having a harder time getting the supplies that they need for their classes.

US Science teacher Karissa Baker said “I ordered some lab supplies for my environmental science classes, before school started… and I called the company to make the order… they said ‘Oh, you might get these in November’.”

There is no sure way to know when these delays and shortages will end, as the issue only seems to be getting worse, with shipping prices increasing, the domestic and foreign supplier delays, and people constantly buying things in bulk instead of just as much as they need. It is unknown when or if this shortage will end.

LINE 3

Pipeline in use, destruction arises Barely three days after oil first flowed through the new Line 3 pipeline on Oct. 1, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released information on the environmental destruction caused by the pipeline’s construction.

Construction punctured aquifers in January, and Artesian groundwater in the rural community of Clearwater County has been welling up since then. Twenty-four million gallons of water have been wasted, drying out two fens, rare wetland areas. read the full story at the:

RUBICON

online

Boosters provide extra protection for some; youth wait for vaccine

CORRECTIONS POLICY Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be published in the month following the error and, if the story is also published online, will update following the online corrections policy.

33

,21

2

(as of 10/20/21)

3,000,000

one dose

two doses

0,0

43

1,000,000

00

2,000,000

20

oNTech or Moderna vaccines against COVID-19 and had a compromised immune system, such as having a chronic illness.

In September, the booster shot recommendation was updated to include more people, such as individuals over 65 and essential workers.

Although not yet approved, the White House detailed its plan Oct. 20 for vaccinating children

Number of people vaccinated in Minnesota

6,6

freshman Cerena Karmaliani

4,000,000

16

VACCINATED.

ages 5-11 once the vaccine passes the final approval hurdle.

Booster shots have proven to helpful in the continuous prevention of COVID-19 since they were utilized.

Data from testing and from earlier results in Israel (which has been giving out booster shots since July 30) shows that the dose is safe and that it raises antibody levels immediately, especially in people over 65. Officials in Israel also reported that older people who got the booster shot were almost 20 times less likely to get severe COVID-19.

Since 27% of COVID-19 cases at hospitals are children this past month, prompting the FDA to remind parents not to vaccinate children under 12, as the adult dose could cause harm.

According to the American Academy

3,2 64 ,93 1

With Minnesota ranking 7th in the nation for new COVID cases the week of Oct. 18, the discussion of vaccines, especially for elementary and pre-K students has reached a new level of urgency.

Freshman Cerena Karmaliani hopes her twin siblings will be able to get the vaccine soon: “I feel like my whole family in general will be more comfortable with allowing my sisters to go hang out with friends and stuff,” she said.

The past few months have brought several groundbreaking advancements in the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine.

In August, the FDA and CDC authorized booster shots for anybody who had been vaccinated by Pfizer-Bi-

“

I’VE GOT A LITTLE MORE FREEDOM RIGHT NOW...

BECAUSE I AM

3,4

ANNIKA KIM

STAFF WRITER

ages 12-15 one dose

booster

SOURCE: CDC.gov VACCINATING MINNESOTA The CDC recommends those 65 and older as well as those with underlying medical conditions to get the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine booster shot. So far, 200,000 people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech booster shot. of Pediatrics, in total through September 23, 5.7 million COVID cases were recorded in children.

For now, families like Karmaliani’s may have different rules based on whether or not their children have COVID

shots: “I’ve got a little bit more freedom than they do right now,” she said, “because I am vaccinated and they’re not.”

Opinions 5 caption incorrectly identified place as Lang Field and did not identify students Val Chafee and Spencer Burris Brown. In Depth 8-9 should have included non-binary statistics, as well as male/female ones.

Feature 10-11 features teacher photos (from L to R) Ethan Somes, Winona Duren, Rebecca Opp, Julia Callander, Rachel Ruddick, Akie Kutsunai, Chris Huebner, Joe Martin, Sandra Nelson, McKenna Shaw, Jaqueline Wigfall, Chris Godas, Colton Werner, Zach Sheffert, Rosie Rushing. Sports 14-15 listed Mia Hoffman as a captain, but she is not. Coach Gary Perry’s name was misspelled. Ceci Watson is a senior.

3

NEWS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

WHAT’S BIDEN UP TO?

Details of the bipartisan bill and build back better plan HARPER GLASS STAFF WRITER

“This is what we were elected to do, and we will get it done,” President Biden posted on social media about the Build Back Better Agenda and his Bipartisan Infrastructure deal, his main priorities as his presidency continues.

Biden visited Howell, Michigan on Oct. 5 to continue building public support for the 1 trillion dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is receiving some opposition from Republicans, as well as members of the democratic party. During his visit, he said the plan would help the nation take back the momentum it used to have.

Senior Milo Zelle said, “I think a central question to any government spending is, is this money being used for the right

thing? I think largely the policies in his plan are, for the most part, very

“

IS THIS MONEY BEING USED FOR THE RIGHT THING? senior Milo Zelle

good uses of the money.”

The infrastructure bill would fund rebuilding and repairing roads and bridges, highways, airports, and broadband networks. The deal also includes a 39 billion dollar investment in public transit, the largest federal investment in public transit in history. It will modernize older buses and rail fleets, make stations accessible to all, and

END OF Q1 CONT. FROM P. 3 However, stress isn’t as much of a concern for Schluender. “I came from a school that had the year separated into quarters for the grading periods, so it doesn’t feel as stressful as that… [The quarter grades] were put on our report cards,” she said.

It may seem strange to separate the semester in half if transcripts don’t record quarter grades, but it’s not without reason. Teachers need time to check in about performance before final exams, and students can see how they’re doing in a class before it’s too late to change anything.

“We look at quarter grades as being an update for students and families about where they are at this moment, not as something that’s a definitive statement on what a student is capable of doing in the class,” Academic Dean Tom Anderson said. “The midpoint [gives] a point for everyone to reflect on where things are.”

Quarter grades released on Oct. 15, but Patel told underclassmen to use these scores as a chance for growth rather than something to stress about. “Your worth is not defined by your grades, and every assessment you take, [each] assignment, is a learning opportunity… something that you can say in the future, ‘do differently.’”

COOKBOOK CONT. FROM P. 1 “They wanted to do something more permanent,” Ward said, “more than just… a collaboration or Xerox copies.”

Comida Unida is 54 pages filled with 35 recipes from students of both schools. Personal stories inspired by each dish accompany recipes. Junior Becca Richman contributed her grandmother’s brisket recipe, “which is a classic within our family for holidays and things like that,” she said.

In the cookbook description, the group wrote: “Cooking isn’t about what you’re eating, or how fast you’re eating, it’s an expression of our love: to those we cook for, to the farm-fresh ingredients and those who harvested them, and to ourselves.”

LaVercombe said that “Food is very important in Mexico and sharing recipes is a way of showing love, so my students were really proud to get to share their love with people all around the United States.”

bring transit services to new communities.

Freshman Alba Markowitz Mulet rides St. Paul public buses to school every day. “A problem I’ve recently experienced is that when you are riding the bus, and you have to get off to take another bus, I miss the second because the tracks cross each other, ‘’ she said. The first bus I am on has to wait for the second to pass, making me late. To me, the priority in the infrastructure bill, with buses specifically, is to pay the drivers more. Unless the investment is used to pay the bus drivers better, I think modernizing buses is unnecessary.”

The Infrastructure bill wouldn’t need republican support because it would go through reconciliation; a parliamentary procedure of Congress meant to expedite the

The cookbook is a community service project meant to raise money for Christel House México. The proceeds will fund recess and after-school equipment such as soccer balls and other sports equipment.

Christel House México is a nonprofit school in Mexico focused on breaking the cycle of poverty, providing education, opportunity, and support for children and their families in great financial need.

Co-president of StartUp Henry Burkhardt said, “It’s been a really great project, bringing a lot of people together, and I have learned a lot and had a lot of fun producing the book.”

The project starts in fall of 2019.

“There were a lot of unforeseen challenges, and spell-checking every recipe definitely took time. It ended up being a lot more time-consuming than we thought,” Burkhardt said.

These challenges along with COVID disrupting the project has dragged out the timeline.

The cookbook can be purchased as an ebook for $20, but physical copies of the cookbook should be available in late October.

FIND COMIDA UNIDA HERE

PHOTO: White House.gov

BIDEN’S POLICIES. Biden focuses on a 1 trillion dollar bipartisan infrastructure bill to help the nation re-build its momentum. passing of some budgetary legislation in the senate. “Stop The Spending” protesters rallied with Michigan Republican Party’s Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock on Oct. 5, holding signs such as “Stop selling us out,” and “Trump won.”

“We spend pretty tremendous amounts of

money every year, and this is the sort of deficit hawkary and going after government spending you always see when progressive policies are being pushed, ‘’ Milo said. This would be a significant increase in the expenditures of the state, but we just left a war which cost us trillions upon trillions

of dollars over 20 years.

Those aren’t questions we ask when we go to war.” Brown University’s Costs of War Project estimated the spending for The Afghanistan War was roughly 2.26 trillion dollars. The infrastructure bill will cost 2 trillion dollars.

The Build Back Better Agenda and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will change our country drastically. If both are passed; jobs will hopefully be created, infrastructure in America will improve greatly, costs for working citizens and families will be lowered, and taxes will be cut.

Biden told his 14.2 million twitter followers, “These bills are about competitiveness versus complacency. Opportunity versus decay. They’re about leading the world -- or continuing to let the world pass us by.”

GENERAL ELECTION 2021

What’s on the ballot?

MELINA KANNANKUTTY STAFF WRITER

As the Nov. 2 mayoral and city council elections approach, Minnesotans are thinking about the implications of a new era of political figures.

So far, there are many positions to vote for on the ballot, including mayors up for re-election in Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

Because so many positions of importance can change in this election, voters have an opportunity to shape the local government and have a hand in deciding what issues they value most and want on the top of the news agenda.

Sophomore Audrey Leatham spends some free time reading about the upcoming mayoral candidates and discussing them with her parents.

She said,” I think I value them [local and national elections] equally...they have different impacts.”

Upper School history teacher Andrea Sachs is very involved in local government: she is the Vice-Chair of the Saint Paul Democratic-Farmer-Labor party (DFL).

Sachs said it would be good for all students to keep up with local gov-

“

KEEPING UP WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS A REALLY GOOD WAY TO GET OUT OF THE SPA BUBBLE. Andrea Sachs - Vice-Chair, St. Paul DFL

ernment because “It is a really good way to get out of the SPA bubble.”

Leatham also said, “Locally, it is really important that we know what is happening in our city, and we know the people that are controlling school districts and construction work.”

Sachs also discussed how many vital things in our community, such as the death of George Floyd and the riots that followed, are very prominent in local elections.

In Minneapolis, there are three measures on the ballot, two of which stem from the upheaval in the city last summer.

Measure 1 focuses on the balance of power between the mayor and city council. Current mayor Jacob Frey and the city council have disagreed on a number of city issues during his first term.

Measure 2 would allow for a reduction in the number of police officers in the city.

Leatham is a very devoted individual who

takes time and cares to learn about our local government. Other students, such as sophomore David Kopilenko, find it harder to get involved in local government.

Kopilenko said, “I have a dislike for politics from past experiences with other friends, so I personally don’t like talking about them.”

Aside from a handful of seniors, most students in are still unable to vote.

Thus younger students do not yet have a significant say in the outcome of the election, even as the issues may significantly impact them into adulthood.

To learn more about local measures and candidates, look at Ballotpedia or city websites.

4

NEWS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

Seniors apply early decision, action SIRI PATTISON STAFF WRITER

PHOTO: Siri Pattison POSTSECONDARY PLANNING. Seniors discuss future plans in the College Counseling office. Approximately 25% of SPA seniors apply to a college early decision, and many more apply early action. Senior Kishori Patel said that she’s applying early “to have options earlier on in the application process.”

EARLY DECISION

EARLY ACTION

BINDING

NON BINDING

ADMISSION STATUS USUALLY DETERMINED BY DECEMBER

ADMISSION STATUS USUALLY DETERMINED IN JAN-FEB

GOOD CHOICE IF THOROUGH RESEARCH HAD BEEN DONE

GOOD CHOICE TO MAXIMIZE TIME TO EXPLORE OPTIONS

SOURCE: College Counseling

Seniors join students across the country applying to colleges early-decision and early-action this fall, taking a writing day Oct. 20 to prepare (for some) for Nov. 1 deadlines.

These two application processes are separate from regular decision college applications, as students submit and receive admission status before the regular-decision date.

However, early decision (ED) and early action (EA) vary in their purposes and applicant pool.

Applying ED is binding, meaning that if accepted to the school, the student is expected to accept the offer. EA is non-binding, meaning that a student can wait to accept or decline the college until the regular college decision day, May 1.

Early decision is recommended for students who have done thorough research and have a clear first-choice school. From

the college’s end, it is a way to manage applicants and acceptance rates.

“It is a promise of an enrolled student for a college, and that’s how they view it,” SPA Director of College Counseling and Academic Planning Mary Hill said. “as opposed to having to admit two, or three, or five, or ten students to enroll one.”

Early action, on the other hand, is geared towards students that are looking to get an application in and be aware of their status. “[It’s] a way for a college to take action on an application on an earlier time frame, so that a student knows where they stand,” Hill said.

Senior, Kishori Patel is applying EA this fall.

Patel said she is using EA “to have options earlier-on in the application process because I know applications can get very stressful.”

Patel also sees applying early as a precautionary, proactive measure.

“[It provides] a sense of comfort, even if I don’t know the results yet,.” She said about her decision to apply to a few schools EA. For another share of students, applying early can cause more stress in their lives, and so some students choose not to apply anywhere until the regular decision time frame.

“There are definitely some positives, but for people who are not so sure about college— like me— it just doesn’t really make a lot of sense,” senior Justin Troth said.

Applying early can relieve stress and get the grueling college admission process over with, but it is a luxury that not all can afford.

College in the United States is enormously expensive, and applying ED doesn’t allow families to compare financial aid offers from other schools.

Patel thinks that the ED process isn’t equitable because of the issues around affordability.

University of MN announces environmental initiatives

“

IT’S NICE TO KNOW THAT A HIGHLY REPUTABLE COLLEGE IN MY COMMUNITY IS DOING THAT. senior Sarina Charpentier

PHOTO: Johanna Pierach SMASH. That’s the word written on the sign for the Southeast Steam Plant in Minneapolis, a power plant owned by the University of Minnesota. Across the country, students have fought for greener colleges, and the U of M took a long-awaited step in September by announcing its divestment from fossil fuels.

Senior Sarina Charpentier said “It’s nice to know that a highly reputable college in my community is doing that.”

JOHANNA PIERACH STAFF WRITER

In a recent survey conducted by The Princeton Review, 66% of the 12,845 college-bound teens and their parents said having information about a college’s commitment to the environment would affect their decision to apply or attend.

Colleges and universities across the country are springing into action.

The University of Minnesota has scheduled a full exit from fossil fuel-related investments

in the next five to seven years. The school will also no longer make private investments in funds “that invest primarily in fossil fuel extraction or processing,” according to a U of M statement posted Sept. 24.

Some of the money will be put toward opportunities outside of energy, and some will be replaced by commitments to renewable or clean energy.

These changes come after years of heavy lobbying. U of M students previously passed a reso-

lution requesting divestment from fossil fuels in 2013.

US Computer Science teacher Colton Werner is a recent U of M graduate who saw that lobbying first-hand.

On-campus protesters “had a bullhorn and were yelling ‘Stop fossil fuel U’,” he recalled.

This student pressure has been seen across other campuses as well.

In 2020, the Association of Big 10 Students unanimously passed a resolution asking all Big

10 Universities to divest from fossil fuels. As a result, the University of Michigan and Rutgers University have begun divesting from the fossil fuel industry.

Outside of the Big 10, Harvard University is also making changes. In a Sept. 9 statement, Harvard President Lawrence Bacow revealed that Harvard Management Company is not directly invested in companies that “explore for or develop further reserves of fossil fuels,” and does not plan on making such investments in the future.

“Given the need to decarbonize the economy and our responsibility as fiduciaries to make longterm investment decisions that support our teaching and research mission, we do not believe such investments are prudent,” Bacow said.

While senior Sarina Charpentier hadn’t previously been considering sustainability efforts in

her college decision, she acknowledged such initiatives as important.

“It’s nice to know that a highly reputable college in my community is doing that,” Charpentier said.

Likewise, senior James Montague had only been looking at college sustainability plans “a little bit” and didn’t consider them a factor in his decision.

However, he said a school’s action on climate change is “something to consider if you do go there about something that you can possibly change or advocate for.”

Since 2010, the university has investing in solar through utility-operated clean energy programs and on-campus solar installations. On the website, it states that these investments have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by at least 39% over the past 11 years.

“If you can’t afford it, and if they don’t give you the right financial aid you initially asked for in your application, then in that sense it isn’t equitable, because you won’t be able to attend that institution,” she said.

Many selective schools have much higher acceptance rates for early decision applicants, thus sparking discussion and controversy about the equity of ED applications.

“Some places that used to fill maybe a third of their class now fill half,” Hill remarked on the rise in ED applicants and acceptances.

This gives an advantage to families and students that know they can afford the college, no matter what financial aid is offered.

At SPA, about 25% of students apply early decision. Many students chose to instead, apply to a school early, not ED. This gives them the security of knowing a decision or refining their search.

SUSTAINABILITY U OF M TIMELINE

1984 U of M rolled out first on campus recycling program

1995 university began purchasing flex fuel vehicles

2008 campus food services went trayless

2010 installed solar panels on parking garages and select buildings

2050 year by which the U of M plans to be carbon neutral.

SOURCE: italladdsup.umn.edu

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EDITORIAL THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021 OUR MISSION We strive to capture the spirit of the community through its stories while inspiring deeper conversations.

Above all, we stand for integrity in our pursuit to inform and engage our readers.

THE RUBICON St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave • St. Paul, MN 55105 rubicon.spa@gmail.com www.rubiconline.com @TheRubiconSPA

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EDITORIAL CARTOON: Kevin Chen IT’S FINE, IT’S NOT COVID. Classmates experience discomfort when students show up with an illness, and with low immunity viruses spread quickly. Students should stay home if they are not feeling well.

Fever? Cough? Aches? Stay home. the staff 100% ofagree

EDITORIAL THE RUBICON STAFF

Outbreaks of multiple viruses have infected dozens of students, maybe more including the carriers. Knowing when to stay home is important not only for personal health, but also the safety of others. When those who don’t feel well continue to show up at school, it’s a cause for concern. But what other choice do ill students have?

It may be hard to accept, but there’s only right one. It’s simple. Stay home.

While missing just one day of classes could push a student behind their peers, using resources -- like classmates, teachers, and Google Classroom -- is better than passing on an illness.

True, staying home would have been simpler last year when we still had OWL’s. If there’s concern about missing an important lecture or discussion, e-mail the teacher to request that they set up a Google Meet to watch class or provide a recording.

Many choose to stay in school because of fears of falling behind. As a result, the viruses continue to spread with no sure way to control them. Still, it is essential for students to stay home when they are sick because everyone’s health is more important than a single day or few of TAKE CARE OF academics.

YOURSELF. THEN TAKE Know school policies about absences and health. The absence policy can be read in detail on p. 10-11 of the Student Handbook, CARE OF HOMEWORK. but the key highlights for an absence due to illness states: “Students are responsible for making up missed work and are expected to be in close communication with teachers.”

Students are allowed one day per day of excused absence to make up missed work (EX: a student absent on Tuesday but present Wednesday has until Thursday to make up missed work). Students are expected to use free periods, tutorial, and weekends to make up work.

If a student is gone more than three days and presents a doctor’s note, they may request to have assignments shortened or excused.

All that starts with a parent calling or e-mailing the attendance line and describing the student symptoms and condition. This way administrators can monitor the spread of illnesses and excuse the absence. Once the students start to feel better, they should reach out to teachers to make a plan to make up for the missed work and the classes. Anyone who has done this can attest that teachers are understanding and willing to offer support.

Preventing the transmission of illnesses should be easy so long as students are diligent about the COVID protocols -- whether they have COVID or something else -- that have been in place for over a year: Wear a mask (correctly). Many have reported seeing students wearing their masks incorrectly below their nose, as a mask, as a visor. This is a big problem when students are not told to change their behavior, or only change it for a minute and then go back to a mask below their nose or hanging off one ear. Pull masks up to prevent the spread of viruses.

Don’t share food. A number of illnesses spread through saliva, so taking a sip of someone’s drink could mean getting bonus germs. Cutting a piece or taking a slice with a utensil is fine, but don’t bite after anyone or double dip.

Wash hands often. Use soap and sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (or any other 30 second song).

Anyone who displays symptoms of contagious illnesses should contact the attendance line and stay home until they have fully recovered.

It’s the only choice.

By not doing so, students place all members of the community at risk.

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BIASED NEWS DOESN’T ONLY SPAN ACROSS WEBSITES AND DATABASES, BUT CAN BE FOUND IN MANY OTHER MEDIUMS. sophmore Orion Kim

One way to find good sources is to use the CRAAP test, created by Sarah Blakeslee, of the University of California at Chico’s Meriam Library. This test has five parts to it. First, the currency of the article is

RE

The importance of finding reliable sources is something that has been expressed greatly to SPA students across a variety of subjects and grade levels. However, it is not only important to watch out for unreliable sources when writing a research paper, but also when scrolling through social media, or doing a basic search. Biased news doesn’t only span across websites and databases, but can be found in many other mediums such as billboards, social media apps, and even from people. False media can hurt people’s understanding of the truth, which is why recognizing biased media is an essential skill to

important because there could have been new findings that affect the other four components of the CRAAP test. Second, relevance is necessary because an article might not be needed for the research being conducted.

Third, authority is a must because anyone can post almost anything online.

Make sure the author doesn’t only have credentials but has credentials in the topic that is being talked about. Fourth, make sure to test for accuracy, if credited from a different source. Lastly, the purpose of an article should be to inform and not to spark conflict.

Even though well known publications or sources may seem reliable, it’s important to remain vigilant. Many

RITY O H

Facts and information cited should be fact checked.

The author of the source should be knowledgable on the subject.

The source’s intent should be to inform from a factual perspective, not opinionated.

The information provided in the source must be relevant to the topic.

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PU RP OS

E

have throughout no matter a person’s age.

In order for a source to be reliable, the information provided must be current or recent.

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ORION KIM

THE RUBICON

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Importance of recognizing biased media sources

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THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

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OPINION

VA N C E

INFOGRAPHIC: Salah Abdulkarim CRAAP TEST. This test helps filter out unreliable or biased sources. sources can have their own bias, or the writer themselves may have a personal bias reflected in the article. It’s important to assess a variety of perspectives. Oftentimes it’s best to consider an outside perspective from a source that has no stake in the subject. When consuming media that may

contain bias, it’s worthwhile to explore an article with an opposing bias to understand both sides of a subject.

Although finding a reliable source might seem difficult, it’s not impossible. Utilizing tools such as the CRAAP test and checking that the source has minimal bias makes

it easy to distinguish between a biased and an unbiased standpoint. Finding reliable sources is an essential skill not only in high school, but on a dayto-day basis. Unreliable sources can be detrimental to one’s well-being and their understanding of the truth.

Standing ovations should not define quality of speeches IS THIS ANY GOOD?

WILL THEY

“

ARE THEY

IT HAS BECOME A SOCIAL THING, OFTENTIMES PRESSURING

LISTENING?

SIMPLY STAND UP.

DID THEY

LIKE IT?

EVERYONE TO AGREE AND

STAND?

junior Hazel Waltenbaugh

ILLUSTRATION: Salah Abdulkarim THOUGHTS RUN WILD. Students may feel anxious about the quality of their speech by the audience’s reaction.

HAZEL WALTENBAUGH THE RUBICON

Standing ovations are meant to show the audience’s enthusiasm, approval, or support. While showing support is important, the reactions of the audience shouldn’t be used to measure the quality of a senior speech.

Oftentimes students and faculty will show their support for particular speeches by standing up at the end of the speaker’s speech. Most often, however, the speeches that get the most recognition are the ones that explore heavier topics, often connected in

a personal way, such as identity, eating disorders, or other traumatic events an individual may have experienced. While it’s important to have compassion for these speakers, we shouldn’t justify their hardships over others.

An unintended con-

sequence of standing ovations suggests that some speeches are more important than others strictly because of their content. We have created a subconscious norm that a speech can only be considered exceptional if the content relates to intense experiences or feelings. Only if you have experienced something traumatic, and have decided to share it in front of the community, then your speech can receive an enthusiastic response.

Not to say that those who choose to share their traumas shouldn’t be congratulated, but it is important to recognize that the audience’s reaction isn’t the only determinant of the qual-

ity or significance of one’s speech.

Standing ovations are already inaccurate measures of speech quality because of the audience’s tendency to ‘follow the leader’. Generally, it doesn’t take long for the whole auditorium to stand after the first few people do. It has become a social thing, oftentimes pressuring everyone to agree and simply stand up, because it is what everyone else is doing. In addition to that, it can be difficult for people in social settings to be the first ones to stand. So if someone really enjoyed or sympathized with a particular speech, they may not show it because of social institutions, and

fear of standing out (ie: what if nobody else felt the same, what if I am the only one standing, what will my friends think, etc).

I challenge the community to consider why they might be standing up. Does it feel like an obligation because of the topic and the responses of those around you, or did you feel a genuine connection and sympathetic response to the story? I also challenge the community to stand up (or continue to stand up) but only when they truly feel compelled to do so.

As a speaker, or just in general, it is important to not solely base achievements on the responses or reactions of those around us. While standing ovations show support, the quality of a speech should not be dictated by whether or not the audience chooses to stand.

Read more about senior speeches - FEATURE p. 10

PUBLICATIONS POLICIES PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon

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

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Shared bylines are given to joint effort assignments, with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states

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

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Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or

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IN PRINT: Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be printed in the month following the error and, if the story is also published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

7

Days of awareness kickstart meaningful change CLAIRE KIM

THE RUBICON

Days, weeks, and months are dedicated to best friends, planting trees, and going vegan.

While awareness dates can be centered around commonplace things, they also focus on bringing awareness to health,

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in October, including the “wear it pink’’ campaign, resources to charity sports, and places to donate. By spreading ways to support communities during visibility dates, it becomes easier to educate others on why these topics are important and to increase awareness around them.

DATES OF VISIBILITY ARE THE FIRST STEP TO ACKNOWLEDGING AND INCREASING GLOBAL COVERAGE OF ISSUES. sophmore Claire Kim

social, and cultural issues.

October, which is also LGBT History Month and National Disability Employment Awareness Month, includes celebrated dates such as Indigenous People’s Day and National Coming Out Day both on Oct. 11.

One of the biggest advantages of visibility dates is the sense of community. Groups of people come together in order to make their voices heard and to bring attention to their history or issues they face. Many organizations, such as Breast Cancer Now, provide ways to get involved during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

On LGBT History Month’s website for October 2021, they upload a video focusing on one LGBT historical icon daily, which is available to share. A common way of spreading awareness during visibility dates is compiling media such as film, books, and music surrounding people who are a part of the highlighted community.

Similarly, people or organizations often create collections of media created by those in the community; this method can bring attention to creators who are normally overlooked because of their identities.

ILLUSTRATION: Salah Abdulkarim EYE ON CHANGE. Days of awareness bring attention to social inequities and provides people with resources to understand the issue and actions they can take to make a difference.

But how far does “awareness” really go? A journal from the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health found that although public awareness campaigns about suicide and depression temporarily changed the amount of knowledge people had about the topic, they did not lead to an increase of people looking for treatment or a decrease in suicidal behavior.

While visibility dates can provide resources for short-term expansions of

knowledge, they often do not lead to a concrete and long-lasting change in behaviors. Visibility days can cause people to engage in actions focused on raising awareness, such as posting about topics on social media, but they usually are not complex enough to make people take preventive actions like health screenings and counseling.

Along with the uncertainty around the effects of visibility days, they can also create the idea that a certain group should only

be given the spotlight for one day, week, or month.

These timeframes are often too short to cover every aspect of a community, leading to generalizations and stereotyping based on the identity that brings them together.

Dates of visibility are the first step to acknowledging and increasing global coverage of issues.

They help start conversations about issues that may not be recognized otherwise, provide insight from other perspectives, and celebrate diver-

sity. The small action of informing others about ways to support causes during awareness dates, or simply educating them about the topic, can inspire people to work towards major changes surrounding the communities involved. Take advantage of the resources provided during visibility dates, and use them yearround to support affected communities; they are relevant outside of the day, week, or month they are recognized.

Lack of racial diversity amongst representatives impacts policy

ILLUSTRATION: Rita Li REPRESENTATION MATTERS. People in the community need help from representatives to guide different processes and help them show the importance of the issue.

RITA LI

RUBICONLINE

Race and equality is a crucial step for human society to advance forward.

About 23% of today’s U.S. House of Representatives are identified as a person of color or minority

group. The Pew Research Center compared ethnic diversity data of congress from 20 years ago, “[t]his represents a 97% increase over the 107th Congress of 2001-03”. It has also been observed that an increased percentage of colored representation

also helps contribute to house balance. “Among today’s senators and representatives, the overwhelming majority of racial and ethnic minority members are Democrats (83%), while 17% are Republicans. This represents a shift from the last Con-

gress when just 10% of non-White lawmakers were Republicans.” Despite the increasing number of colored representatives, the equilibrium is still uneven.

Brandon Lardy mentioned in We the Partnership, “white people make up 76% of the Office of Management and Budget, a federal agency that has significant impact on policy and the nation’s financial resources, while people of color are the majority at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, an important organization but one with significantly less influence.”

When discussing the 2022 governor elections, the New York Times brought up the idea of critical race theory in the

“

PEOPLE NEED REPRESENTATIVES AND RACE DIVERSITIES FOR GOVERNORS, IT IS CRUCIAL IN THE 21ST CENTURY. sophmore Rita Li

very beginning, especially the time period revolving around COVID-19 and the George Floyd incident. Groups of color have slowly risen, gained a voice, and taken power throughout history, which mainly sparked through the pandemic.

Equality and race will become a big factor in current and future individual governor’s performance. If not directly related to the governor’s race, how candidates handle each case will be crucial in power.

As society progresses, perspectives change as new ideas are being brought to people’s attention. Although race and equality have always been there since the creation of America, it has never been as important of a debate until recent times. People need representatives and race diversities for governors, it is crucial in the 21st century.

8 Ellie DawsonMoore talks

STAGE MAKEUP

A live production takes more than just the actors and actresses. Senior Ellie Dawson-Moore worked for the theater production last year as a makeup artist for the production Every(man), thoroughly enjoying it.

Makeup is a crucial part of theater production. The lighting, among other factors such as the audience’s distance from the stage, affects how actors and actresses look.

Dawson-Moore’s job helps the actors become more defined, creating a sharper and more defined character.

“It makes the actors easier to see, like from the audience I think especially the further you are away. If you have blush to accentuate the cheeks and eyeliner to make the eyes pop out more, you can really like, see how defined the features are which makes the actors more visible from offstage,” she said.

Makeup is also a way to deepen a character’s identity and deepen the artist’s own identity through the expression of a character’s personality. “I think, like, not just makeup, but costumes and things like that, like, all the things that tie together the extension of the character I think, really adds to the story, because it’s what you see before they even say anything, and then it tells you who the character is,” Dawson-Moore said.

D a w s o n - Mo o r e’s choice to work backstage was a personal decision made out of her deep appreciation for fashion and makeup and a deep understanding of oneself. “...And I’ve always found makeup to be like a really fun form of self-expression and an extension of myself, but actually pursuing it in school theater was more so out of convenience at the time, like when I first made the transition,” she said.

Theater productions are a way for Dawson Moore to express herself and be a part of the theater community.

IN DE THE RUBICON -

MAKEUP ISN’T J CAYENNE’S TOP THREE Junior Cayenne Ramirez shares the makeup products she uses every day.

1

Kush Mascara by Milk Makeup $25

2

3

Cloud Paint by Glossier $18

Anastasia Brow Wiz $23

EDITOR’S PICKS

With weather cooling, warmth is a necessity found in must have fall cosmetic products.

Dior Lip Glow Oil $37

4

1

3 Clinique Black Honey $20

2

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara $20

Glossier Monochromes eyeshadow $22

5

EM Cosmetics So Soft Multi Faceplay $30

9

EPTH OCTOBER 2021

JUST SKIN DEEP Industry conceals scary truth about child labor Orion Kim

THE RUBICON

The multi-billion-dollar makeup industry is one of the most overlooked manufacturing systems in the world.

Millions of Americans spend thousands of dollars a year on makeup, but the process of manufacturing is often overlooked. “Truthfully, I do not know as much as I should about harmful companies,” Senior Lulu Priede said.

One of the darkest secrets of the makeup industry is how mica, a cloud of shimmery dust that is used in cosmetics like eyeshadow, highlight, blush, and lip gloss, is produced child labor.

According to Refinery29, about 22,000 child labor workers risk death from mica mines collapsing and make just a quarter a day. Many of these mines are illegal but yet they still fall into American consumers’ hands.

The makeup industry has many influencers

who promote both cosmetic products and the industry itself. While promoting products oftentimes influencers don’t mention how prevalent child labor is in the industry. Junior Addy Eby said, “I see animal-cruelty free and assume the company is ethical but now I wonder what the carbon footprint and labor issues are with the companies I use. I hope that the products I’m using are ethically sourced and not built on child labor. I’ve never heard about mica mining,” proving how the production of makeup flies under the radar.

Others have heard about child labor, and are upset about how little it is talked about.

“I have k n o w n about child labor in relation to makeup pro-

duction for a long time, and it breaks my heart, especially when makeup influencers do not talk about it, while simultaneously profiting from child labor,” Pride said.

As the makeup industry lacks outspoken individuals the responsibility to educate oneself about the secrets of the makeup industry falls on the consumer.

Priede makes a habit of researching the brands she uses and their ethical standpoints. “I use makeup inconsistently and do not spend the majority of my money on

it because it is not super important to me. However, I stay up to date on companies that I use and will stop all use if I hear or read something bad about them,” Pride said.

As consumers took time to educate others and boycott brands, major corporations took notice. “I think many companies are finally starting to acknowledge how harmful and messed up child labor is, which makes me hopeful,” Priede said.

Priede then brought up another point about how some of the ingredi-

ents in makeup contain chemicals that can harm your body.

“

I THINK MANY COMPANIES ARE FINALLY STARTING TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW HARMFUL AND MESSED UP CHILD LABOR IS. senior Lulu Priede

“I know that there are a lot of bad companies out there but I try to make a habit of researching the brands I use and make sure that they do not contain chemicals that should not be in makeup,” Priede said.

According to Greenamerica.org, “89 percent of 10,500 ingredients used in personal care products have not been evaluated for safety by the CIR, the

FDA, nor any other publicly accountable institution,” said the nonprofit Environmental Working Group (EWG). “The absence of government oversight for this $35 billion industry leads to companies routinely marketing products with ingredients that are poorly studied, not studied at all, or worse, known to pose potentially serious health risks.”

Although it might seem like clean makeup brands are impossible to come across, simply going one extra step and doing research can really make a difference. According to Green America, some actions to move towards cleaner consumerism include using organic cosmetic brands, ethical mica, and other ingredients, and questioning labels such as ‘natural’ and ‘hypoallergenic.’

BRANDS EMBRACING GENDER NEUTRALITY

Cosmetic expression: genderless & genderfull Eve Sampsell-Jones

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

The concept of beauty is always in flux. It’s always being redefined and societal perceptions of beauty are always changing.

There’s nothing about beauty that’s static- when one thinks they’ve grasped what it is, it always manages to race off like a roadrunner. The relationship between makeup and beauty is no exception- it’s ever evolving within the framework of standards and social rights movements.

“Obviously, anyone can wear makeup regardless of gender or sexuality, but I think makeup can also be a really wonderful tool to both express my gender and also liberate me from gender and the

expectations it entails.” junior Quenby Wilson said.

“

MAKEUP IS PAINT, IT’S FOR ANYONE WHO IT MAKES FEEL BETTER.

junior Quenby Wilson

Makeup has had a strange history with social justice. It’s long been seen as a necessity for women and an abomination for men. As a reaction to this, some branches of feminism view makeup as oppressive and a hindrance to women’s rights.

“There is still very

much an idea that makeup is for ‘feminine’ people which isn’t true. Makeup is paint, it’s for anyone who it makes feel better,” Wilson said.

However, this has changed in the fourth and fifth waves of feminism, especially in relation to the sex-positive and body-positive movements. The new dogma goes that it is a woman’s choice to wear what she wants, including makeup, and present herself however she wants. Makeup does not have to be an instrument of the patriarchy, but instead a tool of empowerment.

Women are not the only ones wearing makeup, though. Makeup is inextricably linked to queerness and gender nonconformity, and has been for a long time. It would be remiss to say

that non-women have only started wearing makeup in recent years, because this is far from new. LGBTQ people of all genders have been wearing makeup in the nooks and crannies of the world for as long as those nooks and crannies have been around. The ballroom culture of the late 1900s, where cross-dressing and gender nonconformity were accepted and even encouraged, fueled this.

“Makeup, especially recently, has been a super valuable tool in gender rights and has been used as an art medium for activism, especially involving trans and queer rights.” Wilson said. “By using makeup to subvert a lot of expectations put on AFAB [assigned female at birth], queer, or feminine people, it takes away that outdated idea

that makeup is something created for the ‘male gaze’ and instead turns it into a tool for self expression.”

Even so, the use of makeup by non-women has become far more accepted with advances in LGBTQ rights. Obviously, not everyone is on board with this yet, and it seems that every time a male celebrity wears makeup a litany of mostly conservative podcasters get upset online. But in general, it’s more socially acceptable to wear makeup as a form of gender nonconformity than it has been in the past.

• Trixie Cosmetics • Youth to the People • Fwnty Beauty • Milk • Fluide • Flesh • Glossier • Dragun Beauty • Morphie • Haus Laboratories

10 Irish celebrates identity as FEATURE

THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

new IC Program Specialist HOBBS LILLYGREEN THE RUBICON

Intercultural Life Program Specialist Alexis Irish runs all of the programming behind affinity groups, inclusive and special interest clubs.

Irish’s main focus is to cater to students’ needs around safety and inclusivity.

“Anything the students need—the stuff anybody or any marginalized student needs— that’s me. That’s my job,” Irish said.

While the position is new, Irish is not, having graduated from SPA in 2015. Attending the school she now works at gave Irish the advantage of knowing the school culture well.

Although the building and facilities transformed, the school culture has stayed mostly familiar.

“I know the culture generally,” Irish said, “and I know obviously things change and there are things that are different, but it was nice to not

BEHIND THE PODIUM:

“

IT’S NOT EVEN A PLACE WHERE YOU HAVE TO BE THIS EXCEEDINGLY EXCELLENT INDIVIDUAL; IT’S JUST A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN RELAX. Alexis Irish

have the culture shock.”

Her student experience at SPA lacked the diversity she strives to implement now.

“When I went here, there were really no affinity groups; there was only Common Ground... after school and it was once a month, so it wasn’t valued that much,” Irish said.

The LGBTQ+ space that existed when Irish went to the school was also limited: “They had one group that was called Rainbow Connection but it was super hush hush and super secret. The community was not even ready to receive all of

that, but now,” Irish said, “just for me personally, it’s so cool to be able to say ‘Yeah, we’ve got, like, 12 groups now.’”

This year in the upper school, Irish has already started adapting groupings to student need.

A Muslim affinity group was started this year, and an antiracist special interest group was added.

The Muslim affinity group in the upper school is extends a program students knew in middle school.

“There was a really strong student Muslim affinity group in the middle school and then they got to the upper school and had no where to go,” she said.

The antiracist special interest group focuses on structures. “A special interest group isn’t an affinity group, but there’s a new special interest group in the upper school called students against racism,” Irish said.

This year two separate affinity groups for black

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Alexis Irish AN AFFINITY FOR ACCEPTANCE. Alexis Irish oversees the plethora of affinity groups for upper school students. “Just for me personally,” Irish said, “it’s so cool to be able to say ‘Yeah, we’ve got, like, 12 groups now.’” students combined.

“There used to be Black and Brown Males and Black and Brown Girls and then they combined, so now it’s Black and Brown Student Union, which is super exciting,” Irish said.

Affinity groups are crucial because sometimes it is the only place students feel safe.

“Affinity spaces create that space that kids

need. It’s not even a place where you have to be this exceedingly excellent individual; it’s just a place where you can relax, because you spent the rest of your day trying to shove yourself into this box, into this expectation,” Irish said.

Outside of scheduled times, Irish connects with students more spontaneously: “Throughout the day, students will

just be like, ‘Hey, can we chat?’ so we’ll just hang out,” she said.

Affinity clubs, events for parents and teachers, and special interest groups are just the tip of the iceberg for the work Irish does, and will continue to do as she strives to build equitable spaces that makes school inclusive and safe for students who are part of marginalized communities.

Draft-by-draft preparation goes into speech assemblies

RUBICON PHOTO: Hazel Waltenbaugh TIME TO SHINE. The Upper School gathers in the Huss auditorium before a senior speech assembly. There are usually four senior speakers per assembly, which happen once or twice a week.

HAZEL WALTENBAUGH THE RUBICON

Senior speeches allow seniors an opportunity to share their stories and opinions (plus, it’s a graduation requirement).

The audience dedicates a few minutes of their time to seek to understand each speaker, as seniors share their discoveries or struggles, the advice they want to pass on, their opinions on the world, or anything else they might wish to explore during that time up on stage.

US English teacher Andrew Inchiosa is the new director of senior speeches. He helps students through their drafting and speaking process.

“What we say to the students is that their speeches have to have a point, which can mean a lot of things. They are supposed to be five to seven minutes, but the topics are fully up to students,” Inchiosa said.

First speech drafts are typically due about a month before the speech is given to ensure valuable feedback.

“I’ll usually meet with them around that time, and then they’ll work on their second drafts about a week before their speech. They usually will finish their final drafts a day or two before they give their speech,” Inchiosa said.

Senior Sal Burkhardt was one of the first speakers this year. They used their time to talk about the Transgender Day of Remembrance (coming up Nov. 20).

“I think students give their speeches on many different things; many

are about personal growth or a topic the student is passionate about,” Burkhardt said.

The first draft for Burkhardt was stressful, but after deciding on a topic, the process felt smoother.

“It probably took me a week or two to write the first draft, including figuring out what to write about. Being on stage was definitely nerve-racking, but there are opportunities to practice your speech on stage beforehand so that definitely made it easier,” Burkhardt said.

Senior Annika Brelsford, who gave her speech in September, felt really excited to be one of the first speakers.

“I get nervous for big performances of any kind, especially as the anticipation goes on, and so I knew that the sooner I could give my speech, the happier I would be,” Brelsford said.

Brelsford shared personal experiences in a creative writing form to encourage embracing vulnerability as well as show their gratitude for the people and things that bring them joy.

“I used poetic prose to

“

MANY SPEECHES ARE ABOUT PERSONAL GROWTH OR A TOPIC THE STUDENT IS PASSIONATE ABOUT. senior Sal Burkhardt

try and communicate the feeling I have sometimes of falling in love with the world or the feeling of living,” Brelsford said.

“I think the idea of personal change and growth is a very common thing for seniors to write their speeches about because we feel so different from the people we were when we started high school.

I feel healthier and happier than I ever have in the past four years and so why wouldn’t I share how I got there?”

Although excited to share their speech, Brelsford said they felt anxious about giving their speech since the day they first learned about the tradition.

“I think it’s hard to know what you’re going to write about that early on, because my own personal experience is so different than it was when I was 14. It wasn’t scary to be on stage in the end, actually. I felt okay being up there,” Brelsford said.

Although many students feel nervous about giving speeches, most appreciate the time they get on stage. Inchiosa values that the experience is shared throughout the community, and appreciates having a little insight into each student’s life.

“By having senior speeches we are kind of carving out a space where everyone is heard in a way or has a few moments to talk about something that is on their mind. You all, as students, are kind of telling us [as teachers] what’s important to you, or what we should be thinking about as a school,” Inchiosa said.

“It’s daunting to be given 7 minutes to speak when I felt like I had nothing of value to share,” Brelsford said. “I’m glad I had this opportunity though, in the end. It was well worth all the work.”

GOOD QUESTION THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

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2,012.71 August 31st, 2018 1,578.89 March 9th, 2018 $818. 99 October 1st, 2 016

?

What do you know about investing in stocks?

“

“

I KNOW THAT THERE’S NOT A GREAT WAY TO DO IT [INVEST] WITHOUT PAYING SOMEONE TO DO IT FOR YOU UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ON IT. - senior Jack Hlavka

I KNOW YOU WANT TO BUY WHEN IT’S LOW AND SELL WHEN IT’S HIGH SO YOU HAVE TO ESTIMATE WHEN THOSE TWO POINTS W ILL BE. - junior Solvej Eversoll

“

I KNOW THAT STOCKS ARE AN INVESTEMENT FORM THAT MOST OF THE WORLD CAN TAKE PART IN. DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH TIME AND EFFORT YOU PUT IN, THE RESULT AND RISK iS ALMOST ENTIRELY UP TO YOU - sophomore Melina Kannankutty

“

I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT MONEY INTO A COMPANY AND HOPE IT GOES UP, THEN SELL IT. - freshman Andy Allen

1,785.00 March 13th, 2020

SOURCE: Morningstar

1,405.23 April 6th, 2018 1,377.45 December 21st, 2018

$AMZN. The market value of Amazon’s shares has experienced major fluctuations between 2016 and 2020.

How do stocks work?

CATHERINE HOOLEY

Notoriously students complain that school education doesn’t teach them about the “real world,” many asking the questions of how to succeed financially. When stocks are brought up as a way to do this, many young people don’t know what this actually means or what stocks actually are.

In summary, a stock is a share of ownership of a company. Corporations that are public, meaning their stock is open to the public for buying and trading, have a price which one share of their stock will cost, which can be bought on a stock exchange. The cost will depend on the value of the company in relation to the supply of the stock market and will vary day to day based on how the company is performing. For example, Amazon stock is currently $3,288.50 USD, whereas a lower demand stock like ADMA Biologics is currently $1.12 USD. If someone buys 10 shares of a company where each stock is worth $10, they would be investing $100 into that company.After a certain amount of time, if the company performs well, its stock price will increase and each share owned will be worth more. Say each share of this company is now worth $20, this investment would then be worth $200, so the investor would have profited. This can work in the opposite direction, too. If the company performs poorly and a share of their company is now worth only $5, the investor would have lost $50.

The objective of investors is basically to buy low and sell high, which is done by finding undervalued stocks. This means stocks that someone believes are worth or are going to be worth more money than the stock is being sold for. learn what they are, it’s just probability.

Stocks aren’t too complicated once you get over the initial scariness of them,” junior Andrea Gist said.

Another misconception people have about stocks is that trading and investing in stocks is the same thing, which is not true. “Investing is purchasing shares, or stock, of a company with the intention of holding them for a long period of time. One does this because they believe that the company is on a growth trajectoTHE RUBICON

How to Invest in Stocks A beginner’s step by step guide

“

ONCE YOU ACTUALLY LEARN WHAT THEY ARE, IT’S JUST PROBABILITY. junior Andrea Gist

ry and hence the value of the shares will rise over time.

Trading, on the other hand, capitalizes on shortterm fluctuations in the stock prices to make profits for the trader,” said Conrod-Wovcha. When someone trades, they buy a stock that is currently at a low price but is predicted to grow and then sell the stock when they believe it will go down again.

For high-schoolers, investing or trading stock is a way to get ahead on becoming financially stable. By starting early, younger people can obtain money earlier, which will be beneficial in college, or just later life in general. “To maximize gains, I recommend that students pick stocks to trade based on those that are trending on Wallstreetbets, arguably the most respected financial institution in this country,” said Conrod-Wovcha. Wallstreetbets is a subreddit where stocks are discussed between members and it is a way to stay up to date on recent changes in the stock market.

Not only are there online resources to help with this process, but there are also learning opportunities in school. “In the Economics class I teach, we participate in a statewide stock market game to experiment with investing in stocks without using real money,” said US history teacher Nan Dreher, who also teaches an economics class. Practicing how to invest without using real money is an effective strategy to prepare for real-life investments.

Stocks are a central feature of the US economy, so understanding how the stock market works and how to use it to one’s benefit can be an essential part of succeeding financially or just understanding how the global economy works.

how #2 stocks vs. on #1 Decide #3 Focus funds: Know you want to long-term invest

the difference

investments

On your own? Using a manager? 401K?

Stock mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, or individual stocks

Don’t make rushed decisions.1 year, 10 years?

Choose an

#4 investing account

Brokerage? Robot account?

the #5 Set a budget #6 Manage portfolio How much money do your need? How much money should you invest?

Check on your stocks.

Spread investments out out in defferent industries

12

ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

Unbearable fun: get into the best bad movies SALAH ABDULKARIM EDITOR IN CHIEF

Sometimes it’s just fun to watch a bad movie. Although some movies and shows are horribly produced, viewers will continue to watch them and possibly even enjoy them.

This could be for a variety of reasons, to list a couple: a viewer may have already invested their time into beginning the movie and may just want to finish it, or others may find it so awful that it’s just amusing to continue watching. Whatever the case may be, watching a good bad movie may not be the worst way to enjoy some free time.

But what specific element makes a bad movie or show good? The answer to that question is different for every person depending on their personal preferences.

For US English Teacher Andrew Inchiosa, there are a few different things,

“I really enjoy thrillers or dramas that have a lot of exciting things going for

“

I STILL LIKED THE CONCEPT THAT THEY WERE GOING FOR, WHICH MADE IT KIND OF GOOD. sophomore Nadia Degnan

them, but there’s something that went wrong in the making of the movie or performances that’s really entertaining.”

There are various elements that could go wrong when producing a movie. It could have to do with the casting of characters, bad special effects, unclear plotlines, holes in the story, unrealistic or

unexplained occurrences, to name a few.

“An example of a good bad movie is Lethal Love; it’s on Netflix. I thought It was a good bad movie because the plotline is just about this man who begins a romantic relationship with both a mother and a daughter who together want to run a bakery. It’s not clear what he’s doing, it’s part of his scheme, but it’s not really clear what the scheme is…There’s this sense that he is closer in age to the mother than the daughter in the film, but clearly, the actor is closer in age to the daughter. So they keep kind of saying, this is an age-appropriate relationship, or they make sense together, even though they’re maybe 25 years different in age. It was very funny because it didn’t work, but other parts of it were suspenseful, so I laughed a lot as I watched it, for that rea-

PHOTOS: Netflix THE BIG SCREEN. Netflix’s large array of movies allows for a large number of poorly produced movies, like “Lethal Love” and “He’s All That.” son and others,” Inchiosa said.

So what differentiates a bad movie from a good bad movie? The ability to make the audience keep watching. This can be done using humor, whether it’s intended or not, by suspense, or by having a meaningful plot.

Those elements keep viewers watching despite

issues that a certain production may have.

Sophomore Nadia Degnan said, “There’s this movie called He’s All That on Netflix that has Addison Rae and is pretty cringey, but I still liked the concept that they were going for, which made it kind of good.”

While bad movies and shows often have a boat-

load of factors not going their way, they can still turn out to be good. Bad movies and shows can leave you questioning the decisions made by directors and producers, making it pretty entertaining despite not being insanely good by most people’s standards.

Wired waitstaff: replacing servers with robots ANNIE BAI

THE RUBICON

Robots and AI have been appearing more frequently in our daily lives, even to the extent that they are replacing humans. This is exactly what the Sawatdee Thai restaurant located in Minneapolis has done. During the pandemic, they lost waiters and workers and their solution was to use a robot called Deedee to deliver food to the tables, replacing waiters. Deedee means “very good” in Thai and is the last syllable of the restaurant’s name. The robot is programmed to deliver the drinks and dishes to and from the customer’s table. Sawatdee’s goal in using this new robot is to allow the human waiters to focus purely on customer interaction and service.

While ordering, I asked the waiter when the robot was going to appear.

He laughed and said that it delivers the food, but it can’t take orders, that is the waiter’s job. The robot Deedee is simply designed with three platforms to hold the customers’ food. When the food is ready, the workers will place the plates onto Deedee and it will roll

over to your table. It is an innovative idea and definitely attracts new customers like me.

“

getting food delivered straight to the table by a robot definitely makes the overall dining experi-

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR AN AUTHENTIC EXPERIENCE, MY ADVICE IS TO ORDER THE TRADITIONAL THAI DISHES. sophmore Annie Bai

But as technology is not yet that advanced, Deedee is not able to fully replace humans. The robot is only able to carry a small amount of food, so the waiter still needs to manually bring over the rest. Deedee is very accurate in arriving at the designated spots, it stops just at the side of the table. But unfortunately, it also moves at least two times slower than the actual waitstaff, which can be impractical. Personally, I prefer human waiters to robots just because of the convenience in communication. But as mentioned before, you never know. Maybe in a few years, when technology is more advanced and the robots are capable of completing the whole serving process, I will change my mind. But

ence more enjoyable.

As for the food at Sawatdee, every plate that we got tasted great.

I ordered the Massamun Curry with a spice level of zero which actually ended up being pretty spicy for me. We realized that for Sawatdee’s curries they are all automatically spicy. The level they ask you to choose is just for those that want to add extra heat in which they add a few peppers on the top. This is something to watch out for if you can’t handle spicy food, but without the spice, it no longer is authentic Thai curry. Some of the items on the menu were far from the actual Thai dish and some important dishes were completely left out. For example, their appetizer features spring rolls that have the classic

golden, crispy, fried wrap.

The fried type is still eaten in Thailand, but more commonly, they use lettuce or a transparent rice paper that is soft. These are called fresh spring rolls, which are excluded from their menu.

When you search up the restaurant reviews on Google, you will see many bad reviews with an overall rating of 3.9 stars.

People complained about the wait time and food quality. After we ordered our food, the actual wait time was about 10 minutes which I would consider very fast. If you are looking for an authentic experience, my advice is to order the traditional Thai dishes and not those designed to fit American taste buds, which is a mistake many of the unsatisfied customers made. But my experience there was great, the quality was just as advertised and I would definitely go again.

RUBICON PHOTO: Annie Bai COMING IN HOT. Deedee carries over the food maintaining functionality and a sleek look.

Sawatdee is located at 607 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415

RATING: 4/5

SCAN FOR SAWATDEE MENU

13 Hailing from Korea, Squid Game sweeps the world ARTS / ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

out being seen as overrated only further proves its cinematic genius.

THE FASTPACED STORYLINE HELPS BUILD UP MORE IDEAS, PROBLEMS AND BONDS IN THE STORY TO CAPTIVATE

“

PHOTO: @netflix on Instagram STICK TOGETHER. Cho Sang-Woo, Seong Gi-Hun, and Kang Sae-byeok band together to protect themselves from possible attacks during the night.

TOMMY VERHEY RUBICONLINE

Released on Netflix on Sept. 17, Squid Game was an instant hit around the world. Created, written and directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, Squid Game has struck a chord in viewers for its character development and exciting concept. It is currently the #1 Netflix show in more than 90 countries worldwide and has surpassed 111 million viewers in just one month, marking it as the mostviewed Netflix television series of all time.

Squid Game is not seen

as your average, everyday show, as the complete obscurity of the plot and the ideas surrounding it are what make it so popular.

Another key aspect in the show’s publicity revolves around its social media presence. As more and more videos about its content began appearing on millions of people’s feeds, the grossing viewership only continued to spike. Just under a month since the hit show was released, videos with the usage of “#SquidGame” on TikTok have more than 39.9 billion views.

Its ability to spread so far across social media with-

VIEWERS. junior Tommy Verhey

The series is focused on 456 people, all in heavy debt, going against each other in a sequence of deadly childhood games for the prize of 45.6 billion won. Each time someone gets eliminated from games like red light, green light, or tug-of-war, they are killed. The story follows player 456, a man named Seong Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-jae), who has recently gone through a divorce and has persistent money troubles. While he initially believes these games will be fun and easy, he is soon informed about the possibility of death after each round.

With 455 other players constantly under surveillance by workers in pink jumpsuits and another mysterious man, GiHun must fight his way through the games to prevail as the sole winner.

The beginning of this series effectively drags viewers in and gets them invested in the story. Exhibiting Gi-Hun as a sad, lonely man longing for money gets viewers to side with the show’s main character. As the story moves forward into the games, Gi-Hun’s character is only further developed, proving him to be a likable and trustworthy person to latch onto.

A critical and highly-stressed part of this story is Gi-Hun’s relationships with the other characters. Cho Sang-Woo (Park Hae Soo), Gi-Hun’s former childhood friend who went to a prestigious business school in South Korea, also attends the games. Because of their former friendship, Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun instantly connect and stick together, especially as others begin to die off.

But, the constant shifts in their relationship are some of the most prom-

inent factors in this story. Because the dynamic between the two is often flowing from positive to negative, viewers are able to stay more engaged by trying to pick apart and understand the reasoning behind their problems.

Another fundamental relationship in this story is between Gi-Hun and Kang Sae-byeok (HoYeon Jung).

Sae-byeok, a younger yet equally money-hungry player, is initially portrayed as introverted, insecure and suspicious. But, as Gi-Hun continuously demonstrates his kind, loving personality, she lowers her barriers and allows him to become closer to her. As their relationship evolves, they become more trusting and build a bond between themselves and the viewer, making the show even more engaging.

The neverending shockers, cliffhangers and tide-changing dilemmas congest the story as viewers try to comprehend what implication each twist and turn can have. The fast-paced storyline helps build up more ideas, problems and bonds in the story to

captivate viewers, proving why Squid Game deserves to be so popular.

The show has a few problems, however, including the heavy acts of violence and the constant viewing of people in poor life situations, which can radiate bad behavior, cultivate fear and desensitize viewers of any age. While this is the case for countless popular shows, it is never a great thing to insert into a television series.

Despite these few flaws, the show is able to keep any viewer interested for hours on end. As you bounce from one episode to the next, the story only improves. Overall, Hwang Dong-hyuk’s 9-episode series truly is a work of art. Squid Game should be forever known as not only one of the greatest Netflix shows of all time, but as one of the greatest shows in television history.

RATING: 5/5

Fractured fairytale adaptation doesn’t hold up to Harrow’s novels KATHRYN CAMPBELL

DIR. OF PUBLICATIONS

Sleeping Beauty with a modern multiverse twist.

Alix Harrow’s A Spindle Splintered was published on Oct. 5, and with preorder, it was in my hands the same day. Its 119 pages with illustrations took about three hours to read but it was clear early that there was so much potential lost in this underwhelming fairy tale adaptation.

I wanted to love it.

From page one, protagonist Zinnia Gray throws shade on the social construct of the damsel in a tower: “Sleeping Beauty is pretty much the worst fairy tale, any way you slice it,” she says. “It’s aimless and amoral and chauvinistic… it’s the fairy tale that feminist scholars cite when they want to talk about women’s passivity in historical narratives.”

Zinnia should know: as a 21-year old with a cellular disorder that’s destined to kill her before she turns 22, she rushed through life, avoiding confrontation and connection, finishing high school at 16 and getting

a BA in Folklore just in time to toss some final dark humor at the reader as she prepares to die at home with her parents.

“

IT WAS CLEAR EARLY THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL LOST. Dir. of Publications Kathryn Campbell

But something happens at her birthday celebration that alters reality and changes the course of her illness and her future.

Somehow, Zinnia moves through time from modern-day rural Ohio to a Renaissance-like land where she meets Primrose, the living version of the Disney fairy tale Briar Rose, and the two embark on a quest to save themselves from fate.

The book offers two bright-ish spots: the first is Zinnia’s best friend Charm, whose love for her bestie and incredible cell phone reception pro-

vide most of the moxie in this story. Disappointing, though that Charm is relegated to queer sidekick in the novel, a trope that any reader hoping to see sincere LGBTQ representation will find irritating at best.

The second is Zellandine, the Maleficent-like character who offers more wise-witch than evil fairy. She reveals truths about Zinnia and Primrose, clarifies elements of their stories that truly change the narrative and build inertia for a quest to follow. This is the place where the novella could have become a really exciting, plot twisted, multiverse fantasy. All the materials are there: the damsels in distress, the dangerous adventure, the illusion and reality, the untapped power of women… and while Harrow tries to draw together the elements of an original adaptation, it never takes off; it waxes cliche, as if the author doesn’t have the time -- or want to take the time -- to tease it into a full length novel before it hits bookstore shelves.

By the end, every turn is predictable, every fore-

shadowing obvious. It was easy to skip lines and skim paragraphs and miss nothing much.

Both disappointing as a feminist text and a fantasy novel, I’m content to pass on the rest of the series and wait for Harrow to return to her true calling as a novel writer.

Alix Harrow earned her reputation as an inventive novelist with 10,000 Doors of January in 2019 a book named finalist for the 2020 Hugo, Nebula, Locus, and World Fantasy awards. She held to it strongly with magical suffragettes in the 2020 novel The Once and Future Witches, a book that made NPR, Booklist and Barnes and Noble’s Best Books of the Year lists, proving that maybe novella is just not Alix Harrow’s form.

Instead of seeking out A Spindle Splintered, head to the Randolph Campus library and check out one of her novels.

PHOTO: alixeharrow.wixsite.com

PHOTO: MacMillan Publishers CAPTIVATING COVER. Unique and exciting book covers are one commonality between Harrow’s books. Readers and writers know cover art is essential to pull viewers in and her covers are nothing short of vibrant.

RATING: 2/5

14

SPORTS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

IT’S A NUMBERS GAME

The importance of stats to athletes SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

Plenty of people interpret athletes’ stats and performance, how do athletes interpret their own?

For basically every sport, statistics are collected for a particular athlete’s performance, the team as a whole’s performance. Ranging from games won, made shot percentages, or time per lap, statistics are a large part of sports. These statistics fuel athletes and teams to level up their game.

One of the best ways to improve is to first recognize which skills need the most development.

Without doing so, players and athletes won’t be able to grow and improve their performance in their sport. By recognizing weaker statistics in a particular field, players can practice skills in an effort to improve future performance.

Soccer goalkeeper Cooper Olson said, “As a goalie, I track my save percentages, which is a big part of my play because it can help me improve. I can compare past games and more recent games to see how I’m able to improve and help my team.”

While statistics can be

OLSON

BY THE NUMBERS

BOND

BY THE NUMBERS

14 # of saves Olson had in his best game

20

# of goals in 18 games last season, the runner up to leading goal scorer Ava Wasserman

15

Bond is the teams playmaker with 15 assists this season

5

The amount of clean sheats Olson has had throughout the season. A clean sheat is a game without the opposition scoring

24

1

# of shots Bond has registered on target

Boys Varsity Soccer have let in an average of only 1 goal per game, and Olson is a big part of that number RUBICON PHOTO: Hazel Waltenbaugh

used to track individual performance, they can be used in a similar way for teams to improve play and know how to prepare against future opponents.

Team records and stats— like possession and shots taken—can point them to what they have to work on next.

Taking a look at opponents’ statistics can help narrow down their strengths and weaknesses, indicating to teams who and what to look out and prepare for.

“In previous years... I remember our stats were pretty important to us, hockey forward Lucie

Bond said, “because we really wanted to make it to the state tournament.

So we obviously wanted to do the best we could...

Keeping track of our stats worked pretty well because everyone pushes to get better.”

Being that numbers, like game records or

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Lucy Bond percentages, can be so important to teams and players, it can have an unintended negative impact too.

“It [statistics] definitely stresses me out sometimes...and it could be a negative thing for my team, just because everyone can get very com-

petitive with each other,” Bond said.

Statistics define a large part of an individual player or team. Learning to use statistics as a developmental tool for improvement is crucial, but must be done right so as to avoid focusing just on numbers.

Captains collaborate to improve leadership skills “ LUCY THOMAS

THERE ARE PEOPLE It is lonely at the top, WHO ARE but maybe less so when LEADERS AND you learn with others at PEOPLE THAT ARE the top of their game.

Team captains this FOLLOWERS. STAFF WRITER

year will participate in a captain’s leadership program that will create a network of sports leaders and teach them skills to help them guide their program and improve teammates’ trust.

The captains can connect and problem solve with captains from fall sports and reach out when they do not know how to deal with a situation. The textbook that they are using is the Team Captain’s leadership Manual by Jeff Janssen.

The book will help improve the leadership that coaches respect and teammates trust. It explores the ideas of leading by example and vocal leadership skills.

co-captain Esther Allen

Volleyball co-captain Nina Starchook said the leadership program is “really teaching us all how to be a leader,” as well as, “helping normalize reaching out to other captains if you don’t know something.”

These leadership skills are universal throughout the sports programs.

Cross Country runner Inga Wing said, of her team leaders: “All of the cross country captains are kind and including

and I’m really grateful for the team atmosphere that they create.”

The cross country captains also participate in the captain’s council.

Esther Allen serves as a co-captain in her third year of volleyball. She said, “The captains in the volleyball program really take initiative and they always have and I believe they always will.”

When Allen was asked about the usefulness of the Captain Leadership program she said, “No, I think that there are people who are leaders and people who are followers… I really don’t think that it is so much about their success rather there who they are as a person and you can’t really change that.”

The captains discuss leadership topics based on book chapters throughout the year.

PHOTO: Scott Streble, SPA Smugmug TOGETHER, WE SUCCEED. Captain Solvej Eversol encourages the team as they face a tough game ahead. “Spartans on 3; 1,2, 3 Spartans” they chant as the time sounds, and the set continues. The team, after encouragement and water, went onto the court with a new mindset.

JEFF JANSSEN’S

LESSONS FROM LEADERSHIP

HOW TO CONTROL YOUR CONTROLLABLES THE TRAFFIC LIGHT ANALOGY HOW TO SOLIDIFY YOUR SENSE OF SELF HOW TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE THE RISKS OF BEING A LEADER

SPORTS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

50 YEARS OF TITLE IX

15

Dawn Wickstrum: cornerback to Athletics Director CLAIRE KIM

THE RUBICON

ARCHIVE PHOTOS: Monroe Evening Times PERSONAL VICTORY. Dawn Wickstrum dresses as starting cornerback for her MS football team in 1992. “I was around a great group of guys that sort of accepted me in their world,” she said.

PART OF THE TEAM. Wickstrum stands with her football coach Terry Tinkle. In the original article about her playing, Tinkle said, “If a girl says she wants to play football, we are contradicting ourselves if we don’t let her to that.”

A season of Friday night lights, first-and-ten.

This is an image of young men in a lineup… but for Director of Athletics Dawn Wickstrum, it was her sport of choice. In small-town Wisconsin, she played for Broadhead Middle School in 8th grade, a decision that shaped her career and position today.

Wickstrum had to get approved by the state in order to be able to play.

She described the accommodations made for her, including different locker rooms and facilities: “I was just so grateful to have that experience and I was around a great group of guys that sort of accepted me in their world, and I would say that experience really made me an advocate for females and athletics, whether it’s professionally, whether you’re trying a sport the first time, or anything,” Wickstrum said.

Wickstrum grew up playing numerous sports, but playing football was,

in part, possible due to Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, which states, “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” While Title IX includes all federally funded programs, it is most often associated with sports due to its goal of creating equal opportunities of participation, proportional scholarships between male and female athletes, and equal treatment in funded resources.

As SPA’s Title IX Coordinator and representative in the Minnesota State High School League, Wickstrum continues to work with budget managers to ensure that funding is being allocated equally to different sports. Her experiences in a male-dominated sport often at the center of Title IX cases make her a strong advocate for equal

opportunities and resources in athletics.

“It’s very important that we give the same access to our female student-athletes as we would in males, whether it goes to facilities, uniforms, equipment, or other off-campus facility access,” she said.

Although SPA does not have to follow Title IX guidelines because it is not a federally funded institution, the school has a history well beyond Title IX in providing girls sports.

Wickstrum coordinates athletics to create a program that gives fair opportunities to student-athletes regardless of sport or gender.

“One of the top three things was making a program that was equitable, sustainable, and one that kids could have fun in,” she said.

Wickstrum’s commitment to upholding equal access continues to guide Title IX’s impact on athletes in the SPA community.

TITLE

IX

What is Title IX? Title IX (1972) is a federal civil rights law that says no educational institution can discriminate on the basis of sex or gender.

The ruling extends beyond athletics to any kind of harassment or discrimination rooted in gender, and a commitment to provide equal education.

Further, the law isn’t focused solely on women.

This distinction has been particularly important in recent years for nonbinary gender and LGBTQ identifying students.

SOURCE: Know Your IX

Team managers play a large role in team improvement and spirit CLAIRE KIM

THE RUBICON

The incredible amount of planning and practice required for high school sports is made possible with the aid of team managers. Student managers play an important role in helping communication between coaches and team members, managing statistics, and contributing to team culture.

Sophomore Rishi Bhargava is both a manager for the Girls Swimming and Diving team, SPARKS, and a member of the Boys Swimming and Diving team, Trojans. “When the team has meets, I show up, and I help with warm up, like [when practicing] starts I call out when to go.

We sometimes help with technique work,” he said.

“And then when the meet starts, we time with stopwatches and we are able to help [coach] Katy out with whatever she needs.” Some of his other jobs as a manager include writing down split times during races and creating meet line-ups, both

of which help events run smoothly for swimmers and spectators alike.

Bhargava’s own experiences with swimming originally made him want to help out with the

“

WE KIND OF ARE THE BACKBONE IN TERMS OF HELPING GUYS UNDERSTAND WHAT TO IMPROVE ON. senior Sutton Lillygreen

girls’ team. “Swimming is a really intense sport; you show up, and you try to work yourself to the limit and then try to exceed that, but without team culture that gets really repetitive and really boring.

I feel like the people are what makes swimming a fun sport that I enjoy watching, and enjoy being a part of,” he said.

By participating in traditions on the girls’ swim

team like diving callouts and singing on the bus after meets, managers help strengthen bonds among the team, which are necessary to keep everyone engaged and motivated.

Similarly to swimming, times are just as important in Cross Country, which is managed by sophomore Ingrid Johnson. Although Johnson has been running on the team since sixth grade, she is participating as a manager this season due to an injury. “This means that I can still be a part of the team even though I cannot run, which is super fun,” she said.

Johnson’s main job is recording times during practices and meets, as well as helping to organize practices. As a manager, she also works to encourage members of the team from the coaching side. “It’s good to have strong team culture because it makes participating in the sport much more enjoyable because we can connect as a team and bond,” she said.

Senior Sutton Lil-

RUBICON PHOTO: Claire Kim ON YOUR MARKS. Girls Swim and Dive Team manager Rishi Barghava records a race during practice. “We time with stopwatches and we are able to help [coach] Katy out with whatever she needs,” he said. lygreen, manager for Boys Varsity Soccer, mainly records footage of the team playing. “We kind of are the backbone in terms of helping guys understand what to improve on when they’re not playing in a game,” he said. By identifying points to work on,

the team’s performance can improve, creating a positive environment and giving energy to the members.

Although their experiences may be vastly different from the players’, student team managers are crucial to making

sure sports stay organized and team members have the best experience possible. Whether it’s through helping their performance improve or simply cheering them on, managers are key to connecting members of their teams.

16

MUSIC THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2021

Alternative expression: the return of punk

How fashion style aligns with music taste native scenes. Both scenes express individuality and Aesthetics make each bold looks. Each genre music scene unique and of music has its own aesdeeply influence fashion thetic. “On TikTok there’s to those who listen. With a lot of people who listen modern pop-punk artists to genres of music and like Machine Gun Kelly have a certain style so I and Paramore borrowing kind of just base my style the punk look, or Tik- on the style of different Tokers like Nessa Barrett genres of music,” freshtaking from the culture man Kai Sia said.

Sia listens to many found in the alternative genres of music includscene, fashion is bound ing rock, Kpop, and alterto borrow aspects from native.

“I listen to a lot of music too. How do difold rock, but I also listen fering music scenes and to Kpop and one of my their characteristics affect favorite artists right now choices in fashion? is called Flyleaf.”

MUSIC Sia mixes different aesDOES HAVE thetics from the different music he listens to. “I mix A HARSH my style a lot because I IMPACT ON... listen to a lot of 60s and HOW I WANT TO 70s music, so I have boots PRESENT MYSELF. and dresses from that era and then I also have Demonias and stuff. Also I have a lot of cute tops junior and pleated skirts that Raina are more from the kpop Fawcett genre,” Sia said.

Junior Quenby Wilson has explored the Junior Raina Fawcett punk scene since midlately listens to Phoebe dle school. The culture Bridgers, Lucy Dacus, Ju- found in the punk scene lian Baker, Arctic Mon- is something Wilson has keys, and many musical been surrounded by for artists that widely fall un- many years, so it’s greatly affected her style. “Riot der the term alternative. grrrl has a lot of distinct FREE EXPRESSION styles, but I really love INSPIRED BY ARTISTS Kathleen Hanna’s style Fawcett’s mood chang- and I draw a lot of inspies with the music she lis- ration from her.” tens to (predominantly FASHION ASPECTS alternative) and that af- OF ALTERNATIVE fects her choices of fash- SUBCULTURES ion. “My mood changes The aspect of individwith music and music uality found in the punk does have such a harsh music scene influences impact on myself, but Wilson’s fashion as well, also what I want to wear including some staples and how I want to presto the look.

“I think that ent myself,” Fawcett said. because it’s one of those Not only does music’s movements that’s based many moods cause shifts on female liberation, in style, but the artists themselves influence especially in the punk clothing in their own scene, there’s not a lot of ways of dressing and their rules, it’s a lot of just 90s alternative fashion and music.

Seeing alternative then there’s some staartists dye their hair dif- ples like Doc Martens or ferent colors or wearing black boots,” Wilson said.

Although Wilson has bold looks and leather is a heavy interest in punk, inspiring to Fawcett and she also listens to music motivates free expression. that falls under the hy“Getting to see people in perpop label.

“I listen to a the spotlight being able lot of Sophie, Arca, Charto express themselves lie XCX, and Hannah Diwith style and not caring amond.

Those are kind of what color their hair is or on the opposite ends of what they’re wearing is the spectrum, but I feel super inspiring because if you can see them do like I enjoy them both it, you feel comfortable equally and they both doing it yourself,” Fawcett have an equal impact on my style,” Wilson said. said.

The differing and inEach music scene has teresting music found its own culture, including in the hyperpop genre both the punk and alterHOBBS LILLYGREEN THE RUBICON

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plays into Wilson’s fashion sense as well as punk fashion. “With the more pop and art pop music I listen to there’s a lot of over the top camp-like clothes that people wear.

And a lot of DIY technology inspired stuff and shiny things and blocky shapes, and I think it’s really cool, it’s very forward thinking because the music itself is very forward and futuristic,” Wilson said.

CULTURE AND VALUES IN MUSIC However, as punk music and alternative music gain traction and popularity, mainstream artists try to capitalize on it.

“People like Halsey and pop artists that make more alternative-ish or less produced music will call it punk and that’s not what punk is.

Punk is very politically motivated, it’s also very fashion-motivated, and I think the social justice piece and the political movements and beliefs that are at the core of punk are what makes punk what it is,” Wilson said.

Music is a large component of many people’s lives and it influences fashion whether that be through the tone of the song or the community that’s based around it. Students at SPA have the ability to dress and watch everyone walking in with their different outfits and music tastes speak to the freedom of individuality the community has created. Alternative music and fashion channel individuality on a different level, allowing students to belong to a community that embraces similar senses of fashion and ideas.

PHOTO: Dazed The iconic 90s fringes have seen an increase in popularity recently, as hairstyles have always been a method of self-expression.

PHOTO: Francis Chung / DCist Riot grrrl fashion from the 90s, rocked by figures such as Bikini Kill’s pioneer Kathleen Hanna, often included dresses with patterns like plaid, dots, or stripes.

PHOTO: Hellhound Vintage Both Dr. Martens classic boots and Mary Janes have appeared as a fashion staple throughout the history of punk music and culture.

RUBICON PHOTO: Hobbs Lillygreen OUTFIT IN ACTION. Junior Quenby Wilson’s style is mainly inspired by the 90s alternative era, which has its own values. “If you’re going to advertise it as that, you have to actually hold the beliefs that the punk subculture holds,” she said.