May 2023 Issue

weather allowing,

Class of 2023 Commencement maintains both tradition and change

CLARA ANN BAGNOLI

THE RUBICON

Nothing says goodbye to high school like the smell of cigar smoke. The now infamous tradition of lighting a cigar after walking the stage to receive a Saint Paul Academy and Summit School diploma started as a rebellion prior to the merger of Saint Paul Academy and Summit School. Students would cross the street after they graduated, light cigars, and blow smoke toward the campus. Now, it has begun an annual tradition symbolizing students’ graduation and the commencement of their time at SPA.

While some things stay the same, this graduation will look different than it has in past years. One of those differences is that the new dress code implemented last year will now be status quo. Last year USC, with help from the leaders of Action for Gender Equality, amended the dress code to be more inclusive. This amend-

ment made it so any formal attire in the colors navy, cream, or white is approved.

Linnea Cooley is wearing navy pants and a white shirt at commencement. “I think this [dress code] is pretty lenient and I don’t want to have to buy more clothes for graduation,” Cooley said.

“

Maya Sachs is sticking with the white dress route.

“I personally will wear a white dress because I like wearing dresses,” Sachs said. “But I don’t think people should be forced into that tradition.”

This is also the first commencement ceremony for Head of School

Luis Ottley, Dean of Students Stacy Tepp, and the first and last commencement for Interim US

Principal Ken Jaffe.

“Overall I’m excited to see how the week unfolds,” Jaffe said, “[...] recognizing seniors while simultaneously recognizing all the support families and faculty gave seniors in their journey.”.

But while commencement is the end of the senior’s high school career

their class as commencement speakers. “I wanted to speak because I have enjoyed my time with my grade and [...] to express my thankfulness to be a part of the grade,” Assefa said.

After the ceremony is the final tradition, the all-night party. Hosted and planned by the parents association as a last hurrah for the Class of 2023; the all-night party has become notorious for its secrecy. To build suspense in the weeks before, parents keep all details, including activities and location, completely confidential.

The keynote speaker this year does not have to travel far. History teacher Ben Bollinger Danielson was chosen through a Google form sent to all of the senior class to be their speaker.

“I’m really appreciative and thankful for the opportunity and I am hoping that it goes well,” he said.

This is Bollinger Danielson’s 20th year at the school. He started teaching World Religions to seniors and World History 1 to ninth graders and 15 years ago added History of Thought.

it is also a sign of new beginnings. Senior Cayenne Ramirez knows that commencement is not the last time she will see her classmates; “ [I am excited for] making plans for moving forward and how we’re still gonna be a part of each other’s lives.”

The keynote speaker is Ben Bollinger Danielson and Simon Assefa and Riley Erben will represent

“It is a bit of work, but worth it because of the joy it brings the community. For me, personally, I could do this all day for the Class of 2023,” said Kathleen Caoyonan, Julia Colbert’s mom.

The commencement ceremony takes place Jun. 11 at 4 p.m. on the front lawn with a rain location of the Huss center. A reception in Redleaf Commons will follow.

Bollinger Danielson also coached girls varsity soccer for a number of years and that is where he earned his famous nickname “Bdan” which he is now more commonly known as. In 2017 Bollinger Danielson took a sabbatical in Oxford, UK to study global thinking.

Through his time both teaching and studying philosophy and spirituality, Bollinger Danielson has heard numerous secrets to life and happiness. “Most of the responsibility of leading a good life is in those mundane day-to-day moments that you have to take responsibility to try to be good to other people and yourself,” he said.

box. IN DEPTH 8 - Wrong story draft about eating disorder misconceptions. IN DEPTH 9 - Missing sources for both infographics. SPORTS 12 - Tamari Christopher and Greta Magnuson are softball players. A&E 15 - Magic Fish review story has broken accents. Como Park story is cut off in the middle of a sentence.

RUBICON PHOTO: McKinley Garner

FRONT LAWN FESTIVITIES. With

Commencement is held on the front lawn, outside of Old Main. Interim prinicpal Ken Jaffe said that commencement “... recognizes seniors while simultaneously recognizing all the support families and faculty gave seniors in their journey.”

1 - Dr. Rose Brewer was not a keynote speaker. OPINION 6 - Name and pronoun policy missing from policy

Ben Bollinger Danielson serves as Keynote for 2023 Commencement

I DON’T THINK PEOPLE SHOULD BE FORCED INTO [...] TRADITION.

Maya Sachs

Seniors end year in month-long projects

ANNIE ZHANG THE RUBICON

For the month of May, senior Hobbs Lillygreen begins his day “at a cute café in the North Loop,” where his interior design internship is located. Some days, he’ll organize material samples; other days, he will go to International Market Square to return samples to showrooms.

In order to graduate, seniors are required to complete a senior project, in which they are free to do whatever they’d like and take a step into the real world. The project allows for seniors to discover new interests, expand upon previous ones, and leave SPA with a feel for what to expect after high school. The senior project takes place over the course of May, and seniors are required to journal about their experiences each day, leading to timelines unique to each student.

Senior Roberto Velez’s project involves creating a video game with a few others that they can enjoy, while a project such as Ivy Raya’s requires her to shadow

others. Because Velez’s project is more similar to freelance work, a day of his senior project allows him more flexibility: “A day of my senior project starts with a meeting [to] see what everyone did yesterday and say what our goals are for the day,” he said. “Then the day is mostly working individually with meetings to flesh out ideas and for questions.”

Seniors have the opportunity to exercise their creativity and explore potential career paths when given the freedom to choose any project. For Lillygreen, choosing to intern focusing on interior design allowed him to continue something he had fun in:

“The goal of my senior project was to get working experience and do something I enjoy and I decided on that goal when I made the decision to pursue interior design as a career,” Lillygreen said.

Additionally, the project’s general structure, both in the calendar and journal logging, has given seniors the ability to try a variety of new

things while doing the project. “It’s hard to give a timeline because each day has been different,” Lillygreen said.

Raya has chosen to shadow at Gillette’s Children’s Hospital to discover what medical specialty

she is most interested in. Similarly to Lillygreen, she described being able to experience various fields of medicine each day as part of the loose schedule. “My goal of my senior project is to figure out which medical spe-

cialty I am interested in because I plan to major in biochemistry and go on the pre-med track.”

As the senior projects continue, excitement fills the air whilst each senior moves closer to achieving their end result. “My

favorite thing is when I finish a goal. It is so satisfying to see the game develop and evolve with our ideas and I can’t wait for the finished product,” Velez said.

Candidates find creative ways to reach voters during elections

their efforts.

ELIZA FARLEY THE RUBICON

Table tents, photo frames and giant photo cutouts: during the most recent round of officer elections, many candidates used nonstandard ways of grabbing voters’ attention. For many, these creative campaigns involved interacting with members of the SPA community in order to increase their outreach.

Although juniors Henry Hilton and Orion Kim did not win the Upper School Council presidency, they received plenty of attention for their creative campaign tactics. Junior McKinley Garner ran Hilton and Kim’s campaign. For the two presidential hopefuls, he created “Big Henry,” a cutout of Hilton that hung on the wall near the library for days before the election. Big Henry and two other cutouts (as well as Hilton himself, currently on a semester-away program, via video call), made an appearance at the officer speeches on May 4 to the surprise of many voters.

Garner described the importance of using flashy tactics to get voters to pay attention in school elections.

“People are going to vote for the people they know,” Garner said. “You have to make something that’s bold and cause word to spread around—something a little goofy. Something that gets people talking.”

Sophomores Annie Zhang and Cerena Karmaliani used Garner’s school election philosophy to successfully campaign for USC co-vice presidents. Their Instagram page, @annieandcerena4vp, boasts endorsements from students of all grades, as well as faculty members like Head of School Luis Ottley. Some photos showcase people wearing glasses emblazoned with “Vote 4 Annie” or “Vote 4 Cerena,” and others have people holding a photo frame covered in signatures from other supporters.

Karmaliani emphasized how her and Zhang’s passion for making change as co-vice presidents drove

YOU HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING THAT’S BOLD AND CAUSES WORD TO SPREAD AROUND.

McKinley Garner

“We both really wanted [the co-presidency] and felt like we would make a big difference, but [the campaign] was also a lot of fun,” Karmaliani said. “To be like, ‘Gosh, can you wear these sunglasses and take a photo with us?’”

She also noted that the campaign, while funny, was bolstered by the pair’s experience.

“We had both been on USC for two years each, and we both have worked really hard… and passed multitudes of proposals,” Karmiliani said. “That was something we wanted to promote and be like, ‘Yeah, we actually want to make the change.’”

Supporting a campaign with experience instead of stand-out visuals wasn’t unique to Zhang and Karmiliani. Juniors Henry Choi and Audrey Senaratna were the pair that ended up clinching the USC presidency. Most of their promotion was on Instagram—a method which Choi describes as “pretty standard”—but they also put out promotional table tents throughout the cafeteria and the English commons, which he believed helped their outreach.

“The table tents were all Audrey’s idea,” Choi said. “Everyone else [was] also doing a lot of creative stuff, [so] we kind of also needed to do something to be competitive.”

Despite the candidates’ differences, all three groups agreed that the process of campaigning was enjoyable and made their presence known, regardless of whether they won or lost.

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Shefali Meagher BIG HENRY. Juniors Orion Kim and Henry Hilton took stage in an unusual manner. Hilton, who was in D.C. for a semester away program, wasn’t able to make an in-person appearance. Instead, two volunteers walked on stage with large cardboard cutouts.

INFOGRAPHIC: Orion Kim PROJECT DISTRIBUTION. Students participate in a wide variety of senior project categories. The largest percent of students chose art related projects.

Info meeting launches Spanish exchange; travel resumes next year

MCKINLEY GARNER THE RUBICON

After a two-year hiatus, SPA is to restart the Spanish exchange program next fall and spring.

Since 2009, SPA has had Spanish exchanges, hosting kids from Spain in the fall and then sending SPA students to Spain during spring break. However, since its pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish teachers at SPA have been trying their best to revive the program.

US Spanish teacher Peter Daniels mentioned that the administration has made it difficult for teachers to get approval. However, with a new administration in SPA, the teachers were able to set up dates for meetings to figure out what will be best for students.

US Spanish teach-

er Rolando Castellanos has thoroughly enjoyed getting students to go on the exchange trips, mentioning that “a family was made out of one of the exchanges,” as two students in the first year of the exchange got married.

On May 9, the US Spanish teachers hosted an infosession going over the details of what to expect for the upcoming exchange. The meeting mentioned that the program will consist of approximately 18 students from Colegio Malvar, a pre-K through 12 charter school near Madrid. The students from Colegio Malvar are anticipated to come Sep. 14 - 28. Then, the SPA students who hosted will get a chance to meet their friends from the fall after the school year is completed:

anticipating going Jun. 10 - 21, 2024. The SPA students participating in the program will get to experience Spanish culture first hand, allowing them to have a complete immersion experience, something that is simply not available in Minnesota.

While it seems like a wonderful trip, it is important to mention the economics of an opportunity like this one. The program is projected to cost between $2,500 and $3,000 per student. However, Castellanos mentioned that “you will need spending money on top of this” for special dinners, gifts, certain activities, etc.

During the info session, the teachers mentioned that students currently in grades 10 and 11 will receive a higher

spot on the list for this opportunity as they only offer the program once every two years. They also explained that students who sign up sooner rather than later may have a

more likely chance of getting accepted, if there is a high demand. They concluded by saying that it is important for people to discuss with their family about such an event, but

SPA needs to move fast as Malvar is anxious to see if the students they are sending will have places to stay.

From campers to counselors: opportunities arise at summer camps

JOHANNA PIERACH THE RUBICON

The baton is being passed. For many students, attending camps was a staple of summer growing up. Now having matured to high school age, new leadership opportunities are available for students within summer camps at SPA.

Summer at SPA, which is open to all Twin Cities students, offers a wide variety of camps, clinics, and enrichment programs. New this summer is Spartan Day Camp, which will be held on the Goodrich Campus for students entering grades K-3 and will feature numerous opportunities for fun.

“...[Spartan Day Camp] gives students, especially those incoming kindergarten students,

an opportunity to meet some of their peers and get to know each other before they even get to school in the fall,” Summer Enrichment Director Vito Sauro said.

But beyond attending camps, older students at SPA are given the opportunity to help run them. The first step in the hiring process is getting the word out.

“We have historically made an announcement during an Upper School assembly and put it out in the Upper School student newsletter,” Sauro said. “...my goal is to get as many Upper School students who are jazzed and excited about doing this the opportunity to be involved in some way.”

Junior Audrey Senaratna is one example of a student who exemplifies that excitement. After working at the Film & Frolic Enrichment Workshop this past summer, Senaratna is looking forward to returning again. Previous to working at Film & Frolic, Senaratna had been a camper herself for three years. The transition from camper to counselor allowed her to “see the other side of it.”

“...There’s a lot of organization that has to go into it, and there’s a lot of effort that the counselors

put in, that Mr. Razavi puts in, that I had just never really seen before,” she said. “Normally I’m the one creating the film, doing the creative parts, but then last year, I was really just facilitating other people’s ideas. So it was just fun to change up my role and help other people kind of create what they wanted to,” Senaratna added.

Originally, the job was brought to Senaratna’s attention by Middle School Social Studies Bobak Razavi, who runs the Film & Frolic camp.

“Mr. Razavi was a big figure in my middle school career because [of] tennis. I had him as an advisor [and] I had him for social studies,” she said. When Senaratna studied abroad in Sri Lanka last year, she emailed

Razavi for the camp application because she wanted to work there in the summer. Prior to Film & Frolic, Senaratna had never worked with kids. However, she felt that the new experience didn’t prove to be too challenging.

“[Working with kids] was typically pretty easy,” she said. “... they understand that they have a timeline an d a deadline and they are better at doing things themselves than I think young elementary school kids would be. In that way, it wasn’t too hard. It’s just not something I was used to doing.”

Sophomore Andy Allen is another former Film & Frolic counselor who will be returning to the camp this summer.

“Working at Film &

Frolic last summer was a great experience,” Allen said. “I got to help middle schoolers bring ideas they had into a real production that they won some awards on. I even did a little acting and was a member of the epic ‘Pickleball Moms’ cast,” he added.

All in all, Sauro believes that the experience of working at a SPA summer camp can translate to real life in the form of a valuable sense of understanding.

“I certainly hope that all of these jobs would help prepare students to think about the work that teachers do as educators every day... Giving students the opportunity to sort of take on that new lens for just a brief moment is pretty cool,” Sauro said.

Although SPA is no longer hiring for summer camps, registration is still open for several. Summer at SPA begins Jun. 12.

SUMMER AT SPA SCHEDULE

Middle and Upper School

Advanced Principles of Robotics: Jul. 10-14

Film and Frolic (1 week session): Jun. 12-16

Film and Frolic (2 week session): Jun. 20-30

Making with Microbits: Jun. 26-30

Upper School

Debate Institute: Jul. 24-28

Institute for Collaborative Leadership: Jun. 1216

Introduction to Digital Fabrication: Jun. 2630

Machine Learning/ Modeling Camp: Jun. 26-30

Roleplaying Games: Jul. 17-21

HELPING HAND. Film & Frolic counselor Andy Allen supervises three students as they film a movie. “[I’m] looking forward to another great three weeks this year,” he said.

RUBICON PHOTO: McKinley Garner

PAY ATTENTION. US Spanish teachers present information about next year’s exchange program in an info session May. 9. The program was stopped for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Film and Frolic website

I CERTAINLY HOPE THAT ALL OF THESE JOBS WOULD HELP ... PREPARE STUDENTS TO THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT TEACHERS DO EVERY DAY.

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.

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OUR 2023 GRADS

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In the halls of power, the rich hold the court, wielding influence and privilege that shield them from the consequences of their actions. This is particularly true of politicians: perceived to be living by a different set of rules than the rest of us. With their immense wealth and resources, they can afford to take risks that would cripple others, knowing that they will never suffer the same fate as those they are supposed to represent. Who is supposed to hold politicians accountable when they are the dictators of accountability?

Since 2020, there have been 98 instances of members of the U.S. Congress being charged with misconduct (the House Office of Congressional Ethics). These charges of misconduct include, but are not limited to, bribery, sexual assault, harrasment, ethics violations, and fraud. Of those 98, 75 instances received punishment, and of those 75 punishments, 68 were fines, of which a majority were less than $100. These are the people that write the rules of our country.

In an ideal democracy, candidates are meant to be representatives of the people and their interests. However, the U.S. Congress falls far short of this ideal. As of 2023, only 26% of Americans say they have a favorable opinion of Congress (Pew Research Center). Recent revelations surrounding certain candidates demonstrate a disturbing pattern of hypocrisy within the U.S. political system. On May 9, Trump was charged $5 million for sexual abuse in a civil case. On May 10, George Santos was indicted on charges of wire fraud. It is the same people in government that ridicule others for the wrongs the world doesn’t know they have committed.

In an era of rampant misinformation and mistrust, it is critical for Congress to be an institution of truth, rather than the spreading virus of lies it embodies today. Candidates from all parties have been found to lie about their personal lives, investments, and pasts. The Pew Research Center recently found that politicians only tell the whole truth 25% of the time when debating major policy. While this gets rid of any sense of authority to an individual who has access to this information and spends time studying the topics of debate, what can a person who doesn’t have the time or resources to recognize these inaccuracies do?

In order to effectively serve the public and uphold the principles of democracy, candidates must prioritize the political process over their personal lives. This means recognizing that holding public office is a privilege, not a right, and that elected officials have a duty to their constituents to act with integrity and professionalism at all times. If a candidate’s personal life interferes with their ability to do the job they were elected to do, whether it be ethical lapses, criminal activity or other factors, they should be prepared to step down from their position in order to protect the integrity of the political system. Why is it that politicians like Santos and Trump continue to grip U.S. politics after being proven guilty of crimes? Why can’t they step down, like Al Franken did when he was accused of sexual assault?

It is more important than ever for candidates to be held accountable for their actions, and everyone can do their part to make it happen. As members of the SPA community, and constituents to their representatives, people have the power to reach out and express their concerns. As citizens of the United States, people have the power to question, educate themselves, educate others who may not have the resources

justice

Celebrate (don’t compare) senior college choices

With each new post on the Class of 2023 Instagram, a flood of likes, comments, and reposts for a college decision ensues. Scrolling through the public account, it’s difficult not to compare. There’s the typical social media negativity—who got the most likes and comments—plus a new perspective: who got into the “best” school? Upon liking, commenting, and reposting each other’s declarations, some admit to searching the school’s acceptance rates. With comparisons of “perfect” lives, bodies, and families abundant on social media, the same false image of perfection can be reflected through the account.

The connection between teenagers, social media, and mental health is clear. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center survey, 95% of teenagers have access to a phone, and 45% reported being on the internet “almost constantly.” The same survey found that YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat are the most-used social media platforms, with 72% of teenagers reportedly using Instagram.

Further, the Association for Psychological Science published a 2017 study reporting that teenagers with increased times on social media platforms had higher rates of depression.

With all the stress and range of emotions the admissions process creates, social media can exacerbate self-comparison. However, while social media can evidently worsen teenagers’ mental health, it can also foster connectivity and provide support if used correctly. At academically rigorous private schools where comparisons of grades and college admissions are frequent, the college decisions account offers a simple and positive forum for students to share their plans. Friends, lifelong classmates, and acquaintances alike can express admiration, and that support should not be minimized. Taking away the overwhelmingly positive influence of the account will not solve the issue of comparisons. Every student can find out their classmate’s post-graduation plans, with or without social media; just look at the pennant board.

The potential negativity of the college decisions account does not outweigh the outpouring of support it offers. Social media should be utilized in the admissions process as long as the accounts are used thoughtfully and positively. However, the support for senior decisions should continue beyond the Instagram posts; students must be supported in other community spaces for making the right choice for themselves.

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

Using accurate terms means the world Asian

CLAIRE KIM CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

SMALL

“Asian” as an adjective or “Asian” as a noun? “A Jew” or “Jewish person?” It’s no surprise that people will have different views of how identity-defining language should be used. Individuals within minority groups identify with relevant terms in different manners and to different extents, so how should these terms be used?

amount of ethnic diversity within the group. For example, Pacific Islanders often face less representation in the media and are overlooked in discussions about Asian identities.

Claire Kim

Before breaking down the meanings of different terms, it’s important to learn about the way they are used linguistically. There’s an actual explanation for why it sounds derogatory to refer to a minority group as a singular noun. For example, linguist Lynne Murphy at Sussex University describes how Donald Trump’s usage of “the African-Americans” instead of simply “African-Americans” inherently groups all Black people in the United States and strips them of their diverse individuality.

Jewish people have historically been objectified in a similar way when referred to as “a Jew” or “the Jews.” As scholar Nathan Atkinson describes, this usage of language is called reification, where a person or activity is characterized as a thing.

While some people may prefer to use identifying terms in this manner, small details like if a term is used as a noun or adjective can be the single difference between objectification and identification.

On the other hand, group labels can also be used to unite communities and create progress. The term “AAPI,” or Asian American Pacific Islander, was first used in the 1960s by college students Emma Gee and Yuji Ichioka, who created the term “Asian American” to advocate for Asian rights in the United States. Now, the term goes hand-in-hand with AAPI Heritage Month, which is recognized as a time to celebrate the cultural pride of the AAPI community. However, these terms aren’t perfect; while the goal of using the AAPI label is to unite people of Asian descent, it is also important to acknowledge the

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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 edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words. Both may be edited for length and style. All pieces must be submitted and will be published with a full name.

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS

During the post-critique process, staff members identify inaccuracies and report feedback from readers. The staff publishes corrections when an error is

While these group labels can result in misrepresentation, they also serve as a way for minority groups to embrace a shared identity and connect with other members of their community.

Terms used against a minority group can also solidify their shared identity when reclaimed by marginalized members. The word “queer,” which was historically used as a slur against gay men, has evolved for many members of the LGBTQ community. It now represents a larger identity that challenges traditional norms surrounding gender and sexuality. The act of reclaiming a word, as defined by Samuel Sturaro & Fabio Fasoli in an article for In Mind magazine is how marginalized groups take possession of a derogatory label.

As minority groups redefine a word and its usage, a derogatory term often becomes a symbol of pride and part of their language. For example, the reclamation of the N-word has made it a significant term in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE), which is the English dialect spoken by African-Americans and just one aspect of the Black identity.

However, reclamation doesn’t mean the historical meaning of a derogatory word is suddenly erased. For many LGBTQ people, the word “queer” retains its derogatory context and makes it a word they choose not to use. Identifying terms are constantly undergoing changes, like the expansion of the LGBTQ acronym to LGBTQIA+.

Ultimately, the way a word is used depends largely on the individual to define its connotations.

Be intentional about choosing terms and don’t be afraid to ask questions about how others identify with them, because language applies differently to everyone.

discovered during critique or reported to a staff member. Corrections should be directed to the Editor in Chief or appropriate section editor.

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NAME AND PRONOUN USE

The Rubicon uses the name and pronouns reported by the individual source. Each interview and survey begins with a request to say and spell the person’s name and to share the pronouns they would like to see published in the story, and the reporter is transparent about where the story will be published. If a mistake is made in the course of reporting, a correction will be posted per the corrections policy.

DETAILS... CAN BE THE SINGLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OBJECTIFICATION AND IDENTIFICATION.

SONIA KHARBANDA THE RUBICON

RUBICON PHOTO: Sonia Kharbanda GO 2023. The senior decisions Instagram is a place to share good news. Students are able to submit their college decisions and engage with the community online.

Elected hopefuls promised full transparency, but is that really what the student body wants?

ILLUSTRATION: Amanda Hsu

OVER-COMMUNICATION? OR UNDER

AMANDA HSU

After the hustle and bustle of class election season, many elected officers and representatives settle into their new roles. Their campaigns included promises to increase transparency with the student body at large. Transparency has long been an issue in elected student groups, with the majority of students unaware of what goes on behind the scenes. Visibility in student-elected groups is important because these committees were designed to act as a bridge between students and administration.

THE RUBICON STUDENTS EXPRESSED THEIR ANNOYANCE AT THE THOUGHT OF GETTING SO MANY UNNECESSARY REPORTS.

Many students can relate to the experience of being unsure

of what exactly elected groups do for the student community, especially in previous years. Improving this relationship through transparency is very important because elected officers and reps are meant to represent the student body as a whole. That type of representation isn’t possible when all individuals aren’t informed of the decision-making process.

On the flip side, especially during the candidates’ speeches, the constant bombardment and use of transparency to “one-up” each other’s proposals was overwhelming. While one can understand that campaigns sometimes need to sound excessive and over-the-top to capture the audience’s attention

Amanda Hsu

(and votes) the promises of weekly and daily emails elicited annoyance and wariness. How much transparency is too much?

While listening to and reading all the speeches and campaign goals of USC, SAC,

and STC candidates, students expressed their annoyance at the thought of getting so many unnecessary reports relaying a student group’s every move.

So how far should a student committee go to ensure the school community is informed of their actions? Are daily emails necessary to have full transparency?

While emails may be good way to reach the student body at times, compiling necessary updates from Elected/Selected groups and attaching them along with the weekly student newsletter could be another solution. This would allow any urgent notifications to be conveyed to students without unnecessary filling of inboxes.

Monthly updates on committee boards could also be another less intrusive solution that allows anyone walking by to see the progress those groups have made.

Short updates about key information in assemblies could also allow students to stay informed and knowledgeable.

Students who don’t participate in elected or selected groups should also do their part to actively seek out information and communicate feedback to officers or representatives if they truly want to know what’s going on and be part of the voice the groups represent.

Summertime offers a great rainy-day escape: let’s go to the movies

FRANCES

The movies are officially back. After a devastating drop in ticket sales during the pandemic, the first five months of 2023 have outperformed the entirety of 2020.

Still, theaters are trying to figure out how to get customers back. The main problem is that no one’s in the habit. Pre-pandemic, many people would see a film once a week — say, as a Friday or Saturday out-

ing. They’d go see a new release at their local theater.

But since the pandemic brought a large rise in online streaming subscriptions, that’s not happening nearly as much.

Neither is the spontaneous trip to the theater when people just need something to do.

But this summer can be the turning point for many cinemas. Students are off school, and have more free time — not to mention that in the

heat, the air-conditioned theaters offer a welcome break from a humid Minnesota summer.

And if the thought of going back to a run-down theater without good picture quality or comfortable seats is discouraging, rest assured that many theaters are making improvements. For example, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema recently added call buttons, which help customers flag down waiters quicker as part of their unique food service

model. The regular soda and popcorn at many theaters is also boosted by expanded menus.

Plus, movies are fun. They make three hours go quickly. They’re a good place to see friends and share an experience where hopefully, phones won’t be out. There’s just the one thing to focus on, and it comes with snacks, free air conditioning and a comfortable seat.

What’s not to like?

In the Twin Cities, things were not look-

ing good for local theaters back in 2021. Many smaller theaters were closing because of the pandemic, which led to many jobs being lost and people being without entertainment that summer. This fate should be prevented as much as possible, so other movie theaters don’t go the same way as the Edina Cinema. Mann Theaters in Hopkins, which is family-owned and run, also had to close a location during the pandemic.

Many of their locations are still running, but even closing one had an impact, no matter how good business is at their other locations.

Local theaters need to be supported, and summer is the perfect time, as people have more time available. Local theaters are vital to the community, as they are generally family-run places to gather. Make going to the movies a key part of this summer.

WRAPS? There are a number of ways for Elected / Selected groups to engage with the student body, but that’s a two person process. If students want transparency from student groups, they need to actively communicate their feedback. On the other side, student groups should respond with concrete changes.

RAISE YOUR VOICE

Middle school workshop attendees unpack the facts and write opinions

MADDY FISHER 22-23 EIC

In the fall of 2021, I spent a semester away in Washington, D.C., where my classmates and I spent time studying media literacy and ethical journalism. While home for a holiday break that year, I found myself thinking about the impact of what we study in publications at SPA and how my perception of the world would be different without the time I spent on The Rubicon staff learning how to approach news sources critically.

Upon my return to school, with a lot of help from my adviser Kathryn Campbell, I offered a feature writing program available to fifth graders on the Goodrich Campus to encourage an interest in journalism and improve media literacy skills.

This year, the curriculum was introduced at a more complex level in the middle school. We discussed bias, ethical journalism, and reliability, and students wrote their own opinion articles. I hope you take the time to read their arguments and ponder their ideas.

DAY ONE DAY TWO DAYS THREE AND FOUR

On the first day, the students began the class with a brief discussion about the importance of journalism. They then moved into an exercise aimed at improving their critical-thinking skills. Students were asked to share sources they received news from most frequently; the answers ranged from “parents or family members” to “social media” and “newspapers.” The group then spent some time questioning the assumptions each student made about the credibility of their choices. After this activity, students talked about the manifestation of bias and compared several headlines published following a COVID-19 outbreak in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The class ended with a general discussion about media bias and how best to stay informed.

6TH GRADE

The last two days of class were primarily spent on writing. Students were given a brief lesson on opinion article structure before beginning the drafting process. Several Rubicon staffers joined the class to help answer student questions.

During the second day of class, students practiced differentiating between fact and opinion. The class watched sections of a presidential press conference following Russian military buildup at the Ukraine border and made charts describing the stance and credibility of each statement. The group then discussed the significance of positive, negative, and neutral slant, using several headlines about the press conference to eventually write their own examples.

Everyone can be an artist with practice and time

Creative arts come up many times in a person’s daily life. Whether it’s during work, at home, or even on a sidewalk or street, art is everywhere.

Though art comes up a lot, most people don’t take time to actually create it. If people were to take a small amount of time out of their day for art, it would lower stress and improve overall mental health.

Though many people could argue they don’t have the time, or they believe that they

SETTING ASIDE 20 MINUTES FOR ART EVERY DAY CAN BE A VERY HEALTHY PRACTICE.

aren’t creative. Some people may even think art is a waste of time. It is actually the contrary, according to the Mental Health Foundation, art is a good way to decrease depression, anxiety, and stress.

There is not one type of art. There are so many ways a person could do art. Setting aside 20 minutes for art every day can be a very healthy practice. A few things you can do are journal, sculpt, draw, or paint.

Art is not just painting and drawing; art can be found in so many forms whether its architecture or animation.

Students should be able to give feedback to their teachers

Teachers are not always correct and good at grading or understanding students. For this reason, students being able to grade teachers based on their performance while teaching, how they act, and the overall vibe in the classroom would be beneficial to teacher learning and growth because it shows how well the teacher arranged the lesson and if they made it fun and enjoyable, but also if they actually taught the students real and sincere information.

If the students know any of the information the teacher said, that means the teacher is a great teacher and they have a terrific teaching strategy, but if they don’t know any of the information the teacher said, it either means the student is not the best academically, which you can see by their grades,

or if the teacher is letting the students fool around and letting them talk during class.

Just like how teachers grade each student with an A, B, C, D, or F, students should be able to do that to all of their teachers because it will show them what they did exceptionally well, what they did ok, and what they need to work on. It is only fair if students can grade their teachers, considering the students are constantly worrying and working extra hard to get a good grade, and the teachers can also work extra hard, hoping to get a good grade from their students.

Adding on to students being able to grade their teachers, each student should have a record book from past students at the beginning of the year, so they know what they are getting themselves into; in other words,

IT IS THE STUDENTS WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED BY THE QUALITY OF EACH

knowing how good or bad the teacher is before they start taking classes with them so they can be prepared.

In conclusion, students being able to grade their teachers would be beneficial because it shows how effective a teacher’s class style is. Teachers having access to feedback from students is important; it is the students who are most impacted by the quality of each lesson.

LESSON.

PARKER FROSCH SIXTH GRADER

RUBICON PHOTO: McKinley Garner

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Vito Sauro

AUDEN ZHENG SIXTH GRADER

7TH GRADE

Gun restrictions in America are not enough

A reported 45,222 people died from gun violence in 2020.

That same year, guns surpassed car accidents as the leading cause of death for children one to 18 years of age. These statistics are very abnormal compared to other developed countries.

Although the Constitution declares Americans have the right to bear arms, that right threatens another: The right to life. The U.S. is the only nation where the number of

people is lower than the number of civilian guns, and that needs to change.

Already this year, more than 130 mass shootings have occurred, which further proves that action needs to be taken to minimize gun usage. There should be laws in place that restrict the ability to own guns without scrutinous testing and gun safety lessons that prove the person in possession is of a sane mind and will not cause harm to innocent people.

A 2013 survey states that unintentional gun deaths are 48 times more likely to happen in Alabama than in New York (State) because 48.9% of the adult population in Alabama owns guns, compared to 10.3% in New

York. This further proves that the higher percentage of the population owning guns just causes more death, especially when the people carrying firearms do not know how to use them responsibly.

Guns are dangerous, and in this country, they are a very real problem that has affected many people in tragic ways. For instance, the many heartbreaking school shootings could have been prevented with more restrictions on guns and their usage.

Organizations like sandyhookpromise. org help to learn the warning signs of gun violence, help pass gun safety laws, and see the impact of taking needed action.

Don’t ignore the athletic potential of video games

There are a few reasons video games could be considered a sport. Several video games include physical workouts, strategizing, and more. Video games, like sports, also teach essential life skills.

According to GameRant, games such as Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance, Box VR, Beat Saber, and Pistol Whip provide the opportunity to work out with activities such as arm movement, running, and dancing. These workouts build the human body by improving flexibility, endurance, and morale.

Like sports, games involve competition. Competition is healthy because it affects the human mind and it teaches lessons. Within video games, games such as Minecraft, Ro -

8TH GRADE

blox, Fortnite, and Tetris host competitions ranging from building, PvP, most points scored, parkour, and more.

Moreover, multiple video games include strategizing. According to the University of Minnesota, strategizing allows an individual to complete tasks swiftly and improve efficiency. These tools are essential for video games because they allow the human mind to formulate strategies expeditiously and adequately execute them. This is also true for sports.

Last but not least, required exclusively, social interactions for strategizing and interactions within the game being played. Social interaction on an online platform/call can

improve fluency and public speaking. These skills get applied when giving a speech or being interviewed for a job. For example, people such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg have been able to give speeches with no challenge based on the practice of speaking. This aspect of video games is also a big part of sports.

Finally, video games provide an opportunity away from work to relax and enjoy the activity of interacting with others while achieving goals that do not affect everyday life in a negative way. Because of these reasons, the world of sports could consider video games a sport based on the way it teaches people lessons and how it helps everyday life.

Do teachers spend too much money on their students?

Every year teachers spend tremendous amounts of their own money on their students to improve their education. The average salary for teachers in the U.S. is only around $50,000. The average amount a teacher spends each year on their students, though, is $850, almost 2% of the money they get paid. This is a crazy amount of money for them to spend, especially when this money could easily be put towards a teacher’s family’s food and other basic needs. Still, instead, the government has chosen not to put the needs of its people first, refusing to raise most teachers’ salaries or even provide extra school supplies for underfunded teachers and their students.

In 2021, teachers in the U.S. collectively spent over three billion dollars of their own out-of-pocket money on their students, the highest ever recorded in history. This number was a whopping 40% increase from how much was spent in 2015, which shows that teachers are getting increasingly desperate to help their students.

Some teachers have even turned to online donation platforms such as GoFundMe, putting in the hard effort to earn millions of dollars for their students around America. To date, GoFundMe campaigns to raise money for teachers and their students to enhance their education have obtained over 33 million dollars across the US.

This is an excellent sign that teachers are standing up against this wrongdoing, but the issue is that they should have never been forced to do this in the first place. The time is now to fight back: talk with your head of school, contact your local government, and do anything you can to help because your actions will influence how our future is shaped. The more you can do to assist, the better it will be.

Make an effort to include strawberries in your daily diet

Could a strawberry save your life? Yes, they could. Adding strawberries to your daily diet is not only a delicious way to satisfy your sweet cravings, but it can also significantly improve your mood and overall health.

According to Colorado State University, you can find strawberries growing in almost every country around the world, including every state in the US. They are the most widely grown fruit. Currently, there are over 100 types of strawberries, meaning they are extremely accessible to everyone all over the world.

Moreover, according to WebMD, strawberries are also extremely good for health and weight loss due to their low caloric value. Strawberries contain about 6 calories each, about the same as one stick of sugar-free gum. So maybe next time, instead of snacking on some gum, pick up a few fresh and delicious strawberries instead.

All of us have probably heard about how you should eat oranges to stay healthy be-

cause of their high vitamin C content, but actually, strawberries have a higher amount of vitamin C. One orange contains 66 calories, and only 51.1 mg of vitamin C while 8 strawberries contain 56.8 mg of vitamin C and 48 calories.

Furthermore, according to WebMD, strawberries contain lots of vitamins, fiber, antioxidants, manganese, and potassium. They have zero traces of sodium fat and cholesterol, meaning they can help to reduce the risk of cancer, stroke, heart disease, and diabetes. So, according to California Strawberries, it is recommended to eat at least 8 a day.

Following this, strawberries are red and red is scientifically proven to make you happier. According to Verywell Mind, studies show that wearing red can stimulate excitement, and enhance metabolism, meaning strawberries are a win-win!

Not only does the berry have amazing health benefits but the stem does as well. According to the University of Maryland Medi-

cal Center, strawberry leaves are high in vitamin C, iron, and calcium, as well as contain tannins, which help with digestion, nausea, and stomach cramps. Just adding a few to a hot cup of tea can make a big difference!

Strawberry stems are also great for your teeth. Strawberry leaves are an effective tooth and gum cleaner. Simply pure the strawberry tops and rub them onto your teeth, a few minutes later rinse away the paste for healthier and whiter teeth. Strawberry leaf tannins act as a powerful astringent, helping to fight plaque and keep gums healthy.

Strawberries are one of the easiest fruits to incorporate into your diet! Try adding a few to your morning smoothie, sprinkling some over your lunchtime salad or even having a few after dinner as a tasty dessert. The best thing you can do is take advantage of the countless health benefits of every part of the strawberry, no matter what time of day strawberries are always a great idea.

... TEACHERS ARE GETTING INCREASINGLY DESPERATE TO HELP THEIR STUDENTS.

ALTHOUGH THE CONSTITUTION DECLARES ... THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS, THAT RIGHT THREATENS ... THE RIGHT TO LIFE.

JACK GAO SEVENTH GRADER

STANDING WITH THE

50 YEARS OF LGBTQ RIGHTS IN MINNESOTA

1972

1982

June: Bruce Brockway becomes the first documented person in Minnesota to be diagnosed with HIV. He later founded the Minnesota AIDS Project to help those who were also struggling with HIV.

1972

December 9

Legal peril: discriminatory legislation places LGBTQ rights under fire

and sexual orientation in front of K-3 students.

1994

Minnesota becomes the first state to surrounding gender and sexuality based discrimination.

While Minnesota is currently a trans refuge state, 10 of the 474 anti-LGBTQ bills nationwide being tracked by the American Civil Liberties Union as of mid-April stem from Minnesota. The varying bills restrict trans youth from participating in sports, limit drag performances and classify them as adult entertainment, and one prohibits health education taught by LGBTQ teachers for younger students.

Freshman William Hanna described bills like the anti-trans bathroom bills as creating an environment of fear where it’s unnecessary. “I think the bills, in most cases, are somewhat disingenuous, as they’re said to be in response to a problem that’s not real. So [the legislation] just seems like a fear-mongering tactic to make people feel angry and scared for something that’s not a problem,” Hanna said.

What exactly are these bills and what do they mean for the LGBTQ community? The reasoning behind anti-LGBTQ legislation varies.

Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill was created to ban teachers from discussing gender identity

It’s often reported that the reasoning behind the law is to give parents and guardians the choice and time to talk about gender and sexuality with their children. Instead, this bill isolates LGBTQ youth and turns school, an ideally safe haven, into a dangerous place.

Similarly, anti-trans legislation, which includes banning gender-affirming care such as hormone therapy and surgical procedures and restricting trans youth participation in sports, are created under the mindset of conservative beliefs of gender and sexuality. Personal beliefs of politicians such as religious ideologies shouldn’t dictate policies affecting the LGBTQ community. These policies should be created with the safety and wellbeing of LGBTQ people in mind.

Freshman Rowan Moore said, “A lot of people are calling it like it is: it’s a genocide of trans people. They can’t legally kill the kids but they can do that by restricting what they need to live a happy and healthy life such as hormone therapy and surgeries.”

Moore, who uses they/ them pronouns and identifies as trans added that,

“Thankfully, there aren’t any bills being passed in Minnesota so I don’t have to worry about that here. It is affecting how I think about travel though. I don’t know, with all the bills being passed, how friendly it would be. The uncertainty is scary.”

US Math teacher Ethan Somes is a faculty adviser for the student affinity group, Rainbow Connection. Somes is similarly affected by the bills and said, “It takes a toll on you when you feel like there’s nothing you can do. I feel like I’m stuck in this cycle of hopelessness and anger that fuels me to want to be more hopeful.”

Students believe there is a lack of academic instruction and classroom discussion surrounding anti-LGBTQ legislation: “SPA is not doing a very good job. Not doing a job at all. I get the teachers have a set curriculum but saying nothing isn’t

helpful. I think if they don’t want to bring it up in classes… they could bring it up in the beginning of class or in the end as a discussion in humanities-based subjects like English and History. I know we had a gender theme for Speaker Day but that was just one thing,” Moore said.

Somes agree that SPA is unresponsive to the legislation being passed across the country that

learn about legislation is listening to the people it impacts the most.

“There’s a lot of really great transgender journalists out there like Erin Reed that have a lot of on-the-ground experiences of how these laws negatively affect them. And I think that understanding the human impact and the victims of these bills is the most important thing that people can do,” Hanna said.

Meanwhile, Somes said, “It’s hard because the internet is a tricky place. I would say to just Google it, but finding a trustworthy source is difficult. Zooey Zephyr, the trans Montana legislator who’s been censored as of late, has a fiancée who reports news on TikTok, which is nice for little updates.”

STATES DETERMINE

Laws protect the LGBTQ community from discrimination within employment in 12 states: CA, CT, HI, MD, MA, MN, NH, NV, NJ, RI, VT, and WI, as well as Washington D.C.

limits LGBTQ rights: “I haven’t seen SPA do anything in particular, which, I don’t know, is good and bad. It’s nice to have this safe space where we don’t worry about [the bills] for a second. But also, we can’t live in a bubble.”

As more bills that limit LGBTQ rights are being passed across the nation, there is a hope that people will educate themselves about legislation in and out of Minnesota.

Hanna believes the most effective way to

Somes added that “You have to vet your sources and find where you can find trust [to educate yourself].”

Potential resources for finding more information or taking action include OutFront Minnesota and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.

18

Sodomy laws, used to justify discrimination against the LGBTQ community, currently exist in 18 states, as well as Puerto Rico.

CARYS HSIUNG THE RUBICON

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE CALLING IT LIKE IT IS. IT’S A GENOCIDE OF TRANS PEOPLE.

Rowan Moore

“

Minneapolis’ Loring Park hosts first pride celebration.

: Minnesota state senator, Allan Henry Spear comes out as gay publicly, making him the first U.S. Senator to openly announce it.

The and gender-nonconforming

COMMUNITY

1997

The Minnesota Men of Color is founded by Nicholas Metcalf and Edd Lee in order to provide support for men, women, and gender-nonconforming people of color. adapt policies discrimination.

2015 2012

June: In

same-sex marriage is recognized and officially legalized in the U.S.

2022

The majority of Minnesotan voters vote against Amendment 1, which only gave heterosexual couples the right to marriage.

LEGISLATION

38 DETERMINE RIGHTS AND ACCESS

Most places in the other 38 states allow for legal discrimination against the LGBTQ community across all areas, including employment and housing.

10

justify currently

10 states and the District of Columbia officially ban discrimination in employment.

INFOGRAPHIC: Orion Kim

INFORMATION: MN Historical Society

Allyship: standing in solidarity

GEORGIA ROSS CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

Amidst “Don’t Say Gay” bills and bans on trans youth athletes participating in school sports, 79% of Americans favor laws that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination, and more than two-thirds support marriage equality. According to The Human Rights Campaign, allies are meant to help foster understanding and comfort for the LGBTQ community.

Iowa Supreme Court and a recent feature at the biannual Speaker Day, which centered on gender identity and experience. According to Krug, allyship comes in many forms. It can be speaking out, creating policies, working to put the policy in place, or posting signs or symbols in support of the LGBTQ community.

For Krug, “...if you see a rainbow, ... you know you’re safe in that space.”

out jokes at the LGBTQ community and avoiding misgendering people.

Ronnie Dixon, who co-leads of Sexuality and Gender Equity club with Brass, added that allies need to “pay attention to queer people in [their] life” and ask themselves what can be done to support them. To Dixon, allyship is about more than recognition and can’t be as simple as “not be[ing] homophobic.”

Allies need to...

“[Be] open to being wrong about something. Pay attention to queer people in [your life].”

- Ronnie Dixon

And according to Summa Health, being an ally includes more than simply standing on the sidelines around topics of LGBTQ conversation. Allyship requires self-education, intervention upon hearing uncomfortable comments and speaking up against discriminatory policies.

“Allyship is moving from status to action,” Ellie Krug said. Krug was the first known transgender attorney to argue before the

But at a minimum, Krug believes that being an ally requires simply some amount of care.

“The most basic thing is to have a genuine concern for someone who is ‘other,’” she said.

Hannah Brass believes that being an ally isn’t simply about acceptance. Brass leads the Rainbow Affinity Group and coleads the Sexuality and Gender Equity club. She said it is crucial to be “actively supportive.”

This extends beyond simply sharing pronouns during a go-around, and should include calling

Being an ally is more about doing what is morally correct.

Dixon views the school itself as being “tolerant” of the LGBTQ community. Being open-minded and willing to learn is another key aspect of allyship: “[be] open to being wrong about something,” Dixon said. “It’s very hard to support somebody if ... you’re gonna be really defensive.”

Brass acknowledged that there are “still some groups that are homophobic and pretty loud about it.” However, “we’re moving forward,” she said.

Brass emphasized the importance of letting LGBTQ identifying friends know they are accepted and supported.

Not only being open to conversation and vulnerability, but self-educating is another key aspect of allyship.

“Allyship does not include calling upon the person from the mar-

“[Move] from status to action.

June 25-26: Pride celebrations including parades and festivals return to Minnesota after two years of Covid-19 cancellations. discrimination states: NH, well

“This most basic thing is to have genuine concern for some one who is other.”

- Ellie Krug

ginalized community to educate you on what it means to be them,” Krug said.

She highlighted that marginalized groups often become the educators, which quickly becomes a burden that only brings fatigue and resentment.

Active support, acceptance, and willingness to learn: these are three determining aspects of allyship and crucial qualities of a friend to the LGBTQ community.

“Allyship is the glue that keeps inclusivity in peace,” Krug said.

IT’S VERY HARD TO SUPPORT SOMEBODY ... IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE REALLY DEFENSIVE.

Ronnie

Dixon

“

the U.S. Supreme Court case of Obergefell v. Hodges,

Pride is more than just a month

LGBTQ+ is a term many people have become familiar with, whether the associations are negative or positive. The acronym stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and can expand to include other identities. But what does it mean to be a member of that community? After all, the process of getting there can be difficult, as society still struggles to accept people in the community.

Many fear the daunting process of coming out, so programs like The Trevor Project have created guides to assist teens in telling the people they love who they truly are. But the process doesn’t end there. People have to come out time after time, whenever they feel their identity is something that needs to be shared with a friend, co-worker or significant other.

“The biggest [coming out] was at home, but [coming out at school] was actually pretty easy because I left for one year, and when I came back I used a different name,” junior Oliver Zhu said.

And even once out, it doesn’t mean automatic acceptance. Family members can be hesitant or volatile, and friends may struggle to accept the ‘new person,’ even when nothing changes.

“When I told my parents I had trans friends, they were fine with it, but when I said I felt I was trans, they didn’t want that to be the case,” Zhu said.

Being “out and proud” is something many struggle with, and even once “out” it can be hard to be “proud.” According to American Progress, society still struggles to accept members of the LBGTQ+ community, so feeling comfortable with sexuality and gender can be very difficult. When asked about what being out means, Zhu said, “...never fitting in.”

people, especially white cis people.”

However, given time and space, people can find more comfort within their identities. Math teacher Emily Weinstock-Collins, who is a faculty advisor of the affinity group Rainbow Connections, said, “Being proud is being yourself unapologetically. And that doesn’t necessarily mean dressing up in rainbows all the time, but it means being yourself regardless of what other people think.”

Similarly, Glaser said, “For me, being proud is understanding that my identity isn’t defined by any external piece, such as my clothing choices or how I keep my hair.”

For those still figuring out their identities, it’s alright to take time and ask questions. As Weinstock-Collins said, “Only you get to decide if you belong in the community, and questioning counts. If you feel like you belong, you belong.”

It can be more difficult to come out and feel proud when intersectionality comes into play. Sophomore Raven Glaser, who identifies as non-binary, said, “I tend to overthink coming out to people, and I frequently feel imposter syndrome when my experiences as a queer person don’t line up with those of other

Coming out is a process that can be very hard, but there are communities in which one can find belonging. There are spaces at SPA like Rainbow Connections that can offer support for students with shared identities. For those who do struggle, there are organizations and resources such as Out Front, which is located here in Minnesota, with a mission to help LGBTQ+ people living in the Twin Cities and beyond.

GRACE MEDRANO THE RUBICON

RUBICON PHOTOS: McKinley Garner

MONOCHROME POSES. From left to right, top to bottom: Ronnie Dixon, Emily Weinstock-Collins, Ethan Somes, Rowan Moore, Oliver Zhu, Raven Glaser. For this photo shoot, students and teachers were asked to strike a personality pose that represented them.

Emily Weinstock-Collins

“

AANHPI Month celebrates diversity and inclusivity

CARYS HSIUNG THE RUBICON

To many, May doesn’t just mark the last full month of school; it’s a time to celebrate communities, culture and forgotten history through Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. AANHPI Heritage Month was officially designated to May on Oct. 23, 1992 and has since been used to mark AANHPI contributions to American history.

Sophomore Serene Kalugdan shares what her AANHPI heritage means to her as an Asian American: “I think it’s important to have a month to recognize [the AANHPI community] because of the recent Asian hate crimes,” she said. “It’s important to note that Asian people are part of this country and that their history matters just as much as American history.”

Freshman Shefali Meagher views her AANHPI heritage in a similar way. “I’m South Asian and we

have [different cultures] that’s different from a lot of other countries in Asia.

[...] I think it’s a cool idea to represent everyone and have a celebration for each [AANHPI] culture and identity,” she said.

or of AANHPI Heritage Month. They raised $319 and all proceeds went to Asian Media Access.

One way AANHPI heritage is acknowledged at SPA is through its only affinity group, Asian Student Alliance (ASA). “I love ASA because it’s super fun. I feel like I’m closer to Asian people because we relate and have the same struggles and interests,” Kalugdan said. This year, ASA held a bake sale in hon-

Other than at ASA, many students feel that AANHPI heritage isn’t thoroughly recognized at SPA. “I feel like other than this year, there hasn’t been much recognition for the month,” Kalugdan admitted. When asked about how SPA can better support the AANHPI community, Kalugdan said, “SPA should implement more cultures, especially in the World History curriculum. When we talk about the Vietnam War, we don’t talk about Hmong people. When we talk about Asia, we talk about Japan and China. I think they could do a better job at expanding [the curriculum] to different countries like the Philippines and Laos.”

Freshman Lani Ngonethong agrees that AANHPI heritage is often ignored. “Asia isn’t just one type. We also have Pacific Islanders, which I feel that we ignore a lot,” she said. “So I feel like we

have to recognize that there are multiple parts to [AANHPI heritage] first. [...] I think a way to portray and show Asian culture and history and have people visually see it is by having a day where we are all able to dress up and present ourselves.”

Use this month to make the AANHPI community at SPA feel appreciated

and valued. May is the perfect time to take advantage of resources to learn about the history and cultures of different people. This can be done through supporting AANHPI-owned businesses and restaurants such as Suci’s Shop, Hmong Village and more. Most importantly, remember that AANHPI

recognition shouldn’t be confined to one month and should be implemented year-round.

Jewish American Heritage Month honors community

SONIA

KHARBANDA THE RUBICON

For freshman Desmond Rubenstein, being Jewish represents community. He was one of few Jewish students at most schools he attended, so he felt out of place in shared traditions or activities. “I didn’t have a lot to connect with my peers… I couldn’t connect with other people on something that everyone else could,” he said.

Though he now describes himself as “not very religious,” he still loves “the feeling of being part of something after learning that [he] wasn’t a part of something.” The traditions, holidays, and family time are important facets of his Jewish identity.

May is Jewish American Heritage Month, though celebrating Jewish heritage is more about raising awareness, according to the faculty advisor of the Jewish affinity group Mishpacha, Sophie Kerman: “Just like with any heritage month, it’s not actually a holiday or celebrated in the Jewish community. It’s more asking people who are not Jewish to recognize that Jews

are around and are an important community.”

Jewish American Heritage Month has been nationally celebrated in May since 2006, following President George W. Bush’s presidential proclamation, officially acknowledging the Jewish community’s contributions and history.

Outside the presidential declaration, states and cities can make individual proclamations each year; Governor Tim Walz formally proclaimed May as Jewish American History Month in Minnesota on May 1.

Youth and young adult engagement associate Abby Gore, who works at Mount Zion Temple in St. Paul, believes that Jewish American Heritage Month celebrates the stories of Jewish people worldwide through struggle and triumph.

“Especially in a time such as this with rampant antisemitism throughout the US, pointed information and misinformation about Israel on social media and on college campuses, and so many challenges in our society, it is vital to create time and space to honor, remem-

ber, and celebrate the successes and joys over the generations,” she said.

According to a survey by the American Jewish Committee that consisted of 1,433 American Jews, 24% of American Jews experienced an anti-Semitic incident in 2021, including physical, verbal, and online attacks. Furthermore, 39% of American Jews avoided behaviors or events in 2021 because of the fear of being identified as

tage Month is an excuse for people to be thinking about [anti-Semitism], then that’s a good excuse to get people thinking about it, even though they should be doing that in more than just this month.”

Junior David Kopilenko, a member of Mishpacha, said, “Like for any other month, always be considerate to that group of people, and make sure that if something happens, you’re showing support…it doesn’t need to always be an outward thing.” Students can familiarize themselves with Jewish authors and stories through the display of Jewish American authors in the library, which is available throughout the month.

Jewish. Kerman believes the statistics point to actions that should be taken not just this month, but always: “The biggest way to be supportive is to not turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism…If having a Jewish American Heri-

Gore recommends “Color Me In” by Natasha Diaz, “The Red Tent” by Anita Diamant, and “Invisible Lines of Connection” by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner. In addition, social media can be a platform to learn about Jewish stories; Gore suggests the Instagram account @ jewishoncampus. With increased awareness and support, there is hope for a more inclusive and wel-

ASIAN PEOPLE ARE PART OF THIS COUNTRY AND ... THEIR HISTORY MATTERS JUST AS MUCH AS AMERICAN HISTORY.

Serene Kalugdan

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Claire Kim

FLAVORFUL FUNDRAISER. Members of Asian Student Alliance run the bake sale table during the month of May to gather donations to Asian Media Access. In the end, a total of $319 was raised selling various Asian delights.

RUBICON PHOTOS: Georgia Ross FLORAL FUNDS. The confirmands at Mount Zion Templehost

to raise money for the temple.

MAKE SURE ... YOU’RE SHOWING SUPPORT ... IT DOESN’T NEED TO ALWAYS BE AN OUTWARD THING.

David

Kopilenko

Continue reading about AANHPI Heritage Month RUBICON online

NARRATIVE AWARENESS. In order to spread awareness of Jewish American Heritage Month, Abby Gore, Associate of Mouth Zion Temple, teaches students about stories of the Jewish people from around the world.

Goodbyes and gratitude: departing faculty

FRANCES MATTHEWS THE RUBICON

DAN O’LOUGHLIN

US MATHEMATICS

US math teacher Dan O’Loughlin has been teaching at SPA for 11 years and is now preparing to step back into a semi-retirement, where he still plans

have students who are interested and motivated. And that’s what keeps me coming back every day.”

Teaching at SPA also gave him some new and surprising experiences, as he hadn’t taught high school in many years. While he was a bit apprehensive about the switch, O’Loughlin said that he ended up really liking it. “I was a college professor for going on 20 years,” O’Loughlin said. “ ...I wasn’t sure how going back to high school was gonna be, but I really found I enjoyed it. I really enjoyed working with the students.”

STEFANIE MOTTA

US ART

been able to do that with some of my students from my beginning level classes all the way up through the advanced levels where we’re hanging exhibitions.” she said.

SPA’s system of teaching helped Motta grow as both a professional and as a person. “I think I have grown so much as a teacher in my seven years here,” Motta said. “... I think I’ve become a better teacher and a better community member just having opportunities to get involved in differ-

wing and various pieces of equip ment, as well as deep bonds she could share with students has her already missing the school.

Motta will miss the spaces she had the chance to have access to. “We have an amazing art wing. It’s just an incredible facility. I have access to equipment and to a darkroom and to other things that I really enjoy being able to use and to be able to share with my students as well.” She also mentioned the people around her. “That’s always kind of the most important part of any school community is the individ-

US HISTORY AND SOCIAL STUDIES

can be done for the students.”

my son in first grade so I’ve had a lot of years of parent experience as well as teacher experience,” she said. “I think it’s [SPA] impacted me a lot. [...] I found this to be a really welcoming community. [...] I’ve just always really appreciated the commitment to doing the best that

When thinking about what she would miss most, Dreher had to pause for a moment. “That’s a really hard one. I’ll certainly miss some of my colleagues, many of whom I’ve worked with for more than 10 years now,” Dreher said. After a moment or two, she landed on a few specific aspects of her classes, including the history research paper. “I really like working one-on-one with students … over a period of time and watching those ideas develop. I’ll miss some of the specific activities and games that I do in some of my senior electives, [...] so there’s just a lot.”

As these teachers wrap up their last month at SPA, it is important to remember the marks they have left on this community, no matter the subjects they taught. From the spaces they taught in to the people they taught with, these valued community members have a lot they’ll miss about SPA. However, looking back on their time here will give them happy memories that they’ll cherish forever.

PHOTO: SPA SmugMug FAREWELL FRIEND SHIPS. O’Loughlin believes he will miss his collegues as well as friendships he’s made in his 11 years of teach ing at SPA.

ENDEARING DEPARTURE. teaching at SPA for 11 years with 2 kids attending, Dreher plans to move to the East Coast to be closer with her them.

PHOTO: SPA SmugMug

JUAN MIGUEL ADAMS

THE RUBICON

At 15 years old, Ryan Shiroma has risen high within the world of chess. While his talents have earned him a place within the top 70 chess players in the state of Minnesota, Shiroma remains humble and focused on his passion for the game.

Shiroma’s introduction to chess came about innocently. “In kindergarten, I was looking for an after-school activity, and I kind of came across it and I joined the club and it’s been there since,” said Shiroma. Since then, his dedication to the game has only grown stronger.

When asked about his training regimen, Shiroma mentioned, “I play a ton

CHESS QUEST:

Ryan Shiroma’s rise to the top

online tournaments with just randoms and also casually. I also gain a lot from competing in Chess Club.” His various experiences in playing against others both online and in person have allowed Shiroma to feel well prepared before going against someone new.

Shiroma acknowledges the pivotal role his family has played in nurturing and building his love for chess. “On my mom’s side, there’s a lot of people who play chess so it kind of means a lot to me because my family has been invested in it,” he said. The support and involvement of his relatives has fueled his passion and ambition to succeed on the chess board.

Throughout his chess career, Shiroma has achieved notable accomplishments.

“Well, like in the chess club in elementary school, I won a lot of awards, and then I’ve played in the Minnesota Scholastic tournament for K-8,” he said. “I think I finished fourth place in that when I was in eighth grade, I also am in the 89th percentile in the USA and 97th percentile for under 20 in the USA.”

Currently, Shiroma is preparing for a highly anticipated tournament in Florida called the Southern Open. “I’ve had a lot of schoolwork but I’ve still been playing in tournaments recently and right now, I am preparing for the Southern Open that I’ll compete in during the summer,” he shared eagerly. During the tournament, Ryan will take on formidable opponents and put his skills to the test.

As Ryan continues to make strides in his chess journey, he remains grounded and focused on school as well. “I’m also nervous going into chess tournaments and sometimes I feel like I don’t have enough time to even practice chess with school, but I am trying my best to create a balance,” Ryan humbly states. Juggling chess with school and his other obligations has challenged him, but still he looks to continue and persevere.

Ryan’s passion for chess in which he is supported by his family and drive to improve has given him great success in the chess community. The future of his chess career holds great potential, and Ryan’s dedication will determine what lies ahead.

Three films, one film festival: EDUFF inspires cinematic magic

Entering a movie theater, taking a seat, and watching the lights dim is an experience almost everyone has had. What most people haven’t seen is their own film coming on screen after that. Juniors Violet Benson and Carys Hardy had just that experience on May 19 during the EDU Film Festival at the Main Theater (formerly St. Anthony Main) in Minneapolis.

EDUFF is a student film festival which aims to “provide youth filmmakers with an authentic film festival experience.” Each year, students from high schools all over Minnesota (and a select few students from elsewhere) have their short films screened at the festival. It’s an achievement that results in an experience that’s invaluable for any student filmmaker.

Benson’s film, “The Lovely Mundane,” is classified as an experimental short film, “[The Lovely Mundane] is a poem I wrote and put film over,” Benson said. “It’s… poetry film style, so it’s very much up to interpretation.”

Benson thoroughly enjoyed the pro -

cess of making her film, which she did in the Video Arts class.

“I put my heart into this film… I wanted to have as much fun as I could with only having [Video Arts] for one semester,” she said. “I loved experimenting with the color and shots and just the whole vibe and aesthetic of [my film],

son, both her films were made for the Video Arts class.

Hardy described her process as creative, even when working within the more traditional documentary medium. “There’s a lot of artistic components to making a documentary,” Hardy said. “The way you angle the camera; the way you capture different things, too, complements what your subjects are talking about.”

and it was just so fun to make.”

Hardy had two of her own films in the festival: “The Night I Swam With The Stars”, which is an experimental narrative film, and “Moving up the Wall”, which is a documentary on rock climbing she made last year. Like Ben-

Both Benson and Hardy are excited to show their films to a wider audience than ever before, “I felt really proud,” Benson said. “I felt like, ‘Wow, something I made— people are going to watch something I made,’ and it was a very magical moment.”

FILM FESTIVITIES. After the two films including “The Lovely Mundane” were shown at EDUFF, both filmmakers celebrated by snapping a photo together.

STRATEGIC THINKING. Shiroma ponders his next move before deciding on moving the rook, a piece that can only be moved in a straight line either vertically or horizontally. In addition, the rook is able to support pawns and cut off the opponent’s king’s routes effectively.

RUBICON PHOTO: Juan Miguel Adams

SUBMITTED PHOTOS: Violet Benson

ELIZA FARLEY THE RUBICON

THERE’S A LOT OF ARTISTIC COMPONENTS TO MAKING A DOCUMENTARY.

Carys Hardy

MSHSL sports prioritized over clubs

Officially, SPA’s athletic department fully funds 17 varsity-level sports. This funding covers uniform costs, coaching costs, and other fees. These sports are guaranteed total funding and prioritization due to their MSHSL classification. “It’s not because we care about them necessarily more, but it’s just that those are the ones that are mostly recognized by the state for now,” Lower and Middle School Athletic Director Taylor Tvedt said.

The club sports at SPA include Ultimate Frisbee, Trapshooting, Sailing, Mountain Biking, and

Snowboarding. The high student interest in some of these sports has caused many to wonder why the resources available are lacking compared to other non-club sports at SPA.

The big difference between club sports

and regular varsity-level sports at SPA is that club sports are not Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) sports and therefore receive less funding and priority at SPA, even though they are still affiliated with the school.

For example, the Ultimate Frisbee team is run mainly through the school and maintains it’s club status. By contrast, the Sailing team is managed by the Interscholastic Sailing Association or ISSA, meaning they are completely unaffiliated with SPA besides using the school’s name and image. Trapshooting technically has an MSHSL State tournament, with only

one event, but it is still classified as a club sport in SPA.

On the surface, a lot of the lack of representation of club sports comes in the form of the captain’s wall in Huss. In varsity-level sports, captains go through a rigorous application process to be selected, and the selection process is overseen by coaches that the athletic department has vetted. Because club sports find their own coaches and have their system for selecting captains, they are not highlighted on that wall. “We just want to make sure the leadership that’s up there is all going through the same process,” said Tvedt.

Ultimate Frisbee is a popular spring sport with lots of student and faculty involvement, placing it at the center of the heated debate for better funding and recognition for club sports.

Unlike other club sports, “Ultimate [...] doesn’t have any funding that is at all equitable or fair for the size of the team,” Bonin said.

Sailing is a less popular club sport, with only 3 SPA students currently participating. Their main issue is a lack also a lack of representation and recognition at SPA which overall harms their recruitment numbers. However, Lorenzo Good, a future captain of the

club believes that the lack of funding and acknowledgment of achievements is not the athletic department’s fault. “We are not varsity sports, and they do not manage us. Our recognition is not their responsibility,” Good said. With further communication with the athletic department, in the future club sports are planning on being a more involved member of SPA’s athletic community.

Trap shooting captain Max Shaffer rises under pressure

Trap shooting is not an ordinary sport. The style and grace that comes with it along with with the community and discipline from the sport are rarely found in other sports. Despite these things, the trap shooting club is fairly underrepresented as a club at SPA.

Trapshooting competitively is where marksmen use a shotgun to attempt to shoot a 4.25 inch clay disc, also known as a pigeon, normally moving at 42 miles per hour from about 50 yards away. In a competitive sense, it is a solo sport, but the collective experience is one to behold. Captain Max

attributes his teammates for helping keep his cool.

“You have to hold it together,” he said, “for yourself and the team.”

YOU HAVE TO HOLD IT TOGETHER FOR YOURSELF AND THE TEAM.

Before Shaffer had stepped into his role as captain, he was worried about his ability to lead. So he and his coach, Dan Nicolai, went out to shoot for practice. Nicolai at the time had not yet been beaten by anyone. They quickly started a match, at 25 pulls per round. They had originally intended to do just one round, but they each hit 25/25, so they went again. Again they both hit all 50 pigeons. For the third round, Shaffer shot all 25 of his pigeons, and Nico -

lai, on his 25th pigeon of the round and 75th pigeon of the game, missed his shot, thus giving Shaffer the victory. At that moment, Shaffer realized that if he was skilled enough to beat his coach, he was skilled enough to become a team captain.

High pressure situations that are what trap shooting is all about, and more people should give it a try.

RUBICON PHOTO: Sophia Bietz

ONE IN THE CHAMBER. Captain Max Shaffer reloads his shotgun during a weekly practice. A normal round of trapshooting uses 25 shells.

Shaffer

Max Shaffer

THOMAS FERGUSON THE RUBICON

UNEQUAL VISIBILTY. The captains wall is the center of the fight for visibilty. Club captains are currently not recognized on the captains wall. Athletic Director Taylor Tvedt said, “We just want to make sure the leadership that’s up there is all going through the same process.”

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Georgia Ross

AMANDA

HSU THE RUBICON

ULTIMATE [...] DOESN’T HAVE ANY FUNDING THAT IS AT ALL EQUITABLE OR FAIR FOR THE SIZE OF THE TEAM.

“

Sometimes, those moments of pressure are more common than ever. The team shoots even when it snows and when there is freezing rain. On some days they grip the barrel of their guns to keep warm. On those days, everyone wants to go home, but the team pushes each other to stay and practice.

Seniors bring sports from childhood to adulthood

Every year, over eight million students play at least one high school sport according to the NCAA. Yet, only seven percent of high school athletes compete at the varsity level in college.

As soccer captain Cooper Bollinger-Danielson described, the main factor that drives students to continue with their sport isn’t the status of playing at the varsity level, but their love for the game. “It’s a game that I’ve been playing for my whole life, and the friends that you make are so valuable,” he said.

Bollinger Danielson received a full-ride scholarship to play soccer at Claremont McKenna College and hopes to form new relationships with his future teammates. “Especially this high school season, I realized that my closest friends are on the soccer team. I want to have that going forward in my college career,” he said.

Across the country, senior Alexandra Cardwell will be rowing at Columbia University. She first got into the sport because of her family, and since then she’s never looked back. “Watching [my brother] row at one of his regattas was the first time I had seen

it in person. I had never seen anything like it before and I started rowing shortly after that,” she said.

Like Bollinger Danielson, Cardwell also appreciates the team environment and relationships she’s built over her years as a rower. However, the competitiveness of the sport drove her to take her skill to the next level.

Senior Nikola Barkwell will also compete at the varsity level, but in a lesser-known sport: waterskiing. Regardless, she still finds the same passion for her sport. Barkwell will be attending Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University.

Waterskiing offered an opportunity for fiercer competition. “I ski for the Canadian national development team, and there were more options to play at a higher level,” she said.

Despite the competitiveness of varsity college sports, there are still plenty of opportunities for student-athletes to pursue their athletic endeavors in college. In fact, over 28.1% of college-enrolled students participate in either club or intramural sports according to the NIRSA foundation.

Senior Simon Assefa will be majoring in Biology at Tufts University. Al-

though he wasn’t recruited, he hopes to continue with the sports he played in high school. Assefa was the captain of the basketball team and also played soccer and ultimate. Each

sport taught him different skills that he hopes to develop in college. “For soccer, you get to work on your foot skills; for basketball, you get to work on your intangibles like jumping and lateral quickness. I mainly do ultimate because it’s good for your fitness and it’s fun,” he said.

Like the athletes who will be playing at the varsity level, Assefa hopes to connect with new people and bridge diverse friendships. “[Sports] are a great way to meet people, especially in college when there are around 13,000 [undergrads],” he said.

Summer doesn’t stop sports, captains practices start soon

With the fall season 3 months away most people are preparing for a vacation, but fall sports are starting off the season early with summer training. Almost all fall sports start captains practices in early August.

Cross-country has voluntary running meets, football has weight training, basketball has camps throughout the summer, and soccer has Sunday scrimmages. These trainings are meant to bring the team together and improve the players’ skills.

Freshman football player Charles O’Malley, participates in SMB Wolfpack summer training is great. “It teaches you to stay healthy. The strength coach gives us tips on how to stay healthy, and

how to work out,” O’Malley said.

The SMB Wolfpack has weightlifting and endurance training at Monday-Thursday from June to mid-August, as well as 7-on-7 games and mini-camps dispersed throughout the summer. The program has a similar goal as all of the others improving the players’ skills.

Similarly, Clare Ryan Bradley participates in both basketball and soccer training during the summer. “It all depends on how much time you put into it, but it is very helpful.” Ryan- Bradley said.

Girls basketball has multiple fundamentalbased camps throughout the summer, that are attended by most of the team. Girls soccer has Sunday scrimmages,

and starting in late-July mid-August hosts captain’s practices.

Although she likes the training, Ryan-Bradley feels it could be improved. “I think SPA could be more consistent,” she said. “it is up to individual teams to organize stuff so it could be good if the athletics programs made overall plans.”

Liam Huddleston attends the Spartan hockey team’s training league. “I look forward to hockey training each summer,” he said.

Boys hockey has training 3 days a week since June-July. The training consists of drills for most of the time and a scrimmage at the end. Most of the scrimmages are inter-team, but occasionally they mix in a scrimmage against another team. “I think it makes everyone a better hockey player, but I wish we had a few more scrimmages against other teams,” Huddleston said.

The programs strengthen the team and their community to prepare them for the season. With more support from the athletic department, the program will be even stronger.

SMB SUMMER SCHEDULE

Mon. Tues. Wed. Thur.

Weight training Endurance training 7 on 7 scrimmage Weight training

PETER OSTREM THE RUBICON

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Sam Murphy HARD WORK PAYS OFF. The SMB wolfpack team poses after a hard strength training workout this past summer. Chales O’Malley said. “It teaches you to stay healthy.”

ORION KIM CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

SUBMITTED

PHOTO: Cooper Bollinger-Danielson

SUBMITTED

PHOTO: Alexandra Cardwell

Simon Assefa celebrates after making a layup despite getting fouled during a freshman home game.

I REALIZED THAT MY CLOSEST FRIENDS ARE ON THE SOCCER TEAM.

Cooper BollingerDanielson

IT ALL DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH TIME YOU PUT INTO IT, BUT IT IS VERY HELPFUL.

Clare RyanBradley

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Nikola Barkwell Toddler Nikola Barkwell practices waterskiing on her lawn before she learned on the water. Cooper Bollinger-Danielson strides toward a ball during one of his youth futsal games for Joy of the People.

Alexandra Cardwell rows from the back of her boat with her team. Alexandra joined rowing later in her life after watching her brother’s regatta.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Simon Assefa

Continue reading about senior signing day at:

BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARK

Junior Art show: earth, insects, unease, daytime and night.

May 17 - Jun. 2 [Drake Gallery]

The Advanced Art Seminar opened up to the junior class this year, opposed to being only for seniors, as it has been in the past. US Fine Arts teacher Spencer Legendre-Gillespie was a part of this decision to open up the class to all upperclassmen. “The juniors have an opportunity to learn what [a gallery show] looks like so they can prepare for next year,” they said.

However, the teachers play a small role compared to the artists themselves, who orchestrate the majority of creative direction and planning. The biggest decision for artists was to decide upon a theme that united their artwork. They settled on “Between Light and Dark” Ceramics student Clare Kimmel enjoyed working with students from different mediums. “It was great collaborating with [everyone]. We just started throwing out ideas and light and dark just stuck,” Kimmel said.

For others, the theme is more personal. Video arts student Dashiell Horstman used photography to take self-portraits. “My inspiration was the feeling of unease ... so in my photos you can’t actually see me,” Horstman said. “I also use a lot of darkness in my photos to represent [the unease].”

For some, light and dark as a theme is more literal. Ceramics student Mikkel Rawdon created bowls with differing glaze colors to represent elements found in nature such as rocks, dirt and moss. Similarly, Kimmel is constructing ceramic bugs inspired by the stink bugs she finds in her home. “Bugs come out in the dark, but I have one black stink bug and the rest are all bright [for when they come out into the light],” she said.

2D art student Jane Higgins captured the intimate mundanity of day-to-day life via still-life paintings on canvas. In her first piece, she painted her bedroom in the darkness of night. In her second she shows growing up with a side-by-side of her bathroom vanity in daylight, one still from childhood, and one

still from the present. “I think that change in life is the gray area between light and dark,” Higgins said.

As visitors walk into the gallery, they are greeted to the left by an inviting couch with a collection of video art student Griffin Schwab-Mahoney’s photographs of his family, edited to look like they had been taken on a disposable camera. “My family is the most important thing to me, and my artwork reflects that,” Schwab-Mahoney said. “During my dark times, my family brings me light.”

While on the couch, visitors can also sit back and watch Carys Hardy’s short film. The film follows a hopeless narrator during the winter months only to encounter a personified version of spring in her house. “The narrator’s hope is rekindled and it is about finding light after being in the dark,”Hardy said.

Siri Pattison used light directly in her pieces. Pattison’s medium is paper clay, which is a product of slip clay and shredded paper. When placed in the kiln the paper burns away, leaving a membrane-like sculpture, allowing sun rays to project through her pieces onto the floor during the day. “I used [a new medium] as an exploration rather than something that had to be perfect,” Pattison said. “[The pieces] reflect trying to occupy the space in between and realizing you can’t live in polarity,” she said.

“Between Light and Dark” will be the final show in the Drake Gallery for this year.

CLARA ANN BAGNOLI THE RUBICON

DIGITAL ARCHIVE PHOTO: Clara Ann Bagnoli

DIGITAL ARCHIVE PHOTO: Clara Ann Bagnoli

To explore the gallery and read more from the artists scan this QR code.

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT. Dashiell Horstman, despite not being overtly visible, hides themselves in each of their photographs. They mentioned, “I did this to amplify the feeling of unease already present with the lighting and mood.”

FLY ON THE WALL. “A delicate balance between fragility and strength,” Clare Kimmel. These bug sculptures are supposed to be representative of the bugs Kimmel finds in her house.

Sustainability “Under the Stars”

Building cheap and sustainable prom outfits is in fashion for these attendees

ANNIE BAI THE RUBICON

As the most anticipated dance of the year approaches, students close in on their outfits and make the final cuts. This year’s prom will be held at the Science Museum of Minnesota with the theme “Prom Under the Stars.”

Although it is natural to want to buy a new outfit just for the occasion, dresses that fit the theme of prom often don’t fit in anywhere else. Many people buy expensive dresses and suits only to wear them once. This wasteful behavior has become normalized and fashion is prioritized over sustainability. After events are over, the outfits sit in the back of closets collecting dust. When prom season ends, reselling websites and apps are flooded with students trying to sell their worn outfits at a discounted price. Junior Kate Hanf said, “I wanted to buy something that I could potentially wear again in

[THEATER REVIEW]

the future and … that was a pretty color from a store that was good for the planet.” When scouring online stores, Hanf looked for a versatile dress that she could wear not only for prom but for weddings and other functions.

Another eco-friendly option is to thrift or reuse prom outfits. Junior Reilly Ringness spent weekends thrifting for parts of his outfit. “I don’t really have enough money to buy an outfit new and I guess [thrifting] is eco-friendly,” he said. He used his Pinterest board as inspiration and incorporated the theme by picking out blue slacks from Goodwill.

Senior Soren Miller also took into account the reusability of his suit when shopping at a haberdashery. “I definitely plan on wearing this suit into college and possibly beyond. I don’t like to make expensive purchases that I will only use once. It would be the same as buying a car with the intention to wreck

it from the moment you bought it,” he said. Other determining factors he considered were his parents’ opinions and his prom date’s out fit. “The most time-consuming part of the process was getting myself, my moth er, and my father to all agree on one suit. We all have very different styles but in the end we were able to set tle on a suit,” Miller said. After an entire day of trying on suits at the haberdashery, Miller chose a red maroon blazer with a black floral pattern paired with black pants to compliment Valerie, his date’s, red dress.

It is completely reasonable to buy a new outfit dedicated to an important event such as prom. But before choosing an outfit, consider other situations it can be reworn in to prevent wastefulness.

Urinetown pays homage to classic musical theater

The buzz of anticipation fills the air in Huss as the cast and crew of Urinetown prepare to put on a show.

US Theater Director Eric Severson had carefully chosen this musical for its unique quality and relevance.

“It is one of my favorite musicals. I think it’s smart, funny, and political. It’s got a little bit of everything,” he said.

Severson considers many factors when selecting musicals, including the size of the ensemble. He wanted to expose the students to different musical theater styles throughout their four years.

“Last year, we had a relatively small ensemble in The Drowsy Chaperone. So

this year, I wanted to do a show with a larger ensemble,” he explained.

Urinetown was a perfect fit, not only because of its ensemble-driven nature but also because it showcased the current talent within the theater program.

The musical numbers in Urinetown were a unique blend of homage and originality.

Before the show, Severson highlighted, “Every musical number in the show is a reference to a classic musical.”

The cast embraced the challenge of embodying the spirit of those iconic musicals, whether it was Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Les Miserables, or Chicago

As the performance date neared, the dedicated individuals behind the scenes worked tirelessly. Senior students who

had been involved in theater since their freshman year showcased their skills both on and off the stage.

Seniors Linnea Cooley, running the light board, and Calvin He in the pit orchestra were just a few of the many talented individuals supporting the production. Severson praised their commitment saying, “I have so loved working with them, even during the virtual and frustrating lock down COVID years.”

Finally, May 19, the day of the opening performance arrived, and the theater filled with an atmosphere of excitement. The audience eagerly took their seats, ready to immerse themselves in the magic of live theater. The cast delivered a stunning performance, channeling their passion, talent and hard work

into every scene.

Urinetown was a resounding success; under Severson’s guidance, the students not only put on a remarkable show but had also created lasting memories and a deep appreciation for the power of the performing arts.

QUIZ TIME: See which Urinetown character you are:

find more A&E at RUBICON online

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Soren Miller HANDSOME HABERDASHERY. Soren Miller tries on his finalized outfit for prom: a red blazer with black pants.

JUAN MIGUEL ADAMS THE RUBICON

PHOTOS REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: John Severson

START WITH A BANG. In the opening musical number of Urinetown, everyone sings in different tones and timings, creating a chaotic tone from the start of the show.

I WANTED TO BUY SOMETHING THAT I COULD POTENTIALLY WEAR AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.

Kate Hanf

MONEY MANAGEMENT. Bobby Strong (Soren Miller), tells Josephine (Maya Coates Cush) to save her money—advice that sparks a rebellion.

Traveling in style vs. Roughing it out

TRANSCONTINENTAL TRAVELS

COZY CAMPING CLOSE BY

I went to Spain with my grandma and it was really special to me because I’ve never gone on a trip with just my grandma.

We almost got mugged so we came up with a lot of contingency plans to perhaps execute if we ever saw him again

Theo Su

I visited my family in Barcelona last spring. We toured the cathedrals and the boutique stores that lined the streets.

Halle Cowgill

ANNIE ZHANG THE RUBICON

First class, Michelin star restaurants, cruises, and the convenience of having everything provided. Traveling in style offers tourists the ability to visit new places without the worry of having to stress about dealing with unexpected setbacks that may occur in camping. Although when thinking about “traveling in style,” the idea that it can only mean living a lavish lifestyle on vacation may come to mind. However, it can be much simpler than that.

For Halle Cowgill, “traveling in style” can be defined as “[the] equivalent to vacation and vacationing is all about relaxation, and camping is not my idea of relaxing.” Traveling in style allows her to feel more relaxed and avoid worrying about where she’s sleeping, how she’s going to get to a destination, and where and what she’s going to eat, which can be considered a luxury in comparison to camping.

Although traveling in style comes with a multitude of conveniences and luxuries to enjoy, it also entails a large amount of planning to ensure everything goes smoothly. Planning in advance also offers a sense of predictability and anticipation, which may appeal to some travelers. “If I’m traveling to a foreign country, I’d like to have a travel guide who’s from that country.” Cowgill said. “someone who plans an itinerary that can incorporate a bit of fun for everyone on the trip as well as some free days to do whatever we’d like.”

On sophomore Inga Wing’s trip to Spain, she noted that in order to feel relaxed about the trip, she took the time to come up with an itinerary for each day. “I planned out sort of what it looked like every day, what I would be doing during those days, and then how we would get there, that sort of thing,” she said.

Another factor to be concerned about is safety. Crime rates vary from destination to destination and taking the appropriate precautions is essential to ensure safety and minimize potential risks when traveling in style. For sophomore Theo Su, his trip to London made him realize the safety concerns when traveling abroad. “Sometimes you can get mugged ... if you go to a big city which is slightly irritating,” he said.

According to Better Health Channel, to prevent the worst from happening, “Keep your travel plans, including accommodation details, to yourself, ask your hotel manager for advice on ‘safe’ versus ‘unsafe’ local areas, and try not to travel at night.”

However, for Su, those aspects of traveling do not clash with his overall enjoyment. “This method of travel allows you to meet new people, which is more interesting to me than just camping,” he said. “I like exploring and talking to people along the way.”

Compared to “roughing it out” in the camping scene, traveling in style offers an experience that can be planned and mediated without too much stress for everyone participating. Overall, traveling in style allows one to enjoy a vast amount of luxuries, ranging from simple conveniences to elaborate and new experiences.

GRACE MEDRANO THE RUBICON

Camping: the age-old tradition of packing up the bare necessities, pitching a tent and exploring the great outdoors.

Junior Jane Higgins grew up camping. “My family has always camped,” she said. “I’ve been [camping] since I was a very, very small child.”

Camping was always a tradition that took off in popularity after society was forced into lockdown in 2020. Many returned to their camping roots, with the number of people camping in Minnesota jumping nearly 20%.

Senior Evan Holmes said, “I started camping during COVID so I could get away from the mundane and sad state of things for a little while. I went backpacking up North, and it was an absolute disaster. It down-poured for most of the time and the mosquitoes were insane, I was completely red and bumpy at the end. I absolutely loved it though and I couldn’t wait to get out again.”

For some, like junior Sam Murphy, it’s a long-standing tradition. “I grew up with camping, and I’ve been very lucky to get to go to the places I’ve been,” he said.

According to the National Park Service, “Some like to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature. Some families go camping to revitalize their relationships, away from all the distractions at home. Many youth organizations teach young people how to build a fire, pitch a tent, or read a compass. Camping means different things to different people.”

“I feel like the best bonding and connections happen on the trail, as a physical wreck and needing support. Nature is a wonderful place to be yourself because it doesn’t care who you are or what your life is like, it’s just there to be beautiful and miserable all at the same time,” said Holmes.

“I think disconnecting from our phones is really peaceful, and calm. It’s really nice to be in nature,” Higgins said.

Camping offers a detox from a life of screens, and close, stuffy quarters; it’s an opportunity to get back out into the fresh air and strengthen bonds.

Whether it’s the accomplishment that comes with setting up a campsite, building a fire, or the inspiration that comes from seeing the stars in an area without light pollution, camping presents an opportunity to relax. “My favorite part is relaxing at night after a long day of hard work,” Murphy said.

To start camping, consider lodging options. With a tent, finding level ground, bringing a tarp for water protection, and ensuring proper size is essential. If not ready to dive into tent camping, cabins and RVs are always an option. After considering lodging, figure out a destination, taking into account weather and accessibility.

Nothing beats getting out into nature and spending time with loved ones. Nowadays, everywhere has somewhere to get away from the world and connect with nature. Consider getting out to a campsite and spending some time away from the bustle of the city to spend the night under the stars.

I love camping in the Boundary Waters.

I thought the desert was plain but it’s the most beautiful place I’ve been. The sunrises and sunsets are the most beautiful glowing work of art.

I like going camping because you can get to places you can’t get to by car, and it feels like you’re out alone in nature which is a really rare feeling.

Sam Murphy

Evan Holmes

Jane Higgins

Inga Wing