the
the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave - St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 46. Issue 2. October 26, 2018.
B R A N G A M E S FEATURE P. 10 Why we love zombies, and everything you need to know about the monsters that crave your brain
IN DEPTH P. 8-9 Just a part of the herd: Group mentality and how it affects our behavior
OPINIONS P. 5 2 sides, 1 issue: should classes focus on memorization?
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IN THIS ISSUE:
1 // Cover 2-3 // News 4-5 // Opinions 6 // Sci-Tech 7 // Health 8-9 // In Depth 10-11 // Feature 12-13 // A&E 14-15 // Sports 16 // Photo Story
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COVER DESIGN: Quinn Christensen
the
the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave - St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 46. Issue 2. October 26, 2018.
B R A N G A M E S FEATURE P. 10 Why we love zombies, and everything you need to know about the monsters that crave your brain
IN DEPTH P. 8-9 Just a part of the herd: Group mentality and how it affects our behavior
OPINIONS P. 5 2 sides, 1 issue: should classes focus on memorization?
IN THIS ISSUE:
1 // Cover 2-3 // News 4-5 // Opinions 6 // Sci-Tech 7 // Health 8-9 // In Depth 10-11 // Feature
ABOUT THE COVER How many black dots do you see? This Issue focuses on the amazing and strange parts of the brain. From behavior (In Depth (8-9) to memory (SciTech 6), the fascination with the brain might scare you (Feature 10).
Bao Phi talks to sophomores about poetry, identity, racism
BOBBY VERHEY RUBICONLINE Asian American poet Bao Phi spoke to 10th graders in the Bigelow Commons on Oct. 10. American Literature students have been reading Phi’s poetry collection, Thousand Star Hotel, which addresses issues of race, fatherhood, and American society.
FAMILY TIES. Poet Bao Phi told the sophomores, “Once I had a child, the poems became much more personal [...]”
29-12 poll predicts midterm election results 12-13 // A&E 14-15 // Sports 16 // Photo Story
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NEWS
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RUBICON online
THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
KAT ST. MARTIN -NORBURG THE RUBICON EDITOR The U.S. midterm elections will occur on Nov. 6, but the student body had the opportunity to cast a ballot early, and the prevailing vote is DemocratFarmer-Laborer (DFL). According to FiveThirtyEight online, the state is “solid Democrat” in the U.S. Senate vote; however, national predictions keep the Senate at a 4 in 5 chance that Republicans will retain control. In Minnesota, the site reports “likely Democrat” in the race for Governor. All citizens who have lived in Minnesota for 20 days or longer and are 18 years of age and older may vote.
MN GOV. / Lt. GOV.
U.S. SENATOR 3.5% Dennis Schuller 1.2% Paula M Overby
5.9% Chris Wright and Judith Schwartzbacker
1.2% Chris Dock
8.2% Jeff Johnson and Donna Bergstrom
7.1% Jim Newberger
SECRETARY of STATE
5.9% Sarah Wellington
Grassroots Green Party GOP Libertarian
9.4% Doug Wardlow
8.2% John Howe
8.2% Karin Housley
Independence
9.4% Noah M. Johnson
81.2% Keith Ellison
84.7% Steve Simon
84.7% Tina Smith
7.1% Pam Myhra
ATTORNEY GENERAL
7.1% William Denney
1.2% Jerry Trooien
DFL
85.9% Julie Blaha
Tim Walz and Peggy Flanagan
U.S. SENATOR
5.9% Michael Ford
3.5% Josh Welter and Mary O’Connor
82.4%
88.2% Amy Klobuchar
STATE AUDITOR
INFOGRAPHIC DESIGN: MAREN OSTREM Infographic data taken from a poll of 407 students grades 9-12 with 25% responding
Legal Marijuana Now
Fones, McCauley enthusiastic about novice debaters LUCY BENSON THE RUBICON EDITOR “Phenomenal.” This is the word Tom Fones, Upper School Director of Debate, uses to describe the 2018-19 debate season so far. With 5 tournaments down and more on the horizon, Fones sees promise in this year’s new debaters. “This may be the best group of, the most talented and the most hard-working group of beginning debate students that I’ve ever had,” Fones said. Senior Olivia McCauley, the Debate program’s first student coach, shared a similar view. “[The season’s] good every year, but we have a lot of really, really strong debaters especially in novice,” McCauley said. “There is a lot of enthusiasm surrounding how we’ve been doing at tournaments. Hopefully that will carry over, not only for the rest of the season, but for the rest of their debate careers as well.”
Though it isn’t just the beginning debaters that make the season great, it’s the whole team Fones explained. “They are supportive, they like to have fun and they’re, in a charming way, nerdy,” he said. Fones wants his students to get out and debate. “To me, although the results matter to a lot of people, to me getting a lot of people to debate and get that experience is more important,” Fones said. “It’s more important to me for people to get the skills that they’ll use later in their lives...the goal is to get really smart young people a chance to interact with the smart kids from other schools.” While Fones focuses on the debate itself, McCauley’s goals center around the culture of the debate community, specifically equity. “I’m really working on forming a better female community in debate,” McCauley said, “strengthening those ties so we have more support for female-identified
MAY BE THE “THIS BEST GROUP OF... DEBATE STUDENTS THAT I’VE EVER HAD. - Tom Fones
THE RUBICON PHOTO: Maren Ostrem FUN? THAT’S NOT DEBATABLE. Tom Fones and 9th grader Maura Hartfeldt share a joke during Beginning Debate class. students who want to really pursue debate.” After noticing she was often the only girl on the traveling team McCauley now hosts debate practices for female identifying students and recommends Beyond Resolved, a debate forum that connects
female mentors and mentees in the debate community. The team that Fones and McCauley focus so much on is reflected in the way 9th grader Noa Gross spoke about beginning debate. “Everyone’s really nice and just wants you to improve and do better,” Gross said.
”
Her first year on debate, Gross was nervous about messing up and letting down her partner but instead found support and feedback. “They were like, ‘you know, here’s what you do really well; here’s what we need to improve on,’” Gross said. Fones, McCauley, and Gross all seem to agree that the season theme is support. “That’s the best thing about the debate community; the minute you reach out there is always going to be somebody available and willing to help you,” McCauley said.
CORRECTIONS POLICY
SEPTEMBER CORRECTIONS
Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be printed in the month following the error and, if the story is also published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.
IN DEPTH 8 9- Escapism story lists Adrienne Gaylord as a 9th grader. She’s a sophomore. SPORTS 14- In the BVS photo caption, Lagos isn’t heading the ball. FEATURE 11- Rassmussen was misspelled in photo caption.
Eric Edhlund reflects on 14 years as Drake manager
JACK BENSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Working with this community has provided Edhlund with a wide range of benefits he will “My time at SPA has been carry with into the future. fantastic,” Former Ice Arena, “At SPA I have been given Property and Events Manager many opportunities to grow Eric Edhlund said. “Working in both professionally and personDrake Arena, the rink where I ally,” Edhlund said. “I have made learned how to ice skate growing some of the best contacts and up in St. Paul, was a dream come relationships that have been very true.” successful.” PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Eric Edhlund
Edhlund loves the part of his job where he gets to see students’ growth and development as athletes and as people. Edhlund left Oct. 5. He is beginning a new job at the Schwan Super Rink.
Read more at
RUBICON online
NEWS
THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
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I THINK FOR SURE THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN FBI INVESTIGATION, BUT THE FBI DIDN’T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING.
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- Celeste Parke-Reimer
PHOTO: NINIAN REID FLICKR CC
CONTROVERSY. Kavanaugh testifies in heated hearing. I believe that if there are any accusations as serious as [Kavanaugh’s], that investigations should be made,” sophomore Saffy Rindelaub said.
Kavanaugh decision causes tension, controversy JULIA BARON THE RUBICON EDITOR The hallways and classrooms at SPA have been filled with energized and passionate discussions surrounding the Brett Kavanaugh confirmation process. Brett Kavanaugh was President Donald Trump’s choice of nominee for the vacant Supreme Court seat. On Sept. 14 Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations of sexual misconduct against Kavanaugh were made public. Kavanaugh profusely denied the
allegations. The alleged incident took place 30 years ago, when they were in high school at Georgetown Preparatory School. Some people believe that because the alleged incident took place so many years ago, Brett Kavanaugh does not need to be punished for it now, and it’s unfair to hold him accountable for something that he did when he was still a teenager. After Ford’s allegations were made public, a hearing took place in which Ford and Kavanaugh both went before the Senate Judiciary Committee. “I think it’s so crazy how Ford’s
so poised, and all her evidence lines up. And Kavanaugh, he just repeats the question back to the prosecutor and does not comply and is agitated and angry.” junior Celeste Parke-Reimer said. “I think it’s relevant and I believe her, but I just don’t think if the evidence points to Kavanagh as the perpetrator,” sophomore Alek Radson said. After Ford and Kavanaugh’s testimony, Arizona Senator Jeff Flake requested an FBI investigation after being confronted in an elevator by sexual assault survivors. The White House allowed this
investigation but placed many restrictions on it. Radson said, “I think it was good to have an investigation, overall anyone that comes out with these allegations needs to be treated seriously, and they need to be investigated fully, because these are serious things, so overall I think we should’ve had the investigation.” “I think for sure there should have been an FBI investigation, but the FBI didn’t actually do anything,” ParkeReimer said. “I believe that if there are any accusations as serious as [Kavanaugh’s], that investigations should be made,” Sophomore Saffy Rindelaub said. The FBI investigation came to a close on Thursday September 27th. The Senate vote resulted in 51 senators voting to confirm Kavanaugh and 49 senators opposing the decision. “I’m happy for Kavanaugh’s family, because in the end they got a reward for a very difficult process,” Radson said. The hearing has been a cause of many discussion both in and out of the classroom. “Dr. Peterson asked us what we knew about the investigation, and we did a go around where everyone said if they thought he would be confirmed or not,” Parke-Reimer said. The confirmation of Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court has been very controversial, and has lit a fire under many angry Democrats and Republicans. Radson said that this has been a very “divisive process” that may take a long time to repair.
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SPA THINKS:
“I definitely believe the women, and I heard statistically it’s the lowest crime that’s falsely reported...I don’t think someone that has those kinds of allegations should be in the Supreme Court,” junior Naomi Wilson said.
“Even if there weren’t any allegations I feel like he shouldn’t be picked for the Supreme Court because that’s a very high position and I think you need to have a relatively clean slate and have very credible character and clearly he does not,” senior Nora Povejsil said.
“We already have someone on the Supreme Court whose accused of sexual violence and we didn’t need another person,” junior Anna Snider said.
Tent City spotlights Twin Cities homeless population
THE RUBICON PHOTO: Lucy Sandeen HOMELESS. A row of tents can be seen while crossing Franklin.
TOMMY STOLPESTAD THE RUBICON EDITOR Driving down Hiawatha towards downtown Minneapolis, a prime view
of the Minneapolis skyline highlights the scenery, but off to the side while crossing Franklin Avenue and 16th Avenue South there is a much more depressing sight to be seen: a stretch of
tents lines a large wall face the busy Hiawatha street. This is no camping site—it is the only place the homeless people who live here can call home. Junior Sophia Heegaard describes her outsider perspective on the situation. “I think it is sad because it shows the homeless problem we have and how large the homeless population is. We need to find a solution for the problem,” Heegaard explained. This area, which has come to be known as “Tent City,” is home to an estimated 50 people, most of which are Native American. The rows of tents have shed light on the homeless situation in the twin cities. “The situation to me seems pretty bad, if our homeless shelters had more spaces, there
“
WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB CREATING SPACE FOR THE HOMELESS TO LIVE.
”
- Milo Waltenbaugh would be no need to have a tent city,” Sophomore Milo Waltenbaugh explains. The opioid academic has been ripping the “tent city” apart from the inside and has taken a large toll on the residents of “tent city.” According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, the most recent victim of this was 51 year old Pamela Rivera, who
was only one of three overdose related deaths in the past 2 months in the “tent city.” The deaths in the “tent city,” along with the impending cold weather have put the issue in the focus of local government. “To solve this issue, I think it’s pretty clear what needs to happen. We need to find a way to relocate everyone who is currently living there and all of their belongings to a shelter or a more permanent location... We need to do a better job creating spaces for the homeless to live,” Waltenbaugh said. The Minneapolis City Council is working with the Red Lake Nation to set up trailers at the site.
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OPINIONS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
SPA needs to create a clear, detailed sexual assault policy 2018-2019 Student Handbook VI. Harassment
Editorial Cartoon: Rebecca Ebert GUIDELINES. The Student Handbook outlines specific substance abuse policies, but is vague regarding sexual assault
THE RUBICON STAFF EDITORIAL Society’s current climate surrounding sexual violence is fraught and divided. With ongoing calls for change — a reduction in the frequency of assaults, a process that doesn’t blame the victim, and a desire for harsher consequences after an assault — it’s time for St. Paul Academy and Summit School to set a clearer, more transparent policy around sexual assault. High school is an especially volatile period that is often conducive to sexual assault: the percentage of child-on-child sexual abuse is highest between ages 15 and 17, or during most adolescents’ sophomore and senior years of high school. SPA’s Upper School handbook language , however, is not sufficient in either preventing sexual violence or supporting victims. C u r rently, any school based action is tucked underneath the general harassment policy and is defined by MSHSL standards of sexual harassment, not in reflection of SPA’s school culture. The handbook does not distinguish between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. The policy only outlines a general “investigation” that follows a report and will result in an appropriate “response” without any information on who
will conduct an investigation or what consequences might be appropriate. The last revision of the sexual harassment policy was the addition of a photo and video policy, which was amended in response to the rise in popularity of social media. This, too, focuses on harassment and not assault, but does introduce the word “consent” to the handbook. In an interview US Principal Max Delgado said that the policies in the handbook are guideposts for action, while the actual
SHOULD “ SPA LOOK AT
POLICIES FROM COLLEGES THAT PROVIDE A CLEAR ROAD MAP FOR EACH STAGE OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.
”
practices are how the policies are acted upon. These practices are constantly updated. Even if administration constantly revises the practices surrounding sexual harassment, the policies also need to be re-
vised to reflect the community’s values. A sexual violence policy must be granted its own section in the handbook. Under this section, the policy must clearly distinguish between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape, defining each and clarifying their consequences or legal ramifications. Before any of these changes, however, the SPA administration must immediately publish a definition of consent in the US Handbook so all students understand the expectation as it relates to not only in school behavior but out of school behavior that often finds its way back to school in conversations in the hallways and relationships in the classroom. In order to ensure that the new policy reflects the community at SPA, the administration should work with affinity and gender-related student groups when writing this policy. Together, this group can explore policies from different colleges that provide a clear and comprehensive road map for each stage of a sexual violence allegation. While many college policies are still relatively new, most address a number of issues that our school handbook has not yet addressed, such as a clear process of reporting and investigation for all parties involved. To ensure that students understand affirmative consent be-
ginning at a young age, this new policy must span kindergarten through twelfth grade, laying an expectation of consent and building a culture set to dismantle rape culture from the moment students enter our community. Last fall’s assembly with the Aurora Center that focused on consent, ongoing professional development for faculty on assault and reporting, and Delgado’s own investment in this issue by attending a conference on dismantling rape culture all shows how the SPA administration is working on incorporating conversations about consent throughout the community. These steps are vital in creating a positive, respectful, and consensual campus environment, and The Rubicon fully acknowledges and lauds these important actions. However, even though the administration is working to improve the culture of consent on campus, an official policy on sexual violence must be prioritized. Even if the current practice is thoughtful and focuses on victims, and, for the sake of privacy, is relatively opaque, the official policy must be set in clear language that students understand in terms of expectations, reporting, and consequences.
“All forms of harassment are prohibited. This policy applies to students, faculty, staff, administration, trustees, parents, vendors and guests whenever and wherever a school-related activity takes place. It is the school’s policy to take any necessary action to promote and uphold this policy and to comply with local, state, and federal laws. Anyone found to have acted in violation of this policy will be subject to an appropriate disciplinary action. For students this may include separation from the school.”
Definition of Harassment “Harassment is defined as unwelcome verbal or physical conduct (or requests) which have the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s performance, or which creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive learning or working environment. Conduct is prohibited when it is directed at an individual because of his or her age, creed, color, disability, national origin, race, marital status, or any status with regard to public assistance, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected-class status pursuant to applicable law.”
THE RUBICON St. Paul Academy and Summit School • 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 • rubicon.spa@gmail.com • www.RubicOnline.com • @TheRubiconSPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR STORY EDITOR NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS FEATURE EDITORS IN DEPTH EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR HEALTH EDITOR PHOTO STORY EDITOR
Jack Benson Quinn Christensen Chloe Morse Andrew Johnson Maren Ostrem, Lucy Sandeen Lizzie Kristal, Kat St. MartinNorburg Lucy Benson, Meagan Massie Jasper Green Eloise Duncan, Evelyn Lillemoe Julia Baron, Tommy Stoplestad Sharee Roman Jenny Ries Claire Hallaway
DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS COLUMNIST FEATURE EDITORS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS ARTS CRITIC SPORTS EDITORS RUBICON T V PRODUCER INTERACTIVE STORYTELLING TEAM
Mimi Geller Noah Raaum Isabel Gisser Annie Bottern Martha Sanchez, Kelby Wittenberg Will Rinkoff, Isabel Saavedra-Weis Kieran Singh Sam Hanson, Melissa Nie Koji Gutzmann, Lynn Reynolds Michael Forsgren Emma Sampson, Bobby Verhey Ellie Nowakowski Tristan Hitchens-Brookins (Lead), Rylan Hefner, Liv Larsen, Tana Ososki
STAFF WRITERS
Salah Abdulkarim, Eric Bottern, Sara Browne, Henry Burkhardt, El Chen, Noor Christava, Ganga Corsaro, Duncan Fleming, Adrienne Gaylord, Tessah Green, Josh Harrison, Addie Morrisette, Sarah Oppenheim, Anna Perleberg, Annika Rock, Elizabeth Trevathan ADVISER
Kathryn Campbell
PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT
Kate Glassman
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OPINIONS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
2 SIDES, 1 ISSUE:
The merits of memorization
The (Current) Events Lawn signs offer more than decoration JACK BENSON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF From Kingfield to Highland Park, through Tangletown and Nokomis, my commute to school is long but rewarding. Biking is by no means the quickest way to get to school. However, the extra time I spend pedaling through neighborhoods has some unexpected benefits. One benefit is having more time to really see what is going on in the Twin Cities. It gives me a sense that local politics are more than lines on a newspaper. On the first leg of my journey I breeze past lawns teeming with political posters. “Ilhan” written in a graceful script. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith both went with a lime green and navy blue poster (I guess that was big with the focus groups). In Kingfield many people set up signs encouraging people to register to vote. I see many signs condemning the Minneapolis 2040 plan (Developers Win! NEIGHBORS LOSE!). A lone poster stands proud, advocating for “Neighbors for more neighbors.” The problem with the 2040 plan according Jessica Lee for MinnPost is “A proposal to allow multi-family housing of up to four units across the city—including in neighborhoods now currently zoned exclusively for single-family homes.” The most common sign these days are striped in turquoise and colors worthy of a sunset, written over with clean white lettering, proclaiming “All Are Welcome Here.” The company that creates these signs sums up their mission with a Maya Angelou quote: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” Discourse is alive and well in the Twin Cities. A new debate can be discovered on every block.
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MEMORIZATION IS A CRUCIAL TOOL FOR LEARNING NEW INFORMATION.
”
ARE FORCED “ STUDENTS TO CRAM THEIR BRAINS FULL OF INFORMATION.
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ACTIVE MEMORIZATION. Senior Janie Brunell uses flash cards to study.
Memorization is a crucial tool for learning JULIA BARON THE RUBICON EDITOR Memorization is often frustrating and can seem like a waste of time, but it’s healthy for the brain and is an important type of learning. Memorization in school is often criticized as not actually learning. But, memorization is actually a crucial tool for learning new information. Engaging in different learning styles, including memorization, enables students to gain a deeper understanding of information. Middle school learning specialist Jennie Sorenson said “memorization, would be considered one of the lower levels of learning” but she still considers it a kind of learning, that can be an important step in the learning process. She believes that it’s easier to remember, or memorize something, if you actually know what it means. According to an article compiled by UC Denver, there are four main categories for memorizing information: organizing, actively moving the body, pulling it from memory, and recalling it. Organizing information includes selecting the most important pieces, associating the material with something familiar, and visualizing the information. This is a simple way to keep information fresh. Writing, reciting, and drawing the information count towards active ways to remember. Using the brain to memorize includes evenly spreading information, overlearn, and keeping a positive attitude. This is all about working with the brain and not against it. Lastly, recalling forgotten information involves thinking of something similar to the focus, noticing when it is remembered, and imagining it’s unforgettable. From these four techniques, memory is successful. These aren’t extremely strenuous or difficult, so there is no issue for a school to encourage them. Every person learns differently and it’s important to note that, for some people, basic memorization tactics really help them understand the material. Even though pure memorization may not be best learning method, it is still a helpful way to learn and retain new material.
Classes rely too much on memorization CLAIRE HALLAWAY THE RUBICON EDITOR While memory holds an important place in many classes, there is a fine line between having a healthy amount of memorization and expecting students to memorize heaps of information. Classes should not require students to memorize material, and should instead focus on understanding and execution of the material. Upper School Counselor Susanna Short explains the memory in the brain: “During the sleep cycle, the brain is able to comb through information and determine what should be kept and what should be let go. If certain information is deemed important, it will then be put into the long term memory,” Short said. Though SPA classes are supposed to be more learning-based, this isn’t always true. The curriculum is fast-paced and unit tests come around the corner quickly. Students are forced to then cram their brains full of information in order to do well on the assessment. Few classes offer open note or open book tests, and as a result students have to memorize key facts in order to get a good score. One of the biggest reasons why high expectations for memorizing can be so unrealistic and demanding for students is that memorization is harder when the brain is not interested in what it is learning. Often, homework and classwork is spent learning new information and students are expected to remember it through just taking notes and or through reading a textbook, not through interactive learning. Especially for underclassmen who have little to no choice in the classes they take, if they aren’t interested in a class, it will make it far more difficult to succeed in it. Although teachers are in tune with incorporating these interactive activities into classes, they aren’t always used when they easily could be. Many science classes are filled with a lecture on the material as students quickly jot down notes. Math is very similar, where most of the class is spent taking notes and working out problems with the whole class. STEM classes should instead offer open note tests to ensure that students actually understand how to use a concept instead of just memorizing it.
POLICIES, MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS 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.
PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon
is published eight times a year. We distribute 750 copies of each issue to the Upper School which are available for free.
ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.
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 (i.e. Sophomore Student) will be the preferred method of anonymity.
BY LINES credit the individual who
conducted interviews, drafted, revised and fact-checked an assigned story. Shared bylines are given to joint effort assignments, with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states
“Additional reporting by” followed by the name of the reporter.
style. All pieces must be submitted and will be published with a full name.
EDITORIALS articulate the collective
UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS
opinion of The Rubicon staff, while mini-editorials, opinions pieces, arts reviews, and columns belong to the author.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or online edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words. Both may be edited for length and
During the post-critique process, staff members identify inaccuracies and report feedback from readers. As such, the staff publishes corrections when an error is discovered during critique or reported to a staff member. Corrections should be directed to the Editor in Chief or appropriate section editor. Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be printed in the month following the
error and, if the story is also published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.
MEMBERSHIPS
Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association MN High School Press Association Quill and Scroll Honor Society
PUBLICATION AWARDS
NSPA All-American, Pacemaker (Online) and Finalist (Print) CSPA Gold Medalist (Hybrid), Silver Crown Award (Hybrid), SNO Distinguished Site JEM All State Gold
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SCI-TECH THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Memory defines us, still a puzzle JASPER GREEN THE RUBICON EDITOR
Most take memory for granted as an integral part what it means to be human because so much of our experience relies on being able to reflect on the past to be able to learn and to grow. But, without memory, learning language and building relationships with others would be impossible. “Muscle memory is subconscious and you don’t really think about it, you just do it and your muscles remember it. Then there is the other type of memory where you think about
The
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it consciously and learn from past mistakes. You don’t repeat stuff over and over if it doesn’t work,” senior Ethan Less said. According to The Human Memory, the human brain is by far the most complex organ in the body, and more than three times as large as that of a similar sized animal. It produces our every thought, action, and feeling that we experience and contains a staggering one hundred billion neurons that work to encode our memories. Recent developments of how the brain works differ from the old notion that memory works like a
file sorting system. In reality, memory is a brain wide process that links sights, sounds, words, and emotions to create a story. According to Science Daily, humans are much better at recalling visual and tactile information than audio in their memories. Each person’s memory is a combination of different sensory info. “It is easiest for me to remember my happy memories when I’m around friends in the summer, a lot of summer camp memories are the best. The way I felt in a certain moment is easier to remember than how something looked or how something sound-
ed. I have to work harder to be able to remember those things.” Sophomore Margot Bergner said. Over time, memories can evolve and re-wire to differ from the original truth. “I think that everyone remembers things differently and that is how people can get into conflicts… When people want to remember something, they highlight it in their minds, but you can easily box things out and forget them also, and I think that’s how bridges get burned in society.” Bergner said. “I get a little paranoid when I hit my head because I had a cou-
ple concussions and it’s scary to think that something could happen and I could damage such an important part of myself; memory is a key thing,” Less said. According to The Human Memory, in the future, scientists hope to study memory disorders in order to learn more about how the brain works. “It is scary to forget major moments in your life because of something you were genetically predisposed to. I bet that’s hard to cope with, especially if you know you are going to have that in the future,” Bergner said.
categories of memory
Sensory
Short Term
HUMAN “AMEMORY
Sensory memory takes place in the sensory cortex and it is the shortest term memory of all. Unless something plays an integral part of a story, the brain sees it as useless information that should be forgotten for the sake of efficiency. The consolidation and storage of a memory is when mundane daily activities are filtered out, such as the hundreds of steps you take during a walk or all of the mouthfuls of food you ate during lunch. The problems arise when information gets filtered out that should have been stored, like an important comment a teacher makes during a lecture.
COULD THEORETICALLY HOLD UP TO 1,000 TERABYTES.
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Higher up the list is short term memory, which takes place in the prefrontal cortex. This can be demonstrated by showing someone a short list of words and asking if they remember them. They will probably remember them for a few seconds, but unless they rehearse the words in their brain, the list of words will surely be forgotten with time. Another way to turn a short term memory into a permanent one is by giving the information a meaning or by consciously relating it back to a different memory so that it taps into an already strong pathway network.
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Long Term SHORT TERM MEMORY ONLY RETAINS INFORMATION FOR THREE MINUTES.
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Long term memories do not seem to deteriorate over time if they are rooted in meaning and association. When a word is on the tip of one’s tongue, it is because the meaning of the word is there, but the structure of the sound is not as easily stored in the brain. Furthermore, if one is interested in the information, they are more likely to remember it because they are passionate and excited about it. However, if memories are not stimulated, this is when the neural pathways are forgotten and replaced.
Memory formation process
Information gathered from Johns Hopkins Medicine and Smithsonian.com
INFOGRAPHIC: Sharee Roman
HEALTH THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Childhood trauma leaves impact far past childhood
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: JENNY RIES SHAREE ROMAN THE RUBICON EDITOR No life is free of woe. According to a new survey on adverse childhood conducted by National Survey of Children’s Health, nearly 35 million children in the United States have experienced one or more types of childhood trauma. Furthermore, nearly a third of U.S. youth age 12-17 have experienced two or more types of childhood adversity that are likely to affect their physical and mental health as adults. Across the 50 U.S. states, the percentages range from 23 percent for New Jersey to 44.4 percent for Arizona. According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, there are multiple forms of trauma that are caused for a variety of reasons: bullying, community violence, complex trauma, disasters, domestic violence, early childhood trauma, medical abuse...etc. Rates of youths’ exposure to disasters lower than for other traumatic events, but when disaster strike, large proportions of young people are affected, with rates varying by region and type of disaster. The American Psychological Association states that 7.9 million U.S. children received emergency medical care for unintentional and more than 400,000 for injuries sustained due to violence in 2008. Learning how to understand, process and cope with difficulties – even tragedies – is a natural part of a child’s development process. But sometimes children get stuck. An experience or repeated experiences may leave a child with an overwhelming sense of fear and loss, making them feel that they have no safety or control over their lives. For some children, these feelings become so intense that they get in the way of their continued physical, emotional, social or intellectual development. Most people recognize that trauma is a negative experience that an individual cannot forget or move past. For example, everyone knows that a
child who has been abused and neglected or has seen something horrific would most likely be traumatized. But could a 5 month old baby who has been severely neglected be traumatized? According to Upper School Counselor, Susanna Short, “The definition of trauma is any situation where a child feels powerless and a core part of who they are has been threatened. When a child feels helpless, powerless, and a critical part of who they are has been threatened, the [individual’s] brain comes up with many complicated ways to help deal with it.” Noam Shpancer Ph.D. published a post at the Psychology Today blog where he states that trauma is a complex phenomenon that is intermixed with biology,
OF “REGARDLESS WHAT KIND OF
CHILDHOOD TRAUMA A PERSON HAS EXPERIENCED, HEALING IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.
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-Upper School Counselor Susanna Short genes, environmental influence, and physiology. The chemicals in the brain and body work together during traumatizing circumstances to create real and lasting changes in the body. While the trauma can certainly leave lasting impact, it all depends on how the situation is dealt with in the moment of trauma. Did the child have a support system? Did the child process the trauma in therapy? Did the child know they mattered? Were they loved and cared for? All these factors can help predict whether trauma is going to make functioning in dai-
ly life near impossible or doable. “If a child experiences something traumatic but is able to tell an adult that hears them, sees them, and acknowledges the situation and gets them help... then there could honestly be minimal impact on that child as an adult,” Short said. “That person will look back on that event as a traumatic, but what gets put into the brain is ‘I was hurt, but I was also seen, loved, nurtured and cared for.’” In sophomore year, students are required to take Wellness class for one quarter. In that time, they learned about coping strategies and the importance of self care. While the purpose of Wellness is teach all students basic strategies for dealing with mental health issues, those lessons learned in wellness also apply to childhood traumas. “Whenever there is something to do with mental health, I would like to reiterate all these messages about self care: exercise, sleep, diet, and healthy relationships. Approaches to mental health always includes three things: considering therapy, considering medication, and self care,”Short said. But if a child is not able to tell and deal with the trauma, Short said, that’s where it gets complicated. “Where it gets dysfunctional is when a child is left to manage on their own...Childhood brains will often compartmentalize. They will put that experience kind of off to the side where they won’t readily access it. They will also develop defense mechanisms against feeling the emotion of the trauma. The problem is that after they grow up sometimes they have defense mechanisms that were adaptive at the time of trauma, but are maladaptive now...The defense mechanism show themselves in a couple different ways: lack of trust or lack of boundaries.” Paths to healing are different
for the individuals who experience trauma. There is no timeline for healing or magic potion that makes everything better. No matter what, trauma has a physiological and emotional effect on body and brain development. Trauma can have a sensory impact on children, according to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. A child can hear, see, feel, or even smell things that can trigger fear, anxiety, and uncertainty. As a result, a trauma response can occur in children as young as 5 months. If the trauma is repeated and intense, the traumatic response can be compounded. Some studies show that younger children can be more resilient than others at bouncing back from trauma. It all depends on the child. There are, of course many factors that influence an individual’s resilience such as family support, environment, education, most importantly access to therapy. Short said, “Trauma does not have to affect a person’s life forever if they receive the appropriate therapeutic services and have a good number of protective factors to support them. Regardless of what kind of childhood trauma a person has experienced, healing is always possible.” A student who has experienced trauma and shares that information with the school, according to Short, may qualify for accommodations during the time of healing and recovery, like extended time and shortened assignments. However, Short said that “Trauma is always a case where a student needs outside resources. We [the school] would make referral to a therapist and, if the family comfortable, have a release of information. That way I can talk to the therapist about ways to support the student at school...The goal is to help the student become fully re-integrated into their life.”
If you or someone close to you has experienced trauma and is in need of support, here are a few resources: - National Hotlines for Support and Trauma https://pa.performcare.org/ self-management-wellness/ trauma/hotlines.aspx - National Association for People Abused in Childhood https://napac.org.uk/
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IN DE THE RUBICON -
THE RUBICON PHOTO: CHLOE MORSE CONNECTION. Seniors Henry Hallaway and Claire Hallaway converse with junior Max Soll and senior Zachary Tipler.
CHLOE MORSE MANAGING EDITOR Humans inherently want to fit in with a group —it’s basic instinct. In fact, because humans thrive on personal connection, they will do whatever they need to in order to attain it, even if this means conforming to the behaviors of different groups. According to Psychology Today, the desire to fit in starts at a young age, with children on a playground mimicking the behaviors of the dominant group. However, this behavior continues into adulthood, as people change everything from speech patterns to the tone of their voices depending on what group they’re in at the moment.
Conforming to a Status Quo As a whole, society tends to ostracize the people who do not fit into the conventional molds. Psychology Today explains this tendency to be a result of the human urge to feel safe, and to have an environment in which they belong. People who defy common group expectations cause others within groups to question their choices, which undermines their sense of belonging. The harsh reaction to those who are “different” stems from the human inability to confront the foundation that gives a group their sense of security. In school, students often gauge their behavior based on how others will respond in their established status quo. A status quo can be beneficial because it can set up norms that everyone should follow, such as to treat others cordially. However, it may also cause one to hold back parts of themselves in order to avoid being made fun of. The Asch Experiment demonstrated human nature’s conformity, asking people to match the lengths of line segments. As the number of people in the group who chose an obviously incorrect answer increased, the percent of subjects who conformed to that answer increased as well. If even one person in the group dissented, the conformity rate dropped to near zero. The experiment demonstrated how humans questioned and went against their judgment to choose an obviously incorrect answer solely as the result of group pressure.
KNOW [THE PEOPLE IN “ IFMYI DON’T GROUP], THEN SOMETIMES I’M NOT GOING TO PROCRASTINATE BECAUSE I WANT TO DO BETTER AND SEEM LIKE I’M ON TOP OF THINGS... - Max Soll
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Conforming to a group has both positive and negative effects when it comes to group projects. According to Tutorials Point, groups can often lead to “group think,” or when everyone tries to prevent conflict at the expense of raising new ideas. On the other hand, working in groups can hold people accountable to get their work done. “If I don’t know [the people in my group], then sometimes I’m not going to procrastinate because I want to do better and seem like I’m on top of things and make a good impression. So sometimes [being in a group] does encourage me to do better work,” Soll said. “When I’m by myself, I’m a huge procrastinator...But I think it’s kind of easier to focus when I’m alone... But I also don’t have as much accountability, and I think that shows in my work,” Dawson-Moore said.
A H E B
MAREN THE RUBIC
Imagine a female ch their childhood. As she pr she feels a core need to be because she did not feel loved struggle onto this absence, whic ical reaction to the environmenta psychological and environmental fa al patterns. One of the main controversies in th ture. Was this girl born clingy or was s ronment? The answer to this is not just Because, genetic factors can cause people t but so can the environment. According to are mostly in agreement that nurture and ther one is the sole cause of any behavi nurture work against and with each oth root cause of mental illnesses. Scientis history and the environment relate. It is hard to know how much h because for so much of that time, very little to psychologists and scientist that our behavi our primate relatives, such as ingrained safety in order to protect them. Humans have bias choose the direction to take based on poten people are more likely to remember wh others money. This type of selective me relatives who chose selfish tactics in o Tutorials Point’s website states ent situations is affected by thes attribution, and perception. A physical abilities and self awa ideas are rather self explana not be. Self awareness entai one’s own strengths and how a task. This will affect one’s c When a high school st math test, and looks the test sciously assess how hard the they will perform. This impact will feel throughout the test and When a girl walks down the stree in the same situation. The girl is more like ings. Perception is the process of deciphering ou One’s sex and race may not influence the makeup of For example, people of color are conditioned to have to behav history of racism that has shaped society’s police brutality today. This different way than the way society influences the psychology of white people is broken into, they are less likely to call the police than a white person is. Understand rization. While these tests and systems are not 100% accurate, they do help individuals grasp th One of the most popular examples of these tests is the Myers Briggs test. According to OPP, a bra her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Briggs was interested in the study of temperament and took insp Types, and using his extensive research, paired with her theories, developed the Myers Briggs Type I The Myers Briggs test focuses on four different factors of human personality and behavior. The fir with other people, and introverts draw energy from being alone. The second is sensing vs intuition. T lyzes a situation and how they respond. The third is thinking versus feeling. Do you think before you will you act based on how you feel in the moment? Lastly, perceiving versus judging. People who perce and organized. The Myers Briggs types includes 16 different personality types and takes about 12 minutes to com Myers Briggs personality type is the Defender. The Defender has great social skills, analytical abilities The consul, is usually quite popular, enjoys being in the spotlight, and is supporting of their friends concrete steps to achieve their goals, has strong opinions, and is soft spoken. The Myers Briggs test is only one of many personality tests and assessments. Other popular examp All of these tests are valid and interesting ways of examining your own behavior and personality. A c affected by certain factors. The more one can learn about their own behavior and the causes behind it, that works best for them.
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EPTH OCTOBER 2018
AVIO R
OSTREM CON EDITOR
hild was neglected throughout rogresses into her teenage years, liked and included. This could be as a child and places the cause of her ch would be an example of a psychologal factor of her upbringing, and it is these actors that are the cause of certain behavior-
he psychology world, is that of nature vs nurshe conditioned to be this way from her envione or the other, but rather a mix of the two. to have certain physical or psychological traits, o Simply Psychology, 21st century psychiatrists d nature interact with each other, and that neiior. Now, the focus resides on how nature and her. One trait that is often argued over is the sts are trying to discern exactly how genetic
human behavior has changed throughout history, e was being recorded. However, it is quite apparent ior is still similar to that of our ancestors and even y responses like fight or flight that were developed ses when it comes to solving problems, and will ntial status gain. According to Tutorialspoint, hen they are owed money, than if they owe emory is similar to behaviors of our primate order to survive. s that the way that humans react to differse key ideas: abilities, sex, race, culture, Abilities include intellectual abilities, areness abilities. While these first two atory, self awareness abilities might ils an individual’s ability to perceive w well they will be able to accomplish confidence levels. tudent, for example, goes in to take a over before they start, they subcontest will be for them and how well ts the amount of anxiety that student how well they ultimately perform. et, she will behave differently than a teenage boy ely walk faster or constantly be checking her surroundutside stimuli into meaningful information. f their brain so much as what societal pressures are placed on them. ve much differently around police officers than white people because of the s affects the way people of color react to society and influences their psychology in a e, which results in a dichotomy of behavior. For instance, when an African American’s house ding human behavior can be quite complicated, so humans have come up with systems of categohe level of diversity in how people think and why they react the way they do. anch of the Myers Briggs Company, Myers Briggs test was created in 1943, by Katharine Briggs, and piration from Carl Jung, a Swiss Psychiatrist who had recently published a book called Psychological Indicator Test. rst factor is extrovert versus introvert. Extroverts are people who draw their energy from interactions This is the based on whether an individual relies more on facts or ideas. This will impact how one anaact, or do you act based on your emotions? When faced with a situation, will you take time to think or eive are more comfortable going with the flow, while people who judge need to have their days planned
mplete. It allows one to recognize who they are and what role they play in society. The most common s, and are very receptive to change and ideas. The second most common personality type is the Consul. s. The rarest of the Myers Briggs types is the Advocate. The Advocate has a sense of morality, takes
ples include the Enneagram, the Holtzman Inkblot Technique, and the Process Communication Model. child who was neglected as a child is just one example of many situations in which human behavior is , the more they can feel comfortable being themselves and interact with others and the world in a way
THE RUBICON PHOTO: QUINN CHRISTENSEN JUST HANGING OUT. Sophomore Nikolas Liepens and 9th graders Spencer Burris-Brown and Ellie Dawson-Moore laugh and talk before class.
Helpful Group Roles
Within every group, there are two categories for roles: task oriented and relationship oriented roles. Each category has a different focused drive, but both are necessary to help the group continue to run in a successful harmony. Task-oriented roles include clarifying information by asking questions, summarizing information to refocus the group, and finding information by answering necessary questions. Relationship-oriented roles tend to focus on limiting tension by mediating conflict, including everyone’s voice by asking others what they think, and making sure everyone is happy with the decision-making process. A “good” group needs a blend of the two categories, and a some aspect of every role within each category. Ellie Dawson-Moore thinks that an important part of groups are the people who play a less forceful role. “I think there are quiet leaders that will help everyone just stay on task in a subtle way, But I think sometimes people can develop that sort of leadership by pulling everyone in the group together...I think upperclassmen definitely take a stronger role in those groups,” Dawson-Moore said. “I think we definitely work off of little tidbits of everybody.”
Harmful Group Roles
However, in every group are some negative roles people assume, called hindering roles. One such role, dominating, is when one person tries to take control of the group whether through their authority or outright manipulation. Control can come in the form of flattery and patronization as well, as the dominator attempts to sway other group members and manipulate their ideas. Soll recognizes how different groups influence his behavior. “When you’re with certain friends you’re more likely to act out and do wild stuff. I have groups where I’m more likely to get in trouble with and those that I’m not. If you have a bunch of good friends they can encourage you to do good stuff, especially if it’s in a class,” Soll said. For Dawson-Moore, her behavioral changes from group to group are largely dependent on how comfortable she feels.
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IN SOME GROUPS I’M A LITTLE MORE INTIMIDATED, [SO] I’M A LITTLE MORE QUIET... WHEN I’M WITH A GROUP OF MY PEERS, I DEFINITELY FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE BECAUSE I KNOW THESE PEOPLE WELL. - Ellie Dawson-Moore
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“In some groups I’m a little more intimidated, [so] I’m a little more quiet…When I’m with a group of my peers, I definitely feel more comfortable because I know these people well. When I’m with upperclassmen I’m attempting to assert myself more,” Dawson-Moore said. At the end of the day, groups make the world run. Whether it’s two fourth-graders working on a project or the Federal Government, people play specific roles in whatever group they’re in. These traits can lead to different group dynamics, and therefore results of the groups. As people join new groups, it’s best for them to be aware of the role they assume. Do they mediate conflict or seek information? Do they let others speak or do they dominate? As everyone learns to understand their role in groups, they can understand their strength and weaknesses, and ultimately help the group be more effective, and function better.
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FEATURE THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Unearthing the (Un) Dead Famous zombies you can watch, read, play, and defeat
Based on the book by Isaac Marion, Warm Bodies, a story of a human-zombie romance in a post-apocalyptic world spanned across genres. A romantic comedy, and zombie flick, the film won a Teen Choice Award after its 2013 release.
Max Brooks created a world where zombies spread like disease. This novel and the movie that followed further brought zombies in to mainstream culture. FAIR USE IMAGE: World War Z official Facebook
FAIR USE IMAGE: World War Z official Facebook
A movie about surviving against ghouls with a taste for human flesh, Night of the Living Dead entered the horror genre in 1968. Written by John Russo and George A. Romero, the movie has been remade twice.
Plants vs. Zombies uses different types of plants to ward off hordes of zombies. The game sold more than 300,000 copies within the rist nine days of its release, setting a new record for app store launches.
Seth Graham wrote this novel as a parody, combining Jane Austen’s original novel with zombie elements. FAIR USE IMAGE: Penguin-Random House
see more at
FAIR USE IMAGE: Night of the Living Dead https://www. nightofthelivingdead.com/
FAIR USE IMAGE: Plants vs Zombies on EA.com
RUBICON online
Obsessed with the undead
What’s behind our fascination with zombies? LUCY SANDEEN THE RUBICON EDITOR You’re running down a deserted street, feet hitting the pavement, as a horde of shambling, groaning, moaning zombies advance. There’s no escape; within moments you will become one of them, your brains spilling out of your split skull. Zombies are some of the most terrifying monsters in the human imagination. The first conception of a “zombie” has its roots in Haitian culture and Vodou practices as a manifestation of unrest and anxiety around slavery. Recently, zombies have experienced
a resurgence in popularity spearheaded by the book World War Z by Max Brooks, which was first published in 2006, from which other texts such as the TV series The Walking Dead and the video game The Last of Us (2013) have arisen. According to US English teacher Emily Anderson, who is teaching the class “Literature of Monstrosity” alongside US English teacher Matthew Hoven, zombies are popular in part because of their versatility. “One of the reasons zombies have had such staying power is because they can represent such a host of fears and anxieties,” she
said. Climate change, fear of contagion, fear of globalization, fear of overwork, and fear of capitalism. Zombies have shambled to the front of pop culture as a characterization of a general human obsession with the apocalypse and a fear that humans are motivated only by fundamental, basic needs and desires, and that at any moment civilization could collapse. “[Zombies] are a part of a cultural trend to imagine humans at their most basic and horrific, reptilian brains,” Hoven said. According to Angela Becerra Vidergar, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University, the fictional zombie narrative is used to work through ethical and philosophical frameworks that humans have shattered time and time
again, especially during World War II. In zombie narratives, such as the television show The Walking Dead, the humans are often more dangerous, insidious, and despicable than the zombies themselves. “The people who are trying to protect themselves from zombies often tend to behave more despicably than zombies, especially since they have the choice; they’re not these mindless, well, zombies,” Anderson said. Society has long had an obsession with both individual and societal survival, which can help explain its fascination with zombies, Anderson said. “It’s a fiction, but particularly in the United States, we romanticize the idea of survivalism and frontier culture, and a time when you had to just get by on your hands and your wits,” Anderson said.
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IN A WORLD INFESTED WITH ZOMBIES, WHO SURVIVES?
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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Lucy Benson and Lucy Sandeen
Zombie stories are a way to catapult fans back to those days which many people view with nostalgia or romanticism. They are also a form of the popular underdog narrative. In a zombie world, the chaos turns the social order; those with wealth and power suddenly are without, and those with elemental, tactile skills suddenly hold the most power and are the most likely to survive. “The fascination comes from an individual’s desire to test themselves: this idea of, what would happen if society were to collapse? Would I be one of the
people who survive?” Hoven said. This obsession with survival is also a significant source of anxiety surrounding zombies. In a world infested with zombies, who survives? To what lengths does one have to go to survive? Some of the most real fears stem from how zombies’ inhumanity can push humans to lose their humanity as well. Zombies take the familiar and transform it into the unfamiliar in an uncanny transformation. “[Zombies] get to a pretty basic fear in most humans that the enemy is not the saber-tooth tiger, or the lion prowling on us; it’s our neighbor. When we see a shambling former human being moving towards us, it’s an uncanny transformation. The thing wants to eat our brains, eat our civilization. I love it,” Hoven said. What is ultimately the most terrifying, however, is how zombies can strip humanity. In online zombie survival quizzes, Hoven typically survives pretty long, but his downfall is his humanity. “Ultimately what gets me is [a sense of] community and going back to save the person who’s slower than me. And I think that the zombie apocalypse helps individuals find that line of how far would they go to save only themselves when all of their ethical systems have broken down,” Hoven said. And that’s what zombies come down to: a test of the very essence of humanity. They test moral and ethical strength and the strength of the foundations on which society is built. The zombie apocalypse is a reversal of the typical survival story, one that asks not, “how far would you go to save someone you love,” but rather, “how far would you go to save yourself ?”
FEATURE THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Sogin loves cats for their quirks MELISSA NIE RUBICONLINE EDITOR For ten thousand years, cats have lived alongside humans, catching unwanted rats and providing comforting purrs. Senior Jenny Sogin’s two cats, Bandit and Oreo, have unique aspects of their personalities that make her treasure them even more. Sogin has had Bandit, affectionately pronounced “Bondeet,” for nine or ten years ever since her family adopted him from the Humane Society. “Bandit is really fat, and he has diabetes, but he’s losing weight. We’re getting him there,” Sogin said. Oreo, on the other hand, is a spritely young cat at one year old, named for the white stripe that goes from his nose to his belly. He’s been a part of Sogin’s family for three weeks. “Oreo sleeps with me every night right by my head. He has weirdly long limbs. He’s regular-sized for a cat, but he has a super long tail and huge feet. When he runs, he has to deal with these huge limbs. It’s really funny,” she said. Like all cats, he has special — if slightly strange — quirks. “Oreo follows me around
the house, and after I’ve taken a shower, once I open up the door, he goes in and sits in the wet shower and scouts around,” Sogin said. “But he doesn’t do it when it’s not wet.” Despite Bandit’s initial misgivings, he has bonded with Oreo in a heartwarming way. “At first they didn’t really like each other, but now it’s a big brother, little brother type of thing,” Sogin said. “Oreo attacks him when he’s most vulnerable, and Bandit has no time for that, but they also just sit by each other, and that’s really cute.” This is a stark contrast with her former cat, Yiddle, who passed away recently. According to Sogin, she was horrible to Bandit and stirred resentment between the two cats. However, some of her behavior can be explained by the fact that she had a rough start to life. Sogin has family members that live in New Orleans. After Hurricane Katrina, her aunt came back to their house to check the damage and heard Yiddle mewing. “She was covered in oil and living in the wheel of a car, she was really small and either lost or abandoned because she was the runt of the litter, and she had cataracts,” Sogin said.
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FIRST THEY “ ATDIDN’T REALLY
LIKE EACH OTHER, BUT NOW IT’S A BIG BROTHER, LITTLE BROTHER TYPE OF THING.
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- Jennifer Sogin Her aunt took her in, but due to the pet limit in New Orleans, she had to give her away. Eventually, Sogin’s family adopted Yiddle and brought her back to Minnesota. Sogin wants to encourage people to adopt from shelters instead of straight from farms. “There are animals in shelters who are old and unwanted. Those are the cats and dogs to get,” she said. “I think it’s important that we adopt from there because those animals have not been shown love, and by adopting them, you’re really taking them in.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Jenny Sogin CAT NAP. Sogin relaxes next to her cat Bandit, “Bandit is really fat, and he has diabetes, but he’s losing weight. We’re getting him there,” Sogin said.
Falling flat on your face
Students and faculty stand back up after embarrassing moments “Me and my friends were running at my semester school down this hill, but it was raining. I was running in crocs, and I slipped and slid all the way down on my butt. I beat them to the bottom so they saw me pass them. It was really funny. I was 17. It was really unexpected. I learned to laugh when I mess up which is a really good idea instead of getting hung up on it.”
- Senior Lucie Hoeschen
“In first grade I really, really, really had to go pee. I told my gym teacher that I really had to pee, but he told me to sit still. I peed my pants on the gym floor and when they dismissed us, I just stood up and walked away, leaving a puddle on the gym floor. That’s why I have the nickname ‘puddles’. I just went home, and no one ever asked if I peed my pants. Then I moved to Minnesota. I hope nobody’s like, ‘Remember when that girl Helen peed her pants and left a puddle on the gym floor?’ Fake it till you make it, and if you do something really embarrassing, move states.”
- Junior Helen Bartlett
“Teaching here, last year, I was also getting to be the minister of one of my former soccer player’s wedding that night. I have a nice suit, and I went to put my suit on before my last block teaching in the temporary classrooms. Class was going well, and all of the sudden, walking along by the chairs, I felt something catch and rip, and it tore the back of my pants out with a whole class there. I then got to teach with my back facing the walls so that they could not see anything. I then had to quickly figure out how to find some new pants before the wedding that I had to officiate...I learned that you should have extra pants in your classroom, which I did, so I got to change into those. I learned that you can also be very mindful and teach with your back LIZZIE KRISTAL facing the wall the entire class.” THE RUBICON EDITOR Whether your cheeks get flushed with pink or laughter bursts from your mouth, there’s only one thing fun about an embarrassing story: hearing it. Embarrassment happens to the best of us. It can be soothing to hear horrific stories about others, while seeing that our own haven’t been so bad. Just remember, it could’ve been worse.
- US History Teacher Ben Bollinger Danielson
“My friend and I were sitting in my dad’s bedroom. I was doing my nails and she was playing with a volleyball. She bumped the ball and hit the bottle of nail polish and it spilled everywhere on the carpet. It was hot pink nail polish on a white carpet. We tried to clean it up and we googled methods to get rid of it, but it wasn’t coming out. I tried vacuuming it and I sprayed hairspray on it, and we tried to soak it out, scrape, and scrub it, but it just made it worse. My dad then came home and cried about it. We haven’t replaced the carpet yet because it’s very expensive.”
- 9th Grader Nina Starchook
Untitled Music Club creates community for diverse musicians
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PRACTICE. Ninth graders Henry Burkhardt and Nathan Mann, and sophomore Sam Konstan warm up before their band practices.
RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Isabel Saavedra-Weis
Watch a video of the Untitled Music Club rehearsing @therubiconspa on Instagram
ISA SAAVEDRA-WEIS RUBICONLINE EDITOR Sophomores Anja Trierweiler and Isabelle Wolpert were looking for a community to express their musical talents. However, what they were looking for didn’t exist yet. So they made it. “Isabelle [Wolpert] and I both really love music. There’s
an acapella group, which is only for singers. We wanted a band for instruments and singers. We just wanted to throw anyone who liked and played music into a room and see what happens,” Trierweiler said. Read the full story at
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Tietel aims to excel in Senior Art Seminar CLAIRE HALLAWAY THE RUBICON EDITOR
Each piece of clay is carefully handcrafted and drizzled in glaze in a completely new way before it is engraved with the special marking of his family crest. For senior Riley Tietel, pottery is a form of expression; each piece is filled with different parts of who he is as an artist. Pottery is specifically known for the way that every piece has been crafted through manual labor and plenty of time being dedicated towards progress.
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...IF YOU’RE REALLY LOOKING TO GET BETTER, YOU HAVE TO PUT IN THE MINUTES. - Riley Tietel
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Tietel started working with pottery in seventh grade, when it was required as part of the curriculum in middle school. Yet Tietel found that he had a passion for the medium and its application to practicality, so he started back up again halfway through his sophomore year. “I like that unlike other kinds of art, the things you make can actually be used in everyday life. The product is something that is tangible, instead of just a photograph or a painting where you just hang it up, it’s actually 3-dimensional so you can use it in many different ways,” Tietel said. After taking both beginning and advanced ceramics, Tietel decided to continue with pottery and take it to a more serious level by joining Senior Art Seminar and indulging in the many new options available to him. “The project I’m working on
THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Claire Hallaway CARVE. “My favorite thing about pottery is the fact that the work I make is all made from just my hands. I work with the wheel a lot more but I’m also working on a hand building project right now. I’m trying to create a giant duck since I want to spend more time working on my hand-building skills,” Tietel said. right now is playing around with different types of glaze. I’ve tried putting paint on a pot and then putting more glaze over it, so that some of the paint will show through, but only part of it,” Tietel said. “I think it’s a lot more interesting than just putting a glaze on and knowing what will happen already. It’s the idea that it can never really be the same,” Tietel added. Tietel knows to never underestimate the importance of practice and makes sure to spend at least 75 minutes every day stationed at the studio. “What I’ve learned most is just how important practice really is. You can have some natural
skill, but if you’re really looking to get better, you have to put in the minutes,” Tietel said. Tietel is used to spinning the wheel most often, but recently he has tried venturing outside of his comfort zone with a new project. “My favorite thing about pottery is the fact that the work I make is all made from just my hands. I work with the wheel a lot more but I’m also working on a hand building project right now. I’m trying to create a of a giant duck since I want to spend more time working on my hand-building skills,” Tietel said. This year Tietel has experienced much more freedom with what he is able to make, but it
also comes along with some responsibility. He is now learning more about the technicalities that come along with working as a potter; firing the kiln and making glazes. “I don’t really know a lot about how to fire the kiln right now, but I think I’m going to try to learn how later in the year. I do make my own glazes sometimes, you just have to measure out a bunch of powders and then mix it up with a little bit of water,” Tietel explained. Before sending each piece off to be fired in the kiln, Tietel has one very important step to tie in his identity as an artist. “I put my family crest on the
bottom of every piece, so it’s kind of my marking for everything I make. It’s an “I” with a line coming out to make an uppercase “E”, so it basically spells out all of the letters in [my last name] Tietel,” He said. Tietel will continue to strive for excellence in his craftsmanship as he will explore with clay for 75 minutes each day for the rest of his senior year. “I feel like there is still a lot that I don’t know about pottery and I’m really enjoying being able to try out so many new things. I would say that’s mostly what this year is about for me, being able to experiment,” Tietel said.
Gaga and Cooper shine in most recent remake of A Star is Born JASPER GREEN THE RUBICON EDITOR
FAIR USE IMAGE FROM astarisbornmovie.com PERFORM. Gaga and Cooper captivate audiences with convincingly real characters
A Star is Born, directed by Bradley Cooper, is the fourth remake of the original 1937 film. The story revolves around the relationship between rockstar Jackson Maine, played by Bradley Cooper, and singer songwriter Ally, played by Lady Gaga, who it seems has already given up on becoming a star. Their romance evolves as Ally’s career takes off and Jackson’s struggles through his alcoholism and tinnitus.
The soundtrack left something to be desired. The world has seen Gaga’s potential before in her music career, and most of the tracks do not seem “Gaga worthy”, apart from some exceptions like “La Vie en Rose”, “Shallow”, “Always Remember Us This Way”, “Why Did You Do That?”, and “I’ll Never Love Again”, which are top notch. While listening to the soundtrack, Cooper’s vocals do not shine in the same way that Gaga’s do, but, when watching the film, this is not as noticeable.
Even though it is a musical film, what stands out is Ally’s strategic rise to power as she takes advantage of Jackson to make something of her career. The audience cares about her struggle because of how strong she remains in her vulnerable moments. The audience knows Ally is deserving of fame, and feel nervous watching as she walks up onto the stage to sing “Shallow”, hoping that she does not mess up. But, once Ally starts singing there is no more worrying, because she is incredible.
The story is like a Greek tragedy in that you feel a strong catharsis, but also because the story somewhat predictable. The movie is entertaining because of how easy it is to get drawn in and empathize with Ally. Despite how famous Cooper and Gaga are in real lives, their characters are convincingly real and Gaga impresses with some of the best acting she has displayed yet. If one enjoys music and drama, this movie is a must see.
Film Club entices viewers with quotable theme, Friday night movies
LUCY SANDEEN THE RUBICON EDITOR What does a typical Friday evening look like for SPA students? For juniors Martha Slaven and Anjali Tadavarthy, they spend every Friday evening at school—and they think you should too. Film Club presidents Slaven
and Tadavarthy stand behind a table in Driscoll Commons on Friday, Sept. 21 at 5:45 p.m. They’re arranging a display of The Wizard of Oz stickers alongside Film Club stickers, three different bags of popcorn, a bag of Sour Patch Kids, and a stack of classic red and white movie popcorn cups
FILM. Slaven and Tadavarthy stand in Driscoll while a television series plays.
Read the complete story at THE RUBICON PHOTO: Lucy Sandeen
RUBICON online
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
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Frankenstein - Playing With Fire goes beyond the tip of the iceberg
PHOTO REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION: Dan Norman Photography PLAYING WITH MEMORY. Actors’ portrayal reveal different interpretations of the Victor Frankenstein and his monster. QUINN CHRISTENSEN swers about why he was created, is what makes them shine. Elijah CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR and a dying Frankenstein wishes Alexander’s Creature occasionalto make his final observations of ly pauses or stretches out specific A cultural phenomenon re- his creation. Over the course of letters, evoking a child learning turns in Frankenstein - Playing 24 hours, the two force each oth- how to say more complicated With Fire, now showing at the er to face the events that brought words. This reminds the audience Guthrie. Picking up several years them to this point, and to recon- that the Creature is, ultimately, after Mary Shelley left off, play- cile - if not with each other, then much younger than Frankenwright Barbara Fields pits Fran- with the past. stein, and not like most humans kenstein against his monster one With such well-known source in the way that he was raised and final time in the Arctic Circle. material, the actors’ performanc- learned to speak. Much of his The two agree to forge a truce es say as much about their own vocabulary comes from reading, for one day so that they can an- interpretations of the characters not from hearing others speak, swer each other’s questions. The as Field’s, and the attention to and so his words are disjointed. monster is still searching for an- detail in the actors’ performances He understands their meaning
better than he knows what they should sound like, emphasizing his life in isolation. Among Field’s most intriguing choices is the way that she plays with time. Throughout the show, Frankenstein and his Creature’s younger selves join them onstage, and memories unfold before both characters as they converse. In one of the most captivating moments, the younger Creature addresses the older Frankenstein, telling him that “[the creature’s] happiness depends on [Frankenstein.]” The blurring of time only makes sense for a story that is so focused on asking whether dichotomies really are so different at all. Are life and death antonyms, or close to the same? Are Frankenstein and his creation polar opposites, or near twins? What does it mean for something to be past or present? The design of the production also contributed to the questions raised by the play. Characters
and props that were a part of the main characters’ memories entered either through platforms that would raise and lower up through the stage or from behind a large, icy structure. In these ways, their entrances mimicked how they came up in the conversation - either popping up unexpectedly, with the main characters being forced to make room for them in the dialogue, or slowly creeping up from behind the ice. Frankenstein - Playing With Fire offered a deeper look at a story that many know by heart. The beautiful set design and thoughtful acting came together to do a robust script justice. Taking Mary Shelley’s spooky story to the next level, Frankenstein - Playing With Fire offers answers to some of Shelley’s original questions, and opens up even more about the humanity of both Dr. Frankenstein and his creation.
Power eating: how food can help, or harm, brain power LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON EDITOR Eating and studying go hand in hand. Eating fuels studying, and studying can induce eating. Food can either power the brain and activate the best parts of it for memorization and thinking, or it can weigh it down and lag its effects. The right foods can be used as a tool to maximize concentration and increase mental capacity. Food doesn’t just affect body health, but it affects brain power and emotions as well. According to Dr. Eva Selhub, an internationally recognized doctor, sci-
DARK CHOCOLATE: Dark chocolate contains antioxidants and caffeine, protecting the brain and improving mood.
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FOOD DOESN’T JUST AFFECT BODY HEALTH, BUT IT AFFECTS BRAIN POWER AND EMOTIONS AS WELL.
entist, and author describes that wholesome foods, like vegetables and fruits, charge the brain with what it needs to reach its full potential. Foods that are high in antioxidants, like most berries, dark chocolate, and spinach, increase memory skills and decrease stress. Selhub says that processed foods, like refined sugar and wheat, make the brain foggy, and its functions aren’t as sharp. Some students notice that eating helps them study more efficiently or happily: Ninth grader Katherine Bragg said, “I don’t like studying, but eating helps a lot because I like eating.”
A lot of times while working, students don’t eat because of hunger, and instead because of a need for distraction. Sophomore Jonas Bray said, “I don’t really think about what I’m eating as I’m studying.” Mindless eating can happen frequently. Due to this, junk food is an easy go-to because of its taste and temptation. During stressful times, when the body lacks sleep or the brain has been working a long time, the body creates high levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. This triggers a craving for any food that causes a short burst
of pleasure, such as power or entertainment. According to Dr. Jeanne Segal, an expert in emotional eating, stress eating often comes on suddenly. It calls a spe-
LEAFY GREENS: Greens are loaded with nutrients that help general health, and long and short-term memory.
GREEN TEA: Green tea has caffeine, L-theanine, and antioxidants to increase steady alertness and relaxation.
BLUEBERRIES: Blueberries are packed with antioxidants, improve memory, and delay brain aging.
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cific craving of comfort food, and doesn’t leave satisfaction afterwards. Segal says that using food as a reward occasionally isn’t a bad thing, but when it becomes a habit and impulse, it’s a dangerous cycle. Food is much more than just eaten. It’s digested, absorbed, and spread throughout the body. Its nutrients are retracted, whether good or bad. It fuels brain power and function, but it also majorly affects overall health. There are many nutrients available to support a healthy brain and a strong academic life.
EGGS: Eggs contain many B vitamins and choline that support brain function and development.
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SPORTS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Dig Pink night inspires school spirit LIV LARSEN RUBICONLINE EDITOR
Every year during October, which is national breast cancer awareness month, SPA takes part in The Dig Pink ® Rally run by The SideOut Foundation. Last week, the team sold a variety of tee shirts during lunch periods in a way to spread awareness and make money for The Side-Out Foundation. At the rally, there were raffle tickets, shirts, and food for sale to raise money for breast cancer research. On Monday night, The team played Nova Classical Academy and lost 3-1.
SCHOOL SPIRT. Fans in the St. Paul Academy and Summit School section try to get the attention of players who are throwing candy into the crowd.
RUBICONLINE PHOTOS : Liv Larsen CELEBRATE. The girls varsity volleyball team celebrates after winning a point on their Dig Pink Night, which raises money towards improving breast cancer research, specifically through the Side-Out Foundation. The team played Nova Classical Academy, losing three sets to one.
EYES ON THE BALL. Junior Audrey Egly and seniors Blythe Rients, Mia Litman, and Mimi Geller paitently wait for Nova Classical Academy’s volleyball team to serve the ball.
HYPE. Players on the bench cheer after the team scores a point.
Mental toughness plays a large role in athletic success ANDREW JOHNSON THE RUBICON EDITOR Senior soccer player Adam Zukowski is no stranger to pressure packed moments. When the clock is winding down and the ball is at his feet, he contends that being mentally tough is imperative to finding success. For most athletes, this vision is shared. According to the Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, “athletes with successful outcomes in performance displayed greater mental toughness.” However, being mentally tough is not a characteristic that can be obtained without hard work. As put by Psychology Today, “pressure is something that you put on yourself.” Competitive situations should be seen as positive challenges, and it is up to athletes to learn through failures and emerge as a stronger teammates and more composed competitors. At St. Paul Academy and Summit School, senior Adam Zukowski and sophomore Mia Schubert both recognize that mental fortitude has helped them become successful in their
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BEING MENTALLY TOUGH IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ATHLETIC ABILITY.
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- Adam Zukowski respective sports, and it starts with hard work. “Being mentally tough is more important than athletic talent and ability for the most part because being mentally tough and not getting rattled easily will allow you to work a lot harder than someone who is really talented and doesn’t have a work ethic,” Zukowski said. “I definitely think that being mentally tough is more important than athletic ability when running. Cross country, in my opinion, is a mental sport and I think that in order to be physically strong, you first need to be mentally tough,” Schubert explained.
Zukowski plays forward, and for him, forwards face these questions differently than other positions. “In soccer, as a forward, it’s more important to be mentally tough because your whole team is relying on you. If you mess up, it’s a lot harder and it’s really tough on you on the team, like when you miss a goal,” Zukowski said. “If you’re tough, you’ll shake it off and be ready to score the next one,” he added. As a cross country runner, being able to sustain your speed as the distance gets longer is extremely important, and Schubert recognizes this. “During races, [being mentally tough] is especially important because your body is telling you to quit the entire time, but everything else around you is telling you to keep going and finish strong,” Schubert said. Since soccer is played outdoors, Zukowski contends that it makes being mentally tough even more important. “To be mentally tough, you need to be able to play in all
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Adam Zukowski THINK. Senior Adam Zukowski looks to move the ball and create a scoring opportunity for the boys varsity soccer team. “In soccer, as a forward, it’s more important to be mentally tough because your whole team is relying on you,” Zukowski said. circumstances and never blame toughness increases during the it on the weather, because that is more extreme types of weather. what happens a lot. People either If it’s really hot and sunny it can blame it on the refs or on the be tough to keep going, especially conditions,” Zukowski explained. at the beginning of the season. The same goes for Schubert. Again, your body wants to quit, “Since we run outside from but the only way to get better is to mid- August through late- push yourself,” Schubert said. October, we run in all sorts of conditions. I believe that mental
SPORTS THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
STATS ON A SUNDAY: HOW TO CREATE A FANTASY FOOTBALL LEAGUE:
1. Gather somewhere between eight and ten players to create their own teams
2. Choose a date for
an annual player draft
3. Choose an entry fee.
4. Write your league rules concerning scoring, playoffs, and trades.
5. Find a free Fantasy Football hosting site to record the statistics of the league.
6. Start playing!
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Rival fantasy football teams face off MAREN OSTREM THE RUBICON EDITOR 37 percent of Americans report football as their favorite sport to watch, according to Gallup. Football has many draws: the brutal tackling, the strategy, the high intensity. What could make this sport better? What if the fans themselves could participate, and not just in amature leagues, but in the major leagues? That is what the digital phenomenon fantasy football is about. Senior Betsy Romans counts herself amongst football fans. “My family’s always been a huge football family,” Romans said. “Sunday football’s like a holiday: you just expect everyone over and make a lot of food, so it’s just always been a big thing.” Ninth grader Charlie Johnson agreed:
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SUNDAY FOOTBALL’S LIKE A HOLIDAY: YOU JUST EXPECT EVERYONE OVER ANDMAKE A LOT OF FOOD.
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- Betsy Romans “My grandpa and my uncle played in college, and I’m playing now, and it’s sort of been through our family, my dad played too.” This initial appreciation of football is mainly what draws people to fantasy football.
“I just like football, so that’s just a motivator to like keep watching all the different teams, and see how they do, and then also, I’m just a competitive person so I like being able to have a part in the football games… I think it makes it, football season, just that much more fun,” Romans said. A Fantasy football season begins with a draft, where everyone gets to choose the players they want on their team. Then, the real season begins, “Your goal throughout the week, so you play twelve weeks the regular season and then the last four weeks of the season are like the playoffs, so for the first 12 weeks you play against every different team in the league, and then whoever has the higher score wins, and then the top give or take four teams go in the playoffs,” Johnson explained.
While fantasy football is a mainly digital, it also brings family and friends closer together. “I did play it with my family, but now I play it with my friends. I’m in different leagues, I’m in two different leagues, with different friends, um, but uh, I mostly play with friends.” Johnson said. For Romans, the fantasy football is a family affair, “It’s like my house family and then all my cousins do to… Like all the people in Minnesota, so my mom’s side.” Johnson hopes to improve his ranking as the season progresses, “I’m two and two right now... Not as good as I would have hoped, but give it some time and I think it’ll be okay.” At the end of the season, the winner will win the total amount of money collected from the entry fees.
Konar-Steenberg bursts past the finish line EVELYN LILLEMOE THE RUBICON EDITOR The Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend was full of loud cheering, blaring music, and a strong sense of accomplishment for thousands of people who ran in the Marathon, 10 Mile, or one of the other races offered. Two members of the SPA community were among them. Karissa Baker, an upper school science teacher, and 9th grader Naci Konar-Steenberg both ran the 10 mile race. Konar-Steenberg chose the 10 mile for a few reasons. “I like doing 10 miles specifically because you get up really early in the morning with ten thousand other runners, everyone’s just milling around quietly and then suddenly the gun goes off and everyone is just running down the streets before the sun gets up. Just running 10 miles, straight to the capital,” Konar-Steenberg said. For Baker, this race kept her running and gave her a task she could finish. “It’s good to have a goal… it’s good to have a final goal to work towards”, Baker said. Baker just finished a half marathon in Ely two weeks before this race. “After doing a half marathon two weeks ago this is easy… doing a 10 mile isn’t that big of a deal”, Baker explains. Baker also is familiar with the route. “I know from running the Twin Cities Marathon the route is really nice”,
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Naci Konar-Steenberg FINISH LINE. 9th grader Naci Konar-Steenberg and his dad finish the Twin Cities 10 Mile Race, coming in with a time of 2 hours, 5 minutes, and 31 seconds. “The night before I eat a lot of pasta and then I usually wake up at like 4:30, and then my dad comes in ‘Naci we’ve got to get moving, it’s 5:30, we’ve got to get going’ and then I just eat a bit of toast, usually that’s enough because we bring shot bloks and solid gatorade,” Konar-Steenberg said. Starting the race can be harder than one might expect. “People go out to fast especially in big races like this… because there’s so many people and its exciting”, Baker said, “...you’ve got to pace yourself ”. “Before a race… you’re feeling a bit nervous but you don’t really know why. And there’s Also the sense of comradery”, Konar-Steen-
berg said, “Once you start going it feels fine… all of the feelings of nervousness just dissipate” Konar-Steenberg has some specific things he does before races. “The night before I eat a lot of pasta and then I usually wake up at like 4:30, and then my dad
comes in ‘Naci we’ve got to get moving, it’s 5:30, we’ve got to get going’ and then I just eat a bit of toast, usually that’s enough because we bring shot bloks and solid gatorade,” Konar-Steenberg said. Konar-Steenberg has one piece
of advice for people running the 10 mile: “10 miles is exactly how long you think it is.”
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PHOTO STORY THE RUBICON - OCTOBER 2018
Outdoors club hikes at Pike
SAND DRAWINGS. Sophomore Julia Scott writes her name in the sand at one of the first stops of the hike. “The great thing about the Twin Cities is that they combine developed areas with lakes and parks, so it’s pretty easy to spend time outside and get away from the stress of everyday life,” Scott said.
CANDID MOMENTS. Seniors Rachael Johnson, Jennifer Sogin and Mashal Naqvi share a moment together laughing.
FLOOD LEVEL. 9th grader Val Chafee stands by the flood level pole, showing how high the water levels can reach. “It’s crazy to think that the water could be above our heads. This would all be underwater,” said Hoven.
FINALLY UNITING. The group finally meets up after being separated for the first part of the hike. “You can see Jenny in the background glaring at Dierdra, [Hoven’s youngest daughter], who just attacked her and is now pretending nothing happened,” said Elizabeth Romans.
GROUP POSE. The whole group poses for a photo on one of their last stops of the trip “It was really fun to just get outside for a few minutes,” Sophomore Julia Scott said.
fore twilight. The only sound SHAREE ROMAN THE RUBICON EDITOR audible is the occasional bird In the forest the sky vanishes almost completely, only a few fragments of blue remain, like scattered pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The air is rich with the fragrance of leaves and loam. Even so many hours after the rain has passed, the soil slowly releases its heady fog. The colors of the forest have the softness of that time just be-
taking off, a squirrel dashing up a nearby trunk or of laughter and chatter from the group. On Oct. 7, the Outdoors Club hosted a hiking trip to Pike Island near Fort Snelling at 9:30 in the morning. The very beginning of the hike started off as two sepearated groups. Club advisor Chris White’s group hiked down to club advisor Matthew Hoven’s
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I LIKE THAT ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE OUTSIDE AND THEY’RE ALL SMILING. -Chris White
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JUMPING FOR HIKES. Sophomores Erin Magnuson and Julia Scott jump together after coming to the second stop of the trail. THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Sharee Roman
group eventually and reunited, laughing about the incident. Senior Jennifer Sogin spent a good portion of the hike chatting, laughing, or carrying Hoven’s daughter on her back. While the weather was chilly in the morning, it warmed up by the afternoon. The group stopped to take photos of a large white bird almost cut down by a beaver, the sand on the shore of the river, and the flood level pole at the end of
the hike. “It’s crazy to think that the water could be above our heads. This would all be underwater,” said Hoven. Simply being able to take a break from school and get some fresh air was huge benefit of the trip. White comments on his favorite part of the trip. “I like that all these people are outside and they are all smiling,” said White.