Issue 2, Oct. 19

TOGETHER

WHAT’S INSIDE?

Youth participation in elections encouraged New clubs climb their way to the top

Is school safe — or is that not the case?

STAFF LIST

Editors-in-chief: Elena Ortiz

Fishman, Katie Nelson

Photo editors: Mya Stanberry, Halima Bigirindavyi, Jacob Perszyk

Copy editors: Johanna Kaplan, Alex Geretz, Ivan Zank

News editor: Abby Keller

Features editor: Abby Bartleson

Profiles editor: Cianny Belen

In-Depth editor: Alicia Mainjeni Sports Editor: Maren Wilsey Opinion editor: Anya Panday Entertainment Editor: Modesty Manion

Web editor: Char Priadka

Staff: Rachel Arkis, Sergei Bovee, Cole Denham, Crystal Diaz, Eliah Fink, Alexander Geretz, Jamar Hester, John Hunter, Lex Lee, Noah Leventhal, Ari Lissauer, Jacob Martenson, Ena Mekic, Maya Nieves, Sarah Peterson, Scott Schmidt, Aidan Shafton, Taylor Voigt, Roberto Alvarez, Yesseiri Belen, Charlotte Cox, Lilly Fandel Thompson, Jana Faust, Dahlia Herman, Cece Jensen, Leo Justesen, Anisa Kahin, Nafisa Kahin, Sarah Kluckhohn, Owen McColgan, Abby Meisler, Ashley Reyes Castillo, Cole Taylor, Anna Williams, Liz Williams, Ivan Zank, Zoe Ziessman.

Principal: LaNisha Paddock

Printer: North Star Media Adviser: Andrew Wilkes

Awards:

NSPA Hall of Fame member; 2006-2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist; 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021 National Print

Pacemaker Award recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 Online Pacemaker Finalist: 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020 CSPA Gold Crown: 2015, 2020, 2022 CSPA

Hybrid Gold Crown: 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 CSPA Silver Crown: JEM

All State Gold Award print and online.

Table of CONTENTS NEWS

Youth participation in eletions encouraged

Get loud or get out

No success at Southwest

FEATURES

New year bring controversial new rules

Staff Editorial: Not so saved by the bell

ENTERTAINMENT

New on the big screen

INDEPTH

10 Is school safe — or is that not the case?

Editors NOTE

As the weather begins to plummet, we have been wrapping up our second edition of Echo. Finally all together again, it has been so much fun reconnecting with staff and editors in new and exciting ways. The pub has been restored to its vibrant self, as the Backroom boys work on podcasts, our faithful editors give weekly presentations and the rest of us scramble to keep up. In this edition, we pay homage to our student section on page 6, as they bring the energy to athletic events without fail. With the fall season at its peak, the importance of voting this November is brought to the forefront on page 3. No better way to BeReal on page 8, than grabbing a pumpkin spice latte on page 12, and heading to detention on page 8.

Pumpkin spice showdown

Emo and Lululemon: Senior Editors in-chiefs Elena OrtizFishman and Katie Nelson pose at the Lake Harriet Bandshell Oct. 8. The homecoming dance was held in the fieldhouse.

Photo by: Maren Wilsey

New clubs climb their way to the top, Setting the stage for a fantastic show

Chaos in the classroom, Hebrew learns through Zoom

Web

‘Writing coach’ program switches to Action Wednesdays

This year, the writing coach program — formerly held in the learning lab and only available during Student Support Time — is being led during Action Wednesday. The program, which began last year, provides an opportunity for

to use their writing ability and

work.

to help their

with

Art Club welcomes everyone

As a member of the Art Club, Marisa Peck says that it is a space where students can be their most creative selves, make bonds and try new skills. Art Club was officially started two years ago, but it only started to take off last year.

Youth participation in elections encouraged

Voter registration drive motivates eligible voters

s anticipation for the upcoming election builds, many have hopes for more youth casting their vote. With election day coming up in Novem ber, Park students held a voter registration drive Sept. 20th to remind students of the importance that voting has and ways students can get involved.

Senior Isaac Israel, co-leader of Park’s voter reg istration drive, said events like these are a good way to get students engaged and registered in the voting process.

“Actions like this to get kids registered are a smart way to get people involved,” Israel said. “Everybody understands that this kind of thing can be fun and important.”

Cassondra Knudson, Deputy Communications

Director and Press Secretary of the Minnesota Secre tary of State, said that there are various ways for youth who are not eligible to vote to still get involved.

“When you are 16, you can help at the local election office in your area — you can volunteer there on or before election night as a supporting election judge,” Knudson said.

Co-leader of Park’s voter registration drive and senior Sebastian Tangelson spoke to how events like these impact student engagement in elections.

“Encouragement from admin to hold events like this and just a general environment that encourages student activism with student engagement really helps us,” Tangelson said. “Park has done a very good job with that.”

Knudson also mentioned ways to vote even if you are unable to be at the polls on election day.

“If you are registered to vote in Minnesota, you can request your absentee ballot to be mailed to your home and send that back in before — as long as it ar rives before election day it will be counted,” Knudson said.

Tangelson said that the voter registration drive is going to be an ongoing process.

“Over the upcoming weeks, be on the lookout for more info from us,” Tangelson said. “If your eligible to vote, have that be top of mind and just be ready for more to come.”

Park’s voter registration drive has an Instagram page, @slpvoterregdrive, where more information will be posted up until the election.

Election Day will take place Nov. 8.

Voting location

Munching at lunch is costing a bunch

As we emerge from the pandemic, changes are being made everywhere. Mask restrictions have dropped, social distancing is no more and schedule changes are prevalent now more than ever. One of the more important changes for Park is charging money for school lunch again.

Go, Larry: Seniors Sebastian Tangelson and Isaac Israel talk with guest speakers, council member Larry Kraft and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan Sept. 20. The voter registration assembly encouraged students to become civically engaged.

Photo by: Jessie Belen

Photo by: Charlotte Cox

Photo by: Ari Lissaeur

Photo by: Halima Bigrindayvi

DESIGN BY Abby Keller

Infographics by: Abby Keller

Powers, junior

Maya Nieves

Chaos in the classroom Increased class sizes harm learning

As students walk into their classes this year, many have noticed more desks and chairs in rooms to accommodate the ever-increasing class sizes. This year more than ever, Park is feeling the effects of larger classes.

According to principal LaNisha Paddock, the main reason for the sizing issues is budget cuts and the staffing shortages that result from them.

“It’s challenging, because you’ve got to figure out who’s going to teach (each class),” Paddock said. “Naturally, when you’re on budget reductions, you’re going to see class increase, that’s how it kind of works. But as we continue to look at that, we continue to try to balance the classes.”

Math teacher Erik Ahlquist said more people in a class makes it difficult to control the focus of the group and cover all the required material.

“Managing a class of bigger than 36 is super challenging — just managing the people and the interactions between people. It’s really hard even when students mean their best,” Ahlquist said. “It’s hard to keep them doing what they need to do because there’s just too many people.”

Junior Alison Garland explained that the increased number of students per class makes it a lot harder to get one on one work done with the teacher, while still

Hebrew learns through Zoom

Students grapple with online teaching

This year at Park, Hebrew students are being taught through Zoom. Hebrew class is held for only one period, during first hour, and the class size is just under 30 students.

The school district decided to hire Dafna Kohl, a Georgian Hebrew teacher familiar with online teaching, to lead the class over Zoom. Kohl said that while online teaching can be a challenge, it also leaves room for growth.

“Teaching online could be challenging for me and the students, but it is also an opportunity to introduce technology in the classroom and use different kinds of materials,” Kohl said. “In the beginning of the pandemic, my school switched to full time online learning. It was a different experience but we all learned a lot.”

Some of Kohl’s students agree — junior Eliyah Sharon said online teaching has been helpful for her.

“I like my teacher being online, I think it’s easier and I can stay more organized,” Sharon said.

Sharon may not find issues with remote teaching, but other students are struggling. Sophomore Issac Joseph said online teaching has made the class harder.

“It’s really difficult as a class. It’s hard to talk to the teacher and ask questions, and that’s how you learn a language,” Joseph said.

According to principal LaNisha Paddock, the school did its best to meet the needs of the class, despite finding challenges in the hiring process.

“We are grateful that we found someone because

getting to learn new material.

“In my calc class, there’s one teacher and 42 students, so if everybody has a question, then we don’t have time for the lesson. And I definitely have a lot of questions,” Garland said. “There’s not always time to get through everything and get help with everything that we need to get through.”

According to Ahlquist, the increased sizes put a strain on teachers’ ability to individually help their students with lessons.

“In class, the hardest thing is (making sure I) have the time to give every student individual attention. When you have 35 kids in class and you only have 50 minute classes, if you gave every kid one minute, you literally only have 15 minutes left — and rarely do you do a problem that takes just one minute,” Ahlquist said. “When the class is more like 39 or 40 (students), it’s even worse.”

Garland said the effects can vary based on the subject of the class, but unfortunately it’s been mainly concentrated in the areas where she needs the most help.

“For some classes, like English class, I’m fine on my own. I can grasp texts pretty easily and I can come up with (responses), but with classes like math and science, there’s one right answer,” Garland said. “It’s had mostly a negative effect — if you don’t have as much access to the teacher and it makes it harder to grasp what you’re trying to learn.”

Alquist said the majority of the effects end up harming students, and ultimately hindering their education.

“Being stretched that thin has consequences,” Ahlquist said. “Unfortunately, usually the consequences fall on the student learning.”

it was really important that (since) we have a high population of Jewish students that come to our high school, many of them come from the Jewish Day School and (they) want to continue their world language in Hebrew. We tried everything to find somebody in person,” Paddock said. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of people that might speak but they don’t necessarily teach and so we did what we thought was the next best thing, which is a teacher to provide an online course.”

Joseph laments about the school district’s negligence for the student’s learning, but understands the situation that caused it.

“I believe (the school) cares a decent amount about the class, but there’s not a lot of kids in it and it’s only one period. I get why they don’t want to hire a teacher to come in for only that. Still, they could give a little more attention to us,” Joseph said.

Sharon said she agrees, concurring that the size of the class is a main reason for the lack of attention to the department.

“(The class) doesn’t get enough attention compared to other language classes, mainly because of how small it is. We get enough attention to learn, but they could do more,” Sharon said.

Kohl is trying to combat this by giving students individual attention and attempting to learn from the struggles online teaching presents. She said she believes she can still be an effective teacher, even under difficult circumstances.

“During the lesson or study hall, I like to meet one-on-one with the students to learn about them and share my own experience — I believe I can be a good teacher, I hope I will be able to motivate my students to love the Hebrew language through my connection to the language and culture,” Kohl said.

Too big: Teacher Emma Engebretson helps groups of students with assignments Oct. 17. Due to budget reductions, there has been an increase of students in classrooms at Park.

Zoomed in, Zoned out: Students listen in on their online Hebrew class Sept. 19. The class is fully remote, requiring students to connect to Zoom to follow their instructions for the day.

Sarah Kluckhohn

Maren Wilsey

Photo by: Mya Stanberry

Class size has increased which is less beneficial because there is less one-on-one time between students and teachers.”

Joshuah Folwick, junior ECHO

Photo by: Eliah Fink

Setting the stage for a fantastic show

casts for

New clubs climb their way to the top

Environmental and ‘Rock On Climbing’ clubs now official

As November approaches, so does the fall musical. This year, Park theater will dazzle audiences with their production of “Chicago: Teen Edition.”

According to theater director Jodi Schifsky, the subject matter and casting requirements were a major factor in choosing the show.

“It’s a very female-forward show. Since we have really strong female performers, and we have great male performers — but fewer in quantity — this is a good fit for the talent pool we have,” Schifsky said. “It’s a great seering social commentary on our national obsession with fame and violence and crime, and how those all intersect.”

The show is a satirical take on criminal justice set in the 1920’s. Sophomore Isaiah Brown said theater is off to a good start.

“The auditions themselves went well,” Brown said. “Around two dozen auditioned. We learned a dance on the spot and then we were put up in groups and danced. Then we got our pictures taken and went off.”

Junior Ezra Arregui said “Chicago” was a strange

T

his school year, students at Park have been encouraged to create new clubs to build community within the school. Two new clubs established this year are the Environmental club and the “Rock On Climbing” club.

When sophomore Karen Dworsky returned to the high school this year, she said she couldn’t help but notice the poor ecological care within the school.

“A lot of things at our school are not environmentally friendly,” Dworsky said.

Environmental club advisor Alan Wachutka said the same club existed until COVID-19 hit.

“Five or six years ago, pre-COVID-19, we had a pretty strong group which was all student led,” Wachutka said. “Then COVID-19 hit and the club ended, so it was really exciting this year to have students approach me saying that they wanted to start the Environmental club again.”

At the club’s first meeting Sept. 23, Dworsky said they discussed goals they wanted to set for the future of the club.

“We want to work with elementary schools so we can get younger kids interested in environmental care,” Dworsky said.

Dworsky said the Environmental club hopes that by going to elementary schools, the club can continue on, even after its presidents have graduated.

“We want kids to be interested in it once they get to high school so they can keep the club going once we leave,” Dworsky said.

Another club introduced this year is the “Rock On Climbing” club, led by seniors Sam Coggan and Maggie DeForge.

Coggan said the idea sparked over the summer after going to the Minneapolis Bouldering Project (MBP).

“We started going to MBP over the summer all the time, so that’s what gave us the idea,” Coggan said.

DeForge said she wants students to join the “Rock On Climbing” club so they can find new hobbies and meet new people.

“We’re building a community — it’s a new hobby that can interest a lot of different people and it’s a chance to learn new things,” DeForge said.

More information on the Environmental club and “Rock On Climbing” club is available on their Instagram pages @environmentalclub_slp and @ slprockonclimbingclub.

selection, but they eventually warmed up to it.

“At first, I was confused that we’re doing Chicago because of the murder, violence and sex but overall I’m happy were doing it because I actually like this musical,” Arregui said.

According to Schifsky, this year’s play will be a completely different ordeal than last year’s. She said that without the limitations of COVID-19 protocol, students have a wider range of opportunities.

“Last year, we chose ‘Anne of Green Gables’ because we were still coming out of wearing masks for performance and having some limitations and what we could do physically,” Schifsky said. “But now that we are more comfortable on stage, we chose a very dance-forward show.”

Arregui said participating in a musical like this is a rewarding activity. They said it is exciting to work as a team and collectively bring everyone’s talents to light.

“I love it when all the pieces come together,” Arregui said. “I’m just excited about things — like the staging, the costumes and watching everything come together — because it’s satisfying to see.”

The cast and crew are busy preparing for the show, according to Schifsky.

“We’re off to a great start,” Schifsky said. “There’s a lot of energy around it. We’ve only had one crew call, but they’re going to start building the set tonight — and then all those other technical elements will start to build up — I can’t wait until they all come together in November.”

“Chicago: Teen Edition” premieres Nov. 11.

Design by Abby Bartleson

“I’ve honestly never really rocked climbed before, but I’m really excited to start rock climbing with this group and make new friends.” “ Avery Courneya, junior

Photo by: Ena Mekic

Lights, camera, action: Coeleen Gruen practices choreography for the Cell Block Tango scene Oct. 4. Theater’s new production is “Chicago: Teen Edition.”

John Hunter

Johanna Kaplan Modesty Manion

“ We’re off to a great start. There’s a lot of energy around it. We’ve only had one crew call, but they’re gonna start building the set tonight ... I can’t wait until they all come together in November. ”

- Jodie Schifsky

Let’s rock: Senior Sam Coggan climbs a bouldering wall Oct. 15. Coggan is co-president of the

Climbling” club.

Photo by: Abby Bartleson

(The student section) isn’t that good compared to last year. I think next year is going to be better.”

Josh Wickberg, junior

Get loud or get out

Student section sees mixed reviews

Anya Panday

The student section at high school sports games is a phenomenon. Every year, a group of seniors leads Park’s student section, encouraging them to chant and organizing cheers to support our players. This year the seniors are once again taking on one of Park’s biggest sporting events — football games. Foot ball games at Park are largely attended and with that comes mixed reviews about this year’s student section.

Sophomore Alex Hoag expressed her concern for this year’s student section.

“I want to see excitement. When last year’s seniors led it there were constant cheers,” Hoag said. “The stu dent section is less fun this year, I wish more people were leading it. No one knows what to do and it seems like there’s only one person a game that’s really leading it.”

Junior Tony Kruse, who plays safety on the football team, said he felt optimistic about the student section.

“The student section can get our spirits up a lot,

and it definitely can affect how we play and help us win,” Kruse said. “They’re doing a good job, but they need to pick up the plays and cheer when it’s import ant.”

Senior Anna Becker, provided an explanation for the student section feeling different this year.

“No one officially decided who was leading the student section,” Becker said. “It’s just a group of se niors who want to lead. It switches up a lot depending on who wants to lead and who feels like being more involved that day.”

Hoag said the most important thing to make a good student section is being energized.

“A student section is the best when everyone is loud and engaged,” Hoag said. “I like it when I can’t hear the person next to me — it’s a nice feeling.”

According to Becker, the seniors leading the student section have plans to improve the energy this year.

“We’re trying to get blow horns to make it louder. We’re trying to get every grade involved, especially underclassmen. I’m worried sometimes they can’t hear us from the top rows, so we’re trying to make a bigger

sense of community,” Becker said. “We just want to try new things, engage more people and make sure everyone can have fun.”

Get fitted up with dresscode supplies

Anya Panday

How’s the season going?

The season started a little rough, but the team is getting it together now; we’re getting locked in and focused.

What are your goals for this season?

My goal for this season is definitely to help my team win more games and to improve on both a personal level (as a player) and as a team.

Maren WilseyDESIGN BY

How is being a varsity quarterback as a sophomore?

It feels really good. A lot of responsibility comes with it, but it’s a great learning opportunity — it’s taught me a lot.

How are you adjusting to playing on varsity?

I’m adjusting pretty well. I think the game’s speed is a big adjustment, but everyday it’s getting a little better and more manageable. In each game, I learn some thing new.

Has anyone supported you during this transition?

Definitely the coaches — they have supported me a lot. They help me figure out plays and adjust to the

speed of varsity games. The captains are also very supportive and they help me out a lot. They’ve given me a lot of tips on how to calm down and stay calm in the pocket.

What’s the most challenging part of your position?

The hardest part is adjusting to what the defense is doing and trying to play the game the best I can with what’s given to me — I have to be very versatile.

What’s the most important thing you’ve gotten out of this experience?

I’ve definitely become more resilient. I’m better at pushing through things, even when they’re hard.

Declan Gaines

Sophomore, football

Roll orioles: Senior Frankie Robello leads the student section in a chant at a football game Sept. 16. The dress code was pink-out for the game, which Park lost 20-15.

Photo by: Mya Stanberry

Infographic by: Maren Wilsey

No success at Southwest

Boy’s soccer defeated 1-4 at sections

Anna Wiliams Maren Wilsey

After a highly anticipated game, demanding a resilient effort from Park boy’s soccer, the section match against Southwest High School ended in a 1-4 loss. With the loss came the conclusion of their season Oct. 13. Assistant coach Pat Hartman said inconsistencies between the gameplay and the pregame plan led to the defeat, but the team put up a good fight regardless.

“We didn’t do a great job following the game plan and definitely suffered. They have a kid that does really good long throws and at least two of the goals were directly from throws,” Hartman said. “There were definitely some positives and some negatives. The kids had a pretty good match.”

Senior Eli Puchner said he attributed their rough start to temperature, though they were able to pick it up throughout the rest of the game.

“We were kind of on our heels to start off — just with the pace — and the cold really played a factor in it as well,” Puchner said. “We just started off slow and (then) picked it up towards the middle and into the end.”

According to senior Daniel Bevell, the outcome of the game was especially unfortunate since the team had the capability to play better.

“As a team, there was a little bit more to desire — it was a hard end to the season,” Bevell said. “We proved

Photo by: Halima Bigirindavyi

Kickin’ it: Senior Sam Wolden dribbles the ball down the field at the sections game. Park was defeated 1-4 in the first round of sections by Southwest Oct. 13.

to ourselves on multiple occasions that we can beat anyone, it just didn’t happen this time.”

According to Puchner, the conclusion of the season is very bittersweet, with many good memories to look back on.

“I’m sad, but I’m glad that I can just remember everything I’ve experienced — it was just a great season,” Puchner said. “It’s definitely my favorite season from all my years playing soccer, but I’m still really sad that it’s my last soccer game too.”

Hartman said this season was a start of a new and promising beginning for Park boy’s soccer. Athletes’ positive responses to new coaching and competitive attitude when facing opposing teams contributed to their success.

“It was a good season. It definitely was a transition season, with Coach Opara taking over for Chato (Alvarez), who had been the head coach for over 20

WHAT’S THE POINT?

Title IX elicits tidal waves in community

Taylor Voigt

Nowadays, most female athletes couldn’t imagine a world without their sport. But what if we were forbidden from playing it? 50 years ago, this reality wasn’t so unthinkable.

On June 23, 1972, Title IX was signed by President Richard Nixon. Title IX was the first act that prohibited exclusion on the basis of gender from any federally funded activity. Simply put, it was the act that allowed women to play sports. Although it may not seem like a huge event compared to all of the other hardships that women have had to go through, it was still an extremely important day for women of all ages.

At Park, there are hundreds of female athletes that owe a lot to their sports, myself included. Playing a sport is one of the best ways to escape the stress of school and to be able to have fun and do something you love. I play hockey and it is a huge part of who I am. It’s connected me to so many people, including some of my closest friends. It allows me to get out of my own bubble and meet people that I otherwise wouldn’t have met and I’m so grateful for those opportunities.

As much as I actively appreciate being able to play, I know we take things like this for granted more often than we think. My grandma tells me stories about how she became a cheerleader because it was the only way she could be active and on a field at the time. We’ve never had to fight for our right to be on that field, and we owe that to the hundreds of thousands of women that fought for us 50 years ago.

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the Biden-Harris administration is proposing new regulations to attempt to end the sex-based discrimination that is still present in sports. As someone who plays a male-dominated sport, I’m curious if this is actually going to affect the differences between male and female organizations.

Even though there are opportunities for women to play in most sports today, inequities still exist. The best examples of this are in college and professional leagues. In some sports, such as hockey or lacrosse, there’s more allowance for certain types of aggression for men and not for women. In most sports, men have better locker rooms, hotel rooms, transportation, equipment and access to facilities (playing fields, workout rooms, etc). If the new regulations are specific enough, sports leagues could become more

Though most of these issues aren’t prevalent at a high school level, it’s still very deterring for a lot of girls to see this when looking towards the future. I know I personally don’t have interest in playing professional hockey because of how little people care about women’s hockey compared to men’s and I’ve talked to a lot of girls at Park that feel the same way. Giving current college and professional women better opportunities gives us the motivation to work harder to get to where they are. We’ve been playing sports for 50 years — we should want to continue to celebrate

Maren WilseyDESIGN BY

It was definitely a tough game, but we had fun throughout the season. It was a good learning experience on and off the field.” ‘‘

Amanuel Shetaye, senior

Infographic by: Maren Wilsey Source: Soccer Hub and Luis Benitez Matias

WHAT’S THE POINT Jewish holidays overlooked

Zoe Ziessman

As the first month of school comes to a close, so too comes the Jewish “High Holidays,” which are known in the Jewish community as the holiest days of the year. Starting the chain of holidays is Rosh Hashanah, celebrating the Jewish New Year.

Rosh Hashanah is the beginning of a 10-day period of self-reflection. People think over the good things that happened in the past year that they would like to carry into the new year, and the things they can improve on in the year ahead. It is also a time to apologize to people they may have hurt in the past year and consider how to make things right.

Jewish holidays don’t receive days off from school. This means that school work, tests and quizzes continue. While some might think Jewish students have an extra day to study, and although that might be true, they don’t take into account the downward spiral of catching up and feeling further and further behind in classes. If a student misses a test and does not have a study hall, they will have to miss yet another class to take the test, which will force them to miss more classwork. It might not seem bad catching up in one class, but Jewish students also have to catch up in all six other classes, setting them up for failure.

“ I understand why we have new policies, last year was very chaotic. I think if they’re effective, we should keep them.”

POINT COUNTERPOINT

School year brings controversial rules Rules bring mixed reactions

New policies restrictive Rules give second chance

Jessie Belen

New Park policies have become a contro versial topic. After looking over the new policies, it’s clear to me that they are too suffocating to the student body.

These new policies were enacted too abrupt ly. If the administration had introduced similar, less strict policies last year, the student body would be more adapted and could follow the new rules smoothly. One controversial policy is the renewal of detention at Park. In order to receive detention, you must have three unexcused tar dies, one completely missed class or two partial absences in a day. Detentions are held in the cafeteria between 3:15 p.m. and 4 p.m.

TThe new rules about detention, phones and closed campus may have a tough reputation, but is it really that bad? It seems that the new rules intend to give us motivation to have a better educational life. They are giving us reasonable boundaries that we have to follow. Out of respect, we should follow them.

The rule about freshmen, sophomores and juniors staying on campus for lunch is just about safety. It’s logical to keep us in a school environment until we can leave because we are still minors.

The staff in our building genuinely care for us and would hate for anything bad to happen. It’s already a privilege for seniors to have an open campus and it gives the lower-classmen something to look forward to.

Many teachers allow their students to push back due dates and take tests the following day. This, in theory, is a good idea. However, what most teachers fail to realize is that — depending on the student’s religious beliefs — they cannot use technology or write on the holiday. That means they aren’t able to do their home work until the end of the holiday, which does not give them nearly enough time to complete the work for all their classes on time.

All of these reasons for detention can be simple mistakes due to a bad day. Waking up late, a car not starting or getting lost are all valid excuses. When Park punishes simple accidents, it tells us that we can’t have bad days, mistakes or accidents. This is a toxic mindset that will carry with students for the rest of their lives. We should focus on accepting human error instead of punishing it.

What’s the POINT? A frustrating lack of accomoda tions

Students who do use technology on the holiday still can’t get their work done when they miss class. Most of the holiday is spent in synagogues or with friends or family who might be visiting from out of town. We should be focusing on celebrating the holiday not stressing about what we are missing in school or how to catch up.

Considering Park’s large Jewish population, I’d expect the school to be more accommodating for Jewish students. This has not been the case. I have been con tinuously frustrated seeing other schools with a smaller Jewish population being more accommodating for their students. This past year, other schools in the Twin Cities had their teacher development day on Rosh Hashanah. This allowed Jewish students not to miss school during the holiday. Only a couple teachers were forced to miss the development day instead of a large number of stu dents being forced to miss school.

Park should switch the teacher development day to a major holiday, and make it clear to not schedule major assignments, tests, or quizzes on the High Holidays. This would save Jewish students a great deal of stress, and let them enjoy the holidays the way they should be celebrated.

PARK TRAILS

GERETZ

High school prioritizes finding out who you are through new freedoms. How can we become well-adjusted adults if we can’t even leave campus for lunch? The school doesn’t want to be respon sible for a student’s harm, but couldn’t they give everyone a slip for parents to fill out saying the school isn’t liable for anything that happens to a student outside of school grounds? Park already does this for the senior class, how hard would it be to apply this rule to other grade levels? The restriction of freedom is actively suppressing the student body and making it more difficult to branch out and grow.

Park should enact what’s called a “Logical Consequences” policy. Logical consequences treat human beings like human beings. Instead of harsh punishments, logical consequences suggest communicating with the student about the issue and figuring out what solution fits the situation. This system helps humanize students and teaches problem solving skills. Instead of anger, Park can choose to calm down and talk about why some one acted the way they did.

STUDENT VOICES

The new rules provide repercussions for the things we do wrong, which prepares us for when that happens in the real world as well.

For example, not only are the new rules about detention giving us time to think about how we can better ourselves, but they also encourage us to be on time to class.

It’s a humbling experience, but if we look past ourselves, we’re not the only ones who have rules to follow. There are strict rules for the adults in this building, and if they don’t follow them then they would have to face the consequences.

Another new rule that people are getting upset about is the phone policy. I overhear people complaining that it’s too sudden and too strict but in previous years we’ve had this same phone rule, we just haven’t been enforcing it all that well.

Our school staff understands that it’s hard to transition from such different changes. Which is why they were more forgiving of us for the first two weeks. For example, they did not start making a big deal about tardies until much later.

This year brings changes to our school life, but they keep us safe. We will grow to accept these new rules and if the staff sees changes, they may get more lenient. We should try to show that we can follow the rules that are set before us.

“The school I already went to had detention, so thats not anything new. Leaving by doors is kind of annoying, because we can’t actually leave the school.”

DESIGN BY Anya Panday

Ivan Zank

Ryan Steinberg, sophomore

Paxon Myers, sophomore

“I think the new policies are a bit extreme, but they’ll hopefully help students behave better throughout the year.”

Ali Yassin, freshman

Miles Johnson, sophomore

STAFF EDITORIAL: NOT SO SAVED BY THE BELL

New detention policy causes dilemma

Like the iconic movie, “The Breakfast Club,” Park is bringing back after school detention for students. According to the administration, three tardies or one absence a day will result in detention. This new disciplinary action has become a catalyst for discussions across the student body. A majority of The Echo Editorial Board believes that detention just isn’t the way to go.

Attendance is an issue for most high schools, however, recent attendance rates have taken a hit. Park has done many things to address this issue, such as hall sweeps and calls home. Detention is the newest plan to combat this problem, yet there are some big issues. The Board pointed out the failure to provide transportation for students. Detention occurs after school, but there’s no busing available for kids who may need it. This causes an issue with pickup times, as students who would normally get a ride at 3:15 p.m. are left behind.

The Board also pointed out the burden detention puts on staff and students. Park already struggles to have teachers run study halls throughout the day, let alone get staff to advise detention. Additionally, many students have jobs after school and may not be able to get their shifts covered. Yet, if you miss a detention, another one will be added and if you miss two, that’s a suspension. The Board brought up lunch detention as a solution, but staffing and location in the building still present issues. Detention lacks flexibility and

Breakfast club locked in: Advisors monitor after-school detention in the cafeteria Oct. 13. Students are assigned to a detention after multiple unexcused absences or tardies.

MEDIA POLICIES

Publications are designated public forums for student expression in which students make all decisions of content without prior review from school officials or the public. The adviser will not act as a censor, but will advise students. Students have the final decision on all content.

Prior review does not teach students how to produce higher quality journalism. The only way to teach students to take responsibility for their decisions is to empower them to make those decisions freely.

Content represents views of the student and not school officials. The publications will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful and interesting to all our readers. In order to strive for objectivity, journalists should avoid covering sto ries of which they are involved. Journalists should avoid a real or perceived conflict of interest as well.

The publications will not shy away from cover ing newsworthy controversial issues of importance to students. We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo or invasions of privacy.

The publications will avoid electronic manipu lation that alters the truth of a photograph unless

WHAT’S THE POINT Time to BeStudious

Aidan Shafton

consideration. This makes The Board question if detention is actually sustainable.

The Board considered whether or not detention is successful in preventing absences. Although it’s still early to say, many feel as though detention serves as a punishment rather than a preventative measure. The Board has seen students purposefully trying to get detention or even just go for fun. Chronically absent students seem unphased and would rather go to detention than class. If detention can’t prevent kids from skipping class, so what’s its purpose?

Despite this, there are still solutions. The Board discussed a personalized attendance plan for students with a large number of absences. Focusing on individual students can help pinpoint the root of attendance issues and create a solution.

The Board also voted with 18 for and 3 against that students should encourage their peers to get to class. It is important to not only be accountable for yourself, but to also hold friends to the same standard.

With over 28 million downloads worldwide, BeReal has taken the social media scene by storm. The new social media app that blew up over this past summer has spread like wildfire on teens’ phones across the world as it seems every teen wants to get in on the BeReal action. I, along with almost all of my friends, make sure to drop every thing when I see that BeReal notification and post as fast as I can.

The goal of the organization that runs the BeReal app is to eliminate people faking their lives and show ing the absolute best versions of themselves on social media. The appeal of the app is that it’s social media, but without all the toxicity. The way the app works is that once a day, at a random time, everyone who owns the app will get a notification saying, “Time to BeReal”. Once that notification goes off, everyone has two minutes to post a picture from both their front and back cameras. There’s no penalty for posting late, but the app will let everyone know that you are, in fact, not being real.

The question that arises now is, what happens when the BeReal notification goes off during school? Is it appropriate to stop what you’re doing in the mid dle of class and post your BeReal? I believe posting can wait until the end of the school day.

Posting your BeReal while in the middle of class can be distracting to the lesson and disrespectful to the teacher. When something distracts me during a lesson, it is hard to start paying attention again and catch up on all the things that were taught while I was distracted. I know that this can be the case for other stu dents in this school as well.

Posting a BeReal in class can not only be dis tracting, but it is also disrespectful to the teacher. By posing for a picture while the teacher is in the middle of teaching the class, you are showing that you don’t care about what they’re teaching. This is extremely disrespectful and can be easily avoided.

Although it is true that BeReal tells everyone that you are posting late, at the end of the day, no one re ally cares, so there is no real downside to posting late. Putting down your phone and waiting to post your BeReal until the end of the school day, or when you have free time will show that you respect your teacher and will eliminate unnecessary distractions.

clearly labeled as a photo illustration. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or administration as a whole.

The publications welcome reader input. Letters must be signed and should be no longer than 250 words and may be e-mailed or submitted in room C275. Anonymous letters wherein the publication name does not know the identity of the writer will not be printed.

In the event of an error being reported by readers or noticed by staffers, students should first check to see if the information is erroneous. If students deem the material to be incorrect, they should alter any online content to reflect the correction and then print a correction in the next edition.

In regard to material appearing on the web sites, nothing will be taken down unless it’s proven factually false or otherwise legally deficient as of the time it was published.

News publication staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discus sion and will not

!

2 MINS LEFT TO LEARN ABOUT BEREAL:

- BeReal has 2.93 million daily app visits

- 74.5% of downloads occured in 2022

- BeReal’s monthly activity increased by more than 200% in 2022

- BeReal ranks as the 10th most downloaded social media app

Infographic by: Anya Panday Source : Influencermarketinghub.com

DESIGN BY Anya Panday

“

The new detention policy is kind of stupid, since they don’t provide any bussing home. No one is going to go.”

What’s the POINT? BeReal proves distraction

Photo by: Abby Bartleson

(Security) is the same as last year but they’re trying to make it seem cool and it’s not doing anything.”

Is school safe — or is that not the case?

Safety measures increased

Photo by: Cole Taylor

Hungry to leave: Senior Thomas Kniser is granted access to leave campus for lunch after showing his student ID to a teacher Oct. 10. New senior rules are much stricter than previous years.

In an effort to prevent incidents and enforce student attendance, Park has implemented stricter rules regarding security. These include an emphasis on hall passes, only using door one for entry and exit and closely monitoring other doorways.

Effects on Park

According to principal LaNisha Paddock, the newly enforced safety precau tions are not only to ensure security, but also to make sure students are in the classroom.

“We were struggling, as adults, in thinking about what a learning community looks like, and (how) to really maximize instruction and the safety and security in the building,” Paddock said. “We have to be very careful in how we hold stu dents to high expectations as far as maximizing instructional time and also who has access to our buildings.”

Although Park has adapted in order to protect students, teacher Alexander Polk said that ultimately, gun control nationwide is a far more prevalent issue.

Eager to enter: Senior Mikal Andrews checks back into building after lunch break on Oct. 17. Students are now required to check into the office after leaving school.

STUDENT VOICES

How do you feel about the safety precautions?

“It concerns me that money is more important to lawmakers than student safety and well-being. It’s not necessarily anything from last year that has im pacted me so much as the continued status quo and not taking things seriously,” Polk said.

Reaction to the changes

School resource officer Maurice Smith said long-term safety implications of the new rules outweigh short-term limits on student freedom.

“We watch the news and we see and hear about school shootings or people sneaking weapons in the schools. When I see that on TV, I know that it is pos sible and that can happen here,” Smith said. “I know some students don’t like it right now, but in the long run, they’ll definitely appreciate it.”

With these changes comes a new policy regarding restricted building access for Post Secondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) students, as they are no longer allowed in the building during open hours. For senior Zoe Gutz, that has been a frustration as well as a challenge.

“Getting into school is a lot more annoying, (and so is) the fact that I have a study hall fifth period. Even though I don’t have a class, that can get in the way of certain things for me. Let me have an open period, even though I’m PSEO,” Gutz said. “I’m not allowed to be in the school.”

For sophomore Sam Zubia Flores, despite the changes administration is making to combat student absences, she believes the responsibility lies on stu dents.

“The safety measures they’ve put in make me feel really trapped in the school. Last year I was able to go and take a mental health break in my car and now I cant leave.”

Rylie Unangst, junior

“In some cases, they’re working well and I’ve noticed less chaos in the hallways, but they’re a little too restrictive. Kids want to screw around more than they would have already.”

Abigail Oppegard, sophomore

“(Administration) wants kids to be in class. A lot of people (are) skipping but it’s their choice at the end of the day. If the person wants to go to school, they’re going to go to school. If they don’t, they don’t,” Zubia Flores said.

In addition to this, Polk said students of color were disproportionately im pacted by the hallway rules. For Polk, these rules will be beneficial for aiding the education of those targeted.

“The reason I appreciate the fact that we are actually changing is because the people that were in the hallways last year were (a) vast majority (of) students of color,” Polk said. “We were not doing our students of color a service last year because we were letting them do whatever they wanted.”

Going forward

After a month and a half of implementation, Paddock said she believes the new precautions have been beneficial for both staff and students.

“I’ve been pleased, for the most part, with how students have really leaned into it,” Paddock said. “(We’re) able to just monitor better with a few tweaks to what we were supposed to be doing.”

As the school year progresses, Smith said maintaining these rules throughout the year and staying consistent will bring more success.

“The biggest thing as far as staff (is having) the same consistency year-round. Let’s not implement this plan in August and push it for August, September and then get lazy come November, December. If we had this energy at the start of the year, let’s keep that energy for the entire school year,” Smith said. “That’s the best way to make sure that we’re keeping everyone safe.”

For Gutz, communication on the effects of these policies is important for students to know.

“(Administration needs to start) being more clear on why they’re putting these into place. It’s been a month of school, if they’re just more transparent (about) how this actually helped,” Gutz said. “If it hasn’t been, what are they doing to fix it, or are they just going to keep it?”

DESIGN BY

Alicia Mainjeni

Photo by: Jamar Hester Jr

Sylvia Tolzin, sophomore

Anisa Kahin, Nafisa Kahin, Liz Williams

‘Don’t Worry Darling’ leaves unanswered questions

‘50s psychological thriller finally hits theaters

Abby Bartleson

After months of anticipation, I had the pleasure of watching “Don’t Worry Darling,” opening night to indulge myself in the utopian world of Victory. Directed by Olivia Wilde, this is her sopho

more film, after she previously directed “Booksmart.”

Viewers get insight on a busy housewife, Alice Chambers (Florence Pugh) and workaholic husband, Jack Chambers (Harry Styles), set during the ‘50s in an experimental town. The movie follows Alice and Jack’s seemingly perfect life. Eventually Alice starts doubting the town’s motives and questions what the husbands are actually doing all day at work.

Going into the movie I was nervous because of the surrounding drama and low Rotten Tomatoes reviews it received. I soon realized I had nothing to worry about because I was quickly intrigued and was glued to my seat for the whole two hours.

Right off the bat, I was drawn to the visually allur ing cinematography. During the recurring breakfast scenes that appeared in the movie, symmetry was used to display how perfect their life was.

The aesthetic of the film was established early on and the crew nailed it. Palm Springs was a perfect backdrop. It’s bright and sunny on the surface, but there was much more to the sinister story.

The majority of the film was very well done, except for the occasional plot-holes. As a viewer, you

immediately get submersed in the idyllic life of the housewives. I was disappointed in the lack of setup in the plot, such as how all of these people decided to move to the secluded town of Victory.

Florence Pugh was stellar in this film. Previous ly starring in the hit movie “Midsommar” I knew she was going to crush this role. On the other hand, Styles’ deliverance of lines and emotional range fell flat during intense scenes so this film allowed Pugh to shine specifically. Styles’ and Pugh’s chemistry on screen was perfect and vocally paired well for the movie’s main original theme song, “With You All the Time.”

Gemma Chan and Chris Pine rocked their roles. They were wildly underutilized, and I wish they had more screen time. Pine made for a delicious villain and Chan is just magnificent. Kiki Layne who plays Margaret did a phenomenal job despite having many of her scenes cut.

Overall, I enjoyed this movie despite minor flaws. If you’re looking for a gripping thriller that leaves you questioning reality, I recommend checking this movie out.

N E W O N T H E B I G S C R E E N

Revenge is sweet

‘Do Revenge’ is fun, fresh teen flick

Maren Wilsey

There’s no secret that the ‘90s were the golden age for the teen comedy genre. It’s also no se cret that since then, few movies have been able to capture the wit, whimsy and overall aesthetic of the era. “Do Revenge” is able to do all three — right down to the inappropriate ages of the actors compared to the characters they portray.

Netflix’s new film — starring Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke — “Do Revenge” has an actor plucked straight from all the most popular TV shows of recent years. It also features cameos from Sophie Turner and the queen of the 90’s film screen herself, Sarah Michelle Gellar as the cherry on top of this sugary,

pastel-colored treat.

The film follows Drea (Camila Mendes), a fallen queen-bee, who’s school turned against her after her sex tape was allegedly leaked by her ex-boyfriend. She teams up with new student Eleanor (Maya Hawke), who has a troubled history of her own, to take down their respective enemies.

One of my favorite parts of the movie was how over-the-top everything was. Each character was a wild exaggeration of any normal person, but simul taneously possessed real and raw aspects that made them work. While the events of the movie took place in a glamorous fictional world, there are pockets of re alism that hit close to home. The movie tackles topics like homophobia, misogyny and the double standards that come with them.

Another standout aspect were the costumes. The characters in the movie attend a very high-profile pri vate school and they dress the part. Glamorous, color ful and very campy, the bright wardrobes have nods to several ‘90s films like “Clueless,” “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion,” and “10 Things I Hate About You.” Are the heels, ruffles and copious amounts of sparkles practical? Not at all. But do they make for a Pinterest-perfect viewing experience? Absolutely.

On top of a robust wardrobe, the soundtrack for the movie was extremely impressive. The song

featured in the trailer as well as the movie, “Dumb Dumb” by Mazie, hasn’t gotten out of my head since I watched it. It also featured songs from Olivia Rodrigo, Haley Kiyoko, MUNA, Phoebe Bridgers, Billie Eillish and more. Music tells an important part of the story in any film, and in this one they did a very good job combining 90’s nostalgia with modern classics.

The movie wasn’t just pretty people in frilly costumes though. The plot was very engaging and ac tually felt like something I hadn’t seen before — which is hard to do these days. While a few elements fell flat, the majority of the content was enjoyable.

I found myself a little disappointed with Maya Hawke’s performance during the film. It wasn’t an overtly bad portrayal of her character, but compared to her costars, it lacked emotion. I also found myself let down by the constant tease of a relationship between Drea and Eleanor, only for them to be paired off with separate people who had next to no depth outside of being love interests. There’s nothing more frustrating than a movie being falsely advertised and it was disappointing to fall victim to this.

All things considered, I really enjoyed the movie. It was fun, fresh and a good way to spend two hours. It balanced emotion, lightheartedness and it looked good doing it.

Fair use from Rotten Tomatoes

Fair

from

I wasn’t expecting the movie to be as good as it was, and I thought Florence Pugh was absolutely amazing.”

Madeline Anklam, junior

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Battle for the supreme pumpkin spice latte

Sarah Kluckhohn Dahlia Herman

Pumpkin spice showdown

also came out piping hot, although by now we had learned our lesson and we waited for it to cool down. The drink was definitely pumpkin-y, much more than Caribou’s, and the coffee flavor was much more subdued. The “spice” part of the pumpkin spice latte was missing, though, as there was none to be found. In addition to that, the drink was overly sweet, and reminded me of candy corn. It did have the warm, cuddling up in a blanket, fall vibes and was cheaper than Caribou at $5.65 for a small, but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. With great sadness, I say that this drink is not Gilmore approved.

Girls, a sitcom where coffee is ever-present). So, without further ado, let’s sip in.

Caribou Pumpkin Latte:

As a Midwest-exclusive brand, we had high hopes for Caribou’s pumpkin latte. I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. The latte smelled divine, and made us excited to try it. We didn’t even wait for it to cool down, and my co-writer burnt her tongue — a worthy sacrifice in the hunt for the perfect PSL. The latte itself was spiced to perfection, with notes of nutmeg especially standing out. The coffee flavor was the strongest out of all of the drinks we tried — if you are a fan of strong coffee, this drink will not disappoint. The pumpkin flavor was subtle — more of a welcome addition than a main detail. Depending on personal taste, you might like that, but if you’re looking for the perfect pumpkin spice latte, you may

be as disappointed as we were. Overall though, the drink was sublime. At $6.44 for a small, this latte is a little pricey, but totally worth it. Most importantly, it feels like autumn. Drinking this definitely made me want to curl up by the fire and watch the leaves fall. So if you’re wondering what to order at a Caribou, look no further than the pumpkin latte, because it’s Gilmore approved.

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte:

As the pinnacle of the pumpkin spice world, Starbucks has a lot to live up to. It’s the go-to coffee spot for tons of Park students, so we had to make sure their latte was delicious. When we got our drink, it came out much more colorful than Caribou’s, which set off alarm bells in our heads for artificial coloring. Along with the coloring the first taste was very artificial, like a chemically altered pumpkin. It

McCafe Pumpkin Spice Latte:

It’s surprising a place like McDonald’s would end up on this list, but as of this fall, the chain started to sell pumpkin spice lattes, both iced and hot. This is great news for all Park students who can’t drive or don’t have cars, because it’s within walking distance of the high school. If your bus comes early and you’re craving a bit of fall, you can head over and pick one up in just ten minutes, like I did. A small pumpkin latte is only $3.75, the cheapest on this list. The latte has a nice balance of pumpkin to coffee, although the pumpkin flavor is a little unusual. You can tell it’s artificial, but that doesn’t ruin the experience for me. The coffee is good and the sweet pumpkin adds a lot. For the price and convenience, I’d definitely recommend this drink. Is it Gilmore approved? Try it yourself and find out!

Modesty Manion

Fair use from Genius, TIFF, First Avenue

Oct. 21 Oct. 21

Her first album (not in cluding re-releases) since ‘evermore’ in 2020, Taylor Swift will come out with ‘Midnights’ Oct. 21 — at midnight exactly. Swift slowly announced the track titles on her TikTok account, increasing fan anticipation.

Arctic Monkeys return to the music industry after four years of inactivity with new album, ‘The Car’ Oct. 21. The release will kick off the band’s world tour, which will come to Minne apolis in August 2023.

Oct. 30Oct. 21

Only a month after the re lease of ‘Don’t Worry Dar ling,’ Harry Styles returns to the big screen with new movie ‘My Policeman.’ The film is directed by Michael Grandage, and will be in theaters starting Oct. 21.

After touring with artists like Mitski and Phoebe Bridgers, Soccer Mommy embarks on her own tour, ‘Soccer Mommy Touring, Forever.’ The third stop on the tour will be at First Avenue Oct. 30.

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I really like pumpkin spice lattes, people should go get them while they’re in season because they’re really good.”

Audrey Delorme, junior