Echo
‘CINDERELLA’ MUSICAL
SENIOR HITS 1,000 POINTS
‘MAN OF THE WOODS’
Broadway production strives to include diversity PAGE 4
Cire Mayfeild reaches basketball milestone PAGE 8
Justin Timberlake drops new hipster album PAGE 12
Wednesday, February 14, 2018 Volume 91 Issue 7 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426
SLPECHO.COM
City Council adopts Climate Action Plan
Photo Caroline Green
Going green: Junior Katie Christianson pleas with the City Council to pass the Climate Action Plan Feb. 5 at City Hall. The plan was created through a collaboration with the city of St. Louis Park, the Great Plains Institute and Roots and Shoots. The project began last year when students voiced their concerns to the Council.
Roots and Shoots promotes aggressive carbon neutral future Nicole Sanford nicolesanford@slpecho.com
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enior Roots and Shoots club leader Lukas Wrede said the adoption of a Climate Action Plan by City Council Feb. 5 left him feeling eager for an environmentally friendly future. “I couldn’t prepare myself for the overwhelming positive feedback,” Wrede said. “The Council was so supportive and so forward thinking.” According to City Council member Tim Brausen, City Council’s adoption of the Climate Action Plan ensures the city will make a conscious effort to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. “The plan is a wide-reaching blueprint for the city and its citizens and all the residents and businesses to reach a goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2040,” Brausen said. Wrede said students should care about and support the Climate Action Plan because its efforts will directly affect them in the years to come.
“The thing that (students) can bring to the table is sort of this energy because we’re such an important stakeholder because it’s literally entailing what our future is going to look like, so it’s really kind of up to us on what we want it to be because it’s our future,” Wrede said. According to Brausen, future environmental benefits offset current costs. “The time has really come to switch away from what’s cheap and inexpensive and easiest to doing what’s healthy and what’s sustainable and what’s responsible,” Brausen said. “Certainly there’s going to be some immediate costs, but the payback should be a healthy and sustainable community.” Wrede said the plan’s effort for carbon neutrality in a span of only twentytwo years makes it one of the most ambitious environmental goals statewide. “The goal of net zero by 2040 is super, super aggressive, especially for a city of our size of 50,000 plus (people),” Wrede said. “It’s going to be really, really hard (to achieve).” Brausen said projects will be implemented regarding the new adoption. “We’re going to do three different kick start projects in 2018 designed to really catalyze engagement with the community and build some momentum for change, and then we’ve got some intermediate climate goals that we will reach by 2030,” Brausen said.
Taser device activation in classroom determined not threatening Recent considerations distance from zero-tolerance practices Atticus Raasch & Annabella Strathman atticusraasch@slpecho.com annabellastrathman@slpecho.com
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student’s handheld taser was activated during a fifth hour Business Innovations class Jan. 18, according to assistant principal Charles Johnson-Nixon. “It was something his mother had given to him, simply for safety outside of school,” Johnson-Nixon said. “He has had it several times, but the whole thing was never a threatening thing.” According to Johnson-Nixon, the weapons activation resulted in the required minimum five-day suspension outlined in the handbook because the administration felt the incident was not of a threatening nature. “This was a situation where there was no intent from anyone to do harm, no one at any time was at risk of being harmed. It was a situation where we dealt with it very quickly and very clearly,” Johnson-Nixon said. Sophomore Jamie Sorenson, present when the weapon activated, said other students seemed unconcerned.
“No one really cared,” Sorenson said. “Everyone thought it was so cool because it was a taser, and they’d never seen one before.” According to Principal Scott Meyers, Park’s practices regarding weapons have recently shifted from a zero-tolerance policy to a procedure that considers the intent behind the possession and the use of a weapon. “Now I think we’re being, for some very good reasons, forced to look at it from ‘what was the intent’ and ‘what was the willingness involved,’” Meyers said. “To speak specifically to an incident where a student brings a self defense device, there has to be discretion within that. If there’s an attempt to use something on somebody, then we are getting closer to that historical view of zero-tolerance,” Meyers said. According to Johnson-Nixon, the administration did not make the incident public because of data privacy practices. “Unless again it were a threatening situation or something like that, then we continue to inform,” JohnsonNixon said. History teacher Jeff Cohen said he feels administrative discretion with the incident may lead to future issues. TASER, continued on page 2
Photo illustration Grace Farley
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NEWS
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Lake Calhoun should go to its original name (Bde Maka Ska) because Calhoun was a slave owner’s name. Mushtakh Mohammed, sophomore
WEB PREVIEW
Photo Katie Hardie
STEP-UP open to applicants
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outh Services Associate and program alumni Kelsey Massey, said STEP-UP is a program that pairs applicants with paid internships for the summer. “STEP-UP as a whole is a program for 14 through 21 year-old students or residents of Minneapolis to get some career experience and an opportunity to explore careers that might interest them,” Massey said. Izzy Leviton izzyleviton@slpecho.com
Photo Josh Halper
Play hard: Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu and Mikael Granlund warm up before their outdoor practice at the ROC Feb. 11. Residents from St. Louis Park and the rest of the metro area came out to watch the Wild practice.
NHL talent displayed in new local venue Minnesota Wild holds practice at Recreation Outdoor Center
Photo Carissa Prestholdt
Boys’ hockey beats Chanhassen
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ccording to sophomore goalie William Pinney, while the boys’ hockey game Feb. 8 went worse than expected, the team won 3-1. “I think it went okay, I think we could play better but we came out with the win so that’s what matters,” Pinney said. The team’s next game is against Bloomington Jefferson at 7 p.m. Feb. 10 at the Bloomington Ice Garden. Isabel Kjaer isabelkjaer@slpecho.com
William Phelan williamphelan@slpecho.com
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s junior Isaac Swartz sat on the bleachers at the newly developed Recreation Outdoor Center, he said he saw many kids filled with joy watching their favorite Minnesota Wild players practice up close. “It was so clear to see how excited the kids were to be just a few feet away from their heroes,” Swartz said. According to Minnesota Wild public
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relations manager Aaron Sickman, the outdoor practice is a tradition for the team. “The outdoor practice is something we typically do once a year,” Sickman said. Sickman said the organization decided on holding the event in St. Louis Park because of the newly finished Recreation Outdoor Center (ROC). “For the last few years we have practiced at Braemar’s outdoor facility in Edina, but this year we settled on the new ROC because of the greater opportunity for spectators,” Sickman said. After the practice, Swartz said Wild players spent a significant amount of time signing autographs and greeting kids.
TASER
continued from page 1
I think this is a great opportunity to bring richness to our own history and culture in Minneapolis. Scott Vreeland, Newly retired Park Board commissioner Photo Malaika Bigirindavyi
Sign it: Updated signs replace former Lake Calhoun signs and advocate for Native American heritage. New signs were placed Jan. 29. Photo illustration Malaika Bigirindavyi
‘The Hate U Give’ inspires change
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ngie Thomas’ new book, “The Hate U Give,” quickly became a teen favorite and a New York Times bestseller. The novel delves into the story of a teenage girl named Starr. She lives in “the hood” while also attending a private, majority white, high school. Through Thomas’ writing, readers are able to feel what Starr is feeling and recognize her struggles. Hanna Schechter hannaschechter@slpecho.com For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho
State renames Minneapolis lake Lake Calhoun is changed to Bde Maka Ska Samantha Klepfer samanthaklepfer@slpecho.com
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n the morning of Jan. 29, signs with the name Bde Maka Ska replaced old ones at Lake Calhoun, officially changing the name of the biggest lake in Minneapolis, according to the Star Tribune. Newly retired Park Board commissioner Scott Vreeland said the project began a long time ago. “We had talked about it a few years ago, and it was pretty clear that the Park Board didn’t have the authority to change the name,” Vreeland said. “The formal process was that the county
“When the athletes got done playing, they took time to give autographs to kids who came to watch,” Swartz said. “Players spent a lot of time making sure most of the kids had something signed or had some sort of memento from it.” Swartz said he believes the event is good for the city of St. Louis Park because it will help develop a positive hockey culture. “I think this event is great for the community because it gets kids excited about hockey,” Swartz said. “By bringing them together and letting them see their NHL heroes in person so close up I think it will make kids more interested in playing hockey.”
needed to have a public hearing process and their recommendation would go to the state and then the state would make a ruling.” Vreeland said Calhoun’s support of slavery was a huge driving factor in changing the name of the lake. “There were certainly discussions about removing the name because of Calhoun’s involvement with the advocacy of slavery,” Vreeland said. “There have been conversations for the past five years about (whether) we want Lake Calhoun to reflect the Calhoun name.” Junior Libby Ramsperger said she supports removing Calhoun’s name. “It makes sense to me why someone would not want Calhoun to be the name (of the lake),” Ramsperger said. “I don’t think somebody should be respected for those racist views.”
“It concerns me that we’re not being all informed, as a group, about these things,” Cohen said. “I understand the privacy issues, but you go from a taser weapon to a real gun. That’s the next step in my mind.” Johnson-Nixon said the weapon’s style influenced his assessment of the situation. “Any person can pick up a gun and use it, no matter what. Any person can pick up a taser,” Johnson-Nixon said. “Especially the kind that we had wasn’t the kind that one would shoot.” Johnson-Nixon said other factors contribute to administration’s reasons for discretion from staff. “Some staff members might think that because ‘little Billy’ might be a little Latino boy or a little black boy coming from a rough neighborhood, they might assume that ‘little Billy’ is a dangerous threat and he could be treated differently,” JohnsonNixon said. “People make assumptions about people based on their background and where they come from so one of the reasons why we don’t share certain things with staff members, and I’m not saying our staff would do that, but I’m just saying one of the things that I think about is how the student is going to be perceived.”
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I think (leaving Sno Daze early) is very liberating. It will make a lot more people want to go.
OTHER
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Grace Kanyinku, freshman
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Before buying a Sno Daze ticket A
ccording to Student Council adviser Sarah Lindenberg, Sno Daze dance this year will hold the same policies as Homecoming 2017. “A lot of what students gave feedback from for Homecoming we are going to keep the same so having food there, request for music, students being able to dress up and come into school with their friends, just hang out in the photo booth,” Lindenberg said. “A lot of the favorites will be coming back, and they really want to do a lot more with decorations and put lights up and make it look really festive.” Lindenberg said many people attended
Homecoming in the fall because the dance was held at the school. “So we actually had 730 some students that came to Homecoming, and I think it was because of the ease of getting to the dance,” Lindenberg said. It’s nearby to where a lot of the students live, they don’t have to worry about getting to the school to make a bus to come. There is more flexibility there and that they can come a little bit later if they wanted to if they were running behind.”
Sno Daze week activities and dress codes
Photo of: Senior Tommy Guddal
Photo of: Freshman Rahwa Berhane
Tuesday
Wednesday
Dress code Tropical Activity Dodgeball Tournament
Dress code Denim Activity 3 on 3 Basketball
Photo of: Caitlen Seaman (10)
Photo of: Emma Amon (9)
Thursday
Friday
Dress code Tye Dye Activity Battle of the Bands
Dress code Olympic Activity Volleyball Tournament
Saturday Activity Sno Daze Dance Theme Olympics Date Feb. 24 Location High school gym Ticket price $10-15 Photo of: Sophia Davenport (11)
Infographic Sumaya Mohamed & Devin Raynor Source Student Council
Photo Grace Farley
Just Dance: Senior Joe Holloway dressed as Park’s mascot and works to excite the crowd during the Homecoming pep fest this year.
Dress Closet offers new styles for dancewear Birdfeeder managers look for new donations Maddie Lund maddielund@slpecho.com
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ccording to Birdfeeder adviser Sophia Ross, the Birdfeeder began as a food shelf but turned into an organization that gathers supplies and school materials for students to utilize. “(Birdfeeder) was starting the food shelf and there were other things the counselors and the social workers were asking for, whether that be a white dress shirt for a choir concert that a student couldn’t afford or backpacks or sanitary items,” Ross said. “All of a sudden it was ‘do you know of anybody who has a dress that someone can use because they can’t afford it’ or ‘I have money but I’d rather just find something that’s not $200.’” Ross said in the past she and a few of her students hoped to have a large assortment of formal wear for students. “Speaking with students a few years
ago, (Birdfeeder) decided that we were going to have a huge collection of people who may have formal or semiformal garments in their closet, whether that be dresses, or suits,” Ross said. Dress Closet junior manager Melissa Llamas-Moreno said the team searches for new ways to advertise the Dress Closet. “We made an Instagram and we followed a lot of people on there,” LlamasMoreno said. “We’re going to make an announcement soon to play over the speakers, so more people know about it.” According to Llamas-Moreno, her job consists of organizing the donated dresses that are of good quality. “We first sort out all of the dresses and try to check which ones are still modern and which ones to throw out, based on whether they were torn or out of style,” Llamas-Moreno said. “Then we organize everything into racks.” According to Ross, many students feel motivated to donate to the Dress Closet
because it counted towards community service, however it became difficult when that was taken away. “Back in the day students were able to use their donations towards community service hours to get rid of attendance, but that no longer exists, so there isn’t that incentive for students to donate,” Ross said. Freshman Meredith Reise said giving students the opportunity to have the Dress Closet is very beneficial. “I think it can be an important thing for people who don’t have the money, but still want to go to a dance,” Reise said. Ross said the Dress Closet helps both students looking for clothes, and the managers running it business experience. “I also feel like anytime a student can organize or run a project or event it gives them experience. (It’s) like running a little business,” Ross said. More information about the Dress Closet can be found in room B226.
Photo Sam St. Clair
Dress Closet times • • • •
Before school Tuesday and Thursday First hour everyday Third hour Tuesday through Friday After school Tuesday and Thursday
Infographic Creston Halstead Source SLP Birdfeeder
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FEATURES
Echo Wednesday February 14, 2018
Having a diverse cast is good because it would be bad if it were full of all the same type of people. Maya Halpern, freshman
For what it’s WORTH Abby Intveld abbyintveld@ slpecho.com
Accepting my body as a dancer Picture a ballerina. The image that went running through your head was most likely an elegant thin girl whose legs go on for days. This, to say the least, is not what I look like. I have been dancing since I was three years old, mainly focusing on traditional ballet. The images of ballerinas that my younger self saw on T.V. looked nothing like me and left me feeling like my dancing ability was inadequate because I didn’t look the part. This feeling continued through high school when people would question if I was really a ballet dancer as they looked me up and down. They would eye my curvier frame and short legs before commenting that I don’t ‘look like a ballerina; although they had no way of knowing my skill from their initial look, I still took their criticism to heart. The stereotype that a dancer can only be one body type is toxic and makes many other girls, just like me, question their talent. I am usually happy with my body, but the pressures within the ballet community often make me rethink What’s the whether or not I am POINT? good enough. Body I constantstandards ly see these don’t define standards impacting my you teammates. My friends, who are healthy girls, are infatuated with being slimmer and wishing for characteristics that they simply weren’t born with. It’s hard not to compare yourself to beautiful dancers who are slimmer and taller than you when they are so prevalent. I look at some of my teammates, and I can’t help but wish I looked more like them, with their long legs seemingly made for arabesques and grand jetés. The body ideals in ballet make some of my instructors favor girls who fit the standards, while making patronizing comments directed at those who don’t. This promotes a lack of confidence among my teammates and myself. In the end, comparing myself to other dancers or letting teachers get me down won’t help me. I enjoy ballet, and I love my teammates and the exhilaration of performing on stage too much to let a flawed standard of beauty keep me from doing what I love. My journey of becoming comfortable in my own skin within my dance community has been long. It has taken me years to finally realize although I do not fit the ballerina standard, I am not a lesser dancer.
Choir works to defy stereotypes in 'Cinderella' Photo Grace Farley
If the shoe fits: Seniors Ndunzi Kunsunga and Eva Arago rehearse their roles as Prince Charming and Cinderella for the upcoming choir musical “Cinderella” Feb. 11. The show opens March 1 and will run through March 3.
Class discusses importance of racial equity Sofia Seewald sofiaseewald@slpecho.com
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s choir prepares for its annual musical, "Cinderella," choir teacher and musical director John Myszkowski said he hopes to challenge pre-set assumptions about the characters’ appearance. “Our version is not the same as the Disney movie, and that was something that kids were really challenging, as far as they just assumed Cinderella should be white and blonde because that’s how the movies were made,” Myszkowski said. According to Myszkowski, the choir wants to test society’s idealized standard based on
Broadway productions in their “Cinderella” performances. “(I enjoy) seeing students challenge themselves and also challenge norms that have been established with Broadway shows,” Myszkowski said. “We do talk about racial equity a lot and our cast is super diverse, which is great.” According to senior choir member Eva Arago, who will play Cinderella, Myszkowski has empowered cast members to decide how to combat the perceptions that come along with the show. “He is not afraid to stray from the norm which is good because we’re definitely a unique choir, so he really accommodates to the cast,” Arago said. “It’s really diverse, and he’s not focused on keeping the musical like how it usually is. He
wants us to make it our own,” she said. According to Myszkowski, one of the songs in “Cinderella” has brought up conversation about how society has enforced only one single meaning of beauty. “We’ve had discussions about one song (where) the words are ‘do I love you because you’re beautiful, or are you beautiful because I love you,’” Myszkowski said. “We talked about how we, as a culture, normalize our definition of beauty.” Arago said she believes the meaning of beauty is solely defined by one's individuality. Arago said "Cinderella" incorporates themes of different beauty standards. “Definitions of beauty are not based on race and not based on culture. It’s based
Cinderella choir gala fundraiser When March 1-3 at 7 p.m. March 4 at 2 p.m. Where SLPHS Auditorium Price Students $7, Adults $10 Infographic Carissa Presholdt Source John Myszkowski
on the person, who you are, and that’s how he wants my character to be played in the musical — based on who I am,” Arago said. “Cinderella” will be performed at 7 p.m. March 1-3 and at 2 p.m. March 4 in the St. Louis Park High School Auditorium.
Quizbowl heads to Atlanta Club prepares to compete in Nationals Tjessa Arradondo tjessaarradondo@slpecho.com
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ccording to junior Quizbowl captain Danny Hunegs, he was surprised to see the team’s victory at the conference tournament. “The team's reaction was shocked because it was a conference tournament, so we didn't think it was a qualifier, and so it was a surprise to find out we qualified,” Hunegs said. According to Quizbowl adviser Peter Dangerfield, the club’s success started off slow but quickly made improvements as the season progressed. “I mean we really started coming together. We've got a lot of depth this year that we didn't have last year, and I feel like throughout the year we just keep getting better and better,” Dangerfield said. Hunegs said the Quizbowl team is preparing to compete against other students from across the country. “There isn't anything too special, but
Photo Sam St. Clair
Let's get quizzical: Quizbowl adviser Peter Dangerfield informs members about the upcoming national competition. The meeting took place Feb. 6.
Quizbowl Nationals fast facts Duration
•
One and a half days of competition
Participants
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Estimated 304 teams competing
Categories •
Science, Geography, History and Literature arts
Infographic Sam St.Clair Source Peter Dangerfield
what we do to prepare for Nationals but we'll have to do fundraising and organize the trip,” Hunegs said. Dangerfield said fundraising is required to properly prepare for the National tournament in Atlanta, Georgia. “This year we’re kicking around ideas of pancake breakfast, some t-shirts, talking to companies so they can sponsor us. Basically anything we can do helps,” Dangerfield said. Dangerfield said the team has around three months to get ready for Nationals. “I think there are like 304 teams across the country that all meet,” Dangerfield said. “You play 10 rounds and it’s kind of a part system, so if you win you take the higher rank cards and if you lose you take the lower rank cards.”
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I think (dancers are) athletes just like a cross country runner or soccer player, and they’re equal to any other athlete.
FEATURES
Echo Wednesday February 14, 2018
Nebyu Beleke, sophomore
In the SPOTLIGHT
and flexible, and I’m kind of both, but I don’t have it well mixed together. It’s kind of all over the place and it can be stressful comparing yourself to other people too — it’s hard not to.
Junior performs technical dance
Do you plan on continuing ballet as a career or more of a hobby? It’d be more of a hobby, and it’s good exercise.
Ballerina of five years practices weekly
Ana Armbrecht, junior How old were you when you first started doing ballet? I was in sixth grade so whatever age that is. I was also doing ballet for three years before that but it was about 45 minutes a week maybe. It was not that good. Why did you want to do ballet in the first place? I didn’t. My parents made me because it was cheaper than competition dance. Ballet focuses more on the class and technique rather than paying for the costumes. Do you think it was worth it? Yeah. Ballet is really important for professional dance training, not that I want to be a professional dancer. It’s just a really unique type of dance. It’s really technical compared to other areas of dance. What is the name of your dance studio? It’s called Ashley Ballet Arts Academy. It’s not really well known but it’s quite chill.
Photo Illustration by Isaac Wahl
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What about ballet is stressful or difficult? All the small technical things. There are so many different things you have to be thinking about doing at once. You have to be strong
Why is ballet special to you? I love dancing. All types of dance are different and it’s just one where you kind of act and perform while doing technique. Who’s been your biggest support system? My mom and my grandma love seeing me dance, my grandma especially. But they’re also really critical because they’re Russian, and I got my brutal honesty from them, so they’re brutally honest with me. But they really love seeing me dance, and they’re people I love performing in front of, I always look forward to performing in front them, and my grandma enjoys it so much, and she loves to see me make something of myself. What’s most rewarding for you? I like mostly the feeling. I like the feeling of performing. I like being the center of attention, and it’s really fun. How often do you practice and train? Sixteen hours a week. A lot of classes, like five classes a week, which are an hour and a half, and then there’s a rehearsal because I’m part of a company and that rehearsal takes five hours. Is there any particular type of ballet you do? I have different teachers who come from different backgrounds. One style is called Vaganova, which is Russian ballet at this school. Then there’s another teacher who teaches Cecchetti method ballet, which is more simple. There’s also the American type which was recently invented that we don’t really do. Ndunzi Kunsunga ndunzikunsunga@slpecho.com
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IN-DEPTH
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
I think political labeling may be necessary sometimes because you need to know where people stand. Gabriel Kaplan, freshman
SNOWFLAKE SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR SOCIALIST EL FEMINIST COMMUNIST PARTICIPATION TROPHY ANTI-C GAY FEMINAZI BABY KILLER PRO-CHOICE HOM
VILIFICA
Environment fosters conservative hate Mimi Fhima mimifhima@slpecho.com
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he Park community prides itself in graciously accepting people of all religions, ethnicities and socio-economic statuses. While Park does an exceptional job of this, we are, shamefully, nowhere near accepting of all viewpoints. It is unfair to categorize all Trump supporters as mean-spirited and racist. The amount of times I have heard my peers assume these qualities is absurd, and most of the time there is no context to backup this stereotype. I do not support President Donald Trump in his position of power nor do I support most of the statements he has made, whether political or personal. I am not defending Trump or his actions and words, but there is something to be said on behalf of Conservative voters nationwide. Here’s a quick reminder: some small business families voted for President Donald Trump because they believed he would help them make a living for their children. There were Jewish families who voted for President Donald Trump because President Barack Obama and the Democratic party’s support for Israel was at best lukewarm, if not cold, as demonstrated by the abstention at the last U.N. vote before Obama left office. Equivalently, countless people voted for President Donald Trump simply because they lost trust in Hillary Clinton. Whether or not you believe these reasons are valid, being so quick to pass judgment on a voter for a decision they made is the opposite of progress. Students and staff must be able to disagree with someone’s political views in a civil manner, without automatically disrespecting and disregarding for their decisions. The discourse in this country has become overwhelmingly divisive and the President, as our leader, must take some of the blame. Not only do we politically label and associate people with stereotypes without having an open-minded discussion, but our district fosters an environment where liberal views are imposed on students at every turn and conservatives are portrayed as the worst of all evils. I don’t know if I associate myself as conservative or liberal. But as I continue to further my education and grow into my political opinions I hope to have the opportunity to explore both sides of the political spectrum, and no longer be afraid of people being too quick to judge where I stand.
Eight ways to have a productive political conversation 1. Come to learn Seek to understand someone else’s reasoning
2. Go into the discussion to listen Approach with the mentality to understand their ideas, not affirm yours
3. Keep an open mind It is OK if your viewpoint changes
4. Respect each other Take turns speaking and demonstrate empathy
5. Persist through discourse Work through awkwardness and difficulty
6. Let each other be heard Allow others to express their opinions based on their ideas
7. Acknowledge your intentions Everyone believes they are supporting the “right” view
8. Find common ground Talk out tougher issues and look for shared values Infographic Isabel Kjaer Source Ted Conferences
Alex Balfour & Jenna Cook alexbalfour@slpecho.com jennacook@slpecho.com
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ware of the new Democrats club at Park, seni ans said he believes if a student were to start a club, they would be an automatic target for ri “It would slap the political label on someo would immediately be like ‘oh you’re conservative?’ and up all these things like ‘are you guys supporting Trump? said.
What is political labeling
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ocial studies teacher Scott Miller said political vi generalized when, in reality, members of politica have beliefs that don’t fall in that label. “(Political labeling) is making an assumption that if a member of one political party or another, they must fo beliefs of that party, when most people just have a few i really important to them and they might float on the oth said. According to sociologist professor at the University o Joseph Gerteis, political labels can be dangerous becaus matically create – sometimes false – perceptions of othe “Political labels are important because they signal bo think about ourselves and how we think about others. F labels become almost like weapons,” Gerteis said. Senior Aaron Stulberg said he notices people often st ferentiate the terms Republican and conservative. “I feel like (Republicans and conservatives) get lump quite a bit. At least in my opinion they are two very diff Stulberg said. “I would say conservatives tend to be qui religious in their views where republicans, I would say, The religious stuff doesn’t bother them as much.”
Current political climate
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ccording to Gerteis, in an increasingly polarized mate, politicians try to “frame” their adversaries them with negative concepts.
SNOWFLAKE SOCIAL JUSTICE WARRIOR SOCIALIST EL FEMINIST COMMUNIST PARTICIPATION TROPHY ANTIGAY FEMINAZI BABY KILLER PRO-CHOICE HOM
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I think (political labelling is) bad because it puts people that have similar views, but not necessarily the exact same views in the same category.
IN-DEPTH
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Jonah Smith, freshman
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LITIST RADICAL FASCIST RACIST SEXIST MISOGYNIST CHRISTIAN ISLAMOPHOBIC DEPLORABLE PRO-LIFE MOPHOBIC CONSPIRACY THEORIST ANTI-SEMITIC
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ior Evan Kega Republicans idicule. one so (people) d they’d bring ?’” Kegans
iews are often al parties may
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of Minnesota se they autoers. oth how we For that reason
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political clis by associating
Political labels generalize viewpoints, increase polarization
OPPOSITION “In a political conversation, if you can frame your opponents in a certain way and make it stick, you’ve gained an advantage. So for example, you will often hear political actors trying to link labels like ‘Liberal’ or ‘Conservative’ to terms like ‘radical’ or ‘reckless’,” Gerteis said. Gerteis said in the modern political climate, even subtle linguistic tools can be used to paint a negative picture of one’s opponent. “You may have noticed that in recent years Republican members of Congress refer to their opponents as say ‘Democrat lawmakers’ instead of ‘democratic.’ That’s because the word ‘democratic’ has good connotations, and because the hard end of the word ‘Democrat’ sounds worse,” Gerteis said. Kegans said because many current social movements have been linked to specific political parties, many lack the understanding that these movements can be supported by people of any party. “I think a lot of movements now have turned into, even if they weren’t political at first, they have turned into a political movement. Black Lives Matter now is definitely associated with liberals,” Kegans said. “If you are a Conservative and you still agree with it, you say, ‘oh the movement’s great, I agree with it,’ some people who haven’t heard you say you agree with it will be like, ‘oh so you are against it. Are you racist?’” Miller said because President Trump’s comments created heightened states of emotion, he may have aided in constructing a generalized view of his supporters. “If someone is a Republican and in favor of Trump, automatically people assume that they must be racist, which is not always the case,” Miller said. According to Stulberg, Republicans have been looked at much more negatively because Trump defines himself as a member of that party. “I feel like people are a lot more harsh toward it because he is a so called Republican, but people don’t realize that is not how everyone is and that is an individual,” Stulberg said.
Political ostracism at Park
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egans said he does not identify with a certain political group because he does not share identical beliefs with any label. “I’ve kind of shifted into that independent (label) where I can’t really side with one because it’s kind of all one big label,” Kegans said. “If you’re liberal, you’re a pro-choice and you’re progressive and you want to push a lot of this stuff on me. With Republicans or
Conservatives, they are either racist or they have these religious beliefs that are pushed into their belief.” Stulberg said although he believes students have the right to share their political opinions, he notices faculty at Park persuading students into a certain political area. “Students are allowed to say whatever they want in my opinion. You are here to learn. You are allowed to express your opinion,” Stulberg said. “It is a lot more faculty that will kind of coax you toward a certain way of thinking, which is not right because you are here to learn and they are here to teach, and they are not supposed to push their own political views on you.” Junior Caroline Garland said she has heard Conservative classmates voicing problems stemming from the liberal climate. “I talk to some people (who) have more conservative views, that they don’t really feel comfortable sharing those because they feel that the general community or the people around them are going to confront them on it,” Garland said. Miller said people often quickly place others into political categories without attempting to actually hear their viewpoints. “Instead of spending the time to really try to understand opposing points of view and the merits and maybe the negative aspects of it, what we want to do is just instantly put people in one category because it’s really easy for us then to argue against them,” Miller said. Stulberg said he worries if students were to join a Republicans club at Park, they would be opening themselves to criticism. “The only issue is people feel like they’ll probably get ridiculed if they do (make a Republicans club),” Stulberg said. “You know people who are in clubs and if you find out they’re in that club, well now you’ve basically broadcasted to the entire school, ‘here’s something that you’re allowed to pester me about because I’m in it.’” Miller said he will often present a contradicting argument if his classes tend to lean further one way politically than another in hopes to open their minds. “I think that’s the key, for people to listen to the other arguments, because you either come away stronger in your convictions or you have to rethink some of your assumptions,” Miller said. Garland said she believes politically polarized environments can be problematic if they leave people feeling uncomfortable sharing their views. “I do think it’s a problem because it’s important for everyone to be able to share their opinion and be able to feel like they’re still going to be in a safe environment even if they disagree with someone,” Garland said.
LITIST RADICAL FASCIST RACIST SEXIST MISOGYNIST -CHRISTIAN ISLAMOPHOBIC DEPLORABLE PRO-LIFE MOPHOBIC CONSPIRACY THEORIST ANTI-SEMITIC
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SPORTS Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Out of the PARK Sophie Yarosh sophieyarosh @slpecho.com
Nordic provides winter enjoyment
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inter is long. It’s dark, cold and the days are short. To me, winter is pretty depressing. Every year, I have very low vitamin D because of the lack of sun and I feel exhausted, lazy and don’t want to leave my house during these long months. For years I would fill my winter with basketball. I played for a long time and it was a great way for me to stay active. I enjoyed working out and spending time with friends — the basketball seasons were full of great memories. When I was a sophomore, I quit the basketball team. After quitting I had a ton of time on my hands. I What’s the didn’t have a job, and alPOINT? though I am Participating involved in a lot of activiin enjoyable ties, I wasn’t activities makes winter very active most of the manageable winter. Fast forward to junior year, although I dragged myself to yoga a few times a week, it didn’t feel like enough. I would come home almost every day and eat a huge bowl of guacamole and then take a four-hour nap. At 10:30 p.m. Sunday night before winter sports tryouts, I announced to my family I was going to join the Nordic Ski team. My dad was shocked because I had never cross country skied in my life. He didn’t think I would last more than a week. The first time I stepped into my skis was a disaster. I could barely move and was so frustrated. I couldn’t make it through a practice without falling and needed a lot of help from others. I would often get lost, and after many practices I felt exhausted. However, as I kept practicing, I got better, and started enjoying myself. I even went on the winter ski trip up north and skied very difficult trails. Although I never got better than last place in any of the races I participated in, I felt so proud for just reaching the finish line. Joining a new high school sport forced me to do something every day after school. It has made winter a lot better and more manageable. What’s amazing about Park is that there are so many opportunities to try new activities. No one was cut from the nordic team, so I was able to join for fun without as much of the stress and intensity many varsity athletes deal with. Being busy by participating in enjoyable activities like Nordic make winter fun, even in the darkest and coldest days.
For a high schooler to achieve (1,000 career points) is pretty cool. I am happy for (Mayfield). Lioul Minas, junior
Mayfield joins 1,000-point club Milestone accomplished against Chaska Alec Pittman & Jacob Stillman alecpittman@slpecho.com jacobstillman@slpecho.com
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onfetti showered the stands behind Park’s bench as senior Cire Mayfield scored his 1,000 career high school point after driving with his right hand to the basket. Assistant coach Rob Griffin said he believes this feat is even more impressive because of who Mayfield has played alongside for the last three years. “A lot of times the 1,000 point mark can sometimes be misunderstood, sometimes you get one good player on a really bad team that reaches that point,” Griffin said. “I think for Cire, he has played with some super good players over his three years of playing varsity here at St. Louis Park, so for him to reach that milestone is huge.” Senior teammate Dashaun Emerson said for Mayfield the milestone is a nice reward. “I am really proud of him, he works hard every single day. It is nice to see a teammate get 1,000 points,” Emerson said. According to Mayfield, reaching the milestone is a reminder of how far he has come but only shows one aspect of his game. “I guess it is all right. It is a good goal for me, but it just shows that I can score the ball,” Mayfield said. The Orioles’ next game is at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 home against Bloomington Jefferson.
Photo Josh Halper
1K: Senior Cire Mayfield drives to the hoop against Chaska senior Andrew Fix Feb. 9. Mayfield scored his 1,000th career point in the Orioles’ 92-68 loss. Mayfield said communication will be important to improve on as the team continues to move forward this season. The Orioles’ next game is at 7 p.m. Feb. 16 at the high school against Bloomington Jefferson.
Junior speeds toward State Park places sixth overall at nordic Sections Abby Intveld & Ndunzi Kunsunga abbyintveld@slpecho.com ndunzikunsunga@slpecho.com
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aiting anxiously for her results at nordic Sections Feb. 5, junior Cecelia Schmelzle said she was excited when she found out she qualified for State. “It was close. I didn’t know right away if I made it or not, so I had to wait a little bit,” Schmelzle said. “I’m really excited. I’ve worked really hard for the past couple of years.” According to nordic head coach Doug Peterson, the Park’s boys team placed seventh and the girls team placed sixth among 12 schools. “I’m a little disappointed with the boys’ results, but we have a young team, so there’s a lot of work to do there and that happens,” Peterson said. “Girls did pretty well, about where we expected them to be.” Peterson said Schmelzle qualified for State individually and has high potential of succeeding at State. “She had a really good race, the best race of the year,” Peterson said. “She’s in
Photo Josh Halper
Cold as Ice: Junior Cecelia Schmelzle skate skis at Hyland Park Reserve Jan. 10., placing fifth overall. She will compete at State Feb. 15 at Giants Ridge. the best shape she’s been in all year right now. She’s healthy so I expect her to do very well at State.” Junior captain Emmett Foner said while he is disappointed he didn’t personally make it to State, he’s excited for Schmelzle. “I’m proud of her because she put in a lot of work over the season and throughout the summer and her hard work paid off,” Foner said. Schmelzle said she is looking forward to State and is hoping to reach her personal goals. “I’m hoping for a top 40 finish this year,” Schmelzle said. “There’s a lot of really good girls (competing), but it’ll be fun to have good race.” Foner said despite a disappointing end-
ing, he is proud of how the season went overall because of his personal and team achievements. “The season went pretty well because I improved and so did the team. We all really bonded together, everyone got closer and became better skiers, which is great,” Foner said. Schmelzle said her performance this season has boosted her enthusiasm for next year because she and the team will continue to improve throughout the offseason. “It makes me really happy for next year just knowing how much more I can do and how I can improve to do even better,” Shmelzle said. Schmelzle will compete at State at 10 a.m. Feb. 15 at Giant’s Ridge, Biwabik.
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I think it is really cool to see sports doing particularly that much better than Richfield.
SPORTS
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
George Hare, senior
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Meet the ATHLETE
Boys’ swimming beats Richfield Photo Noah Deetz
Making a splash: Junior Luke Anderson swims the 200-yard individual medley in Park’s meet against Richfield Feb. 8. The Orioles defeated the Spartans 91-70. The Orioles’ next meet is Sections Feb. 22 at the Art Downey Aquatic Center in Edina.
91-70 victory rounds off peak week, dual meets Eli Curran-Moore elicurran-moore@slpecho.com
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he team exhibitioned during its Feb. 8 meet against Richfield, resulting in a 91-70 win, according to senior Tommy Guddal. It was the last dual meet of the season. Guddal said the team has been undergoing a series of tough practices to prepare for Sections. “We are near the end of peak week, which is the hardest week of the practice,” Guddal said. “It gives us a huge base and a lot of fitness to then taper off and wind back practice all the way until Sections so we will be much more energized and not so hurting from the exercise.” Coach Amanda Forsberg said she was happy with the team’s performance, de-
spite being in the midst of peak week. “Peak weak ramps up the yardage with a lot less rest, so swimmers are definitely tired. I was really pleased to see they held their times even after putting in a lot if work this past week,” Forsberg said. “After tomorrow’s last tough practice we will start to taper and start resting them to prepare to get ready for Sections.” Senior captain Adam Recknagel said in this meet underclassmen swam well. “The younger swimmers performed very well, in fact, (sophomore) Eitan Weinstein lettered,” Recknagel said. Guddal said the impacts of peak week on the team should be recognized. “It’s actually the hardest physical thing — practicing — I’ve ever endured. It’s just so difficult and so exhausting. It’s a lot of distance on fast intervals. It’s rough,” Guddal said. “I get home, and I’m exhausted when I’ve just fully exerted myself for two and a half hours.” Guddal said peak week is key to the team’s success, but come at the price of being physically spent after practice.
“It’s a huge benefit to the team, it’s definitely helpful. I understand why it’s there, but it’s truly exhausting,” Guddal said. Recknagel said junior varsity and varsity teams will both be focusing on different aspects of their performance in preparation for Sections. “The JV team will be going over technical stuff, and varsity will be tapering, which means they will have practices of lower yardage to ensure they are in proper shape,” Recknagel said. According to Recknagel, who participated in the junior varsity Sections meet on Feb. 10, the team placed very near the top, and hopes varsity Sections will be similar. “We had multiple races where we were either first and second or first and third,” Recknagel said. “(In varsity Sections), I’m sure everyone wants to drop times and set personal records, as a team we always strive to place as high as we can.” The first Sections meet is at 5 p.m. on Feb. 22 at Art Downey Aquatic Center South View in Edina.
Do you want your voice heard?
Who Kendall Coley Grade Freshman Sport Basketball How long have you been playing basketball? I have always been playing basketball since I was a little kid, doing Little League stuff. I have been playing varsity since eighth grade. In seventh grade I played at Washburn High School. What inspired you to start playing? My mom played in college and overseas. My dad played in college and overseas. My sister plays right now, and she goes to the University of Iowa. It has just kind of been a family thing What is your favorite part about playing basketball? I just love the game. I love being involved in so much. It is something that actually gets my brain going. It all comes together, and I love the way it clicks. It is like a big puzzle. What do you like about the team? I love that we are like family and that we can connect. Yes, there are always ups and downs, but at the end of the day, if you want to be successful, you really have to come together. There is a really big relationship, communication piece in basketball, and it is fun exploring all the different skills people have and the way we can come together during games. What impact have your coaches had on you as a player and person? All the coaches I have had have really pushed me, and they have all expected a lot from me. It has really helped me in school, basketball and life to do all I can for things.
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How has the basketball season been going so far? It’s been going pretty well. We’ve had our games where it’s been awesome, we’ve had our games when we really, really should have done better, then there’s been the games where it’s in between, but otherwise it’s been going pretty well compared to last year. Do you have any goals for the rest of the season? I think some of the goals for the rest of the season is to really click as a team and finish as high as we can in the conference at this point and just keep pushing through, winning games and stuff like that.
Applications in C363
Izzy Leviton izzyleviton@slpecho.com
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10 OPINIONS
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Echo
Editors-in-chief: *Mimi Fhima, *Dani Orloff & *Annabella Strathman Managing editors: *Alex Balfour, *Anna duSaire, Alec Pittman, & *Atticus Raasch Web editors: Josh Halper & Marta Hill Photo editors: Malaika Bigirindavyi, Caroline Green, *Grace Farley & Adam Johnson Design editors: Devin Raynor & Sam St. Clair Copy editors: Yonit Krebs, *Nicole Sanford, Hanna Schechter & *Sophie Yarosh Video editors: Evelyn Nelson & Mara Zapata Social media editors: Yonah Davis, Avia KanerRoth & Bre Thompson Assistant copy editors: Jenna Cook, Abby Intveld & Emma Yarger Assistant design editors: Creston Halstead & Brooklyn Donelson Infographic editor: Isabel Kjaer News editor: Sumaya Mohamed Features editors: Amaia Barajas & *Ruby Stillman In-Depth editors: Emma Kempf & *Isabel Leviton Sports editors: Sam Birnberg & Jacob Stillman Opinions editors: *Hannah Leff & *Lukas Levin Entertainment editor: *Isaac Wert Profiles editors: *Ndunzi Kunsunga & Maddie Lund Staff: Aisha Abdi, Amira Ali, Tjessa Arradondo, Kiyonna Brooks, David Bryant, Culver Carden,
(Walmart) is purposely discriminating against black people and making them seem like they’re criminals. It’s racist. Ella Trotter, senior
Our Perspective
Plan provides opportunity for student-led action
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t. Louis Park City Council unanimously passed a new Climate Action Plan spearheaded by school club Roots and Shoots, iMatter and the St. Louis Park Environment and Sustainability Commission Feb. 5. The Climate Action Plan (CAP) includes the ambitious goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2040. According to EcoSecurities, carbon neutrality refers to a net carbon emission of zero. The plan also includes many other citywide projects and initiatives designed to improve the city’s climate impact, now and for future generations. The Echo editorial board feels the CAP is a bold, yet achievable commitment. Specifically “Kickstart Project One: YouthLed Initiative to Increase Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in the Community” is proof the city is making an effort to listen to youth and student voices. The city is already leading the way toward carbon neutrality with its buildings. According to the CAP, in 2017, solar
Illustration Nietzsche Deuel
arrays were installed on the Municipal Service Center and on Fire Station 2. Four city buildings are now 100 percent electrically powered by renewable energy including city hall, the police station and both fire stations. Additionally, the Echo editorial board implores the broad plans and goals, especially idealistic blanket statements, are translated into specific actions to create tangible change. Any vague or non-concrete idea or action is the enemy of creating real change. Eventually, the plan should look to be improved and expanded.
Among these missing specifics reside the fiscal cost of this plan, how it may fully impact low-income residents and local businesses, which should be considered and publicized to serve as a financial guideline for other communities to follow. The Echo editorial board recognizes this will mean changes for our school in the future as we make an effort to adhere to this plan. For changes to happen in the community, Park students have to be involved. We urge students to make an individual effort and provide their input throughout the implementation of this plan.
Noah Deetz, Nietzsche Deuel, Sofia Geretz, Tenzin Gyaldatsang, Ella Hammerstrand, Katie Hardie, Fahmo Jama, Claire Kaiserman, Samantha Klepfer, Sophie Olmen, William Phelan, Carissa Prestholdt, Hadeal Rizeq, Sofia Seewald, Isaac Wahl & Hayley Westwood Business manager: *Eli Curran-Moore Principal: Scott Meyers Printer: ECM Inc. Adviser: Lori Keekley *Denotes editorial board member
MEDIA POLICIES The Echo is the official student-produced newspaper of St. Louis Park Senior High School. It is published triweekly for the school’s students, staff and community. The Echo is a designated forum for student expression in which students make all decisions of content without prior review from school officials. The adviser will not act as a censor, but will advise students. Students have the final decision on all content. The Echo will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful and interesting to all our readers. We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph unless clearly labeled as a photo illustration. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Echo staff or administration as a whole. The Echo welcomes reader input. Letters to the editor and suggestions must be signed and should be no longer than 250 words and may be emailed to slpecho@gmail.com or submitted in room C275. Emailed letters must be verified prior to publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to ask the writer to edit for length and clarity. Anonymous letters wherein the Echo does not know the identity of the writer will not be printed. Advertisements will be sought from local businesses and school clubs and sports. We maintain the right to reject any ads we believe to be false, misleading, inappropriate or harmful. The Echo does not necessarily endorse the products or services offered in these advertisements.
NSPA All-American and Hall of Fame member; 2011, 2016, 2017 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist; 2013, 2014, 2015 National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016 Online Pacemaker Finalist; CSPA Gold Medalist; 2017 CSPA Hybrid Crown Finalist; 2013 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All-State.
Walmart hair care product lock-up exposes injustice in some stores Racial allegations made out to corporation Aisha Abdi aishaabdi@slpecho.com
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ccording to the New York Times, Walmart is currently facing a lawsuit from Essie Grundy, an African-American woman, who feels as if she was treated as a criminal. When Grundy walked into a California Walmart to buy a 49 cent comb, she saw that it was locked up in a glass case separated from other hair products. After the incident, Grundy decided to file a racial discrimination lawsuit against Walmart. According to the New York Times, Walmart claims to lock up products they feel are at a higher risk of being stolen. The practice of locking up products intended for African-American consumers racially stereotypes them as thieves or criminals. If Walmart is worried about security, it should lock up the shelves of all of its hair products. According to Business Insider, Walmart claims they do not tolerate discrimination of any kind. However, there have been multiple instances of racial allegations against Walmart. In February 2016, Dr. Gilbert Kalonde, a black Montana resident, walked into Walmart to renew his fishing license. A Walmart employee purposely typed
Kalonde’s profession as “cleaning toilets.” Actions such as these by Walmart employees are hurtful to people of color. These incidents indicate the stereotyping of certain customers and discrimination toward people of color even when purchasing simple products. Walmart said some products are subjected to extra security and those determinations are made on a “store-by-store basis.” Although set-up differs by store, Walmart needs to make it clear to their stores that when locking up certain products, they must understand the racist connotation that may come with this procedure. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Kalonde asked for an apology but Walmart refused. In August 2016, the ACLU filed a Human Rights Bureau complaint for Kalonde. According to the ACLU, Walmart was allegedly discriminating against Kalonde on the basis of his race. Walmart later apologized. Race plays a big role in society. America today has made progress in dealing with racial discrimination, but inequality and injustice still remains. Walmart should teach their employees how to treat their customers. The way people of color are being stereotyped is not fair.
Down to ‘Cinderella’: Hopefully this one won’t go past midnight.
Art Devin Raynor
Photo Carissa Prestoldt
Locked up: Hair care products line the shelves at Walmart in Eden Praire, which does not restrict its hair products.
Up to Sno Daze: At least Park will have one snow day.
Down to Roots and Shoots: How much paper did it take to write that policy?
A.R., N.K., L.L.
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If you are blindly supporting (activism groups), you’re just a bandwagon, you are just doing it because of everybody else.
OPINIONS
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Donovan Hill, junior
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releases anti-Zionist platform Ruby Stillman rubystillman@slpecho.com
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hen I reached out my hand to introduce myself to a friend at a Jewish youth group convention, I didn’t think twice about proudly displaying my Black Lives Matter bracelet. However, my friend claimed that Black Lives Matter (BLM) was anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic. Both racial equity and supporting my Jewish community are of utmost importance to me. I never thought supporting both would pose a challenge. After the encounter, I felt uninformed and ignorant. I started researching as much as I could. I wanted to wholeheartedly support the movement I otherwise strongly agreed with. I found out an organization called the Movement for Black Lives released a platform consisting of its opinion on numerous topics in August of 2017. The platform states that Israel is com-
Outrage misplaced toward
some opinions and not others. On the Movement for Black Lives’ website, BLM is labeled as a “members of the united front.” The question then becomes, to what extent does BLM align with the platforms released by the Movement for Black Lives? According to Palmer, it’s impossible to tell. Because BLM is a decentralized organization filled with many different opinions and agendas, and because the platform was not an official statement of theirs, there is no way to know for certain the extent of their affiliation with the Movement for Black Lives. I wish the person who declared that BLM was anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic had done his own research and drawn his own conclusion before perpetuating false information. I still proudly sport my BLM bracelet and encourage others to continue to support what they are passionate about, even if it isn’t easy.
mitting a “genocide” against the Palestinian people and is an “apartheid” state whose laws “sanction discrimination against the Palestinians.” Although there have been many wrongs committed on both sides of the Israel-Palestine issue, I believe it is inaccurate and malicious to accuse Israel of genocide, abuse and discrimination. I turned to Jonathan Palmer, the executive director of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, a center that serves the black community of St. Paul. Palmer explained to me that there is a difference between the Movement for Black Lives, the organization that released the platform, and Black Lives Matter, the organization displayed on my bracelet. The school race equity coach Matthew Horrel helped me realize that it is not a matter of overlooking something you do not agree with and continuing to support it, rather a matter of accepting that it is OK to agree with
For more content go to slpecho.com
Famous artists accused of sexual assault spark conflict
In light of recent sexual assault allegations, debates have begun regarding whether or not it is acceptable to consume art or media produced by creators who have criminal records or accusations against them.
Separation allows for appreciation Consuming does not excuse behavior Eli Curran-Moore elicurranmoore@slpecho.com
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ecent events in Hollywood prompt the classic question of whether people can separate an artist from their art and whether the artist’s actions warrant reevaluation of their work. An artist’s poor behavior or perspective should not be ignored when looking at the art, but it is possible to separate the art from the artist. Art, in many forms, can be appreciated with or without extensive knowledge of the artist and their background. People are able to create their own meaning from art, which doesn’t necessarily reflect or perpetuate intrinsic flaws that may
PARK TRAIL
ebb from the artist, despite all art being partially autobiographical. Production of art, film for example, is created by many people, cinematographers, producers and other actors. They all add their own personal touches to better a film, or other forms of art for the public. For example, Woody Allen’s actions certainly warrant consequences and diminish his reputation. However, to say they devalue all films he has been part of harms any new insight or perspective someone could gain from the art and everyone else who worked on the films. To say the actions of one person mitigate such a work of art is a disservice to those who poured their heart and soul into its production and anyone who could appreciate the art in the future.
Creators and art are inseparable Can you seperate art from the artist?
Disconnection only prevents change Hannah Leff hannahleff@slpecho.com
“I cannot approve of art that has been created by someone who has been accused of such a bad thing like sexual assault.” Elliot Rickert, sophomore
“(Actors) are playing a role that has nothing to do with them, so I think you can separate the art from the real person.” Jada Witherspoon, junior
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ecause of the emergence of sexual assault allegations in the entertainment industry, people have begun to question how they should consume art and content. There is absolutely no way to separate the artist from their artwork. Art is a projection of who its creator is and we, as a society, cannot allow ourselves to disconnect the two. By consuming an artist’s content, we are supporting them financially. When people disregard an artist’s behavior and actions, they are letting them continue to exist in an environment that allowed for their behavior and actions in the
first place. These artists sexually assault someone and still maintain their fame and social status. For example, Kodak Black, a famous rapper, was convicted for sexual conduct charges yet still has 17.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify. If someone sexually assaults another person it becomes hard to understand why we are still readily accepting what they produce. Consumers have all the power. Once they decide it is no longer acceptable to consume a person’s content, that person’s career is over. We cannot demand change in the entertainment industry while simultaneously ignoring the actions of creators just so we can keep watching our favorite TV show. Change can only occur if a compromise is made.
Nietzsche Deuel & Isaac Wahl nietzscheduel@slpecho.com & isaacwahl@slpecho.com
“Can’t stop the feeling...” Who
is JT
?
Justin Singe Timberlak e r Supe r fam ous
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12 ENTERTAINMENT
Echo Wednesday, February 14, 2018
Halftime show fails to stun Timberlake’s Super Bowl performance entertains but lacks memorability
THE WOODS ’ should stay in the forest
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espite rushing through too many top hits during his halftime show, Justin Timberlake delivered a performance that did exactly what it was intended to do — keep people entertained between two halves of a football game. Timberlake opened with his lead single, “Filthy,”off his album “Man of the Woods.” Timberlake’s outfit for the performance fit the title of his album perfectly, but was one of his all-time fashion lows. Reminder: Timberlake was in a ’90s What’s the boy band. ThroughPOINT? out the show, Timberlake’s Timberlake serviceable showed performance his usual proclivity for effectively choreography, entertained but relied too viewers heavily on moving with the obviously hand-picked crowd below him. About halfway through the show, Timberlake dedicated Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” to Minneapolis, projecting a video from his 1984 movie “Purple Rain” on a towering backdrop. Timberlake could have made a heartfelt tribute in the city that loves Prince most, but just like the rest of his performance, it felt too rushed. Regardless, the most beautiful moment of the show came at the song’s climax. U.S. Bank Stadium and buildings across the Minneapolis skyline were lit up in computergenerated purple, forming the shape of the “Love Symbol.” Timberlake’s Super Bowl halftime show, while not memorable, was at least entertaining.
Isaac Wert isaacwert@slpecho.com
Photos used with permission from Marvel Studios, ABC, Disney, Xcel Energy Center.
Annika Vignes, senior
‘MAN OF
Devin Raynor devinraynor@slpecho.com
METRO AT A GLANCE
I really liked how all of the elements of (Timberlake’s) halftime performance came together.
Justin Timberlake’s hollow comeback album sounds like a parody … it isn’t Isaac Wert isaacwert@slpecho.com Fair use from RCA Records
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nspired by his Nashville-roots and newfound Montana lifestyle, Justin Timberlake’s fifth studio album, “Man of the Woods,” is a polished rehash of JT’s signature funky sound infused with spoiled “Americana” cheese. I dare you to listen to it through in full.
While its title screams country-comeback, “Man of the Woods” is not Timberlake’s attempt at switching genres. The album, crafted in part by mega-producers Pharrell Williams and Timbaland, leans R&B and paints Timberlake as a cross between a 30-something Urban Outfitters employee who’s obsessed with Polaroid cameras and the guy who thinks everyone at the campfire secretly wants to hear him play the guitar (they don’t). In short, Timberlake is no cowboy. Rather, “Man of the Woods” is like the folky cousin of Timberlake’s previous release “20/20,” but luckily, the album’s ingenuine swagger and blatant mediocrity are more tolerable in smaller doses –– many songs on “20/20” were unbearably long. Glancing at the cheesy song titles may discourage some listeners from playing the album, but “Man of the Woods” is not entirely cringeinducing. “Midnight Summer’s Jam,” “Man of the Woods,” “Morning Light (featuring Alicia Keys)” and “Supplies” are the album’s better tracks, but following an exhausting hour-long listen, not one track felt like a clear standout or smash-hit waiting in the wings. “Filthy,” the album’s lead single, is the most
mainstream track on the album, and while its wobbling bassline muffles Timberlake’s voice, it can’t mask his abysmal lyrics. In fact, the lyrical content throughout the album is unoriginal and uninspired. It’s a wonder some lines ever escaped the cutting room floor. However, none of the album’s faults are at the hands of its producers, Pharrell Williams and Timbaland. The production is solid throughout, but with “Man of the Woods” being Timberlake’s fifth album with these producers, it’s blatantly clear he is running in circles with his current production team. Looking forward, Timberlake needs not a new image, but an entirely new sound to defibrillate public attention. Masquerading his old tricks in trees and twang, Timberlake’s “Man of the Woods” is a dreadful listen that borders on parody levels of absurdity. Needless to say, I can’t in good conscience recommend anyone to listen to this record. However, for those intrigued by Timberlake’s hipster lumberjack aesthetic and appreciate his signature brand of “dad swag,” “Man of the Woods” is currently available for purchase and streaming on all media platforms.
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Marvel’s long awaited “Black Panther” film hits theaters this weekend. The film picks up following the events of “Captain America: Civil War.” Tickets are for sale starting around $8.
For the second year in a row, comedian Jimmy Kimmel will host the annual Academy Awards ceremony, taking place in Hollywood, California. The Oscars will air at 7 p.m. on ABC.
Based on the popular children’s novel of the same name, “A Wrinkle in Time” makes its theatrical debut this March, starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling.
This March, Pink will rock the Xcel Energy Center, touring her new album, “Beautiful Trauma,” which spawned her latest hit, “What About Us.” Tickets for the show start at $176.