Cycle 8 by SLP Echo

Echo

MUSIC TRIP TO HAWAII

ULTIMATE TRYOUTS

MOVIE SPARKS DISCUSSION

Band teacher strives to include cultural experience PAGE 4

Senior invited to tryout for the USA ultimate team PAGE 8

‘Black Panther’ emphasizes black excellence PAGE 12

Friday, March 16, 2018 Volume 91 Issue 8 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

SLPECHO.COM

#Enough: Junior Eva Goldfarb and senior Izzi Gilbert-Burke lead a chant during the student-led walkout March 14. Community members lined the sidewalks throughout the 0.7-mile walk. Some students returned on buses while others walked back to school.

Photo Grace Farley

#Enough walkout empowers teen initiative City cooperates to ensure safety

No fear: Sophomore Evan Nelson holds a sign as he walks into Fire Station 1. Students were encouraged to make signs to show their support for the cause.

Atticus Raasch & Annabella Strathman atticusraasch@slpecho.com annabellastrathman@slpecho.com

our years after domestic gun violence left her an orphan, senior Carly Livingston said she decided to come forward and publicly share her story at the #Enough. Livingston joined four other speakers in addressing gun violence issues to approximately 450 people at Fire Station 1 after students walked out of school at 10:05 a.m. March 14. Student organizers and city officials coordinated safe pathways for students to travel to and from school to the station. Livingston said the walkout was necessary to inform students about current gun violence debates. “Hearing somebody who you know or see around school — one of your peers — hearing something like I went through ... it affects students in a different way,” Livingston said. “It kind of hits the point home that gun violence is so common it can literally happen to anybody.” Gun violence propelled senior Elliot Schochet to begin planning the walkout after having two friends survive the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Schochet said while organizers worked closely with the City and Park’s administration, the event planning was primarily done by students. “Kids couldn’t have done it alone. It required adult intervention from the fire

Photo Grace Farley

Why did or didn’t you choose to walk out today?

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No one should have to worry about whether they are going to go home after school any day of the week. They shouldn’t have to worry about it being one of their peers.

Madeline Gonzalez, junior

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Most kids are doing it just to get out of school. It’s not really going to change anything. The government is going to do what the government wants.

Keymari Jordan, junior

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The walkout or all this discussion about gun violence just highlights guns and then doesn’t highlight how people are not getting help for mental illnesses. Ian McIntyre, senior

department, the police department, the administration at the school, from the City Council, from the mayor,” Schochet said. “It’s undoubtedly student led, though we came up with all the ideas on our own. We totally planned this 100 percent on our own.” Mayor Jake Spano, who walked alongside students at the March, said he appreciates student voices. “I think nationally the grownups haven’t been able to get it done,” Spano said. “Much like the Climate Action Plan discussion we have had over the last two years, where youth were able to drive that agenda, I think that’s probably a good idea to see if the students can get some traction on this.” Freshman Hope Kihanya said she feels the voice of the students is important with the topic of gun violence. “It’s so close to us because it happened in a school where we’re supposed to be safe and where we learn and where we go every day. I feel like us being students, and having an opinion and voicing an opinion, being the new generation and talking about it gives us a voice,” Kihanya said.

Superintendent Astein Osei said he encourages students to use their voices on issues they care about. “On any matter that students are interested or passionate about, I always encourage students to engage and have their voices heard on topics,” Osei said. “Sometimes that will be here in the school, there’s sometimes where it will be outside of the school.” Spano said he congratulates students for taking action on gun violence issues. “Kudos to the students. They have been really thoughtful and deliberate and have been in touch with us about what they want to do so that we can try and make sure that they get to and from as safely as possible,” Spano said. Livingston also said she appreciated the peer support and dedication to changing gun laws as she told her story. “It feels amazing. It makes it easier to speak knowing there are so many people here supporting me, supporting the change in gun laws. I hope that we continue to do this until something changes,” Livingston said. For more information and a photo gallery go to slpecho.com

Walkout timeline 10 a.m.

Students walk out of classrooms and head to the Auditorium doors

10:05 a.m.

Walkout organizers lead students out of the building and move toward the ﬁre station by route of Woodale Avenue over Highway 7

10:20 a.m.

After arriving at Fire Station 1, students gather to listen to speeches from organizers

10:45 a.m.

Students participate in events set up by the organizers, including voter registration and sending letters to representatives

10:55 a.m.

Busses begin loading to transport students back to high school

11:15 a.m.

Students return to classrooms after using their student ID to re-enter the building

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NEWS

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

I think it’s really cool that there’s a juice bar opening in St. Louis Park because it gives us a healthy alternative. Raina Kronﬁeld, freshman

WEB PREVIEW

Photo Katie Hardie

Spanish club watches popular movie ‘Coco’

panish club President junior Katie Christensen said people were interested in the meeting March 7 to watch the movie ‘Coco,’ and see its ties to Spanish culture. “‘Coco’ won a lot of awards, so it is obviously a well received movie but also really connected to the Spanish-speaking culture, so I think a lot of the reason people came is that the movie is so well acclaimed,” Christensen said. Marta Hill martahill@slpecho.com

Photo Malaika Bigirindavyi

Boys’ lacrosse team prepares for season

s he attends the boys’ lacrosse preseason practices, senior captain Mitchell Vortherms said the practices allow players to build team unity and reinforce techniques players may have lost during the offseason. “I see people at school, but building chemistry again is good,” Vortherms said. “Obviously, you can play with a wall and hit the wall, but that’s not the same versus playing with your people.” Isabel Kjaer & Soﬁa Seewald isabelkjaer@slpecho.com soﬁaseewald@slpecho.com

Juice bar looks to attract local community

Photo Carissa Prestholdt

Blend it: Vibe Organic Juice Bar opens on Excelsior Grand March 19. The juice bar will serve a variety of juices and organic foods. Menu items also include acai bowls, smoothies, salads, sandwiches and more.

Owner emphasizes importance of healthy habits, lifestyle Soﬁa Seewald soﬁaseewald@slpecho.com

s local owner and founder of Vibe Organic Juice Bar Amber Thielen prepares to open her juice bar off of Excelsior Boulevard, she said she hopes to gain interest among people of all ages. “We’re trying to attract everyone in the community,” Thielen said. “People ask me if I have a target market or demographic, and really, I just want to bring healthy food to all, so I invite everyone.” Sophomore David Klein said he thinks the juice bar will give students a healthy eating alternative and steer people away from bad eating habits. “I’m excited for the juice bar, because I can get to it easily, and it will encourage people to eat healthier and make people aware of their options,” Klein said. “There are a lot of students around Excel-

New exhibit at Weisman Art Museum

or students interested in learning about mankind’s impact on two regions on opposite ends of the globe, the Weisman Art Museum’s “Vanishing Ice: Alpine and Polar Landscapes in Art” exhibit is the place to go. From landscape paintings, photographs, to a large tent and sled intended for the harsh arctic climate, the exhibit captures the beauty of the earth’s frozen lands. Soﬁa Seewald soﬁaseewald@slpecho.com For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

Vibe Organic Juice Bar Opening March 19 4720 Excelsior Blvd. St. Louis Park, MN 55416 Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday: 8 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday: 8 a.m.–3 p.m. Infographic Soﬁa Seewald Source Vibe Organic Juice Bar

Bargman said she plans on visiting Vibe Organic Juice Bar and is ready to expand her food palate. “I’m excited for the juice bar because I want to be able to try something new, and I think students will definitely go to check it out and see what it’s like,” Bargman said. “It’s always good to support a local business.” According to Thielen, the juice bar will open March 19. For more information, visit the Vibe Organic Juice Bar website.

Dollars for Scholars grants Financial Aid to seniors Seniors receive ﬁnancial support

Photo Carissa Prestholdt

sior (and Grand), so I think the business will do well.” According to Thielen, having a place where students know everything is organic and benefits their health is something they shouldn’t take for granted. “Having a passion for eating good and making our communities more healthy is what motivates and drives me,” Thielen said. “Even for high school students, being able to give them a healthy place to come and eat where you know you can trust the ingredients is important.” Freshman Claire Bargman said dietary habits can impact a student’s lifestyle. “Healthy eating is important because it makes you feel better about yourself and makes your body feel better, and you feel more healthy overall,” Bargman said. According to Klein, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial for students involved in athletics. “As someone who does a lot of sports, eating healthy is one of the most important things, and I always am aware of what I’m putting into my body,” Klein said.

Soﬁe Geretz soﬁegeretz@slpecho.com

mid stress, seniors are able to apply for scholarships with Dollars for Scholars. Doing so, they are able to receive financial aid for their post-secondary educations, according to freshman counselor and scholarship coordinator Barbara Nelson. “For many, (Dollars for Scholars) helps ease the financial burden of college education and is a recognition of their accomplishments in (high school),” Nelson said. “Dollars for Scholars is a communitydriven way to financially support graduating seniors with scholarships.” Senior D’aviyan Robison, who is applying for the scholarships said the positive effect they can have on her financial state encouraged her application. “I decided to apply because college is going to be expensive and it’s a very easy way to earn some money to put toward school because even a little counts in the long run,” Robinson said.

Photo Muna Ali

Big money: Senior Joshua Somaiah ﬁlls out his application for Dollars for Scholars March 13. Applications were due at 3 p.m. March 15. Robinson said she appreciates the uncomplicated process of applying for a scholarship. “The best aspect about the program is that it’s based within the community, and it’s so easy for us to simply apply. I love how everyone is basically guaranteed a scholarship just by applying because there are just so many to go around,” Robinson said. Nelson said the process, which began toward the beginning of the year, is straightforward. “(Regarding) applying for scholarships, we introduce it to seniors at a meeting in February. It is an easy process to apply if students follow the directions.” Nelson said. Robinson said the recent senior meeting explained the scholarship applying process simply and clearly. “It honestly wasn’t that difficult just because we were able to run through

everything during the senior meeting. They gave us all the information we need and made it clear what we needed to do. Like step-by-step they went through everything so that helped a lot,” Robinson said. Robinson said she urges others to try out Dollars for Scholars, even though it may seem unimportant. “Yes, I would definitely recommend (Dollars for Scholars) because like I said, college is going to be expensive, so anything is going to help in relieving some of the financial burden. I think that some people are just too lazy to do it, but if you think about it long term, the money could go toward books or something like that just by simply applying,” Robinson said. According to Nelson, information about the Dollars for Scholars organization in St. Louis Park can be found on the St. Louis Park Dollars for Scholars Website. Applications for Dollars for Scholars were due at 3 p.m. on March 15.

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(Heritage) let’s me know were I am from and where my family came from, also learning the history behind my family tree. Sutra Abdullahi, sophomore

STUDENT LIFE

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Discovering family roots Heritage revealed through DNA test Nietzsche Deuel nietzschedeuel@slpecho.com

hen junior Morganna Oberdorfer’s friends bought her a 23andMe DNA kit, she said she was excited for all the answers about her ancestry to be revealed. “I talked about (my heritage) a lot when people asked me what ‘I am’ and I never really completely had an answer,” Oberdorfer said. Oberdorfer said she hoped to learn more about the biological traits her family passed down to her. “I don’t know all of my family members and where they all came from, so I didn’t know where I came from,” Oberdorfer said. “I wanted to know where my dark hair came from, and why I tan instead of sunburn and things like that.” According to biology teacher Julie Schilz, while accessibility of the DNA testing is convenient, customers should be aware there are still potential inaccuracies in the results. “I think it’s really cool (to) have it be more accessible. But I think with that accessibility it should be made clear to consumers the discrepancies in the results, or if they’re super accurate, as well as what the results mean and how to interpret them,” Schilz said. Schilz said DNA testing doesn’t have an educational benefit. “I think it is more of a thing for fun, to be able to imagine that six generations ago your ancestors (lived) in a certain part of the world. Other than that, for me at least, I don’t see a biological point to it,” Schilz said. According to the 23andMe website, they now work alongside Ancestry.com to provide DNA results for customers interested in their lineage. 23andMe uses DNA, while other companies help find lineage using physical records like birth and marriage certificates. According to Schilz, 23andMe finds each customer’s ancestry by assessing how sections of DNA compare to DNA in other geographic locations already in their databases. “They’re comparing your DNA to other people that are in their system, so it’s not the end of the story. It’s not whatever they categorize you as. It just happens to be what your DNA bases align most with,” Schilz said. “You could genetically be similar to someone from one part of the world and also have your bases be similar to someone else in another part of the world.” According to the 23andMe website, its already extensive DNA database, with more than 3 million customers, continuously expands as its business grows. Junior Delaney Wallerich said she plans to participate in DNA ancestry testing. She said while heritage is important, it should not alter the way she views herself. “Your heritage does not shape you as a person. It won’t change the way I feel about myself,” Wallerich said. Schilz said she feels individuals can misinterpret their results and make inconsiderate remarks. “For your average person being able to go and spent (money) on an ancestry test and have the results come back and be like ‘hey look I’m 3 percent

African so I’m just like you’ to somebody who can clearly trace their lineage back. I think insensitive comments like that can be an issue,” Schilz said. Oberdorfer said heritage impacts how people view each other. “It is part of your identity, and it’s how the world sees you, the kind of stuff you do and the way you see the world. It makes everybody different,” Oberdorfer said. Junior Lexi Lee said she and her siblings had their DNA tested by Ancestry. According to Lee, family tradition remains important and should continue regardless of DNA results. “Traditions are all about bringing people together, so even if you don’t come from (a specific heritage) it can still connect you with people,” Lee said. Wallerich said she wants to test her DNA because she is curious about discovering her roots. “I have always been curious (about) where my ancestors came from. I just thought it would be a good opportunity to discover about myself and answer the question of where I come from,” Wallerich said. Lee said there were no surprises when she and her siblings found out the results. “The main (results) were what we already knew, like Norway and 280 students were Germany, so mostly surveyed during European countries,” lunch Feb. 9 and 10. Lee said. According to Oberdorfer, she was shocked 87.7 percent of when she saw her results. students think “I had always been knowing your told my grandma was ancestry is important 100 percent Irish, but the results said I was only 8 percent. I should 56.1 percent of have been 25 percent,” Oberdorfer said. students know Lee said her family certainly where their got their DNA tested family came from by Ancestry because her family had been previously tracking their 34 percent of heritage through the website. students would pay “When we were $99 to have their younger, my parents got DNA tested an Ancestry account, so we trace our ancestry far back. We were al88 percent of ready familiar with the company,” Lee said. Lee said completing the kit was fairly easy and cheap when splitting the cost between people. “It was easy to do, but you need a lot of spit,” Lee said. “We split the cost between the three of us, my siblings, so it wasn’t as much as it would be for just one person.” According to the Ancestry website, the DNA testing kits normally cost $99 and can take six weeks or more to receive the results. The kits can be bought on the Ancestry or 23andMe websites. Officials at Ancestry declined to comment.

Survey Results

students know what Ancestry.com

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FEATURES

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Lauren Schmelzer, sophomore

Band travels to Hawaii

For what it’s WORTH Yonah Davis yonahdavis@ slpecho.com

Members excited to learn about Polynesian culture

Listen up, make an impact

Tjessa Arradondo tjessaarradondo@slpecho.com

he Minnesota Capitol's rotunda was packed with a sea of orange-clad people of all ages united by a common goal: to end gun violence, on Thursday, Feb. 22. Gun violence prevention organization Protect Minnesota organized the rally in the wake of the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Rally attendees watched and listened as various speakers — students to politicians alike — shared their perspectives. At the end of each speech, the crowd cheered and chanted in support. During the middle of the event, Minnesota representative Jamie Becker-Finn approached the podium. She introduced herself as a mother and a prosecutor, and the crowd applauded politely. Then to everyone’s surprise, she revealed that she is also a gun owner. Following this revelation, a hush fell over the crowd. Most attendees of the rally were like minded people, present to protest gun violence. The crowd remained unsure of what to think until midway through her speech when she expressed her support for sensible gun laws. What’s the According to the WashingPOINT? ton Post, the Keep an majority of open mind gun owners toward new are responperspectives sible, so it is important to recognize their voices. At the end of her speech, the crowd erupted in cheers — a stark difference from the way she was welcomed to the podium. By simply listening to a different viewpoint, I was able to understand that there are more ways that we can connect rather than divide. Today, in a world where there are many aspects to every issue, it is particularly important to listen to all perspectives on an issue and be open minded. While it may seem like you completely disagree with a person, giving them a few moments of your time and being open to what they have to say may help you find a common ground. In order to change, it is crucial to listen to others and work together. Learning to listen to something you disagree with can potentially be uncomfortable but it is important. I never plan on being a gun owner. However, listening to a new perspective helped me realize that in order to create a difference, I need to listen to others. As the rally ended and the crowd flooded out of the doors, I was left with a lesson: to create change, I need to be willing to listen to others.

I think (learning about Polynesian culture) will really help their experience when they get (to Hawaii)

ccording to band director Steven Schmitz, he hopes his students will dive into the history and cultural experiences Hawaii has to offer on their band trip during spring break. “I want my students to understand American history and musically honor the sacrifices of our military heroes,” Schmitz said. • Learn about Sophomore tenor Polynesian saxophone player Ben culture Bryan said the symphonic band will play • Attend a luau a song called “Elegy,” originally written in • Watch top honor of the World surfers War II soldiers who fought at Pearl Harbor Bay. Infographic Tjessa Arrandodo & Marta Hill Source Steven Schmitz “We’re going to show honor and respect for those who lost their lives that day,” Bryan said. According to Schmitz, playing at several monuments in Hawaii’s capitol is just a few of the activities happening during their stay. “We plan to hike Diamond Head Crater for an amazing view of Honolulu, participate in an authentic luau, watch top surfers on island’s north shore and learn about 11 Pacific cultures, which came to Hawaii at the Polynesian Cultural Center,” Schmitz said. According to Schmitz, Park band and orchestra will leave for Oahu March 22 and return March 29.

Activities in Hawaii

Photo Emma Yarger

Jazzy: Senior jazz band member Braeden Tousson plays the saxophone during the Pops Concert March 6. Students performed small group interludes between large group songs.

Nest hosts meeting about planning ideas City moves to help Nest with ﬁnances Marta Hill martahill@slpecho.com

hinking about the Nest’s future, Nest chair Julia Schmelzer said in order for the Nest to succeed, they need a variety of students involved in planning. “In order for (the Nest) to be successful, it needs to be used by the students, and in order for it to be used by all the students, we need all the different groups, different interests, different areas to make sure that there is something there for everyone,” Schmelzer said. According to sophomore Nest board member and branding team coordinator Cole Nugteren, there are many ways for students to get involved in the planning process. “There are a lot of different ways to get involved. If you come to a meeting we can find a way for you to help, with any level of involvement,” Nugteren said. Schmelzer said they need support from not only the community, but the city as well. “The city is very supportive of the idea,” Schmelzer said. “We asked (the city) to pay rent for the first year, which is about $25,000, and four out of the seven were very in favor of that. The other three were in favor in (theory) but still were wondering what we can do to make sure we set ourselves up for success.” According to Schmelzer, the Nest is trying to find ways to make an impact now, instead of waiting until they have a space.

Ways to support the Nest • • • •

Donate Volunteer Attend a meeting Reach out to the Nest Infographic Marta Hill Source Julia Schmelzer

“We are looking for things the Nest can do right now that can help the student body now, even though we don’t have a space,” Schmelzer said. “A lot of the things that we can do to help don't have to cost money.” Nugteren said students and community members should attend a meeting or reach out to the Nest, if they want to participate. “(Everyone) should get involved. We need lots of different perspectives, otherwise it isn’t going to work,” Nugteren said. “It will only be designed for one type of person, which won’t accomplish what we want. So, come to the meetings.” According to Schmelzer, the next Nest meeting is at 8 a.m. March 22 in room A304.

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I think joining the public service is not something I would do, but if you were the right kind of person and want to work in that ﬁeld, then that would be good.

FEATURES Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Mitchell VonEschen, sophomore

In the SPOTLIGHT

Senior decides to join National Guard Ryan Lee will attend basic training in June

Ryan Lee, senior Photo illustration Sam St. Clair

What made you want to join the National Guard? There were a lot of different reasons behind joining. The adventure of it is a huge reason, and it will also help pay for college, which is a big factor. There’s a bunch of different reasons. Did anyone inﬂuence your decision to join? I know some people who are in the National Guard and the military that have had good experiences, some have had bad experiences, but mostly good. Talking (to them) allowed me to make an educated decision. How long have you wanted to join the National Guard? I knew I wanted to join the National Guard since two years ago. I was always interested, and then it just became more real so I decided to just 'screw it' and do it. What was the process like? It was the weirdest job interview ever. It’s interesting because you sit down and talk to the recruiter for a while and then you go to the military processing station, and

they basically gave you any medical test you could think of. After that you pick a job, assuming you’ve passed the background test. What job did you choose? Fire Support Specialist. What does that job entail? A lot of what I will be doing is planning fire missions and working with field artillery, air strikes and other things that deal with threats.

comfortable or not with the idea, which has been more than I could ever ask for. How did you feel when you oﬃcially were part of the National Guard at the ceremony? At the ceremony I was just really excited for what’s to come and looking forward to everything. I was so tired after the long day of testing, so it was nice to have it all done with.

What does it mean to you to be in the National Guard? It’s a way for me to serve my home and my community.

What are you doing to prepare for basic training? I have been doing a lot of push ups and mental prep before I go. I will also have some time drilling with the National Guard in the Recruit Sustainment program, which will be really useful.

How do you feel about being in the National Guard? I’m really excited. It’s definitely going to be one heck of a summer with basic training and everything.

When do you start training? My basic training is for 10 weeks at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. I ship out June 18 through Aug. 21.

How do your family and friends feel about you joining? They have been extremely supportive whether they feel

Abby Intveld abbyintveld@slpecho.com

Film club throws Academy Awards party Participants guess award winners Abby Intveld abbyintveld@slpecho.com

hen sophomore Izzy Kanne attended film club’s Oscar viewing party and filled out a ballot guessing the winners of awards, she said it was harder than she had anticipated. “There were a lot of categories that I wasn’t really familiar with so it was hard. I had to guess a lot. But it was still fun to just do that and be there,” Kanne said. Senior film club co-president Ben Romain said the club had a party March 4 and watched the Academy Awards together while filling out a ballot. “We made these sheets with all the nominees on it. We then had people pick out what they think was going to win beforehand and saw who won. We also had snacks and things like that,” Romain said. Junior Ethan Hoeschen said he went to the viewing party after seeing multiple best picture nominations and was eager to discuss with peers. “I did well in the ballot because ‘The Shape of Water’ crushed it so I got those right,” Hoeschen said. “I got a whole page of guesses wrong, which wasn’t great but I ended up doing OK. It was

pretty fun. According to Romain, the club prepared before the Academy Awards by attempting to watch all the best picture nominations. “We have been going to the theaters and seeing Oscar nominated movies,” Romain said. “We have seen ‘Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri’ and ‘The Shape of Water.’” Romain said film club saw the nominations together knowing they would be watching and predicting the Academy Awards as a club. “It’s really fun to see the nominations, especially in a group. It’s nice to be able to see some beforehand and have an actual opinion about the Oscars (when we) watch them together,” Romain said. According to Kanne, who saw “The Shape of Water” with the film club, it’s important to see and know more about the Oscar nominations in order to better understand the results of the award show. “We wanted to have background knowledge about the movies up for best picture so we could form own opinions about them,” Kanne said. Romain said the viewing party was a success because of the increased attendance and the ballot that was held. “It went pretty well. A decent amount of people showed up. It was a good time,” Romain said.

Photo Sam St. Clair

And the award goes to: Senior ﬁlm club president Ben Romain rejoices as the winning nominees of the 2018 Oscars are released. The Oscars were March 4 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.

2018 Final Oscar results Best picture The Shape of Water Best actor Gary Oldman Best actress Frances McDormand Infographic Marta Hill Source Lukas Levin

Romain said he hopes film club continues to develop and expand without him and the other senior members of the club. “(I hope) there will be more frequent meetings and more people joining next year,” Romain said. Kanne said she is looking forward to next year and hopes film club continues to throw Oscar viewing parties because it was a new and good experience for her. “(I would) definitely go again because it was fun to watch the Oscars with my peers that I went to see some of the movies with,” Kanne said. The next film club meeting will be held March 29, in A316 where they will watch and discuss a surprise film.

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IN-DEPTH

If Eastern medicine works for some people then its always good to have more options.

Katie Steiner, senior

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Integrative med uniﬁes hea

Rise in prevalence of no Alex Balfour & Izzy Leviton alexbalfour@slpecho.com izzyleviton@slpecho.com

xperiencing an increase in anxiety with the upcoming track season, junior Anna Jennissen said she felt inclined to look for alternative ways to combat her stress. According to Jennissen, she will be receiving help from integrative medicine specialist Bob Decker to help with the mental aspect of sports. “If you are a very anxious person and you have anxiety with sports or with school, he will put these beads in our ear. It helps relieve (anxiety) and people are using him for physical problems and mental problems,” Jennissen said. “I have anxiety with track so I was going to ask him to help me.”

What is integrative medicine

ccording to Charlotte Alvarez, founder and owner of One Medicine Acupuncture and Apothecary located in Minneapolis, alternative medicine refers to any non-western medicinal practice used instead of a traditional western treatment. “Alternative medicine would be a medicine that is a different choice to allopathic western medicine,” Alvarez said. “With alternative medicine you can choice to incorporate it to into Western medicine or you can use it instead of western medicine.” Alvarez said, on the other hand, integrative medicine is a newer term referring to practices that work in tandem with Western medicine. “Say you went to your regular doctor because you had an ear infection and they said ‘OK this is what we can do for you. We have antibiotics’,” Alvarez said. “Then you went to your acupuncturist and they said ‘OK we can do acupuncture and herbal medicine and cupping’ and you could choose to do all of that. They work together.” According to Bob Decker, an acupuncturist at the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, he specializes

in Chinese medicine, w medicine because it foc ailments. “Traditional Chines complete approach to med mind, spirit approach, wh dealing with symptoms an a symptom,” Decker said. Senior Eitan Grad said grative medicine as long a “I think alternative tre as they have a sound basis ment,” Grad said. Alvarez said although o integrative medicine pract research, this is not true. “There is a lot of resea ture is a wonderful, effect things like pain relief or n Celebrities using integr ping brought the public’s according to Alvarez. Peo concerned with what they and are turning to herbal “If they are in the new showing, it generates a lot cine,” Alvarez said. “I thin medicine in growing. I thi growing trend because peo healthy, and they don’t alw tical drugs in their body.”

Intergrative me in Park athletic

ecker said he has h Park where he wo athletes. “In St. Louis Park I ha players and basketball pla and I have my own privat that is outside of the Alina patients,” Decker said. According to Jennissen benefited from Decker’s p “He has a really

“

It’s up to the people who are looking for (medicinal) help to check every avenue.

dicine aling processes

on-western medicinal practices

which differs from Western cuses on more than physical

se medicine is by itself a dicine. They use a body, hile Western medicine you are nd you approach how to solve . d he supports the use of inteas there is proof of its benefits. eatments can be good as long s of research of the treat-

one misconception about tices is that they lack scientific

arch that proves that acupunctive medicine especially for nausea,” Alvarez said. rative medicine like cupattention to these practices, ople are also becoming more y are putting in their bodies medicine, Alvarez said. ws and they have their marks t of publicity for the medink in general, all of Chinese ink herbs are definitely a ople are trying to be more ways want to put pharmaceu”

edicine used cs

his own private practice in orks with many high school

ave worked on a lot of soccer ayers and athletes. I do that te practice in St. Louis Park a system where I see some

n, many Park athletes have private practice.

IN-DEPTH

Valen Watson, senior

Popular types of integrative medicine Acupuncture: inserting

hair-thin needles into diﬀerent points on the body. It is used for both improving health and preventing possible illnesses

Cupping: Heated glass

cups are applied to the skin to increase energy ﬂow throughout the body

Herbal medicine: healing

process using plants or plant derivatives to treat, prevent, or help cure health issues. Herbal medicines can be prescribed.

Moxibustion: practice

of burning an herb called mugwort on or near the body to increase blood ﬂow. Used with acupuncture or by itself. Infographic Alex Balfour & Izzy Leviton Source Charlotte Alvarez

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

big effect on a lot of athletes because he helps with girls’ and boys’ soccer. I think a lot athletes realize what he can do, so they know they can go and use him for help,” Jennissen said. Freshman swimmer Hayden Zheng said he uses cupping, a form of Chinese medicine, to relax his muscles in preparation for swim meets. “It relaxes the muscle because it pulls up all the tissue and the muscle. Then after you release it loosens and the blood flow increases,” Zheng said. “By the time the meet rolls around a week later, the muscles will be ready because they will be a lot looser.” Zheng said having loosened muscles while competing increases his performance in events. “(Cupping provides) higher performance because swimming is about feeling the water and if you have a good feel that completely ties into your muscles being looser,” Zheng said. “If you are looser in the water, that helps you go faster.” Jennissen said after receiving acupuncture from Decker, she noticed the muscles in her body relax. “He explains it as reorganizing the energy in our bodies. He said that that is one way it helps us, but it also calms the muscles down,” Jennissen said. “For me, all the muscles were super tight so then it relaxed it and took some of the strain out of my body right away.”

Mental beneﬁts of practice

ntegrative medicine does not only help athletes, but also alleviates some side effects of cancer therapy along with other post-surgical pain, Decker said. “I have worked with a lot of cancer patients because it is helpful in terms of dealing with some of the side effects from chemotherapy,” Decker said. “I work on a lot of different types of pain issues, post surgical pain, arthritis type pain. I work with a lot of people with emotional issues like anxiety and depression.” Senior Eitan Grad said his sister has used acupuncture as a form of skin treatment instead of using traditional medicine, which has in turn improved her mental state without the side effects of some regular medicines. “My sister was very concerned about the appearance of her skin. It was something which effected her self-esteem so she started going to acupuncture appointments to focus on her skin,” Grad said. “I think it really appears to be working and she seems a lot more happy and a lot more confident.” Decker said Chinese medicine’s ability to integrate problems from different elements and systems in the body can help improve someone’s overall health. “In approaching somebody that way, sometimes we can take what seems to be symptoms from different systems and they coalesce in our system into one pattern,” Decker said. “By solving that pattern, the person then gets well.” Alarez said stress, anxiety and depression are one of the top issues she treats with integrative medicine. “In a lot of ways it is really stress relieving. It helps detox both the physical body and the mind and emotional body,” Alvarez said. “If you have stagnant emotions that are not moving or you feel stuck or if you feel sad or depressed, it can help move those.”

Photo Grace Farley

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SPORTS Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

(Boys’ basketball) should be happy with what they did this year.

Brian Asumari, sophomore

Out of the PARK Jacob Stillman jacobstillman@ slpecho.com

Supporting Park athletics, peers

o far this year has been an exceptional one for Park sports. A football Section championship and State appearance, a boys’ soccer conference title and Section runner-up and conference runnerups for girls’ swimming, soccer and tennis were achieved by the fall sports teams. Success at State for boys’ swimming, a great record and season for boys’ hockey, and Section victories for both girls’ and boys’ basketball highlighted the winter. For someone like me who loves to support Park athletics, this year has been enjoyable. Not only have our sports teams excelled, but they have also entertained in ways I have never experienced What’s the in my high school career. POINT? Park’s 1312 nail biter This has been victory over a special year Robbinsdaleso far for Park Cooper in sports the section 5AAAAA championship gave us our first State tournament berth in 45 years and was unforgettable for those of us watching from the student section on that snowy night. I will always remember storming the field and celebrating with the team following that win. Although the next game resulted in a loss in the first round of State, the excitement leading up to the game and the bus trip up to St. Cloud, fans and atmosphere at the game was truly memorable. I will remember Park boys hockey team’s victory over Benilde-St. Margaret’s in the first round of Sections this year. From an anticipatory start to exhilarating finish, I was on edge in one of the best sports games I have seen, culminating in a game winning goal with less than 30 seconds left. For me, both of these events were witnessed from the student section, the best place to show support at these thrilling games. When I am not participating in a sport, I have loved being in student sections, where I can cheer on my peers. Having a student section at a game, whether it is home or away, is always an advantage for Park. So far, this year has provided our school with some pretty unique sports moments, none of which I will be forgetting soon. We should not take those moments for granted, as we do not know when our school will have another one of these experiences. If the fall and winter season are any indicator for the upcoming season, all I can say is I can’t wait for spring.

Photo Noah Deetz

State Champ: Freshman Hayden Zheng swims the 100-yard breaststroke at a dual meet against Chaska-Chan Jan. 18. Zheng won the 100 breaststroke at State and placed third in the 200 I.M. Four other Park swimmers qualiﬁed for the State meet.

Boys’ swimming ﬂies through State

Swimmers reﬂect on winning season Eli Curran-Moore & Hanna Schecter elicurranmoore@slpecho.com hannaschecter@slpecho.com

ccording to boys’ swimming head coach Amanda Forsberg, after Section finals Feb. 24, five Park swimmers qualified for the State preliminary meet March 2 and State finals March 3 at the University of Minnesota. “(The team) did really well. Hayden Zheng won the 100 breast. I don’t think we’ve had a State champion for 10 to 15 years, at least not while I’ve been coaching here. Alec Pittman did really well in the 500 free. He broke his own team record by 11 seconds,” Forsberg said. “The medley relay qualified for consolation finals, and Luke Anderson made State for the first time in the 100

back(stroke), which was huge.” Junior Will Halvorson said the team preformed well and felt great about the season’s finish. “We did really well overall. We had some of the best swims of the season. Everyone was happy with their times,” Halvorson said. Freshman Hayden Zheng said he was loved the competitive feel of the State meet. “I’ve been competitively swimming for eight years and high school State is like none other. Just the intensity and noise. It’s so loud and the overall atmosphere is just crazy,” Zheng said. According to Forsberg, along with his individual State title in the breaststroke, Zheng took third place in the 200-yard individual medley with another All-American consideration time of 1.50.57. Forsberg said she feels proud and glad the season ended on such a positive note with the State meet.

“At State, even to have more swimmers qualifying, it was fun to have more people there. It just creates a great atmosphere at the end of the season,” Forsberg said. According to Forsberg, both individual swimmers and team events placed exceptionally. “Alec Pittman placed 10th in the 500 freestyle, although his time would have placed him seventh overall,” Forsberg said. “Our relay did really well in preliminaries but (disqualified) in finals, so their time would have placed them 14th.” Zheng said he is looking forward to the next season and will miss the seniors who are graduating this year. “Next year we’re graduating two guys and they are very strong swimmers, some of our best swimmers. I think we need to keep up the hard work that we’ve put in this year and just keep up our team atmosphere,” Zheng said. “If we just keep up that fun mentally while still swimming fast, we’ll be successful.”

Boys’ basketball loses to Wayzata in Section semis Team reﬂects on game, season Alec Pittman & Jacob Stillman alecpittman@slpecho.com, jacobstillman@slpecho.com

fter starting the game slower than originally planned, junior Jacob Houts said the team couldn’t catch up with Wayzata’s offense. “I think that in the second half we came out slow and they got a lead,” Houts said. “After that point we had to pressure them, which allowed them to get easy lay ups when we would have a half-second lapse on defense. They were then able to pull away from there, and we weren’t able to make up lost ground.” The team lost to Wayzata 59-66 in its second Section game after defeating Minneapolis Washburn 85-70 in its first game. The team ended with a 13-13 overall record. According to senior Aidan Doherty, the season went well overall despite the quicker-than-anticipated ending. “Reflecting on the season, I think overall it was a great one. We all had a lot of fun I think,” Doherty said. “It didn’t exactly end the way we wanted it to, but

Photo Josh Halper

To the hoop: Senior Cire Mayﬁeld drives to the basket against Wayzata defender Kody Williams. The Orioles were defeated by the Trojans 66-59 Mar. 9. it was a great experience and I am happy about my career.” Junior Varsity coach Marquealis Edwards said the team helped create a positive atmosphere for his first year coaching, making the season enjoyable for both him and the team. “The season went really well. I didn’t know a lot of the guys (at first), but once I got to know more of them it went a lot better,” Edwards said. “It was a lot of fun. The seniors worked really hard, and it was really just a good season.” Houts said he wishes the team had the opportunity to advance to the Section finals and play Hopkins. “We should have beat Wayzata, but I

think it went pretty good,” Houts said. “The only thing is I am sad for the seniors that we had to go out like this. I wish we could have had one more game to play Hopkins.” Looking forward to next year, Edwards said his bond with the current juniors will provide a good base for his relationship with the team moving forward into next year. “I am looking forward to another coaching season. I am very comfortable with the juniors, the upcoming seniors. The seniors were awesome, but I came in as a new coach so I didn’t really know everybody,” Edwards said. “The juniors will be really fun, it will be a good season.”

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It’s really cool to see a player from our own school go on to the national level.

SPORTS

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Ethan Hoeschen, junior

Meet the AHLETE

Senior invited to apply for USA ultimate team Esther Gendler attends ultimate tryouts in California

Who Katie Frederickson Grade Senior Sport Cross Country, Hockey, Track

Yonit Krebs yonitkrebs@slpecho.com

hen senior girls’ ultimate captain Esther Gendler received an email from USA ultimate in September inviting her to tryout for their 2019 team, she said at first she overlooked it, thinking it was just another one of the many emails she receives. “I didn’t really look very closely into it, and my mom actually was talking to one of her friends whose son got invited to apply, and she’s like ‘this is actually a big deal, you should apply.’,” Gendler said. “So I did, not really expecting anything out of it, but then I got invited to try out.” According to Gendler, the tryouts were in Livermore, CA Feb. 10 and 11. She said there were two tryouts, one on either coast, and out of the 100 girls who try out, only around 20 are picked. “We did drills and conditioning and scrimmaging and skills. It was really challenging, and there were a bunch of coaches and people watching us and kind of judging us,” Gendler said. “I met a lot of really cool people who’ve been playing for a really long time, and it was just really fun to play with people who are at a really high level.” According to girls’ ultimate head coach Seija Stratton, receiving an invitation to tryout for the USA team is alone extremely impressive, the fact that Esther only began

Photo Hanna Schechter

Tossin’ it: Senior Esther Gendler practices her ﬂick throw after practice Mar. 7. Gendler tried out for the USA national team Feb. 10 and 11. playing ultimate four years ago, makes her success even more exciting. It’s a young sport, so in terms of the pure number of participants, we’re still at a bit of a disadvantage with the pool of athletes that we’re dealing with,” Stratton said. “To Esther’s credit, it’s very impressive, after playing for only four years, to be able to try out for a Junior Worlds’ team limited to even a hundred participants, to even make the tryout cut. It speaks to her talents, athleticism and passion for the team.” According to Stratton, Gendler’s commitment to the team since she began playing ultimate along with her other skills has allowed her to improve. “She definitely has improved her skills on the field, her knowledge of ultimate during gameplays,” Stratton said. “She has also shown a lot of improvement over the past couple of years, and she’s tall and jumps for the disc so that gives her an advantage over other players on the field.” Gendler said she improved greatly since

USA Tryouts When: Feb. 10 & 11 Where: Livermore, CA Infographic Jacob Stillman Source Esther Gendler

her first time playing ultimate four years ago. “My first day of ultimate, I literally could not throw the frisbee,” Gendler said. “I would just throw it straight into the ground, so I’ve definitely gotten better with that. It’s a confusing sport, but I think I’ve just picked it up really fast.” As girls’ ultimate begins their season, Stratton said she is excited for Gendler to be a captain this year. “I think she’s very good at forming connections with the players on the rest of her team which is very important for a captain,” Stratton said. “She gives it 110 percent when she’s on the field which provides good motivation to her teammates when they’re tired.”

Photo Breanna Thompson

How does it feel to win the Athena Award? I’m really happy that I won the Athena Award. It’s a really big honor. I’m happy that my peers voted for me to this award — it’s really an honor. What inspired you to work for this? I saw athletes participating in varsity sports. I saw athletes who sort of exemplified all of all of the things I wanted to be and they won the Athena Award, and it sort of inspired me. How does this reﬂect your work? I’ve always worked really hard at sports, I’m a very competitive person. I think this shows how my competitiveness has paid off. Who has been your role model throughout this process? My biggest role model is someone who didn’t win (the Athena Award), but I think should’ve. Her name is Sophia Noreen, and she was just an excellent student and athlete. Do you have a favorite sport? If so, why? “I think my favorite sport is cross country — it’s just sort of special, and also it’s the first sport I lettered in, and I just like the environment and the team and the sport. It was more dedication to being a good athlete, and doing the right thing, coming to practice every day, showing up, working hard, and finishing workouts, (and) not cutting corners.

Winter sports in review

Photo Malaika Bigirndavyi

Photo Josh Halper

Sophomore Shayla Miller surveys the court Feb. 23 against BenildeSt. Margaret’s.

Senior Shea Pekarek handles the puck against Benidle-St. Margarets Feb. 13.

Freshman Rachel Stein performs a straddle hold on the beam at a practice.

irls’ basketball tallied a 17-9 record, placing fourth in the Metro West conference. Junior Lindsey Olson led the team in points with 10.5 per game, freshman Raegan Alexander led the team in rebounding with 6.1 rebounds per game and sophomore Shayla Miller lead the team with 3.7 assists per game. The team won its first section game against Bloomington Kennedy 58-54 and lost its second against Hopkins 81-40. The Orioles averaged 63.4 points per game and gave up 59.6 points per game on the defensive end. The Orioles will graduate three seniors this year.

oys’ hockey finished the season with a record of 158-2, placing third in the Metro West conference and reached the section semifinals in post season play. Seniors Shea Pekarek, Luke Mobley and Jonny Sorenson earned All Conference honors, while Senior Sam Baker and freshman Jack Wandmacher earned all conference honorable mentions. Sorenson lead the team with 39 points, followed by Baker with 27 and Mobley with 25. Sophomore Will Pinney was named captain for next year. The team will be graduating 13 seniors going into next year.

irls’ gymnastics ended the season with a record of 2-2 against conference opponents. Senior captain Anna duSaire earned All Section on beam, junior captain Savannah Romero earned All Conference on beam and freshman Josie Briant earned All Conference on floor. The team eclipsed its team goal of 130 points twice this season, which has not happened in years. duSaire received the highest individual score on the team with a 9.15 on the beam. Romero and juniors Mary Fuentes and Yonit Krebs were named captains next year. The team graduates three seniors.

Do you have plans to play sports post-high school? It depends on where I attend college, but I’m maybe playing hockey. How will you celebrate this award? There’s an Athena Award Banquet on May 4, and I’m just really excited to meet the other Athena Award winners, and it shows the impact my peers have on me. What is your advice to other girls who want to win this award? Always show up, work hard, do your best, add sports, but also make sure you are keeping up with your school work, challenging yourself and doing the right thing. Hadeal Rizeq hadealrizeq@slpecho.com

Jacob Stillman jacobstillman@slpecho.com

Hannah Leﬀ hannahleﬀ@slpecho.com

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10 OPINIONS

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Echo

March ampliﬁes voices

*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: Katie Hardie & sabel 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, Muna Ali, Tjessa Arradondo, Kiyonna Brooks, David Bryant, Culver Carden, Noah Deetz, Nietzsche Deuel, Sofia Geretz, Tenzin Gyaldatsang, Kaiserman, Samantha Klepfer, Sophie Olmen, William Phelan, Carissa Prestholdt, Hadeal Rizeq, Sofia Seewald, Isaac Wahl & Hayley Westwood

Chloe Richardson, sophomore

Our Perspective

Editors-in-chief: *Mimi Fhima, *Dani Orloff &

Ella Hammerstrand, Fahmo Jama, Claire

I think that students should talk to their city council members about what the city can do for gun control.

Photo Grace Farley

Speaking up: Senior Martha Walton listens to student speakers at St. Louis Park Fire Station 1 during the “#Enough” national school walkout, March 14.

n light of the recent Parkland shooting, activism surrounding gun violence is on the rise with students at the forefront. Because of this, the voices of teenagers are more important than ever. The recent walkout, organized by students, stands as an excellent example of the power of student action present within the St. Louis Park community. Student leaders expanded on the plans of the national walkout, which entailed leaving school for 17 minutes, in memory of those lost at Parkland. Park’s walkout leaders planned stations for students to register to vote and contact their representatives, and provided information about how to become more involved. They also worked closely with administration and the city in order to ensure participants were safe. Students should look to these leaders as an example of how to exercise their First Amendment rights. Student leaders such as those organizing the walkout, as well as those who participated, show true examples of the im-

pact of the student voice. Park administration abided by its attendance policy, marking students who participated as unexcused. By not imposing additional punishments on students participating in the walkout, administration allowed students to fully exercise their First Amendment rights, a practice that should stand as an example for other schools. Similarly, by working with the city to plan for buses and making an announcement during school providing details of how to participate safely, Park empowered the student voice, while remaining impartial. While Echo cannot encourage protest during school hours, we fully support students peacefully voicing their opinions. We urge students to get involved in movements they feel passionate about. If students want to exercise their rights in peaceful assembly, the “March for Our Lives” will take place 10 a.m. March 24 at the Minnesota State Capitol. More information regarding March for Our Lives can be found on its website.

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, 2017 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.

Mass shooting prompts unproductive debate cycle Partisan ownership of gun control beliefs prevent compromise William Phelan williamphelan@slpecho.com

ikolas Cruz, 19, opened fire in Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, killing 17 people on Feb. 14. In the wake of this event, many experts have weighed in on the issue of gun violence and how to prevent such tragedies. The call for a ban on public sale of specific assault-style rifles, specifically the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, is an important piece of this current debate. According to USA Today, there are more than 8 million AR-15 rifles owned by U.S. citizens today. The AR-15 has been involved in 17 of the deadliest mass shootings in the United States during the past 20 years, including the Newtown massacre in 2012, the Or-

lando nightclub attack in 2016 and the Las Vegas shooting this past year. There remains a large and vocal group of gun control activists vying for an outright ban of civilian gun ownership and even a reduction of guns in the hands of law enforcement agents. According to Gallup, 30 percent of Americans would support legislation that restricted guns to this extent. Conversely, many on the political right are unwilling to consider the concept of restricting access to firearms. Instead, a popular reaction to mass shootings, such as the one in Parkland, is to assert the benefits of increasing the concentrations of guns in the population. Many conservatives, including President Trump, suggested placing firearms in the hands of teachers as a method of reducing occurrences of school shootings because of the most recent school shooting. The debate persists, with both sides presenting such deeply contrasting solutions to gun violence in the United States that compromise seems impossible. As long as the left continues its fight against the fundamental Second Amendment rights, and the right refuses to consider that there is no use for assault style rifles in American society today, bipartisan collaboration on gun violence is impossible. To truly make the United States a safer place in regards to gun violence, politicians must set aside their partisan biases and

Up to band trip to Hawaii: Hope you don’t get any sand in your tubas. Art Devin Raynor

How do you have a productive discussion? “I feel like by listening to them and not dismissing people who have diﬀerent opinions than you. Talk to them like an adult.”

Cole Nugteren, sophomore “Give everyone an equal opportunity to talk. Make sure the other person is actually listening to the other opinions.

Lindsey Epstein, junior “Make sure you’re respectful of everyone and understand other people have diﬀerent opinions than you.”

Ainsley Preston Pepperell, freshman evaluate the way in which certain policies would most positively impact the American people. Lawmakers need to understand they cannot stand their ground, and make compromise by restricting the sale of semiautomatic assault rifles and bump stock devices without attempting to pass a full-on ban of firearms in this country.

Down to Oscar ﬁlm party: “The Emoji Movie” got robbed.

Up to “Black Panther”: Finally a movie without a white man in power.

L.L., H.L., C.H.

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(Movies) advertise bodies that are impossible to get and also gives unrealistic expectations for girls who are younger.

OPINIONS

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

Sumeya Hashi, sophomore

‘I Feel Pretty’ trailer leaves some angry Hollywood should promote healthy self-image practices instead of perfection Maddie Lund maddielund@slpecho.com

Photo Illustraion Grace Farely

he recent trailer for the upcoming movie “I Feel Pretty,” starring actress Amy Schumer, previews a movie that addresses body positivity in an insensitive way. According to IMDb, the female protagonist, played by Schumer, in “I Feel Pretty,” deals with insecurities about her appearance. Schumer hits her head and wakes up feeling like the most beautiful woman in the world. She goes through each day feeling more confident with her body and herself. While the trailer only offers a small look into the movie, so far, it hasn’t done a good job of making moviegoers excited to see the film. Many people have made comments on YouTube and Twitter voicing their opposition to the trailer. While the movie can be seen as inspiring, the

way Schumer presents her character in the film is less than stellar. When thinking about Western beauty standards, Schumer fits the Hollywood look perfectly. She is blonde, athletic, good-looking, well-dressed and yet, in the movie, she considers herself ugly. Many women fall under this standard and even look up to it at times, and by dismissing it, the movie becomes ignorant and offensive. “I Feel Pretty” implies that if you look like Schumer, you will be labeled as ugly and overweight. There is no perfect definition for being beautiful and feeling good about yourself. In addition the movie implies that someone needs to undergo a serious head injury and obtain brain damage in order to feel good and comfortable in their own body.

President plans reform affecting the future of food stamps White House Oﬃce of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney projected President Donald Trump’s plan to replace food stamps with prepared food boxes in the new administration budget request for 2019

Administration continues to marginalize Americans

Trump brings healthy foods to impoverished Food boxes to be more eﬀective Tenzin Gyaldatsang tenzingyaldatsang@slpecho.com

he Trump administration plans to change policies regarding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by providing boxes of food available to families as opposed to rationed food stamps. Although food stamps have been used for the last 50 years, they have been ineffective in bringing healthy foods to recipients. According to National Public Radio, recipients of the program eat less nutritious foods than the rest of the country. With the planned food boxes,

PARK TRAIL

families will be able to receive healthy food directly instead of going out to purchase it. Families won’t have to make the hard decision to purchase one food item and not the another. The healthy food they need will be readily available for them. According to CNNMoney, Vermont already established a food box system for senior citizens. More than 2,000 senior citizens receive food boxes filled with healthy foods and fresh produce. This is a lot better than food stamps. The senior citizens in Vermont drive to their local food shelf and pick up the food boxes filled with fresh produce. Citizens will be able to receive boxes of healthy food instead of having to scrape together meals that are not nourishing.

Nietzsche Deuel nietzscheduel@slpecho.com

Oh great, just another smoothie shop.

Can I have a “Life Changing” juice please?

Food stamp plan

Plan will constrict quality of life Lukas Levin lukaslevin@slpecho.com

•

Recipients would receive half of their beneﬁts in a “USDA Foods package.”

•

The plan included is in budget request for ﬁscal year 2019

•

Plan will reduce the SNAP budget by $213 billion during the next 10 years. Infographic Hannah Leﬀ Source National Public Radio

ccording to National Public Radio, President Trump has created a plan, which will greatly reduce the effectiveness of food stamps and predetermine meals for families with lower income. This new reform will not just hurt adults. Many students at Park will be affected by this change as, according to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2014, roughly 16 million children were benefiting from food stamps. According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, food stamps provide more for the economy during a recession than they

take away. Food stamps allow for an increase in demand of products allowing suppliers to stay in business longer and produce more. The plan of removing food stamps and replacing them with food boxes that will be delivered also brings up logistical problems. Many wonder how boxes will be delivered to homes while still reducing the cost of foods stamps. This new program will stigmatize the most basic and private right of being able to choose the food you want to eat. Povertystricken citizens have a right to quality of life just like anyone else. This reform is unhelpful, and will reduce the freedom of many U.S. citizens. It will create a sense of shame for not having a sustainable income by revoking one’s right to choose the food they eat.

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12 ENTERTAINMENT

Echo Friday, March 16, 2018

For me (Black Panther) is impactful because it teaches about what’s going on in the world right now. Denzel Thomas, freshman

OPINION Kiyonna Brooks kiyonnabrooks@ slpecho.com

‘Black Panther’ inspires change in the black community

Fair use from Disney Movies

‘Black Panther’ drives relevant social commentary Marvel movie discusses important themes, possesses powerful story Ndunzi Kunsunga ndunzikunsunga@slpecho.com

“B

lack Panther,” Marvel’s newest superhero installment, provides a captivating story along with compelling characters and themes. The film follows the Marvel comic superhero Black Panther (King T’Challa) as he returns to his fictional home country and kingdom of Wakanda to combat the sins of his ancestors and quell a coup. “Black Panther” provides many entertaining aspects, serving to both engulf the audience. In terms of set and costume design, this movie has most other Marvel films beat. The use of color makes everything within Wakanda feel alive and vibrant. The visuals were overall positive, albeit with some subpar use of CGI. The soundtrack was also put to good use in the movie. The highlight was the portrayal of the villain Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan). Jordan has been known to give his best performances when

With comedy, good action, and a simple yet eﬀective storyline, ‘Black Panther’ is sure to captivate many audiences.

METRO AT A GLANCE Isaac Wert isaacwert@slpecho.com

Photos used with permission from 20th Century Fox, Interscope Records, Boies/Schiller Film Group, Xcel Energy Center

March 16 “Love, Simon” is a comedy about a gay high school student exploring his identity and sexuality through an online relationship with an anonymous peer. Tickets for the movie are available now.

working with director Ryan Coogler, and Killmonger is no exception. Jordan’s character proved to be far more complex and sympathetic than your average superhero movie big bad. In light of his electrifying performance, Jordan’s lack of screentime was disappointing. His interactions with the Black Panther, his adversary, should have been more numerous and fleshed out. Characterization was also a bit lacking in many key figures, most harsh for the eponymous hero Black Panther himself, because of his obvious importance to the story. While Chadwick Boseman’s acting was superb, the character lacked depth, particularly because of his lack of a true internal conflict. Nevertheless, the character was portrayed well with perfectly timed humor and emotional depth. The movie made mention of many important topics, however, I feel most impacted and impressed by the fact that “Black Panther” touched upon a topic I’ve never seen discussed before in American film: the relationship, difference in perspective and almost tension between Africans and African Americans. It’s a very difficult subject to discuss and while I, like many, came into the movie excited mostly for the chance to see a blockbuster with a predominantly black cast, I left most satisfied with the movie for having discussed this aspect of the African and African-American story. Overall, “Black Panther” is a great film. With comedy, good action and a simple yet effective storyline, “Black Panther” is sure to captivate many audiences. For more content go to slpecho.com

hen “Black Panther” was released, theaters filled with people of all different races. Some African Americans, in African or Black Panther attire, came to support the occasion of the first African-American superhero. According to Jezebel, Octavia Spencer, famous actress and author, rented out an entire theater for children of color to experience “Black Panther.” She was not alone, more actresses and actors also rented out theaters. “Black Panther” has proven to be motivational for the black community to make an attempt toward positive change to better themselves as people and their community. According to the Washington Post, the “Black Panther” setting, Wakanda, was the perfect idealized homeland for African Americans by showing black liberation. The article also mentions that “Black Panther” is not only getting praise for a majority black cast, but for having strong female characters. “Black Panther” is being labeled as a post-gender film for showing the women of Wakanda as not only warriors, but powerful and skillful, the perfect image for young people in this new generation. Besides reaching women in general, “Black Panther” teaches women of color to finally see their full potential without having to be submissive to the male characters. Overall, “Black Panther” was a creative film broadcasting various forms of strengths within women and men, as well as showing “Black Excellence” at its finest and the roots of black culture. This film shattered stereotypes and social norms for AfricanAmerican people by representing intelligence, strength, and dominance. “Black Panther” can bring about change for black communities just by finally showing a powerful superhero that represents more than just a comic book.

March 16

March 23

Snoop Dogg returns to the rap game on his new album, “Bible of Love,” exploring gospel sounds and themes. The album is currently available for preorder and pre-save on media platforms.

“Midnight Sun,” starring Bella Thorne and Patrick Schwarzenegger, hits theaters this March, a unique twist on a classic teenage love story. Pick up your tickets upon the film’s release.

Next weekend, Lorde hits the Xcel Energy Center touring her latest album, “Melodrama,” which spawned hit-song, “Green Light.” Tickets for the concert start around $39.