Issue 2 by SLP Echo

Echo

ORCHESTRA ADDS STRINGS

HOCKEY JOINS HOPKINS

RUSSIAN ART DISPLAYED

Orchestra program receives new instruments PAGE 4

Lack of players leads teams to merge PAGE 8

Museum features three exhibits about Russian culture PAGE 12

Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Volume 87 Issue 2 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

All-gender bathrooms to open Unisex bathrooms under construction in B1, B3, At-Large Ruthie Hope ruthiehope@slpecho.com

unior Danielle Krejci identifies as transgender. For her, choosing between the girls’ or boys’ bathrooms at school poses a challenge every day. “If I go to the men’s bathroom, I’m uncomfortable and feel unnatural,” Krejci said. “And if I go to the women’s bathroom, I will get yelled at, bullied and in trouble.” Now, according to Principal Scott Meyers, the school will have three unisex bathrooms: one in the B1 hallway, one in the B3 hallway and one in the At-Large Lab. Many factors necessitate unisex bathrooms, Meyers said, but the main concern is making students feel safe and welcome. “I think on many levels, a restroom that allows someone to be in there just to use it and not have people in there is a great thing,” Meyers said. “It really comes down to feeling welcome and safe in a building.” The bathrooms are not yet ready for use because of issues relating to signage and privacy, according to Meyers. Specifically, he said the maintenance staff needs to put up correct bathroom signs and fix the door locks to indicate whether or not the bathroom is in use.

Meyers said he wanted to have them up and running when school started but progress is slow because it’s seen as a smaller job in the eyes of the companies working on it. “We don’t have a set timeline, but for me, I’m already behind what my ideal timeline was. I’d like to have them as soon as possible,” Meyers said. Junior Will Poulter said these restrooms will make some students more comfortable. “I am in favor because some people really don’t identify with the gender binary system,” Poulter said. “It’s unfair for a school to force the gender binary system on kids.” Along with making everyone feel more comfortable, Poulter said unisex bathrooms will increase the safety of transgender students. “Apart from transgender people being able to choose whichever bathroom they feel most comfortable with, violence has occurred against transgender people when they do exercise their right to do so,” Poulter said. According to Meyers, while these bathrooms are not exclusively for transgender students, they are a good way for the Park community to support them. “I think it’s always safe for students not to assume too much of people and to ask sometimes if they have a friend or someone that they’re close to how they feel about things,” Meyers said. Meyers also said students can help their transgender peers by increasing their awareness of these issues and refraining from judging others. “I think it’s important to support and ask questions,” Meyers said. “Sometimes it may feel uncomfortable for you, but may help give comfort for somebody else who’s looking for some support.” Krejci said she looks forward to the unisex bathrooms and for transgender students to feel more comfortable at Park. “If (unisex bathrooms) were added to our school I’d absolutely love it,” Krejci said. “It would provide the school’s (transgender) community with more of a safe space.”

New social worker hones support system Former student aims to improve mental health services, support system Jayne Stevenson jaynestevenson@slpecho.com

hen Daniel Perez came as a student from Mexico in high school, he didn’t know English and felt like an outcast. This year, as the school’s new social worker, Perez brings his past experiences with him to help students with a range problems they may deal with. Perez graduated from Park in 2005, volunteered at the school from 2010-2011 and was an intern from 2011-2012. “I’ve been really connected to St. Louis Park throughout the years, and when I first heard about this position opening up, I was pretty excited,” Perez said. According to Perez, students can come to him for problems such as anxiety, depression, trauma and home problems.

Sophomore Marco Lezama said he thinks social workers are important to have in school. “In case there are any problems going on with a student, they have someone to talk to if they don’t have anyone at home to talk to,” Lezama said. Perez said he hopes to connect with students who feel alone or isolated. “My role is to always try to validate people and their experiences, support them through their challenges, understand them and provide a safe and welcoming space,” Perez said. Freshman Isabelle Becker said she would talk to a social worker at a school if she needed to. “I definitely would because they actually do help a lot with anxiety, so that’s very useful,” Becker said. Becker said students who can’t talk with their parents and need help benefit by having a social worker in the school. “It can also just help them with anything they have, like if they’re having issues with

school at all and they don’t feel comfortable talking to their teachers,” Becker said. According to Perez, he wants to help students with better mental health services. “My goals for the year would be to really service as many kids as possible and improve their mental health, their emotional health and their social health,” Perez said. Perez said he enjoys interacting with students and staff. “I really enjoy seeing people smile, highfiving people in the hallway, being able to connect when there’s a crisis,” Perez said. Perez said focusing only on academics prevents addressing the student as a whole. “We really (need to) see students as full human beings who don’t just come to school to learn, but also learn social skills, how to be socially competent,” Perez said. Perez said he welcomes everyone into his office. “Wherever I go, I try to make it a safe and welcoming space for that person,” Perez said.

SLPECHO.COM

of students think the high school should have a unisex/all-gender bathroom

of students know about the unisex bathroom in the AtLarge Lab

of students would feel comfortable using a unisex/allgender bathroom Infographic Cedar Thomas Photo Harrison Barden Source Survey of 240 students

Social worker job description Provide students with referrals and outside resources if they are lacking food, housing or school supplies Help students who are experiencing anxiety, depression or trauma Be available to talk through student issues or diﬃculties Infographic Kate Huber Source Daniel Perez, social worker

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NEWS

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Police should have to wear body cameras because of all the discrimination against people. Shelby Frankenberry, sophomore

WEB PREVIEW All St. Louis Park School District staff will: • Work to reduce the racial achievement gap

Photo Sophie Kedrowski

Dome Souvenirs arrives in SLP

• Educate students fairly and earnestly

fter living in St. Louis Park for most of his life it made sense to Ray Crump, owner of Dome Souvenirs Plus, to move the store to St. Louis Park when its old location by the Metrodome began to fall apart. “I’ve lived here for almost 20 years now,” Crump said. “I like the community, I used to run by this building pretty much everyday and when it became for sale, I decided to look into it.” Crump said he believes the new location will help increase business.

Photo Alyssa LeMay

Organization unites youth

hen Julie Rappaport started talking about adding educational, edible, community gardens to the city and the district back in 2012, she didn’t realize it would spark so much interest in students. Four Roots and Shoots members worked for Rappaport as interns this past summer and Rappaport said even more are interested. “I’ve already got a few more from the club that said they want to come work next summer, which is great,” Rappaport said.

• Serve the St. Louis Park community thoroughly and competently • Embrace change and adversity • Value both the past and the future • Uphold the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan Photo Polina Pekurovsky

Group eﬀort: Math teacher Kristen Johnson works with senior Ben Freund on a problem Sept. 21.

Superintendent aims to unify staff Metz-pectations focus on creating successful environment Ethan Brown ethanbrown@slpecho.com

ith the start of the new school year, district superintendent Rob Metz and other advisers laid down six new guidelines to make a more unified school system. The “Metz-pectations” are for the district’s staff, built to strengthen studentteacher relationships, close the school’s achievement gap and unify the faculty. Metz said the policies, although named after himself, were first thought of by consultants developing the district’s 2015-2020 Strategic Plan. “The people who worked on the plan spent a lot of time with me and heard a lot

Sam Orloﬀ samorloﬀ@slpecho.com

Plastic bag ban in question

esidents gathered in front of St. Louis Park’s City Council Sept. 2, ready to speak their minds about a potential policy to ban single-use plastic bags. The session was designed to bring new opinions to the discussion, according to City Council member Jake Spano. He said the Council held meetings over the summer to hear the thoughts of business and industry leaders. For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

of things that were important to me, and they made up this word ‘Metz-pectation’ as kind of a joke,” Metz said. “After that we sat down and tried to figure out what’s actually important. Above all other things, these are the expectations that came out of it.” Metz said he likes the Metz-pectations because they incorporate a large range of staff members within the district. “These apply to every single employee. Whether you’re a teacher, a principal, a food service worker or a custodian,” Metz said. “The same Metz-pectations apply to all of us.” Sophomore Joe Halloway said he appreciates this year’s teachers for trying to build stronger student-teacher relationships. “I’ve seen teachers interact with the students much more this year,” Halloway said. “They’re asking more questions and wondering about more of our background.” Halloway said he hasn’t heard much

about the Metz-pectations but he praises their creation. “It’s really important that they’re focusing on building skills and developing relationships,” Halloway said. “You’re going to be better off in life if you build those early and get a good start on them.” Principal Scott Meyers said transitioning from interim principal to principal hindered his ability to help create Metz-pectations. “A lot of the formation of it I was either interim or in the process of applying for the job,” Meyers said. “I had input as a principal, but I was not on one of the core teams or participated at that level.” According to Meyers, his duty is to make sure they are operating correctly. “I have a role in the sense that the Metzpectations are tied to the strategic plan,” Meyers said. “As one of the school leaders in the district I’m making sure that our school is embodying the core values.”

Body cameras tested Police department completes trials

Photo Julia Nathan

Infographic Ilana Weinstein Source Metz-pectation poster

n the wake of numerous allegations of police brutality across the country, the St. Louis Park Police Department is considering the introduction of body cameras. According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the use of cameras aims to restore frayed relations between law enforcement and civilians. The ACLU also said body cameras on police officers have gained popularity over the past year as a potential method to prevent misconduct and increase accountability. Kirk DiLorenzo, deputy chief of the St. Louis Park police department, manages the project. He said he sees the department’s actions thus far as preliminary. “We have finished testing the

equipment and are completing the information report for the city manager and City Council,” DiLorenzo said. Freshman Ethan Kahn said he feels the cameras have a positive impact on society. “I think that the use of body cameras is a good idea, and it doesn’t seem like it will do much harm at all,” Kahn said. Senior Aerianna Thomas said she sees the cameras as a beneficial addition to law enforcement. “The cameras will help to decrease problems with police brutality and will help to make things clearer when there are disagreements,” Thomas said. According to legislative director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota, Benjamin Feist, problems with police body cameras come from their recent introduction into police departments and the resulting lack of legislation governing their use.

Photo Harrison Barden

Stepping up: St. Louis Park police department is considering the introduction of body cameras to increase accountability of oﬃcers.

“Currently, much is up to each department’s internal policy,” Feist said. “Our goal is a statewide policy in the legislature so that we don’t have this piecemeal department-bydepartment policy.” Feist said St. Louis Park is not alone in contemplating the introduction of body cameras into the police force. “Most, if not all departments

are talking about body cameras and it is just a matter of time before they get either the cameras or a policy to deal with them,” Feist said. DiLorenzo sees the use of body cameras as important but not the only answer to the issue of misconduct prevention . “People just need to realize that a camera won’t be a magical device,” DiLorenzo said.

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(The cafeteria staﬀ) work hard to make sure we get fed every day. Sarah Green, sophomore

Student Life Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Tami Borgen

Abby Rowan

Cristi Beightol

Photos Celene Koller

Helpful hand: Cristi Beightol works at the checkout line during lunch Sept. 17. Along with all the other nutritional services staﬀ, Beightol said she enjoys the daily interaction with students in the cafeteria. “I most enjoy meeting diﬀerent students and getting to know them,” she said.

Meet the makers Nutritional services staﬀ share about their jobs, themselves Jonah Kupritz jonahkupritz@slpecho.com

n her nearly three decades of employment as a “lunch lady” in St. Louis Park Public Schools, Kiem Engelen said she has most enjoyed interacting with students. “This is my 28th year, so I guess I’ll have to retire soon. But I know I will miss coming and seeing the kids,” Engelen said. Though nutritional services staff member Debbie Scheie has only one year of experience in the role, she also said the students make her job a pleasure. “I love when they smile and they talk back and have a conversation with you and they laugh and they giggle,” Scheie said. “I love that bond, that’s the most important.” Sophomore Samra Ali said she notices the connection between cafeteria staff and students when she goes up to the breakfast and lunch line. “They’re very talkative, very warm and very friendly people,” Ali said. Abby Rowan, secretary of the nutrition department, said the nutritional services staff begin work at 7 a.m. and, with only one break for lunch, finish at around 2:30 p.m. “They go straight through, from start to finish. That kitchen is spotless when they start, and full-running, non-stop, and then again, spotless when they leave,” Rowan said. Rowan said the ability to successfully prepare and serve approximately 4,200 meals a day depends on the cooperation of the staff. “There is a system to this, and they have to work as a team. They’re putting out, whether it’s breakfast or lunch, multiple options, meeting incredible nutrition standards,” Rowan said. Scheie said the competence and enthusiasm of the kitchen staff allows for an efficient process. “You need to have a good group, and we do have an excellent group,” Scheie said. “They’re fun, they’re a blast. We work good together, we all come in happy. No complaints.” Sophomore Talivia Warren said she notices the efficiency of the lunch staff when she gets school breakfasts or lunches. “They’re on time and make sure the lunch is always hot,” Warren said. In the past 14 years, Robin Luster-Cavlan has worked at every public school in the district except Susan Lindgren. She said doing the dishes presents the biggest challenge.

“Running the dishes and doing the pots and pans – that’s the hardest, I think, physically,” Luster-Cavlan said. Luster-Cavlan said the staff always prepare for the following day ahead of time, so on Friday, for example, they serve food prepared the previous day and get the food and kitchen ready for Monday. “We pan it up so it’s ready to be cooked the next day. And that makes life a whole lot easier if everything is done, ready when you first come in,” she said. Cristi Beightol said she has worked in the Park nutritional services department for 17 years. She said her children went through St. Louis Park schools and now her grandchildren are going through them. Beightol said she comes to work every day hoping to ensure every student is both well-fed and happy. “The goal mostly every day is to make sure that every student that comes through gets a chance to eat a good meal and that nobody really goes home hungry,” Beightol said. “And to make sure they’re having a good day.” Senior Muad Abdi said he thinks the lunch staff accomplish these goals every day. “I think they do accomplish their job of helping us get through the day by giving us food, which in turn gives us energy,” Abdi said. Jodie Woelffer, who joined the nutritional services staff two years ago after 29 years in banking, said she aspires to make students in the cafeteria happier every single day. “If a student is having a tough day or whatever and maybe at school or maybe home, (I hope) that I can maybe be a bright spot to be happy, to make them happy,” she said. Woelffer said she encourages students to appreciate the people who make their food. “Never look down on them. They’re just as important as everyone – as a teacher, principal, anyone. No one is unimportant, they all matter,” Woelffer said. Rowan said she admires the staff for their dedication to ensure all students eat a good meal. “Those ladies out there are really busting their butts and they deserve a lot of credit for that. They really do,” Rowan said. “I’m very proud of them and grateful that they put in the time that they do.” Scheie said she appreciates when students say hello or ask her questions, because the students are the true reason why she works at Park. “We love all you guys. And that’s why we’re here,” Scheie said. “And it’s fun. I’ve known kids that were in kindergarten and they’re up in the high school now. And that is a blast, to see little kids grow up to ninth and 10th graders.”

Jodie Woelﬀer

Debbie Scheie

Sandy Karkhoﬀ

Robin Luster-Cavlan

Kiem Engelen

Sarah Antell Those not featured: Jill Beal & Margaret Campbell

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FEATURES

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

For what it’s WORTH

(I’m) looking forward to the fun activities (of Homecoming), it’s a pleasant time of the year. Ethan Fogel, senior

Deanna Afremov deannaafremov@ slpecho.com

Experience behind the iron curtain

hen most people think of Russia, they think of the Cold War and villains in spy movies. However, I’ve found something beautiful behind the iron curtain. For eight years, I’ve gone to camp at Concordia College’s Russian language village. Over the past three years I earned high school credit for studying Russian. Before camp, all I knew about the Russian culture came from my father, who grew up in Russia. I assumed the only people who spoke Russian were from Russia. But at camp, we had native Russian speaking counselors from Kazakhstan, the Ukraine and The Republic of Tuvaand Russia. Camp is not just about learning the language. On the first day, you begin your month-long immersion in Russian speaking culture, from the food you eat, to the games you play. Every week, campers pick different cultural activity classes, including traditional dancing, matryoshka painting and chess. Every night, we have an evening program which teaches us about some aspect of Russian life. Two weeks into What’s the the session, POINT? we have Experience International Day. All of the world the camps in around session come you. together to share our different languages and cultures. The different camps include Spanish, French, Norwegian, Japanese and Arabic among others. This year, I was picked to go to the rededication of the Peace Site. The Peace Site is a physical embodiment of Concordia’s goal of world peace. One of the guest speakers explained that the first step to world peace involves learning about different cultures. The speaker then went on to thank the campers of all of the villages for taking time out of their summers with the purpose of learning about another culture. Russian camp has changed the way I see the world. It is important to remember that there are people and cultures outside of what we are exposed to on a daily basis. I met people from all sorts of countries by studying another language, and I’ve opened up the Russian-speaking community for myself. Studying Russian has given me more options for my future, as well as an opportunity to teach others about the Russian people.

Popping the question: Sophomore David Salamzadeh asks sophomore Lillie Albright to Homecoming with a bear and a sign Sept. 20. The pair will attend the dance together Oct. 3. Photo Emily Tiﬀt

Student Council changes venue, music Homecoming adjusts because of complaints Abigail Hickstein abigailhickstein@slpecho.com

hen freshman Aidan Henry heard about the upcoming Homecoming dance, he was eager to participate in this tradition. Henry said he looks forward to going to Homecoming because it is enjoyable. “I am excited to experience (Homecoming) and see what it is like and have fun with my friends,” Henry said. Student Council adviser Sarah Lindenberg said the dance will be at a new location this year because of renovations on the previous dance location in the Mall of America. “The dance is going to be at the Mall of America but in one of the banquet spaces up on the fourth floor of the rotunda,” Lindenberg said. Student Council co-president Jessica Schmidt said Student Council will change the style of music played at the dance because of prior requests from students.

“We’re making a few changes as far as music goes, which I know has been a huge problem in the past,” Schmidt said. “We are working on getting new, contemporary music that everyone would like.” Schmidt said one of her goals for the dance is to make sure everyone participates in the events throughout the week leading up to Homecoming. “Homecoming is one of our biggest turnouts and having a week where we can all be together celebrating the beginning of the school year is really fun for everyone,” Schmidt said. “Getting students interested in participating in the dance and the activities during the week is going to be fun.” Lindenberg said students want to attend Homecoming because it is a time for students to be social outside of classes. “It’s just a fun activity and something every school has for students to come together for the first time of the school year,” Lindenberg said. Early bird ticket prices are $20 Sept. 25-28. Regular ticket prices are $25 Sept. 29-Oct. 2. The Homecoming dance takes place 8 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Mall of America.

Homecoming dress codes and activities Monday- Denim/

Powderpuﬀ at Oak Hill Park 7 p.m.

Tuesday- Tropical/ Badminton in gymnasium 7 p.m. Wednesday- USA/ Coronation in Auditorium 7 p.m. Thursday- Twin/ Movie on the Field outside the Fieldhouse 7 p.m.

Friday- Park Pride/ Parade on Dakota Ave. and game in stadium 7 p.m. Infographic Daniella Etzion and Sari Hattis Source Student Council

New instruments allow for more playing time More strings available to orchestra Mimi Fhima mimifhima@slpecho.com

fter years of sharing used orchestra instruments, the district provided new instruments to the orchestra program at the beginning of the school year, according to orchestra teacher and director Miriam Edgar. Edgar said the program received new violas, violins and cellos from House of Note in St. Louis Park. “When we order instruments they actually get shipped to (House of Note),” Edgar said. “They check them, they make adjustments and fix anything that could be better.” According to senior and orchestra council president Ora Raymond, these instruments will not only make the orchestra sound better, but they will also

help facilitate concerts and practicing at home. “Last year, people had to share (instruments), and it created some conflict at concerts,” Raymond said. “Now everyone who doesn’t have an instrument can have one to play.” According to Edgar, replacing the damaged instruments and fixing the worn strings on the instruments was necessary to help the orchestra improve. “The wear and tear will be more normal and not as extreme as it has been,” Edgar said. “Last year we had a lot of repair because of the use of the instruments.” Raymond said the orchestra provides students with new instruments and art opportunities and she thinks it’s a necessary part of the community. “In a lot of places they are cutting art programs,” Raymond said. “(Orchestra) keeps people involved in school, and I think it really gives a lot to the community.” Freshman Kayla Perez said

Photo Jada Csikos-Monroe

Playing together: Freshman Max Holden, junior Benjamin Wyberg, junior Anna Roethler and senior Kate Duerksen rehearse their “Lord of the Rings” piece during class Sept. 17 to prepare for their Halloween beneﬁt concert Oct. 29. Students received new instruments from House of Note Sept. 9 to rent for $45 for the school year. the additional instruments allow people to explore their interests and participate in a club they enjoy. “A lot of people have different interests and a lot of people are interested in music,” Perez said. “I am one of those people and I enjoy being in orchestra.” Edgar said because of the growing number of students interested in orchestra, the additional instruments were necessary to support incoming

musicians because without them, there would not be enough for every student to play. Perez said the new instruments have benefited her by allowing her to borrow a violin for orchestra. “There are more people joining orchestra so it’s good to have more instruments,” Perez said. “(The instruments) help me because I don’t have a violin. I use one here so I can be in orchestra.”

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(National Merit winners) represent our school really well. I’m very happy for the winners.

FEATURES

Emily Doss, junior

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

In the SPOTLIGHT

Singer-songwriter strives to popularize her work working with him and things got more serious. Yusra Jara, junior When did you realize you had an interest in singing? At the age of 13. My mom bought me a little piano, and I was always in the mirror all the time singing. On that little piano I made like 10 songs in one day. It was crazy. Then, I just started performing in talent shows. Around 2012 is when I started making music seriously. What’s the most rewarding part about singing and performing? All the feedback you get from the audience. It’s great to know that your work isn’t going to waste. How did you begin the process of making music seriously? I did a little composition and performance in Los Angeles and there was a producer there, his name was Kelvin Parker. I started

What resources were available for you in order to make the production of your music happen? Kelvin Parker, the agent and producer, and the resources in Los Angeles helped me. Parker told me, “the only way you are going to succeed and make these people respect you is by taking this seriously and then you can have that goal for yourself.” How did you make your music video for “No Drama”? There were some long days of just planning out the video itself and writing the song. It’d go until like four in the morning, then you have to get right back up and do more. To write the song we just thought of stuff that most high schoolers can relate to, which is drama. The music video was really fun. The director said, “since we have this nice looking music artist here, why don’t we make this cool

Used with written permission from Kelvin Parker

Making it big: Junior Yusra Jara sings in her music video she posted on YouTube titled “No Drama,” a song she wrote and performed. The video currently has 1,154 views. video? I have this big idea in my mind of what I want to see.”

and we think of new ways to get my name out there.

January for a whole bunch of executives and producers.

What do you do in Los Angeles? I have meetings with people. I learned there that it takes a really long time for a new artist to be introduced. You are going to have to go through agencies, labels, auditions, all this stuff. So when I go there I just sit down with people

What are your plans for your future musical career? To make new music. I have my next big performance in November, which I’m preparing for because it’s coming up really fast.

What do you use as an inspiration for your music? The inspiration I have when performing simply comes from the feeling I get after all the hard work.

Where have you performed? I performed in Los Angeles in

Lauren VonEschen laurenvoneschen@slpecho.com

Activities & AWARDS

You’re in charge

Echo graduates receive NSPA awards Emily Tiﬀt & Sari Hattis emilytiﬀt@slpecho.com sarihattis@slpecho.com

Of keeping your body healthy today for a healthier tomorrow

Seniors selected as National Merit semiﬁnalists Anna duSaire annadusaire@slpecho.com

The Hennepin County Child and Teen Checkups program can help with the details.

Our services are free for children, teens and young adults who are on Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare, including young parents.

Call to learn more 612-348-5131

www.hennepin.us/checkups 5x7_5_in_CTC_teen_ad.indd 1

he National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) announced finalists for design of the year Sept. 9. Among these students were 2015 Park graduates Maddy Bremner and Zach Tronson. Bremner was named a finalist for newspaper page/spread for her In-Depth design on rape culture and for her In-Depth illustration on mental illness. Tronson was named a finalist for his Black Coffee and Waffle Bar comic panel/ strip. More awards to be announced Nov. 12-15 at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention.

9/15/15 11:23 AM

n September, the National Merit Scholarship organization announced semifinalists for more than 7,000 scholarships. The semifinalists were chosen from 1.5 million students who participated in Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) testing. This past week, 16,000 semifinalists were announced. Among them were seniors Mario Colacci, Allison Cramer, Jamie Halper and Daniel Takata, who scored a 214 or above on the PSAT tests.

The winners of the National Merit Scholarship competition may qualify for a $2,500 scholarship, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards and collegesponsored Merit Scholarship awards. Senior Daniel Takata said the nomination for semifinalist is an unexpected honor and it may provide great opportunities. “I’m glad I did well on the test. If I do get the scholarship, it’ll make getting ready for college a lot easier,” Takata said.

Echowan creates website, position Jada Csikos-Monroe jadacsikosmonroe@slpecho.com

enior Dorothy Slater said she was ecstatic when she was named the web managing editor for Echowan last year. Echowan adviser Julianne Herbert said she thinks Slater will fulfill the new role. “I chose her because I thought she had a vision to make it her own and figure out how to make it work without having any system in place to do so,” Herbert said. “It was difficult at first to figure out how to design things because there was no one to teach me since it wasn’t a position last year, but it has gotten easier,” Slater said. Herbert said last year they decided to create a website. “We’ve been trying to figure out a way to do it for a few years, but it came out last year in the spring with my editor because we get so many questions about the yearbook,” Herbert said. According to Slater, the responsibilities of her position include designing the website, writing profiles of major staff and choosing which photographs will go online. “I’m excited that we’re going to have a website because it’s going to be helpful for us this year,” Slater said.

IN-DEPTH

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

I think the community is very supportive. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve never seen anyone judged for their gender. Devante Childress, junior

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I do think Park is accepting because we are a very diverse community.

IN-DEPTH Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Polina Espersen, junior

Gender identity awareness redeﬁnes social expectations Elise Riley & Sophie Yarosh eliseriley@slpecho.com sophieyarosh@slpecho.com

ophomore Jacob Fischer (formerly known as Rose) said his experience this school year has been positive in regard to his transition from female to male. “I am just a boy that was born in a girl’s body,” Fischer said. Naomi Scheman, a professor in the gender, women and sexuality studies department at the University of Minnesota, said not everyone innately identifies as one gender or another. “It’s not biologically true that every human being is either clearly biologically male or clearly biologically female,” she said. “There’s actually a continuum and lots of differences in between.” According to senior Claire/Casey O’Grady, there’s more to gender identity than what’s assigned at birth. “For my gender, it’s not like male and female. It’s definitely a really wobbly line of everything,” O’Grady said. School social worker Daniel Perez said it’s important to respect the pronoun preferences of everyone no matter how they identify, including using the pronouns “they” and “them” for those who don’t identify with a gender. “They’re telling us who they are and how they want to be seen,” Perez said. “They are trying to assert that who they are doesn’t fit into a gender binary.” Perez said staff should lead by example to ensure comfortable conversations about preferred pronouns and names. “One of the things that I would personally like to see here at St. Louis Park to improve the gender equality or gender affirmative environment is for every single one of our staff to actually practice introducing themselves and sharing how they identify,” Perez said. Sophomore Spencer Bergan said they feel most comfortable identifying as genderqueer, meaning they either identify as neither male nor female or they identify as a combination of both. Bergan said they believe putting forth an effort to use pronouns and names is a step in the right direction, even if someone makes a mistake. “They’re not trying to disrespect you if they accidentally call you the wrong pronoun or your birth name. They’re trying to get the hang of it,” Bergan said. Scheman said binary gender refers to male and female. “(Gender binary) refers to the claim that there are exactly two genders and that everyone is either one or the other,” Scheman said. O’Grady said they identify as genderfluid, meaning some days they associate as female, some as male, some as either gender and others as both.

According to Scheman, being cisgender means someone identifies with the gender they were assigned at birth. She said they identify with the way they look, the way they feel inside and what they are called. Bergan said discovering the gender spectrum helped them find their identification. “I didn’t really understand that I could be in between the spectrum — it didn’t have to be black and white,” Bergan said. “I feel like that fits me perfectly, being genderqueer.” Scheman said she believes gender is more complicated than people realize. “(Gender) is so complex and so contested that I don’t think we can or should give a clear definition to it,” she said. “If anybody came up with a simple, clear definition of what (it) was to be a woman and who counted as a woman, it would have to be wrong.” Scheman said social standards created the idea of the gender binary. “This idea that there are girls and boys, women and men and that they’re fundamentally different from each other, that’s what gender is all about,” Scheman said.

Community supports

ergan said they believe the Park community responded to their gender association in a positive way. “I feel like they’re actually really accepting,” Bergan said. “They understand the whole name preference that I have.” Freshman Ellie Kent said she thinks the high school supports all people. “We have a diverse community in general, so I think a lot of people are open to different opinions,” she said. Marisol Brito, assistant professor in the department of philosophy at Metropolitan State University, said she believes youth are the face of change for gender equality. “Youth are on the forefront of progressive and really interesting things that are happening in terms of changing societal attitudes towards gender,” Brito said. Kyle Sweeney, Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) adviser, said having a GSA club designates a safe space for students to become more comfortable with their gender association. “I think that just the fact that the GSA exists in our school is one really good thing because not all schools get a GSA,” Sweeney said. O’Grady said adding all-gender bathrooms at the high school will help transgender students’ anxiety about using the restrooms. “Sometimes I don’t feel like I belong in the women’s room, but I don’t want to go in the men’s room,” O’Grady said. “I’m kind of scared to use it.” According to the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE), 59 percent of transgender students reported being denied access to restrooms. Junior Camaja Byrd said she believes all stu-

dents should be able to use the bathroom they feel most comfortable in. “A female can do the same thing a transgender female can and a male can do the same thing as a transgender male,” she said. Principal Scott Meyers said the new all-gender bathrooms will be located in the B1 hallway, B3 hallway and At-Large Lab. O’Grady said it’s important to keep raising awareness about gender identity. They said the GSA plans to support gender nonconforming students. “I found a set of buttons you can get, and you wear one. It lets other people know that you’re willing to go to the bathroom with them if (they’re) uncomfortable going in there alone,” O’Grady said. Junior Santeyne Thornton said respecting students means allowing them to be who they are. “I respect who they are as a person and I feel like it’s a good thing to express who you want to be,” Thornton said.

Pop culture adapts

ccording to Fischer, coming out for him meant telling his family and friends about how he chose to identify. “I feel like I came out at the right time. I came out in February and right around that time Caitlyn Jenner had started her transition,” he said. Brito said gender identity stories in the media open people’s minds to different ideas about gender. “The kinds of things that we see and we’re exposed to are the kinds of things that we can be more accepting about,” Brito said. According to the NCTE, 78 percent of gender nonconforming students report being harassed because of their gender expression. Scheman said pop culture sometimes masks ignorance surrounding gender identity. “One problem with the pop culture phenomenon is that it can look like there’s more acceptance than there actually is, and we can forget about the need to care for people who don’t live with that kind of acceptance,” she said. Brito said although Caitlyn Jenner is inspiring, she believes the media still views her transition as binary, without room for anything in between. “Caitlyn Jenner’s story is in some ways a story that inspires binary gender,” she said. “The way the magazine covers it and how the photoshoots were done, there’s a lot of reinforcing stereotypical things about what it means to be a woman.” Bergan said they think the increase in pop culture awareness and gender recognition reflects positively on the public. “I honestly think it’s a wonderful movement,” Bergan said. “I find it really nice that everyone can, for the most part, get along and finally feel comfortable for who they really are.” Fischer said he is very confident in who he is and wants everyone to know that. “I am completely open, as you can see, with questions, and I don’t mind if people know,” Fischer said. For more content go to slpecho.com

Gender Identity Terminology Androgynous

Someone who reﬂects both a male and female appearance, or whose gender appears neither male or female

Bigender

Someone who has two gender aspects to their personality and associates with two genders

Intersex

A set of medical conditions where sex is not distinctly male or female

Genderqueer

Someone who does not associate with traditional gender ideas and blurs the boundaries between genders; when they associate with both genders it can be considered genderﬂuid

Non-binary

Someone who associates with a gender outside of the gender binary

Transgender

Someone whose gender identity diﬀers from the social expectations associated with their birth sex Infographic Jamie Halper Source nationalmecha.org, genderqueerid.com

“

SPORTS

I want to see the football team win, but if they don’t win still show a good eﬀort.

Nolan VanDenEinde, sophomore

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Out of the PARK Raphy Gendler raphygendler@ slpecho.com

Finding the right ﬁt The Orange Crush arrived around 7 a.m. for a tournament last May, ready to play ultimate through the morning and into the afternoon. In our third game of the day, I was on the field as a first-year player for the Crush. The player I was defending got past me, sprinted into the end zone, and scored. One of our team’s best players let the newbie hear, “That was your guy!” I let my team down. This came just a few weeks after I first decided to try playing ultimate, and a few months What’s the after I POINT? decided to Being conﬁdent stop playing high and trying school something baseball. new can be I wasn’t rewarding. the absolute worst player on the freshman baseball team — someone on the team had to be second worst. As the season progressed, I realized I wasn’t looking forward to playing the game I had loved since t-ball. Spring came around, and some friends were recruiting for the ultimate Frisbee team, the Orange Crush. I was reluctant to try sports again after freshman year. A few points later in the third game of that tournament, I was in the right place at the right time on the field. In a close contest, I caught the score to win the game. The same player, who was mad at me earlier in the game, was the first teammate to run on the field with a big smile and give his teammate a celebratory embrace. I’m not telling this story because catching a Frisbee was heroic. One play in this one game made the switch to ultimate worthwhile. After a bad experience playing a sport, and bad play in one game, I learned I should keep my head up, and do what works in order to help myself and my team. I’m glad I gave sports a second chance. Winning isn’t everything for me—I try to be a good teammate and stay confident. With that, it’s my hope that winning will come. Since I gave the sport a chance, I can be a competitive ultimate player. Sports aren’t primarily about winning games—fun and teamwork are what truly make winning teams.

Photo Mira Swartz

Side tackle: Freshman Carter Pettit is tackled onto the padding as his coach observes the other players’ form at practice Sept. 21.

Home games ignite team spirit Football looks to entertain students Ethan Brown ethanbrown@slpecho.com

s the Homecoming football game approaches, senior football captain Ty Benny said he wants to make this year’s game against Park Center as exciting and successful as last year’s. Benny, a wide receiver, said the team’s work ethic has slackened because of this season’s schedule and game locations. “Practice has been a little flat, to be honest,” Benny said. “But it seems like it’s picking up

now that we have some home games coming up.” Benny said Homecoming isn’t the team’s main issue at the moment, and said they’ve focused in on their games before Homecoming. “We really haven’t thought too much of (Homecoming) yet,” Benny said. “We’ve been more worried on a game-togame basis.” Head Coach Ben Wolfe said he hopes his team will take advantage of the large crowds that come to the Homecoming games. “Just having that excitement of people in the stands that you know are watching you just gives you that extra boost when you go out there and play,”

Wolfe said. “I know our kids will definitely understand that.” Wolfe said while the crowd can be a huge help, keeping focus on the game is a point he especially stresses to his players during homecoming. “I think the biggest point is just trying to eliminate distractions as much as possible as there’s a lot going on outside the game,” Wolfe said. “We’ve got a responsibility to go out there and put our best foot forward.” Sophomore Zakaria Osman, who attended three previous Homecoming games, said he has high expectations of the football team after last year’s victory. “After they won last year I think they can pull out another win,” Osman said. “This year

I’m expecting a blowout.” The Homecoming game takes place 7 p.m. Oct. 2 against Park Center at the stadium.

Past Homecoming stats Park Opponent

2011

Spring Lake Park

2012

Hill Murray

2013

St. Anthony

2014

Richﬁeld

6-34 0-28

13-26 50-13

Infographic Sophie Yarosh Source MN Football Hub

Girls’ volleyball strives for success Team wins majority of games Jane Anderson janeanderson@slpecho.com

olleyball keeps a winning record during its first games because of a more relaxed atmosphere, according to varsity coach Whitney Meierotto. The varsity team’s current record is 7-4. This includes a 2-2 record in their tournament Sept. 11-12 at Visitation High School and a 5-2 regular season game record. According to freshman Maddy Macintosh, the decreased concern players have about errors on the court make this season more enjoyable. “I think as a team we’re having a lot more fun than we did last year,” Macintosh said. “We are not stressed out all the time and not worried about making mistakes as much.” A reason the team is not worried is because of Meierotto,

according to Macintosh. “I think the main reason is because of the coach, because she doesn’t get mad at us for making mistakes,” Macintosh said. “She knows we’re going to make mistakes and she doesn’t get down on us.” Junior Anna Gleason said she believes another reason the team is doing well is because of how the girls on the team work together and because of their positioning. “I think it has to do with the girls, this is probably the best team we’ve had in awhile,” Gleason said. “We’re good at hitting spots and knowing where people aren’t on the other team.” According to Meierotto, the team plays its best when having fun and not stressing too much about making errors. “I would say it’s definitely more laid back, I don’t think that anyone thrives under stress or pressure,” Meierotto said. “We make sure to create a fun competitive environment so we are working hard but we’re al-

ways aiming to have fun because that’s when we play our best.” The team members are trying to be more positive toward each other when someone makes a mistake because Meierotto said she believes it’s OK to make mistakes and learn from them. “We’re really working on lifting each other up because sometimes we’re our own harshest critics so we’re making sure that our teammates are there to

pick someone up when they’re making mistakes and make sure they know that we’re going to be just fine,” Meierotto said. According to junior Makayla Jones-Klausing, the varsity team is not the only team doing well. All the teams have had a very successful season so far. The team’s next varsity match will take place 7 p.m. Sept. 24 against Bloomington Kennedy at Park.

Photo Joe Brandel

Dive for it: Sophomore captain Ella Trotter dives for a ball in the team’s game Sept. 21 against Providence Academy. They lost 3-0.

“

It’s always hard when athletes get injured, but it’s good they’re recovering quickly.

SPORTS Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Mazie Lainsbury, freshman

Meet the ATHLETE

Run through: Sophomore Abdikaﬁ Warsame takes the ball during the game against Chaska Sept. 10. The team lost 1-0. Photo Mira Swartz

Injuries affects players, lineup Many starting players hurt early in season Neda Salamzadeh & Shoshi Leviton nedasalamzadeh@slpecho.com, shoshileviton@slpecho.com

he absence of four key players significantly altered the boys’ soccer team’s dynamic and the positioning of many players, according to head coach Chato Alvarado. Sophomore forward Hussein al-Tmeemi suffered a sprained ankle while running for the ball. Al-Tmeemi was one of four players injured on the team, but he, along with senior captain Joseph Brandel have returned to play with junior Zach Nelson expected to in the coming weeks.

“Joseph Brandel started playing again on Saturday and so did Hussein al-Tmeemi but Christopher Trotter unfortunately won’t be able to play for the rest of the season,” Alvarado said. Although Nelson said his injuries upset him, he finds comfort in recovering alongside teammates. “It’s been nice to have other injured players to talk with and get through practices and games together,” Nelson said. “We are all feeling the same pain of not being able to play.” Junior defender Daniel Decker said the team is making the best of a difficult situation. “Injuries happen regardless of if you want them to or not. We are just going to keep playing and hopefully some of the injured players will be 100 percent fit by the end of the season when

sections happen,” Decker said. “It’s an unfortunate situation, but it has given other players a chance to come to the forefront and make more of a difference on the team.” Alvarado said he’s optimistic about the rest of the season. “With the return of some of our injured players we’ll hopefully keep improving from game to game,” Alvarado said. “Our goal is hopefully to peak right before sections starts.” Al-Tmeemi said he applauds the efforts of Alvarado and his teammates. “The coach is working hard this year, even when we lose. My colleagues are performing well; we’re fighting for the ball,” alTmeemi said. The next game will take place 7 p.m. Sept. 24 at home against Bloomington Kennedy.

What position do you play? I’m a smaller person so I can really only play center midfielder.

Injuries the boys’ soccer team encountered this season Two players suﬀered sprained ankles

What do you enjoy most about playing soccer? The most exciting part the sport for me is probably scoring goals.

One player suﬀered a concussion

What are your personal goals as a soccer player? Eventually, I hope to go as far as playing pro.

Team setbacks

One player has a strained ACL Infographic Neda Salamzadeh & Shoshi Leviton Source Coach Chato Alvarado

Lack of numbers on girls’ hockey prompts change

Are there any downsides to playing soccer? Sometimes when the refs make unfair or generally bad calls it can be really frustrating to get caught up in that. Are there any players you look up to? Nick Riley. He’s an eighth grader and a teammate of mine. I look up to him because he is by far the youngest player on the team and still plays like he is one of the older guys. Are there any soccer skills you hope to improve on? I want to improve on my physicality and mental sharpness.

Shoshi Leviton shoshileviton@slpecho.com

How long have you been playing soccer? I’ve played soccer since about 2008.

What made you want to begin playing soccer? I remember watching YouTube videos of soccer players who were pretty good and thinking, “that’s what I want to do.”

Team merges with Hopkins

fter the 2014-15 hockey season, discussion began about merging Park’s girls’ hockey team with Hopkins girls’ hockey team according to the head coach Chris Erickson. After many discussions with parents and players, Park officially merged with Hopkins in July. The merging of the two teams was proposed due to the lack of players on each team, according to Erickson. “The co-op was prompted by the expected numbers of both programs,” Erickson said. This will allow the girls to have a full JV and Varsity and will also fill out both rosters and competition is always good for a program according to Erickson. Senior captain Elena Basill said she’s looking forward to the new competition and team dynamic that having both a JV and

Who Zinedine Kroeten Sport Soccer

Photo Harrison Barden

Slap shot: Hopkins junior Stella Haberman takes a shot during practice Sept. 20. varsity team will create. “I think it will be really good. We will be playing with better people and playing against better competition,” Basill said. “We will all get closer to each other and kids will be playing at the actual level they should be because when we only had a varsity, people were playing at a level they shouldn’t be.” Although Erickson said he looks forward to the merge, he said he believes there will be some people who are reluctant about the combining of the teams. “Some people will say it is hard to blend and get two schools to play together,” Erickson said. “But it was nice to know this was going to happen early so the girls have already skated together and have began to

bond as a team before our season starts.” However, Basill said she thinks it will be a smooth transition on the new team and there should not be any problems with the new coaching staff. “Usually it’s easy to get adjusted after the first week. We also played with (Hopkins) a little over the summer so we have been getting used to it,” Basill said. Erickson said he looks forward to the beginning of the season and thinks only good things will happen as a result of the merge. “I am excited and feel the girls will get along great. Both schools bring a lot of talent to the rink. I don’t see any negative and do not think the girls do either,” Erickson said.

How do you think the season has gone so far? It has gone decent. Our team really started to click when we played New Richmond. Do you play for teams other than St. Louis Park? I play for a team called Joy of the People when I’m not playing for St. Louis Park. What’s it like being one of the younger players on varsity? It is a big responsibility. I sometimes get nervous because I am one of younger players on the team, but my coach and fellow teammates expect just as much from me as they do everyone else. Will Huyck willhuyck@slpecho.com

“

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Print editor-in-chief: Allison Cramer Web editor-in-chief: Kaylee Chamberlain Print managing editor: Jackson Eilers Web managing editor: Hannah Goldenberg Copy editors: Hannah Bernstein, Abby Hickstein & Jonah Kupritz Design editors: Harry Steffenhagen & Cedar Thomas Photo editors: Harrison Barden, Celene Koller, Julia Nathan & Heather Westwood Video editors: Zoë Eilers & Albie Sher News editor: Shoshi Leviton Student life editor: Maggie Bahnson, Sam Crary & Sydney Hall Features editors: Sari Hattis & Emily Tifft In-Depth editor: Jamie Halper Sports editors: Joe Brandel & Neda Salamzadeh Opinions editor: Olivia Sieff Entertainment editor: Polina Pekurovsky Beats editor: Brigid Duffy Social media editor: Kate Huber Staﬀ: Deanna Afremov, Aisha Ali, Jane Anderson, Max Blackburn, Ethan Brown, Genesis Buckhalton, Jada Csikos-Monroe, Emma Dietz, Anna DuSaire, Daniella Etzion, Mimi Fhima, Raphy Gendler, Zack Hatcher, Ruthie Hope, Will Huyck, Sophie Kedrowski, Max Kent, Adah Koivula, Ndunzi Kunsunga, Makagbe Kuyateh, Alyssa LeMay, Alissa Meredith, Sam Orloff, Katie Orton, Alec Pittman, Elise Riley, Mira Swartz, Sophie Skinner, Jayne Stevenson, Paige Steward, Lauren VonEschen, Ilana Weinstein, Sophie Yarosh & Carlos Zeigle Business Manager: Mara Bacig Principal: Scott Meyers Printer: Quad Graphics Adviser: Lori Keekley

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 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

All students should have access to a bathroom

or most students, walking into the bathroom is no big deal. But for some students, going to the bathroom can be one of the hardest parts of the day. In a society where a binary gender system is rooted into daily life, unisex or all-gender bathrooms are rare. Currently, there are three single-stalled bathrooms located in the school although they have not yet been labeled as all-gender or unisex. The limited student access to these bathrooms and the lack of all-gender bathrooms throughout the school makes a simple task unnecessarily difficult for transgender or non-binary students. Transgender students find it difficult to use gendered bathrooms because they do not feel comfortable using the bathroom of the gender assigned to them at birth. Some feel like they don’t belong to or are denied access to gendered bathrooms. Other students may not identify with any gender and do not know which bathroom to use. A study conducted by the Williams Institute at University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) found that 42 percent of transgender students at a school in

Washington, D.C., were denied access or verbally harassed while using the school’s designated male or female bathrooms. Everyone needs to use the bathroom, that’s a fact. Schools should recognize the needs of their students and adapt. According to the UCLA study, 7 percent of gender non-conforming students developed urinary tract infections after “holding it in” and avoiding the bathroom throughout the whole school day. If administration does not create all-gender bathrooms and make them accessible to students, transgender or non-conforming students will continue to face discomfort. Introducing single-stalled Art Emma Dietz bathrooms will help take the Gender neutral: Transgender and non-binary students struggle with deciding on what bathroom to use every day. weight off transgender students’ bladders. However, we must inknow about the third variety of uses the all-gender bathrooms form students to take the weight bathroom now available in the will hopefully lessen. off the stigma. school. This also will help students Even with the creation of Our school plans to label the who are afraid of outing themsingle-stall all-gender bathrooms, three single-stalled bathrooms as selves as transgender or nonstigmas regarding their use may all-gender in the future. A timebinary. exist. line has not yet been set. The only way to increase All-gender bathrooms are To make them more accesawareness around all-gender not just for transgender or sible, the school should have one bathrooms is through the educanon-binary students. All-gender per floor, preferably centrally tion of all students. Pamphlets bathrooms are exactly what they located to all three hallways so in the hallways, word of mouth sound like. students don’t have to walk and including the topic in health As access increases to all stuacross the school to use them. curriculums will let students dents, the stigma regarding who

Schools need educational equity ACT achievement gap proves need for new policies Raphy Gendler raphygendler@slpecho.com

innesota has a racial disparity disaster in education. Minnesota schools don’t have adequate resources or training to work on educational equity, and there is not sufficient funding for early childhood education. For the 10th straight year, Minnesota’s average score on the ACT led the nation, according to the 2014 ACT’s State Profile Report. However, Minnesota has a serious achievement gap problem. The average scores from Minnesota are 23.7 for white students, 19.8 for Hispanic students and 17.9 for black students. This is the largest achievement gap in the nation. Racial inequality isn’t a new phenomenon, but it’s time

Minnesota takes a step toward improving equality in schools. Test reform or a new education law won’t solve this issue. A number of steps are needed to help students of color get ahead from a young age through high school. Expanded early childhood education and pre-K funding, along with resources for schools that need help with education equity are two positive starting points. There are countless steps that need to be taken in order to improve education for all of Minnesota’s students, from pre-K through high school graduation. First, state government and taxpayers need to fund free early childhood care and improve preK for all Minnesota children. When students are in school all week from a young age, they learn better study habits, which persist throughout their lives. Additionally, it allows parents to put their children in a safe learning environment.

The Minnesota State legislature should enact laws to hold schools accountable for closing the achievement gap in elementary, middle and high schools. Each year, schools should report achievement in regard to white students compared to students of color. Schools who are not up to standard should be given resources to improve, along with state-provided equity training for administrators and teachers. Nationally, students of color score 5.3 points lower than their white peers, while in Minnesota, the gap is a half of a point bigger, at 5.8. The state should strive to provide a quality education to students of all races, because more students will be able to get jobs that require education and put money into the state’s economy. It’s inexcusable that more than 50 years after the passing of the Civil Rights Act, people of color are still disadvantaged. It’s time for true racial equality, which begins with fairness in education.

Minnesota average ACT scores 2014

White students

St. Louis Park Senior High School 6425 West 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

OUR PERSPECTIVE

Hispanic students

Echo

Tori Carrols, junior

African American students

OPINIONS

White kids are getting more prep for the ACT and the nonwhite kids aren’t getting any.

Minnesota overall average score

22.9 Infographic Ilana Weinstein Source act.org

believe to be false, misleading, inappropriate or harmful. The Echo does not necessarily

To Russian art museum: Stop Stalin, start Russian.

endorse the products or services offered in these advertisements. NSPA All-American and Hall of Fame member; NSPA 2011, Print Pacemaker Finalist, 2013, 2014, 2015. National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014 Online Pacemaker Finalist, JEM

To police body cameras: They always get my bad side.

To hockey merger: Maybe now we’ll win a game.

All-State; CSPA Gold Medalist; 2012, 2014 CSPA Silver Crown, 2013 CSPA Gold Crown, 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown.

Art Alyssa LeMay

D.A., Z.H., M.B.

“

I think it’s appalling that teens are on dating apps like tinder because they don’t need it, and it can be scary.

OPINIONS

Lukas Levin, sophomore

Echo Wednesday, September 23, 2015

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Digital dating by the numbers

59%