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FEATURES
Echo Wednesday, October 25, 2017
For what it’s WORTH
"(Police Explorers) opens up a larger view of the world and you get to see real problems. Maddy Schmitz, junior
KJ PrestonPepperell kjprestonpepperell@slpecho.com
My experience with gender
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ost people think gender is a line, a definitive object with two ends. On this line, males are on one side and females are on the other. There’s nothing in between them and no way for them to get to the other side. To me, gender is a hazy, cloudy space. People start off in one spot, usually forced to one side and a majority of them choose to stay there. However, in that space they can move around more, switching sides or just moving away from where they started off. I’ve always been closer to the middle. My experience with identifying as nonbinary, one who doesn't identify as either male or female, didn’t start right away. As a child, I used the name my parents gave me, and I played with other girls. I didn’t question why I had to use that name or she/her pronouns. When I moved to Park at 11 years old, everything changed for me. I had to make new friends, and I was surrounded by all different kinds of people. Everyone in Park was different from one another and I think from the start I wanted to be different too. Toward the end of middle school, I came across the terms “transgender” and What’s the “genderPOINT? fluid,” and something You should in my brain learn to accept said, “that yourself even feels right.” if it's not the I stuck to what I “norm.” thought was a shiny, new transgender label and told my friends. I used that label for about one year and it felt better, but never quite right. I think in the back of my mind, that other word (gender fluid) kept floating up, and I never understood what it meant, so I just pushed it down. Once again, I was stuck for a while, until my mom and I finally realized that nonbinary had been the right label the whole time. Merriam-Webster defines nonbinary in a very specific way, but for me, it’s just the word I use to explain to people that I’m floating around in the middle of that cloudy space. Every non binary person is different, but the one thing almost all nonbinary people want is to share their stories and not be afraid that someone is going to hate them or hurt them for just being themselves. We are a lot like the other minority groups out there. To clarify, my identity is not a choice. It wasn’t for me and it never is. I was born the way I am today, it just took me years to find the words for it. Who knows if I’ll ever be done discovering.
Photo Malaika Bigirndavyi
Cuffing season: Police explorer senior Maddie Turnquist pats down assistant director in traffic stop simulation. Turnquist has been in the Police Explorer program for two years.
Police Explorers inspire future careers Community program helps youth find passion in law Avia Kaner-Roth aviakanerroth@slpecho.com
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s senior Maddie Turnquist thinks about future careers in law enforcement, she is grateful for the opportunities she has had in the Police Explorer program. “I like (the Police Explorer program) not only because I am going into law enforcement and it gives me experience, but mainly because of what I learn from the people in it and the officers,” Turnquist said. Officer Dennis Hagen, the adviser of
the Police Explorer program, said the program began almost 40 years ago with the intent of connecting with youth in the St. Louis Park community. “The city wanted to reach out to the community, specifically the youth and provide those interested in learning about law enforcement an opportunity to get involved and learn about the career,” Hagen said. Officer Hagen said the program helps to provide experience and an understanding of law enforcement. “(This program) provides prospective law enforcement officers a way to gain experience, and it provides youth who want to understand law enforcement a direct opportunity to experience the profession first hand,” Hagen said. Turnquist said a typical meeting
consists of discussing current events and completing training scenarios. “Each week we will start off with just going over events coming up, then we will do different training scenarios like burglary or traffic stop and stuff like that,” Turnquist said. According to Turnquist, she strongly recommends the program to eligible young adults. “Even if you do not wish to become a cop or other type of law enforcement officer, (the Police Explorer program) is a good learning experience. (Members) learn why officers do what they do and how to interact with officers,” Turnquist said. The Police Explorers meet at 6:30 p.m. every Tuesday night at the St. Louis Park Police Station.
to the regular Sadie’s dance,” Brown said. Brown said DECA members help plan the dance, through publicity and decor. “Right now, we are in the process of planning and selling tickets and designing posters to put up throughout the school that (are) barnyard theme, and we are just going to decorate some things,” Brown said. Junior Finnegan Reddan said he looks forward to the barnyard theme's recurrence. “(The theme’s) something, it’s interesting,” Reddan said. “I mean everyone wears a flannel.” According to DECA co-adviser Sophia Ross, although DECA chose a traditional theme, room for creativity still remains. “There’s been talk about possibly try-
ing to have it inside and outside, depending on the weather, like a bonfire (and) going on a hayride around the school,” Ross said. Sophomore Sarah Wojtasiak said she appreciates the non-formal aspect of the dance. “I thought (Sadie's) was a great opportunity (to) see other people’s costumes and how people express their creativity and get to socialize,” Wojtasiak said. Ross said she believes the preparation required for Sadie’s benefits DECA. “I think it’s a really good experience for students to apply their business and marketing skills to communicate to the student body about what’s going on and then just working together as a team to plan a special event,” Ross said.
Sadie's returns to tradition DECA plans a barnyard themed Halloween party Sumaya Mohamed & Dani Orloff sumayamohamed@slpecho.com daniorloff@slpecho.com
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s senior DECA officer Lewis Brown prepares for the annual Sadie Hawkins dance, he said the barnyard theme for this year is nothing new. “(Barnyard has) always been the theme, we just like to change it some of the years, but this year we decided to stick
Before buying a Sadie's ticket Ticket price
Theme
Barnyard Bash
$10
Date
Nov. 2
Location
High school fieldhouse
Apparel
Barnyard clothing
How to purchase tickets • • •
Purchase tickets from a DECA member MondayFriday Oct. 23-27 anytime Tickets will be sold during lunch Oct. 31-Nov. 2 No refunds, cash only
What is the dance like Do you need a date? Attend with a group of friends or a date. Is there a king and queen? Yes. There is going to be a king and queen of the corn.
What music will be playing? DECA will be taking requests during lunch at the ticket table. What can I expect? Dancing, food and friends Activities • DJ • Picture station • Food tasting • Raffle Infographic Devin Raynor Source DECA