Echo Issue 4 2014-2015

t. Louis Park has many resources for research, but lately not all have worked.

Although some websites are meant to be blocked for their inappropriate content or connection to social media, other websites used for research are blocked for no apparent reason.

Library media specialist, Ellen George, said she is working with the IT department to fix this problem.

George and the IT department are working to fix this problem by creating a Google form, which can be found on schoology where students and teachers can copy and paste the URL of any website that is blocked, but should not be.

“An IT person can enter an exception for any URL that is put on the Google Form so the site will no longer be blocked,” George said.

“Internet filters are mandated by federal law and block certain categories of web content,” George said. “We do not place the URLs in the filters, it comes pre chosen.”

Students such as junior Reshaun Steuart don’t understand why some websites are blocked.

“A lot of school related websites are blocked, and I don’t understand why,” Steuart said.

This has also prevented students from being able to do their work. Websites such as YouTube don’t work, which makes it hard for students to watch the video they were assigned for homework.

“I was trying to watch an educational video for a class on YouTube and it was blocked,” Steuart said.

CASE ED CLOS

hortly after school Nov. 4, a bomb threat was found in a classroom book, according to Interim Principal Scott Meyers.

The threat was brought immediately to Meyer’s attention, who then called a meeting of the administration and decided to contact the police.

A full police investigation was opened to look into whether the threat was credible.

Meyers said the investigation concluded around 8 p.m. Tuesday night after police and ad-

ministration agreed no clear or present danger existed.

“When something like this happens, we contact the police immediately,” Meyers said.

“They have a procedure for how to handle situations like these.”

The school sent a phone blast Nov. 4 around 8:30 p.m. to students, parents and faculty, providing information on the bomb threat.

Investigators concluded it was safe to come to school the following day.

Early Wednesday morning, all high school staff attended a

hat was intended as a presentation demonstrating Nazi propaganda in the IB history class sparked discussion throughout the school.

As part of its current unit on authoritarian states, students in the class replicated Nazi-regime tactics in a presentation Oct. 28.

Group member Sophia Noreen said her group hung flags with swastikas on them and group members wore Nazi apparel.

meeting where the administration shared information regarding the threat.

Sara Thompson, Park’s director of communications, said although the threat is no longer deemed credible, the district is still investigating the incident.

“We continue to gather information about the disruption that this caused to the end of the school day yesterday and the start of the school day today,” Thompson said.

Additional police patrol cars were around the perimeter of the school in addition to an in-

creased police presence inside the school on Wednesday.

Dozens of students decided to not come to school because of the threat. Senior Cora Iverson said she understands their concerns.

“If I would have heard about it earlier, I probably wouldn’t have come.”

According to Thompson, the investigations into the threat and the larger disturbance presented by the threat, are ongoing.

“The project was supposed to be on Nazi propaganda, so our group was supposed to be using Nazi ideals to indoctrinate the class,” Noreen said.

According to IB history teacher, Carley Kregness, this was her sixth year of the project after adapting it from a previous Park teacher.

She said the interactive nature provides a comprehensive understanding of propaganda.

“I think that this project helps students understand propaganda in a much more visceral and sort of gut-level sense instead of just book learning it,” Kregness said.

However, later that day two

complaints were filed to the administration taking offense to the presentation, according to Principal Scott Meyers.

According to Meyers, the school strives to ensure a tolerant environment for students while also covering curriculum that may make some uncomfortable.

“We know that it’s our goal here to provide a safe and secure environment for all of the students, and we regret that the classroom lesson negatively impacted some of the students in the school,” Meyers said.

ECA created a specific theme for the Sadie Hawkins dance in hopes to increase the number of students attending the dance.

In addition to endorsing the theme of “Gettin’ Spooky With It,” the chapter promoted a spirit week where students and faculty followed the corresponding dress codes for Sadie’s week.

Unfortunately attendance rates were down from last year DECA adviser Sophia Ross said.

She added the attendance rate diminished about 50 percent, from approximately 195 students at last year’s dance to 93 this year.

“I don’t really think we can improve the dance in any way, shape or form. I think we do a great job with the execution and letting people know we exist,” Ross said.

“It’s just whether or not people want to go or not and about what people are into,” she said.

Although the crowd was smaller than usual, the energy did not dwindle throughout the night, Ross said.

“The freshman and sophomores had a really good time,” Ross said. “When they left they said ‘thank you so much, this was a lot of fun.’”

The dance included a candy buffet, finger-foods, a mummywrap contest, a costume contest, a photo booth and a student-created music playlist. Ross said she noticed positive reactions from the students.

“I think everybody who came had a really good time. It was a pleasant dance. It was really clean and enjoyable,” Ross said.

Senior officer Monique Best hopes in the following years, DECA participants will fundraise and promote the dance more.

“I think through the past years since we haven’t done what we did this year, all the grades have been pretty disappointed or they just got tired of it for a while,” Best said.

Akhila Murthy, senior officer, said low attendance will not have a major affect on DECA’s budget.

“I know that we did lose money, but overall we are not losing too much,” Murthy said.

“We have upcoming fundraisers, [they] usually make up for it.”

nnouncements are often made in the morning requesting for teachers to fill in sub positions.

According to director of human resources Richard Kreyer, finding substitute teachers is becoming increasingly difficult.

In order to find competent subs, the district placed ads in newspapers, increased pay and recruited other relief teachers.

tudents who enjoy late start and early release days may be disappointed by the number scheduled for the 2014-2015 school year.

Besides last month’s late start, only one more half-day is scheduled for this year — an early release May 18.

Instead of additional late starts, students will receive full days off of school Dec. 5 and March 23. These days will be used for the staff development.

Principal Scott Meyers said these full days will help improve the teacher education programs

Kreyer said while the district’s number of eligible substitutes increased from 240 to 260 in the past year, other districts experienced a dramatic decrease.

“When I meet with other HR directors from other districts they’re seeing the same thing.

One last year had about 400 subs on their system, and this year it’s less than 200,” Kreyer said.

Kreyer believes the lack of available subs is because of the addition of teachers in many districts and the rising economy. In order to recruit more substitutes, the district advertised in the Sun Sailor and the Star Tribune, posted jobs on the district’s website,

and increased the daily wage for substitute teachers.

“I recommended an increase in the pay for subs, from $110 a day to $115 a day for full day subs,” Kreyer said. “We kind of raised the rate to encourage [subs] to spend more time substituting at St. Louis Park.”

Freshman Ellery Deschamps said while students cannot learn as much from a substitute compared to their normal teacher, it is still important to have proficient subs.

“It’s important to have a good sub so that the classroom doesn’t get too crazy or out of hand and that you can still learn

that have taken place on halfdays in the past.

“Part of the reasoning behind that day is taking some of those other two hour segments that we had and putting it into a day, so we could really focus on work and process through it with some reflection,” Meyers said.

Kari Ross, the district director of teaching and learning said teachers cover many topics on professional development days.

Teachers will learn how to utilize technology-based tools like Schoology. They will also have the opportunity to collaborate with teachers they don’t work with on a daily basis.

“We also have some experts come in to talk about literacy and how to help close the achievement gap,” Ross said.

Junior Lesly Hernandez said she thinks uninterrupted school

days will be beneficial for students’ learning as well as teacher development. “[Fewer half-days means] more school hours and they’re helping you learn,” Hernandez said.

Ross said the need to cancel half-days last year after having multiple snow days did not factor into the decision to reduce the number of half-days this year. The new calendar is not a precautionary measure for potential snow days this year.

“We had already made plans to change this year’s calendar before the snow days accumulated,” Ross said.

In addition to teacher development, the new calendar addresses family complaints.

Families with students in schools across the district whose arrangements for after- and before-school childcare were inconvenienced by the old schedule may find this new schedule easier to work with.

even without your teacher,” Deschamps said.

Deschamps also said substitutes bring a different learning environment to students.

According to Kreyer, the need for adequate substitute teachers in the district can impact students ability to learn.

“We want students to be taught by the best teacher that we can get for that class and we think the best teacher is going to be the regular teacher,” Kreyer said. “But if the regular teacher can’t be there that day, then we want a competent, trained substitute that we know had been effective.”

Birchwood Community Garden placed in new hands, its vegetables are faced with an uncertain future.

For about 20 years, the garden has allowed residents of the surrounding neighborhood to grow various vegetables, such as tomatoes and broccoli.

The garden consists of 24 separate plots tended by neighborhood members. Birchwood is one of four community gardens within St. Louis Park managed by a neighborhood community rather than the city, according to St. Louis Park’s environmental coordinator, Jim Vaughan.

“The garden has been highly successful. We’re hoping it can stay there for some time to come,” he said. “It’s good for the neighborhood and St. Louis Park, but we have to respect the decision that the property owners make.”

The garden, previously owned by the Lutheran Church of the Reformation, has allowed for many harvests throughout the years. However, after the congregation separated, the future of the garden fell into the hands of the current landowners, the Minneapolis synod of Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

Danielle Fehring, a part of the disbanded congregation and co-chair for the garden, said she’s worried the removal of the garden will take away a key aspect of the neighborhood and harm the community’s cohesiveness.

“I’ve been involved with [the garden] for many years and met a lot of amazing people through it,” Fehring said. “Seeing the garden go away would be like tak-

ing away a sense of community as well as taking a bright spot in some people’s day where they are reminded of the simpler things in life that we all tend to take for granted.”

Roots and Shoots member sophomore Chloe O’Gara said she thinks getting rid of the garden would result in negative environmental effects. “[Residents] will have to get produce that’s genetically modified, which is very environmentally harmful,” O’Gara said. “With the garden [residents] could get food from a process that is very environmentally sound.”

Junior Murad Mammadov said he thinks the community garden allows residents to know their food is grown organically. “[Residents] can grow natural foods rather than the foods sold in most stores filled with GMOs,” Mammadov said. “When you grow your own food, you know it’s organic.”

The director of communications for the Minneapolis synod ELCA, Bob Hulteen said he spoke with local residents about the issue and hopes to develop a plan to benefit everyone.

“I’ve had a couple phone conversations with people from the garden. I hear in their voice their deep love of that space. We clearly hope that something will be worked out that honors their interest in maintaining that garden,” Hulteen said.

Currently, a church called Upper Room uses the property. If the church decides to buy the property from ELCA then the transition will be considered to be easier because the church already occupies the property. However, if Upper Room decides not to buy the property, the ELCA will continue to try and sell the property, Hulteen said.

“We want to be corporate citizens in the process of this and make sure that St. Louis Park is represented and the neighbors will want to interact with the decision as well,” Hulteen said.

he night before my first trip to the Boundary Waters, my dad told me I was going to have an amazing experience. He also warned me that it would be difficult, and that made me so nervous I could barely sleep. Morning came, though, and we went.

That first day it rained the entire time. We saw four hours of sun at most, and I spent those hours napping on a rock and leisurely eating a bag of beef jerky.

The next day, as it rained again, my family and I packed up camp and moved forward.

Then I learned an important camping philosophy: if you don’t carry your pack, you don’t get dinner. At face value, it seemed quite simple, but I found it much harder than anticipated.

While the pack weighed almost as much as me, rain was running down my back and my shoes were so muddy that I couldn’t tell where my feet were.

A hot meal seemed a lifetime away.

Everything felt miserable, but all the three of us could do was laugh at how ridiculous we looked. It was both the most disgusting I have ever felt, and the best time I’ve ever had — regardless of how tiring it was. I didn’t care anymore, because I had carried 75 pounds for a mile, and I felt amazing.

Even though the trip was difficult and I was unsure if I could do it, I kept walking. You can’t stop in the Boundary Waters.

It’s is a magical place, not only because it’s pretty and relaxing, but because you get what you put in. The enjoyment comes from the work, even though it felt like you would never make it. You do make it, though, and a rehydrated bag of spaghetti tastes like a five-star meal.

At first I was afraid to take a chance because I was faced with something difficult. I’m glad I ended up going through with it because on that trip I had the best time of my life.

Had I not gone, I would have lost an opportunity because I was afraid to fail. I’m faced with similar choices every day, and I’ve learned I can’t shy away from them just because I’m nervous or apprehensive about succeeding.

I took that opportunity to do something amazing, and I got more out of it than I ever expected.

fter practicing for months, “Xanadu” cast members look to draw laughs and connect with the audience.

Director Jodi Hatzenbeller said the theater is trying to reach out to an older audience who will enjoy the musical more.

“We have done a lot of promotion online,” she said. “Our generation may not appreciate the musical as much as the generations who grew up watching the cheesy movie that it’s based on.”

Senior Sean Burk said he looks forward to the performer-audi-

ence interaction.

“I hope to get a lot of crowd reactions. They’re mainly my favorite things,” Burk said. “The audience is the most rewarding to me. Just seeing their reactions to the things we do.”

Senior and thespian president Charis Tshihamba said she is looking forward to the feeling of performing and getting to have fun with this musical.

“I feel like this musical is so fun and obnoxious and sort of dumb and makes fun of itself for being dumb,” Tshihamba said. “Getting to perform is really fun and you get adrenaline.”

Performances are at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14, 15, 21 and 22 as well as at 2 p.m. on Nov. 16 and 23 in the auditorium. Tickets cost $7 for students and $10 for adults

and on-stage seating is available for $12.

The theater is hosting a fundraiser at the Park Roller Gardens to promote their performance and raise money Nov. 17.

Tshihamba said this fundraiser will help the theater program make even better shows in the future as well as give people a taste of what the musical is like.

“It shows everyone how fun the musical will be,” she said.

However, rollerskating is not limited to just the Roller Gardens.

According to Hatzenbeller, actors will be skating on the stage as a part of the performance to add movement and excitement.

“The roller skating is a new element for us,” she said. “It’s also brought a fresh energy to the show.”

My favorites are trapeze and contortion. Other people fit themselves into boxes, do hand balancing, or do flexibility tricks like I do. All of the events work together. Sometimes I do a backbend while someone does a handstand on top of me.

Instructors either give demonstrations or step-by-step instructions. Or they just put you where they want you.

Raeann Selly participates in contortion and aerial acrobatics classes.

My friends said I was really flexible, so I started practicing in my house. I realized I could do something most people can’t do, so I signed up for a class.

First we stretch, then we do the splits, backbends, joint stretches and toe stretches. That can take up to 20 minutes for contortion class, but less for aerial. Then we split into groups and work on routines.

There’s a regular rope called the Spanish web, a fabric rope called French silk, the lyra which is a suspended hoop and the trapeze.

They range from 10-25 feet high.

It begins with a style or apparatus, like a pyramid, then we do some tricks and it ends with another style.

The lyra, because it has more graceful and pretty forms.

Class is twice a week, and I stretch every day. You cannot be good unless you are consistent in practice.

People don’t realize that professional circus is crazy competitive. The really big ones, like Cirque du Soleil, get millions of people applying. I can see continuing classes, but not a career.

ith a win at the club’s first meet, quiz bowl members look to continue their success in the upcoming season.

Quiz bowl challenges students to answer trivia questions. Players try to hit the buzzer before the opposing team and answer questions in subjects ranging from academia to pop culture.

Adviser Bruce McLean returns for this season of quiz bowl after taking a year off. Many of the students he was familiar with no longer participate in the club.

McLean said he previously knew only two people on the team.

“It is basically a new group of students,” McLean said. “It will be fun to get to know the new kids on the team.”

Senior Elliot Schwartz, a participant in quiz bowl for the past three years said McLean’s return excites him, as he enjoys the way McLean interacts with students.

“I think that one of the cool things is that it is just as much fun for the adviser as it is for members,” Schwartz said.

In previous years, boys domi-

nated the quiz bowl club with few girls participating.

This season, the ratio of boys to girls evened out as more joined the team.

Junior Zoe Leuthner said the greater participation of girls parallels the student demographics in the high school.

“I think that it is good that quiz bowl is more representative of our school in that regard. Girls have good knowledge that they can bring to the team,” she said. “They

add diversity and some diversity of interest that can help us.”

McLean said while the club has been mostly composed of male students, there has been female participation in past years.

“We have had girls who have participated well, but we haven’t had as many girls as we have had boys,” McLean said. “It is nice to see more girls participating.”

McLean said the club has qualified for the state tournament in all of his years of advising.

uring a recent trip to Washington D.C., the Echo received various awards for last year’s publications.

The Echo won the NSPA National Pacemaker, an award that judges: coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting,

McLean said he hopes the teams will accomplish this goal this year as well.

“Our hope is to always qualify for state,” McLean said. “We always rank among one of the best teams in the state.”

Students interested in joining can come after school Thursdays to C371. The team’s next meet will take place on Dec. 8.

At the last tournament, the A team won 3-1, the B team tied 2-2, and the C team lost 0-4.

leadership, evidence of in-depth reporting, design, photography, art and graphics.

NSPA picks 38 newspaper finalists and 19 National Pacemaker winners. This is the second year in a row the Echo received a National Pacemaker.

Additionally, senior Carolyn Guddal and Park graduate Carter Green received fifth place for newspaper page or spread design of the year. Green also received fifth individually for infographic design of the year.

pon seeing sophomore Mira Swartz bouncing through the hallways, identifiable by her florescent red hair and short stature, some might think she is just another carefree student.

With her constant positivity and extensive list of time consuming activities, she does not appear to fit any of the stereotypes typically connected with mental illnesses.

“I’m clinically diagnosed with depression, bipolar disorder and mood swings,” Swartz said.

“I got diagnosed around five years ago.”

Swartz said she dealt with a lot of bullying in middle school, which lead to a suicide attempt.

After she stayed at Fairview Hospital for two weeks and got constant support from counselors, therapists and her parents, Swartz returned to school with a new perspective.

Swartz said she is now very open about her mental illnesses with peers and freely answers questions or shares her story.

However, her willingness to be herself has not always been received well by her peers.

“There’s a few kids who have been mean to me since second grade. There’s always those kids who see how you’re different and talk about you because of it.”

Swartz said she felt uncomfortable moving into high school because of her difficult experience in middle school, but she is now in a better place mentally.

“As a sophomore, I’m in that place where I’m helping myself and others,” Swartz said. “I’m part of Natural Helpers this year, so I can help others who are going through the same stuff I had to do.”

Swartz said she thinks it’s very important for those who are suffering to know there are others out there.

“Nobody is alone, no matter how much you think that is true.” Swartz said.

Generally, the public does not recognize the stigma surrounding mental disorders, according to clinical psychologist Cheryl Goldenberg.

“The stigma peopl with being considere insane,” Goldenberg whether people will tr if their schooling will mental health disturba According to Gold reduce the stigma sim about it. This in turn w ma surrounding peopl health issues.

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Recent research fro logical Medicine sugge of Americans who suf never seek help. This stigma surrounding me implications of seeking the study.

le worry about has to do ed disturbed or crazy or said. “They worry about rust them or if their jobs, l be affected because of a ance.” denberg, students can help mply by being more open will help to defeat the stigle who suffer from mental

openly share that they are or that they have someontinuum of mental illness, ople can get,” Goldenberg

om the Journal of Psychoests that up to 75 percent ffer from a mental illness is because of the extreme ental illness and the social g care for it, according to

There are many people in this school who are prepared to help these students get to a better state especially in the counseling office, but overall nobody in the school is trained to provide therapy for depression.

They can initially listen and try to be supportive, but they can get into dangerous waters when they try to be the sole support. The best thing they can do is make an adult aware of the situation, whether it is a teacher, a school counselor or even their parents.

Sophomore Genesis Buckhalton said she believes this stigma hurts the self worth of individuals facing these problems.

“It makes them feel like there’s something wrong with them,” Buckhalton said. “It also makes them feel bad about themselves.”

Despite this apparent increase in mental health education, students often don’t realize they have a network of counselors prepared to help them when they face tough situations like this, according to the head of the counseling department Barb Nelson.

“Many students come in with specific issues they want support in,” Nelson said. “Others could benefit from these support groups, but they don’t know about it.”

Depression does not discriminate between socioeconomic groups or race. I see it come up with all kinds of students. For example, seniors start to really feel stressed when it comes to the prospect of college, and that stress can lead to anxiety, which can lead to what is called situational depression.

I am a strong believer that students should have balance in their lives. I want them to take rigorous course work, but I don’t want them to feel overwhelmed. The same goes for athletics and extracurriculars. We live in a fast-paced society where it is easy to take on more and more, and sometimes as a result their quality of life suffers. They’re never sleeping or relaxing, and the joys of participation progressively gets harder to notice.

The importance of kindness toward somebody else. You never know what someone is up against, and a kind word or gesture can make such a difference in a person’s day. We should start practicing not only kindness but sensitivity and compassion on a regular basis, not only toward their social groups, but to the student body as a whole.

ou got this” is a phrase I hear almost every day.

It is something that my teammates say to one another as a fellow gymnast is standing in the corner waiting to perform a new skill, frozen over with fear.

I’ve told myself “I got this” a countless number of times. Gymnastics is a sport that is more mentally draining than it is physically. Someone can be physically capable of doing a skill, but their brain tells them otherwise.

The phrase is somewhat comforting; it tells you your team believes in you and knows that you can do it, even if you do not believe in yourself. Being someone who deals with anxiety before meets, this phrase helps me a lot throughout my gymnastics career.

At one meet last year, I was up to compete on balance beam. I remember being more nervous than normal, as I had inserted a couple of difficult jumps in my routine.

During practice, I landed these jumps without a problem, but the thought of performing them in front of an audience made me sick.

Whenever I am up on the beam, I tune out all other distractions and focus merely on the 4-inch beam I am standing on.

I started my routine with fluidity. I landed my turns and my tumbling easily, but once it got time to do this new jump, I froze.

My mind kept racing and my toes tapped on the beam, waiting to go. The gym fell silent, but it was quickly filled up with my team shouting that comforting phrase.

As I landed that jump without a wobble, the roar of my teammates cheering for me was a satisfying feeling. I finished performing my routine and stuck the dismount.

These moments in gymnastics come few and far between, and when they do come, it is a great feeling. I am part of a sport where cheering on others and encouraging them to do their best is a huge component. There is never a moment where we don’t cheer on our teammates.

While gymnastics is a scary sport, having the support of your teammates and coaches is a rewarding feeling. Gymnastics has taught me that the support of others can in fact have a distinguishing effect on my performance.

ighteen girls from the Park swim team competed in the section meet showing drastic improvement from last year, according to head coach Joe Yaeger.

The meet was Nov. 7 and 8 at the Edina High School. Only some swimmers moved on to the second day of the meet.

Yaeger said he is very impressed by his swimmers’ performance.

“The overall results of the

two meets combined were outstanding,” Yaeger said. “The girls swam fantastically, and they dropped a ton of time. The girls breaking pool records and making it to State were just icing on top.”

Yaeger said compared to last year, this year’s section meet showed a great improvement in many ways.

“Our relays really stepped it up. Probably twice as many girls went to the second day and a lot more medals were handed out to individuals,” Yaeger said.

Sophomore and swimmer Emily Doss competed in the sections meet and said it took a lot of hard work to get there.

“We definitely had harder practices this year compared to

last year, and we had practices on days we didn’t have school,” Doss said.

After all the hard work exerted to get to this point, Doss said the beneficial outcomes are apparent.

“Being in sections you definitely know what it feels like to swim under pressure because everyone is watching you at all times,” Doss said. “You also get a lot of support from your teammates.”

Sydney Hall, Neda Salamzadeh, Natalie Sanford and Kailey DeLozier are ranked 16th for the 200 freestyle relay and will move on to the State meet. Emmi Zheng will also move on to State with a ranking of 19 in the 100 breaststroke.

The State meet will take place at 6 p.m. Nov. 11-14 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. The swimming preliminaries are Thursday and the finals Friday. The price for admission is $8 for both students and adults.

tarting the season with new coaches, a new conference and a young team, girls’ hockey has already exhibited improvements from last year after varsity won its first two games.

Charlie McChesney, the new varsity coach, is hopeful about the success of the team in the new conference.

“We have the skill to compete, but our success will be determined by the players,” McChesney said. “Joining the Metro West Conference gives us an opportunity to face some of the premier programs in the state.”

Despite some of the challeng-

ing teams the girls’ face, varsity won its most recent game against Henry Sibley 4-3, according to senior captain Sophia Noreen.

Noreen said the girls’ success stems from a positive outlook on the season and a new coaching staff that promote positive attitudes.

“Charlie coached boys JV

last year,” Noreen said. “I really like him as a coach because he has such a positive attitude, and I feel like he genuinely cares for the team and the players.”

According to Noreen, after a losing record of 0-22 in the regular season last year, the girls are looking to improve their current record of 2-0 this season.

According to McChesney, the SLP Hockey Association is supporting the girls’ hockey team to allow free admission to students at home games. Valid student ID’s are required to get in.

The next game is the home opener, against the Academy of Holy Angels 5 p.m. Saturday Nov. 15 at the Rec Center.

ith the hockey season just around the corner, the players anticipate a season filled with challenge and triumph in the new Metro-West Conference according to coach Terry Keseley.

“It will be good for the team to have tougher competition and to compete well with these teams,” Keseley said. “I am excited for the challenge.”

Keseley said he is preparing for the season with a new approach by focusing on the process and chemistry of the team rather than the results.

He plans to focus on the

players as a whole rather than segregating between varsity and junior varsity.

“I want to make St. Louis Park about the players and the process. I believe that if we all practice hard together as a team that naturally the results will pay off,” Keseley said.

Last year’s record was 9-14-2.

The boys’ program prepares for this year’s season by taking advantage of opportunities provided at the school such as strength and conditioning and other clinics in the offseason.

Senior TJ Rempfer said he believes offseason training with the boys’ team has helped them understand themselves and the game more.

“Foundation hockey is a clinic that many of the players participate in, it is good for us to see how we gel and play together,” Rempfer said.

The team’s home opener Nov. 22 against Waconia. A new addition is all home games this year will be free admission with student ID.

I started swimming just before I turned 9.

I made varsity in seventh grade, so this is sixth year on the team.

My best event is the 100-yard breaststroke, and I also swim 100-yard butterfly. I’m usually on the 200 medley relay and the 200 free relay.

rom seventh graders to seniors, all members of the gymnastics team prepare for a successful season according to head coach Gretchen Novak.

Novak said one of the most important steps for improvement is to always be at practice. This will allow the team can improve together.

or the first time in five years, the Nordic Ski team can ski on snow instead of rollerskis during its first week of practice.

Head coach Doug Peterson said the team will have a better chance at placing highly at their first race this year.

He credits this to having more time to ski before the first meet because of the recent snowfall.

“The early season is a plus for the team, because we can get them on the snow early, which

gives us a chance to exceed,” Peterson said.

Peterson said the drop in participants will benefit the team by giving each skiier more one-onone attention for improvement.

“We have a smaller team, so I think we will have a lot more fun,” Peterson said.

“We will be able to pay a lot more attention to the individuals,” Peterson said.

Peterson said many members on

“I have high expectations for attendance and being on time for practice, the captains are planning fundraising events,” Novak said.

Novak said the team has been strong in two out of the four events in each meet.

“Due to how we have been the last couple of years, our best two events are beam and vault,” Novak said. “We look to continue those being our best two events.”

Senior captain Hannah Holmquist said she is optimistic about the season and hopes everyone will work well as a team so they can succeed.

“I think we will do well, it takes a while for everyone to get used to the team, but I think we will do pretty well because last year we had a solid team,” Holmquist said.

I have a healthy meal and visualize my events before the meet actually starts, but right before the race begins, I fix my goggles and jump up and down to get my heart rate up.

The night before, I’m going to re-shave my legs and listen to pump up music.

It’s definitely bittersweet. It’s always a relief when the season is over because it’s such a big time commitment, but at the same time I am really going to miss it because of all the amazing memories I’ve made with the team. High school would not be the same without it.

There’s always the pressure to do well at meets, to contribute to the team, and to also do better than I have been in the past years.

A combination of the chemistry on the team. Everyone is really close and it feels good to be a part of that environment.

the team prepare for the season year round.

“A lot of our kids have been skiing, doing summer programs, working with other clubs and working with each other,” Peterson said.

Freshman skier Kate Brink-

man said the early snow benefits the team because it gives the team more time to work on what they need to improve.

“We will have more time on our skis with the early snow so we will work more on our technique,” Brinkman said.

I’ve talked to a couple coaches of the colleges that I’ve visited.

I would love to swim in college, but if I got into a D1 school, then I probably won’t swim.”

St. Louis Park Senior High School 6425 West 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426 Peter Johnson Ivy Kaplan David Hope John Kinney Daniel Vlodaver Ladan Abdi, Ori Etzion, Gila Grad, Noah Robiner & Sara Tifft Maddy Bremner & Carolyn Guddal Zoe Kedrowski, Madisen Lynch & Natalie Sanford Amira Warren-Yearby Natalie Vig Noa Grossman Noa Raasch Josh Mesick Emily Melbye Erin Wells Mara Bacig, Abby Hickstein & Emily Tifft Malik Grays Adna Aideed, Mara Bacig, Harrison Barden, Hannah Bernstein, Joe Brandel, Kaylee Chamberlain, Sean Cork, Allison Cramer, Brigid Duffy, Jackson Eilers, Zoë Eilers, Shayan Gilbert Burke, Hannah Goldenberg, Jamie Halper, Sari Hattis, Abby Hickstein, Kate Huber, Maxwell Kent, Celene Koller, Jonah Kupritz, Shoshana Leviton, Andy Magill, Julia Nathan, Polina Pekurovsky, Conrad Phelan, Loni Rutherford, Neda Salamzadeh, Albie Sher, Olivia Sieff, Amina Mohamud, Harry Steffenhagen, Emily Tifft, Cedar Thomas, Zach Tronson, Miranda VanPilsum-Johnson & Heather Westwood

ome s udents walking through the C3 hallway during fourth hour Oct. 8 were shocked to see Nazi flags hanging from the ceiling of the C350 classroom. Without any type of explanation, some students complained to the administration.

The display was part of an IB History project involving the reenactment of propaganda strategies used by the Nazis to gather support and to justify their mass genocide.

The group presenting the project consisted of approximately one-third of the class, including students of varied religious and racial backgrounds. Students were given the option to sit out during the presentation if they felt uncomfortable with the subject matter.

Even though the flags were only used during the class, they were on display the entire day with no explanation of their purpose posted outside the classroom. Thus, students who walked by the classroom did not understand the context in which they were being used.

For the students who participated in the re-enactment, the exposure to propaganda provided

new insight into the rallies promoting the Nazi agenda common in the 1930s and ’40s. It served as a way for students to learn from a real-life experience rather than a second-hand narrative.

The major shortcoming of this project was the visible and unexplained display of Nazi flags in a central classroom. While confusion over the event is understandable, it was unreasonable to assume the school had any purpose aside from education.

Many students find this topic sensitive and have a personal connection to the events that occurred under the Nazi regime. It is understandable that seeing the flags openly displayed without an explanation caused outrage.

While this presentation may have caused some people discomfort, lessons like this should be encouraged, not criticized. Instead of using typical teaching methods like textbook readings, this project instead gave students the opportu-

nity to see the events from a new, realistic perspective.

However, if a class is to present on a controversial topic, the teacher or students involved with the project should post a sign explaining their intentions.

Moreover, if students are worried about a lesson’s content or a classroom display, they should ask for clarification from teachers or administrators. Students and staff should avoid jumping to conclusions.

very year in the United States justice system, approximately 250,000 minors are tried as adults and 100,000 end up in adult jails or prisons, according to Truthloader News.

The transferring of youth to the adult criminal justice system not only contributes to a higher crime rate, but is often cruel and unnecessary to the juveniles.

Cases transferred from juvenile court to adult court usually involve minors accused of more serious or violent crimes or repeat offenders.

In the adult justice system, youths are more likely to receive a longer sentence and will serve time in adult prisons instead of juvenile detention centers if convicted.

Juveniles’ brains are not fully developed like those of adults and therefore they sometimes lack the ability to make sound judgments and control their impulses, according to the Campaign For Youth Justice.

This underdevelopment also indicates a strong ability to change, making assimilation back into so-

ciety more possible for juveniles than for adults.

Although juveniles who commit crimes should be held accountable, they should not be treated as if their minds work the same way as those of adults.

While the juvenile detention system aims to reintegrate youth into society, the adult system values punishment above all else.

Many adult prisons do not provide education, especially at the level necessary for juveniles.

Minors charged in the adult system are burdened by a lack of education and by a permanent record.

They must live with the stigma and negative public perception of being a convicted felon for the rest of their lives.

Many minors in the adult justice system plead guilty without fully understanding these longterm ramifications.

Most shocking of all are the dangers and inhumane treatment minors face in adult prisons.

Youth imprisoned with adults as compared to youth in juvenile detention centers are five times more likely to be sexually assaulted, 50 percent more likely to be assaulted with a weapon and

three times more likely to be assaulted by prison staff, according to Truthloader News.

Minors are often placed in solitary confinement for their own protection from adult prison inmates. However, this is a heinous and harmful solution to the issue of prison violence.

Thousands of minors are held in solitary confinement every day in the United States.

The trying of minors as adults in the criminal justice system is detrimental not only to the minors, but also to society as a whole, because of the higher re-offending rates of youths charged as adults.

According to the Campaign for Youth-Justice, early interventions, such as rehabilitation programs available in youth detention centers prevents high-risk youth from engaging in repeat criminal offenses.

It also can save the public nearly $5.7 million in costs during a lifetime.

We are often too quick to condemn youth with little attempt at helping them to lead a life without crime. To combat our ineffectual system, we need to reserve adult sentences for juveniles with only the most severe cases.

Brita Hunegs Scott Meyers Quad Graphics Lori Keekley The Echo is the official student-produced newspaper of St. Louis Park Senior High School. It is published tri-weekly for the school’s students, staff and community.

The Echo will not be reviewed by school administrators prior to distribution, and the adviser will not act as a censor. Content represents views of the student staff and not school officials.

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.

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 may be emailed to slpecho@gmail.com or submitted in room C275.

Letters must be signed and should be no longer than 250 words.

Emailed letters must be verified prior to publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right 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. 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; NSPA 2007, 2011, 2014 Print Pacemaker Finalist, 2013, 2014 National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014 Web Pacemaker Finalist, JEM All-State; CSPA Gold Medalist; 2012, 2014 CSPA Silver Crown, 2013 CSPA Gold Crown.

Up to skinny shaming. Just like in the old days when being thin meant you were a peasant.

B.H.

Down to history project. Mein Kampfort level is going way down.

B.H.

Up to anonymous social media.

Xoxo, Yik Yak.

N.R.

nonymous websites often get a bad reputation, being known for cyberbullying and being factors of numerous suicides.

Anonymous apps are no different.

The social media app Yik Yak, which can be thought of as an anonymous Twitter, allows people, including students, to post “yaks” to other users within a 1.5 mile radius with anonymity.

Many believe the app fosters cyberbullying and other negative comments because of the anonymous nature of the posts. While some students may use this app for funny or random posts, a few have taken it too far.

Sometimes, high school students do not understand the line between joking and bullying. Yik Yak only encourages this type of behavior.

On social media sites the name of the poster is always alongside the post itself, so people are less likely to post negative comments about people because of the direct ownership of the comments.

But on anonymous apps like Yik Yak, there is no responsibility for a post. If students can post hurtful words publically, there is no limit to what they can post anonymously.

While banning the app, like certain schools have, seems a bit dramatic, alternatives exist.

Parents can talk to their children about the app or schools can take steps to prevent cyberbullying on the app in general, but this will not stop students from using Yik Yak. While no fool-proof method exists to prevent cyberbullying, students should stop using anonymous sites or apps for negative comments.

Instead of reprimanding students for their negative comments on social media or banning apps, we should teach them how to use social media responsibly.

n a society that glorifies the young and ultra-skinny, it is no wonder women and men have decided to take on the challenge of expanding what it means to be “beautiful.”

Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign began in 2004 after a study it conducted proved the definition of beauty had become unattainable.

It is exciting and encouraging that people can recognize there is not just one defenition of attractiveness and are open to discussing what it means to them. The focus

of many of these discussions is on the topic of weight.

As people with larger figures are given the fair treatment they deserve, a new phenomenon, meant to target men and women on the lighter side of the scale, has emerged.

“Skinny Shaming” is discriminating against those with leaner bodies. It degrades those who look like this because they happen to fit the societal norm of what a desirable body looks like.

Many times, the aggressors feel they have the ability to engage in this type of bullying because being skinny is a form of “privilege,” as described in an article from The Yale Herald. This is not a false idea. Without looking at any other

he first rule that appears when you open the information tab on Yik Yak is “you do not bully or specifically target other yakkers.”

Yik Yak is an application made for college students to share content about their campus or university. This can be seen by anyone who uses the app.

The app does not allow use while in a specific radius surrounding a school and relies on its users to report bullying or inappropriate content.

Despite the rules set by Yik Yak, high school students began to use the app as a social media outlet such as Facebook or Twitter.

This means the students who use the app are aware of the rules they are breaking and are responsible for the consequences.

The app is in no way meant

for bullying and is designed to be a space where positive and funny posts can be made anonymously to peers. Although bullying has occurred on the site, the app itself is not to blame.

Many solutions exist for solving to the issue of cyberbullying on apps such as Yik Yak. The simplest one is to delete the app.

Although the app is intended to be enjoyable, if a user feels as if there are negative posts being made they always have the option of removing the app from their phone and leaving the comments behind.

It is also important to understand that Yik Yak and other anonymous social media sites are monitored by the users itself and negative comments should be reported. If users feel threatened, reporting cases of bullying is recomended by the app itself.

In order to enjoy the app in the way it’s intended, users should wait until they are of age. If they can’t wait, they should still help keep the app clean and positive.

factors of a human’s disposition, it is most likely easier to live in Western society in this day and age as a person of less body weight.

However, this is not an excuse for them to be treated with less respect.

A trend is for bloggers to post memes of thigh gaps with phrases overlaying them like “Push, push until your thighs don’t touch.”

Since surfacing, backlash toward them has been extensive. An ABC News article in March of 2013 calls it “unattainable” and “leading to self destructive behavior.”

While no one should strive to look like this, some naturally do. They shouldn’t be scrutinized for this, just as heavier people shouldn’t be judged either.

The breakout summer song, “All About That Bass” by Meghan Trainor was revolutionary in that it glorified natural beauty and women with more ample bodies, and it was extremely successful.

The song sends a great message, except for one line saying, “Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that” as if one’s proportions automatically insinuates their personality and reaction to someone that looks different than them.

Demoralizing a group of people to benefit another serves no benevolent purpose. As a society and culture we need to find a way to see that outer beauty is not a definition, but rather an infinite spectrum where each person has something unique to offer.

atie Kimball steadies her student as they stand on the platform, staring down at the safety net 30 feet below.

Senior Mara Hathaway went to a session conducted

by Kimball, a part owner of Twin Cities Trapeze, earlier this year and said she was surprised at how fast she learned the basics of trapeze.

“I got the hang of the trapeze pretty quickly. The whole climax of (the lesson) was that you could swing out and reach the other person that was swinging and swing from their arms,” Hathaway said.

From the first class, students can expect to be able to hang on the bar while attached to a cable and connect with a catcher mid-air over a safety net fastened below. According to Kimball, this is the highlight of the class.

“We bring people in, give them a quick safety lesson and practice on the low bar.

Before people have a chance to

change their minds, we send them up the ladder,” Kimball said. “To be able to do the swing you have to learn how to hang by your knees.

Most people already know how to do that, but if you don’t, we’ll teach you.”

Lessons are offered for ages 6 and up. Kimball said she enjoys watching people fulfill their childhood dreams at an older age.

“It’s actually pretty amazing. We get people in their 70s who are ready to try something new. We’ve had a 75-yearold woman who did a swing on the bar, and that’s probably the best part of this job,” Kimball said. “Watching people accomplish something they’ve wanted to do for a long time is pretty amazing.”

Hathaway said the experience was intense and surprising.

“They let you practice once on the ground and then they put you in the air, which is terrifying,” Hathaway said.

Initially many people are apprehensive about flying in the air, but according to Kimball, the key is to come in with an open mind.

“It’s normal to be afraid of heights, but this is a safe and fun way to face your fears. Sometimes people scream

Fox 9 presents “Girls in Science” at the Science Museum of Minnesota, showcasing female scientists in different fields of science and technology. Free with general admission of $13.

the whole time. But it’s really all part of the experience,” Kimball said.

“It’s just really exhilarating. As long as you come in with an open mind, you’ll be fine and have the time of your life.”

Hathaway said she recommends it to others.

“The people are awesome, and it’s a really good way to have a great experience outside your comfort zone,” Hathaway said.

According to Kimball, trying something you would not normally do can lead to satisfactory results and push people out of their comfort zone.

“A lot of people see the trapeze and say that it’s not something they can do, but you’re wearing a safety belt and your chances of getting hurt on the first day are extremely low,” Kimball said.

“People decide that it’s not for them, and they miss out of an opportunity of their lifetime.”

Twin Cities Trapeze, located in St. Paul, brings flying trapeze classes ranging from beginner to advanced levels.

Kimball opened the studio August 2012, and gives classes in trapeze regularly.

In addition to offering flying trapeze classes for beginner students, the studio also provides acro/gymnastics, aerialates, barre, hula hoop, yoga and zumba classes for more advanced students.

Students interested in these circus acts can register for classes online or by calling the studio at (651) 262-9477.

The Children’s Theater Company presents “Seedfolks,” centering on a Cleveland neighborhood brought together through a community garden.

Tickets cost $10-38.

The Playwrights’ Center presents “Grounded,” digging deep into the heart of a pregnant female fighter pilot trying to find balance at work at home. Tickets cost $20-25.

The Guthrie Theater presents “Relics,” traveling 300 years in the future where archeologists have uncovered artifacts of our age and guess their original uses.

Tickets cost $15-30.