Echo issue 8, March 15

Echo

FOOD FOR BREAK

SECTIONS LOSS

SUPERHERO SERIES

Birdfeeder prepares meals for spring break PAGE 4

Boys’ basketball falls to Hopkins PAGE 9

‘The Umbrella Academy’ explores crime fighting PAGE 12

Friday, March 15, 2019 Volume 92 Issue 8 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

SLPECHO.COM

Photo Grace Farley

Speaking up: Senior Emma Yarger testifies March 5, urging the House to pass the student free expression bill.

Journalist testifies for bill Legislation passes House committee Photo Carissa Prestholdt

Oh, buoy: Sophomore Hayden Zheng races in the breaststroke before competing in several other events at the Sections meet. Echo reporters were unable to take photos at the State Tournament because of MSHSL regulations.

Sophomore sets new State record Zheng, relay team place at State Tournament Dani Orloff & Noah Orloff daniorloff@slpecho.com noahorloff@slpecho.com

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s sophomore boys’ swimmer Hayden Zheng realized he broke the all-time State record in Minnesota for the 100-yard breaststroke, he said he felt thrilled, which was displayed in his repeated splashes in the water.

“Going in I was not expecting the 53.8, so I looked up at the time, and I was ecstatic,” Zheng said. “If you see the reaction, it speaks for itself.”

According to boys’ swimming coach Amanda Forsberg, Zheng was able to place first in both the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard individual med-

ley (IM) at AA State Feb. 28 to March 2 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

“Hayden broke his own two team records. He broke the State record in the 100 breast,” Forsberg said. “He also won the 200 IM.” Zheng, who competed for his third time at State, said as the defending champion in the 100-yard breaststroke, the atmosphere felt different.

“In the past I’ve always had someone to chase. I hadn’t been going in seeded first but this year I’m the target, people were chasing me,” Zheng said.

According to senior Luke Anderson, a member of the competing medley team, when they qualified for State, their less rigorous training as State approached finally caught up.

“We also got the team record. Before it was 1:37.29 and now it’s 1:36.62,” Anderson said. “It was real exciting to

Suggestions Option one Elementary Schools 7:45 a.m.—2:15 p.m.

Middle School 9:10 a.m.—3:52 p.m High School 8:25 a.m.—3:15 p.m.

Option two Elementary Schools 7:55 a.m.—2:25 p.m.

Middle School 8:45 a.m..— 3:27p.m.

High School 8:45 a.m.—3:35p.m.

Infographic Nolan Kelly Source slpschools.org

see the season come together.”

According to Forsberg, Park’s 200yard medley, which included Zheng, Anderson, senior Max Bechtold and junior Will Schwietering, placed ninth.

“The medley relay won the consolation heat and actually their time would have placed them in the top eight,” Forsberg said.

According to Forsberg, improvement could be seen throughout the whole boys’ swimming team as they competed at Sections and State this year.

“Everyone just swam really well.

It came together at the end. Everyone dropped a ton of time,” Forsberg said.

Anderson,said his final season swimming for Park ended on a high note.

“I’m really happy with how the season went. It feels crazy that it’s already over. It went by really fast,” Anderson said. “It was a good way to end six years on the team.”

Dani Orloff daniorloff@slpecho.com

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hen senior Emma Yarger testified in favor of the student free expression legislation, she said she felt powerful having such a platform.

“It was really cool to have the attention of so many adults,” Yarger said. “As a student you don’t always get the opportunity to capture attention like that.”

According to Echo adviser Lori Keekley, staffers attended a House Education Committee hearing March 5 to endorse the student free expression bill, which aims to clarify the role of student journalists and administrators.

“The goal of the bill is for students to have First Amendment rights and be under the Tinker standard,” Keekley said.

Yarger said she feels saddened thinking of censored students.

“It is really important that New Voices gets passed because we’re really lucky on the Echo to be able to write what we do write and what we want to write but not every student journalist has that opportunity,” Yarger said.

For more content go to slpecho.com

Time changes proposed for district Team advises two options Dani Orloff & Noah Orloff daniorloff@slpecho.com noahorloff@slpecho.com

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ooking over the two proposals for school start and end times next year, freshman John Lawrence said he feels both choices present favorable options for the high school.

“It would be nice to make (start times) a little bit later. I do know that if that happens, school would get out later and some kids have to ride a bus for an hour,” Lawrence said.

According to St. Louis Park Public Schools, the team behind the time changes narrowed their options down to two choices for times across the district next year. The projected cost for the top two choices are

$1,053,000 and $1,444,000, respectively, compared to $981,000, the cost for transportation this school year.

According to St. Louis Park Public Schools Superintendent Astein Osei, while the team is involved, the School Board makes the decision.

“There’s a project team that is comprised of a student, staff, parents, community, transportation consultants and others that (came up with) recommendations presented to the board,” Osei said.

According to Osei, team members utilized a sleep study done in the district in 2012 when the high school changed from 7:30 a.m. to the current 8:20 a.m. and 8:40 a.m. schedule.

“As that research has continued to come out, it also shows that it impacts all secondary level students so throughout this process, throughout this strategic plan, that was one of the pieces that the school board was wanting us to look at,” Osei said.

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SophoThere’s more a project Matthew team that is Powell said he believes comprised students get of a student, less than the staff, parents, suggested community, hours of transportation sleep.

“I feel consultants maybe an and others. extra hour of sleep in Astein Osei, the morning superintendent or a little bit of earlier time to get home would be very beneficial to students because you can’t be mentally present when you’re tired,” Powell said.

The community can provide input on the times is at the School Board Listening Session at 7 p.m. March 18 at the Middle School.

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NEWS

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

WEB PREVIEW

DECA looks back on successful season

Photo Noah Orloff

Vegan Club wraps up year

Club advances five to Internationals

When senior Vegan Club member Delaney Wallerich reflected on the club’s final meeting at Vibe Organic Juice Bar in St. Louis Park, she said she enjoyed connecting with the other members over their shared passion for food.

“We can just bond over our love for cuisine,” Wallerich said.

Amaia Barajas & Jenna Cook amaiabarajas@slpecho.com jennacook@slpecho.com

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Emma Leff, Marta Hill & Noah Orloff emmaleff@slpecho.com martahill@slpecho.com noahorloff@slpecho.com

Photo Sophie Livingston

Girls’ softball remains optimistic

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oftball captain and senior Savannah Romero said the upcoming softball roster has tons of talent and is looking forward to seeing what the team will accomplish this season.

“It looks like we could actually have a winning season this year, so I am really excited. Our senior class has some really good players,” Romero said.

Claire Bargman clairebargman@slpecho.com

It’s really good they are starting to invest more into roads. They should continue building them and making them better.

Michael Boxley-Harmon, sophomore

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Photo Yonah Davis

fter State competitions for DECA, senior Anya Morrison said she was pleased with the outcome because she exceeded her personal goals for the season.

“I would say it was a success because I never thought I could make it past the first round.” Morrison said.

Sophomore Daniel Goldberg reflects on his first year of competing with DECA and sees the season as successful.

“I think I did pretty good. It was my first year.

The other schools, they have actual classes for DECA and (Park doesn’t). A lot of people from our school placed, so I think that Anya Morrison, senior

A lot of us went on to the second round and everyone was super encouraging of each other. It was super fun.

Success: Sophomores Daniel Goldenberg and Emma Amon step up to receive their third place trophy for their team decision-making event at the 2019 DECA State competition.

Five students qualified for the International Career Development Conference.

was pretty good because the other schools already have an advantage,” Goldberg said.

According to DECA adviser Sophia Ross, many students who placed highly at State are attending the international competitions later on in the year. None of the five students who did place are all unable to attend the event.

“We brought 13 students to the State Conference, and nine of those students made it to the final rounds which means that they’re in the top 12 in the state and then five of those students actually are advancing on to the International Career Development Conference in April,” Ross said.

Morrison reflected on the competition and the camaraderie that came along with the team competing together.

“I think it went pretty well. A lot of us went on to the second round and everyone was super encouraging of each other. It was super fun,” Morrison said.

According to Ross, two newcomers of the team will be advancing onto the next round for their presentations.

“I’m really, really proud. We had two sophomores who competed for the first time this year that are advancing on to Internationals which is really cool,” Ross said.

Ross said her goals for the next year is to pique new students’ interest, who may be skeptical of the program.

“I’m hoping to increase the number of students who actually participate in DECA,” Ross said. “I think we get a lot of members.

Like this year we’ve got like 63 members I believe but we only took like 20 some to districts so there’s something that’s happening where students don’t want to compete but once they do they’re hooked.”

According to Ross, DECA Internationals will be April 27-30 in Orlando.

For more information on DECA go to B226.

City proposes $22 million in projects

Photo Hayley Westwood

What you need to know about the proposal

Final vote to be March 18 Dani Orloff & Maggie Klaers daniorloff@slpecho.com maggieklaers@slpecho.com

Photo Noah Orloff

Artist raises awareness through beeswax

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ith the viewpoint of pollinators in mind, mixed-media artist Jodi Reeb said she created her exhibition with the goal of spreading information about environmental issues.

“I wanted to create art that would raise awareness about (bees),” Reeb said. “I came up with shooting photos from the bee’s perspective.”

Noah Orloff noahorloff@slpecho.com For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

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plit Rock Studios exhibit designer Amanda Wambach said the Westwood Hills Nature Center renovations are intended to expand the capabilities of what they can do for the community.

“Westwood Hills has been working on a new building,” Wambach said. “They’re really excited to create something for the visitors to come and learn about not only just the park, but engaging in nature and encouraging people to explore and learn about sustainability.”

City Councilwoman Margaret Rog said the project will be funded through bonds that require six of seven City Council members to vote in favor.

“We funded about $22 million in other projects recently, using general obligation charter bonds,” Rog said.

• Photo Noah Orloff Spooky: Senior National Honor Society public relations officer Ilsa Olsen signs kids off Oct. 19 at the Westwood Hills Nature Center Halloween party.

The Parks and Recreation Department is in the process of designing a new building for the Westwood Hills Nature Center.

Rog said another type of bonds could be used to fund the project, but that would require approval of four out of the seven City Council members.

“The city manager and staff identified an alternative way (to fund the project), which is to utilize tax abatement bonds,” Rog said. “I’ve expressed my concerns about moving to a 4-7 majority for major financing of projects, because it seems to diminish the spirit of requiring a supermajority.”

Rog said she said she thinks the design that was approved is a larger investment of community resources than necessary.

“While I support the Westwood Hills Nature Center and I agree the new building is ap-

propriate, I feel strongly that we could have accomplished a new building for less than the $13.5 million price tag,” Rog said.

Rog said the changes could mean the city might not be able to take on large projects.

“Our hands will be tied when new investment opportunities come along in the next few years for additional wants and needs in the community, related possibly to climate action or related to racial equity or related to emergencies like water safety things sort of unknown. That’s my biggest concern,” Rog said.

According to Rog, the council previously approved general obligation charter bonds for $9.3 million for the Southwest Light Rail Transit and other projects.

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A supermajority requires six out of seven council members to vote in favor.

A majority only requires four out of seven members to vote in favor.

General obligation charter bonds are the type of bonds that fund most major bonding projects. They require a supermajority to pass.

The Nature Center construction will be funded with tax abatement bonds, only requiring a majority to pass.

Updates to the Nature Center will include a larger building and new exhibits.

Infographic Maggie Klaers Sources Margaret Rog & Jason West

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I think (the performance is) important because we get so used to all of the white (culture) in the United States but we don’t know much about other races, especially black people.

STUDENT LIFE

Elizabeth Ortiz, sophomore

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

Speak up: The Black History Month presentation featured several student speakers and a video that highlighted the issues that students of color face at Park. Junior Neb Bekele recited an original spoken word, junior Amaya Fokuo spoke at the beginning of the presentation alongside her peers.

Photos Grace Farley

#Wearetired show calls out systematic racism in society Performance brings hope for change Grace Farley & Dani Orloff gracefarley@slpecho.com daniorloff@slpecho.com

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fter reading aloud a spoken word piece she wrote for the Black History Month performance, junior Zoe Younger said she believes all Americans should be educated about racism.

“I think (racism is) a big part of American culture right now and throughout all of our history,” Younger said. “We’ve always had problems with race, no matter what your background is, it’s relevant to you.”

Performance organizer Chris Weaver said it is important to recognize the lack of change in America.

“It would be foolish for me to say that history has not changed over the last 50 years. It’s obviously different,” Weaver said. “However, there is still a lot of the same stuff that goes on that was happening 50-60 years ago.”

According to Weaver, it is critical for students to hear their peers’ voices and stories in order to better understand each person’s individualized black experience.

How to get involved Student Organization Against Racism (SOAR): • Meets on Thursday mornings • Run by LeeAnn Stephens • Holds race panels throughout the year High Achievement Program: • Run by Chris Weaver • For students of color • During second and third hour • Schedule differs by grade Equity coaches: • LeeAnn Stephens & Matt Horel • Offices in learning lab • Facilitate conversations about race within the school Infographic Maggie Klaers Source SLP Schools website

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“I want to provide that space for people to see their classmates,” Weaver said. “It happens in our school. It happens in St. Louis Park. It happens in Minneapolis. It happens in Minnesota. It happens in the United States of America. It’s all very real.”

Black History Month performance host Mareona Williams, who is a senior, said the opportunity to share her experience, specifically to those she does not see everyday, at Park was meaningful.

“It means a lot to be able to come up here and present and be able to come up here and have a role in showing (students) a little bit inside what we go through,” Williams said.

“A lot of people don’t know some of the stuff that we go through, only what they read in a book or TV. Personal things aren’t always able to be said,” Williams said.

Senior participant Maddy Eduardo-Gonzalez urges people of all backgrounds to recognize black history.

“One, it’s your history and enough people have died for you to not care about it. Two, white people profit and contribute to black culture but they don’t want to actually help. So it is everyone’s responsibility to bring that,” Eduardo-Gonzalez said.

Younger said she is frustrated with the type of discussions people have about race, specifically the rigidness of

the conversations that tend to exclude individuals like herself who do not fit into the mold society has created for people of color.

“I am tired in general with our country’s inability to talk about race, but also for me personally. As a biracial woman, I am constantly told that I am not black enough or not white enough and I think I should be human enough to fit into both of those groups,” Younger said.

Senior and Black History Month performance participant Hibaq Issa said she feels that the viewpoints of every student matter in combating racism.

“It’s important because everybody has different perspectives on this topic. It’s important to educate others, especially when it comes to this kind of topic, and I just want to stand up for what’s right,” Issa said.

Weaver said he believes it is up to the students and faculty to work together to combat institutionalized racism within the country and community.

“We can no longer allow racism to dictate what happens here,” Weaver said. “I believe that race, and what it is now, is a social construct. Somebody created it to subjugate, at some point we have to start understanding that and recognizing that we are all human beings.”

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FEATURES

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

Maia Seidel, sophomore

Birdfeeder offers spring break meal options

WHAT'S THE POINT

Paint nights spur ingenuity Maggie Klaers maggieklaers@ slpecho.com

Food packs provide relief for students

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while back, my mom and I hosted our first paint night.

We invited some friends and family to come to our house and enjoy a night of dinner, fellowship and painting. Soon it became a tradition.

Invitees ranged from inexperienced artists to people who paint regularly.

Many people were apprehensive going into the evening, but by the end, everyone had found something to love about art.

We didn’t set requirements for what each guest could paint.

We What’s the had differPOINT? ent sized Art isn’t just canvases and a full for artists rainbow — it's for of colors anoyone who for each enjoys self person expression to create anything they would like.

Some of the newly minted artists simply covered their canvases with a solid color, but others spent the entire night crafting a masterpiece.

Painting isn’t just about the art in museums.

Painting for the sake of painting can be therapeutic — painting can be a mindfulness activity, like a coloring book.

I fell in love with art before I hit kindergarten.

Now I am fascinated with drawing portraits as accurately as possible.

Many artists, like myself, find art fulfilling through the pursuit of improvement of skills.

Art is the practice of taking an internal, personal vision and channeling it into real, tangible thing.

Really, art is a way to connect to your inner self.

Painting is so satisfying because you are able to make something that is so personal and expressive.

All of these reasons why art is so commonly enjoyed are never more apparent to me than during paint nights.

Everyone gathers around the table and is entranced by the simple movement of swiping a brush across a canvas.

Whether it be the wave of relaxation that accompanies painting, improving techniques or the thrill of creating something uniquely your own, there are aspects of art for everyone to love.

I would consider volunteering because I'm always looking for opportunities to volunteer, and I was in a play in middle school, so I have that experience. I think it could be fun.

Maggie Klaers, Ruthie Posada & Emily Ziessman maggieklaers@slpecho.com, ruthieposada@slpecho.com emilyziessman@slpecho.com

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pring break can be a time of food uncertainty for students who depend on school-supplied meals, according to Birdfeeder student manager, junior Mushtakh Mohammed.

“During the week students have school lunch and school breakfast, which is really nice,” Mohammed said. “But then when spring break comes along I think a lot of people don’t know what they are going to when they don’t have lunch at home.”

Junior Victoria Martinez, store manager, said the Birdfeeder will be providing prepackaged meal options for students who submit an application.

“Students can apply for the meal pack on these request forms that are going to be specifically for the spring break meal

Birdfeeder forms • •

Due March 20 Available in counseling office Specific to spring break meals

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Infographic Maggie Klaers Source Sophia Ross

Photo Emily Ziessman

Pack it: Juniors Victoria Martinez and Mushtakh Mohammed pack bags March 7 for students in need of food. The Birdfeeder is accepting applications for students who rely on school meals and won't have access to food during spring break. pack, and it’s going to be next to the regular request forms in the counseling office,” Martinez said.

According to Martinez, students who apply will be asked questions regarding any special considerations and how many members of their family they will need to feed.

“The request form has questions about allergies and any specific needs or special requests of food they might want in their meal pack,” Martinez said. “They also need to tell us how many people they are feeding in their family and how many bags they are able to carry.”

Mohammed said these particular packs are unique in that more food is provided.

“It’s special because we provide more food than we usually do in our weekly

packs, and we add food that we don’t usually pack. like flour and chicken and stuff like that, just in case the person wants to cook at home.”

According to Martinez, students are encouraged to get involved and donate both food and reusable bags.

“Other students can get involved by donating non-perishable food to the food shelf,” Martinez said. “We are also starting to integrate a reusable bag system, and we would be really grateful if people can donate some reusable bags that student can use to carry their food back home.”

According to Birdfeeder adviser Sophia Ross, applications for the meal packs are due March 20 and can be found in the counseling office.

Rehearsals start for ‘Frozen Jr.’ High school students mentor middle school thespians Meghan Raatz meghanraatz@slpecho.com

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ith rehearsals for the middle school continuing, junior Sam Sietsema said he’s excited for his fourth year assisting in the school’s production.

“It’s so much fun. All the kids, they feel like your kids,” Sietsema said. “I’ve never known how every teacher feels until now.”

According to middle school theater director Lillian Zumberge, students have been helping with middle school productions for nine years.

“We started asking for help three years after I started teaching, and five years ago we started a formal application process that we put up on our Facebook group,” Zumberge said.

According to Sietsema, students assist with the musical after school most weekdays.

“There’s rehearsal everyday except Sam Sietsema, junior for Wednes-

It's so much fun. All the kids, they feel like your kids. I’ve never known how every teacher feels until now.

Photo Ethan Meisler

Just dance: Freshman Caroline Butler practices the dance to “Let It Go” March 11. Park students will work as junior directors until openeing night of “Frozen Jr.” day, and we try to go as often as we can,” Sietsema said. “They’re doing ‘Frozen Jr.’ for the musical and it’s an everyday thing after school.”

Sietsema said the role of Park students can vary depending on the situation and the skill sets they provide.

“Ms. Zumberge, she has me and a few other of the high schoolers come back (to the middle school theater rehearsals) and we go to the middle school and help with the audition process,” Sietsema said. “We give notes during the final rehearsals, up until (the performance and then) we’re with the backstage parents monitoring the kids during performances, making sure they do all their stuff.”

According to Zumberge, students from both schools benefit from the experience as they contribute to the rehearsals in different ways.

“The middle schoolers are more curious about what the high schoolers have to say. They learn how to have fun and enjoy

the process while still being serious about producing a high quality show,” Zumberge said. “The high schoolers get to learn how frustrating it is to try to teach someone who is always talking.”

Sietsema said since he’s been in middle school plays in the past, his focus is to use that experience to help the actors reach their full potential.

“I’ve been doing theater since I was in kindergarten, so I have a very deep background in it. I like to help out the best I can,” Sietsema said. “It’s in no way me trying to relive my middle school glory days.

It’s trying to help other people have some middle school glory days.”

Zumberge said without the help of high school students the middle school productions would not be as successful as they have been.

“Tech week would be impossible,” Zumberge said. “At this point they’re essential; we could never do the productions without the high school students.”

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I think it's really cool because (Hamsa Osman) is giving back to the community. Those kids — they might want to participate in that sport but they can't because they don't have that gear and (so he's) letting them live their dream.

Hilda Habia, junior

FEATURES Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

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Dancers perform for cultural celebration Junior wins award for 12 years of Irish dancing Carissa Prestholdt carissaprestholdt@slpecho.com

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s junior Emma Tight laces up her dance shoes for upcoming Irish dance performances, she said Irish dancers look forward to St. Patrick’s Day because of the festive atmosphere and opportunities for spontaneity.

“There are some parades that you can go see and sometimes we go and watch those before we dance,” Tight said.

“We also go to pubs and dance there, (which) are more impromptu and (my coach) tells us about those dances the day of, and it's really fun.”

According to Tight’s coach and owner of Irish dance school Corda Mor, Fauna Gille, excitement surrounds St. Patrick’s Day because the stress from competitions is .

“St. Patrick’s Day is a lot more fun than normal competitions, I feel like nobody feels very stressed and everybody just enjoys being together and dancing to fun music and showing off what they love,” Gille said.

Gille said St. Patrick’s Day shows are Upcoming Irish dance exciting performances performances because the team focuses on preparing for • 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. the dances and enjoy March 16 at the Eden Praire showcasing all their Center work.

• 5 p.m. March 16 at McCor“Our dancers love mick's Irish Pub to perform so we try to • 12:30 p.m. March 17 at the book as many shows as possible around the MN History Center Twin Cities. We spend • 2:25 p.m. March 17 at the about two months preLandmark Center paring all the dancers • 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. March 17 at the BlackStack Brewery for the shows and then we take it to as many venues as we can,” Infographic Emily Ziessman Gille said.

Source Corda Mor

Photo Emily Ziessman

Treasured tradition: Junior Emma Tight performs Irish dance with her teammates March 10 at Eden Prairie mall. Tight will also be dancing March 17 at the Landmark Center and MN History Center.

According to Tight, she will receive an award for her dedication towards dancing for Corda Mor Irish dance school for over a decade at one of the St. Patrick’s Day performances.

“You get it after you’ve been dancing for 10 years,” Tight said. “(The award is presented) St. Patrick’s Day at the Landmark Center, March 17.”

Tight said she is exhilarated to receive the 10-year award because it has been a dream of her’s since she was little.

“When I was younger, I used to see all the older girls getting (the award), and I was always excited that I might get it one day, that makes it a big deal that I’m getting it now,” Tight said.

Tight said the award is presented in front of the audience.

“It’s a certificate and my dance teacher will call us up on stage during the show, in front of the whole crowd,” Tight said. “(The certificate) shows commitment to your school and to Irish dance.”

According to Tight, St. Patrick’s Day is a busy time for Irish dancers because the performances fill their calendars.

“We do about five (performances) a day, we perform two weekends and three school days,” Tight said. “We dance around malls, nursing homes, the Landmark Center and the History Center.”

Tight said St. Patrick’s Day dances are much more manageable when comparing to competitions. “(St. Patrick’s Day) is really low stress and a lot more fun than competitions,” Tight said. “It’s a lot of teamwork so we really get to bond with our classmates.”

Gille said the performance at the Landmark Center includes dancing alongside performers from other Irish dance schools.

“The Landmark Center is a showcase of talent from all over to Twin Cities and it’s a beautiful, historic venue,” Gille said. “(The dancers) really enjoy stepping up to the plate knowing the other dancers in schools are watching and it's a fun show to show off a little bit.”

ACTIVITIES & AWARDS

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Sophomore works on Sports-Check It Out Osman runs a business where customers are able to check out sports equipment, similar to a library

Photo Noah Orloff

Roots and Shoots plans solar event Photo Neb Bekele

Hamsa Osman, sophomore How did you start your business and what were your inspirations?

My inspirations (came from) seeing only in the Somali community there were three sports we played, basketball, football and soccer and I wanted to bring more variety to the community. They started out with a program called AdVenture Capital(AdCap) like a program where kids from different schools come to compete for money to fund a business or a change in your school.

How did you come up with this idea?

We each had a few different ideas and we took parts from each idea and put it together.

What are you currently doing related to Sports-Check It Out? Finding a new place. We’re not sure yet (where it will be).

We’re trying to find a space that we can actually use and someplace that’s accessible to the kids.

When you have a new building, how can Park students

Check it out: Sophomore Hamsa Osman posts on one of the social media platforms of his business, Sports-Check it out.

He created the social media aspect of marketing for SportsCheck it out. benefit from Sports-Check It Out? They can get a card and check-out some sports equipment.

What are your future goals?

Having it nationwide. Bringing it to a bunch of kids.

What have been some of your favorite experiences so far working with Sports-Check It Out? I think some of my favorites would be teaching people how to play ladder ball, playing some new sports that I’ve never heard of before.

Could you describe the experience of attending Super Bowl 51?

It (was through) the tournament that we were in, the competition AdCap. If you worked on your business and got a lot of votes and lots of people supported it, then they would give you a prize and (the opportunity Noah Orloff noahorloff@slpecho.com to) go to the Super Bowl.

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oots and Shoots plans to expand its community outreach through a student-led initiative, said club president senior Katie Christiansen.

“Roots and Shoots is working on a solar project with iMatter, Solar United Neighbors and the Great Plains Institute,” Christiansen said.

Jewish Student Union hosts speaker on Israel

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he Jewish Student Union welcomed guest speaker Amy Cytron who discussed an opportunity to travel to Israel, according to club leader senior Leila Raymond. “(We) had a speaker who was representing a high school in Israel where students can study abroad,” Raymond said.

For more content go to slpecho.com

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IN-DEPTH

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

Decoding cryptocurrency Digital investing requires safety awareness Evie Nelson, Megan Raatz & Talia Lissauer evienelson@slpecho.com meganraatz@slpecho.com talialissauer@slpecho.com

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nline currency involves risks and benefits, which causes junior Sam Sietsema to weigh the pros and cons of holding stock in cryptocurrency.

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If we continue to use Bitcoin at this rate, the future energy prices are going to go up and it is just going to not be worth it anymore.

Coltrane Kanne, sophomore

Main providers of online currency

Bitcoin cash

Price: $527.78 Market capitalization: $9.1 billio

A feature of Bitcoin is that is th regulated by the government. I in 2017 after constant issues w Bitcoin.

Sietsema said when investing money, one should evaluate the potential risks involved.

“It makes you sort of ask yourself, ‘How much do I care about the money that I put in, like if I lose the money will that be detrimental to me?’ ‘Is the risk worth the reward?’” Sietsema said.

Breaking down currency Cryptocurrency’s story starts with Satoshi Nakamoto’s invention of Bitcoin in 2008. According to high frequency stock trader Craig Glicken, Bitcoin was the first successful peer-to-peer transaction, where regular people were monetarily incentivized to maintain investment legitimacy.

“A Japanese gentleman invented cryptocurrencies, and it’s a peer-to-peer transaction, which means that you can’t trace it and whoever this guy was or is, he stands to make a lot of money,” Glicken said.

Glicken said he has never invested in cryptocurrency, but such investments are riskier as they are very new and rapidly rise and fall in value.

“Cryptocurrencies are traded at the CME group or the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and it’s on a computer system, quite honestly I have personally never traded one,” Glicken said. “Cryptocurrencies are risky securities, if you look where it was a year ago, and what they’re trading now, it was way up there and now it’s way down.”

According to Glicken, online currencies have become more commonly used in the criminal community and black market because of its anonymity and untraceable transactions.

“Cryptocurrencies have gotten popular because they can be disguised and not traced,” Glicken said. “That means that the people that trade these things are underworld people.”

Business teacher Abigail Lugo said she became aware of cryptocurrency when it first became popular as well as through her students’ questions about its relation to business.

“Cryptocurrency was a really big trend in the last five years,” Lugo said. “(I’ve learned about it) from people talking about it. (It’s) one of those things where

I should know Lugo said sh faculty interest as larger invest expanding curr “There used was unbreakab $15 million ha is breakable,” it valid and is i outlets to use c then it’s just go exist.”

According t exchange has g be investing in “Bitcoin ha ing now under siderably,” Glic dollar up to $2 down to $4,00 they always wo you, and that’s

Buyers at

According t in investing mo cryptocurrency “I’ve alway Bitcoin really h when I really h ent than stocks willing to take According t involved a disc “I knew peo talked about p then we just ki Computer s stands the bene public opinion “(While) cry money, includi

“

(Bitcoin) is an interesting currency. From what I know, the way it runs is not totally stable, and I think it’s interesting how it varies a lot.

IN-DEPTH

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

Alessandro Giannetti, senior

7

Litecoin Price: $57.37 Market capitalization: $3.32 billion Along with Bitcoin cash, Litecoin was also created after a fork from Bitcoin. Litecoin’s goal is to complete transactions in two-and-ahalf minutes.

Ethereum Price: $277.46 Market capitalization: $28 billion Ethereum is the most well known non-Bitcoin cryptocurrency in the world. It has a smart contract feature that attracts companies.

Ripple Price: $0.32 Market capitalization: $12.92 billion

on

While many cryptocurrencies were designed to oppose the traditional banking system, Ripple was created to aid the system.

hat it’s not It was created with the original

a little bit more.” he has noticed increased student and t in Bitcoin. However, she feels wary tors have not picked up on using the rency. d to be the guarantee that cryptocurrency ble, and at this point, I think it’s like as been stolen over cryptocurrency, so it Lugo said. “Then there’s this whole ‘is it truthful’ and unless you can get some cryptocurrency as a source of currency oing to be harder and harder for it to

to Glicken, his experience in the stock given him insight into what it means to something reliable. as gone up to $21,000, and they are tradr $4,000. Their value has gone down concken said. “If something goes from one 20,000 and in the last year it has come 00, that’s a get-rich-quick scheme, and ork in favor of other people and not for s a great way to lose all of your money.”

t Park

to senior Finnegan Reddan, his interest oney in corporations introduced him to y. ys been into stocks,” Reddan said. “When hit a huge peak like a year ago, that’s heard about it. Bitcoin is a little bit differs. Bitcoin’s value is dependent on who’s it.” to Sietsema, wanting to invest in Bitcoin cussion process with his family members. ople were getting rich off of it, so we putting a little bit of money together, and ind of did it,” Sietsema said. science teacher Jake Utities said he underefits of cryptocurrency, however he sees n of these programs as most important. yptocurrency is a good idea, (like) all ing the U.S. dollar, all that really matters

Infographic Lucy zumBrunnen & Talia Lissauer Source Bankrate

is how the public views it,” Utities said. “When you think about our money, it’s just a piece of paper with some fancy ink on it.”

Reddan said he worries about the peak in interest in online currency and hopes to educate the community on cryptocurrency and stock investments.

“Stocks are a little easier and more dependable,” Reddan said. “There’s a lot more certainty in the stock market than there is in Bitcoin and other stuff like that.”

According to Sietsema, after hearing of others’ success, his family chose to invest in Bitcoin, making sure they thought realistically about the potential outcomes.

“I knew people were getting rich off of (Bitcoin) so we talked about putting a little bit of money together and then we just kind of did it,” Sietsema said. “We made sure that we were aware that something could go drastically wrong but it could also go very well, but most likely nothing happens at all.”

According to Lugo, deciding whether or not to make an investment is a personal choice that should be thought about extensively.

“It’s totally up to you and what you’re comfortable with,” Lugo said. “Investments are all about your gut feeling and your own research.”

Beyond the investment According to Sietsema, the popularity of cryptocurrency does not come as a surprise with trends of technological dependence increasing.

“With the way technology has been going in the past even 30 years, it only makes sense that we’ll make the jump from physical money to money that we all carry around in our phones,” Sietsema said.

Reddan believes that it is necessary to educate the general public on how the stock market and cryptocurrency works.

“You can buy currency all around the world, and I think Bitcoin is just going to be an extension of that,” Reddan said. “There’s a lot of money being made and I think it’s important to teach students and to teach our community how to understand

“

You can buy currency all around the world, and I think Bitcoin is just going to be an extension of that. There’s a lot of money being made, and I think it’s important to teach students and to teach our community how to understand money and how to understand how the system works.

Finnegan Reddan, senior

money and how to understand how the system works.”

Reddan warns potential investors to do research before putting any money in cryptocurrency.

“Before you put money down, look into things and understand how the system works because the last thing you want to do is be putting money that could have been spent really well into just random things that you’re not necessarily informed in,” Reddan said.

Utities said without any standard for cryptocurrency, the form of investment lacks legitimacy.

“If it’s not tied to a government then who’s in charge of it? Who gets to determine how more goes out? I mean, without some sort of standard of what it’s worth and without public buy in, it’s really just a fad that a few people are excited about,” Utities said.

Lugo said that if demand for cryptocurrency increases, it could resurface as a more legitimate form of currency, but with the market constantly changing, there is no certainty what the next big thing will be.

“In the stock market, it’s all about the buyers and the sellers. If you can find people who want to sell cryptocurrency, or want to buy it then it creates that market,” Lugo said. “But for some people they’re just hanging on to it in hopes that it becomes something, but there’s no secret solution to figure out what is going to be successful or not, and I don’t think it’s necessarily an industry that people are watching right now.”

Utities said the increasing digitalization of the economy is similar to cryptocurrency.

“Really we already have our own cryptocurrency.

I mean, you think about how many people actually hold cash anymore, how many people are paying with their card and now with their phone,” Utities said. “I think that the dollar is becoming cryptocurrency.”

Reddan said he is not hopeful for Bitcoin’s future based on current and past trends.

“I think either Bitcoin is going to disintegrate within itself or something new that everyone is going to like better is going to come around,” Reddan said.

8

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SPORTS

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

Miguel Salas Rea, sophomore

Basketball loses in sections to No. 1 seed Hopkins

OUT OF THE PARK

Attitude change transforms swimming Kate Schneider kateschneider@ slpecho.com

I

’ve always struggled to focus on the positive aspects while I am swimming.

I would only pay attention to the races I added time in or was not successful in.

For the past year, I have been unable to go faster in my events. Looking back my negative attitude toward swimming caused lack of motivation.

During my freshman year on the high school swim team, I would go into every meet nervous and feeling slow before I hit the water. I would have a bad feeling about my race throughout the entire meet, and I could never see what went well. This mindset affected how I competed.

After that season of swimming, I’d dropped little to no time, and I realized I needed an attitude adjustment toward my sport. I understood if I wanted to improve, I had to believe I was good enough to get faster.

During What’s the the club POINT? season, I focused on improving my attitude toward swimming and seeing the positive aspects of every race.

When my sophomore year on the high school team started, my mindset had improved immensely, and I found a reason to swim.

This year on the high school team was my fastest. I went into meets telling myself I was going to do great, and it paid off.

At Sections this year, I swam personal records in both the 100 and 200 yard freestyle for the first time in more than a year.

My improved outlook affected not just my swimming, but I also grew closer with my friends and teammates.

Because I spent less time worrying about races, I had additional time to spend with the girls on my team.

My teammates have become my closest friends, so now I enjoy swimming even more.

Sports, especially swimming, are mostly mental, and an attitude change can completely transform a your performance. My increased positivity surrounding the sport improved how I performed in meets and deepened my love for the sport.

It’s a good team. It’s fun to watch, I always go and watch some games.

Game results 59-82 final score Photo Sadie Yarosh Sophie Olmen sophieolmen@slpecho.com

A

“

fter falling to Hopkins in the Section semifinals to close out the season, senior Adam Bauer said the team put up a tough fight.

“I think we just played our hearts out. I think we played one of our best games of the year,” Bauer said.

According to coach Rob Griffin, the team faced multiple challenges including the loss of senior Anthony Rayson because of an injury at the start of the game.

“I feel like it went well. I mean we had a ton of bad breaks today — losing one of our top players in the first minute of the game (and) Adam Bauer, senior the amount of foul

I think we just played our heart out. I think we played one of our best games of the year.

Positive attitude pays off

Eye on the ball: Senior Adam Bauer protects the ball from a Hopkins defender. Park lost to Hopkins 59-82. This was the final Section game for the boys’ basketball team March 8. trouble that we had to try to push through especially early in the first half,” Griffin said.

“I think with all that stacked against us we battled, and we played well.”

Sophomore Paris Johnson Jr. said the team picked up intensity in the second half. “(In the) second half we had way more energy. (In the) first half it took us a while to bring up the energy,” Johnson Jr. said.

According to Bauer, the team started each half off with high energy, but later faced challenges that caused the team to lose momentum.

“The first half we came out with a lot of energy. We had a lot of momentum and then in the second half same thing,” Bauer said.

“Then we all got in foul trouble and we got tired and (it) just kind of hurt us in the end which is why they went on a big run.”

According to Griffin, the score stayed close until the end when Hopkins extended its lead to win the game.

“In the first (half we had) a little bit of a struggle down the stretch, but in the second half we made a great push. Then foul trouble caught up to us and made it tough to compete down the stretch,” Griffin said.

Johnson Jr. said although Park made successful runs, the defense could have been better at limiting Hopkins’ opportunities.

“We played good. We made runs. We just needed to play better defense and stop them from scoring,” Johnson Jr. said.

According to Griffin some players had to step up when their names were called, and they did.

“It think it just goes back to what we’ve been preaching since day one: being a family and looking out for your brother,” Griffin said. “So from Deontez Ross, Jackson McClain, Aaron Ellingson and Adam Bauer — those guys all stepped up when their name was called, and I don’t think there’s any other way to do it.”

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Photo Sophie Olmen

Snap shot: Sophomore Erin Brousseau faces a Benilde opponent. The girls lost the game 1-6. The team’s overall record was 5-19.

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Winter season wrap-up

1-1 instruction

Boys’ hockey: 9-15

Reading, English, Math, Science & Writing

Boys’ hockey lost 4-3 in overtime against Hopkins in the first round of Sections. They were ranked fourth out of six in the Metro West Conference.

Test-taking strategies Flexible scheduling Experienced teachers Proven success since 1977

Girls’ hockey: 5-19 Girls’ hockey lost 4-0 against Edina in the first round of Sections. They placed fifth out of five teams in the Lake Conference.

Girls’ basketball: 17-9 Girls’ basketball ended the season with a loss of 51-81 in the second round of Sections against Hopkins.

They were third out of eight teams in the Metro West Conference.

Infographic Sadie Yarosh Source MN Sports Hub For more content go to slpecho.com

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“

You have to train for the upcoming season so you can get in shape and you won’t be tired when you are playing games.

SPORTS

Janea Hall, junior

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019 Eye on the prize: Junior Lauren Schmelzer searches for a teammate to pass the disc to at the girls’ ultimate scrimmage against Hopkins Feb. 26.

9

MEET THE ATHLETE

Who Raegan Alexander Grade Sophomore Sport Basketball How long have you been playing basketball?

Since second grade

Photo Carissa Prestholdt

Boys’, girls’ ultimate merge for preseason strength Power and Finesse Fitness program draws low attendance Yonit Krebs yonitkrebs@slpecho.com

D

espite the benefits, senior Jack Ostrovsky said there has been low turnout for the boys’ and girls’ ultimate’s joint strength program, run by Power and Finesse Fitness.

“There aren’t that many people who have done it so far, the max number of people that we’ve gotten at one time is five.

A couple times I’ve just been there with one other player,” Ostrovsky said.

This year is the first time that boys’ and girls’ ultimate decided to participate in a program run by Power and Finesse Fitness for athletes, Ostrovsky said.

“We haven’t done this in the past, and there’s a lot of anticipation for the season,” Ostrovsky said. “We know we’re going to

be really good, so we chose to do this so we can get ready early.”

According to junior Marta Hill, so far she has been the only member of the girls’ ultimate team in attendance.

“Every time I have gone I’ve been the only girl. The first time I went it was me and another guy. It was a small class,” Hill said. “The next time I was the only person, so we did the whole class in Spanish, which was really cool. It was just more personal because it was only tailored toward me.”

Hill said she understands people cannot always attend the classes, but she wishes more people could attend and work on strength and team unity before the season officially begins.

“I get why people aren’t doing it because it’s a time commitment, and a lot of people are really busy, but I do wish more people had done it because it’s more time that we can spend together as a team while we’re also getting in shape for the season,” Hill said.

Luis Ocampo, the owner of Power and

What position do you play?

Forward.

What’s your favorite basketball memory?

Probably the first time I started varsity last year, and (the game) was against Chaska.

Photo Emily Ziessman

Work out: Senior Max Holden and sophomore Alex Staib train at Power and Finesse Fitness. Boys’ ultimate will face Robbinsdale Cooper April 4.

Finesse said his studio focuses on full-body exercise as a way to improve strength.

“We focus on using your body as a unit, so we don’t do exercises where you use your legs or your arms or your abs,” Ocampo said. “We integrate everything that we do in all of our exercises, so you use your body as a unit so you can be more functional, more efficient and stronger that way.”

According to Hill, girls’ ultimate indoor practices are Wednesdays from 4:30-6 p.m at the middle school. Boys’ ultimate indoor practices are Mondays from 4-6 p.m. at the middle school. The official ultimate season begins the first week of April.

Girls’ lacrosse hosts bowling fundraiser Funds to be used for new equipment Sophie Olmen & Bre Thompson sophieolmen@slpecho.com brethompson@slpecho.com

G

“

irls’ lacrosse hosted its annual bowling fundraiser at Park Tavern.

The event serves as another way for the girls to get to know each other It will help fami- and is an enjoyable lies that might way to not be able to prepare for the play if we didn’t season, do some fund- according to sophoraising. more Tiffani McCallon, Anna parent Jensen.

“I think it’s a good idea to raise money and have fun while you’re doing (it) and a good way to get the team together before the season starts,” Jensen said.

According to booster club member Tiffani McCallon, the money that was raised from the fundraiser will go toward new equipment.

“The money will go toward a coach, it will go toward shooting shirts, extra uniforms if we need them, equipment like lacrosse balls,” McCallon said.

“It will help families that might not be able to play if we didn’t do some fundraising.”

Senior Halle Weinmann said it’s beneficial to have the opportunity for players to show up besides just captains’ practices.

“It’s good to get some team bonding in because not every-

What do you like about playing basketball?

When I play basketball it takes my mind off of real life things. When I am playing basketball, all I am thinking about is basketball.

Who is your role model in basketball and why?

Lindsay Whalen because she worked hard for where she got, and she stayed true to her roots. She played (at the University of) Minnesota, and then played for the Lynx.

Now she is coaching in Minnesota, that just shows her dedication toward basketball.

How has the season been going so far?

(It has been) really good. I like this season better than last season because I feel like our team has connected more.

What has been the most memorable game for you this season and why?

Probably the Minnetonka game because we played really good, and I had (old) teammates on that team, and it was good to beat them.

What’s the hardest thing about playing basketball?

Probably the mental part of it, like staying mentally focused and not getting down on yourself.

Photo Sophie Olmen

Making money: Sophomore Erin Brousseau prepares to bowl during the lacrosse bowling fundraiser March 9.

Girls’ lacrosse game schedule

1. 5 p.m. April 12 at St. Paul Central High School 2. Time TBD April 16 at St. Croix Prepatory Academy Infographic Sadie Yarosh Source gopark.org

body shows up at captains’ (practice) all the time because they’re busy, but this is something that everybody can come to,” Weinmann said.

According to Jensen, there were a lot of people who attended the bowling fundraiser.

“It’s been good (and) it looks like it’s pretty full. There’s a lot of people, and there’s a lot of baked goods here,” Jensen said.

Why did you decide to play basketball?

My parents put me in it when I was younger just so I could try it out, and I ended up liking it a lot, that’s why I stuck with it.

What did the team do well this season?

I think we did well adapting to other teams and playing tougher than we have been in past seasons.

Maria Perez Barriga mariaperezbarriga@slpecho.com

10

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OPINIONS

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

Echo Editor-in-chiefs: *Marta Hill, *Dani Orloff Managing editors: *Amaia Barajas, *Grace Farley, *Abby Intveld, *Yonit Krebs, *Sam St. Clair Photo editors: Claire Bargman, Abby Prestholdt, Carissa Prestholdt Design editors: Creston Halstead, *Isabel Kjaer, *Maggie Klaers Copy editors: *Jenna Cook, Emma Leff, *Noah Orloff, *Emma Yarger Assistant copy editor: Ruthie Posada News editor: *Sofia Seewald Features editor: *Kaia Myers In-depth editor: *Evelyn Nelson Special projects & profiles editor: Talia Lissauer Sports editors: Sophie Olmen, Sadie Yarosh Opinions editor: *Gabriel Kaplan Entertainment editor: David Bryant Social media editors: Ruby Stillman, Hayley Westwood, Breanna Thompson Broadcast editor: Yonah Davis Business managers: Anika Hanson, Rachel Salzer Video editor: Izzy Kanne Staff: Tamar Gewirtz, Tenzin Gyaldatsang, Katie Hardie, Nolan Kelly, Samantha Klepfer, Sophia Livingston, Ethan Meisler, Samiya Mohamed, Maria Perez-Barriga, Megan Raatz, Ben Sanford, Kate Schneider, Maddie Schutte, Emily Ziessman, Lucy ZumBrunnen

(Politicians) can use any social media as long as they don’t abuse it.

Abdi Fatah, sophomore

OUR PERSPECTIVE

Nature Center renovation should be re-evaluated

T

his month, the city council of St. Louis Park is exploring the use of bonds to obtain $22 million in order to work toward several projects and renovations. The Echo Editorial Board sees this as a misdirected use of funds.

The majority of the money will go toward renovating the Westwood Hills Nature Center, though some will go toward the installation of fiber internet connection, roadwork on Cedar Lake Road and funding for the Southwest Light Rail, according to recreation superintendent Jason West.

However, the construction at the Nature Center is counterintuitive and not worth the hefty price. The center’s focus should be on protecting wildlife and preserving animals’ habitats, not procuring larger audiences and increasing the commercialization of the center.

The money should be used to address other more important issues in our community, such as climate action and housing affordability. However, we support

Photo Noah Orloff

Can you putt it?: Senior Bryan Huynh volunteers with the National Honor Society Oct. 19 at the Westwood Hills Nature Center’s Halloween party. The St. Louis Park City Council considers using bonds to fund the Nature Center renovations. the improvements to internet accessibility that fiber networks would provide and the increased ease of transportation the light rail would bring to the city.

The Board believes the City Council should look at the bigger picture and assess if this construction is in the best interests of the city, especially considering the underprivileged. The city should not prioritize luxuries.

We also implore students to reach

out to their city representatives. We are the future of St. Louis Park, and our opinions as students should be valued in these decisions.

The city should not be wasting money on luxuries that only help privileged communities while ignoring those struggling and their issues. They should consider using the money to improve issues that truly affect everyone in St. Louis Park.

Principal: Scott Meyers Printer: North Star Media Adviser: Lori Keekley *Denotes editorial board member MEDIA POLICIES The Echo is the official studentproduced newspaper of St. Louis Park Senior High School. It is published triweekly for the school’s students, staff and community.

The Echo is a designated forum for student expression in which students make all decisions of content without prior review from school officials. The adviser will not act as a censor, but will advise students. Students have the final decision on all content.

The Echo will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful and interesting to all our readers.

We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy.

We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph unless clearly labeled as a photo illustration.

Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined.

Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Echo staff or administration as a whole.

The Echo welcomes reader input.

Letters to the editor and suggestions must be signed and should be no longer than 250 words and may be emailed to slpecho@gmail.com or submitted in room C275.

Emailed letters must be verified prior to publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to ask the writer to edit for length and clarity.

Anonymous letters wherein the Echo does not know the identity of the writer will not be printed.

Advertisements will be sought from local businesses and school clubs and sports. We maintain the right to reject any ads we believe to be false, misleading, inappropriate or harmful. The Echo does not necessarily endorse the products or services offered in these advertisements.

NSPA Hall of Fame member; 2011, 2016, 2017 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 Online Pacemaker Finalist; 2018 NSPA Online Pacemaker, CSPA; 2013 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All-State.

Politics too nuanced for Twitter’s platform Social media not conducive for effective dialogue Yonah Davis yonahdavis@slpecho.com

O

Twitter by the numbers 69 percent of Americans believe social media is politically important.

75 percent of Americans say that social media distracts from truly important issues.

Politicians have amassed large Twitter followings — Ilhan Omar has over 700,000 followers.

Art Maggie Klaers Infographic Gabe Kaplan & Sam St. Clair Source Pew Research Center & Twitter

nly 280 characters is insufficient for nuanced political dialogue.

Just as text messages do not compare to in-person conversation, short online messages are a disservice to effective communication and harm progress.

Tweets do not always accurately convey the true intent of the speaker. They add a barrier between the speaker and the reader, leaving too much room for misinterpretation and confusion.

Tweets by nature are impulsive. Twitter’s intuitive user interface and simple process allows users to quickly share their opinions. Thus, this results in sharing ideas that are not fully fleshed out.

In the political sphere, understanding the true impulses of those who represent us is important, but our representatives are elected to represent and serve the views of their constituents.

Sharing spontaneous and uninformed opinions can also serve to alienate readers and constituents.

For example, Ilhan Omar, who represents, St. Louis Park’s district in Congress, released several tweets regarding her views of the pro-Israel lobbying

To start and end times: I’m not an early bird.

group American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Israeli-Palestinain conflict.

These tweets provided a lens into Omar’s beliefs, but many argued they played into common anti-Semitic tropes.

Ultimately, they created negative tension between her and the many Jewish and pro-Israel constituents she represents.

This important conversation, which would have been better suited to a community meeting, was delegated to the polarizing replies section on Twitter.

Rather than laying the framework for a productive dialogue, the tweets sparked an onslaught of condemnation messages and ultimately made constructive dialogue difficult to achieve.

Despite all the downfalls of Twitter, it is undeniable the platform plays an important role in the modern day political sphere. When used sensitively, Twitter is a valuable tool to provide and share information. For Despite all example, March For Our Lives har- the downfalls nessed the power of Twitter, it of social media. is undeniable We should use Twitter’s 280 that the platcharacters to plant form plays the seeds for important conversa- an importions, but relegate tant role in that dialogue to the modern more appropriate formats, which we day political sphere. need to consider.

To online currency: Bitcoin is my crypto-nite.

To Umbrella Academy: Where are the umbrellas?

Art Maggie Klaers

M.R, J.C, A.B

“

I think (the Green New Deal) is a very good thing because massive action is needed and we don’t have a lot of time to save our planet.

Jack Ostrovsky, senior

OPINIONS

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

11

Green New Deal oversteps Resolution warns of radical future for Democrats Henry Brettingen henrybrettingen@slpecho.com

C

limate change has long been an issue politicians have struggled to find long-term solutions to. The Green New Deal is no exception. It is nothing more than an idealistic wish list that fails to account for the constraints of reality.

Freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey released a 14 page resolution Feb. 7 for the Green New Deal, accord-

ing to The Washington Post. The resolution calls for 100 percent renewable, zero-emission energy nationwide. It also calls to address poverty, universal healthcare and raised minimum wage, according to CNN. This resolution is an unrealistic dream consisting of an ambitious set of goals and principles rather than actual policy.

There is no guarantee the proposed Green New Deal will be able to reach its goals for clean energy. The similar German Energiewende bill costs consumers $20 billion per year, even though coal is still producing 37 percent of the Germany’s energy, according to the Hill.

Although it is almost impossible to estimate the annual cost of the bill, Yahoo busi-

ness predicts the Green New Deal would cost a ridiculous $1 trillion annually. Although Ocasio-Cortez claims only the very wealthy would pay taxes to fund the transition, according to NBC, middle class taxpayers would probably foot the majority of the price.

The resolution unfortunately succeeded in inspiring the Minnesota Green New Deal, which although not yet released, claims to be directly based on OcasioCortez’s resolution.

I hope Minnesotans will oppose such radical politicians and legislation that are too extreme to accomplish anything. Hopefully politicians will start to propose legitimate solutions to problems such as climate change, with realistic timelines and budgets.

Art Maggie Klaers

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Trump administration’s rule to affect Planned Parenthood facilities Separate abortion facilities required, ban on referrals from doctors according to The New York Times Physical separation a step forward, ‘gag rule’ too far No tax money for abortion services Henry Brettingen henrybrettingen@slpecho.com

T

he Trump administration’s new rule regarding family planning has some good aspects, although there are some things that should be changed.

The rule does not actually defund Planned Parenthood. It simply requires them to maintain separate facilities and records for family planning facilities and those performing abortions, according to The New York Times.

This ensures tax money would not be used for abortions, unless the pregnancy is life-threatening.

It is not the responsibility of others to pay for abortions unless medically necessary.

President Trump should keep the physical separation between

PARK TRAIL

facilities, while removing the socalled “gag rule,” which would prevent doctors from providing abortion referrals if the facilities in which they work receive funding from the Federal Government.

Unfortunately, it is unlikely that these changes will occur due to promises President Trump made on the campaign trail.

Abortions can be a medical tool when used to save lives, but they shouldn’t be considered “family planning,”except in the case of rape. If you are not prepared to have children it is your responsibility to not have them.

It is important to separate abortions from routine health care services, as abortions should be considered an extreme last resort.

The procedure should not be used to remedy an irresponsible decision, and others definitely are not responsible for footing the cost.

STUDENT VOICES

Do you think Trump should defund Planned Parenthood?

Church, state must remain separate in abortion dispute Taxes should fund all healthcare Emma Yarger emmayarger@slpecho.com

“I don’t think that is right because people should have access to that if they want to because it is their choice.”

Renee Mcesherry, freshman

“Really anything that can be done to stop abortion is generally a good thing.”

Danny Walsh, sophomore

P

resident Trump’s action would not allow any facilities that provide abortions to be funded by taxpayer dollars, according to The New York Times. However, access to abortions are a critical aspect of women’s health and religious disputes against a medical practice should not be turned into law.

Taxpayers may not support the military, but they still pay taxes to support it. Similarly, taxes can still fund abortions even if citizens don’t support them because the tax dollars are funding a women’s choice rather than the abortion itself.

This issue requires a separation between church and state. If funds are cut from Planned Parenthood, not only is the Trump administra-

tion blatantly ignoring women’s rights to healthcare, funding will be channeled toward Christian organizations, according to The New York Times.

This ignores the separation between church and state covered by the First Amendment which is immoral and one-sided.

Non-Christians make up 27 percent of Americans, according to Gallup, who now will have to fund organizations of other religions.

It is the responsibility of the taxpayers to fund necessary medical procedures whether they are life threatening or not. There are many people who do not qualify for medically life-saving abortions, but still need them in order to keep their future safe. Contraceptives are not always 100 percent effective, and abortions may be the only option in order to preserve women’s right to choose.

Maggie Klaers maggieklaers@slpecho.com

POWER UP!

12

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ENTERTAINMENT

Echo Friday, March 15, 2019

(‘Umbrella Academy’) is pretty lit. It’s kind of unique. I’ve never really seen anything like it.

Jayden Bessner, freshman

SUPER

SERIES REVIEW

‘The Umbrella Academy’ provides fresh take on comic book genre Jenna Cook jennacook@slpecho.com

A

fter DC and Marvel have spent so many years shoving comic book content down the average consumer’s throat, I thought I had seen all the genre had to offer. Netflix’s “The Umbrella Academy” proved me wrong.

The pilot episode follows a family of superhero siblings reuniting for their father’s funeral after years of separation. Shortly after their homecoming, they discover they have a week to stop the world from ending.

Overall, the set design and soundtrack are the most commendable pieces of the show. Scenery is set up in a way that makes this universe feel believable while still maintaining the comic book aesthetic. Each frame is filmed such that it would fit seamlessly into a comic panel. The music adds to the general tone of each scene, carefully selected to enhance undertones from tense to playful.

The cast is full of actors who bring the bizarre and baffling story more depth and complexion. Ellen Page, who plays the isolated Vanya, communicates the thoughts and feelings of one of the most complicated characters on the show flawlessly. Robert Sheehan, portraying Klaus, breathes life and purpose into a character surrounded by death and drugs. Tom Hopper, who plays Luther, gives light to several sides of what comes off as a one-dimensional character whose sole purpose is to lead.

The character with the most enticing backstory, however, has to be the mysterious Number Five (Aidan Gallagher). Five disappeared into an apocalyptic future when the rest of the siblings were in their early teens. He grows up on his own, accumulating wisdom and knowledge, only to later return to his own 13-yearold body. This leaves Gallagher, a teenager, with the challenging job of portraying a 58-year-old man. He does a fantastic and convincing job, conveying experience beyond his years and commanding the older actors with authority.

“The Umbrella Academy” is chock-full of plot twists and surprising revelations that kept me fully engaged until the very end.

The final scene of the series carries more weight than any other, and an unbelievable cliffhanger left me hungry for more. This show is incredible and offers an energizing new take on what has begun to feel like a worn-out genre.

Fair use from Netflix

METRO METRO AT A GLANCE David Bryant davidbryant@slpecho.com Photos used with permission from Def Jam Records, Netflix, Atlantic Records, Walt Disney Pictures

March 16

March 22

March 22

March 29

Rapper Vince Staples hosts an 18+ show on his “Smile, You’re on Camera” tour at the Palace Theater. Tickets are available for $35 on Etix.com.

Eight episode mystery and sci-fi program “The OA” picks up for season two on Netflix, expected to provide answers from past season.

Indie rock band Wallows prepares to release its freshman studio album “Nothing Happens,” available for prerelease on streaming services.

Fantasy and adventure movie “Dumbo” reboots through a live animation by Disney.

The film will be released in theaters March 29.