Issue 4, May 3

Monday, May 3, 2021 Volume 94 Issue 4 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd St., St. Louis Park, MN 55426

‘Justice for Daunte Wright’ walkout takes place at Park INSIDE

4

Verdict brings relief, hope

5

voices

6

SOAR holds open mic forum

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

slpecho St. Louis Park Echo The St. Louis Park Echo St. Louis Park Echo Echo Newspaper

STAFF LIST Editors-in-chief !"#$"%&$''"()*%+%,"--$)% ./0(11) Managing editors: 2"3*$)#%4"5#"6%+%&$##7% .1*"108"6 Photo editors: 966"%:)6$'0);<%9337%=*)'1> 0?#-1%+%97)#)1%=*?11"' Design editors:%.?50$)%&$@$6A'1?6%+%B887% =)"*'?6 Copy editors: 9-"8%2$5'<%!)6C$6%27"#> -"1'"6A<%D?0"66"%4"5#"6%+%B#)6"%E*1$C>F$'0> 8"6 News editor: !?3$"'%40"3$) Features editor: D"7-)%G#"('')6 96-*)"%,)#)"* In-Depth editor: ,?##7%./0?/0)1% Sports editor: 4"1)%./06)$-)* Opinion editor: ,"*$"%=)*)C>:"**$A" Assistant opinions editor: 9$'0"%H)*'$ Entertainment editor: :)6%."6I?*Business editor: ."8%.J$'0)* Web editor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rinter: N?*10%.1"*%,)-$" Adviser: &?*$%4));#)7 Awards: NSPA Hall of Fame member; 2011,

2016, 2017 NSPA Print Pacemaker finalist; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020 National Print Pacemaker Award recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 Online Pacemaker; 2013, 2015, 2016 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All State.

Editors

NOTE

W

e are so excited to present you with our fourth edition of the Echo Newsmagazine.

It has been a challenging and emotional few weeks. From the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial, to additional acts of police brutality and a school walkout, we know this edition is a particularly heavy one.

Our hope is that this issue can bring some clarity and possibly hope to these tragic incidents. Through our coverage we work to amplify the voices of your peers and their thoughts on these important topics.

Page 4 will take you through the Chauvin verdict and the emotions that students are feeling regarding that decision. On page 5, you can read about the walkout Students Organized Against Racism hosted, hear from various students and student leaders about their goals for the walkout and hopes for the future.

Our In-Depth coverage on pages 8 and 9 will give some insight into the COVID-19 numbers right now, and the reality of the safety of our return to unlimited capacity.

This story is an important read and reminder to continue to follow guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

This year has been pivotal for social change and we strive to cover these topics, and how students feel, to the best of our ability. At the same time, we recognize our imperfections and are always seeking feedback from the student body on how we can represent you better.

We encourage all students and staff with any concerns regarding our coverage to always feel comfortable coming to us so we can work together, and help us to exist as a publication that gives students a platform to speak.

Photo: Kate Schneider Last Echo trip: Seniors Maddie Schutte and Talia Lissauer pose in front of the U.S. Capitol Nov. 20, 2019.

For questions or concerns, you can contact us through the Echo instagram @slpecho, or the two of us directly. We always welcome letters to the editor, either submitted in person or through our email addresses. Our website also has a comment section available to anyone. Please see our policy on comments and letters to the editor online under the About tab.

We hope you enjoy this edition of the Echo and we hope you come back to read our next and final issue as well.

Media

POLICIES

T

he Echo is the official student-produced news media of St. Louis Park Senior High School. It is published 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

Want your voice heard?

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.

administration as a whole.

The Echo welcomes reader input. 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.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

Table of

CONTENTS

3

NEWS 4 5 voices 6 SO forum

Photo: 9337%=*)'10?#-1%

Performing: Senior Maya Lee competed in her duo performance April 23. Synchro has begun competing.

Photo: Ayelet Prottas

FEATURES 7

program expands

13 perfect routines

In-Depth: Safety of return

14

12

15 injustice proves

10 8

ENTERTAINMENT

OPINIONS

SPORTS 11

Junior Kim Parkinson speaks to students April 19.

The walkout began at 1 p.m.

Point counterpoint: 16 Review: ‘Dancing With Curfews set by government cause debate

Frequently asked questions Who decides what is covered?

How is content assigned?

Do I have to interview?

Echo is a student-run newspaper. That means our student editors are in charge of determining what is covered. At the beginning of each cycle, we have content ideas where staffers brainstorm and pitch content.

At the beginning of each cycle, all staffers can sign up for whatever content they want on a spreadsheet. For stories that come up in the middle of a cycle, most content is announced in front of the class for any staff to pick up.

While we would love for you to, you may decline the interview. If you are asked to interview and you would prefer to not voice your opinion on the topic, you don’t have to. Just let the writer know that you are not interested.

How long does it take to publish?

Who do you interview?

Interview based story vs. opinion

We strive to post all coverage of an event within a few hours of an event whenever possible. However, it may sometimes take longer to get the necessary interviews. This may be a comment from a coach or player about a game or an interview with a member of the administration about a policy.

All stories have a primary and two secondary sources.

When looking for students to interview, we look at who is involved in the activities or event the story is about. If the story has a broader topic, we use social media to find someone informed on the topic through looking at accounts or posting Instagram polls. In addition, we will also ask around our classes and the lunch room for interviews about a broader topic.

Interview based stories do not necessarily reflect the views of the writer, while opinion stories, which are clearly labeled as such, are the opinions of the writer and only that writer.

Both types of stories require the writer to understand the topic. We strive to ensure our non opinion based stories are not biased.

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NEWS Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

I was happy, I felt like that was a moment where justice was served, and that’s something we really need to see that as a show of just a little bit of progress. It’s a stepping stone.”

Zander Lang, junior

WEB PREVIEW SCAN TO VIEW QR code

Photo: Armoni Monroe

Outrage follows death of Daunte Wright Brooklyn Park police shot and killed a 20-year-old Black man named Daunte Wright. The killing, less than a year after the murder of George Floyd, sent waves of disappointment and anger for students across the Twin Cities April 12.

SCAN TO VIEW

Photo: Jacob Perszyk

Photo Laniyah Thornton

Mall renovations spark restaurant boom Texa Toxa shopping center is becoming home to several new restaurants. Many business owners have identified St. Louis Park to be in high demand for new places to eat out, and they also anticipate an increase in business as COVID-19 restrictions are loosened.

SCAN TO VIEW

Verdict brings relief

Celebrating: People gather at George Floyd square paying respects and celebrating after

Chauvin guilty on all three counts

for the murder of George Floyd and

Jacob Khabie & Andrea Melear jacobkhabie@slpecho.com andreamelear@slpecho.com

S Photo: Tobias Khabie

Cohort C remains in distance learning for remainder of year While many students returned to school for unlimited capacity learning, several stayed back due to safety concerns. Despite the challenges facing distance learning, some in Cohort C are satisfied with their situation.

Tip: scan QR codes by opening phone camera and hover over QR code For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

itting on the bus on her way home from school, sophomore Saynab Mohamed didn’t know what to expect as she listened to the verdict of Derek Chauvin being announced.

Mohamed said she didn’t have her hopes pinned on Chauvin’s conviction in fear of being let down.

“It’s better when you don’t get your hopes high because when the results are bad, then you’re not so disappointed,” Mohamed said.

“But when I had my hopes down, and then I heard the news, I was really happy about it.”

Former police officer Derek

Chauvin was found guilty for the murder of George Floyd and was convicted on all three charges brought against him by the state of Minnesota: second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

According to freshman Calvin Zimmerman, Chauvin’s trial exposes a larger issue within the justice system of using past drug use as an excuse for non-conviction, as opposed to focusing on the real cause of death of cases like George Floyd.

“We’ve seen time and time again, especially with Black men who have died, people want to link them to drugs, expose their past,” Zimmerman said. “We’re not focusing on their past though, we’re focusing on their present, what happened to them.”

Satisfied with the verdict, junior Truman Fillbrandt said he

believes this is the outcome of hard-fought change within Minneapolis as well as nationwide.

“If you cause enough of a scene, then you are going to make change,” Fillbrandt said. “If you keep pushing and pushing and pushing something’s going to happen, and that’s just really nice to know.”

Moving forward, Mohamed said she wants justice for others killed by police, and Chauvin’s conviction is one of the first steps in the right direction.

“There’s a lot of victims who have been affected by police brutality,” Mohamed said. “I want justice for them, too. This is just the beginning.”

DESIGN BY

Johanna Kaplan

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NEWS ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

I’m really proud, I’m really happy that people are doing this and that they’re not just doing it for a trend, it’s more meaningful because it’s an actual issue that we need to solve.”

5

Kim Parkinson, junior

Speak up:

Stand up: Junior Olivia Cosey gives a speech during walkout April 12. Everyone had the opportunity to speak if they chose to. Students gathered on West

Photo Talia Lissauer

1:47 p.m.: moment of silence for Daunte Wright

Statewide protests occurs at Park

All students were invited to speak if they chose

Talia Lissauer & Crystal Diaz talialissauer@slpecho.com crystaldiaz@slpecho.com

asked to wear black in solidarity

Photo Ayelet Prottas

Listen: Seniors Evan Nelson and Liberty Powers and junior Anna Overall hold signs during the walkout April 19. Sign making materials were provided by Students Organized Against Racism.

DESIGN BY

Johanna Kaplan

S

tanding in the cold as snow fell around her, freshman Patricia Milian-Lopez listened as she and her peers spoke on racial injustice after walking out.

“It feels like we’re making an impact, even though we’re not that many people. But it feels nice because everyone’s being heard. And we’re able to talk about these hard topics that people usually don’t talk about,” Milian-Lopez said.

As part of the “Justice for Daunte Wright” statewide walkout, created by the MN Teen Activists nonprofit organization, Students Organized Against Racism organized the walkout, which began at 1 p.m. April 19. All students were given the opportunity to speak and

at 1:47 p.m., a moment of silence was held for Daunte Wright.

Fearing too many students would use the walkout as an opportunity to skip class, junior Olivia Cosey said she was originally unsure if she would participate.

“I was very reluctant at first and then I (had) a talk with my mother and my mother was telling me how important it is to speak up for myself, because if I’m not going to do it then who’s going to do it for me,” Cosey said.

From her experiences at school, Milian-Lopez said it was important for her to participate in the walkout and she hopes it can make a difference.

“I felt as if people in the school don’t take it seriously. And I’ve seen so much discrimination go around, especially from white boys,” Milian-Lopez said. “I just feel as if doing just one small action can have such a big impact.”

While he originally followed others outside, freshman Dileyta Arba said he was inspired after hearing others.

Photo Talia Lissauer

“I went up there because I was hearing all these people talk and hearing all these stories and they were talking about (how) people need to come out and say something and I was like ‘dang, I should be doing something too,’” Arba said.

Cosey said she was excited so many people are trying to create change.

“It’s just not fair to the people that actually believe in things like this and want to fight for our rights and our children’s rights. And I feel like most people are taking advantage of these things,” Cosey said. “But it makes me very much happy that some people at least are trying to change in trying to get things to be different.”

Cosey said she hopes for change to come out of this walkout at both the state and school levels.

“I want there to be justice for what’s been happening. I want the students that have said stuff to still get suspended,” Cosey said. “I want them to all have their time in the hot seat, because it’s not healthy.”

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NEWS Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

“

My biggest take was honestly how SLP is more like a community, than a lot of people think. We’re more in tune with a lot of racism and anti racism things, and culture issues compared to other schools that surround us.”

Michael Boxley-Harmon, senior

Reaching out: Senior Lauryn Hill talks to interim principal Wendy Loberg during third lunch April 26. Loberg was available to talk to students during lunch.

SOAR holds open mic forum Loberg’s announcement sparks reaction, principal makes herself available for student comment in cafeteria Andrea Melear & Talia Lissauer andreamelear@slpecho.com talialissauer@slpecho.com Photo Emmy Pearson

S

eeing an opportunity to amplify the voices of students of color, and began to normalize conversations about race in school, sophomore Stayci Spates attended the open mic forum during Park Connections and lunch April 22.

“I felt good about it because throughout my life, I never really got to talk about race. I’ve been to a lot of mainly white schools and no one really talks about it because it makes white people uncomfortable,” Spates said. “It was nice to get in here and listen to other perspectives. I genuinely do like listening and hearing what white people have to think about it.”

Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR) hosted the open mic and a large group of diverse students and staff were in attendance. According to senior Michael BoxleyHarmon, a variety of topics were discussed.

“We started off talking about how the walkout went, then we started talking about the trial, because it was the day after the verdict. We just started talking about Ms. Loberg’s message on the loudspeaker earlier that day and how it was quite an offense,” Boxley-Harmon said.

During third hour on the same day of the open mic, interim principal Wendy Loberg made an announcement regarding three different events: the walkout that occurred April 12, the verdict of the Derek Chauvin trial April 13 and a fight that occurred in the boys’ bathroom April 13.

Students in the Auditorium expressed disappointment and anger with the language used in the announcement when addressing the students who participated in the

walkout. In addition, some felt like Loberg compared the murder of George Floyd to the unrelated school fight.

After hearing the topic of the open mic had transitioned to her, Loberg said she knew she had to go to the Auditorium. Before joining, she asked the SOAR members on stage and high achievement coordinator Lee Ann Stephens if they were okay with it.

“When I learned they were upset with me. I wanted to own my actions. I wanted to not hide behind an office or something,” Loberg said. “I wanted to be in there and let them speak to me so I could hear their tone, look at their eye contact, look at their body language and really listen.”

Although it wasn’t planned for Loberg to join the conversation, junior Ezra Hudson said it allowed any students in attendance the opportunity to give feedback.

“I’m glad that so many students got to speak, especially to Ms. Loberg directly,” Hudson said. “Originally we were just going to meet with her, but she came in. I’m glad that she did that so all these students could directly talk to her because that’s what needs to happen.”

When Loberg initially arrived in the Auditorium, she did a combination of listening and responding, however, Boxley-Harmon stood up and asked her to just take in what students were saying.

“I stopped her while she was talking because she started to sugarcoat things and then I just opened up the floor to everybody to criticize her respectfully, and everything went smooth,” he said. “Honestly, it was a really good experience. I feel like the more of those happen, the better

school is going to get in touch with grace and all that stuff.”

Spates said one takeaway from the discussion was staff members need to be educated and willing to create a more accurate and inclusive classroom environment.

“I want this staff specifically to know that it’s really hard being one of the only black kids, let alone one of the only black girls in AP and IB classes,” Spates said. “When we’re talking about history, do not look at me, the only black kid in the class to represent all black people. I hate that, and it makes me very uncomfortable.”

After hearing what students had to say, Loberg made another announcement April 26 apologizing for the previous announcement. “‘Let me hear your concerns’ and boy they handed it to me on a platter, and I took it and I listened and I wish I’d taken notes because what they said mattered,” Loberg said. “I was just happy that they were able to vent in a place that was safe. I wasn’t there to judge. I was there to really gain an understanding of their perspective, which is what matters to me, and how can I be their best leader.”

After the walkout and open mic, Hudson said he wants community members to understand the severity and need for change at not only Park, but beyond.

“We are serious in terms of gaining student voices and advocating for students that we’re not going to stop and be silent, and that if we have to we are going to stop your curriculum, stop your normal whitewashed whatever to advocate for students,” Hudson said.

DESIGN BY Jacob Khabie

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Features ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

If people are planning to go to college, every student should challenge themselves academically in high school. And if they have the resources of the gifted and talented program and an extra support system, it can help students out who would be struggling.

7

Anna Jensen, senior

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Zoe Frank Senior

What inspired you to write your novel?

Photo Lilia Gonzalez Join in: Juniors Marley Miller and Ava Hanson collaborate in their IB biology class. Patall students will be required to take an advanced course during high school.

Changes to start next fall Student impact: •

Take one collegelevel course during high school

Teacher impact: •

Working with student interns to learn how to be more racially inclusive in the classroom

Additions: • •

•

Possible new language classes (Arabic, Somali, Mandarin & Ojibwe) More racial equity Infographic Emmy Pearson & Andrea Melear Source

DESIGN BY Emmy Pearson

Gifted and talented

program expands New opportunities for students arise Andrea Melear andreamelar@slpecho.com

A

s junior Li Livdahl learned more about the school system and racism in America during her summer internship, she wanted to run her own research on advanced classes and the gifted and talented programs at Park.

“We conducted our own research by sending out a survey, and doing interviews with people. Trying to see any patterns between how students of color felt in advanced classes and in GT [gifted and talented] in St. Louis Park district schools, and the disparities between the number of students of color versus the number of white students in advanced classes,” Livdahl said.

Livdahl joined other students and staff in an effort to diversify the enrichment programs and advanced classes in Park.

Patrick Duffy, director of curriculum and instruction, said students and staff have been developing ideas on how to implement the practices.

“For the past two years, we have had a number of teachers around the district working on research around improving

practices for students and how to create programs that are going to better serve all students in our schools,” Duffy said.

One new aspect will be all middle school students will take Keystone, an anti-racist student leadership development class to help students learn how to facilitate courageous conversations about race.

“We know that one of the greatest markers of post-secondary success is whether or not students have taken at least one college-level class in high school.

So we’re doing students a disservice, we’re doing our students of color a disservice, and all of our students a disservice if we don’t expect all of our students to take a class and be successful in a college-level class in high school,” Duffy said.

Over the summer, six high school students participated in the internship and worked on the new changes coming to Park, according to Duffy.

“We took those high school students’ recommendations very seriously, and tried to incorporate them into our plans.

So I say that many of the changes we’re making are student-driven,” Duffy said.

Duffy said along with the new additions to the curriculum, every teacher is going to continue to get coaching on how to be more racially inclusive in the classroom and administrators will work to hire more teachers of color.

I have always really liked writing and for as long as I can remember. I have always written story after story. This idea was really inspired by a couple songs that I was listening to and I had this character in development. I was on a bike ride one day when I pieced the character together and the idea for this plot occurred to me. Usually when I have an idea for something, I’m writing it in broken little pieces. (For) this one, I had an idea for a plot start-to-finish in a vague sense.

What is the book about?

It is set in the future, and it is about a very heavily divided society with very extreme class divides. I took a creepy route with it, and it’s about illegal underground organ trade.

Tell me a little bit about the process of writing it?

I made a point to write at least 2,000 words a day. So no matter what the day entailed, I would make sure to get some time on this Google doc and get words down. The process I took with this one that is different from things that I have written in the past is that I wanted to just get as many words down so that I would have an excess of material to work with.

What was the biggest challenge for you with the writing process?

The biggest challenge was online school. I had a really great flow going over the summer, and once online school started, that slowed down exponentially. That’s why it took as long as it did to finish it. Especially with looking at screens all day everyday, it was much less appealing to get on a computer and work on it.

draft completed?

It feels so good. I’ve written things before and made drafts before, but I have never followed through and finished with them. To have this entire draft finished and have it be as long as it is in its completion, it feels very fulfilling.

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IN-DEPTH Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

A lot of teachers are enforcing COVID safety rules and obviously having us wear masks.”

Mariana Morales, freshman

Safety of return to unlimited capacity Variant, change of guidelines sparks disscussion Jacob Khabie, Talia Lissauer jacobkhabie@slpecho.com talialissuaer@slpecho.com

F

or the last year, a combination of canceled events, online school, changing guidelines and COVID-19 variants has forced everyone to adjust from prepandemic life. Now, Park has returned to full in-person learning with the B.1.1.7 variant present and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has altered its recommendation for social distancing to be 3 feet.

The B.1.1.7 variant After a spike of COVID-19 cases in January, cases decreased, schools to reopen nationwide. According to Michael Osterholm, epidemiologist and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, cases could quickly increase if precautions aren’t taken to prevent the spread of the B.1.1.7 variant, especially in schools.

“We’re seeing much, much more transmission of B.1.1.7.

Right here in Minnesota right now we have a large outbreak going on that is primarily focused on kids’ schools, sports activities (and) social activities,” Osterholm said.

The B.1.1.7 variant, more commonly known as the British variant that was first discovered in the United States in December 2020, could create difficulties for schools due to its higher rate of transmission, according to Osterholm.

“I think once B.1.1.7 comes in, you start seeing transmission in your school, you (have) a whole different situation on your hands,” Osterholm said. “It’s going to be hard to not stop transmission unless you isolate students from each other for some time, meaning basically at home, at most hybrid learning, and most likely distance learning.”

The return to in-person learning at unlimited capacity along with the variants has fueled junior Sumaya Moalim’s fear of a long-lasting pandemic. “(The COVID-19 variants) make me feel scared that this virus is never going to go away,” Moalim said.

School COVID-19 safety protocols

Easing of guidelines Minnesota issued new guidance for schools in January, which loosened precautions and asked schools to offer less restrictive learning models. Park transitioned to unlimited capacity learning April 12. According to Superintendent Astein Osei, based on the new guidance, an individual school in Park would need to have 5 percent of the school test positive for COVID-19 to revert back to hybrid learning.

“Even if we hit the 5 percent threshold that does not necessarily mean we automatically move to more restrictive,”

3 feet of social distance between students at all times Masks must be worn unless eating or drinking Students or teachers must clean and disinfect their space between classes

Osei s have t made cases.

Th suspic sudde “It Brave going the di As get va to cre “T said. sprea schoo

Safe

Os the sc restri allow to loo restri

Infographic Molly Schochet Source Jessica Busse

COVID-19 cases in Minnesota May ’20 18,302 cases

June ’20 11,823 cases

July ’20 19,870 cases

August ’20 20,611 cases

September ’20 24,876 cases DESIGN BY Molly Schochet

Oc 58,

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IN-DEPTH ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

Everyone has been doing super well with keeping their masks on and teachers remind them. We clean our desks. We don’t share materials, so we’ve been doing pretty good with that.”

9

Solei Ceballos, freshman

Keeping it clean: Senior Liz Madigan class April 19. Park returned to unlimited capacity April 12. Students in Cohort C remained in distance learning.

Photo Ayelet Prottas Wipe it: Disinfecting wipes have been added to all classrooms. Cleaning between classes is one protocol used to disinfect surfaces between classes.

Photo Ayelet Prottas

Photo Ayelet Prottas

said. “That just triggers a conversation where we would to explore what we are doing and the decision would be e based on if the school is causing the spread of positive .” he CDC’s new social distancing guidelines seem cious, according to senior Ari Braverman, as it’s enly different from previous recommendation. t’s kind of weird that they shortened it out of nowhere,” erman said. “I realize there’s more vaccines now so it’s g to spread less, but it was 6 feet and now it’s 3. It’s half istance. That’s a lot.” s many students and staff have had the opportunity to accinated, including himself, Braverman said it will help eate a safe environment at school.

The vaccines are going to slow the spread,” Braverman “And so it’s going to be better for ading less COVID(-19) within the ol, so it’s super important.”

ety at Park

sei said starting chool year in a ictive model ws Park osen ictions.

Photo Ayelet Prottas

“We started the school year off even more restrictive than what the guidance suggested and we did that out of abundance of caution,” Osei said. “There was so much unknown to us about how this would work, and as we learn more about how all of this works, we feel we are able to utilize the guidance given to us as opposed to being more restrictive.”

Although the COVID-19 variants are concerning to Colacci, she said she is more focused on stopping the spread of the virus as a whole.

“I’m more worried about the virus spreading more in general before we have the chance to vaccinate enough people,” Colacci said.

While she believes open vaccine eligibility has its positives, Colacci is concerned that vaccinations could cause carelessness among those who have received their shots.

“I’m a little bit worried that people will start to be complacent, especially if they themselves get their vaccine, even if there are other people around,” Colacci said “So it’s a positive and a negative.”

Even with an increase of vaccinations, Moalim said classrooms cause her most concern.

“You don’t know if the person next to you or the person behind you has COVID(-19),” Moalim said. “Maybe they don’t even know.”

Mask up: Student teacher Joy Dunna leads her class April 19. All teachers and students are required to wear a mask throughout the day unless eating or drinking.

COVID-19 cases at Park

3 active positive cases 28 in quarantine 19

recovered

Information updated as of April 28 Infographic Molly Schochet Source St. Louis Park Public Schools COVID Dashboard

Scan to read back to unlimited capacity

ctober ’20 ,324 cases

November ’20 172,039 cases

DESIGN BY Molly Schochet

December ’20 76,271 cases

January ’21 34,982 cases

February ’21 18,325 cases

March ’21 32,057 cases

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FEATURES Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

I really like seeing everyone again, and I like interacting with my teachers. I also think the school is doing a pretty good job with making sure we have COVID-19 guidelines.”

Lily Simonett, junior

WHAT’S THE POINT First day back overwhelming Molly Schochet mollyschochet@slpecho.com

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alking out of school after the first day back to unlimted capactiy I felt exhausted.

I had been going in person twice a week during hybrid learning, and while it was nice to see people who I haven’t seen in over a year, the amount of people at school overwhelmed me.

Coming back in person, my main concern was if I would feel safe, but I didn’t consider how the added amount of people would also socially drain me. Despite the fact I am extroverted and often thrive off social interaction, the chaos of the day and its newness made it hard to enjoy.

For me, the hardest part of the last couple of months, school wise, has been the constant change from one model to another. I wasn’t really given the time to adjust to what school will now be like for the foreseeable future socially before being thrown right back into work.

While I understand teachers have already had to majorly adjust What’s the what they are teaching, POINT? I would have appreciBoth ated a more low-key day that allowed me positives to adjust to the new and social scene without negitives of having to worry about in-person my work.

Seeing the amount of people in the halls, as I walked from class to class made me almost feel like it was a normal school day.

While it was nice to feel this normalcy after a year of the unprecedented, it was also frightening for me, as I felt like there were too many people in the halls and I was unable to maintain a safe distance from people. The inability to social distance worries me as the district’s COVID-19 cases rise and it seems harder if not impossible to contract trace people during passing times.

Because several stayed in Cohort C, classes did not feel much different than they did in hybrid. Teachers still had to balance and engage both the kids in class and online. This has made it so teachers are not able to give their full attention to either their online or in-person students.

Additionally, I definitely feel disconnected from my classmates online. Despite the fact we are in the same class, it is hard to make connections with them as it can sometimes be hard to hear them and for them to see us. As we continue the in-person model, I am looking forward to more hands-on learning experiences.

The sky’s the limit Juniors launch homemade rockets hundreds of feet Gabriel Kaplan gabrielkaplan@slpecho.com

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fter watching others launch rockets in the park right before spring break, junior Tait Myers said he and his friends were inspired to do the same.

“We were at a park and we saw people launching the actual rockets — it was me, Joe (McGurgan), and Ben Matthews — and we were like ‘it would be funny if we did that,’” Myers said. “(We) built one the next day.”

According to junior Joe McGurgan, they started out with household products, but recently used one of Park’s 3D printers for parts.

“Last week, we got some (rockets) 3D printed,” McGurgan said. “Initially, it was toilet paper rolls, PVC pipes and whatever we could find around the house.”

The friends do not have designated jobs when it comes to completing the process, according to Myers.

“We don’t have any specific roles,” Myers said. “(We) mostly just put it together and build different parts of the rocket and combine it all.”

Junior Luna LaBelle said she and others joined in to compete with McGurgan, Myers and their group.

“Me and some of my other friends joined in to have a competition and we did a ton of rockets,” LaBelle said. “It was just a little fun thing to see who could make the better rocket and how high we could make it go.”

According to LaBelle, her friends designed their rockets with recycled beverage cans.

“My group made it out of Arnie Palmer cans,” LaBelle said. “We mostly just did it in one of my friend’s garages with a bunch of DIY tools, but we kind of just made up our own thing.”

Myers said his favorite part is launching the rockets — estimating they fly anywhere from 100 to 500 feet.

“Building them and launching them is really fun, to see how high it goes,” Myers said.

LaBelle said she would like to continue building the rockets, improving their designs and

Photo Anna Benishek

Ready for launch: Junior Joe McGurgan launches his rocket at enced by others in the park to start building their own rockets.

How to ...

Design your own rockets at home Follow stringent safety precautions Can build the base with household items such as soda cans, toilet paper rolls and more Many tutorials are avaiable on YouTube Engines can be bought from Amazon, Hobby Lobby and a variety of other stores Art Emmy Pearson Infographic Gabriel Kaplan Source Digital Trends

competing with her friends.

“Definitely (hope to) because Joe and Tait got Mr. Miller — the engineering teacher — to 3D print some rocket prototypes so they are going to be doing that soon,” LaBelle said.

If others are interested in building their own rockets, Myers said he recommended turning to the internet for information.

“There is a lot of information online, there are so many people who do it. You can go buy kits at the store. You don’t have to build it at home like we did, we just did that because it can get expensive if you buy everything,” Myers said.

According to LaBelle, it is possible to build most of the rocket with supplies from home, but the fuel must come from a store.

“We bought the little engine parts at a store, and it’s a tiny little cylinder that we connect to two batteries and it lights up,” LaBelle said.

Some stores offer better prices than others, according to McGurgan.

“I would definitely recommend Hobby Lobby, they have the cheapest stuff that I’ve been able to find,” McGurgan said.

“Use whatever you have around the house and watch some YouTube videos.”

DESIGN BY Jordyn Deschamps

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SPORTS ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

The synchro team has been doing really well. It’s nice we can have practices and that we’re back together as a team.

Rachel Katzovitz, sophomore

Synchro works to perfect routines

OUT OF THE PARK Rushed preseason brings

Jack Kroells jackkroells@slpecho.com

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Team currently undefeated, 3-0 record Kate Schneider kateschneider@slpecho.com

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fter synchro missed out on its spring season last year, sophomore Rachel Katzovitz said even with COVID-19 safety protocols, she is grateful to have the opportunity to compete.

“So far, the season’s been going pretty well. It’s nice being back with our team, and for it to be as normal as possible. But of course we have to follow the COVID(-19) rules to make sure we’re being careful,” Katzovitz said. “But I think it’s really great that we’re back at practice. And I think everyone’s been working really hard, especially with not getting a season last year.”

According to senior captain Maya Lee, swimmers have started to focus on polishing their routines in preparation for the end of the season.

“We worked a lot in the beginning of the season on figures and stuff. And a lot of control stuff and lots of drills,” Lee said.

“Now that we’re getting further into the season, we’ve been working a lot outside of practice on choreographing our routines so that during practice time we’re able to swim through all of our routines.”

Coach Jessica Gust said she is excited to see the team’s routines improve over the next few weeks.

“We’ve had three meets — we had two figure meets and a routine. And we won all three (meets) by a hefty margin. The girls are doing awesome. Routines are getting close to being done, so I would say we’re ahead of schedule,” Gust said.

According to Lee, COVID-19 hasn’t affected the team when they are at the pool, but has impacted other opportunities.

“It’s been kind of weird because being in the pool, we’re not able to wear masks, but outside of that, we’re always wearing masks around each other,” Lee said. “And a lot of our team bonding stuff that we usually do, we’re not able to. Like Feed My Starving Children, we’re not able to do that as a captains’ practice. And pasta parties, we’re DESIGN BY Adam Gips

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Photos Abby Prestholdt

Photos Ava Ashby not able to do those.”

Gust said overall the team is responsible when it comes to wearing masks.

“The girls are great and very strict about holding each other accountable to the COVID(-19) protocols, which is awesome. It’s just funny little logistical things like accidentally jumping in the pool with your mask on or getting out on the wrong side of the pool and realizing your mask is over on the other side,” Gust said. “But other than that, it’s been a pretty normal season, which is nice, because we haven’t really had a normal season in a long time.”

According to Katzovitz, she is excited to continue swimming.

“I’m looking forward to just seeing everyone’s routines finished and just everyone swimming and having a good time and enjoying the rest of the season with the seniors that we have this year,” Katzovitz said.

“And just spending more time with the team even if we don’t get State and Sections or if we do it would be fun either way.”

Splash: Seniors Bella Steward and Maya Lee compete in their duo performance April 23. Synchro team won Pose: Junior Averie Reese extends her hand in the air during a pop up April 23.

“We’ve been working a lot outside of practice on choreographing our routines so that during practice time we’re able to swim through all of our routines.”

Maya Lee, senior

ince the ultimate season was cut short last year due to COVID-19, I’ve been sitting around waiting to get back out on the field again. I started to get worried the season was canceled when February came and went, and there was no start date. In a normal season, we start in January, so waiting this long made me nervous.

The winter practices are extremely important for the team because we train any new players on the basics of the game. It’s especially important for ultimate because when someone joins, they are completely new to the game. We need time to train them in everything from gameplay, to throwing and catching. Without this time to build our team, I worried we would fall behind.

Our season was finally announced by our coaches in early March. As soon as we got the message, the other captains and I scheduled as many practices as possible. We needed to make up for lost time.

There were no indoor practices, What’s the so we were holding POINT? captains practices in the freezing cold Ultimate and melting snow. preseason It had been a year cut short since we held our last practice, so there wasn’t much we could do without the coaches’ help.

Official practices with our coaches started two weeks before our first game. We started training hard right away, because the team needed work.

It was clear instantly that everyone was dedicated to the team by the way they were showing up and working hard the entire time.

Another struggle that popped up was splitting into varsity and junior varsity teams. There were only two weeks to evaluate the entire team and divide us up.

As a varsity captain, this was really difficult because I’ve never met some of the players before. Now I need to watch them play, while trying to improve myself. We finally got our teams figured out less than a week before our first game.

There's been a lot of work, and very little time building up to the first game of the ultimate season. The start may be a little shaky, but I believe both the team and I can find our groove and start winning some games.

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SPORTS Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

one last year.

Ivy Houts, senior

MEET THE ATHLETE Kate Gage, senior Lacrosse

When did you start playing lacrosse?

I started playing lacrosse my freshman year.

Why did you decide to start playing?

A lot of my friends were doing it and I hadn’t had a team sport, I had only been playing individual sports for a long time.

What do you like about lacrosse?

I really like the community and I like the sport itself. It’s really fun. It’s not easy to master, it takes time, and I’m not there but it’s a pretty easy sport to start. It’s really fun to get a lot of new players at all the stages of high school.

How does your team support each other during the pandemic?

Showing up everyday and having an outlet to just have some time with other people especially when you’re so isolated in a lot of areas. I think it’s really good for a lot of people. And then just creating the fun environment to distract yourself from the harder things going on.

How do you keep the team motivated as a captain?

Just looking at everything in a positive light and especially not putting too much pressure on anything. Just knowing that we’re all here just to have fun this year, and we’re lucky that we’re even able to have a season. I try to come in everyday just wanting to have fun and talk to people, obviously while playing.

Do you have any advice for the team once you graduate?

I think just keeping a positive attitude is something that actually really makes or breaks a person’s season. Not putting too much pressure on the outcome or putting stress on your success more just giving it your all. You’ll see a lot of improvement from doing that.

Photo Henry Harper

Baseball team looks to

sharpen mental game Park hopes focus will translate to better Tobias Khabie tobiaskhabie@slpecho.com

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fter a 3-4 start to the season, Park baseball head coach Brian Kelly said with all factors considered, he is beyond satisfied by his team’s performance.

“I'm very pleased with how our team is playing,” Kelly said.

“We've done a lot of learning on the job, and we only have two real returners with (seniors) Ethan Schmitz and Drew Boyum and then (junior) Kris Hokenson pitched a little bit for us. So with all those things being said, I'm super pleased.”

After scoring eight runs in the first game, Park has failed to score more than five runs in a game, leading the team to focus on its offensive performance.

According to junior Jacob Favour, the team isn’t lacking

in ability and the offense will eventually improve.

“We for sure have the bats to (be better offensively), and we have the talent, but just at the moment we haven't gotten there yet,” Favour said.

Kelly said the tight-knit community between the players will assist them in improving upon the team’s overall ability to compete. According to Kelly, the team has discussed the importance of everyone doing their jobs and relying on one another.

“We talked about how to hold each other accountable and how to work together,” Kelly said. “We need to do a little bit better job at staying focused before the game in holding each other accountable.”

Junior Tait Myers said the bonds created by the team has allowed for easier communication, and will enable the team to improve in all aspects of the game.

“It's easy to talk to (teammates), and we can communicate as a team better and that

helps the team succeed and we help each other out,” Myers said.

According to Favour, this communication has enabled the team to help each other stay sharp and in tune with the game.

“With everything that's going on, (we are working on) staying focused and mental approaches on the plate and mental approaches in the field, and just flushing the bad stuff and keep playing,” Favour said.

According to Kelly, finding an equilibrium between focus and fun is his goal for the rest of the season.

“I want to continue to find that balance between focus and loose,” Kelly said. “We talked about the process-based team.

We're not here to beat a team, we're here to focus on the process of the game. And that starts with when we get off the bus.”

As of April 28, Park will look to improve to 4-4 in its next game at 4:30 p.m. April 28 at Robbinsdale Cooper.

Batter up: Junior Brady Walsh hits the ball in the game April 22. Park lost to Benilde 9-5.

Upcoming baseball games 4:30 p.m. May 5 at Red Haddox Field against Bloomington Kennedy

6 p.m. May 7 at Dakota Park against Chaska

7 p.m. May 10 at Benilde-St. Margaret’s

6 p.m. May 12 at Dakota Park against Chanhassen

11:30 a.m. May 15 at Braemar Ice Arena/ Edina

6 p.m. May 18 at Dakota Park against Robbinsdale Cooper

Infographic Source

DESIGN BY

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OPINIONS ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

Ella Roether, junior

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WHAT’S THE POINT

STAFF ED

Separation of Proms over two days essential for safety Lilly Strathman lillystrathman@slpecho.com

D

espite the disappointment of still not having a “normal” Prom, it will be a great solution given the limitations of current

Photo Talia Lissauer

Round of applause: Junior Lili Jampsa claps after a student speaks during the walkout April 19. The walkout was put together by Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR).

Walkout in solidarity of racial injustice proves successful Teens organize statewide protest

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fter the unjust death of 20-yearold Daunte Wright, teens across Minnesota collaborated for a student-led walkout April 19.

Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR) club organized the walkout at Park. Students were informed of the event and made the choice to attend the hour long protest outside of the high school if they wanted to.

The walkout began with students who had prepared poems and expressions of thoughts and experiences.

Students showed maturity, compassion and un-

DESIGN BY Crystal Diaz

derstanding, which made the experience powerful.

Junior and co-founder of the Instagram page MNTeenActivist, Ezra Hudson, impacted many people with his words, leadership and thoughtfulness by opening the session and making sure all voices were heard.

Students were encouraged to take the mic and share their opinions, thoughts, feelings and experiences. This created a safe community environment.

SOAR leaders struck a core to many students after reassuring that all voices would be heard even if that meant running over the scheduled time. And despite the crisp weather and light snow, students continued

to amplify their voices among the crowd. Many speakers voiced their nervousness, which led to vocal reassurance from onlookers, and atmosphere filled with love.

While it was obvious a handful of students attended just to skip class by the side chatter and their discomfort when called out by speakers, this was by no means the majority.

These few students did not join to show support for their peers. These students who joined solely for this reason disappointed the community.

One other concern during the walkout was the few white students who spoke about their privilege. This took away chances for students of

color to speak and others to listen, which was the point of the event.

It’s important to note that the school stepped back to let the students run it.

The students who spoke made a very important point — this movement is not a trend.

This will not be the only time to show your support. Students who are passionate about this subject should also make an effort to attend SOAR’s weekly meetings.

The community should keep listening to students of color and take action by donating to Daunte Wright’s PayPal to support his child and funeral costs. Students and staff should do more research and educate themselves.

times.

Even though Prom will be separated by grade May 14 and 15, juniors and seniors should be thankful they are even getting a dance.

Although as of April 13 there are 1,420,328 people in Minnesota fully vaccinated, there will still be a big risk of COVID-19. It will lower the risk of transfer of COVID-19 by having it outside, although many students are disappointed with the location of the dance being at the Rec Center. However, Student Council is also working on trying to make the decorations exciting so students feel a sense of normalcy.

Having separate Prom days lowers the What’s the number of people goPOINT? ing to the dance each day and therefore New helps protect student format safety. While it is sad for Prom that the two grades can’t interact as they is safer would at a normal Prom, we have been accustomed to not seeing each other with distance learning and separated in-person days. The juniors and seniors haven’t had time to get to know each other as upperclassmen, so the separation for Prom isn’t that big of a deal.

Although doing separate Proms will limit the interaction between upperclassmen, it will give an opportunity for juniors and seniors to see their friends again. With all the commotion of slowly returning to normal life, it is exhausting to make the adjustment to seeing people again.

This dance will provide an easy way to get to hang out with people that you haven’t seen in over a year.

Students should feel thankful that there will even be a Prom, although it’s not as they hoped or expected. During the 2019-2020 school year, the dance was canceled, and seniors didn’t get their senior Prom. As a senior myself, I am grateful to be able to say I got a senior Prom in any sort of way. Instead of focusing on what students may not like about the restrictions, we should be focusing on the idea that there is an opportunity to have a dance.

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OPINIONS Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

WEB PREVIEW SCAN TO VIEW

I feel like it’s a lot more tiring than it was when it was only two days a week. I do think that I get more work done though.”

Zoe Wyatt, sophomore

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Curfews set by government cause debate Minnesota issues curfews in times of civil unrest Minnesota shouldn’t issue curfews to residents

Photo: Toby Khabie

Staff Editorial: Move to full-capacity happens after break Park returned back to unlimited capacity April 12. Although the return will be beneficial to many students, the transition happened quickly after Spring Break, when a spike of cases has been seen nationally. Some students choose to remain online due to safety.

SCAN TO VIEW

Photo: Toby Khabie

Prom date brings disappointment As students like myself return to hybrid learning, a sense of regularity and liveliness was in the air during my two days of in-person classes. My first day back felt somewhat refreshing. I’m thankful to have the opportunity to be able to attend classes in person.

SCAN TO VIEW

Photo: Gillian Kapinos

Increased vaccine eligibility brings positive news The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has been much more successful than we thought. If you’re eligible, I would recommend getting vaccinated.

Being able to get yours as soon as possible means that you can start going back to regular activities, which I know the majority of us want to do.

Sophia Curran-Moore sophiacurranmoore@slpecho.

I

feel frustrated every time my phone buzzes to notify me that the government mandated a new curfew. Civil unrest after the murders of George Floyd and Daunte Wright have prompted cities in Minnesota, and across the country, to issue emergency curfews. These curfews cause more harm than good.

Curfews do not hamper rioting, which can easily occur outside of curfew hours.

Curfews create a sense of panic that can even increase rioting.

In addition, curfews are a violation of free will. My friends and I have felt pressure to not attend peaceful protests because of the repercussions of violating curfew.

People should have the right to stand up for their beliefs without government interference.

Especially since they are at short notice, curfews interfere with necessary activities, such as getting groceries or health services.

Calling off such activities could be harmful to mental and physical health.

Individuals experiencing homelessness, commuting to work, escaping danger, receiving critical care and journalists are legally exempt from curfew. However, law enforcement often fail to distinguish these individuals.

Curfews give law enforcement an excuse to target innocent people, especially people of color.

STUDENT VOICES

Curfews are needed for safety of everyone

Should goverment be able to set curfews?

Sam Swisher samswisher@slpecho.com

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“Depends on why the curfew was place, for instance if it was issued because of rioting or something like that then it totally makes sense.”

Oliver Macdonald, senior

“I feel like curfews are unnecessary because it’s a false sense of security.”

Asha Mohamed, sophomore

n the past year, citizens across Minnesota have experienced a break to their routine with enhanced use of curfews.

I don’t remember ever having a curfew set by the government aside from standard age curfews. Although many, including myself, complain about the inconvenience that curfews cause, they are necessary in certain instances.

After George Floyd was killed by former Minneapolis Police officer, Derek Chauvin, it was reasonable for everyone to feel outrage and express that anger in a visible way.

These curfews are a good tool that the government should be able to use. I support the use of a curfew in this instance because of the timing. Peaceful protestors were allowed to voice their grievances in a public forum throughout the day into the early evening. The curfew hopefully prompts most of the peaceful protestors to go home.

Although I do think that curfews are a good tool that can be used to separate protestors from anarchists, curfews can also be abused by the government. Throughout history, oppressive governments have used strict curfews as a way to crush opposition and free-thinking. Because of this and the fact that abusive use of curfews by the government could limit protestors First Amendment rights, I think curfews should only be utilized when public or private persons or property are being attacked.

PARK TRAIL Emmy Pearson Walking in the park...

Wait.. what is that?

It’s a bird...

It’s a plane...

No! It’s a rocket!

Tip: scan QR codes by opening phone camera and hover over QR code For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

DESIGN BY Crystal Diaz

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ENTERTAINMENT ECHO Monday, May 3, 2021

(I like) the rerecording because you can hear the improvement of her voice. I

Alyssa Willis, freshman

REVIEW

Fair use from Republic Records

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Fair use from Big Machine Records

‘Fearless (Taylor’s Version)’ is more than ‘Perfectly Fine’ Swift combines rerecordings, new tracks on album Kate Schneider kateschneider@slpecho.com

T

aylor Swift released “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” including rerecordings from her second album, in addition to six new songs from the vault. The album was amazing and it explores Swift’s matured voice, over 10 years after the original release.

Listening to the album the first time was very nostalgic because I listened to the original album all the time when I was little. Since I am currently the same age as Swift was when she wrote the songs, I gained a new perspective on the music I’ve heard many times before.

Swift kept the overall feel of the album the same as before, but slipped in a few small changes in pronunciation to switch it up.

DESIGN BY Grace Schultz

Certain songs are noticeably different from the original. For example, in “Fifteen” and “You Belong With Me,” Swift changes the pronunciation of a few words, which drastically affects the overall sound.

Swift’s different breathing patterns throughout the album highlights her growth as a singer, showcasing her vocal control and development. Looking back at her more juvinile voice in the original release, the vocal maturity she has now completely reinvents the album.

Others, like “The Way I Loved You,” sound like exact copies of the 2008 version. The songs that didn’t change are just as compelling as the ones that did, but it was very exciting listening and trying to spot what Swift changed.

When it comes to the songs from the vault, some were better than others, with my favorites being “Mr. Perfectly Fine” and “Don’t You.” These tracks leave me wondering what stopped Swift from putting them on the album back in 2008. They perfectly embody the emotions of a teen girl going through a breakup in two very different ways.

The features on the new songs were not my favorite, specifically Keith Urban. Although I’m

not a country fan, I do appreciate how Swift went back to her roots in country music while recording this album.

Swift’s style has changed so much since the original release of “Fearless,” from “reputation” to “Lover” and then to “folklore” and “evermore.”

All the experience she’s gained in that time has changed her voice and it’s interesting to hear that, combined with lyrics she wrote when she was 18.

One of the songs that highlights her maturity the most is “Fifteen.” I imagine the song was originally addressed to her younger self, but now that Swift is 31, the song feels more like a mother’s advice to her daughter.

I love how the lyrics didn’t change, but Swift managed to change the meaning of them regardless.

Overall, the album isn’t anything new, but Swift did a great job bringing back old songs with a slight twist.

Also, listening to “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” supports Swift directly because she has the rights to the songs unlike the original recording of ‘Fearless.’

Do you prefer Taylor Swift’s new or original version of Fearless?

67%

33%

New

Original

Infographic: Grace Schultz Source: @slpecho on Instagram poll

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ENTERTAINMENT Monday, May 3, 2021 ECHO

Liz Asitimbay,

REVIEW:

Lovato release uncovers heartbreaking truths deep into reality Johanna Kaplan johannakaplan@slpecho.com

S

uperstar singer Demi Lovato released her album “Dancing With The Devil … The Art of Starting Over” with an accompanying docuseries April 2. In four parts, Lovato gives fans an inside look at her struggles with addiction, fame and family.

The series is centered around Lovato’s near-fatal drug overdose in 2018. Lovato, as well as her friends and family, gives insight into what it was like at the time and what led up to it.

The series is emotional and challenges viewers to sympathize with Lovato’s experience. I can’t speak for everyone, but I definitely felt for her.

Addiction doesn’t just appear out of the blue; it is accompanied by years of unreconciled trauma. Lovato makes this clear by sharing the stories of her traumatic past as a child actor.

Fair use from SB Films

Constantly being in the limelight, Lovato had impossible expectations placed on her at a young age. Her fans looked up to her and disappointing them was never a feasible option.

At just 7 years old, Lovato began her acting career in Barney and Friends. As time progressed, she rose to become a beloved Disney Channel star. Her most notable performances were in “Camp Rock” and “Sonny with a Chance.” She accumulated a large fan base and began to feel the pressure of it all.

Lovato had to be the perfect role model so her fans could continue to see her as their hero.

In the end, working so hard to be this unflawed, unbroken version of herself only isolated her further. Drugs became her only solace.

Lovato’s first encounter with cocaine was

in 2009. A group of friends introduced her to it and for 17-year-old Demi, it was love at first sight.

Her own father fell down the same rabbithole some years ago. He also used drugs as a means of escape, abandoning Demi and her sister as children. Much like her father, she was in too deep, falling down the broken and battered path of substance abuse.

Spiraling into a world of self-medicated chaos, Lovato’s addiction consumed her. After years of sobriety, she eventually overdosed in July 2018.

The docuseries described just how close she came to death, detailing the night’s horrors.

Lovato took opioids laced with fentanyl, unbeknownst to her, after her drug dealer gave her a

visit. He took advantage of her in a vulnerable moment, and left her helpless.

The fentanyl forced her body into complete turmoil. She suffered several strokes, a heart attack as well as other side effects. Her assistant found her the following morning. She immediately called for help. If Lovato was found just 10 minutes later, she would not have survived.

While the docuseries wasn’t perfect, Lovato’s courage to speak up is something that overrides any technical errors.

1-800-662-4357

Ben Sanford bensanford@slpecho.com Fair use from Minneapolis Institute of Art,

DESIGN BY

Now - June 15

May 7

May 28

June 1

In this new photographic exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, “Todd Webb in Africa: Outside the Frame” offers a social commentary on colonization in Africa.

This new comic-based superhero series “Jupiter’s Legacy” follows a powerful family struggling with the high expectations of the world and their parents.

“Cruella,” the origin story for Disney villain Cruella de Vil will elaborate on the rise of power and evil deeds, along with chaotic shenanigans. The film starts Emma Stone.

Just two-and-a-half months since her last album release “Chemtrails over the Country Club,” Lana Del Rey sets the date for her eighth studio release, “Rock Candy Sweet.”