CURRENT NSPA
The Best
DAYS OF SUMMER
Photo by: Jordan Fulin
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MOST Amazing Race Photo by: Megan McGuire
Historic Cambria
2015
CariFest
Coronation
Photo by: Erica Good
Fireworks
Aquatennial Photot by: Historical Aquatennial Photo Team
Photo by: Jordan Burton
Photo by: Jordan Fulin
The Minneapolis Aquatennial has been ingrained in Minneapolis culture since 1940, celebrating the city’s lakes and rivers. The fireworks display at the close of the week is one of the largest in the country, which brings in people from across the state. The festivities throughout the week include “The MOST Amazing Race” sponsored by The Salvation Army, the coronation of the Queen of the Lakes, a presentation of the history of the Aquatennial by Cambria, and, of course, the culminating fireworks. Minnesotans look forward to these festivities, as they celebrate what the state is known for: 10,000 lakes.
Photo by: Lizzy Paul
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‘68 Vintage photos and clothing are just a few of the artifacts being Photos by Historic featured at this year’s Aquatennial in the Cambria Art Gallery. Aquatennial Photo Team
Blast from the past Guadalupe Gutierrez
Over the years, the Minneapolis Aquatennial has changed in many ways. The Minneapolis Aquatennial has been around for seventy-five years and has added events like a grand parade in 2002. This year the Hennepin History Museum has teamed up with Cambria to provide the people of Minneapolis a gallery of the Aquatennial in the past. Cambria Gallery, on 2nd Avenue South, opened the gallery to the public on Wednesday, July 22 until Saturday, July 25. As a person walks through the Cambria doors they will feel a sense of calmness in the atmosphere. The first thing a person will see is rows of different kinds of granite. To the left of the main entrance, the history of the Aquatennial is displayed. There is also a T.V. displayed behind
all of the artifacts which displays the older history of the Aquatennial like how a five-year old girl got crowned junior queen, and also explaining when the photographs in the exhibit were taken and what about. . Thomas Pell, an employee at the gallery, gave some insight on what it is like working at Cambria. “So, here at the gallery we are strictly a showroom for consumers to come in and kind of see Cambria. It is simply an environment for the customer to come in, to see the product, and get good ideas and inspiration.” Cambria corresponded with the Hennepin History Museum to help provide the community with a preview of past Aquatennials. Even though the aquatennial is over, next year is soon to round the corner again.
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Photo by: Megan McGuire
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The anticipation grows as everyone lines up waiting for the signal to go. Partners are eager to get moving and figure out their first clue.
5 BY GEORGIA NELSON
@nspa
Jenny Ng struggles to get either a strike or a spare to continue on. Round 3: Case and Ng have walked a mile when they reach Coffman Memorial Union. They descend three levels into the basement where there is a bowling alley. Their challenge is to bowl either a strike or a spare. They have as many tries as necessary until they complete the challenge. The women are greeted by a hoard of enthusiastic volunteers waiting for competitors to bowl. Case and Ng struggle to get a spare or strike but once they do, they are off again.
Round 1: Case and Ng run to the outfield where three tables are set up for competitors and manned by volunteers. As they run, they tear open the envelope. They must choose between eating mysterious contents from a can and a bag of powdered Hostess Donettes. But first, one of the women must recite a phrase to a volunteer in order to receive the food. They receive the Hostess Donettes; Case and Ng begin to eat the 13.5-ounce bag of powdered donuts in between drinking water. As they finish the bag of donuts, they look at the sheet of paper with their challenges and choose the next task they will take on.
Anna Case eats donut after donut struggling to finish the whole bag. Round 4: Case and Ng are at the recreational sports field adjacent to the Siebert Stadium. They stand by orange cones nearly ten feet apart. Ng stands facing a cone with three Scrabble-like sized squares taped to it. Her job is to describe the three images to Case, who then slides through an inflated water obstacle to get to a table full of the square letters. Case looks over the table and picks out three squares she thinks match the descriptions Ng gave her. Case runs back to Ng and shows the volunteer the squares.
Round 2: The girls run out of the stadium, across a bridge, and to a Metro Transit bus parked on 17th Avenue where more volunteers are waiting for them. The challenge is to match Minneapolis locations with their pictures. They match the first few locations with images and then tentatively continue with the images with which they are unfamiliar. They decide to pull out their smart phones to search the remaining locations. Once Ng and Case complete the list, they enter the air-conditioned bus and hand their sheet to a volunteer who scores the activity. Photo by: Allie Langness
On a sweltering Saturday afternoon in July, Anna Case and Jenny Ng are getting ready to compete in the Salvation Army’s MOST Amazing Race, a series of five mental and physical challenges fashioned after the CBS television show The Amazing Race. This is the tenth year that the Salvation Army has organized the event and the third year that CenterPoint Energy is sponsoring it. The race takes place on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities’ campus, starting and ending at Siebert Stadium. Case and Ng are dressed in matching bright blue and black spotted leggings, neon pink workout shirts, and orange tutus. The two women raised $330 to participate in the qualifying round.
Participants are eager to figure out their first clue. Round 5: They run on a path from the field to the stadium. They join other competitors at a KFAN-sponsored area where they have to write the full name of people and characters described by a recording that is blasted from speakers. The voice giving clues to the five names is on repeat. The worksheet gives the initials of the names but competitors must listen to the recording and can also search on their smart phones. Case and Ng listen to the first few clues given and then pull out their phones. They both are typing in birth dates, sports statistics, and personal hints. Within ten minutes, the women have gotten all the names correct.
6 Cultures collided as Minneapolis’s tame streets filled with calypso dancers, reggae beats, and traditional Caribbean food during Twin Cities Carifest 2015. The festival, which took place July 24-25, was one attraction during the 2015 Aquatennial celebration. Carifest started in 1994 as a way for Minnesotans to celebrate Caribbean culture. This year, it kicked off Friday with a dance at Minneapolis Mart in Hopkins, Minn. On Saturday, a daylong festival was held on West River Parkway between the Plymouth and Broadway Avenue bridges. Events included a Masquerade Parade and live music. The food, a fresh divergence from typical Minnesotan fare, was also a big draw. Vendors offered curried goat, beans and rice, jerk chicken, and fried plantains, among other delicacies. “My favorite thing about this festival is the food,” volunteer Mohammad Hasan said. “There’s a place called Bread and Fish, and they have a nice sandwich for five bucks, which you don’t see in a restaurant everyday.” Many of this year’s attendees have been coming since Carifest began. One of those people was festival-goer Rasta Roddy. Roddy immigrated to Minnesota in the 90s from his home in Guyana. He has been attending the festival for about 15 years. “We love it ‘cause it’s our culture, you know, we’re from the Caribbean, this is the only kind of stuff from there around here we have, so we always get out here,” Roddy said. Other attendees less familiar with Caribbean culture enjoyed learning more about it. Kelsey Hogan, of South Minneapolis, says she was new to Carifest but has enjoyed other cultures’ fairs. “We go to the Irish Festival almost every year,” Hogan said. “I just love that it brings the community together, people that aren’t normally together [...] to spend a day together celebrating culture and eating foods that they normally wouldn’t eat.” Jewelry vendor Lynette Obayuwana, of Minneapolis, agrees. “People share their culture, I’ve been coming here so long that I really feel like I’m familiar with it,” Obayuwana said. “I feel Caribbean today.”
Carifest attendees enjoy Caribbean food, music, and culture on the banks of the Mississippi Story by: Mari Knudson @nspa
While setting up for the Caribbean parade, two young performers patiently wait in costume.
To create a traditional Caribbean feel to the festival many instruments were being played, including a Caribbean steel drum.
Photos by: Jordan Burton
7 The Aquatenial Queen of the Lakes Pagent affects multiple communities Amidst passionate tears and applause, the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization (AAO) crowned its 76th Queen of the Lakes on the 26th of July 26, 2015. For the Queen, along with the two 2016 Aquatennial Princesses, the coronation marked the beginning of a yearlong journey as ambassadors for the Minneapolis Festival throughout Minnesota and beyond. But this event was not your average pageant.Rather than having a display of fetishized beauty, AAO strives “To inspire young women in Minnesota to achieve extraordinary futures…” The Organization’s president, Dave Recker said, “Beauty is not important to us.” The candidates for Queen of the Lakes are evaluated based on criterion like “poise, professionalism, public speaking ability, current and future goals, education and co-curricular activities.” Lindsay Nelson, a former Queen of the Lakes candidate described her experience as “really humbling” but was quick to note that she has become “way more confident” as a result. Dave Recker also said that, “many [candidates] have gone on to be very successful in their community.” After spending a year as an ambassador, the Queen and the two Princesses are awarded scholarships to help them continue their education. The desire to give back to the community is something that drives the Aquatennial candidates. The parents of Maricia Pacheco, 2016 Queen of the Lakes, said that she has always been involved her community. In her speech, 2015 Aquatennial Princess Morgan Scheiler perfectly encapsulates what being a part of the Aquatennial family entails. She says that the experience is not about the pretty dresses, but “about the difference we can make in the lives of others.” Story by Eesha Irfanullah @nspa
2016 Aquatennial Queen Maricia Pacheco celebrates after hearing her county of Farmington announced in front of the 49 other candidates. Photos by: Erica Good
From the county of Isanti, Madaline Simon was crowned 2016 Aquatennial Princess in the Aquatennial Ambassador Organization’s (AAO) Queen of the Lakes pageant.
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60% of Americans are elegible to donate blood
M e m o r i a l Blood Center hosted their 11th year of the blood drive in the Aquatennial Target Emily Galvan Fireworks on Saturday, @nspa July 25th. MBC is a blood bank in the Twin Cities that serves local hospitals including the Hennepin County Medical Center and Children’s Hospital. MBC supplies over 2,000 units of blood per week. Dolma Choezom, a 28-year-old woman from Hopkins, took a part in the Aquatennial festivities. She has been involved with MBC Dissemi
Celebrating the 11th year of blood donation, the bloodmobile collects blood for patients in need at local hospitals.
nating correct information about when and what will occur helps nervous participants prepare. Choezom advises that donators prepare themselves by drinking lots of water, eating a proper meal a few hours before the donation, and trying to relax. Anthony Ohnsted, a 26-year-old employee from Coon Rapids, is a field trainer who has worked for a little over three years in the blood drive truck. He got involved when after going to school for Medical Assistance. He became interested in this field when a blood drive at his school peaked his interest. ‘’I get to work with ladies,’’ Ohnsted says. He also does it “to save lives. One pint saves three lives.” Marrisa Shragg, a 28-year-old participant from Wayzata, has been donating blood for about ten years. ‘’It’s a really easy way to help out,’’ Shragg mentions. She says it feels good to be able to donate blood when she can. Shragg says “It’s a good feeling to see how many people you could actually affect and help by just Photo by Jordan Fulin taking fifteen minutes to donate blood.”
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Devin Pitts Wrapping up the 2015 Aquatenni@nspa
al are the annual Target Fireworks, which attract more than 250,000 citizens to downtown Minneapolis. The Target Fireworks lure people from across the Midwest to observe one of the top five firework shows in America. Dozens of hours of work go into creating the firework show each year according to Fox News Minneapolis. One minute of the 25 minute firework show takes from two-to-four hours of design. The Aquatennial uses 10,000 pounds of fireworks are used to light up the Downtown Minneapolis sky. Striking colors illuminate the Minneapolis night sky above the Stone Arch Bridge. Photos by Olivia Zipperer
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Photos by: Justin Hannasch
Our Staff Lead Designers Chapel Puckett Justin Hannasch Editorial Team (H.A.M.) Haley Ryckman Alex Dillion Maxine Whitely Pre-Fireworks Festival Maxine Whitely, editor Jordan Fulin, design Emily Galvan, reporter Ava Stockwell, online
Historic Cambria Alex Dillon, editor Sam Begin, design Joe Rice, design Guadalupe Gutierrez, reporter Eva Shellabarger, online CariFest Alex Dillon, editor Maddy Moran, design Jordan Burton, photo Mari Knudson, reporter Katie Hutton, online Tessa Rosa, online Colton Heilman, video
MOST Amazing Race Maxine Whitely, editor Stephanie Li, design Alex Miller, design Georgia Nelson, reporter Allie Langness, online Megan McGuire, online Sophia Osborne, video Fireworks Haley Ryckman, editor Lizzy Paul, design Mario Barron, design Olivia Zipperer, photo Devin Pitts, reporter Emily Galvan, reporter
Coronation Haley Ryckman, editor Leah Joesph, design Erica Good, photo Eesha Irfanullah, reporter Katie Hutton, online Tessa Rosa, online Instructors Sarah Cavanah Lauren Feller Lori Keekley Linda Puntney Chelsea Reynolds Konstantin Toropin Emily Van Ort
Photo illustration by Leah Joesph