EPHS EAGLE NEWS NETWORK MAGAZINE
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION RESULTS | 04 MUSICIANS SPOTLIGHT | 13 SPORTS & ACCESSIBILITY | 24
MENTAL HEALTH COVER | 14
FEBRUARY 2O22| VOL. 6O | NO. O2
who we are: Eagle News Network
Eagle News Network is the student-run multimedia newsroom of Eden Prairie High School that meets during second hour. Eagle News Network produces the publications the Eyrie and a weekly broadcast show.
policies: The Eyrie’s mission statement The Eyrie strives to be an accurate, informative, and entertaining publication to the students and faculty of Eden Prairie High School, Eden Prairie, Minnesota.
Letters LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Welcome to issue two! To be honest, I thought the second round of being editor would be filled with less hesitancy and more ease. After you do something once, you should start to know what you’re doing, right? Taking into account every time I’ve wavered at the edge of the Student Publications room, looked around not knowing who to talk to next and asked “What am I doing?” this term, you and I already know the answer to that. When deadlines are pushed back or I have a pile of articles I have yet to edit, my first reaction has always been frustration with myself. Luckily, writing this letter forces me to reflect on this past term and contend with the fact that not everything is on me. Because, the more that I think about it, we’re kind of pushing through a lot. We’re dealing with Omicron. We’re feeling the burnout from trying to blaze through a year after the year that wasn’t quite. Not to mention that this is our second issue as a staff. You may or may have not noticed this issue is released three weeks after our last term ended–we learned of guidelines on reporting on mental health, our cover topic, and have been working with our district’s mental health specialist to make this issue safe to publish. The stories come with resources on what to do if you’re struggling and information on how to reach out for help. Here’s where I’ll offer my own advice, not only regarding mental health but also life: grant yourself the understanding you deserve and when in doubt, be kind to yourself. Sincerely, your editor, Maneeya
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OF CONTENTS
Eagle News Network encourages all students and faculty to send a letter to enneagles@gmail.com sharing their views. All letters must be signed; however, names can be withheld in certain situations. Once recieved, Eagle News Network has the right to edit for length and content.
Editorials
Editorials are staff-written and approved by a two-thrids majority of staff. All opinion pieces reflect the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication, student body, faculty or administration.
staff: Writers
Photographers+ Graphics
Ikran Abdi Elizabeth Alexander Ashlee Burnes Margaret Holmes Mariam Jabri Katherine Kregness Maneeya Leung Harini Senthilkumar Sophia Yoerks
Al Amundson Margaret Holmes Maneeya Leung Grace Streed
Advisor Alex Bauer
Page designers Elizabeth Alexander Ashlee Burnes Margaret Holmes Mariam Jabri Katherine Kregness Maneeya Leung Harini Senthilkumar Sophia Yoerks
TABLE OF CONTENTS ENN:THE EYRIE | FEBRUARY 2O21 NEWS
SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION RESULTS METHODIZE ACT TEACHER RETENTION
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COVER - MENTAL HEALTH*
WASHBURN THERAPISTS 14 SUICIDE PREVENTION 16 RACISM AND MENTAL HEALTH 18 EATING DISORDERS 19 MENTAL HEALTH OF IMMIGRANT STUDENTS 20 *Content warning: stories contain mention and/or detail on mental health related topics of suicide, eating disorders, racism, anxiety and more. Resources for help are shared within the stories.
SECURITY GUARDS LILLY COMPOSTO
FEATURE
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OPINION
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
RED TV MUSIC REVIEW TASTEBREAKERS “MIRACULOUS: TALES OF LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR” REVIEW MUSICIANS SPOTLIGHT
STAFF EDITORIAL MAKE SPORTS MORE ACCESSIBLE EQUITABLE GRADING PRO-CON WEIGHTED GPA COLLEGE IS A FAILURE THE STIGMA AGAINST FANFICTION
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10 11 12 13
EXTRA
ACTIVITIES: EAGLE PROCRASI-NATION JOIN ENN!
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FEBRUARY 2O21|
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Voters elect Steve Bartz and Francesca Pagan-Umar to School Board BY KATHERINE KREGNESS Steve Bartz and Francesca Pagan-Umar were elected to the Eden Prairie School Board on November 2nd when Eden Prairie held a special election after the resignation of Veronica Stoltz in May of 2021 and the more recent resignation of Beth Fletcher this past September. According to preliminary final voting results from the Minnesota Secretary of State website, Bartz had 1,979 votes or 39.03% of the vote. Pagan-Umar had 1,841 votes, or 36.31% of the vote. Albert Born came in third with 566 votes or 11.16%, followed by Michelle Mattison with 363 votes or 7.16%, while Darryl Stanton had 311 votes or 6.13%. As the candidate with the most votes, Bartz filled Stoltz’s seat which is up for election again in January 2023. Because of the late notice when Fletcher resigned, there was no election on the ballot to fill her seat.The board voted to appoint the candidate with the second most votes, making Pagan-Umar the replacement for Fletcher. Pagan-Umar’s seat is up for election again in November 2024. There are seven elected school board members at a given time tasked with governing the Eden Prairie School District. “This involves hiring the superintendent, approving budgets, monitoring finances and the progress of the strategic plan, making sure the educational opportunities offered are aligned with the values of our community, and that student achievement meets community expectations,” Bartz shared. School board members set the goals for the year through the strategic plan and monitor how the superintendent is carrying out said plan. “The role of the school board is to hold the superintendent accountable to the policies that the board has voted into place. To scrutinize his performance and to scrutinize the data,” Pagan-Umar said. The newly elected school board members will be part of that process for agenda setting in the upcoming years. As a community member and a mother to students in the district preschool through high school, Pagan-Umar holds a great stake in the work of the school board. From teaching general education in New York City Public Schools to working in a Special Education District, Pagan-Umar feels that her classroom
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experience will prove invaluable to her work on the school board. “I think that having taught in those kinds of environments, I’m well prepared for whatever challenges the school board might bring,” she said. Pagan-Umar made the choice to run because she saw a need for better representation and diverse perspectives on the school board. “We have a pretty homogenous board,” she said. The district has a sizable Muslim population, she noted, “yet our community has literally never had anyone sit in any elected seat in our community who’s Muslim.” Her biggest priorities moving into her term on the school board are to bring that new perspective to all conversations and to ensure that the needs of students are being consistently met. “I want to take the opportunity to restructure our policies through the lens of cultural competency,” she said. Bartz is also looking forward to serving the community on the school board. He is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist in multiple healthcare facilities across the metro area and enjoys a career in service. Bartz decided to run because of his family’s involvement in the community. His oldest son is a graduate of EPHS and his two daughters are current juniors. “Eden Prairie is my home, my kids go to EP schools, and I care not only about their success, but the success of all the students in our schools. I realize that public education is the only option for the majority of the families in the district, and that it is in the best interest of our community to provide a high-quality academic experience to each student in our schools,” he shared. Bartz’s biggest priority during his term is to maintain Eden Prairie’s strong reputation and competitive standing in the metro area. “I want to do my part to keep high quality education the focus of our district and ensure EP schools remain a top choice for families in the district as well as an attractive first choice for folks considering making EP their home,” he shared. Both Bartz and Pagan-Umar are excited to be working with the community and hope that students will reach out with concerns or questions. Pagan-Umar
encourages students to email the school board and get involved with district proceedings like school board meetings. Bartz looks forward to meeting community members at events and sharing stories.
Francesca Pagan-Umar, School Board Director
Steve Bartz, School Board Treasurer
A SECURITY GUARD’S MAIN GOAL? TO GET KIDS TO CLASS BY BY IKRAN ABDI & MANEEYA LEUNG IKRAN ABDI & MANEEYA LEUNG
“I
Security guards DJ Brown and Craig Banham share why they took up the job and the importance of connecting with students.
was fighting inner demons,” DJ Brown said about his time at high school. He went through what he describes as a “rebellious” stage, was frustrated with the world and didn’t want to go to class. Then, he met the school’s security guard Q, short for Quinton. “He kind of took me under his wing,” Brown said. Q would make a point to sit down and talk whenever he noticed Brown having a bad day. He led Brown in the right direction and gave him a supportive figure. “Honestly, he helped me get through high school,” Brown said. “That’s what made me want to come back and do the exact same thing.” Nowadays, Brown averages fifteen to twenty students per day who come up to him to tell him how they’re doing. He is a security guard at EPHS. While he sees his main goal as keeping students safe, he also thinks that security guards’ purpose is to help keep students on track. Compared to a dean or a police officer, he finds himself more approachable. He’s not dressed up in police equipment, and he doesn’t have the same authority as a dean. He’s not trying to get students in trouble, he said. All he wants is to help students go to class. Brown loves chatting with students and makes himself approachable to every conversation. His favorite part of being a security guard is seeing students grow up from freshman to senior year and seeing them succeed. He likes how many students feel comfortable going up to him to talk throughout the day, even if he’s never met them before. “I’m here to be that shoulder to lean on when some kids are having a bad day,” Brown said. That morning, Brown had talked to a student who was having a rough day and needed some time to herself. He opened the South Commons Collab for her to rest. The first time freshman Merin Jones met Brown, he brought Jones a Minute Maid drink from the vending machine. She found Brown easy to talk to and connect with. She hadn’t heard many good words about security guards before then: “For me, being Black, hearing about security guards or police is never really good.” Jones heard about how they can make Black students feel uncomfortable. She said that sometimes it feels like security
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guards hang around places with more Black or Hispanic students. Brown has heard many students come up to him upset about feeling like they’ve been picked out by security guards because of their race. He said that he doesn’t see that being a problem on the team and thinks that security guards are only trying to get students to class. Jones believes that security guards can make students more comfortable by understanding their situation before being accusatory. She said that sometimes when students are walking to lunch or other reasonable desitnations, security guards shouldn’t be quick to assume they’re skipping class. Security guard Craig Banham hasn’t heard of this concern, although he does acknowledge how it’s his first year on the job. Personally, he feels like he doesn’t pick on students based on race and hasn’t noticed the rest of the secuirty team doing any different. When he sees a student outside of class, Banham said he tries to ask them about their day and find common interests. “After I’ve connected with them, they’ll tell me ‘I haven’t had my coffee.’ Or ‘my mom made me mad.’ Or ‘I don’t like that teacher.’ Or ‘I’m skipping because of this test’ or whatever it is,” he said. “We figure it out and get around it. Because the whole thing is for you guys to get that piece of paper.” Banham’s first job was at the Hennepin County Juvenile Detention. He later on worked at Ramsey and Dakota county. At the job, he learned to work with kids who were struggling. Seeing kids in the juvenile system makes him want to keep other students out of the same position. “Once you get caught in the system, you don’t come back,” he said. Banham is working on his masters in special education and also coaches the lacrosse teams with whom he hopes to win some championships. He would say his favorite part of being a security guard is “interacting with you guys and your energy.” Even after getting to know Brown, could Jones’s perception of other security guards change? “Maybe? I mean, there’s always ways to change,” Jones answered. “I’ll never say there isn’t because I won’t just stick to that one mindset that security guards are bad.”
Security guard Craig Banham: “My
favorite part of being a security guard
is being with you guys and your
energy.”
Freshman Merin Jones stops by South Commons to visit security guard DJ Brown. Photos by Maneeya Leung.
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Lilly C
Lacing u
Eden Pra
I
Photos submitted by Lilly Composto
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FEATURE
BY KATHERINE KREGNESS n Rink Two of the Eden Prairie Community Center, voices echo louder when they bounce off of the plexiglass walls, competing with the sound of bades on ice. Lilly Composto, a senior at EPHS and passionate figure skater, is bent over her locker in the Club Room. It’s her teammate’s birthdays today, and when she opens the door, everyone cheers. This is why Composto skates. These have been her friends for most of her life. The community she finds here is unlike any other. Composto started her figure skating career at 7 years old and hasn’t stepped off of the ice since. She skates for the Eden Prairie Figure Skating Club as well as the Northernettes junior synchro team. She skates about four programs a year. She has worked with her synchro skating team since 2016, and started synchro skating in 2012. “We practice three times a week for two and a half hours each,” said Composto. The sense of community that their team has built is more than worth the time and effort. This year, all of their team’s hard work has paid off. In October, they qualified to skate for Team USA. They hit a certain score with their programs which qualified them to “represent the United States overseas in competitions.” Later this year, they will travel to Switzerland for a competition against teams from other countries. Synchro refers to synchronized skating, where a team of 16 skaters works together to skate a program – a short choreographed show. They skate one long program which lasts 4 minutes and one short program which lasts 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Composto’s current programs are both Beatles songs: Elanor Rigby and Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight. In competition, each program is judged for the technical execution as well as the program score. Qualifying for Team USA is a huge deal
AN ABRIDGED REVIEW OF RED (TAYLOR’S VERSION) BY MARGARET HOLMES
ALL TOO WELL: Anyone who is anyone will unequivocally agree that “All Too Well” is her BEST EVERRRRR song. No competition, no arguing, only facts. A 10 minute version of this song is also featured on this record. It’s pretty much the same as before, but it definitely requires another listen (or ten). Elizabeth and I broke into song while I was writing this review. That’s how amazing it is. WE ARE NEVER EVER GETTING BACK TOGETHER: The “weee”s in the background are bad… like, exponentially bad. They sound like she’s on helium. This song is fun to dance to, and it’s fun in general. But it’s not very good and Taylor’s Version is actually a lot worse than the original. HOLY GROUND: Aside from “All Too Well”, this was my favorite song on the album. It’s just so fun and it has so much energy. It vaguely reminds me of being on the streets of New York. This version sounds pretty different though and not in a good way. The music is more mellow and the singing sounds halfhearted. But I do like how you can hear the guitar better. BEGIN AGAIN: I hands down love this song. It’s honestly such an aesthetic and the music video is breathtaking as well. Taylor’s Version has a lot of small things that set it apart from the original and put together the music sounds a lot different. Some of the notes seem to either be cut short or go on longer than expected. I kind of like the change, though, and I prefer this version. COME BACK… BE HERE: This song is just something else entirely. I haven’t heard anything like it from Swift or any other artist. I think this is probably the most mature, well written song on the album. I am not a fan of the new instrumentals sprinkled throughout though. Her voice also sounds a lot more reserved than before. GIRL AT HOME: Right off the bat, Taylor’s Version has a lot of echo and sounds vaguely like 1989 deep cut “All You Had To Do Was Stay”. I think it works though, it definitely helps this song become more memorable. The instrumentals also sound pretty different. This might be the most changed song. After some of the songs on Lover and 1989, this song doesn’t seem as remarkable, but for its time I think it’s pretty organic lyrically. RONAN: Ronan was actually originally released as a single in 2012. It was written about a real boy who died of cancer. The lyrics are as heartbreaking as music is and some verses honestly broke me. I’m really glad Swift included it on this album because it fits in well with her other songs. A full review can be found on our website: www.epeaglenewsnetwork.com
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
NOTHING NEW (feat. Phoebe Bridgers): At first this song’s message seems to have been done before in “The Man” and “Mad Woman”. It’s a little boring and sounds like a bunch of other songs on Folklore and Evermore. I do like the lyrics about getting older and they work well. Honestly, though, the only interesting thing is the collaboration with Phoebe Bridgers. MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE: I absolutely love this song. This song is a hidden gem that should be put in the Smithsonian. It’s that good. The music is danceable and perfect for dancing around your room. It reminds me vaguely of a Katy Perry song. Sure, the lyrics are kind of vapid, but who needs to listen to the words when you’re dancing? THE VERY FIRST NIGHT: I love this, too. It’s right up there with “Message in a Bottle”. The lyrics and music are even more danceable. I’m not a big fan of the chorus of most Taylor Swift songs, but this has a great one. My only complaint is that it sounds a little too much like her previous song “Fearless”. ALL TOO WELL (10 Minute Version): Uh oh. This review is going to disappoint the Swifties. I don’t like the 10 minute version of “All Too Well”. My message: don’t mess with perfection. The instrumental changes are pretty bad–they don’t go straight to your heart and hammer in the sadness like the original. The added verses are just incredibly awkward and don’t add anything that the listener couldn’t figure out themselves. It was definitely a good decision to cut the song down in the first place. But at the very least, it led to the short film, so how bad can it really be?
“You kept me like a secret, but I kept you like an oath.” - All Too Well (10 Min)
Tastebreakers!
BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER, MANEEYA LEUNG AND HARINI SENTHILKUMAR
We’ve all been there - you’re on your 800th listen of your playlist, and you hate to admit it, but you’re getting kinda sick of the songs on it. If you’re stuck in a music rut, these albums and artists will add some spice to your day.
“Heaven or Las Vegas” by Cocteau Twins “Vibey” songs are as popular as ever right now thanks to TikTok. So if you’ve listened to one of those and loved its dreamy, reverberating atmosphere, you might want to check this album out. Heaven or Las Vegas is a staple in the dream-pop genre, and for good reason. On first listen, you may be bored, but I urge you to listen a few more times–each song is extensively layered with rich sounds, and it’s fun to to discover new ones each time. Plus, it’s impossible not to get lost in the ethereal world created with each strum of the guitar. My personal favorite song is the opening track, “Cherry-Coloured Funk”, mostly because of the haunting register of lead vocalist Liz Fraser. It makes me feel like I’ve been transported into a dreamscape; a welcome escape from the chaos of the real world.
Moses Sumney Moses Sumney takes great care in creating genre-evading music, but his songs can collectively be pinned down as experimental, musing and beautiful. Another uniting force is his falsetto–a distinct combination of haunting, like a tissue paper ghost, and piercing, like an arrow shot to the sky. A brief sample of his songs: “Make Out in my Car” features poetic and swoon-worthy lyrics, and “Plastic” alludes to the feeling of fraudulency in a relationship. The best way to experience the scope of his music is to put his songs on shuffle as background music, since many of his songs are soothing and often composed of non-lyrical vocals and instrumentals. However, be warned–you might find yourself interrupting your study session to contemplate life when “Me in 20 Years” comes on. Also, the people who annotate his lyrics on Genius deserve a raise.
¿Teo? Many artists tend to fall victim to the restraints of genres, succumbing to culturally established boxes of what music can and can’t be. Colombian singer ¿Téo? transcends these boundaries by fusing features from hip-hop, R&B, and Latin. In his collaborations with various contemporary artists, such as genre-bending siblings Jaden and Willow Smith, ¿Téo? reveals his free-spirited and fluid music style. He blends silky chords, offbeat syncopation, bilingual lyrics and even rap to create sublime pieces like “Palm Trees”, “Part of Me”, and “Thru My Hair”. ¿Téo? also puts forth his fresh artistic perspective to other mediums, including indie films. Through multidimensional pieces, he brings together diverse audiences to celebrate peace, love, and music.
Sports Wizards are characterized as magicians and sorcerers throughout our folklore. Oklahoma trio Sports, self-identifying as a “band of wizards’’, creates musical magic. Sports’ electropop tracks are reminiscent of psychedelic icons like Tame Impala, Mac Demarco, and MGMT. The unique artistic touches of brothers Christian and Jacob Theriot, and friend Cale Chronister, swirl together to form a kaleidoscope of R&B, synth-pop, indie rock, and more. Their songs lure listeners in, with mind-bending hits like “You Are the Right One”, “Baby Baby”, and “Panama”. Keyboarding, synth, vocals, and other production values stand out throughout Sports’ albums. Whether you’re a new listener or a die-hard fan, the entrancing wizardry of Sports will never fail to cast a spell on you.
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Spotlight: Musicians at EPHS
BY HARINI SENTHILKUMAR AND SOPHIA YOERKS There seems to be a world of musical genres, and in turn, a world of musicians. It can be hard to keep track of them all. Furthermore, we tend to seclude our listening into our “comfort” genres instead of exploring new and different sounds. Eden Prairie High School’s extraordinary musicians help to aid this conun-drum (pun intended) by spreading their personal passions.
Avanthi Prabaharan playing veena at the Cleveland Thyagaraja Festival in April 2019. Photo submitted.
Ryan Hines
Avanthi Prabaharan
When learning any skill, practice is what will get you farthest. Although it’s a cliché, for sophomore Avanthi Prabaharan, a classically trained Carnatic singer and veena player, this method is tried and true. She shares the best piece of advice another musician has given her: “don’t come to class without practicing, because you will get in trouble. They make you sit out of the class.” Avanthi goes on to explain that “it really depends on where you’re at in your learning. If you’re a beginner, and don’t know too much about Carnatic music (ragas, pitch, etc.) it might take you a week or so. It also depends on how long you practice. There are people who practice eight hours a day, and there are people who practice 15 minutes a day.” Music is one of the best ways to get in touch with any culture. For Avanthi, Carnatic music has been incredibly significant in her own culture as a Hindu. “Whether in temples, dance performances, ceremonies, or festivals, I see Carnatic music and instruments everywhere,” she says. She describes that playing the veena and singing has connected her not only to music but to her religion and culture. Though Carnatic music can be traced back to ancient times, the popularity of it is still well-recognized today. Avanthi explains that this phenomenon is due to “a lot more media broadcasting of music, as well as easier access to concerts and live streams of concerts”. Avanthi’s perspective as a young artist engaging with a traditional form of music is refreshing; with dedicated passion, music transcends age, language, and any other boundaries.
Senior Ryan Hines began singing in the musical freshman year. Since then, he has continued participating in the EPHS drama department’s productions and taking voice lessons outside of the school. “I would say music, at this point, is an integral part of my life because I am listening to music constantly,” Ryan shares. What started out as a hobby soon progressed into a passion for the music world. “I started singing when I got into the musical freshman year and then after that, I decided to take it more seriously and enroll in lessons,” he says. The newfound desire to immerse himself in the musician’s world led him to where he is now: “I sing for a label, kind of. I do musical theater. I produce electronic beats, and sell those online for profit. As well as take lessons for saxophone.” Among the plethora of skills and achievements, it is apparent that Ryan doesn’t like music for simply one thing. He says, “I think what makes a great musician, despite how cliche it is, is the eagerness to try new things. When you look at those who are considered the pioneers of American music, you could say that they all, in their own rights, have thought outside the box and done what was once believed to be taboo.” “I think when you’re performing to groups of people, the biggest thing you need is confidence. I guess you could say that confidence is sometimes irrational, but confidence needs to be irrational in order to pursue perfection in a craft or art form,” he says, “after earning solo parts in choir last year and a supporting soloist role in the musical, I can definitely say I’ve gained confidence.” Ryan’s favorite artists are, “Childish Gambino, The Weeknd, and Prince.” If his life were to be a movie, “the opening song would be ‘Still Waiting’ by Prince. This song is from his very first album and it’s really, really good. The closing song would be ‘Die for You’ by The Weeknd, off his Star Boy album.” Ryan’s eccentric artistry shows us that music, as any art, inspires confidence and challenges norms.
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Ryan Hines producing electronic beats. Photo submitted.
Washburn therapists make getting help easy for students who might not receive services elsewhere BY MANEEYA LEUNG
Michelle O’Connell, former Washburn therapist, sits in her office. Photo credits: Maneeya Leung
A 78 of
150 clients throughout Eden Prairie Schools are recieving mental health services for the first time through Washburn services.
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long with counselors and social workers, Washburn therapists are also at EP schools to assist students’ mental health. Looking at the stress of school combined with a pandemic, CMS Washburn therapist Kim Olson said, “I feel like the needs are even higher right now with everything going on.” School-based Washburn psychologists are contracted through the school and have offices in the buildings. “Having our students have access to clinical therapy is critical,” said Christina Bemboom, Senior Director of Student Support Services. Nine Washburn therapists provide services throughout all EP schools, and two are located at the high school. Unlike counselors, Washburn therapists are not school employees, said Bemboom. Students are referred to Washburn therapists often through teachers and receive services with the agreement of their guardian. The services are made to be financially accessible to all students–according to Bemboom, need-based funding covers the costs of students without insurance. Aside from financial accessibility, Olson noted that being in school helps students miss less school time, and she can
work with teachers by giving them tactics to address student behavior. By the end of 2021, Washburn therapists had 150 clients throughout EP schools, and 78 were receiving mental health services for the first time. “Without school-based services, they probably wouldn’t be getting the services,” Olson said. Despite all the students the therapists reach district-wide, “there’s a huge need and not enough resources,” said Michelle O’ Connell, former EPHS Washburn therapist. (As of January 28th , 2022, O’Connell has wrapped up her 6 years at the school and moved into solely private practice.) In a typical timeline, she sees twenty students on her caseload and they’re often in for long-term support. Rarely does she nor Olson, who faces a similar situation, have room for new students. O’ Connell thinks more drop-in resources could help when students end up having nowhere to go. “Sometimes I have kids waiting for months to be able to get services,” Olson said. Olson has been with Washburn for eight years, working at elementary schools for seven years and taking up middle school this year. “That’s really hard because the families, the kids and school are wanting to do it, and we just don’t have
RESOURCES: Need help and don’t know where to start? Contanct a member of your Student Support Team. ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS Associate Principals oversee a student’s support team and can help connect you with the appropriate person(s) to best support you. Students with last names A-G: Victor Johnson Students with last names H-N: Clayton Ellis Students with last names O-Z: Meg Bennett COUNSELORS Anthea Amsler (A-Br): Anthea_Amsler@edenpr.k12.mn.us Rachel Schmidt (Bs-Fa): Rachel_Schmidt@edenpr.k12.mn.us Jennifer Silverberg (Fb-Ho): Jennifer_Silverberg@edenpr.k12.mn.us Lenny Moskowitz (Hp-Le): Lenny_Moskowitz@edenpr.k12.mn.us Jeremy Miller (Lf-Mon): Jeremy_Miller@edenpr.k12.mn.us Amanda Boztepe (Moo-Raj): Amanda_Boztepe@edenpr.k12.mn.us Lisa Quiring (Rak-Sv): Lisa_Quiring@edenpr.k12.mn.us Stephanie Bender (Sw-Z): Stephanie_Bender@edenpr.k12.mn.us the capacity at that time.” According to Bemboom, another position for Washburn therapist in the high school will open this year, bringing the total to three. Olson would like to see more therapists in the middle school, especially due to the addition of the sixth graders. However, she speculated, “If we had more therapists, they would be very full as well.” O’Connell has noticed a behviors change over Covid, saying, “I think everybody is swimming. Behaviors are bigger this year.” Olson agreed: “A lot of times, kids don’t have the words yet to express how they’re feeling, And so it comes out in behaviors.” She said behavior problems, such as an uptick in fights or absences show how students are struggling. For teachers wondering what they can do to help, “the number one thing it comes down to is self-care,” O’ Connell said. She explained how problems can trickle down if not addressed. “Acknowledge that this is something we’re all going through together,” Olson advised. “I think we all just need to be a little bit kinder to ourselves right now.”
SOCIAL WORKERS Social Workers at EPHS provide services to students to enhance their emotional well-being and improve their academic performance. Social Workers are often called on to help students, families, and teachers address the effects of special physical, emotional, or economic problems. Social Workers help connect families with supportive resources in the community. Steve Banks: Steven_Banks@edenpr.k12.mn.us Lindsay Hanenburg: Lindsay_Hanenburg@edenpr.k12.mn.us
Inside therapist Michelle O’Connell’s office hangs student artwork related to mental health.
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Seeking help: the key to suicide prevention Content warning: depression and suicide/ suicidal ideations–if you or someone you know is struggling, seek help. Call the national suicide prevention line 800-2738255 or go to Student Center East. BY MANEEYA LEUNG & SOPHIA YOERKS
F
Nancy Wagner with son Jonas Wagner who died by suicide last year. Photo submitted.
or any student struggling with their mental health, Nancy Wagner wants them to know help is there for them. Her son, Jonas, a student at Eden Prairie High school, died by suicide last year. Nancy and Jonas shared a close relationship. However, Jonas never verbalized any struggles with his mental health to his parents but did reach out to others. In the winter of 2021, Nancy got a call from a staff member of the school’s student support team saying they were concerned about Jonas struggling with his mental health. That was the first time she heard about it. In the summer of that same year, Jonas died by suicide. One student support team member interviewed would tell students struggling with their mental health to “reach out to a trusted adult.” She would want students concerned for a friend to do the same. When she talks to students who initially didn’t want to talk to an adult, they say that their friends connecting them to an adult is ultimately what helped them. Within the school, she said that students can go to Student Center East, whether they or a friend is struggling, to connect with a counselor, social worker or other resources. Nancy said that it was a friend who contacted the student support team at the school to share concerns about Jonas. She’s grateful to that student, saying that their action was ultimately what allowed Nancy to learn about Jonas’s
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condition and find outside help for him and his needs. Aside from having students know to reach out for help, Nancy would like to see community nights inviting school staff, parents and students to learn more about suicide prevention. She acknowledges that many students face mental health needs and hopes to build a network in which families can support each other in learning more about mental health. She also feels that resources, such as posters of the suicide prevention hotline or a list of warning signs, more widely advertised throughout the school can help raise awareness. Senior Meghan Markle, co-leader of the Shakthi Mental Health Club, finds it helpful when teachers at the beginning of a term send out a Google Form asking what they can do to make students feel more comfortable in the classroom. She said that this allows students to share ways teachers can accommodate their mental health conditions. If students choose to fill out the form, they can explain why they might miss class for therapy sessions or share mental health conditions that sometimes make it difficult to focus on schoolwork. This helps students feel like their mental health is as important as their physical health, she said. Physical health is treated as important, Markle said, but “for mental health, we don’t talk about it–we shy away from it. I feel like we just need to make it
more normal in our conversations.” Markle said students can help their peers by breaking the stigma against seeking help. She would like to see the normalization of talking about therapy, medication and seeing a counselor. Nancy also wants students and parents to be able to recognize the early signs of need for their friends or children and themselves. The student support team member noted that warning signs can vary widely and depend on each person and their experiences. Warning signs can include talking about feelings of hopelessness or withdrawing from friends. (See the right page for an extensive list.) There is no singular warning sign that represents a mental health need, nor does there need to be a specific number of warning signs shown before seeking support or a conversation with a friend or trusted adult. Nancy noted that although Jonas appeared to be doing well socially and academically, Jonas still showed signs of needing help. She said that parents also know that anyone, including their child, could be facing their own mental health struggles. To teenagers who are struggling with their mental health, Nancy would tell them to try to not bear it on their own and seek support. She emphasized the importance of seeking help for themselves or their friends by telling a trusted adult.
Jonas Wagner “VIVA LA VIDA” Annual Memorial Scholarship
Options of what to do if you or someone you know is struggling: tell a trusted adult go to Student Center East
where you can connect with counselors, social workers, and other trained professionals
Call 800-2738255
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Ph
the 24/7 national suicide prevention line
Text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741. Go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Teen suicide is the second-leading cause of death for teenagers in the U.S. ages 15 to 24, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, contributing around 21.5% of deaths in this age group. -US CENTER FOR DISEASE CONTRO AND PREVENTION
Signs of needing help: - withdrawing or feeling isolated - having extreme mood swings -physical changes in appearance or hygiene -sudden drop in grades - talking about feeling hopeless, trapped or in unbearable pain -self-harm behaviors -Talking about wanting to die -Looking for a way to kill oneself -Talking about having no purpose -Talking about being a burden to others -Increasing the use of alcohol or drugs -Acting anxious, agitated, or recklessly -Sleeping too little or too much -Showing rage or talking about seeking revenge IF YOU OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW ARE DISTRESSED OR SHOWING SIGNS OF SUICIDE, TAKE ACTION. Note that this list does not show every sign of needing help. Even if the signs do not match your experience but you do not feel like yourself or have difficulties going through each day, know that the student support team can help partner with you to find ways to help.
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The Jonas Wagner “Viva la Vida” Memorial Scholarship was established by representatives of the Eden Prairie DECA in conjunction with Bill and Nancy Wagner in honor of Jonas’s life. Nancy Wagner said that the idea of the title combines Jonas’s passion for music with a nod towards his Guatamalen heritage along with the song’s message to “live the life.” This scholarship is awarded to two Eden Prairie High School seniors who contributes to the mental health and wellness of others at school struggling with mental health challenges. The scholarship recipient shall have: Participated in band (preference to jazz or marching band); and/or - Been affected in some way by mental health challenges or suicide; and/or demonstrated track record of support of others struggling to overcome the hardship of mental illness or suicide ideation; and/or - Shown a commitment to pursue post-secondary education leading to a profession that will help increase mental health wellness and suicide prevention. This scholarship is part of the EPHS Multi-Scholarship Application and requires an official transcript, letter(s) of recommendation and a response to this question open til February 7th: Why are you interested in positively impacting the lives of others battling mental illness or considering suicide? How are you hoping to make a difference? Because Jonas loved music, give your answer a title that’s also the name of a recognizable song. Look for the application to become available next school year.
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Effects of racism on student mental health
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, talk to a counselor or visit Student Center East. Cultural liaisons, located at Room 155, are also here to help and connect you with resources.
BY IKRAN ABDI AND ASHLEE BURNES What you may consider a funny joke may actually have a negative effect on someone else’s mental health. Mental health issues like PTSD, Depression, Anxiety and more can stem from experiencing racism according to Medical News Today, and for students, they experience racism somewhere that is supposed to be a safe place: school. From seeing racism online to experiencing it firsthand at school, “racism and microaggressions have definitely taken a toll on my mental health,” junior Chouaib Hamila said. Racism is something that many people of color can say that they’ve experienced within their school: “I’ve been called countless names, taunted for my ethnicity and so much more since elementary school. It’s something that you eventually just get used to,” says an anonymous 10th grader. One UCLA study found that young aduts who are exposed to frequent discrimination are 25 percent more likely to have mental health issues. For people of color, it usually starts within the school as microaggressions. “Microaggressions will turn into macroaggressions and it will affect how they view the world,” Marian Mohamed, AVID teacher and advisor for BSU, said.
“I’ve had so many conversations with students where people have said things about not continuing because of racism. It can affect our mental health. We want our students to know that their voices matter.” “If we don’t handle these things then how can we say we’re a welcoming school”? Mohamed said. Mohamed has noticed that in EPHS, especially in recent years, more has been done to combat and dismantle racism. However, she says, “I don’t think anything is enough. Even if we were talking about race every day, even if we had equity committees the work never ends.” Although discussions about race have increased within the past two years at the school, speaking about racism can sometimes make people feel uncomfortable, sad or angry, especially when they are the people impacted by it.Conversations in class can impact POC students differently.
Sophomore Mariam Galbeite believes that speaking up is difficult. “When you’re in a class debate or discussion and being the only person of color in that class, you just don’t know what to say and anxiety runs through your thoughts.” Galbeite would like to see more safe spaces in the school and more staff equipped with the knowledge to speak with students about race. “I feel like you have these counselors and these deans, and they are amazing people but they can’t talk about their personal experiences,” Galbeite said Mohamed stresses the importance of our school being safe and welcoming for POC students. “Our school must be a safe haven for students of color,” she said.
POC Mental Health Hotline - (410) 338-2642
RESOURCES AT EPHS
ShaNel Gardner Cultural Liaison Jada_Gardner@edenpr.k12.mn.us Hani Abdi Cultural Liaison Hani_Abdi@edenpr.k12.mn.us Heriberto Vargas Cultural Liaison Heribert_Vargas@edenpr.k12.mn.us GRAPHIC BY MANEEYA LEUNG
18 COVER
Coping with Eating Disorders BY SOPHIA YOERKS AND ASHLEE BURNS
Note: this article contains details about disordered eating, its symptoms, and its effects. It also includes resources and pathways towards recovery. More information is available at nationaleatingdisorders.org. Students who were interviewed will remain anonymous and be referred to through pseudonyms.
National Eating Disorder Association Helpline - 1-800-931-2237 Recovering from eating disorders can be “like a roller coaster,” having its ups and downs, said therapist Moriah Kruegar, who specializes in eating disorders. However, she said acknowledging that recovery can be steps forward and steps back can help. During recovery, “when things seem their hardest that doesn’t mean they are at their worst,” Kruegar said. Juliet’s eating disorder stemmed from body image issues, and she started skipping breakfast and eventually stopped eating other meals. Juliet can find her eating disorder hard to talk about, but she wants people to know, “keep reaching out for help and someone will be there.” Now on her road of recovery, Juliet makes a goal to eat more breakfast and seconds of a meal throughout the week. Juliet has a friend who brings her a snack every day to make sure she eats. Although Juliet’s friend doesn’t know the full extent of her eating disorder, she finds the support of a friend helps. She feels like the best thing that other people can do who know someone with an eating disorder is listen. For Demetrius, finding people who will listen and people who will share their experience also has helped them validate their own experience. “There is 100% a stigma around eating disorders,” wrote Demetrius over email. “Oftentimes people won’t actually listen to your story because they will instead look at how you look, or your size, and that’s how they determine if your story is worth anything.” Knowing that they aren’t alone shows them some people will understand their situation and motivates them to continue recovering. Helena expressed their similar view on how they feel about the preconceptions regarding eating disorders: “It’s even harder when you don’t fit into one of the main three categories–anorexia, bulimia or binge eating–because there are a lot more that are not specified.” Helena explained their experience after diagnosis:
GRAPHIC BY SOPHIA YOERKS
“I find some of the most critical people are the people with labeled eating disorders, because they’re like, ‘Oh, if it’s not labeled, then you don’t actually have it.’” They also find it challenging to talk to people who don’t have any previous experience with disordered eating because of misconceptions they might have. “It really depends on what you’re going through, but you need to have a good support system,” Helena said. In Helena’s experience, making friends and connecting with people has been most helpful for coping. Talking with trusted peers and adults can help lift heavy burdens. Kruegar agreed with the importance of a strong support system. She said for some people, opening up to family or friends can be an important part of recovery. She also encouraged people to find a reason to want to recover for themselves.
For example, she said, people can find reasons like “’I want to get better because then I’ll have more energy to do the sports I love,’ or ‘I want to recover because then I’ll be able to have more energy to put in those relationships with the people I love.’” There are many easily accessible resources within the school, and Kruegar suggested for students to see a school counselor to find a support system that best addresses their needs. Counselors can connect students to resources such as social workers, therapists like Kruegar and other eating disorder specialists. If you would like to connect with more resources, go to nationaleatingdisorders. org and/or reach out to a trusted peer or adult.
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“Every person’s situation is very different. I moved here when I was so young and my parents and I have had all this time to kind of adjust to here and find a balance between here and India. I know people who have moved here more recently who haven’t found that balance yet.” -Lahari Husor
A The immigrant household comes with a different set of expectations and tolls on mental health BY MARIAM JABRI
The immigrant background is shared by those who are immigrants or have parents that are immigrants. Students with this background may have parents that immigrated to the U.S for college or a work opportunity. Oftentimes, in doing so they make sacrifices like leaving family behind in their home country. For some, those sacrifices gave students access to better education, job opportunities, technology, and other resources that may not have been offered elsewhere. From academics to relationship with their parents, four students with an immigrant background reported a variety of ways their upbringing impacted them. However, what these students had in common is having to navigate life as a student in the U.S with two different sets of cultures, standard and expectations—sometimes, with their mental health taking a backseat.
20 COVER
n immigrant household is just like any other, but oftentimes standards and expectations do differ from your typical American household. Junior Lahari Hosur immigrated to the U.S from South India when she was 2 years old, after her father got a job in the states. “They raised me as if I was growing up in India,” Hosur said. She did not find it a bad thing, but explained it meant growing up with a different culture and set of expectations than the typical American student. “All my parents really want for me is to make them proud…and they do have a lot of expectations for me because they assume high school here is like high school in India,” Hosur said. “It definitely comes with a lot of stress.” Hosur is not the only one who experiences stress at home. Junior Akshaya Somasundaram also immigrated here from South India, first when she was a toddler. Then she went back to India and immigrated here again in the 4th grade. She and her family have been here ever since. “I came out as bi, and my parents don’t know that obviously. So trying to hide that part of me is kind of stressful at times,” Somasundaram said. (She added that she was comfortable with this information being written.) She has been struggling with her identity and connecting with her cultural roots: “This year, I just realized, I’ve been in America more than I’ve been in India. So what am I?” Somasundaram continued, “I’m also not the perfect Indian daughter, so I’ve definitely realized I will not be what my parents expect me to be. I’m more inclined towards the culture here.” Household rules for Somasundaram was another thing she had to navigate at home along with her culture and identity: “I’m from a very traditionally Indian
GRAPHIC BY MANEEYA LEUNG
family. I am not allowed to go out of the house, I have to dress a lot more conservative…can’t go past a certain time.” She also wasn’t allowed a phone until she was 16. Even though household rules for Somasundara may be unusual compared to most American households, life at home is still like most. “On the good days, we’ll be teasing and joking around,” Somasundaram said. Other students share a similar at home experience to Somasundaram. “They were more strict with me about hanging out with people when they’re not there… no sleepovers at all,” one student said when describing the difference between her home life and your typical American household. This student, who wished to not be identified and instead will use the nickname Chai, was also born in the U.S. Chai’s parents immigrated here from Shanghai, China due to job struggles. Just like Hosur, Chai’s parents also have some expectations set. “Their only expectations for me are to do well in school, like they really care about how I do on the ACT and SAT,” she said. With those expectations came her parents’ support. “I feel like I owe them and I need to make them proud for all their sacrifices and hard work to get me to this point,” Chai concluded. For some immigrant students, the expectations set at home are what drives them at school. “There’s no room for failure,” says Angel, who also only felt comfortable sharing a nickname. Angel’s parents immigrated here from Kuwait and Jordan. Her father came here for college and in hopes of better work opportunities. Schoolwork is her main priority: “If I do badly on a test, I usually have a bad breakdown.” But grades aren’t the only thing this student deals with at school: “I think my
main issue is fitting in with people here.” School was never the easiest for Angel when it came to making friends, because of the difference in her Jordanian culture and the American one at school. Her parents tried to understand how she felt, but no one really did: “My dad told me ‘you don’t really need friends, just go to school and pay attention to your studies,’” she said. “After he told me that, I had, like, a dead feeling.” That was all back in 6th grade, and she now has learned to cope with being alone, and made friends eventually. Another student who understands the difficult reality of school with an immigrant background is Somasundaram. She’s expected to have straight A’s and no distractions. Course selection is also limited for her at school. “I have to prepare for the situation that I might leave for India, and since STEM courses are the only ones offered there, I had to give up a lot of the courses that I liked.” Her academic restrictions don’t stop there: “If you’re an immigrant with a visa, the school does not have a lot of opportunities,” Somasundaram said, “I can’t apply for the volunteer service award, or scholarships, or even the PSAT scholarship.” She would need to have high SAT and ACT scores to get any sort of aid. For these students, it’s clear dealing with life at both home and school can be difficult to manage and the reason for changes in their mental health. “I kind of had a breakdown in ninth grade summer. I had bad migraines every single day because of the stress of studying for the ACT,” Chai said, who started studying early on to meet her parents’ expectations. “It’s fine to cry to let out stress sometimes, but not every single time you do badly on a test. I feel like I just overstress a lot of the time,” Angel mentioned. She
explains her struggles with breaking down every time she takes a test. School is definitely not helping with Somasundaram either, as she mentioned, “I’m taking two AP classes in the same quarter. So sometimes the tests overlap and I’ll be up all night studying,” which Somasundaram says isn’t good for her mental health. Each of these students have dealt with or still deal with the effects of juggling both home and school, and are learning to cope with their mental health struggles the best they can. “I know that I can go to my parents for help, they’re very helpful and understanding,” Hosur said, explaining how she is comfortable going to her parents for support if her mental health ever took a turn for the worse. For Somasundaram, she is not as open about her mental health with her parents as she’d like to be. Mental health is overlooked and not taken seriously in her household, as it can be for a few immigrant households, so she looks elsewhere if she needs the support. “I managed to build a support system with my friends, where we’re all in the same boat,” says Somasundaram. “Every person’s situation is very different. I moved here when I was so young and my parents and I have had all this time to kind of adjust to here and find a balance between here and India,” Hosur said, “I know people who have moved here more recently who haven’t found that balance yet.” Each student mentioned that even though mental health isn’t a topic discussed in some of their households or viewed with as much importance in others, they know they can still count on their parents for support.
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STAFF EDITORIAL In-person learning: helpful or harmful for mental health? Over the past month, as the Omicron variant has led to another spike in COVID infections, Eden Prairie Schools is adamant in their stance that in-person learning is the best option for all students and staff in order to preserve both the quality of learning and the mental health of students. Even as our sister districts Minnetonka, Wayzeta, and Minneapolis have closed – whether it be temporarily or indefinitely – Eden Prairie remains determined in keeping all students in the classroom. While it’s true that some
students thrive in an in-person learning environment and are unable to engage to the same extent virtually, it is contradictory on the district’s part to cite mental health as the reason for endangering the lives of students and their families. For some students, in-person school is far more detrimental to mental health than a virtual setting. Many are experiencing growing anxiety at the thought of being infected or being responsible for the infection of loved ones. Students who are or who live with immunocompromised families are forced to
BY IKRAN ABDI According to a national survey conducted by the Aspen Institute Project Play Initiative and Utah State University’s Families in Sport Labs, children from low-income families aged 6 to 18 years old stop playing sports due to financial constraints at a rate six times higher than children from high-income families. Transportation, knowledge and time are all obstacles that prevent kids from low-income families from participating in athletics, and oftentimes, they go unaddressed. Being a student athlete is very pressuring in itself, but being a low-income student, it is harder to manage everything to keep up with higher-income individuals. Seeing some price tags on some of the equipment or participation fees turn away
22 OPINION
work through the crushing fear of potentially harming those they love. Coming to class day after day to find teachers and classmates out with COVID is distressing for many students. The quality of virtual learning is affected by the restriction of educators’ tools and the difficulty of some students to engage. However, learning is not much better when students are in class with a substitute and their teacher is at home sick. For students who have gone through the 14 day quarantine period, keeping up with an in-person class is exhausting
so many people from even trying the sport. On top of that, many school athletes begin their activities, such as dance, gymnastics, hockey, and baseball, at a young age. The costs of gear, equipment, and lessons can quickly add up. Many low-income families are unable to afford for their children to participate in these activities all year, much less for several consecutive years. When older teens might be able to provide for themselves in joining a sport for the first time, they can end up discouraged seeing students their age ahead of them. Hidden fees also add up. Previously, playing sports did not revolve around traveling, but due to the pressure from college-minded families to earn scholarships and make sure their children stand out,
and stressful – all the more so when students are sick. As a result of their confusion, they may have to retake tests or stay after school even while recovering from their illness. Some students might opt to come to school anyway, the fear of falling behind on their work too overwhelming. That’s damaging for everyone involved. There should be an alternative in place, at least temporarily, and that alternative is online learning. It’s simply irresponsible to force in-person learning upon everyone by citing “mental health” when, in fact, some of us feel just the opposite.
expensive club teams, tournament travel, camps, and other activities have become more and more common among student athletes, pushing low-income students out of these sports. It creates an economic gap in participation in these athletic activities. Because of the complexity of the problem and the fact that these hurdles may always persist for lower-income students, they can be overcome with assistance. Students are often unaware of resources because they are not discussed or wellknown to them. As a result, they are unaware that they are available for them to use. Supporting and encouraging low-income adolescents to participate in sports can make a significant difference. Situations like these should not be overlooked simply because they occur outside of the classroom.
Reforming grading practices is not enough BY KATHERINE KREGNESS
GRAPHIC BY AL AMUNDSON
G
rading practices, standardized testing, and educational ranking systems serve only to preserve the hierarchy of privilege that thrives in America. The evaluational systems that we have in place embolden students with access to resources, supportive home environments, and favorable circumstances while actively disenfranchising students without. In other words, wealthy white students with college educated parents who have all the right experience and connections end up as national merit scholars while students of color from high poverty communities consistently underperform. As Eden Prairie–alongside many other districts nationwide–inches towards reformed grading practices such as a balanced grading scale and “incompletes” instead of “fails,” district leadership is scrambling to account for the inherent inequities of the competitive system.In
reality, we should be revolutionizing the way that students are assessed completely. While 100% summative grades help allow students to progress and make mistakes during the process of learning while only assessing the final destination, the quantitative approach still categorizes students as statistics rather than humans. Any lettered or numbered grading scale will disproportionately advantage students who demonstrate their learning the way the dominant culture would like them to. Alternatively, experiential learning allows students to dictate the terms of their assessment and plays to the strengths of the individual student as opposed to an objective view of standardized testing. Students who are given the chance to demonstrate their own learning can choose the trajectory of their impacts. Community based initiatives, student portfolios, written work, and meaningful discussion can
all be born of student choice. With advisors to assist students in their decision making for learning demonstration, we are able to motivate our discovery and engage with the content in a way that each individual finds to be meaningful. Those who are at an advantage in our current system are still given the opportunity to write essays or take tests. Those who find it difficult to engage without hands-on experience or some connection to their personal passions have an equal opportunity to express their development. This model also serves to frame content from a real-world view. Students learn how to apply the content to their adult lives and gain respect for the value of what they are learning. Lucy Laney Elementary in North Minneapolis has been on a path to reform grading practices and teach cultural proficiency for years now. By taking actions such as acknowledging African American Vernacular English as a separate but not incorrect or informal dialect, teachers at Lucy Laney empower students to learn and grow without demeaning students’ culture or putting students of color at a disadvantage compared to their white counterparts. Despite their unparalleled work to build community, create meaningful relationships with students, and provide accessible opportunity, schools like Lucy Laney are handicapped by single-measurement systems like standardized testing. No Child Left Behind demands that students be judged on a single set of standards and punishes schools where those standards are being met by reducing funding. Those underperforming communities consistently lack access to the resources, support, and training necessary to build up performance and empower their students, but with a system modeled to reduce access to each of those things from the get go when student populations are largely disadvantaged, it becomes near impossible to improve statistics. Moreso, the tiered nature of No Child Left Behind blackballs communities with no way out and further hurts schools who have lower enrollment and teacher interest. When grading is set against universal standards and only accepts success as modeled quantitatively, education is inequitable, inaccessible, and detrimental to the progress of meaningful learning for students. As schools like Eden Prairie look into reforming their grading scales, the changes that need to be made are much more large-scale than what we are seeing. FEBRUARY 2O22|
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PRO-CON: weighted gpa
GRAPHIC BY AL AMUNDSON
College doesn’t matter
BY MARGARET HOLMES
24 OPINION
PRO: Why would you want to CON: Why must you crave undermine student achieve- meaningless validation? ment? BY MARGARET HOLMES
BY MANEEYA LEUNG
I get it. You’re tired of scrolling through all of the bad Eagle Voice ideas and so you lump weighted GPAs in with them. However, weighted GPAs are a great idea. Although weighted GPAs push students to take AP classes, are they really doing any more pushing than school culture? If anything, weighted GPAs are a safety net for AP and Honors students who are pushed to take the hardest classes. Even if they fall behind, their grades won’t suffer as much. As for mental health, seeing a higher number on their GPA will make them feel more relieved and not as worried about their college future. Colleges do weigh your GPA themselves, that’s true. But colleges also weigh regular GPAs. So why have a different GPA at your highschool compared to what you are going to see from admissions counselors? And sure, weighted GPAs undermine electives. Don’t get me wrong–I love electives! But the fact of the matter is they aren’t nearly as hard as core classes. Unless it’s a language class, elective classes are easy to get an A in as long as you do the work. And I also agree that the real learning lies in electives, but college is hardly going to care about what electives teach you (see my colleges doesn’t matter article). In reality I don’t know anyone who strives for a perfect 5.0 GPA. Once people have an above 4.0 they get to relax more and not stay up till 2 a.m. for the perfect grades. Weighted GPAs are way better than unweighted, especially when talking about mental health.
Almost as given as Virgin T-shirts on Eagle Voice is the call for a weighted GPA–I get it. You took your hard classes and you want recognition for it. I do too, but a weighted GPA is not the way to go. The school is already competitive as it is, with a certain subset of college-bound students grabbing at AP classes like bonus points in a video game. Weighted GPAs will only heighten their quest. Weighted GPAs also open up the option of class rank which would be disastrous for our student self-esteem and discards the effort made by students working through struggles in school. While encouraging students to take harder classes is all fine, making them feel like they have to isn’t. I know that with a weighted GPA, the pressure to try and take AP classes that I don’t care about would creep up on me. College and career counselor Lizzie McNamara shares that stance: “The quest for GPAs as close as possible to 5.0 just seems to be such high stakes for very little reward if the colleges are truly holding to their stance that it creates no advantage,“ she shared. To top it off, the whole system undermines electives and makes them seem less valuable when in reality, that’s where real learning can lie. Anyways, it doesn’t matter in the end. Colleges see what courses you took and unweigh and re-weigh your GPA anyways, so we’re not missing out on much. If you really need validation, you can weigh your GPA yourself easily. As nice as those extra (meaningless) tenths of a GPA points might seem, consider me pro-Virgin t-shirts any day over a weighted GPA.
For as long as I can remember college has been seen as the be all and end all for most students and parents. The simple education path goes elementary, middle, highschool and then college, and if you don’t go to college you are seen as some sort of extreme type failure, especially on the East Coast. Here is a cold take: College doesn’t matter and you are probably wasting a lot more time than you think. Spending highschool pushing yourself to prepare for college ruins all of the novelty of high school experiences. Obviously there are the four
plus years you spend in college. But there are also another four whole years of highschool pushing you for the best grades, best ACT and SAT scores, what career you want (ironically most careers suggested require a degree), and pushing the narrative that the road to success is paved in nights spent up till one am doing assignments.So highschool is a bust, but at least you had all of those fun college-free k-8 years! But actually, is that entirely true? We took a pre, pre SAT test in SEVENTH GRADE! A pre, pre test, just to determine if we should think we are dumb or not. And all of those
The stigma around fanfiction BY ELIZABETH ALEXANDER It’s a familiar cycle–you hear about an interesting new show or book, you dive into its world, and now you’re totally obsessed. Endless thoughts and feelings are running rampant through your mind. Maybe you think two characters would make a cute couple, or maybe all the story’s “what-ifs” are keeping you up at night. This is when many turn to the validating world of fanfiction, which is just what it sounds like–fiction written by and for fans of different pieces of media. Several sites are dedicated to posting it, with the most popular being Archive of Our Own (AO3), Wattpad, and Fanfiction.net. Way too much of my own free time has been spent digging through pages of AO3 uploads on a quest to find the best fics about my favorite pairings. It’s therapeutic and awesome. Yet there is a huge stigma around reading and writing fanfiction. Some of the reasons are valid, but many aren’t. For one, you have to dig through some really rough stories to find the gems. There’s a variety of things wrong with them–poor characterization, childish prose, and/or grammar that would get you an F on any English essay. It’s these bad ones that stick out in the mind and give fanfiction a bad rep. It doesn’t help that some of the most iconic and wellknown fics are known for their awfulness– think the hilarious Harry Potter fic “My Immortal”. And that’s not even mentioning fanfiction’s ties to 50 Shades of Grey. In case you didn’t know, the series originated as a Twilight fic, and when a publishing com-
pany took interest in it, the names were changed. It’s safe to say that 50 Shades has an unfortunate reputation, with most people associating it with creepiness and cringy writing. As a fic reader, I can definitely see why the “50 Shades” effect gives fanfiction a bad name. The thing is, there’s plenty of well-written fics. Stories are supposed to draw you into the world and make you feel things, and there’s so many out there that accomplish just that. Sure, there are a lot of bad fics, but isn’t that the case for
most entertainment? It’s not worth it to discard fanfiction entirely just because of a few bad apples. Another possibility could be the representation issue. Whether it be racial, gender or sexual diversity, people want representation in media. But oftentimes, shows don’t offer those portrayals. This is a big reason why queer ships are so common in fanfiction. In fact, the 10 all-time biggest ships on AO3 are all gay, and of the top 100, just 13 are straight. Additionally, a 2014 fan survey revealed that roughly half of AO3 users are part of the LGBT+ community. These stats make it clear that those users want to see representation of themselves in their fandoms, hence the huge amount of queer ships. What if the tables were turned and the top ships were all straight? Would more people be willing to read it, without fear of judgment? I’d imagine the answer to that is “yes”, and that’s because of society’s underlying homophobia seeping into the stigma against fanfiction. Speaking of judgment, does part of that have to do with the “nerdiness” of fandom? Everyone has that one book or show that they absolutely geek out over, but most people keep that to themselves out of fear of seeming uncool. There’s nothing wrong with that! Really, we should be encouraging people to come out of their shell and embrace their nerdiness. Let people create art about their faves. Don’t judge people for their interests. All in all, the world of fanfiction is a fun one, but it’s not for everyone. However, despite its flaws, fanfiction definitely shouldn’t have such a bad rep.
GRAPHIC BY AL AMUNDSON were just pre, pre, pre prep. We live in a culture that is absolutely obsessed with merely one thing: going to a good college. Now here’s the thing, college sounds really fun. The little snapshots of meeting your roommate, new friends, parties right down the hall, football games bigger than ever before. There is a lot to look forward to. But most people probably aren’t picturing the agony of highschool all over again only this time you are paying for it. Especially for students who have never been good at school and simply have been told they most go to college. It’s just anoth-
er four years of centering your entire life around something you don’t get a whole lot out of. But it’s all worth it right? You emerge shiny and victorious, diploma in hand, ready to take on the world! Right? Well here’s the thing, you’re not. That job you just had to have a diploma for? Things like working as a salesperson, working at a bank, most any job in an office building, you really didn’t need a diploma for that. How do I know? People had been doing these jobs for centuries. Very few people actually went to college except rich socialites with nothing better to do. Many Americans would be better off if they
stopped thinking the cookie cutter college experience was the only experience that mattered.
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EAGLE PROCRASTINATION Who matches your drip?
Mostly As: Tenzin
Mostly Bs: Rosie
Pick a color: A) Black B) Orange C) Yellow D) Red
Keeping it classy.
No outfit is complete without fifty colors and handmade earrings
Your go-to pair of shoes? A) Vans B) rainbow crocs C) 4 inch platform boots D) Docs Must have accessory? A) Wallet chain B) Frog hat C) Fishnets D) Nose ring
Mostly Cs: Danielle
Mostly Ds: Reagan
“Very me, very diy, very in your face, very whatever I’m feeling.”
Swiftie meets Forever 21 (although she has claimed to never shopped at Forever 21)
Where do you get your clothes? A) the outlet B) DePop C) thrifted D) Target
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EXTRA
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If you don’t know what specific terms you can join, that’s OK! Just sign up for the number of terms you can do. Sign up for at least two terms, although taking a full year is recommended.
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As part of EPHS’s journalism class, you’ll help produce the broadcast show, ENN magazine and content for our website and social media. FEBRUARY 2O22|
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