December 2018

COVER STORY | 14 + Eagle Challenge 23 emotions Winter DIY Spotlight Athletes

| 4 | 8 | 10 | 23

Top Secret

What teachers and students want each other to know

EPHS NEWS MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2018 | VOL. 58 | NO. 02

Mike Holm Test Prep Offered at EPHS from 2:45 - 4:15 pm Mondays and Wednesdays from Jan. 4 to Feb. 6 (No Class Jan. 21) Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 3 to Feb. 7 (No Class Jan. 24) Need more information about these or other classes?

Contact Mike Holm at mike@mikeholmtestprep.com

Holm Gets Results Jacob Rhee, Laura Balboa, and Jack Engelbrekt: 33 Canyon Pergande and Joe Sullivan: 32 Anya Zubar improved her reading and English scores by 12 points each.

Callie Potvin improved by 6, Jonathan Gibson and Kassidy Alger improved by 5, and Sydney Spears and Nick Manthana by 4 Emma Coburn improved her reading score by 5

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DESIGN BY KIRA PARRINGTON

Table of contents POLICIES Mission Statement

The Eyrie strives to be an accurate, informative and entertaining publication for the students and faculty of Eden Prairie High School, Minnesota.

Letters

The Eyrie encourages all students and faculty to share their views with the school. All letters must be signed; however, names may be withheld in certain situations. Once received, the Eyrie reserves the right to edit letters for length or content.

Editorials

Staff Editorials are staff-written and approved by a two-thirds majority of the staff. All other opinion pieces reflect the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication, student body, faculty or administration.

Multi-media

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

As a school publication, it is important for us to cover perspectives from individuals of every background and classification in our building. These groups can be as broad as ethnicity, sexuality, and economic status, or as simple as staff and students. We are focusing this issue on the latter two groups, as they are possibly the most divided in our school.

Gathering sassy statements from each group, we have compiled a collection of the best opinions in the building. Additionally, we have covered athletics, the eagle challenge, and the winter play in this issue. We hope you enjoy reading The Eyrie as much as we enjoy writing it.

Kira Parrington and Nick Walfrid

Follow the Eyrie on Twitter @the_eyrie and Instagram @theeyriemag.

For daily content and school updates, visit theeyrie.org.

Printer

The Eyrie is printed by the Loffler Printing, Bloomington, MN.

STAFF

Columnists

Editors-in-Chief

Kira Parrington Nick Walfrid

Business Manager Carter Aakhus

Website Editor

Karen Larionova

COVER

What teachers and students want each other to know |12 Protecting our digital privacy |5 Eden Prairie historical spots |7

Photo Editor

23 emotioons you feel but cant explain |8 Winter DIY |10

Bella Beck

Bella Beck Sydney Lewis Nick Walfrid

Staff

Carter Aakhus Funmi Banjoko Baylee Brabender Bella Beck Karen Larionova Sydney Lewis Nidhi Maurya Kira Parrington Nick Walfrid

SPORTS

Spotlight Athlete|22 Skating through life|24 COVER DESIGN BY KIRA PARRINGTON

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

3

NEWS

How far does “uncomfortable learning” go?

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

S

ocial studies teacher Brian Sibley said that his goal for Intro To Social Justice (ISJ) is for students “to see and recognize systematic injustice no matter where it is.” The first official class of ISJ finished after first term, and a new way to learn came up in class: uncomfortable learning.

ISJ is a one-term class that officially started this year. The class is student-based, where students are allowed to bring in personal issues and discuss them in class.

ISJ is a class that mainly focuses on racial inequality. “Race is the biggest division in equity that we have in our country,” said Sibley.

Students study personal identity, learn about a variety of issues and complete a project.

The first term ISJ class was racially diverse, which led to segregation in seating. Sibley did comment that he might keep a seating chart for half the term instead of only the first week or two.

The experience of having a majority of people of color in the class was new for some students. “When you take AP or honors, you never get to see them. You’re usually the only black person in the class,” said senior Saja Osman. “Social Justice is the most diverse class I’ve ever had.”

Junior Asaicea Brown said experiences she had during the class were uncomfortable but helped her grow. One day in class, Brown was called out into the hallway by Sibley to talk about her behavior in class. During a discussion, she refused to close her laptop when asked to, and she told Sibley she didn’t care about the class. “Everybody has those days where they just don’t care,” Brown said. “But I was wrong in that situation because he’s older, and he’s the teacher, and I should’ve respected that.”

They worked out a solution to keep her interested in the discussion topics. Both Brown and Sibley agree that Brown made growth during ISJ, but Sibley always knew she was

4

DESIGN BY NIDHI MAURYA

smart, he said. “I see a lot of her in how I was,” he said.

Brown and Sibley also discussed how she felt that Sibley wasn’t treating students equally in class. Sibley said that he was deliberate in those actions, though. “No, I don’t treat students the same,” he said. “To me, it’s an injustice to treat students the same. Students aren’t the same.”

Discussions about topics other than race got uncomfortably heated, especially topics about LGBT issues. Brown said that most people in the class didn’t understand or care about LGBT issues. “We find it out of our comfort range because it’s not about us,” she said.

A student did a presentation on President Donald Trump’s executive order on transgender rights, and Sibley initiated a conversation about whether gay people should be allowed in locker rooms. In senior Braden Ross’s words, “It got to the point where it wasn’t a fun debate anymore.”

This style of uncomfortable learning likely made many students feel hurt, but Sibley thinks it’s worth the experience. “There were feelings hurt, and there were people who were upset, and I’m totally okay with that,” he said.

External challenges in ISJ also led to uncomfortable learning. For example, a substitute teacher made students like Brown and Osman feel targeted. The substitute ignored Sibley’s lesson plan and attempted to have a conversation about race, which went poorly. Eventually, students were forced to be quiet and then sent to restricted study. Junior Ava Masse, Ross and Sibley all agree that the substitute didn’t know what he was getting into.

The following days in the ISJ GroupMe chat, there was discussion over what should be done about this situation with the substitute. Osman suggested sending emails before asking Sibley, but a slight majority of the class disagreed, so no major email was sent.

Brown thinks that, because she was one of the students targeted by this substitute, she should have had more say in the situation. She

wanted everyone affected to sit down with the substitute and explain how the substitute made them feel.

Brown was not in the GroupMe chat, though, so she had to read updates on the situation through a friend in the class. Her friend also told her that some students were talking behind her back about when Sibley called her out into the hallway. The following Monday, Brown initiated a conversation about the GroupMe chat and the supposed rumors about her.

The discussion took most of the class period, which Sibley allowed. “That drama was normal high school stuff,” he said. “I felt tension in the classroom, and I don’t let that slide.”

Brown thinks that the discussion was useful.

“Some of the people involved in the situation apologized, and we’re cool,” she said.

She wished that the discussion happened a few weeks earlier, though, so that she could’ve had time to change her attitude.

Ross, however, thought that the discussion took uncomfortable learning too far. “At that point, it wasn’t about learning. It was just drama. It wasn’t really a learning environment at all,” she said.

All of the events added up to a learning environment that is unlike most classes at EPHS. Although all sources said that the usual environment was safe for people, sources like Brown, Ross and Sibley said that adding more rules and boundaries for classroom discussions might help Sibley to better facilitate these debates.

The next ISJ class is first hour fourth term with social studies teacher Kelsey Snyder, but students can also sign up for the class during registration for next year.

The staple of the class will always be uncomfortable learning, but Osman said that everyone’s voice matters in ISJ. “Respect goes both ways, and in our class each person matters,” she said.

Protecting our digital privacy

T

BY CARTER AAKHUS

oday’s world is dominated and run by technology. Almost everything can be ordered, searched, tracked and stored on the internet. According to the International Telecommunication Union, 55.1% of the world’s population has internet access as of June 2018. With that relatively large percentage of users comes opportunities for businesses and search engines to take advantage of the vast amount of data at their disposal to specialize results and ads for every user.

Concerns have arisen over what is known as “the filter bubble,” which is how websites use algorithms to assume and provide information to users based on their search history and location. A common example of this is when you search for an item on Amazon and later receive an email notifying you of a good deal on that very item. Many find this practice of filtering to be disturbing and invasive, in addition to narrowing our worldview by personalizing results and catering to our political association and beliefs.

When asked how he felt about personalized ads and search results, senior Nico DiGiovanni said, “At first I thought it was creepy but in some ways it is nice. When it comes to news, however, I would rather have unbiased results that don’t always align with my beliefs.”

Enter DuckDuckGo, an Internet search engine launched in 2008 in order to protect the user’s privacy. Rather than personalizing search results for every user, DuckDuckGo shows everyone the same results for a given search term and focuses on returning the best results. “I think it is worth using as it gives you a number of sources when you type in a question rather than just giving one summary statement, which is what Google does,” said DiGiovanni.

However, if you are interested in using DuckDuckGo at school, an attempt to access it will be stymied by the administrator and greeted with a notification asking for permission as it is a site deemed “malicious.” Jen Nelson, who teaches AP Computer Science Principles and the IOS Development class, explained why the school blocks it. “It has to do with not having the ability to filter the results students see,” she

said. “As a school district we want to prevent students from seeing nefarious results like porn.

With Google, the school can enable a setting called SafeSearch.”

Using DuckDuckGo at home is just one of the various ways to maintain your privacy online. In fact, many feel that there is more than enough reason to be concerned over what becomes of your searches and usage of a computer’s camera and microphone.

Nelson values her privacy and even has duct tape over her computer camera. “I am sure that someone is listening,” she said. “There have been a number of times where I’ll be having a conversation with people about something and then the next search result or social media ad I see will be about that thing.”

Being aware of how much data and personal information you divulge on the internet is another important consideration that users are trying to keep in mind. Senior Anderson Chauphan said, “Looking back on growing up, it’s a little scary how much I’ve put out on the internet. It’s important to me now that I understand and know much more about it.”

The Eagles challenge empowers staff

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

The Eagles Challenge is about “empowering staff,” said Virgin. He hoped that the Eagles Challenge would “tap into” the insider knowledge After CMS and Oak Point piloted the idea last year, EPHS recently that staff has, and he also hopes to bring students into the implementatook part in the Eagles Challenge. The process of the challenge is that tion process for bigger ideas. staff submit ideas about how to improve their school, staff votes on the Five ideas won after voting. Staff will participate in a committee that ideas and the administration implements the winners. This year, almost will oversee the design and implementation process. the entire district participated in the Eagles Challenge.

This year, the top five ideas included a writing center, a tutoring To put it simply, the Eagles Challenge is “a really fancy idea box,” said center, changes to CORE, lowering some class sizes and alternatives for Principal Robb Virgin. disciplining students. Changes to CORE may begin second semester, The pilot last spring but the other ideas will require ended with many ideas much more time. becoming reality at CMS Ament said that there were “We can make a difference and an and Oak Point. Although many “quick wins” in the prothe budget for the Eagles cess, too. The simple fact of staff impact through this process” Challenge is very small, submitting ideas and engaging more expensive ideas were in their school had many benestill executed. For example, fits. For example, teachers have an idea from CMS to make a fitness center for staff and students was always been able to go to school events for free with their badge, but now, fulfilled by adding more equipment and activities during school. even before voting, teachers are allowed to bring a plus one for free. The The voting is done through a website created by Optum, and teachers idea was submitted and almost immediately implemented. vote for two ideas at a time, which creates a rank. The “parawise matrix” The Eagles Challenge is likely to happen again, according to Ament. voting on the website is similar to the Coke versus Pepsi ad from decades Over time, the goal of the challenge is to increase staff involvement across ago. So far, the district hasn’t paid Optum or any other provider for the the district.

Eagles Challenge, according to Senior Director of Personalized Learning “We can make a difference and an impact through this process,” said Michelle Ament.

Instructional Excellence Coordinator Alex Townsend.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

5

OPINION

Charlie Brown - A play for the people

BY SYDNEY LEWIS Over the course of her 34 years directing shows at Eden Prairie High School, Suzie Sime has directed “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” three times. This year, Sime chose to do it one last time as her final winter show before she retires. The last time she directed the show in 2011, Taylor Bothun, a current Spanish teacher, was cast as Charlie Brown. This year, junior Aden Bickler will play Charlie Brown.

Going into this show, the directing staff and cast seems optimistic about how it will play differently than past versions. Bickler said he “has high hopes for this show.”

This year’s cast is youthful and full of energy, which will translate to convincing characters to the audience. Sime believes that “this years cast definitely has some tricks up their sleeves.”

This show will be bigger and bolder than it has been in years past. Not only are the actors stepping up their game, the technical aspect is adding even more surprise. Sime’s goal is to make children squeal at all the technical tricks and extravagant set design. WIth flying kites and giant cartoon strips, this show will be a fresh take on the classic “Charlie Brown.”

Sime said she chose this show because “at this point in our world, kindness is woefully missing.” “Charlie Brown” brings a fun and light hearted energy to disheartening times.

The goal of every performance is to make sure everyone is joyful when they walk out. “I would love to model [for kids] that you just need to be who you are, and we love you for who you are,” said Sime.

The last song of the show is called “Happiness.” Bothun said the show and the song are about “finding joy in the little things in life.” Though the show may be geared toward children, adults can take away the important message of finding happiness in the things that typically go unnoticed.

Bickler, who tries to take away at least one thing from each character he plays, said, “From Charlie Brown, I feel like I will take away the main theme which is happiness.”

All of the characters in “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” are under the age of 10. Playing such young characters can be a challenge.

Though Charlie Brown was one of his favorite characters to play, Bothun said, “It was hard to play the role of a child.”

6

DESIGN BY BAYLEE BRABENDER

According to Bickler, Charlie Brown “is a good man who tries to be optimistic about the world but nothing seems to go right for him.”

His unwavering trust and kindness allows him to be the protagonist in many “Peanuts” cartoons and movies.

This cast is having so much fun creating the show, just like Bothun did when he played Charlie Brown. “Charlie Brown was the most fun show I ever did here,” he said.

With so many people involved and relationships forming, Bickler already knows it will be a hard goodbye. He said, “I know the last song during the last performance will be really emotional.”

Aden Bickler as Charlie Brown in 2018.

PHOTOS BY SYDNEY LEWIS

Taylor Bothun as Charlie Brown in 2011.

Eden Prairie historical spots THEN

Eden Prairie Mall

EDEN PRAIRIE MALL IN THE 1970’S.

Flying Cloud Drive- In Theatre

NOW

PHOTOS BY CARTER AAKHUS.

FLYING CLOUD DIRVE- IN IN 1989.

Purgatory Creek Bridge

THE PURGATORY CREEK BRIDGE IN 1890.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

7

FEATURE

23

emotions you feel, but can’t explain

BY BAYLEE BRABENDER

Have you ever felt an emotion that you couldn’t quite explain? A youtuber named John Koenig invented 23 words for emotions people feel but don’t have a word for. These words are also known as “The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows.” In one of his videos he included his main goal for making these words. He said he wanted to fill the empty holes we have in our language for feelings where we have no words to fit the description. These words aren’t ones you can look up in your nearest dictionary or find on a vocabulary list for English class. These words describe unique, yet common profound feelings people experience in their life.

Exulansis: The tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it.

Rückkehrunruhe: The feeling of returning home after an immersive trip only to find it fading rapidly from your awareness.

Occhiolism: The awareness of the smallness of your perspective.

Kuebiko: A state of exhaustion inspired by acts of senseless violence.

Anecdoche: A conversation in which everybody is talking, but nobody is listening.

8

Adronitis: Frustration with how long it takes to get to know someone.

Altschmerz: Weariness with the same old issues that you’ve always had- the same boring flaws and anxieties that you've been gnawing on for years.

DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS

Lachesism: The desire to be struck by disasterto survive a plane crash, or to lose everything in a fire.

Rubatosis: The unsettling awareness of your own heartbeat.

Ellipsism: A sadness that you’ll never be able to know how history will turn out.

Monachopsis: The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place.

Onism: The frustration of being stuck in just one body, that inhabits only one place at a time.

Liberosis: the desire to care less about things.

Vemödalen: The frustration of photographing something amazing when thousands of identical photos already exist.

Opia: The ambiguous intensity of looking someone in the eye, which can feel simultaneously invasive and vulnerable.

Vellichor: The strange wistfulness of used bookshelves.

Nodus Tollens: The realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore.

Chrysalism: The amniotic tranquility of being indoors during a thunderstorm.

Jouska: A hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head.

Énouement: The bittersweetness of having arrived in the future, seeing how things turn out, but not being able to tell your past self.

Sonder: the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own

Kenopsia: The eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with people but is now abandoned and quiet.

Mauerbauertraurigkeit: The inexplicable urge to push people away, even close friends who you really like.

From school Q & A about the arts outside EPHS to stage

BY NIDHI MAURYA

Samara Koshiol Q: How long have you been performing?

A: Ever since I was little, I’ve been a performer. I used to sing for my family when I was 3 years old, but I really started getting into theater when I saw a show at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. That was when I decided performing was what I wanted to do.

Q: What was your first experience performing?

A: I started by doing small little shows at my elementary school and theater camps throughout the summer. But, my first real show was in seventh grade at Central Middle School, “The Thrilling Tale of the Three Musketeers.” I did not have a big part at all, but I got to be overdramatic and it was just the best time ever.

Q: Tell me about your first show outside of school.

A: [Mary Poppins Jr.] is my first musical outside of school at Stages Theater in Hopkins. It’s an 80 minute show with lots of singing and lots of dancing. 250 kids auditioned but only 25 could get in. I don’t what they saw...they saw something in me and they decided to cast me.

Q: What has the rehearsal and show schedule been like?

A: We started rehearsal at the beginning of October. We had about a month and a half of rehearsal. We opened the show on November 16th and have 50 shows that we are doing through the end of December.

Q: How do you balance all those shows with your responsibilities at school?

A: It’s really rough. I’m really lucky this term; I have Band, Spanish, EVN, and Honors Geography. My teachers have been absolutely incredible and so flexible with me coming in before or after school to finish up what I need to.

Braden Ross Q: How did this band come about?

A: All of us used to be in this program called School of Rock which is an after school music program. Once we grew out of that, we thought we could start a band and make money doing it.

Q: What is the story behind the band’s name?

A: So Yellow 35 is the name. We came up with it because our drummer really likes yellow Redbull. Once, before we had to go on stage, we were trying to think up a name...we just needed something to say. Our bass was jokingly making fun of the drummer. He picked up the drink and was like, “Is this Yellow 35?” as in the dye color. And then we all thought, let’s just use that!

Q: What types of songs do you guys perform?

A: We also play some heavier stuff that’s fun for us to play, but depending on the audience, they may or may not like it. We play some 80s stuff as well as 2000s stuff and that’s also fun for us. We play Sugar We’re Going Down by Fallout Boy. I really like doing that one.

Q: Where do I go to see you perform?

A: Usually we’ll play at Excelsior Brewing. We have two shows booked over winter break. They’re December 27 and 29 at Excelsior Brewing!

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

9

WINTER DIY

GET YOUR DIY ON Cheap, easy way to wrap presents.

1. Find paper grocery bags and a pair of scissors

3. Wrap your present 10

DESIGN BY KIRA PARRINGTON

2. Cut the bottom and one side of the bag so that the bag will lay flat

4. Decorate as desired!

WINTER SUGAR COOKIES

INSTRUCTIONS 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 egg 1 ts vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS FOR BAKING Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

In a large bowl, stir the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla.

Slowly blend in the dry ingredients.

Roll rounded teaspoon sized dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden.

Let cool on cookie sheet two minutes before decorating.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

11

COVER

student surveys study students

BY SYDNEY LEWIS This year, two students have introduced a new survey in an effort for teachers to get to know their students better. Junior Shane Mosley and Senior Zella Sahar were asked to create this survey by Robb Virgin after attending a workshop in the summer about racial diversity and inclusion in schools across Minnesota.

Included in the survey are questions about pronouns, racial identity and mental health. The goal of this survey is to “help teachers be more intentional about building relationships and trust with their students,” said teacher DeeDee Deeken, who also helped write the survey.

This survey will help teachers and students build a closer bond, which will strengthen the EPHS community. Teachers are often seen as having one job: to teach. Mosley sees it differently. He believes that “it’s a teachers job to help their students.” WIthout building a relationship, teachers will never be able to effectively teach their students.

“Right now,” Sahar said, “all teachers see is the grade. They don’t get to see what happens behind the scenes.” If teachers knew what goes on in their students lives outside of school, they may be able to cater their teaching style or schedule to help their students.

The new survey will be introduced by teachers at the beginning of 3rd term. There is no requirement for students to tell their teachers every detail of their life, but there are many topics covered that students may not feel comfortable broaching on their own.

For example, mental health is not a frequently discussed topic. Many students struggle with depression or anxiety, along with many other mental illnesses. For teachers who have never experienced this, it is helpful for them to be able to get a glimpse into the struggles of their students.

As Deeken puts it, something that is powerful is “when a student knows you know about them.” By creating support systems between teachers and students, teachers will be able to know their students on a much more personal level.

TOP SECRET what teachers and students want each other to know

BY NICK WALFRID Balanced societies often value the viewpoints of individuals from all perspectives, instead of just one or two groups. Schools are one thing that could be considered a miniature society, almost like a snow globe sitting on a shelf that is today’s world. Therefore, it is acceptable to assume that most schools have a social hierarchy, which is an important factor in every society. But by definition, a hierarchy construes that there will be individuals with a higher social status than others. We’ve collected anonymous statements from both students and staff, highlighting the best of which people want to say but cannot. Comparing the two groups was a very interesting project for us, and we hope you will enjoy it as much as we did.

SEE MORE 14-15

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DESIGN BY NICK WALFRID

STAFF STATEMENTS When you’re staring down at your lap, doing stuff on your phone, we know what you’re doing.

I care about your success in this class.

Is there mutual trust going on?

Stop using your phone as a mirror. You look ridiculous.

Hoodies don’t hide your earbuds.

What you do here is a predictor for what you are going to do in a future job.

I don’t pester you for my own amusement.

If you tell me what is going on, I can help you get support.

Yes, I am actually interested in the content of this class.

You may have an addiction to your technology. Then again, perhaps we all do.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

13

COVER

STUDENT STATEMENTS Don’t put yourself on Tinder.

When I ask you for help, come help me.

Don’t walk around the classroom 20 times then come help me.

Teachers need to check in with their students.

Don’t forget to tell us the homework and then get mad at us.

Don’t tell me to go on schoology when the homework isn’t there in the first place.

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DESIGN BY NICK WALFRID

Be reliable. If I’m coming after school to take a test, be there.

I hope you have an amazing day. Even though you give me a lot of homework you deserve all the good in life.

Sometimes I write on the desks and then blame it on other people by signing their names.

Teachers neglect to recognize that people have different styles of learning for their own convenience.

Teachers should know that things go on outside of school.

Don’t cram in notes in the last 2 minutes of class.

When they don’t take information from the seminars and conferences that they miss school to go to.

Connect with kids with social anxiety more and find other options to presentations that would be easier for them.

Stop talking to me like I’m your friend.

Don’t not give homework for a week then cram in 100 pages a night.

Don’t waste my time like that.

I wish they knew that we have a lot of stressors outside of school.

It’s annoying when they don’t even tell you what’s gonna be on the test.

They have a lack of priority when it comes to which assignments need more time.

When they go on an unrelated tangent for 40 minutes and don’t tell you not to take notes.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

15

OPINION

Syd’s Stance Why we need the straightest, whitest, Republicanest male to be the Democratic nominee in 2020

L

BY SYDNEY LEWIS

ets face it, anyone who is not straight, white, old, and basically a Republican is not going to win as a Democratic nominee against President Donald Trump in 2020. With his blazing army of followers, he will come ready to undermine any potential Democratic candidate.

To think that a female could possibly win in 2020 is absurd. It would be cool to have the first female president on the 100 year anniversary of white women getting the right to vote, but that is not the candidate America is ready for.

In the midterms we saw some great victories by Democratic candidates, but many like Beto O’Rourke, Stacey Abrams and Andrew Gillum prove that the pendulum is not swinging too far to the left. With key losses in Texas, Georgia and Florida, it is apparent that the South is sticking with its Republican roots.

If Democrats want any chance of winning the presidential seat in 2020, a prominent politician from a Southern or swing state will be needed to increase the voter turnout in their home states. A candidate like Amy Klobuchar would not help to gain more votes since Minnesota has voted Democrat in every presidential election since 1976. With a voting history like that, Klobuchar does not have much more support to gain.

This, among other reasons, is why Amy Klobuchar should not run for president. Klobuchar is not presidential material. Klobuchar is certainly qualified in terms of her political expertise. Her intelligence and leadership in the Kavanaugh hearings earlier this year made her a focus of the public eye. Despite all the positive attention, America is not ready for someone like Amy Klobuchar to be president. However, I would not be upset if she was nominated as a vice president. That is the perfect role for a smart, courageous politician like Amy Klobuchar.

But, the only people who really have a chance at the presidency are the straight white males. We need a Democrat who is barely a Democrat.

No one that is left or even moderate has a change of winning against Trump’s rhetoric.

There is so much at stake in the upcoming election. If Donald Trump wins another term, we will see another four years of poor foreign policy, unfounded climate change opinions, and the inappropriate fueling of hatred. That is why we must find the candidate with the best possible chance to beat Donald Trump.

This year’s Minnesota Governor’s race illustrated the importance of choosing a candidate with public appeal. Many people favored Erin Murphy as the Democratic nominee, but when it came down to it, Tim Walz had a better chance of winning against Jeff Johnson. Tim Walz will be a great governor, and so will the next man the Democrats choose as the Democratic nominee in 2020.

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STAFF EDITORIAL What happens when a white suburb is forced to address racial issues?

At the McDonald’s near the EP mall, on Nov. 19, a Somali girl confronted a white man about a racial insult, and he brandished his concealed gun. The store manager responded by screaming at the girl and her friends to leave the building.

Videos of the incident spread across Twitter, and the story was soon published in the StarTribune and even the New York Times.

Racially charged interactions happen often in Minnesota, but the towns were always far away and too detached to feel important. For example, racist graffiti, like “#whitesonly” was written by a student at Maple Grove just last year. Now, because this incident occurred in EP, the community must address racial issues. The bubble around EP just popped.

The experience was horrible and infuriating, but the discussion in EP has shown that perhaps some improvements can be made. The man who pulled the gun has been charged with felony terrorist threats and gross misdemeanor for carrying a gun without a permit. An investigation is being done by EP police, and a public forum about the issue took place on Dec. 10 at EPHS. Although the arrest and forum may not feel like a strong enough response, the fact that anything happened at all is good. The bubble around EP shields the community from having to do anything about racism or gun control, but, when a racist act is committed in our own community, the tension is stuck inside the bubble.

Now, EP cannot shelter and defend themselves from racist accusations. Especially with a large population of Somalis in Minnesota, racial tensions are more likely to explode, but when an outburst like this strikes such a large, contributing portion of our population, there’s no ignoring the problems.

The incident, as sickening as it was, might transform our community and some of its citizens. Hopefully, more change will come, but we’re glad that EP just did something. The problems plaguing our country have hit home in a way that’s captured national spotlight. Now it’s up to us to be informed and take action.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

GRAPHIC BY FUNMI BANJOKO

DESIGN BY FUNMI BANJOKO

SEXUAL ASSAULT is

NOT a

I

SLANG

BY KIRA PARRINGTON

walk down the halls and hear “that math test totally just raped me!” or “Today’s practice is going to rape me.” I am sickened. It is just dismissed by those in the conversation.

The severity of sexual violence is desensitized to meaning something much more. When people use the word rape in a casual, light hearted way it trivializes the gravity of sexual assault.

Sure, in the society we live in today, different terms or cultural expressions go in and out of popularity often. Most of these terms are annoying but harmless.

However, the new trend of using the word rape in light-hearted conversations is not going to slide with me.

Sexual assault is something so many people deal with every day. And when people use the word “rape” in this form, it is belittling and humiliating to victims. It is a setback for those who are trying to help people feel empowered to report rape.

We cannot just appropriate words like “rape.” It just makes whoever is saying it sound like you either don’t know the intensity of rape or just don’t understand it. It is the epitome of rape culture. Rape culture is an environment that breeds rape to be an excusable thing. This rape culture is common in today’s society and something completely overlooked. Most of us have grown up with this rape culture all around us.

I can’t entirely place blame on the people saying these phrases when our school doesn’t do nearly enough to teach students about the seriousness of sexual assault.

And not just that. Our school needs to vocalize more than words do matter. Our students are not taught enough about the power of language and the detrimental effect that our words can have on those around us.

Individually we can all make an impact.

People need to speak out when they hear people use the word, not be afraid of being labeled “overly sensitive.” Treating the word “rape” so casually causes the actual act to seem casual.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

17

OPINION

What the Beck?! feel bad for me!!!:(((

BY BELLA BECK Every morning, or close to every, my friend is forced to call me and make sure I actually get out of bed and go to first hour, which we have together. As the sad friend, I’m sure a few people can relate to the feeling of utter dread at the fact that not only did I wake up, but I woke up because someone who loves me and cares about my well being thought to make sure I carry out an everyday task. Ugh. Hate when people care about you enough to listen and attempt to help.

Sitting in a group convo talking about college, as a designated sad friend, I find it really hard to look at the bigger picture, when getting through the week looks like a full mission. But for my friends, they see that in me and bring encouraging words even though they don’t quite grasp the feeling. There’s really no way for you to expect them to feel the same, and to be frank, I wouldn’t wish it on them anyway.

As the sad friend, there’s nothing like making yourself go out and actually having a good time.

When you’re sad, you can’t surround yourself with equally sad people and expect to feel better.

I need blissfully happier people who are willing to drag me out of bed and make sure I put on makeup ‘cause they look cute too.

While at the time, this action doesn’t seem profitable. The laughing and loud music that hits me right when I open the car door makes me remember why I go through the agony and absolute treachery of putting on pants (which doesn’t necessarily require getting out of bed, for the record.)

To be honest, if left alone, I would stare at the same dent in my wall every day and never check my phone. But, due to the binding contract of friendship, I am legally required to let people care about me and make sure I don’t just mope all the damn time.

Ugh, don’t you just hate it when people care more about you than you do yourself?

18

DESIGN BY BELLA BECK

Winter Break and the

WHITE SAVIOR STORY AND GRAPHIC BY FUNMI BANJOKO

I’m sorry to tell you, but Christmas is dead. The war was won by bleeding-heart liberals who put PC culture above the recognition of the most wonderful time of the year. First it was the schools, and now you can’t even get a cup of coffee without the liberal agenda burning your tongue.

As a certified Muslim girl (sans hijab), I can assure you that I was not a soldier in the war against Christmas. Sorry to tell you, but the only people who care about winter break being called “winter break” are white liberals who are protecting disenfranchised people who they never bothered to ask what they felt was offensive.

All jokes aside, this practice is indicative of a bigger problem: “the white savior complex,” which, in short, is a personality complex that sees individuals “saving” the less fortunate from their backwards cultures and environments without consulting them. The complex is motivated by personal gain of some sort. This is often attributed to the aforementioned bleeding-heart white liberals and brings up a myriad of issues including, but not limited to, imperialism, slavery and genocide.

For example, think of those movies where a white guy travels to an exotic location and saves the day and leads the natives in a battle by showing them his superior western ideas.

This common story removes volition and agency from those natives, painting them as less capable and less human than the white man who saved them. Or think of all the books that are required reading in English classes like “To Kill a Mockingbird”or “Neither Wolf nor Dog” in which children are only taught about minority cultures through the lens of a white savior like Atticus Finch or Kent Nerburn.

That being said, make sure you’re not only consuming media that paints the picture of only white men as heroes. Remember that people of color are just as capable as their white counterparts, and finally, when you are helping people in need, what is your motive? Community service or personal gain?

s e c our

Watch your

s

A

Noteably Nick

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

ccording to the Pew Research Center, about two-thirds of Americans get their news from social media. However, the same study found that a majority of those people (57%) are skeptical of the news they read on social media. If so many people don’t trust what they read on social media, what’s the point of getting news online?

Most people are lazy and careless while reading sources, especially when the news is online. People believe any website that looks remotely professional. American laziness leads to the spreading of conspiracy theories, political apathy and an ignorant population.

Fake news is not a new concept for Americans. Many fake articles from both right-wing and left-wing sources are spread through forums that eventually reach Facebook moms.

We’ve all seen it happen.

KCEB ALLEB YB CIHPARG

TWO THIRDS OF PEOPLE GET THEIR NEWS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

In 2016, a fake news article accused then presidential candidate Hillary Clinton of using satanic rituals to sexually abuse children. The faux scandal was known as Pizzagate, and it spread across Facebook and Twitter.

As usual, Pizzagate started in small pockets on forums and especially Facebook, but the original article quickly spread until people like Infowars host Alex Jones was reporting on the story.

The origin of Pizzagate is still somewhat confusing. Most false claims have absolutely no backing or sources, and, in some cases, that’s the point EPHS alumni Amir Adan illustrated this phenomena. He runs a satirical blog called American Public Radio News (APR), a parody of National Public Radio, and he posts fake articles about politics.

In April, around the time Starbucks made employees go through racial bias training, Adan posted an article titled “Starbucks: Black employees not required to attend racial bias training because they can’t be racially biased.”

His article, which is completely false, permeated through every crease of the internet.

It first circulated through Nazi forums, but it quickly spread to Facebook and even Twitter.

Heck, even I saw the article on my Twitter feed.

Although the article was fake news, it showed that people blame satire for spreading misinformation instead of true facts. A small blog infuriated or duped countless people, but it’s ludicrous to blame the writer for crafting skillful satire.

Fake news doesn’t always start small, though. On Nov. 7, a White House aide attempted to take CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s microphone during a verbal exchange with President Donald Trump. After public outrage, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders posted an altered video that attempted to prove that Acosta was hitting the aide.

The video was undeniably fake news: It was fake, and it was news. Since fake news has spread to the White House, I’ve been pessimistic that fake news will ever stop. But the problem is with readers, not news outlets.

Let’s put Pizzagate, Adan’s article and the altered White House video into a broader category of how readers don’t fact-check. The altered White House video might be different because the White House is supposed to be a highly reputable source, but there’s no reason to believe in a story like Pizzagate or Adan’s article.

The echo chambers and ignorance that breed fake news are all due to readers who can’t be bothered to check if Clinton running a sex ring is true or not. Once people start checking their sources, the news will get better and more accurate, and these odd occurrences might just disappear.

touchy teachers

BY NICK WALFRID

Have you ever been working at your desk when a ghastly old man grabs your shoulder, or pats your back, as he walks by to bother another student? What about when you’re late to class and greeted by a shoulder grab from a teacher who makes you uncomfortable by standing so close that you can feel their body heat?

What about when a teacher leans into your ear while you’re filling out a worksheet, and you can smell their breath of death as they try to talk and inhale air at the same time? What about the teacher who shoves their rear end in your face as they bend over at another desk to help someone?

Or the teacher that affectionately ruffles your hair you just fixed in the bathroom?

Touchy teachers, or even just teachers that violate the boundaries of personal space, are a nuisance upon our school and are possibly the most unpleasant experience one can have in the classroom. Just because they can touch you does not mean they should.

It almost seems to be a generational predicament, as the most common offenders are those over 55. No matter the case, anyone should be able to understand that nobody enjoys being touched without consent, and people hired to educate us should be able to understand simple concepts such as personal space.

Do not touch me. I’m here to learn, not be physically revolted.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

19

OPINION

Unwanted Unweighted GPA’S

I

n EPHS our school has something called an unweighted GPA. This means your GPA scale is measured from 0-4.0. Schools who have weighted GPA it is typically measured 0-5.0, accounting in your AP and honors classes.

Unfortunately, having an unweighted GPA doesn’t take the difficulty of a student’s coursework into account. This is extremely frustrating for students who take many if not all AP(Advanced Placement) or honors classes.

Managing to get an A in an AP or honors class is much more difficult than trying to get one in a regular class, and this should be taken account into your GPA. It also causes many students to hesitate when deciding to take honors or AP classes, since it technically won’t be shown on your GPA if you took any.

Floating on a river of

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

W

hen I smell the scent of buttery popcorn, my vision starts to go black until I only have a narrow view of the target. The popping sound lures me in and helps guide me towards the tasty snack. I could be floating in the air towards my prize for all I know because I’m a different level of zoned-out when I’m going after popcorn.

Oh, and you better believe that

BY NICK WALFRID

W

I’m ready to faint whenever I finally see the salted popcorn up close. I lose all senses in my body, and I’m only controlled by my taste buds. Once I get the first fist-full of popcorn in my mouth, I’m floating on a river of butter. I’ve found the meaning of life in one bite.

Popcorn is the best snack.

The heavenly experience that it gives people should be enough to make anyone content with life. If I wouldn’t die from it, I’d eat only popcorn for the rest of my life.

DESIGN BY BELLA BECK

Today’s hip hop (mostly) lacks distinction listening to rap sometimes, even though it isn’t even my favorite genre. When I do listen to rap, ip hop seems to be it is mostly all from before I was the genre of music born. The hard-hitting lyrics and that has evolved rhythms of groups like Public the most since its Enemy, Cypress Hill, Black inception. Along with changes Sheep and Wu-Tang Clan seem in recording techniques, culture all but extinct. Instead, we have has evolved greatly as well. The terrible mumble rap and trap rap being produced today does with the same beats and sample not have the same replay value tracks. It’s all repetition, no or lyrical complexity in my opin- innovation. ion and is dare I say not as good.

I do really enjoy

BY CARTER AAKHUS

H

WHY CAN’T WE GO TO OUR CARS?

ho doesn’t love it when they forget their laptop in their car?

Normally, this would call for a simple walk to the parking lot to retrieve it, but this year, security at EPHS has been so tight that students can’t even return to their cars for forgotten items because it is supposedly a security threat. Instead, students get to struggle through their day without the materials they needed to study and are at risk of missing out on critical notes relevant to their classes.

Even worse, the heightened security at our school is useless, as anyone with the intention of creating a threat here could simply enter in the morning as the massive crowd leaving the school buses crams itself inside the doors.

20

BY BAYLEE BRABENDER

security is.

Earlier this year, I was yelled at by a security guard for leaving via the east doors at 7:30 in order to meet my friend in the parking lot. School hadn’t even started at that point, yet upon arrival, I was no longer allowed to leave for the next 7 hours. At other schools, it is possible for students of all grades to leave during lunch and then return because administrators over there are able to understand the concept that if people are going to skip, they will find a way to do so regardless of how tight

Here at EPHS it feels as if we are living in a nuclear bunker, where the guards are intoxicated by the feeling of authority. Who doesn’t love that?

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DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

21

SPORTS Q: How long have you been skating? How did you get started?

A: I’ve been skating for nine years. I joined the figure skating club seven or eight years ago. My brother and I got started because our whole family took skating lessons and we just got hooked.

Q: How much time do you spend a week practicing?

A: Usually about four hours after school all together.

Q: What does a normal season look like for you?

A: We don’t really have a season, that’s the weird thing about skating. We don’t really have a set season throughout the year. We do competitions or keep testing to go up levels, so I’ll do a couple competitions more towards fall and winter and that’s what people call compe-

Skating through

life

A Q&A with Nikhita Dhar

STORY BY BELLA BECK WITH SUBMITTED PHOTOS

22

DESIGN BY CARTER AAKHUS

tition season. During the summer it’s more building physical strength and working to take those tests.

Q: Do you think being in a sport the school doesn’t have a team for impacts the way people support you?

A: A little, I have two separate friend groups through skating. My skating friends are all really supportive of each other and my school friends know I skate and will sometimes come to the shows but they aren’t heavily involved like you would be with football.

Q: What is one thing you wished people knew about your sport?

A: It seems hard, but our job is to make it looks easy, but it’s really not that easy. If you wanted to try ice skating, go for it because it’s so much fun.

BY BAYLEE BRABENDER Q: How long does your season last and how long are your practices?

A: About 4 1/2 months. The practices are 2 hours.

Q: How many games do you have a week, and then in total of the whole season?

A: We have 2 or 3 games a week. We have 26 regular season games plus 6 if you continue to win every game towards the state championship.

Q: What is your favorite part of the season?

A: My favorite part of the season are the playoffs. When the playoffs roll around everyone is focused and playing at their best.

Q: What is your personal goal for the season, and what goal do you guys have as a team?

A: My personal goal is to be the leader of the team and to make sure everyone is always focused. As a team, we obviously want to win the state championship, but we also want to be a lockdown defensive team.

Q: What team is your favorite to play against?

A: My favorite team to play against is Hopkins because they are always very good, and we always have good battles against them.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

BY CARTER AAKHUS Q: How long have you been playing hockey?

A: It’s been 10 years.

Q: What got you to dedicate yourself to hockey?

A: My dad. He played hockey and on holidays we’d all get together and play hockey, so it’s kind of like a whole family deal.

Q: What is your best memory of a game or practice?

A: Winning state freshman year was fun.

Q: What does an average day of practice look like vs an average game day?

A: On an average day of practice we don’t do offense warmups, which we do on game days. During practice we do stuff that isn’t as high tempo.

Q: How do you get motivated?

A: Listening to music and just being around the vibe of the rink can get you pretty hyped.

Q: Do you ever have days where you just aren’t really feeling it?

A:Yeah sometimes.

Q: What is your favorite aspect of the game?

A: The atmosphere. The whole Eden Prairie hockey community is such a tight knit family.

Q: We’re going to the younger girls’ games and they’re coming to our games.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

A: It’s just a fun environment.

Q: Is it difficult to balance school and hockey, and if you have a job, how does that factor in?

A: It’s really not that bad. Game days are kind of hard because we’re at the rink at around 3 and don’t get home until 10. So it’s kind of hard to do homework on game days, but otherwise we get home at like 6:30 every night, which isn’t horrible.

Q: Do you think you’ll continue to be involved in hockey after high school?

A: No I do not want to play college hockey.

DECEMBER 2018 | theeyrie.org

23

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