December 2019

SEX, DRUGS AND MENTAL HEALTH COVER | 18

HOLIDAY DIY WINTER ENTERTAINMENT COLLEGE COMMITS WINTER LIGHTS

EPHS NEWS MAGAZINE

| | | |

10 15 28 32

DECEMBER 2019 | VOL. 59 | NO. 02

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, Eden Prairie MN. 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 recieved, the Eyrie reserves the right to edit letters for length and content. Send letters to theeyrie.ep@gmail.com.

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Last issue, we were able to get lots of feedback about stories, opinions, and reviews from our peers. We loved hearing about what you thought about the content in Issue 1. If you have a strong opinion about something that is published (or something we didn’t, but you think we should), we encourage you to write a letter to the editor about it. This can be on any topic that you feel strongly about and want your opinion to be heard about.

We want to hear from the student body, so write to us! If you send us a quality piece, we will publish it! If you have a submission for a letter to the editor, email it to Sydney Lewis with the subject, ‘Letter to the Editor’ and we will review and publish it as soon as possible.

This issue, we are broadening our scope past just Eden Prairie High School. Our cover story looks into the vaping epidemic while also exploring mental health and relationships. You will see many holiday oriented pieces including what to do over winter break and DIY holiday crafts. Since we are coming to the end of the decade, we reflect on the 2010s and look forward to the 2020s.

We hope you have a wonderful winter break, have fun with family and friends and have a great start to 2020. See you next year!

Sincerely, Sydney Lewis, Editor-In-Chief | 64005772@ep-student.org Danielle Johnson, Print Editor | 90305141@ep-student.org DESIGN BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

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.

WEBSITE theeyrie.org

INSTAGRAM @theeyriemag

TWITTER @the_eyrie

STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Sydney Lewis PRINT EDITOR Danielle Johnson WEBSITE EDITOR Katherine Kregness PR MANAGERS Srihita Raju COLUMNISTS Mikaylie Sosnowski Sharon Michael Shanna Sivakumar

STAFF Jadan Fix Grace Peterson Danielle Johnson Sharon Michael Katherine Sun Mikaylee Sosnowski Srihita Raju Maneeya Leung Shanna Sivakumar Adam Khelah Katherine Kregness Sydney Lewis Vishalli Alagappan

3

HOLIDAY DIY 10-11

NORDIC SPORTS 29

WINTER LIGHTS 32-33

NEWS EDEN PRAIRIE SCHOOL BOARD | 4 DATA SCIENCE CLASS | 5

A GUIDE TO THRIFTING 8-9

COVER PHOTO

FEATURE 2010’s | 6-7

A GUIDE TO THRIFTING | 8-9

OPINION LIVING IN A SIMULATION| 25 STOP ASKING ME WHERE I’M GOING TO COLLEGE | 23

ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS | 14

HOLIDAY DIY | 10-11

WINTER ENTERTAINMENT | 15

FESTIVE FOODS | 12-13

WINTER LIGHTS | 32-33

HAYDEN BOTTERMAN | 16-17 EAGLE PROCRASTINATION | 34

COVER MINNESOTA STUDENT SURVEY | 18-21

SPORTS COLLEGE COMMITS | 28 NORDIC SPORTS | 29 SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE | 30

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

NEWS

The fantastic four: meet the school board

T

BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

he Eden Prairie School Board is something that students don’t often talk about, but it has significant influence on students’ lives. It is one of the most important public offices in terms of direct effects on our community at the high school. “The School Board provides an important role in governance of our schools. Board members bring their expertise to develop and monitor policies, all aimed at our mission of ensuring that each student is inspired every day,” said Superintendent Josh Swanson. The School Board makes many of the decisions that impact our demographic. From deciding when the first bell of the school day rings, to writing referendums like the one seen last spring, our school board has say in much more than many realize.

The four seats that were up for election in early November were held by Lauren Crandall, Karla Bratrud, Dave Espe and Adam Seidel. Seidel is the only board member who ran for reelection. The newly elected officials include Aaron Casper, Debjyoti "DD" Dwivedy, Adam Seidel, and Veronica Stoltz. These four, along with Elaine Larabee, Holly Link, and Terri Swartout make up our seven-person school board.

Aaron Casper

Debejyoti dwivedy

Adam seidel

Occupation: Employee benefits consultant

Occupation: Enterprise Cloud Manager; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Specialist, United States Army Reserve

Occupation: Nonprofit executive management

Occupation: Full-time parent

Contact info: Casper4schoolBoard.com

Contact info: DDforEP.com

Contact info: 952-221-5918

Contact info: stoltzforepeschools@gmail.com

Top Issues: -Pro- designing pathway initiative - Personal finance classes -Partnering with local business and technical colleges -Improving the achievement gap

Top Issues: -School safety -Data safeguarding -Smart spending practices -Engage with local businesses

Top Issues: -School safety -Sustainable finances -Long-term mindset in academic and financial decisions -Maintaining low residential property taxes

Top Issues: -Lower staff turnover -Mental health policy -Improvement of early literacy skills

DESIGN BY SHARON MICHAEL

Veronica stoltz

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Senior Erica Golenzer

Senior Kendra Fischer PHOTOS BY KATHERINE SUN

Deviating from the standard math class

I

BY KATHERINE SUN

n a system where math courses are structured in the all-too-familiar sequence of algebra, geometry, precalculus, then calculus, it’s rare for high schools to break that mold. However, the new “Statistics and Analytics” class created and taught by Mark Kingsbury could begin the transition to a wave of more modern math classrooms and curricula.

Statistics and Analytics aims to provide students with an interactive experience with data and analytics, while also covering the bases of AP Statistics. Kingsbury hopes students “leave with an appreciation and ability for doing [statistics and data science] in the next class or whatever endeavor students might have.”

Senior Kendra Fischer, a current student in the class, said, “it’s the same learning of an AP Statistics class but without the stress.” Furthermore, they’re “learning techniques and building on it without the pressure of tests.”

Much of this unique environment is attributed to the project-based set up of the class. It focuses primarily on collaborat-

ing with peers to investigate data of the students’ choice. “We work in groups. We work in pairs. It’s really collaborative,” Fischer said.

Students work together to produce their own data. Instead of using premade datasets found online or in textbooks, they collect data from their own life. In one project, students created a snack foods data collection campaign. For a week, whenever students ate a snack, they entered data for calories, fat grams, sodium, etc. Then, they could compare their snack food habits to other research shown in newspapers and articles. Unlike the traditional, sheltered math classes, students can engage in a conversation with their work and understand its place in the professional world.

Students in the class are using professional tools. Over the course of the semester, they learn to wield RStudio, a programming language for statistical computing and graphics commonly used in data science and analytics occupations.

With RStudio, they can analyze, interpret, and visualize the data they’ve collected.

Essentially, they can bring the data to life.

Classes that will most likely be added for the 2020-21 school year: -AP Studio Art -AP World History -AP Human Geography -AP Spanish Lit -AP Environmental Science -Theatre Production -Innovation Science -Cyber Security -Several other blended and online courses Check website for more detailed information about class registration in mid- January DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

The 2

FEATURE

T

One of the most influen

BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

he 2010’s have been called one of the most “controversial and influential” decades by many. With technology moving at an increasingly rapid rate, what seems like constant political movements and controversy and new pop culture moments happening constantly, it’s been a crazy decade to say the least. Here we review some of the biggest moments of each year, both political and pop culture wise and reflect on our predictions for the decade to see if any were correct, as well as make some for the 2020’s.

Top 10 moments: Political

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

Top 10 moments: Pop culture

BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

2010- Obamacare implemented

2010- Instagram is created

2011- Osama bin Laden is killed

2011- Snapchat is created

2012- Barack Obama’s reelection

2012- Whitney Houston dies

2013- Nelson Mandela’s death

2013- Kim Kardashian and Kayne West married and had a baby

2014- Scotland votes to stay apart of the UK

2014- The Fault in our Stars comes out in theaters

2015- Same sex marriage is legal in all 50 states

2015- Caityln Jenner debuts

2016- Donald Trump’s election

2016- Beyoncé releases Lemonade

2017- Women’s March / #metoo movement

2017- One Love Manchester Benefit Concert

2018- March for Our Lives movement

2018- Black Panther released; grossed over $1 billion dollars

2019- Most diverse set of lawmakers in Congress

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTOS

DESIGN BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

2019- The rise of TikTok

2010’s

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ncial decades of all time What will 2020 REALLY look like?

BY ADAM KHELAH

Women’s March

March For Our Lives

2020. A new decade. The future. Self driving cars, flying cars, human like robots, virtual reality, a third world war, Mars travel. We humans have a vivid imagination for our future. We’re always trying to predict what will happen next. So let’s travel back in time and take a look at some predictions.

Speaking of traveling back in time,”Back to the Future 2” famously predicted what the world would look like in 2015. The movie predicted flying cars, hover boards and self lacing Nike shoes. Have these predictions come true? Well, kind of.

Flying cars. Believe it or not, they do exist. You’re probably not going to see this extravagant technology soaring over head, but they do exist. A company named Terrafugia created a flying car. You can buy one for a nice affordable $280,000 dollars. It’s basically the price of multiple sports cars. And to be honest, it looks more like a drivable airplane than a flying car.

What about hoverboards? Has someone willed them into existence? Again: kind of.

They do exist, but not in the glamourous way “Back to the Future” shows them. They have to be used on special surfaces, and their batteries only last a couple minutes. Though the movie did predict technology like tablets, mobile technology and hands free gaming consoles.

When it comes to flying cars and hoverboards however, it seems like “Back to the Future” almost inspired them rather than predicted them.

What about some predictions on the crazier side of things? We’ve got those too. Forget flying cars! What about flying houses? The co-writer of “2001: A Space Odyssey” Arthur C. Clarke believed that houses would fly by the 21st century. They would migrate like birds for the summer and spring. Honestly that just sounds more like the plot of a Pixar animated movie than anything in reality. Oh…wait.

But we can do better than that now. There’s certainly something crazier than that. Well, look no further than the infamous 16th century French psychic Nostradamus. This man supposedly predicted the rise of Hitler and 9/11. You want to know what else he predicted? World War 3. He predicted it would start in 2019 and last 27 long bloody years. I guess 2019 isn’t over yet, so there’s still time, but he did also predict the world would end in 1999. Confused anyone?

Okay. So maybe we’re not quite as advanced as some of these science fiction movies predicted. Yet we should marvel at where we are. We’re more advanced than we’ve ever been in history. There’s actually more power on your IPhone than all the power Neil Armstrong had to get to the moon. A new decade is here and it should be full of surprises.

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

FEATURE

Thrifting: who, what, wear?

why:

Stories And Photos By Maneeya Leung and Mikaylie Sosnowski

reasonable reasons to thrift

It’s for a good a cause

Several secondhand stores in Minnesota are nonprofit, so your spending goes to a good cause. Goodwill, for example, uses its profits to support people in their careers. They organize job training programs and employment placement to strengthen communities. Arc’s value village is another nonprofit. It provides funds for The Arc Minnesota, a program providing services to people with disabilities.

Who:

More variety

Since non-curated thrift stores don’t cater towards one demographic and accept donations from anyone, you’ll never know what you’ll find. The clothing doesn’t follow trends or uniformity: almost every item is unique. And if you’re shopping solely vintage, that guarantees the clothing will be of a distinct style and quality versus what you’ll find in a modern store.

Q+A’s with local thrifters

Sara Stein

English teacher Sara Stein described her style as “comfortable, bold, and strange.” After becoming frustrated with people forgetting who she was, she decided to dress weirdly, and it worked: “I think a lot of students know me as someone who dresses kind of strange. Which is nice, I like it.” Stein’s entire outfit was thrifted from Arc’s Value Village Q: How much of your clothes are thrifted?

It’s changed a lot. When I had less money, I’d say it was about 75% and now it’s like 25%.

Q: When did you first start thrifting?

When I was a little kid, because we were poor. I hated it. All the other kids had nice brand names, so I didn’t actually like thrifting until I was in highschool.

Q: What’s your favorite thrift store?

I like Arc’s Value Village. They donate their proceeds to the families of mentally handicapped children.

Q: What’s the best part about thrifting?

I like pants that I find at thrift stores because I hate new pants.

They’re too tight, and if you buy them at thrift stores they’re prestretched.

Q: What’s your best find from thrifting?

A pink and grey plaid coat, three-quarters length. It looks like a really nice, expensive coat, and I got it for twenty bucks.

Q: Would you rather thrift alone or with a friend?

Alone, I like shopping alone. Unless it’s with my boyfriend because then he’ll hold things, and that’s helpful.

DESIGN BY MANEEYA LEUNG

Karin Seaver

Senior Karin Seaver, described her style as “sometimes bold and eclectic. I try to mix it up a lot.” Through fashion, she learned to improvise with what clothes she had while trying to form a unique style. She almost only shops at thrift shops for her clothes.

Seaver’s entire outfit was thrifted from Goodwill.

Q: How much of your clothes are thrifted?

Probably 85 to 90%.

Q: What’s your favorite thrift store?

Goodwill, for sure. It has the biggest variety and it’s the cheapest.

But style-wise, I really like Buffalo Exchange in Minneapolis. It’s a really cool place and smaller. You can find really unique stuff there.

Q: What’s the best part about thrifting?

You’re not going to have an item that’s the same as somebody else’s.

I really like having my closet be completely my own. Also, the clothes you buy were part of someone else’s closet, but now you’re reusing it and making it your own. You’re giving it a whole new chance to live in the world.

I’m realizing thrifting helps the environment, and helps people who work low-wage jobs. When you’re thrifting you’re not supporting fast fashion.

Q: What’s your best find from thrifting?

My friend found these Doc Martens for me, and they were $25.

These jeans I’m wearing right now are actually from Goodwill. They were also a really good find, especially since it’s hard to find good jeans at thrift stores

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Save money

You’re broke, I’m broke, not actually, but it’s such a hassle waiting for that one sweater to go on sale online, or trying on a pair of jeans only to find out they’re $50 at the mall. Secondhand clothes will be consistently cheaper than retail price, especially those that are entirely volunteer-run to keep prices low.

How: tips and tricks to thrift Realistically, you won’t always make an amazing find, and a lot of the clothes won’t fit you or your preferences. If nothing appeals the first time you go thrifting, don’t force yourself to continue, but also don’t get discouraged. Due to many thrift stores restocking quickly, items change all the time.

Come back in a month or even just a week, and you might be pleasantly surprised.

That being said, here are some tips to make the most out of your thrifting endeavors: Don’t be afraid to look at every section.

Check outside of your regular clothing size and take a look at both the men’s and women’s sections.

Wear the right outfit in advance. Not all stores have dressing rooms, so wear tight clothes so you can try your item on before you buy it! But if the store does have a dressing room, wear versatile clothes that generally go well with anything and aren’t a pain to change into and out of.

Examine the items you’re buying to make sure they’re in good condition: are there rips hidden in any seams? Stains? Is the material wearing thin anywhere? Is that hole an unfortunate accident or a stylistic choice? Most stores are final sale, so there’s no returns and refunds.

Check for instructions. Do you really have the time to take care of that “dry-clean only” skirt? What about “hand-wash only?”

Some items can still be machine washed with cold water and hung to dry regardless of the label, but do so at your own risk and be prepared if the clothes wear out.

Secondhand clothes are the future

The clothing industry accounts for 1.26 billion tons of carbon pollution, according to a report from the MacArthur foundation.

That’s 10% of all global emissions made. This calls for some moderation on the manufacture-consumer relationship. When shopping secondhand, you help reduce the demand of new clothing production.

Where: thrift stores in the metro Clothes Mentor 8425 Joiner Way Eden Prairie

Resale clothing chain stocking pre-owned brand-name apparel, shoes & accessories.

Findfurnish (Tandem Vintage) 13 5th St NE Minneapolis

Small business with genuine, high-end vintage styles from the 50s onwards. Additional weekly sales via Instagram story.

Prop Shop

15199, 15195 Martin Dr, Eden Prairie

Community-run nonprofit store stocking resale and gently-used clothes.

Visit your local thrift shop when the seasons change. Shops will be bringing out all the new seasonal items they’ve gathered over the year, and you want to be the first to look through them.

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

FEATURE

Holiday DIY

Turn simple household items into festive holiday decorations.

Here are a couple crafts we captured and made at craft and gift store Homade in Eden Prairie.

Holiday tree garland Materials: -Cardstock paper -Yarn -Hole Punch -Scissors

PHOTOS BY GRACE PETERSON

Instructions: 1) Cut out 12 tree shapes approximately 4” tall.

2) Punch 2 holes in the upper part of each tree.

3) Cut a peiece of paper of yarn 36” long.

4) Begin threading the yarn through each tree.

5) Space the trees apart evenly.

6) Tie bows on each end of the garland and hang!

Felt star decoration Materials: -Colored felt or paper -Glue -Glitter -Scissors Instructions: 1) Cut one 5” star and another 4” star in a different color.

2) Glue the smaller star to the larger one.

3) Use glue to create design in the enter of the star.

4) Sprinkle glitter over the glue and shake off the excess glitter. Allow the design to dry completely.

5) Use the star to decorate a package, hand several on yout wall or put a hook through the felt/paper to hang on your Christmas tree!

DESIGN BY GRACE PETERSON

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Star ornaments/gift decor Materials: -Card board or cardstock paper -Yarn -Colored Pens -Hot glue -Scissors Instructions: 1) Cut a 4” star out of card board or cardstock paper.

2) Cut a 2” X 1” piece of card boad or cardstock paper.

3) Get a peice of yarn approximately 36” long.

4) Put a small dot of glue on the star and place one end of the yarn to secure it.

5) Begin wrapping the entire star with the yarn.

6) Once you complete the wrapping, put another small dot of glue to secure the end.

7) Glue small colored poms on each point of the star.

8) Tie a piece of yarn on one of the points to hang or place on a gift!

Clear ball ornaments Materials: -Clear ornaments -Sharpie or fine point pens -Ornament hooks, ribbon, or pipe cleaners for hanging -Poms, crystals, sequins, glitter, ect.

Instructions: 1) Begin writing fun designs, messages, or names on balls.

Note: Let the ink dry thoroughly before filling.

2) Fill with your choice of colored poms, crystals, sequins, or glitter.

3) Now hang your ornament with a hook, ribbon, or pipe cleaner!

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

FOOD

Festive Foods W

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

inter break has yet to start, but freshman Maya Bond is already in the holiday spirit, or the Hanukkah spirit as the case may be.

After school, she’ll be waiting for a friend to arrive to continue their annual tradition of baking sufganiyot, a sweet fried pastry. Once dinner is over, chocolate coins will pass from hand to hand as the Bond siblings play dreidel. Towards the evening’s end, the first candle on the menorah will be lit. Hanukkah will have begun!

Many gentiles, or non-Jews, recognize Hanukkah’s customary symbols such as the menorah, dreidel and chocolate coins. But what do those items, and the holiday itself, mean for those who celebrate it?

Hanukkah, or Chanukah as it is customarily called, is an eightday Jewish festival celebrating the Jewish people’s triumph over the Greeks in their fight for the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

Bond’s Hanukkah celebration includes lighting a candle on the

menorah for eight nights to signify the miracle of the oil lasting in ancient times, as well as spending quality time with family.

“We all get together and play games, cook and eat meals together,” said Bond. “It means more to me now, because now I have a friend who’s also Jewish and we make sufganiyot, which are jelly donuts. That’s been a tradition for the past two years.”

Sufganiyot aren’t the only yummy dish found in Jewish households during the eight-day festival.

“My favorite Hanukkah food is latkes,” said Bond. “Latkes are shredded potato pancakes, and you fry them in oil. I like to eat them with applesauce or sour cream on top, but they taste like french fries in pancake form!”

This oil-fried food serves as a call-back to the oil that burned for eight days in the Holy Temple without needing to be replaced.

In today’s busy world, making latkes and other foods during

1. Collect all needed ingredients.

3. Drain the potato in a colander.

DESIGN BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

2. Shred the potato.

4. Add all other ingredients.

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INGREDIENTS 1 large baking potato (1 pound), peeled 1 small onion (4 ounces or 1/2 cup), peeled 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon matzo meal 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper Peanut oil, for frying

Hanukkah helps bring families together. “[Latkes] just feel like Hanukkah to me,” said Bond. “You can have something every day, and it won’t have the same meaning as it would if you have it for a week once a year.”

Making latkes is a time-consuming effort, but once you taste the final product, the long minutes of standing over boiling oil are worth it. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, latkes are wonderful to eat as a snack, appetizer or meal. Topped with applesauce or sourcream, you won’t be able to get enough of these savory potato cakes.

Now it’s your turn! Make some latkes for yourself or better yet, spread the love and share with family and friends.

Mikaylie Sosnowski writes a regular column for the Eyrie magazine. If you have any recipes you’d like to see featured, you can contact her at mikayliesosnowski@gmail.com.

5. Use a teaspoon to scoop the mix into a frying pan.

6. Flip when bottom is golden-brown.

DIRECTIONS

In a food processor or on a box grater, coarsely shred the potato and onion. Transfer to a colander and squeeze dry. Let stand for 2 minutes, then squeeze dry again.

Transfer the potato mixture to a large bowl.

Add the flour, matzo meal, egg, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of peanut oil until shimmering. Drop packed teaspoons of the potato mixture into the skillet and flatten them with the back of a spoon.

Cook the latkes over moderately high heat until the edges are golden, about 1 1/2 minutes; flip and cook until golden on the bottom, about 1 minute.

Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture, adding more oil to the skillet as needed.

7. Let dry on paper towel.

8. Enjoy your latkes!

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

REVIEWS

Movie Review:

‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTOS

W

BY ADAM KEHLAH

ith Christmas approaching, it’s time to get into that jolly spirit, and what better way to do it then to watch some classic Christmas movies. “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” is an absolute blast to watch.

The basic premise is that Clark Griswold (Chevy Chase) sets out to make the best Christmas he can for his family, but of course things take a turn for disaster. To make matters worse the extended family on both sides show up, some uninvited, and let’s just say their eccentric personalities contribute greatly to the chaos.

The movie is full of Christmas spirit as Clark tries to give his family the best holiday. We get to watch the watch them cut down their own Christmas tree, go sledding, shopping for gifts, decorate the house with 25,000 twinkle lights, get locked in the attic, accidentally burn down the Christmas tree, get their house raided by a SWAT team. You get the picture.

This movie is absolutely hilarious. It had me laughing a lot more than comedies of today do. Comedies today seem to over rely on crude and sex jokes while other types of humor get pushed to back.

Nothing is wrong with dirty comedies, but it gets tiresome. It really goes to show they don’t make em’ like they used to.

Sure, this movie has some dirty humor. When Clark brings a huge Christmas tree home that couldn’t possibly fit in their living room, his neighbor asks him what he is going to do with a tree that big to which he replies “bend over and I’ll show you.” Yeah that’s dirty alright, but it’s funny and somewhat creative instead of being bluntly crude.

But by far the funniest part of the movie is the classic scene when Clark realizes he’s not getting his annual Christmas bonus.

He goes into melt down mode in front of his entire family and calls his cheap money-saving boss a bunch of hilarious names. That scene is worth the viewing alone.

That isn’t to say this movie is perfect. There really could be a stronger narrative thread to pull everything together. Without it, it does lag a bit in places when the comedy is not as strong. What further disappointed me a bit was that there should have been a stronger pay off to certain setups. For example, the movie stated that the extended family doesn’t get along with each other. They could have done so much more with it! I was really hoping for a big brutal ugly fight at the dinner table on Christmas Eve. Maybe it’s morbid of me to want that, but it sure would’ve been hilarious.

Yet despite its flaws this classic is an absolute blast to watch! I definitely recommend checking it out. It is loads of fun and will brighten your holiday season for sure.

DESIGN BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

Winter Movie Recommendations: 1. “Elf” 2. “A Christmas Story” 3. “Die Hard” 4. “The Apartment” 5. “Bad Santa” 6. “Groundhog Day” 7. “Krampus” 8. “Get Santa” 9. “The Man Who Invented Christmas” 10. “The Night Before” 11. “Last Christmas”

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTOS

Winter Entertainment: ways to keep

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yourself entertained over winter break

BY SRIHITA RAJU

2019 BRITISH ARROWS AWARDS What: The popular Walker tradition is back for its 33rd year.

Come see some of the most creative and bold commercials from Britain. The mix of over-the-top drama and confusing to the point of comedic commercials draw in many viewers, so be sure to get your tickets ASAP since they usually sell-out.

Where: Walker Cinema and McGuire Theatre When: Through December 29

WINTERLIGHTS AT THE PURCELL-CUTTS HOUSE 2019 What: A forty-five minute tour takes you through the prairie-school style house that has been recently decorated for Chrstmas. Learn about the gifts, food, and other traditions the Purcell family would have celebrated in 1915.

Where: Purcell-Cutts House When: Through January 5

ARTISTS RESPOND:AMERICAN ART AND THE VIETNAM WAR, 1965-1975 What: This exhibit (which is free for those 17 and under) shows how American artists responded to the controversial Vietnam War. Art presented in this exhibit also touches on the growing feminist and Black Arts Movements that were taking place at the time.

Where: Minneapolis Institute of Art When: Through January 5

CHRISTMAS WITH THE TSARS What: Collection of holiday themed works portraying the winter months of the Romanov Dynasty. Christmas cards, ornaments, and other Christmas items will show you what Chrristmas was like during the Romanov reign. All artifacts are pre-1917. An enriching experience to learn more about old Crhistmas traditions and Russian history.

Where: The Museum of Russian Art When: Through January 26

Mindless Music Politics in music: Does it belong?

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR I remember watching Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” for the first time. I didn’t know what to expect, but I surely did not anticipate a black man getting shot 50 seconds into the music video. But once it happened, I knew this song was not just another number on the charts.

“This is America” alludes to the racism and gun violence prevalent in America. There are many small actions littered throughout the music video that can be brushed off as artistic expression but are actually relevant to our society. The entrance of Donald Glover includes exaggerated dancing and facial expressions by Glover. This is a reference to the portrayal of Jim Crow, as the racist figure was used to ridicule African-Americans through exaggerated behavior including dancing, gestures, and facial features.

Aside from the portrayal of Jim Crow, Glover makes references to the Charleston Church shooting in 2015, the racist killing of Trayvon Martin in 2012, the 4 Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the greater treatment of guns over human lives.

“This is America” is just one of the many politically charged songs in our society. People have always justified their taste in music with the reassurance that “it’s just music, it’s not serious.”

However, music has always had its serious moments and its playful moments, and both must be accounted for. Music is an extremely powerful concept in our society. It always has been, but with the technology and connectivity of the 21st century, it has the power to spread messages around the world.

There is, however, other controversies as well. People still listen to Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, R. Kelly, and other musical artists despite the crimes that they’ve admitted to. Artists have been charged with domestic abuse and sexual harassment yet they still have songs that chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Perhaps it has to do with the notion that listeners can separate the artist from the music. “Yeah, I hate that artist, they’re a terrible person--but have you heard their album? Top tier music right there.” This phenomenon happens all the time in entertainment. It blurs the line between morality and enjoyment, whether you are silently supporting artists with terrible ethics or if you simply like the artist’s music. It’s a bit unfair because we can’t really control what our music taste is. Once we like something, it’s hard for humans to turn it away.

Shanna Sivakumar writes a monthly column about music. If you have a topic around music that you think should be covered, contact Shanna at 90304402@ep-student.org.

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

PROFILE

“Insight” into the life of

Hayden Botterman

DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS

17

F

BY SRIHITA RAJU

reshman year is a major shift we’ve all had to struggle through.

For Hayden Botterman, who struggles with learning challenges, his first year of high school has been better than he imagined it could be.

He loves to see new people and to get to eat lunch with all the people in different grades. In classes, some of the most important things he has learned so far are how to handle money.

He is really proud of how much he has improved his reading skills. He is also really proud of how he has improved his speaking skills. His sense of style has also changed a lot since being in high school. Although Botterman likes the high school far more than CMS, he did notice that sometimes students can be more judgmental about appearances at EPHS. “Seeing all the kids takes style up another level from CMS,” he said. He doesn’t like that kids judge each other on how they look, and he makes sure to not do that to other students.

Outside of classes, his favorite part of the high school is the clubs. Botterman is involved in the Super Smash Bros Club, where students come together to play video games, and Friends Forever. Friends Forever is a school club where students with and without special needs meet during Zero Hour to play games and participate in activities together. Botterman’s favorite part of the club is “seeing new kids and new people.”

Botterman also loves Music Insights class. Music Insights is a class where students with and without special needs prepare performances to perform on stage. “I like Music Insights because it is really nice people. It is so awesome.” So far, Botterman says a lot of his favorite memories from the beginning of the year have been from Music Insights. He loves getting to spend time with students he wouldn’t have had the chance of meeting if it were not for the club. The students choose the type of performance they want to do and the type of music. They divide into groups to choreograph the routines. Then, they

“It’s fun to get new friends and it’s really fun to perform.”

teach each other the choreography they came up with in their groups. Finally the students get to perform on stage, once in winter and once in the spring. “It is a lot of work, but, hey, it’s fun to get new friends and it’s really fun to perform. And we get no homework!”

Outside of school, Botterman likes to hang out with friends and play video games. His absolute favorite thing to do outside of school is to travel. His favorite place he has been to so far is Indiana. While he was there, he visited his cousin and got to watch her gymnastics meet. He also enjoyed going to Kansas City, MO with his family.

Botterman’s sister, Adia Botterman, grade 12, is so proud to have such an easy going and polite little brother. Most freshmen are so scared coming into high school, but she feels like he has been handling it so well. “He’ll go up to anyone and have a smiling face,” she said. “He is never shy or timid. Everything he does, he does in big ways. He does everything for the right reasons,” Despite the hardships he has had to overcome because of his learning challenges, Botterman remains a positive, genuine and kind energy for everyone in his life. His biggest advice to fellow freshman is to“talk to people, be nice and do not be mean to people and respect the rules, and have fun in ninth grade because we’ll be seniors before we even know it.”

PHOTOS BY SHARON MICHAEL

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

COVER

MINNESOTA STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS

Every three years, the Minnesota Department of Education issues a survey to 5th, 8th, 9th, and 11th graders. It gathers information from students on issues such as harassment, sexuality, substance use, relationship abuse, sex, after school activities, safety, and more.

The 2019 survey showed a surge state-wide in the use of vapes and other substances, a trend that has been heavily covered by the news media. We decided to dig into this issue and others to see how EPHS students compares to the rest of the state - and to previous classes.

The Minnesota Student Survey was voluntary “on all levels� including district, school and personal. Across the state 81 percent of school districts chose to participate. Overall participation was about 54 percent of total enrollment at those schools, so these results may not reflect the true results of the entire population.

DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS

HOW DRUGS AFFECT OUR SCHOOLS

BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

If you are a typical student at EPHS, you have never experimented with alcohol, tobacco or any other type of substance use, but you think the majority of your peers have. That was one of the findings of the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey.

For many people, high school is seen as a time to figure out who you are and explore many different things. One of the things many high schoolers may end up exploring are different types of drugs, alcohol and now, most commonly, vaping and e-cigarettes. One of Minnesota’s Student Surveys main topics covered is student’s substance abuse habits, and 2019 was the first time the survey asked about vaping. Most questions within the substance abuse category are around the topic of alcohol.

Overall, from 2013 to 2019, as a state 11th grade students’ alcohol abuse decreased by around 5 percent. Marijuana use for 9th graders has stayed relatively the same over the years, but for 11th graders it has increased.

Use of prescription drugs such as ADHD and ADD drugs (Adderall, Ritlan, etc.), painkillers (OxyContin, Vicodin, etc.) and tranquilizers (Xanax, Valium, etc.) have also all increased in usage from 2013 to 2019, but still about 96 percent of students have never tried any prescription drugs at all.

Use of “harder” drugs such as cocaine, heroin and different types of hallucinogenic drugs has stayed the same over time as well. Across the state, 99 percent of students report never having done any of the above listed drugs, with the occasional 1 percent skew in the 9th and 11th grade categories.

Overall, Eden Prairie students report less drug use than students in the whole state of Minnesota.. Essentially in every statistic concerning every substance, Eden Prairie students report doing less than the state average, by around 2 percent.

The students here also perceive the risk of doing any drugs, drinking alcohol or using tobacco to be much more risky for your health than the overall state of Minnesota does.

Eden Prairie students also think that their parents would be much more upset with them if they were using substances on a consistent basis than the overall state. Also, once again, Eden Prairie students think that their peers are consuming substances much more than they actually report. For example, only 8 percent of 11th graders think that most students in Eden Prairie have never tried an e-cigarette while in reality 78 percent report never having used one.

All of the questions in the survey about vaping and e-cigarettes were completely new to the 2019 survey. Of the kids in Eden Prairie who vape, around 80 percent get their e-cigarettes from friends while state-wide 74 percent get them from their friends. The view of regular cigarettes’ harm vs e-cigarettes’ harm shows quite a large difference with 69 percent of EPHS

9th grade boys

19

students viewing smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day a “great risk” while only 34 percent see using e-cigarettes a “great risk.”

As a result of the misconception that e-cigarette use is safer than smoking regular cigarettes, the rate of smoking has gone down quite a lot over the years but e-cigarette use has risen.

While 85 percent of Eden Prairie students report never having tried an e-cigarette, the whole state reports 71 percent of high school students never trying one. While we have no previous surveys to compare these results to, it is clear that vaping as a whole has increased.

LeeAnn Mortensen, Community Outreach Rep at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction treatment and advocacy center, gave us some more insight on vaping. The first question asked was “Why do you think vaping has become more popular than cigarettes?”

She explained how the tobacco industry has been losing market share since major lawsuits in the early 2000’s when evidence was shown that the industry was marketing to kids, knew nicotine was addictive and that smoking caused cancer, even though they said that none of this was true. E-cigarettes were their answer to regaining their lost market.

“As a part of marketing they did not talk about nicotine being in the products so many youth did not know they were addictive,” she said. “They also did not equate them to the cancer-causing, health hazards of cigarettes because they marketed them as cessation products – which they are not.” She also said e-cigarettes are not FDA approved as an aid to help people quit smoking. “And they are not proved to help people quit,’’ she said.

Schools can play a big part in helping prevent students from vaping and there is a lot they can do to help kids. “Schools can partner with a local public health and other organizations to help educate parents and students, develop a plan for helping those who use in school, install e-cigarette detectors – which resembles a carbon monoxide detector,” she said.

Eden Prairie has taken many steps that schools should be taking to support kids. Our school has invited speakers such as Mortensen during fall conferences and incorporated the education of vaping into the health programs. The school also has someone from Hazelden who is coming in a couple days a week to help run groups for kids who are already in a place where they are relying on e-cigarettes, according to Principal Robb Virgin.

Whether it is with alcohol, tobacco, hallucinogens, e-cigarettes or any other type of substance, Eden Prairie is once again, as in many other things, an above average school. We have a school that compared to the whole state of Minnesota is doing a lower amount of substance abuse than the average.

9th grade girls 11th grade boys 11th grade girls

Percent of EPHS students who vaped 0 out of the last 30 days DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

Rarely or never feel good about themselves

Sometimes feel good about themselves

Always feel good about themselves

Very often feel good about themselves

COVER

MENTAL HEALTH IN THE CLASSROOM

BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

11th

11th

ys e bo

grad

ls e gir

grad

9th g

rade

9th g

DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS

boys

rade

girls

The mental health of teens affects everyone, especially in an environment filled with students such as a high school.

Student mental health is one of the most commonly referenced topics in hallways, classrooms, and lunch tables--though it is often in the form of jokes and self deprecating humor. In our world, it is more acknowledged than ever before, but it still remains ambiguous to many--youth in particular.

Depression is a common occurrence in teens, with teen suicide and self harm rates at a record high. According to the Minnesota Student Survey, 4 percent of male 11th grade students at EPHS had self harmed within 30 days prior, while 16 percent of females had self harmed.

Students find their mental health to be inhibiting to academic performance.

“It is something that is a huge reason for some students not performing as well, and I think if [teachers were to] take that into consideration, there would be a big increase in performance,” said senior Karin Seaver. Mental health shows a strong pattern of recurrence with struggling students.

Strategies implemented by the administration designed to improve mental health often have little effect due to lack of accessibility explained senior Aria Miles.

Therapy dogs and social workers are unhelpful if teachers won’t let students leave class, she said.

Students are often aware of the harmful nature of many coping mechanisms. Only 4.5 percent of 9th graders and 6 percent of 11th graders surveyed that they express their feelings in healthy ways. Social worker Steven Banks explained that when students know that their behaviors are unhealthy but choose not to change it is much more difficult to help those students.

Based on the Minnesota Student Survey, 7.4 percent of youth in grades 9-12 report-

ed that they had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. When asked about this statistic, Seaver said, “No, it does not surprise me. I think it’s really clear to see all the people that are really struggling.”

Eden Prairie is infamous for “AP Culture” or the pressure placed on students to take high level courses and pass them with high grades. Seaver contends that the highly competitive nature of EPHS can negatively affect mental health. “If you’re in a higher class, you’re doing better than everyone else but also not doing good enough. It’s a constant comparison,” said Seaver The stigma around mental health at the high school is no different than that of the country. Staff and students feel that the community at EPHS is growing more willing to talk openly about depression and suicide, though the reputation still exists, as Banks explained. Students with anxiety are often unable or unwilling to approach a teacher about their mental state, pointed out Miles.

Banks stresses the importance of paying attention to the mental well-being of oneself and everyone in a community, saying, “It’s relevant to everybody. Because, despite the stigma, we all deal with it from time to time.”

With the definition of success being so subjective at a high school age, it is very easy for students to compare. “We put so much of our self value into school and we don’t see ourselves succeeding to the standards that we think success is. That immediately makes kids feel like they’re worthless,” said Seaver. Miles agrees, saying that the self esteem, and often mental health, of students at EPHS is often dependent on comparison.

Mental health is an important issue with our community and the teenage demographic. Paying attention to the wellbeing of yourself and those around you can make a serious difference in the quality of life within a community.

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NOT HAVING SEX? You’re not the only one

BY SYDNEY LEWIS In many ways, Eden Prairie is an above average high school, but not when it comes to sex.

About 35 percent of 11th graders surveyed last spring by the Minnesota Department of Education had had sex before. Compared to that state-wide average, in the EPHS junior class, 21 percent of males and 14 percent of females have had sex. These numbers have stayed constant in the past six years, though other numbers relating to relationships have changed.

Relationship violence, both physical and verbal, has decreased since 2013 for every surveyed group at EPHS except for 11th grade females. For this demographic, there has been a slight increase in the number of women who have encountered physical or verbal violence in a relationship.

With heterosexual sex, the biggest concern is often pregnancy. Condom use has significantly improved at EPHS since 2013. In the 2013 survey, 62 percent of female 9th graders who have had sex reported not using a condom the last time they did so. In 2019, that number was 0 percent.

More troublesome data are the responses of female 11th graders to the same question, whose trend was inverse of that of the 9th grade girls. The percent of 11th grade girls who did not use a condom the last time they had sex doubled from 2013 to 2019.

Overall, trends in sex and relationships have not increased or decreased drastically. Though it may seem like everyone around you is having sex, that simply is not the case.

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

OPINION

Taboo Topics Ca$h MoNeY

BY SHARON MICHAEL Money. Yes, money. I know what you’re thinking. B-O-R-I-N-G. Trust me, I know that money is probably one of the last subjects you would ever want to read an article about. But it’s not money itself that is a taboo, but the way we discuss it - or not - in our daily lives.

Money. It’s an integral part of one’s life; the paradox is no one wants to talk about it. In fact, most people would rather discuss politics, religion or their sex lives than even broach the subject of money or personal finance. But why? It seems as if the United States’ money taboo stems from the British, who, traditionally, deemed it terribly gauche to talk about finances. Basically, those who were wealthy didn’t need to talk about finances because they could easily figure out what your net worth was from how many houses you had, what cars you drive, how many servants you had, the yachts you owned, and the places you vacationed. In the United States, however, due to the vast contrast in land, one’s net worth became slightly differentiated from one’s ability to own property because almost everyone could own property.

Although the social code around money talk has shifted, one thing has remained the same: It’s still an uncomfortable subject to broach. Many of our social taboos about money exist for social comfort at the cost of knowledge and education. It’s why so many people grow up being told “not to worry about it” or “it’s none of your concern.” But when the time comes to be financially independent, many people have no idea what to do because they were never taught how to have healthy conversations about money.

Money is one of those things that carries a negative social stigma. It’s considered rude or braggy to talk about it and nosey to ask about it. We live in a society where talking about money makes us seem like greedy, self-absorbed individuals. Having conversations around money can be extremely loaded.

There’s so much subtext and hidden meaning wrapped up in it: happiness, fulfillment, growth, power and even personal efficacy. However, the stigma around money is simply unwarranted. The truth is, we have less to lose from condemnation and more to learn from conversation. Talking about money doesn’t need to be a taboo.

Staff Editorial Several schools have instituted anti-vaping campaigns since research has come out about the high rates of teen vaping. Eden Prairie High School is not one of those schools. Despite the risks that have been published in many news sources since the release of the Minnesota Student Survey, the EPHS administration appears to be doing nothing to prevent EPHS students from vaping.

Our school’s approach seems to be more reactive than proactive. Students are reprimanded and their vapes are confiscated, but there is very little push to stop students from vaping in the first place. Instead of approaching it from a health and safety lens, it is approached from a disciplinary view.

Schools should care about what their students are doing inside the classroom AND what they are doing outside of it. Is it the job of the school to keep students from vaping outside of school? No. But, is it the job of the administration to care for and keep their students safe? Yes. The most education parents get is a speaker who was brought in during conferences, a time when parents are busy meeting with teachers and don’t have the time to go to a separate talk about vaping. Attendance was sparse.

Students are well equipped in how to hide stuff from their parents, especially a thin, five-inch object that can pass for a pen or a flashdrive.

The way to decrease the number of students vaping is to convince students independently. Many students do it out of habit, because of their social atmosphere or because they are addicted. Students are aware of the consequences, mental, physical and disciplinary, but still choose to continue. Instead of confiscating vapes and reprimanding every offender, maybe find out why they do it. Start at the root of the problem and that is where you will find the solution.

The solution is not gathering the senior class into the PAC and telling them how vaping is affecting their lives. The solution isn’t giving detention to students who vape. The solution isn’t judging students for vaping. The solution isn’t generalizing the choices of a few people into an entire generation.

The solution is school-wide education and prevention information. The solution is talking one on one with students about why they vape, what they use vaping to cope with and why they aren’t stopping. The solution is building relationships with students so they are willing to talk about their habits openly and without judgement. The solution is giving students who want to quit the resources to be able to do so. There are so many solutions on a macro and micro level that could be taken by our school’s administration.

Editorial Cartoon

Sharon Michael writes a regular column for the Eyrie Magazine on controversial topics that explore topics that people are not comfortable discussing.

GRAPHIC BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN

DESIGN BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN

Stop asking me where I’m going to college!

Dear friends, distant relatives, work acquaintances, and miscellaneous adults in my life: Please stop asking me where I’m going to college.

Trust me, I understand that it’s an easy topic to resort to and that it’s an innocent and caring inquiry that you probably don’t mean any harm by, but the more and more I get asked the question, the less genuine it begins to feel. It starts to feel more like an obligatory question that’s synonymous to asking “how’s the weather?” or “how are you doing?” instead of you actually being interested in where I’m going to college. It’s such a bare question that holds so much baggage behind it. I know deep inside that when I tell you my answer, you’ll subconsciously interpret it into some tell-tale sign about my personality and success in life or even how smart and well-off I am. If this is the only question you intend on asking me, it shows that you don’t really care about how I’m doing emotionally or physically. And maybe you don’t care about those things at all, but if you don’t care about my well-being then what makes you think I want to have a conversation with you about my future plans?

The application process and waiting to hear back is stressful enough and the constant talk about it is mundane and discourte-

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ous, not to mention it makes me even more anxious. The constant questioning is a lot more obnoxious than you think. Sure, college is an important stepping stone and I truly do get your excitement for me as the prospect of college is an exciting one but it isn’t everything and senior year shouldn’t be centered around where everyone is going to college.

When asked the question, “where are you going to college?” every person is different in their response. Some seniors are able to happily rattle off the list of schools they’re applying to along with their reasons for applying. However, for the rest, the college application process is a much more intimate process and something they’d rather keep to themselves. Now, I’m not saying that you should never bring up my post-secondary education. Just make sure that when you do, you’re actually interested and not just asking to try and make small talk.

The truth is, I’m so much more than my education and I’d much rather have a conversation with you about my interests, what book I’m reading, or what movies I think are terribly overrated, not about where I’m going to college.

Sincerely, Sharon Michael

Climate Strike: Take 4

BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

he golden light of the Minnesota Capitol rotunda lights a growing crowd. Amongst it are those from every walk of life. Every gender, race, religion represented. Kids barely walking and seniors with the same problem. Voices echo from everywhere making it hard to hear speakers until a group of half a dozen voices becomes twenty, thirty dozen in a chant.

This is the Minnesota Youth Climate Strike. The fourth one of 2019, in fact. Organizers from all around Minnesota come together to advocate for climate action, protest inaction, and lobby for divestment.

The national organization, US Youth Climate Strike, is organizing strikes all over the country. The strikes take place during school hours, with youth effectively on strike from school until lawmakers commit to actions and follow through.

Climate change is an indisputably relevant topic with the current social and political climates. Youth are a key demographic within this movement, making it much more accessible to teens. Getting involved is essential to maintain climate stability for our futures. Events like these occur frequently and present students with

opportunities to talk with legislators and voice their opinions.

Recently, Greta Thunberg, a very prominent youth climate activist, won TIME Magazine’s person of the year award. Thunberg is practically a household name, as the sixteen-yearold relentlessly protests climate inaction. Her impact only serves to demonstrate the impact that youth can have on this movement.

As the 2020 election rapidly approaches, environmental policy is a key issue for voters. Youth activists such as members of Youth Climate Strike look to highlight its importance. The election of a pro-climate policy president would hopefully mean big change in America. Local elections also have great significance in this fight. Those seeking reelection scramble to placate the protesters with promises of action.

Dec. 6 climate change protest. PHOTOS BY SYDNEY LEWIS

US Youth Climate Strike has been on the front lines of the fight for climate action since it was founded by Isra Hisri with the intent of creating an intersectional, youth led coalition of climate activists striking for action.

The strike on December 6 was one of many ways for youth and adults alike to get involved in climate activism and policy making. More direct action will occur soon in order to sway legislators into committing to more permanent actions.

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

OPINIONETTES

Peeing is a waste of time

BY SYDNEY LEWIS

Bliss is ignorance is cowardice

BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN

As I sit here writing this, my bladder is slowly filling with the three red Kickstarts I drank this morning.

But here I am, doing my work instead of going to the bathroom. You know why? Peeing is a waste of time. Do you know how much I can get done in the two minutes it takes to get to the bathroom, 26 seconds it takes to pee, one minute it takes to wash my hands, .5 seconds it takes to look at myself in the mirror, one minute it takes to walk to the New Commons, 48 seconds it takes to buy another Kickstart, and the minute it takes to get back to class? I can do at least half of an AP stats problem.

Happy people are cowards. Why you ask? Just look to the saying, “ignorance is bliss,” coined by a true visionary, an unhappy one at that. Bliss is simply a pretentious synonym for happiness. Therefore, the inversion of the saying, bliss is ignorance, affirmed by the commutative property, is true. Ignorance, I have observed, is a characteristic most closely associated with cowards. What’s the evidence for this assertion, you enquire? Simply direct your attention, ladies, gentlemen, and non-gender conforming individuals, to the current white house. Let me put it this way: only cowards choose to ignore the clearly alarming data that identify our fast-approaching doom and choose to not act. Only a coward who holds the power to reverse and prevent damage to not just his own country but destruction that will reverberate throughout the globe. Hence, I declare happy people are cowards because they choose to ignore otherwise blindingly clear facts about our reality. Bliss is ignorance is cowardice.

The sexist patriarchy of speech

Ducks are the ultimate animal

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

BY SHARON MICHAEL

A recent rule on the Eden Prairie Speech Team is that women--especially novices--are not allowed to wear pantsuits this year. This rule was made to make the team look more professional, but all I can see is that our team looks sexist. It’s 2019, what woman isn’t wearing a pantsuit?

The coaches who talked to the girls about the dress code this year mentioned that they’re feminists, but what I don’t understand is why no one else seems to care about this. Everyone’s been silent, agreeing to wear a skirtsuit as if women haven’t been forced to wear skirts since society has initiated a dress code. As a member of the speech team, I’m the one who has to feel my best every Saturday, where I go through multiple rounds of public speaking. I need to feel empowered and confident, not like a puppet of the patriarchy.

If I could be any animal in the world, I’d be a duck.

Ducks are the coolest. Not only can they close one eye and put half their brain to sleep, but they also have a sick reproductive system. Ducks have such a rad respiratory system that they can effortlessly fly from sea level to the altitude of Mount Kilimanjaro in just a short period of time. Ducks also represent some of the most iconic cartoon characters such as Daffy and Donald Duck. Ducks can swim, fly and walk on land. They have access to all terrains. They are the ultimate animal, and I would give anything to be a duck for a day.

DESIGN BY KATHERINE SUN

25

Living in a simulation

BY KATHERINE SUN

101011001.

What if that was your genetic code? What if DNA doesn’t actually exist? What if we’re just “humans,” composed of zeroes and ones, “living” in a computer.

As scary as it is, it might just be possible.

Forty years ago, we had Pong, the pixelated video game where users tried to keep a ball moving side to side within their screen. Now, we have Oculus Rift, a virtual reality headset that makes video games more real than ever. If technology keeps advancing, then who’s to say that we won’t become the next generation of “Sims” living in a computer?

Founder of Tesla and SpaceX, Elon Musk, believes that there’s a one in a billion chance that we’re living in base reality. In other words, he believes there’s a 99.9999999% chance we’re in a simulation. He thinks that if we assume there’s any technological advancements in the future, humans will one day reach the point

where we can simulate other humans. We will have enough computing power to simulate freewilled humans and our entire universe.

And if this happens, people in these simulations will start creating their own simulations.

Eventually, there’ll be billions of simulations, and only one original, non-simulated universe.

Thus, Musk believes the chances of us living in that real universe is incredibly slim.

Musk, however, isn’t the first person to think of this crazy simulation idea. Nick Bostrom, an Oxford professor, first introduced the theory in his 2003 paper “Are we Living in a Simulation?”

He believed that our fate is, or was, limited to three options: 1. Humans will die before we can create a simulated universe.

2. Humans will, for some reason (ethical, moral, etc.), decide not to create a simulated universe.

3. Humans have already created simulations, and you are living in one right now.

Bostrom posits that our reality will eventually lead to one of those possibilities.

So what do I think? Imagine this: a middle school science fair competition. Each 12 year old kid created their own experiment: a simulation, more specifically, a simulated universe.

Earth is just one of those projects. All the kids are comparing their experiments. “Look at my experiment! One of their countries elected an orange as their leader! They’re ruining their universe with obscene amounts of carbon emissions! The animals are dying, water levels are dropping, and the sky is darkening!”

Regardless of what world we’re living in, I think we’ll have free will. Or at least that’s what I’m going to choose to believe. Right now, there’s really no concrete way to know whether or not we’re living in a simulation. So we’re all better off treating it as reality and full control of our lives.

GRAPHIC BY MANEEYA LEUNG

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

The Experiment group with Ela Ghandi, Mahatma Ghandi’s granddaughter

FIRST PERSON

Kommetjie, South Africa

Beading South African flags onto safety pins Reading and playing games with homestay sisters

The Experiment group at the Cape of Good Hope, the southeastern most point of Africa

Final day with homestay mom and sister

Cato Manor township

PHOTOS AND DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS An avenue in Mozambique named after Karl Marx

W

hen we stepped onto the street, our driver shouted the numbers of our houses at the children and they eagerly showed us the way. Grabbing us by the hands and pulling us down the road, we found our new homes.

The township we were in, Cato Manor, was built on a ridge so the houses on the right side of the street met the gravel road with a steep, cement staircase up to the door. On the left side was the opposite, stairs heading steeply downhill to meet the doors.

As I walked to the door, my host mom greeted me with a big smile and a hug. She told me to call her Mama, introduced me to the neighbors and brought me inside. She gave me a tour of the house, a three-bedroom home with an open kitchen and living room and one bathroom. I had one brother, but didn’t know anything about him.

I had been home for a few hours and was sitting on my bed journaling when he knocked on the door. He entered, sat on the edge of my bed and said, “Hi, my name is Tau, I am 15 years old, I am South African, I am black, and I like to play chess.” He stated these facts then sat quietly, waiting for me to introduce myself.

I told him that my name is Sydney, I am 17 years old, I am American, I am white, and I am horrible at chess. He smiled and welcomed me to his home. I met his friends, many of whom were the host siblings of my friends, and, by the second day, he and I fell into a routine. We both got home from our studies, played outside with our friends, ate dinner with our parents, helped each other with homework (I helped him with English, and he helped me with Zulu), convinced our parents to let us go hang out with my friends, then came back home and played a game of chess, which he always won.

In South Africa, our primary focus was on peace, politics and human rights. We went to museums, attended lectures and were immersed in South African culture. We saw the socioeconomic inequalities that last long after the end of Apartheid. Class and race cannot be talked about as independent issues because of their vast intersections.

27 Because Apartheid in the Republic of South Africa was ended 27 years ago, it has one of the most progressive constitutions in the world. The Bill of Rights states that the state cannot discriminate against anyone based on their “race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, conscience, belief, culture, language and birth.” This makes it a global leader on equality and fairness… theoretically.

In general, the people of South Africa are not as liberal as the Constitution itself. There is still blatant homophobia, sexism, racism and socioeconomic inequality. One of the biggest disparities that we witnessed was education. We visited and met with students from private and public schools, integrated and segregated schools, all girls and co-ed schools. In these environments, we were able to talk to them about resources, educational philosophies and extra-curricular activities.

Every day I think about that trip and not only the impacts made on me by the country and the trip, but by the people I traveled with. I met amazing people who want to change the world just as much as I do and we all had one goal while we were there: to learn.

We weren’t there to change lives or “save” anyone, we were there to learn about systemic inequality and the organizing that dismantled the corrupt institution of Apartheid. The people I met, the places I visited and the things I learned will never be lost on me.

About the program: The Experiment in International Living Leadership Institute is a six-week merit-based scholarship program that gives students the opportunity to explore either public health in India and Nepal or peace, politics and human rights in South Africa and Mozambique. The program includes one week in DC of workshops and preparation, four weeks in country, and one week in Vermont for post-program synthesis and project planning.

Upon our return to our home states, we are expected to implement a project that will span the length of our whole senior year and will create a positive social change in our commmunity.

The group of students were from several states across the United States. All students shared a common passion in their communities and many were activists working on issues like racial integration of public schools, gun violence prevention, climate change and LGBTQ+ equality.

Applications are now open for students currently in their junior year of high school who have a passion for social change, international relations and public health or human rights.

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

SPORTS

John Mittelstadt

Maddie Ishaug

Athletes committed to college

Photos submitted

BY JADAN FIX

There have been many talented athletes at our school who have committed to college this year, and past years. They have all put in extra work outside of practice to get where they are. These people are athletes and students. They value school just as much as their sport. Athletics is an important role at our school and these athletes have all had the amazing opportunity to sign to a school and go further with their athletic and education career. “I am most excited to play basketball and also get a good education at the same time� said Connor Christensen. The official signing day at Eden Prairie High School will be February 5 in the Activities Center. This day will be a very special day for these athletes. Below are some athletes who have verbally committed.

Grace Szymborski

Connor Christensen

- Connor Christensen, Senior: Basketball, Dartmouth - Kylie Rydland, Senior: Swimming, Pennsylvania State - Izzy Thorne, Senior: Rowing, University of Minnesota - Lesil Paulsen, Senior: Cross Country, University of Minnesota - Grace Szymborski, Senior: Cross Country, University of Minnesota, Duluth - John Mittelstadt, Senior: Hockey, University of Minnesota - Carrie Byrnes, Senior: Hockey, Brown University - Maddie Ishaug, Junior: Soccer, University of Wisconsin, Madison - Luke Mittelstadt, Junior: Hockey, University of Minnesota - Maggie Brown, Senior: Lacrosse, University of Southern California - Drake Dobbs, Senior: Basketball, Liberty University - Kenzie Kluge, Senior: Track, University of Wisconsin, Madison - Nneka Obiazor, Senior: Basketball, Youngstown State - Sydney Langseth, Senior: Hockey, Mankato State University DESIGN BY JADAN FIX

Nneka Obiazor

Maggie Brown

- Justice Sullivan, Junior: Football, University of Iowa - Adrienne Peterson, Senior: Swimming, Florida Atlantic University - Mason Langenbrunner, Junior: Hockey, Harvard University - Jackson Blake, Sophomore: Hockey, University of North Dakota - Tommy Mendyke, Junior: Lacrosse, Rutgers University - Will Foster, Junior: Lacrosse, Marquette University - Brandt Thompson, Senior: Baseball, Northern Iowa Area Community College - Austin Andrews, Senior: Basketball, University of Minnesota, Duluth - Miles Frisch, Senior: Basketball, Carleton College - Carter Batchelder, Junior: Hockey, Colorado College - Claire Kuipers, Senior: Hockey, Saint Anselm College - Natalie Mazurek, Senior: Basketball, University of South Dakota - Claire Willet, Senior: Rowing, University of Wisconsin, Madison - Ben Steeves, Senior: Hockey, University of Minnesota Duluth

29

Eden Prairie nordic vs. weather

Kareena Bovitz

The struggle is real

H

BY GRACE PETERSON

ow much does weather affect Eden Prairie Nordic? Skiers practice and race enough to know about good and bad skiing conditions. These athletes spend many hours on the snow, and it plays a big part in this sport.

The perfect condition to ski in is when the snow is super packed down; not too icy, but also not too soft.

It’s possible to work with almost anything but it can be difficult.

The weather can affect this sport in many different aspects. Senior Kareena Bovitz said, “For example, the temperature determines the type of wax that’s needed for skis. Also, if temperatures are warmer, the snow conditions tend to be much slower and harder to ski on.”

Weather affects what they do that day because it depends on what the weather is like, if there’s no snow they can’t ski.

During the summer, Nordic holds a summer program called Stryke, which consists of hill training, strength, agility, and rollerskating. It’s dry-land training that will help them improve their team. This helps them during the winter and they come in stronger each year from their summer training.

Practice almost never gets cancelled unless there is a cold advisory. “We’re not allowed to ski if temperatures get too low such as -40 windchill, but -20 degrees without windchill. Otherwise on the warmer side of things, we try and make the best out of the places that make snow,” said Bovitz. If that isn’t possible, they go back to dry-land training and lifting like in the summer.

Photos submitted

How do these athletes keep warm during these cold temperatures? Bovitz said, “There are certain things we have to do if the weather gets below 15 degrees.

We have to wear hats rather than headbands.” They always need to make sure everyone is dressed appropriately for the weather. If the athletes are cold, then they need to just keep skiing on.

Senior Lisel Paulsen, is also a part of Nordic team, said, “We practice as a whole team for about two hours every day after school and Saturdays, so about 12 hours a week.” They obviously spend many hours outside, but no matter the weather conditions, these athletes will always find a way to work hard and make up for bumps in the road.

Kareena Bovitz, Rachel Boelke, Allie Gross, Liesl Paulsen

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

SPORTS

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MAY 2019 | theeyrie.org

31

Spotlight Athletes Myra Moorjani - Basketball

BY GRACE PETERSON

Q: Why did you start playing and for how long?

A: I started playing basketball because both my parents played most of their lives, so I’ve been playing since I was 4.

Q: What position do you play?

A: Point Guard and Shooting guard.

Q: Which team is the hardest?

A: Hopkins is defintely the hardest/best team in the state (possibly even the country) Q: Any futrue plans after high school?

A: I hope to play college basketball.

Q: Best memory of high school basketball?

A: Winning AAU (club) state championship in 7th grade.

Q: What advice do you have for people interested in playing the sport?

A: You should for sure try it even if you have never played before! I have met some of my best friends through my teams.

Photo by Anitra Byrd

Ryan Warren - Basketball

BY ADAM KHELAH

Q: Why did you start playing basketball? Does someone else in your family play?

A: My uncle was a basketball player and I look up to him.

Q: Is basketball something you want to do professionally or just for fun?

A: For fun. It allows me to travel a lot.

Q: Are there times when you’re not motivated and how do you get through it?

A: Yeah there’s times I don’t feel motivated to play, but I just think about the long term and force myself. If I don’t feel like going now, there’s going to be other times I don’t feel like going, and they are going to add up eventually.

Q: What team is your favorite to play against?

A: I like playing against Cretin. There’s a kid in my grade on that team and I have a big rivalry with him.

Q: What team is the hardest?

A: Last year it was Hopkins. This season is about to start up, so I don’t know yet.

Photo submitted

Q: Is there anything about basketball you would change?

DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

PHOTO ESSAY

Holiday lights

PHOTOS BY SYDNEY LEWIS A

Alpine Trail

Bay Drive

Baywood Lane DESIGN BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

Haralson Drive

around the city

33

AND MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

Baywood Lane

Baywood Lane DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

ACTIVITIES

Eagle ProcrastiNation

BY MANEEYA LEUNG AND JADAN FIX

2010 2011 2012 Dancing 2013 Through 2014

the Ages 2015 2016 2017 Tik Tok Don’t stop, make it __________, DJ, blow my speakers up.

Artist: Ke$ha Rolling in the deep Artist: Adele

We could of had it __________, rolling in the deep.

Somebody that I used to know Artists: Gotye feat. Kimbra Thrift shop Artist: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis ft

But you treat me like a __________ and that feels so rough.

I’m gonna pop some tags only got __________ dollars in my pocket.

Happy Artist: Pharrell Williams

(Because I’m happy). Clap along if you feel like a room without a ____________.

Uptown Funk Artists: Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars

I’m too hot (hot damn). Called a police and a ____________.

This 2010’s have started a new trend of many dance moves.

Love Yourself My mama don’t like you and she There have been many Artist: Justin Beiber likes everyone and I never like to different dances throughout admit that I was ___________. the decade. Lots of these come from certain music and songs that Shape of You The club isn’t the best were trending. These dances have Artist: Ed Sheeran place to find a lover so the been a trend all over the world. These ___________ is where I go. dances have brought people together and it has made bonds God’s Plan She said, “Do you love with people all over Artist: Drake me?” I tell her, “Only the world. People make partly” I only love my ___________ and my momma, videos and take pictures I’m sorry. doing these things and post them all over social media. These Old Town Road two students, Dylan and Amel, Artists: Lil Nas feat showed a few of their favorite dance Billy Ray Cyrus moves from this decade. Can you guess I’m gonna take my horse to the old what these dance moves are? town road I’m gone _____________ ‘til I can’t no more.

2018

2019

WORD BANK Soulja boy Renegade Juju on that beat Whip Woah Nae nae

DESIGN BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

35

Crossword:

Trends of the 2010’s

Find answers at theeyrie.org under the Quizzes category DECEMBER 2019 | theeyrie.org

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