Eyrie issue 4 2018

Aiming for change COVER STORY | 18

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“HAMILTON” TO MN| 09 THE CAFE MEOW| 10 UNPOPULAR OPINIONS| 14 GUESS THE STAFF MEMBER| 29

EPHS NEWS MAGAZINE

MARCH 2018 | VOL. 57 | NO. 04

Welcome POLICIES Mission Statement

The Eyrie strives to be an accurate, informative and entertaining publication for the students and faculty of EPHS.

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 The rise of mass shootings in the U.S. has been accompanied by a rise in the voices asking for political reform to address the issue. EPHS students have joined in. Two weeks ago, several hundred students walked out of the high school to show their desire for change.

It may not seem like a big deal, but these walkouts at over 3000 schools across the nation caught the attention of Americans young and old. If nothing else, the walkouts helped force a conversation. Gun control and the larger issue of what should be done to address the rise of school shootings in the U.S. is on the mind of every politician and political group. High schoolers helped make it happen.

Students are speaking up in other ways too. This issue, we invited students to submit student opinions on this issue. Teenagers often don’t pay attention to political issues.

That’s why we were pleasantly surprised by the number of submissions we received. We think they capture a good variety of opinions on what could be done to curb school shootings, touching on ideas of banning guns, arming teachers, and addressing mental health.

From desegregation to marriage equality, past generations of young adults in America tackled social issues and pushed for political reform. Through protests, lobbying, and taking a stand, they took action and made a difference. Now, our generation is speaking up to tackle safety in our schools.

Enjoy the fourth issue,

To follow the Eyrie on Twitter, use the Twitter handle @the_eyrie.

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

Printer

The Eyrie is printed by the Eden Prairie Schools Printing Services, 17185 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN, 55346.

STAFF Editors-in-Chief

Elizabeth Buse Kelly Pu

Design Editor

Sophie Brandser

Business Manager Inika Shetty

Website Editors

Karen Larionova Oliver Taylor

Photo Editor

Emma Swanson

A&E Editor

Sophie Brandser

Cover Story Editor Kelly Pu

Feature Editor

Elizabeth Buse

Elizabeth Buse and Kelly Pu

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DESIGN BY KELLY PU

News Editor

Inika Shetty

Opinion Editor Adam Chao

Profile Editor

Emma Swanson

Sports Editor

Sophie Brandser

Columnists

Oliver Taylor Nicole Ruppert

Staff

Bella Beck Isabelle Felton Lauren Murphy Greta Ness Kira Parrington Lucas Pham Nicole Ruppert Nick Walfrid Winifred Halm De-souza

Advisor

Jodie Flolid

Content Josie Lippincott: Five years and still rowing

Planned Parenthood

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05 March 2018 Vol. 57 | No. 04

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Ruppert’s Rarely Seen: A brew-tiful time

NEWS

What to know about Juuls| 04 Advocating for a cause| 06 Reducing waste | 06

A&E

Oldies but Goodies: TV| 08 Review: “The End of the World” | 11 Review: Nintendo Switch | 11

OPINION ON THE COVER PHOTO BY EMMA SWANSON

Sophomore Sydney Lewis, senior Molly Sheehan and sophomore Gabi Pittinger lead the student walkout.

Kicking it with the MTA

Nerf wars | 12 Politics and Twitter: Pro-con| 13 Ignore the trolls | 16 Dehumanization of education | 16 Opinionettes | 17

COVER

School shootings | 18

PROFILE

Wang: Designing shoes to tattoos | 22

SPORTS

Offcourt: Stand up and dribble | 24 Esports: sport or not? | 24 Kicking it with the MTA| 26

FEATURE

Year you were born| 30 It’s not a phase mom| 32 Comics: Class clowns| 33 Photo essay| 34 MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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NEWS

What you should know about the

THE POPULAR NICOTINE DEVICE IS CREATING CONTROVERSY ACROSS CLASSROOMS

STORY & GRAPHIC BY KIRA PARRINGTON

J

uuling is a common way for adults to get nicotine without smoking. That was the original purpose. Juuling has now evolved into a common pastime for teens all over America, according to a study done by The US Food and Drug Administration. Although you must be 18 to buy a Juul, teens of all ages are obtaining and using the device.

A Juul is a type of e-cigarette that is almost the same size as a cigarette. It is different from a regular e-cigarette, according to Juul because it is the lightest reusable e-cigarette. Each Juul has a tight draw that closely mimics the draw of cigarettes.

There are many chemicals in the vapor used in Juuls that may increase the risk of getting cancer. John Ross, MD, at Harvard conducted a study providing information that suggests Juuls have potential health benefits.

Controversy first arose when a text was released onto social media stating

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DESIGN BY NICK WALFRID

that a nineteen year old college student got lung cancer from using his Juul. This caused a huge commotion all over the nation. Many students disposed of their Juuls after seeing this.

According to Dr Kien Vuu, clinical profes-

sor of medicine at UCLA-David Geffen School of Medicine, continuous Juuling over time with the nicotine vapor can increase smokers risk of lung cancer, but it is not guaranteed that you will get lung cancer.

Vuu also said that it is unlikely that Juuling has any short term effects.

The truth is, like smoking, the chemicals used in Juuls can lead to cancer - but it does not guarantee that you will get cancer if consumed. Juul’s official website states that hitting the Juul 200 times or 200 puffs is equal to one cigarette pack.

“I believe that if you Juul every day for years, you are more likely get cancer,” said an EPHS sophomore who did not want her name published. “On the other hand, this doesn’t stop me from Juuling because I don’t do it that often.”

After polling a dozen students who admit to Juuling, the answer is unanimous: They are not going to stop Juuling.

Although Juuling was an alternative to consume nicotine without the health risks of smoking; studies now show that using a Juul does have some serious health risks.

Plan your parenthood in Eden Prairie 582 Prairie Center Dr, Eden Prairie, MN 55344 952 - 653 - 4499 HOURS: M, W, T, F: 10a.m.-4p.m.

Tuesday: 12p.m.-6p.m.

Saturday and Sunday: Closed

SEXUAL WELLNESS IS JUST A SHORT DRIVE AWAY IN EDEN PRAIRIE

PHOTO BY GRETA NESS

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BY GRETA NESS

irth control is a common product used by teenagers to prevent more than just pregnancy. But some young people may be afraid to talk to a parent or guardian about using it, or not know where to go to get it. Some may also not have health insurance or the resources needed to get it through some doctors or pharmacies.

But what a lot of students and people don’t know is that there is easy affordable care available for people of all ages in Eden Prairie at Planned Parenthood.

Planned Parenthood is one of the nation’s leading providers for health care and the largest provider for sex education, and also provides services such as no-cost birth control, STI tests, cancer screenings and more.

While the average patient is a 20-30 year old woman, there is care available for people of all ages and all walks of life. About 1 in 5 women has visited one of the clinics for help. Some may think that birth control is the woman’s responsibility, and that Planned Parenthood is female-oriented, but there are many men who are patients at reproductive clinics.

Men make up 10 percent of the 64,000 patients that use Planned Parenthood’s serves annually.

Teenage pregnancy rates have decreased a great deal in the past decade due to more advanced birth control methods. This is also due to women and men having more access to birth control for a lower or no cost from organizations like Planned Parenthood. But although the rates of pregnancies have decreased, that does not mean that the importance of using birth control has. In order to keep these rates low, young people need to continue using and educating themselves about the importance of it.

Planned Parenthood stands for the health of the people and giving affordable, compassionate and helpful care to all patients. Teenagers can get birth control and other tests and advice from professionals just a few miles away.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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NEWS

Advokating for a cause

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BY SOPHIE BRANDSER

his spring National Honor Society and Student Council will be hosting the second annual Advokate event. This event is in honor of Kate Fronek, who lost her battle to cancer last year.

Advokate will be taking place at the Staring Lake Amphitheater on May 19 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The event will include musical performances by EPHS students, alumni, band and teachers. As of now, people who perform at the event must be invited. National Honor Society President Sydney Kepler said, “We hope to end the night with the singing of ‘Amazing Grace’.”

Kepler said “Advokate is going to be a huge event.” There will be food trucks, a photo booth, merchandise, and games. Since this event takes place in the spring, there will be outdoor games such as bean bag toss.

Love Your Melon will be donating hats that will be raffled off.

Admission to Advokate is free, but food will be for sale. The profits of Advokate will be donated to the Angel Foundation, an organization that

May 19

4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Staring Lake Amphitheatre

provides emergency financial assistance, education and support to people with cancer and their families; The Pinkie Swear Foundation, which helps kids with cancer and their families with emotional and financial support; and Brighter Days, a grief center located in the Twin Cities. They will also be donating to Hope Kids and Gilda’s Club.

“Sydney Neuman and I have always wanted to have a music festival,” said senior Kenzie Fronek. Last year, the Fronek family was asked if they would like an event held to raise funds for Kate. Last year’s Advokate event was successful, so they decided to organize another. This year, the event merges the idea of a music festival and a fundraiser to raise money for families affected by cancer.

Fronek said “I love the name Advokate; Advokate for yourself, for others, stick up for what you believe in.” The theme of advocating serves to support those who are in the hard time struggling with cancer.

“Kate had a spirit about her that loved life, she celebrated people for who they were,” said Kenzie Fronek. Advokate is a perfect event to celebrate Kate’s life, enjoy music, and eat dinner.

Reducing waste and helping communities STORY AND PHOTOS

BY EMMA SWANSON The students of EPHS have donated around 650 pounds of food to the PROP food shelf over the past several months simply by not tossing out uneaten food.

Since December containers have been in place next to the garbage and recycling bins in the commons for students to put their uneaten fruit and milk.

The program created by sophomore Mrinalni Iyer has helped divert a large amount of student’s food waste to families in need. “Ever since I was in elementary school, I would notice kids throwing away food and milk,” Iyer said.

She explained that when they were younger, kids would make up stories about the food coming from strange places which would make them not want to eat it. “Looking back on that, we wasted a lot of food for no reason,” she said.

Iyer wanted to do something to help decrease our food waste, so she worked with the school and cafeteria workers to help establish a way to donate the food. During lunch, cafeteria workers move the bins into a fridge in the back kitchen to preserve the food. Later in the week, Iyer packs it up and drives it over to PROP. “I don’t drive yet so my parents are helping me right now,” Iyer said. “But my goal in the coming weeks is to get more people involved and eventually get the students to help me drop it off.”

The program is still new, and Iyer is working to expand it to get others involved, starting with

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DESIGN BY WINIFRED HALM DE-SOUZA

students in the Tree Huggers Club.

She hopes to eventually expand the idea to other schools, especially the elementary schools, where she sees the most food waste occurring.

Iyer wants to make a difference. “You look at the events happening in the world and you start to feel helpless like, I can’t really do anything to fix what’s going on, and so you have to be the change,” she said. By reducing the high school’s food waste, she’s working to help the local community.

Sophomore Mrinalni Iyer

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! d n 2 2 h c r a M MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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A&E

Oldies but goldies

BY BELLA BECK

“Freaks and Geeks” (1999)

The eighteen episodes of this 90s classic TV show is unforgettable. Littered with young hollywood faces such as Jason Segel, James Franco, and Seth Rogan, this show is definitely binge worthy. In this short ride we travel along side characters Lindsay and her younger brother Sam circa 1980. We see Lindsay ditch her old life with mathletes/ honor role to start hanging with the loveable burnouts and punk kids.

“Heathers” (1989)

Heathers

In this alternative 80s movie, Winona Ryder and Christian Slater portray the young, Freaks and Geeks dark couple, DJ and Veronica. Throughout the movie, their plan to eliminate the squad of four popular girls at their Ohio high school, all of which are named Heather, is revealed. The movie illuminates every dark thought plaguing the outcasts of 80s society and heightens them to the extreme. If you’re looking for a classic dark comedy, this is the movie for you.

“Can’t Buy Me Love” (1987)

Young McDreamy. Is there anything better than 20 year old Patrick Dempsey? Portraying the young, geeky outcast Ronald Miller, Dempsey’s character decides his best way to get with the “in crowd” is to buy the affection of the most popular girl in school, Cindy Mancini, played by Amanda Peterson. Throughout this feel good rom-com, you watch their relationship grow from a business deal into something more than they expected.

The Goonies

“The Goonies” (1985)

When brothers Mikey and Brandon Walsh hear they’re losing their house to foreclosure, they stumble upon a map with a big red “X.” Now, I know you’re thinking, “ugh, a pirate movie,” but this is nothing short of a classic romance and adventure film.

“The Shining” (1980)

Can’t Buy Me Love

“Here’s Johnny!” In this Stanley Kubrick classic, we meet the Torrance family, Jack, Wendy, and their son Danny. Jack has been hired as the new caretaker for the Overlook Hotel during the winter. We discover Danny’s gift of “the Shining” through his violent visions of the hotel’s past and we begin to see history repeat itself with the Torrance family.

“Stand By Me” (1986)

The Shining

After the passing of an old friend, a writer reminisces in the summer of 1959 when he and three other friends set out on a journey. After they hear the body of a missing boy might be hidden in the woods on the outskirts of their town, their adventure is sparked. Throughout the movie you see the four mature and learn from each other and come together to get the job done.

“Friday” (1995)

Friday

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On a Friday just like any other, and Craig Jones, played by Ice Cube, finds himself newly unemployed. Joined by his friend Smokey, a rather unintelligent dealer, they watch the world around them unfold. Through encounters with neighbors and local bullies their hilarious dynamic unfolds. If you need a movie with basically no plot but Stand By Me loaded with punch lines that hit you hard, this is the perfect film for your Friday.

DESIGN BY SOPHIE BRANDSER

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTOS

GRAPHIC BY EMMA SWANSON

‘Hamilton’ to Minneapolis tickets sold out that afternoon.

Luckily, there is still a chance at getting tickets to the six-week run. The he Broadway musical “Hamilton” will be coming to Minneapolis Orpheum sells only 15,000 season subscriptions, according to the Star this summer at the Orpheum Theater. The show will be opening Tribune, and in February only 5,000 season subscriptions were sold. The August 29 and staying until October 7. remaining 10,000 are for the current holders who will be able to renew “Hamilton” is a hip-hop musical that focuses on the life of their subscriptions.

Alexander Hamilton and many of the other Founding Fathers. It follows There are a total of 120,000 available tickets for “Hamilton” accordHamilton’s rise to power and his eventual fall when he is killed in a duel ing to the Star Tribune. Not including the season subscriptions, that still against Aaron Burr. leaves 105,000 tickets to be sold individually in the upcoming months.

The musical is very popular, making getting tickets difficult and Tickets are available to purchase from the Orpheum Theater website with expensive. In February tickets went on sale for the Orpheum season sub- prices ranging anywhere from $513 to $11,741 depending on the perforscription that includes eight shows, “Hamilton” being one of them. People mance and seating. lined up at the box office and waited hours to get their season tickets. The

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BY EMMA SWANSON

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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REVIEWS

is clawsome

STORY AND PHOTOS BY LAUREN MURPHY

A

new kind of cafe has opened in Uptown that adds a fluffy twist to your average coffee shop. Cafe Meow combines two things that many people can never get enough of: cats and coffee. Overall, the coffee shop is a great idea that has led to countless customers walking through the door, but there are some parts that could be improved.

The first thing you see when you walk in the door is the coffee shop part of the building. It was nice and clean, without any sign of cat contamination. Pictures and paintings of cats created by local artists line the walls and add another layer of individuality to Cafe Meow. Whether or not you have reservations to spend time with the cats, the cafe is great place to sit down and have some coffee.

The menu has many drink options, including coffee, tea, hot chocolate, espresso and more. The prices are similar to what you would find at an average coffee shop. The drinks were nothing spectacular. It was just an average cup of coffee. For coffee connoisseurs, this would not be the place to go. Most of the shop’s effort goes into providing for the cats.

There were also many sweet treats on the menu. They have cookies, scones, macarons and cakes, all of which look exceedingly

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DESIGN BY LAUREN MURPHY

delicious. The shop is also vegan friendly. They have vegan cupcakes which all flaunt adorable cat faces. The mint chocolate cupcake is just one of the many flavors they have, and it tastes excellent.

The second room in the cafe is the area that houses all the cats. The room is very well kept with plenty of food for the cats and litter boxes tucked away. They also have many places to go and explore. Along with the giant cat tree in the middle of the room, there are platforms on the walls, bridges, toys, smaller cat trees, and beds. There is no question that the cats are very well taken care of.

The cats have many places to go, which was fortunate for them but unfortunate for us.

They have many places to stay tucked away and hidden. I expected to be in the cat room and have endless opportunities to play with a cat, but I was immediately proven wrong. For most of the time I was in there, there were about 10 people all just following around cats that didn’t want to be bothered or dangling a toy in front of a cat’s face trying to get a reaction out of them.

The cats themselves are all very pleasant.

Location: 2323 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN They allow themselves to be pet and are very kind to all the people there. If you are looking for a relaxed place to just hang out with a cat sitting next to you, it would be the perfect place to go.

The motivation behind the cafe is what makes it truly an amazing place. All the cats you meet there come from local shelters, and they are up for adoption. The owner’s goal is not to turn a profit but to give cats the best opportunity to find a home.

Overall, Cafe Meow is a good experience. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but I still came out of it happy having met some new feline friends. Rather than a place to go and play with cats, it was more a mutual place where cats and people can both hang out with some interaction.

‘The End of the F***ing World’ will make you wish the world actually f***ing ended

BY NICK WALFRID Why would the producers of “The End of the F***ing World” intentionally make it so awkward that it’s impossible to watch? See, if you want to make a teen-oriented show about adolescence, of course injecting the clammy feeling of uncomfortability is necessary, but must the entire show make viewers want to crawl out of their skin, or run away to a forest without internet connectivity? That is the question that “The End of the F***ing World” poses.

As you attempt to watch the show, you’ll notice that the plot revolves around teens James and Alyssa, both problematic individuals with more issues than intelligence. James is a psychopath who gets bored with killing animals, so when Alyssa throws a hissy fit in the lunchroom and then comes over to James, sitting alone at his table, James decides that he will kill her.

But then, Alyssa becomes so enraged with the members of their small British town, she decides to run away, convincing James to knock

out his obnoxious father and steal his car in order to embark on a road trip. The whole time, James is plotting to kill Alyssa, but other events distract him and he starts to fall for Alyssa.

While it may seem like an incredible plot (and don’t get me wrong, it is), the artificiality of the teen’s personas make it an incredibly irritating show to watch. Alyssa is an obnoxious tryhard, who seems to only care about being edgy, not behaving naturally.

Worse, James has the personality of dry thanksgiving turkey when he’s not

plotting to kill something. I would recommend reading the show’s summary, reading the book, or reading anything else that will prevent you from having to watch the show, because “The End of the F***ing World” will make you pray that it’s title comes true.

GRAPHIC BY KELLY PU

One year later: A retrospective view of the Switch CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

BY ADAM CHAO Following the flop of the Wii U, I was reluctant to buy the Nintendo Switch. However, in an effort to recreate childhood memories, I decided to take the plunge. To my surprise, the Nintendo Switch embodies everything that the Wii U could have been. From its versatility to its sleek design, the Switch delivers the ideal Nintendo experience.

The success of the Switch has revitalized Nintendo’s primary appeal, which is its wholesome, family-friendly feel. As a lifelong Nintendo fan, I am pleased to say that the Switch exceeds my initial expectations. The Switch gives me the same feeling as when I held my

first Gameboy and Gamecube controller: unadulterated excitement.

New, innovative features such as the JoyCon (detachable controllers), 8-way Bluetooth and portable tablet offer a gaming experience unlike any before. Initially, I was skeptical about the Joy-Con, but after months of use, I encountered many situations where I could detach the controllers and play with a friend.

Although the Switch deserves high praise, it certainly isn’t perfect. One of the qualms I have with it is its library of games. Simply put, Nintendo greatly lacks in this department.

Although the library is sparse as of now, I am hopeful for the future. The lifespan of the Switch is reported to last upwards of six years,

which means plenty of games will be released within that time frame.

Secondly, the Switch lacks in power compared to other gaming devices such as the PS4, PC and Xbox One. Nintendo had to sacrifice power for portability and mobility.

Other consoles don’t offer portability like the Switch does. If you buy the Switch with power as your main motivator, you are making a mistake. All in all, the Switch isn’t necessarily a weak machine; however, it is not up to par with other consoles.

If you purchase the Switch, you can expect the full Nintendo experience, equipped with the innovative Joy-Con, tablet and new games.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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OPINION

staff editorial

I

The price of safety

n a perfect world, schools would require no security. However, in light of recent tragedies, discussion concerning school safety has been elevated.President Donald Trump has proposed arming 10-20 percent of teachers trained and armed with firearms is being proposed, but our staff opposes it. Without even accounting for its unviability, this policy is littered with problems. First, physically keeping firearms on campus is problematic and poses numerous safety obstacles.

It is unclear whether this would put students at more risk or not. Second, is it really a good idea to arm teachers? Studies show that trained police hit their targets downwards of 20% of the time in training exercises of an active shooter, so how would teachers perform in comparison?

Aside from arming teachers, other solutions are being suggested.

Security reinforcements like metal detectors and I.D checks are among the most common suggestions. In select schools, implementing these could be beneficial. In exchange for safety, however, these schools would become more like prisons. Not only do schools need to take into account the overhead cost of metal detectors, they also need to compensate for logistical issues such as securing other points of entry and discerning

whom to screen. There are simply too many logistical issues to overcome. Crazy people are always going to be crazy people, no matter what policies are put in place.

What we can address, however, is mental health. The root cause of psychotic behavior is poor mental health. Even if we simply confiscate the guns, the root cause will still exist. We should hire more school counselors and social workers to help students cope with mental issues.

By tackling the root cause, the crime rate is bound to decrease.

Common sense measures to restrict access to firearms should be implemented to keep these guns away from criminals. Stricter background checks and a blanket ban on assault rifles will prevent these criminals from committing these heinous crimes in the first place.

Students nationwide are already taking this problem into their own hands. Protests and coordinated walk-outs have been orchestrated in an effort to garner the attention of top officials. Amidst the chaos, a new generation is changing an era. A new generation that will bring reform and progress.

-THE EYRIE STAFF

Nerfs should be on this turf

BY LUCAS PHAM

With another Nerf war at Eden Prairie inevitably around the It seems as if the dangers of school-run “Nerf wars” is only increasing corner, the lawsuit against the Lakeville school district couldn’t be these days. However, this doesn’t more relevant. Understandably, the mean that the high school should Lakeville lawsuit may worry Eden interfere with how they are run Prairie school district leaders as in any way. well. If it wanted to, the school could In late 2015, two Lakeville easily intervene and set guidelines on South High School teens were rough play. killed in a car crash caused Given the nature of Nerf wars, it in part by engagement in a would be extremely difficult for the district-wide Nerf war compeschool to enforce any rules. Most tition. Now, the parents of the if not all “combat” takes place away two teens are suing the Lakeville from school grounds and away from school district, saying that the the eyes of teachers and staff. With district was aware of the ongoing or without such rules, the school Nerf war and its dangers but did will be held responsible either way. nothing to prevent them. It was Additionally, setting rules makes not only the crash that spurred Nerf wars exactly what the school the lawsuit: students were also doesn’t need: a sanctioned activity. often “kidnapped” unsafely on That opens the district up to more school grounds to be taken away potential lawsuits when things go for “assassination,” the lawsuit alwrong. leges. In a statement, the school Under most circumstances, the PHOTO TAKEN FROM CREATIVE COMMONS district said, “the auto accident [...] school’s involvement in a Nerf war was in no way connected to a sanctioned or supported school activity. [...] competition is unnecessary. Such an intervention is ineffective, even Therefore there is no liability or fault on behalf of Lakeville Schools.” dangerous. It is best left to the students to decide what is right and safe.

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DESIGN BY ISABELLE FELTON

Pro

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

Younger people are using social media to spread political information and learn about politicians. Social media platforms, such as Twitter, enhance the reach of politicians and the electorate of the U.S. Although tweets don’t lead to policy, social media is a valid form of political participation that is more important than protesting, petitioning or even voting. After all, voting is one voice being heard. Spreading information and debating policy over social media can reach thousands, if not millions, of people in the U.S. and around the world.

Now, politicians are affected by a new standard of honesty, accountability and accessibility because of social media. Tweets can be archived and used to fact-check. Politicians also cannot escape their constituency because public accounts promote criticism and debate.

The consequences are not all negative for politicians. According to ThoughtCo reporter Tom Murse, politicians can now advertise more easily, get immediate feedback and tailor their messages to their audience.

In their campaigns, President Donald Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders used Twitter to reach the American people quickly. They used catchy phrases to spread the word and then responded to the support and criticism they received.

Conversely, Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State, failed to utilize social media during her campaign. Because Sanders garnered massive support through Twitter, he gained more votes among young people.

Clinton’s social media campaign aide, Emmy Bengtson, has said, “We were never the cool candidate.” She admitted that it was difficult for people to get enthusiastic about Clinton and her policies.

The power that social media holds is crucial for Americans, too.

Con

BY KELLY PU

Twitter is ruining the credibility and quality of politics.

With 330 million users worldwide and 76 million users in the U.S., Twitter is one of the most popular social network sites. It allows for the fast dissemination of information through 280 character tweets and accessibility on any mobile device. But sometimes, less it more. This is especially true in the case of Twitter.

Twitter makes it easier to spread and access information. But what good is this if it the information being spread is biased, false, and sometimes, plain propaganda?

Over 1.4 million users were exposed to Russian disinformation during the 2016 election. More recently, after the Parkland school shooting, fake tweets and news articles were doctored, misidentifying and wrongly accusing people, including innocent Facebook user Marcel Fontaine, of being the shooter.

Other times, the information spread is true, but it has been angled to fit a specific narrative. It starts with the demographic of users. According to the Pew Research Center, only 21% of U.S. adults use Twitter. Statistica reports that 40% of these users are between 18 and 29 years old. This younger generation is liberal-leaning, meaning that the news reported and spread on the social media is likely to be liberal-leaning as well.

With such a small percentage of voters being represented, information spread on Twitter is almost guaranteed to be unrepresentative of the general consensus of the nation. Twitter might be educating voters, but skewed information like this is just as harmful as no information.

Twitter isn’t about educating voters or expressing opinions. It’s about getting a reaction. People care more about likes and retweets than about actually contributing valuably to the discussion.

Speaking out on social media Although politicians can use social media as a tool to gain votes and support, Americans can use social media to promote a discussion about politics and teach politically apathetic citizens about economic and social issues that face the U.S. and the world.

Before social media, people from one side of the country couldn’t contact people from the other side of a country without sending an email or letter. Now, someone from Minnesota can compare and contrast the morals of abortion or gun control with someone from Texas in less than a minute.

People who would be politically apathetic can research topics and debate with people across the country and even the world. On the other hand, people who are already politically active can share their knowledge and opinions with people who seek education.

When people debate and educate each other, a movement starts.

Sanders and Trump both created political movements through their use of social media because they could inform their followers of protests, voting dates and important bills in Congress.

If people didn’t have those resources, they would have to rely on newspaper or TV for their news and politics, which lacks the back and forth talk that occurs on social media.

On Twitter and other social media platforms, issues like sexual assault, climate change, gun control and class cleavages have gotten national attention in ways relying on traditional media could never provide.

The people who complain about Twitter politics are missing out on a massive source of power. Teenagers who take advantage of social media to educate themselves and spread their message will soon influence politics more than their senior citizen counterparts.

Twitter itself is part of the problem. Its code of conduct states that it does not tolerate “violent threats” and “wishes for the physical harm, death, or disease of individuals or groups.” But last August, President Donald Trump tweeted “military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!” This threat of nuclear war is a clear violation of the code.

Twitter still hasn’t shut down his account. Why? Because Trump’s tweets average millions of likes and retweets every month (Twitter’s excuse is that Trump’s account is “newsworthy.”).

Politicians and professionals have turned to Twitter to go on emotional, impulsive rants with dire consequences. President Trump will be remembered for Twitter outbursts instead of any policy he passes. He has reduced politics to memes instead of consequential policy that affects hundreds of millions. When did “Trump’s most ridiculous celebrity Twitter rants, ranked” become newsworthy?

Reporters have also disregarded common sense in favor of getting the most interaction on their accounts as possible. During the Parkland shooting, student Aidan Minoff posted photos and live updates from the scene. Reporters immediately began trying to contact him so they could get firsthand information. Instead of worrying about the safety of Minoff and other students and staff, these reporters were concerned about getting permission to use his photos or scheduling a phone interview.

If you’re using Twitter to keep up with pop culture and your friends, that’s fine. But politics is a different story. Twitter might be making an impact, but it isn’t a productive one. If you truly want to make a positive change, get off Twitter. Go educate yourselves with real, unbiased news.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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OPINION

Unpopular opinions Have you ever felt alone in your mindset? We all have opinions that no one agrees with. The Eyrie staff shares some of their not-so popular opinions. How many do you agree with?

Astrology

BY KIRA PARRINGTON Astrology is all a big hoax. I’m not saying that the sun and stars aren’t aligned in certain ways or that astronomy is fake, I am simply saying the readings pulled out of the sky are. The doctor had more of a gravitational pull on you the day you were born than the stars ever will. It is an excuse for people to blame their issues and successes on something other than themselves.

You are fully in charge of you, and you are the only thing that is going to make you fail or succeed in this world. It is a way for people to feel like they know themselves when truly they are just listening to what some person sitting in an office made up to fill up space in a newspaper.

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Lululemon sucks

Fortnite needs to stop

BY NICK WALFRID

BY ELIZABETH BUSE

Would you pay $98.00 for a pair of black leggings that you’ll have to wear every day because you spent all of your money on them? If you’re a boy, how about paying $68.00 for an ugly, uncomfortable and tight athletic shirt that makes you look like an eighth-grade basketball team wannabe? If you enjoy buying bland, overpriced athletic wear, I hope you enjoy Lululemon because everyone else pretends to.

Never willingly ran a mile in your life? It’s okay. That doesn’t stop anyone else from buying from Lululemon. I’m sure you’ll have fun spending all of your money and looking the same as everyone else as a result... just don’t think about how your “athletic” wardrobe will be completely passe in two years.

Despite the demand of this new video game, it sucks. And it isn’t even the actual game I don’t like. I’ve played it multiple times, and it isn’t so bad. But what makes it so appealing over other games? Why do people spend so many hours trying to get a victory? Not to mention, if I see one more victory Snap Story, I will explode. If you get a victory, great, why do you need to post about it every day? We get it, you play Fortnite.

It seems like lately, this is all people are doing. They will leave while hanging out with someone to play or, even worse, they will not even show up at all! I promise this is just a trend, and soon it will be out of style. You’ll be wishing for your countless, pointless hours back.

DESIGN BY KELLY PU

This title is more poetic than “Milk and Honey”

Retest the elderly

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

Although many are hesitant to bring up the issue, it is evident that elderly drivers can be hazardous. Both statistically and anecdotally, I can attest to the fact that a retest policy needs to be instituted in order to keep the roads safe.

According to statistics from AARP, older drivers, per mile driven, are over-represented in fatal accidents. Due to their frail bodies, they are more likely to be injured in an accident and possibly die of that injury. According to the Insurance Institute for Representation Highway Safety, a senior citizen is more likely than a younger driver to be at fault in an accident in which they are involved. The most common violations include failure to obey traffic signals, unsafe turns and passing, and failure to yield the right of way.

Physical strength and mental stamina begin to deteriorate as a person ages and they may not even be aware it is happening. Although there are some voluntary measures a person can use to check their driving abilities, the danger of elderly drivers is still a large problem. An aging person may have some issues admitting they are no longer fit to drive. It is important to communicate the importance of safety when operating a motor vehicle.

A concern of mine is that legislation is likely to not pass due to the big wig state legislators. Often, legislators themselves are elderly, so they might be less willing to accept these terms. We should look to Illinois to inspiration; citizens over 75 have to take a test every year. We need to adopt a retest policy similar to Illinois’, if not harsher in order to ensure the safety of American citizens.

The poems in “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur are not good. I appreciate Kaur for putting her private life out on display through writing, but her poetry has no literary merit.

The recent movement of minimalist poetry lacks any style or meaning. Such poems being spread on Instagram and Facebook are just a couple of sentences, most of which could be written by anybody.

“Milk and Honey” is no different. The popular poems do not rhyme, contain no colorful imagery or metaphors and do not inspire the reader. In addition to the poems being pointless, they’re also short and leave readers unfulfilled.

The lack of style from these minimalist poets, with their refusal to capitalize anything, is almost upsetting. I read Kaur’s work and feel embarrassed for my generation, which will be remembered as the generation that fell for bad poetry.

Short poetry that doesn’t rhyme can be good, but it has to be clever, descriptive or unique. “Milk and Honey” is full of sad and fake-deep sentences.

No fun allowed

BY ADAM CHAO

BY NICOLE RUPPERT There’s absolutely nothing wrong with people liking things. Our generation has created a word to describe things they do not agree with: “cringy”. People who like things that are awkward or make others feel embarrassed by just being around them. The majority will always snicker in the shadows at people who are excited about something deemed “childish” or that isn’t part of mainstream media. As long as it does not harm you or offend anybody, why should you care? People raving about their favorite anime shouldn’t be something for you to laugh at. While you might think people are childish if they play with Pokémon or ponies, you’re more childish for making fun of somebody who very clearly wishes you would stop.

If a friend talks about something they are clearly happy about, do not be the person to stop them. Would you rather them be sad? Does bullying them into stopping their passion make you feel bigger as a person? If you spot somebody doing something deemed awkward, just leave them be. Everybody deserves something that makes them laugh or smile on a rainy day, even if that thing is “cringy”.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

15

OPINION

IGNORE THE TROLLS!

BY WINIFRED HALM DE-SOUZA Social media has become a very big part of our world today. It has given individuals the platform to share their opinions because they use social media as a way to communicate with people, but what if the idea is misused?

This is where name calling comes in. On social media people can hide behind their devices and comment negatively, positively or whatever they want. Name calling can be related to race, gender,religious background or etc..

I was once scrolling through someone’s Instagram feed when I came across a comment I will never forget. It said, “You are too pretty to be dark skinned.” I thought to myself, What does race have to do with being pretty? Do you have to be a certain race to be “pretty”?

I meditated over this for a couple days and came to the conclusion that instead of being a positive community for others to share their thoughts, social media is rather a negative one filled with lots of negative people. I tried to put myself in the victim’s shoes, and I felt

miserable.

My friend was on her Snapchat when she came across a story. The story of a girl who was body shaming another girl. She called her very skinny and underweight. My friend was so surprised because girls are supposed to uplift each other, not bring each other down. She shared this information with me, and I was also surprised Internet trolls are present on social media because they are very insecure themselves. They believe that making others feel how they feel will make them less insecure. They like negative attention, and your response and anger contributes to it. It is a waste of time to try to prove them wrong on social media. The keyword here is “ignore”.

It is up to us to have a positive mindset when we are on any social media. We can all have a positive mindset by liking other posts and commenting positively. Your like might even make someone’s day because every like matters. We should also have a mindset to ignore negative people because of their insecurities. If we put up with their act of negativity and name calling they will probably realize that we do not live off of their negativity.

The dehumanization of our educational system

BY INIKA SHETTY Our education system is turning us into robots. While, education is a very integral and important part of society, yet it faces many obstacles.

It seems as if educational institutions do not teach lessons but rather train obedience. Critical thinking and ratiocination are the skills that foster progress towards a more informed and effective future. In addition, some of the most important lessons are gained through experience and time. But instead, the culture created within schools is one of constant mechanical regurgitation of facts and content without developing useful skills.

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The power structure of schools is similar to a prison. Students are under the watchful eyes of adults, limited in their creative expression, and expected to undergo hours of homework which ultimately impacts relationships and family dynamics.

Though I understand that teaching emotional intelligence is much harder than teaching logic and analysis skills, I still believe that these are necessary skills that schools should examine.

Schools have a lot to teach. It is at schools that the leaders of K tomorrow are nurtured and develEC B LA oped. If we keep expecting memorizaEL YB CB I tion and followers, instead of reflection and H P A GR innovators, our upcoming leaders may not be prepared to face the problems of tomorrow.

OPINIONETTEs

Mental illness should not be your word of the day STORY AND GRAPHIC

BY KIRA PARRINGTON “I am so depressed.” “He is so bipolar!!” These are common sayings that get under my skin. Words like “depressed” or “anxiety “are too often used as adjectives when truly, they are nouns.

Depression is more than being sad about the Bachelor not choosing the girl you want or your boyfriend breaking up with you. Anxiety is more than feeling nervous or stressed for a test. By saying things like that, you are

stereotyping serious disorders that people deal with every day. They are also making these illness seem less severe and damaging than they actually are.

People who suffer everyday with these illness are now afraid to talk about it with others. These words are so overused that no one actually takes into consideration how serious it might be.

Next time you hear those words coming out of you or your friends mouth, stop and think about what you are saying.

Open up a thesaurus, get a better vocabulary, stop using mental illnesses to describe minor setbacks in your life.

50 Shades of hypocrisy

Trending Now: Complaining

BY NICOLE RUPPERT

STORY AND GRAPHIC BY GRETA NESS

his season’s hottest movie, “Black Panther”, was praised for its diversity and overall massive black representation. However, many do not know that this movie originally was going to include sexuality diversity as well.

Danai Gurira’s character, Okoye, was supposed to be romantically interested in Aneka, another female guard. In the comic, World of Wakanda, these two characters are together romantically, so it would have made sense. The scene was short but was ultimately cut from the movie.

This has not been the first time that LGBT+ relationships have been cut out of movies. Thor Ragnarok introduced Valkyrie, who is shown in the comics to be bisexual, but this was written out as well. It is strange how filmmakers think we can believe huge alien men, but not people who aren’t straight.

Out of all the movies that included LGBT+ characters, 77% of them were gay males. Not that we don’t want less gay characters, but only 23% were lesbian and only 9% were depicted as bisexual.

The diversity is limited as well, only 32% of LGBT+ characters were not white. And most of the time, the characters are given limited or reduced screen-time.

Meanwhile, movies like Fifty Shades of Grey explicitly show heterosexual relationships, and many movies get sexual scenes between the couples. Showing these scenes in a movie theater gets you the rating ‘R’ for restricted, but many movies that include LGBT+ characters in these scenes get the rating NC-17.

Those who rate movies have to face the fact that members of the LGBT+ community are not for mature eyes only, and that they will not fade away despite their censoring. As for filmmakers, they have to learn how to write more diverse characters or at least more than the same stereotypical, white gay character.

In today’s society, it almost seems as if complaining is a trend.

People seem to focus on small things and complain about them, not realizing how much of a privilege they are. Sayings such as “I literally can’t” are constantly being used to express how they feel about everyday things such as school, work, and even things like food and social media. Also, when people express these things over the internet, it sucks people in and results in negative energy being spread. From there, people start to complain more and more about things. Young people need to learn to realize that those things are a part of life, and everyone has to deal with them.

People need to focus more on the good of things and not sit there and complain about them.

T

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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COVER

U.S. school shootings in 2018 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

January 20: Winston Salem, North Carolina January 22: Italy, Texas January 23: Benton, Kentucky January 31: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania February 1: Los Angeles, California February 5: Oxon Hill, Maryland February 9: Nashville, Tennessee February 14: Parkland, Florida February 24: Savannah, Georgia February 27: Itta Bena, Mississippi February 27: Norfolk, Virginia March 2: Mount Pleasant, Michigan March 7: Jackson, Mississippi March 7: Birmingham, Alabama March 8: Mobile, Alabama March 13: Seaside, California March 20: Lexington Park, Maryland

aiming for c

What can be done to pr 18

DESIGN BY KELLY PU

revent school shootings?

espite EPHS being across the country from Parkland, Florida, EP students have been speaking out against gun violence and the many school shootings that have taken place in the

U.S. According to CNN, there have been about 17 school shootings this year, averaging about one every week. The shooting in Parkland was one of them, but the students who go to Stoneman Douglas began a movement that made the entire country discuss guns laws, school safety and mental health.

The 17 people who died at Stoneman Douglas on Feb. 14 sparked outrage from specifically students across the country. Teenagers, such as students from EP, have organized protests and clubs to combat school shootings.

EPHS juniors Alexa Tessman and Natalie Harrison created the Change is Coming club to spread information about how to get involved in politics and how to protest.

They, along with other dedicated EPHS students, planned the March 14 walkout at EP, coordinated with the national walkout.

At 10 a.m. on March 14, students walked out of the school through the East entrance. The crowd chanted and held signs to protest school shootings. The walkout lasted 17 minutes, ending with a moment of silence while the victims’ names were read aloud.

While students, teachers and parents are participating in protests around the country, a majority of these protests are led and dominated by students. About 600-700 students participated in the EPHS walkout.

“We were showing our legislators that we will not be ignored while still giving respect to those lost in Florida,” said Tessman.

“We were showing our legislators that we will not be ignored while still giving respect to those lost in Florida.”

PHOTO BY EMMA SWANSON

change

D

BY KAREN LARIONOVA

The club was created to get students politically active on the topic of gun violence, but the club leaders are planning on expanding Change is Coming into other issues.

According to Jen Kirby of Vox, close to a million students participated in the walk out around the country.

Another walkout is scheduled for April 20, the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting.

Although the protests are garnering national attention, little action has come from the lawmakers in Congress.

The governor of Florida, Rick Scott, raised the sale age of firearms from 18 to 21, but major bills have not yet been passed or widely debated in Congress.

In addition, President Donald Trump’s recent proposals for gun regulation and the arming of teachers has not made any progress in Congress, either.

Although the outcomes of the protests are hardly tangible at this point, EPHS students are still hopeful that progress will happen.

“We started Change is Coming because we no longer wanted to sit around and say, ‘I wish we could do something’ or ‘I wish something would change,’” said Tessman.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

19

EPHS speaks up Eric Duxstad Junior

Camari Rodgers Freshman

Eight shootings. The United States The United States has long been has already had eight school shootings in promoted as the country of personal 2018, and that is a clear sign that somefreedoms. Far more individualistic than thing needs to change. the comparatively socialist Europe, the The biggest change that needs to be culture promoted in the United States has made is the strengthening of gun laws. led to individual freedoms being worn as There should be no reason that people a badge of honor. who are obviously not mentally healthy are allowed to have guns. The The gun control debate strikes a dagger to the heart of those that federal law allows anyone over 18 years of age to own a shotgun or a rifle promote individual freedom. To them, arguments for gun control are and anyone over 21 years of age to own a handgun. I think it is completenot argument or logic, but an attack on their ideals and way of life. The ly insane that people that are not even allowed to consume alcohol are accusations and falsehoods thrown around in the crossfire hide the real allowed to own shotguns and rifles. solution of compromise. Too The second thing that I believe should be done is to have many blind themselves into armed officers in the school. I know some people may believe “A gun control solution must thinking the answer is one that having any types of guns in a school is not right, but I come as a collaboration beextreme or another without believe that school shootings are happening partly because seeing the middle ground. tween parties that respects ev- the shooters know that the students will have no way of Real solutions come from eryone, not a partisan solution defending themselves until the police are alerted and at the discussion and mutuality, not scene. taken to the extreme.� one side becoming victorious Recently, we all heard about the shooting that occurred in over the defeat of the other. In Florida. That high school in Parkland, Florida, was reported the gun control debate, the aggregate of America will come together to to be one of the safest schools in the state. To me, this shows that even in discover a solution. Progress will be made when we accept our differences the safest of places, there could still be that one person that could change and move past them, not wage ideological war over them. A gun control everything. solution must come as a collaboration between parties that respects Eden Prairie High School is a school we all feel safe in and at home. everyone, not a partisan solution taken to the extreme.

Now imagine that being taken away from you because a gun fell into the

Matteo Meloni Junior Making guns more difficult to buy should be the first thing. Also to prevent strangers from get close to the schools, surround them with a fence so that the school has just a few access points that are easier to control.

Sophia Sailer Sophomore I believe that if machine guns and/or any guns other than hunting guns were not sold, it could help. There should also be more restrictions on getting licenses to be able to buy a gun.

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DESIGN BY KELLY PU

hands of the wrong person. Now I understand that some people do not agree with strengthening gun laws, but I believe that the lives of your fellow classmates, your friends, are a lot more important than your love of guns.

PHOTO BY EMMA SWANSON

COVER

Gabi Pittinger Sophomore

Laurie Nebecker English teacher

PHOTO BY EMMA SWANSON

If the shooter in Parkland had walked “Questions for March 14th” into the high school with a handgun, You’re walking out to make a differfewer people would have died. Arming ence. What difference will you make teachers with guns would be even worse when you walk back in? than doing nothing. A teacher shooting If you’re willing to cross the campus would only create more crossfire, leaving to have your protest heard, are you also more students injured or killed; a teacher willing to cross the classroom and include having a gun would not stop a shooter from walking onto campus and that kid who wasn’t asked to join a group? claiming a life.

You’ve learned about an issue. Will you also learn about those kids The only way we can stop a shooter is by making it more difficult for sitting at the edges of the lunchroom? them to buy weapons. While I acknowlYou demand a safe school. Will you also demand that everyone’s name and reputation are safe with you “You’ve embraced a cause. edge our Second Amendment right, we should not have access to a military-style and your friends?

I hope you will embrace weapon meant to kill as many people You should be heard. So I hope you will also listen as possible. We, as civilians, cannot buy to those without loud voices and to those whose voices the vulnerable and the grenades; why are we allowed to buy seem too loud. disconnected.” military-style guns? We need to ban guns You’ve embraced a cause. I hope you will embrace meant to kill large amounts of people the vulnerable and the disconnected. Weave them and create a stricter process for people to obtain firearms. No one’s right securely into the fabric of our school so that no one is torn from us in to have a gun is bigger than our right to feel safe and survive the day at violence. school.

Mental health is an issue, but it is not the main problem in this epiRachel Wagner demic.

Every other country has people with mental health issues, violent Freshman movies and video games, yet the U.S. is the country that has so many school shootings.

I now live in a world where I have to We need gun reform and to finally put children’s lives ahead of the wonder if I’m going to survive my day ability to purchase military weapons. We have the constitutional right to of school. It’s disgusting we even have to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” and my life is more important think about that, and it ends now. than allowing anyone to own an AR-15.

We have had guns for hundreds of years, and only now is the problem of school shootings arising. This means that Brian Samuel the people owning the guns are the problem. We need to put a stop to Freshman these people, and I think the way we do that is by never letting them get a gun in the first place. By requiring extensive background checks and long As the nation recovers from the devwaiting periods, these people won’t ever get the chance to shoot anyone. astating Valentine’s Day shooting that reThe background checks we have now let a 19-year-old kid with mental sulted in the death of 17 innocent people, illness and a history of violence get ahold of a gun and kill 17 people. adults and teens alike gather together in Something needs to change. search of a solution to this problem which The proposal to train and arm teachers with guns has the good has plagued schools for years. intention of keeping the students safe but will cause more harm than I believe that schools across the good. If there are set guns in the school, casualties will certainly happen. country are unprepared for the possibility of a school shooting. We have Even if the teachers are trained, accidents will most likely occur, possibly to realize that restricting firearm ownership alone will not help protect resulting in the accidental shooting of a student. I personally feel less safe our schools. Criminals are, by definition, law breakers who will find in a school with more guns in it, and I don’t think we should make plans another way to bring to stop a shooter when he’s in the building but instead make plans to stop death and destruc“The only thing that will him from ever getting that opportunity. tion through legal or stop a shooter is a person illegal means.

Our first priarmed and ready to defend ority should be to the school.” harden our schools with armed security guards. The only thing that will stop a shooter is a person armed and ready to defend the school. Our very own school would not fare well in the case of a shooting as all of our security guards are unarmed, and the two police liaisons are quite far away from the majority of the students.

One of the easiest ways to help harden and protect our school would be to find responsible men and women who are licensed, adept and proficient in the use of firearms and hire them to protect students at our school. This is a simple and common sense solution that both sides can agree on because, in the end, our objective should by no means be to bicker and blame one another but rather to formulate policy that accomplishes the shared goal of ensuring a safe learning environment for all students.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

21

PROFILE

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Designing shoes to tattoos

BY LAUREN MURPHY From tattoo making to her own shoe business, senior Ange Wang has an unconventional life for an EPHS student. She is artistic, creative and follows her own path. Like many, Wang works after school, yet her job of creating tattoos is one few can relate to. She and a friend also have a business where Ange paints on white shoes.

Wang was born and raised in China. Her birth name is Yueqi Wang. “Angie is my English name because, for other people, Yueqi is difficult to read,” she said. Both of her parents hold careers in business, which makes her passion for art even more unique. Natural talent is when someone excels at something and does it with little help, which is exactly what Wang has done with art.

Her art career started when she was 3. Wang loved drawing, and even back then, her canvas was not plain paper. “ When I was really young, I liked drawing things on the wall, so my father sent me to a drawing school,” she said.

Eventually, the art of tattooing caught her eye. Her first interaction with a tattoo came from her aunt. A tattooed eyebrow filled the place of a real one. It confused

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Wang at first, and she didn’t understand why there were so many colors in her eyebrow. This confusion provoked an interest in tattooing that would eventually take her to where she is today.

In China, the rules revolving around a tattoo artist are very different than in the U.S. Here, you have to be 18 to legally be a tattoo artist, but you can have a job in the business as young as age 16 in China.

At age 11, Wang started her training in the art. She enrolled in a school that taught the art of tattooing. It was very time consuming, “It took me five years to learn how to really master it,” she said.

There was no lack of commitment in her journey to become a successful tattoo artist. Just one way she trained was by taking a needle and practicing on her own arm without any ink. By the time she was 16, she was fully able to give customers high quality tattoos.

“Tattoos are kind of my true love,” she said. For Wang, the time commitment was worth it.

There are countless elaborate drawings that she has created during her time as a tattoo artist. Some of the biggest ones can cost a few thousand dollars to get tattooed. Wang also takes requests from customers. She

“ Tattoos are kind of my true love ”

tailors her drawings to the specific taste of customers. But her tattoos are always her own. She never takes images off the internet or copies straight from a picture of what the customer wants.

Last year in May, Wang moved to the U.S. at age 18. She enrolled at EPHS as a senior and is finishing her education before commiting to a full time job as a tattoo artist. She currently works three hours a day and can make up to $300 an hour, much more than the average highschooler makes.

Being a tattoo artist is not always the perfect job. It can cost a lot of money to buy the needles and the ink. Also, it can be upwards of $10,000 just to go to school and buy all the necessary equipment.

Customers can also be very difficult sometimes. “They can get you in trouble. The first time you show them the picture they go ‘ah I love it’, and then, after you do it they go ‘hey this tattoo looks weird’, and they don’t want to pay you.”

Tattooing isn’t the only unique thing about Wang. She and a friend have started their own business selling beautiful hand painted shoes. It all started when her friend got a pair of plain white vans. Being too boring for his style, he asked her to help. Wang’s creative side kicked in, and she started to paint on them.

So far, she has painted about 50 pairs of shoes and has no intention of stopping soon. It started just a couple months ago. The business is called BRY-KII, named after the two founders. The business both buys shoes for customers and takes in pairs people want her to paint.

While Wang paints, her friend manages the company and the business side of things.

Wang has always had a passion for art and this passion has grown into a career, something that few people accomplish. As her art skills grow, so will her job as a tattoo artist and her business painting shoes.

Drawing of a tiger on right, turned into a tattoo on the left.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

23

OFFCOURT WITH OLIVER Stand up and dribble

BY OLIVER TAYLOR Laura Ingraham is a Fox News anchor who made headlines for all the wrong reasons. Using her platform, Ingraham completely undermined the significance of athletes on the youth population, going so far as to recommend that it’s “unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball” and that athletes should just “shut up and dribble.”

Joaquin Oliver was one of the 17 victims of the Stoneman Douglas High School tragedy. At his funeral, he was buried wearing his Dwyane Wade jersey. Feel as you may, but to think that Oliver’s parents believed that his final wish would be to be buried in his Miami Heat jersey leaves me with a very strong emotion. It’s stories like these that show the power of sports.

It’s also stories like these that makes Ingraham’s comments even more frustrating. To even imply, let alone proclaim on national television, that athletes should just “shut up and dribble” is merely a testament to Ingraham’s deafness to the impact of sports.

To me, there is no greater unifying force than sports. In the face of national and personal tragedy, there are countless examples of sports being a vehicle to unite many: The New Orleans Saints’ first game in the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina, the WWE’s episode of SmackDown of 9/11, Isaiah Thomas’ heroic playoff performances in 2017 after his sister passed away a day before the playoffs started, Marquise Goodwin scoring a 83yard touchdown on the same day that his son was prematurely delivered.

Regardless of whether athletes should use their platform to express their political opinions, their impact on the youth is critical to the future. An abundance of teenagers aspire to emulate the success of Wade and others. Sending a message that athletes should be oppressed is a mistake. We live in a world where standing for what you believe in should be applauded, not frowned upon.

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Esports: sport or not?

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BY LUCAS PHAM

ove over, football and basketball. There’s a new sport in town. Well, kinda.

Competitive video gaming, otherwise known as “eSports,” is taking the world by storm. Enticed by increasingly valuable prizes and the potential for worldwide fame, often times, players no longer enjoy video games merely for the personal enjoyment they bring.

In the most intense competitions, teams from all over the world converge onto a large stadium to duke it out against one another, with thousands of raucous spectators watching in the stands and thousands more viewing the match at home on computer screens and TVs. The stakes are extremely high. Sponsorship deals and millions of dollars in prize money are awarded only to the best of the best. Months of training can all be for waste if victory isn’t secured.

Doesn’t this all sound eerily familiar? Other than the fact that most of the action takes place over a computer screen, eSports fits right in with traditional sports we’ve cheered on for centuries.

Companies and sports organizations seem to agree as well. Geico, Nissan, and Coca-Cola are all either sponsors of individual teams or entire tournaments. ESPN has a page on their website dedicated to eSports news. Around the time of Pyeongchang opening ceremony, the first Olympic-affiliated eSports competition (the Intel Extreme Masters Pyeongchang Starcraft II tournament) took place a mere fifteen miles away. In fact, by the time of that competition, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had already recognized eSports as a legitimate sport for three months.

While the IOC may take a more lax stance on the definition of what is or isn’t a sport, many others take less of a liking to the idea. In an interview with Reuters, alpine skier and Olympic medalist Ted Ligety expressed his opposition to the idea. “They are two totally different worlds,” Ligety said. “Physical sports belong in the Olympics. I don’t think eSports belong in the Olympics. [...] The mental side of eSports can be tough I’m guessing for those guys, but the Olympics is where you have to do some sort of a physical exertion.”

Senior Ronin Das shares many of the same views as Ligety. Das regularly watches streams of and plays Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Overwatch, both incredibly popular games often played in eSports tournaments. But even he believes that the gaming and physical sports worlds should stay separate. “I think it is a little silly,” Das said. “In my eye, eSports is its own thing, and the term ‘eSports’ makes me cringe a little bit because it’s just professional gaming. People are doing what they want to do and what they like. It’s different.”

The debate over eSports’ status will persist for years to come. There’s no denying, however, that its entertainment value will rival or even surpass that of physical sports.

Research firm SuperData projects that global revenue in the eSports market will reach $2.3 billion by the year 2022. eSports are here to stay.

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

SPORTS

Five years and still rowing

A look into Josie Lippincott’s life as a rower.

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Lippincott began rowing at the age of 14 and has now been doing it for five years. “I really, really like it, it’s so cool,” she said. She thinks its fun enior Josie Lippincott discovered her love for the sport of rowing because she gets to be part of a team and she likes to meet new people. through her neighbor. It all started when Lippincott’s mom She is proudly the captain of her team, the Twin Cities Team Rowing. found out about rowing through their neighbor, a captain of his Her team rows on Bryant Lake in Eden Prairie, but in the winter they rowing team. Before this, Lippincott struggled to find a hobby. condition and practice with some weights in an indoor facility in Edina.

She said, “I was having trouble finding my thing,as much as othHer team focuses mainly on sweeping, which only involves one oar ers could say I love drama or soccer I could not figure out what I wanted between four to eight people. She is also a coxswain, the person who sits in front of the boat and steers. She has a microphone that connects to the to do when it came to interests or hobbies.” rest of the boat so she can inform her colleagues if they are winning a race Ironically Lippincott did not want to try out, but once she did, she and to update them about the race. She has practice six days a week, two liked it.Lippincott defines rowing as an Olympic sport. The races they hours for regular practice and three hours for when they have an upcomcompete at are called regattas. They use oars which are used for moving ing race or a regatta. the shell, long canoeing boat, across the water. Rowing requires particiLippincott will be attending the University of Bucknell after she gradupants to be at least 14 in order to participate due to muscle development ates. Lippincott will not be leaving her enthusiasm in rowing behind when and muscle health. The rowing season starts in spring and continues in she graduates. She proudly said “I will be rowing at Bucknell University.” the Summer.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY JOSIE LIPPINCOTT

BY WINIFRED HALM DE-SOUZA

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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Junior Matthew Katsiyiannis

BY ISABELLE FELTON Minnesota Thunder Academy (MTA) is an elite local soccer club that participates in competitions across the Midwest against other surrounding states. These kids are some of the best athletes in the state and need to try out in order to receive a spot to compete in this high-performance club.

Players in MTA almost always end up playing college soccer, primarily at D1 universities. MTA has trained 810 college players, 20 national team players and 13 professional players.

According to the academy’s website, “Minnesota Thunder Academy’s mission is to develop soccer players to the best of their ability. MTA has a long history of developing world-class players by challenging them to play at the top of their game while training with many of the best players in the State of Minnesota and competing against some of the best players in the nation in both the ECNL and US Development Academy leagues.”

Junior Matthew Katsiyiannis is one of the players in the development academy at MTA, along with senior Connor Aksoz and junior Brian Alcalca. “There are different development academy levels that are organized by the year you were born,” said junior Ahmed Geilani, who is on a different team.

“When we go to the national showcases we get a lot of exposure to college scouts, I hope to play D1 in college that is the goal,” said Geilani.

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DESIGN BY NICOLE RUPPERT

Kicking it with MTA

PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY MATTHEW KATSIY-

SPORTS

The top players at MTA are in the development academy, which travels across the midwest to compete against other development academy teams. If players are a part of the development academy, they can’t play high school soccer because the seasons overlap. “The development academy starts when you’re a freshman. I started early in 8th grade because I was invited; you have to be invited to compete with MTA’s development team,” said Katsiyiannis. “We practice at Holy Angels Dome, and we have a new facility being built right across Holy Angels Dome which will open up next year.”

MTA practices five to six times per week, and usually have games every Saturday during the season. Off-season is five times per week.

Practices are usually an hour and a half or shorter. “The last 15 minutes, if we have a hard practice, we have free time to refresh our skills and have fun on the field,” said Katsiyiannis.

Games are every weekend for two to three months. The season runs from September to November, and then MTA participates in a national showcase in Florida which all of the development teams in the country attend. College recruits come here and evaluate athletes’ skills. Then, pre-season continues until March, and the new season starts up again in March and goes to late June. MTA then has July off, and then it all starts back up again.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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FEATURE

GUESS THE STAFF MEMBER

BY ELIZABETH BUSE Elementary school may seem like a long time ago, but for these staff members, it’s even further in the past. Do you recognize any of these teachers in the photos below? Results on our website, theeyrie.org.

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DESIGN BY ELIZABETH BUSE

Elizabeth Jackson Lori Ford Laurie Hennen Ellen Meyer Windlan Hall Anne Zara Alyce Price Alyssa Jackson Linda Wallenberg Jenny Wagner Kristen Saxhaug Molly Palzkill Mary DeMers Wilhelm Kjersten Welter Anjelique Rowell Mark Griffin Laurie Nebeker

RUPPERT’S RARELY SEEN A Brew-tiful Time

BY NICOLE RUPPERT As a kid, I was drawn in by the amazing scent, but turned away from the bitter taste. And maybe it was for the best, an energetic kid like me did not need caffeine in their system. But as I’ve grown older, my taste buds have adjusted to the unsweetened taste in turn for extra energy in the early morning.

When I had the chance to stop in one of the newest coffee stops in Minneapolis, Parallel, I was taken aback by how large the place was. The usual places I get coffee are nothing in comparison to the large, navy blue building of Parallel. As somebody who gets lost easily, it was nice to have the name painted on the side in a contrasting white. With a wide parking lot, I got a space easily despite the crowd gathered inside.

Upon entering the cafe, I was amazed by the design of the interior. Decorated minimalistically, you could tell that each item or light was picked with purpose. Everything seemed to be decorated, from the tables embellished with potted plants to the coffee itself. My hand-pressed cappuccino was adorned with a flower of poured inside.

Gently carrying my cup to an open area, I took a spot next to a window.

Placing the saucer down, not wanting it to topple over as it was filled to the rim, I was able to watch the snow fall from inside. To decrease waste, coffee was not served in a to-go cup. This gave customers a more eco-friendly alternative to disposable waste, and also an incentive to sit down and enjoy the lovely setting.

Not only was coffee and assorted beverages available, but there were also cookies and pastries all baked in the store. I was glad to have a sweet treat alongside the bitter coffee, as their blueberry muffin paired well with any coffee on the menu.

Along with having a fresh baked pastry, you can also purchase a full meal. If you come for lunch, (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.), you can have your choice of panini, sandwich, soup, or salad. Served with artisan breads and only the highest quality ingredients, it was a meal that felt homemade. In a world with easy access to hastily made food with processed ingredients, it was endearing to see something made ridiculously fresh.

Arriving after 2 p.m. would allow you to chose from their happy hour menu. A selection of finely-aged cheeses and other snacks that were unavailable prior. Surprisingly, coffee and cheese worked quite well together at Parallel; each cheese bringing a unique flavor to the coffee’s bitterness. It tastes even better after 5, because that’s when a customer can get two dollars off specific menu items to avoid fresh food spoiling overnight.

Parallel Café 145 Holden St N, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Weekdays 6:30a.m. - 7p.m. Weekends 8a.m. - 6p.m.

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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FEATURE

The year you

BY KIRA PARRINGTON

Most Popular Movie: 1999: “Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace”

2000: “Mission: Impossible 2” 2001: “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

2002: “The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers”

2003: “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”

Most Popular Fashion Trend 1999: Tube Tops 2000: Pleather Pants 2001: Low-Rise Jeans 2002: Juicy Couture Tracksuits 2003: Trucker Hats Popular Invention 1999: Napster 2000: Bluetooth 2001: Abiocor Artificial Heart 2002: Wireless headset 2003: Water Purifier 30

DESIGN BY KIRA PARRINGTON

were born Most Popular Video Games 1999: Ever Quest 2000: The Sims 2001: Halo: Combat Evolved 2002: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 2003: Call of Duty

Most Popular Hairstyle Women 1999: Two Front Strands 2000: The Super-Short Pixie Cut, 2002: Wild, Wavy Curls, 2003: Pin-Straight Hair

Popular Hairstyle Men 1999: Center Part Lockes 2000: Short curls 2001: Buzzcut 2002: Gelled side part 2003: Shaggy with long side bangs MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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FEATURE

BY KAREN LARIANOVA

Do you recongize this 2014 tumblr phase?

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DESIGN BY ELIZABETH BUSE

BY NICOLE RUPPERT

BY ISABELLE FELTON

Eyrie staffers take a comical look at school life

BY GRETA NESS AND KIRA PARRINGTON

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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PHOTO ESSAY

Vinyl Pallette PHOTOS BY BELLA BECK STORY BY KIRA PARRINGTON

As seen in the recent trends vinyls are coming back as a popular way to listen to music. Shown in these pictures are multiple different colored vinyls.

Also included is an original 1960 oak wood record player. Vinyl music players are a different way to listen to your music with a retro vibe.

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DESIGN BY KIRA PARRINGTON

MARCH 2018 | theeyrie.org

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