February 2020

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS 18 | COVER

05 10 15 23 32

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TREEHOUSE SELGAES EP UNPLUGGED GUN LAWS INNER DEMONS

EPHS NEWS MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2020 | VOL. 59 | NO. 03

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.

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

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS Welcome to our third issue of the school year and our first issue of 2020! Our cover story this issue is the presidential nomination primary elections. We look at it from a historical lens and explore the caucus vs primary systems, in terms of voter registration and participation in the upcoming election, democratic strategies in choosing a candidate to face Donald Trump in the general election and students’ opinions on who they are supporting, if anybody, and why.

Elsewhere in the magazine opinions on affirmative action, gun laws and American democracy. Our news section features stories including upcoming changes to the ACT. We hope you enjoy this issue of the Eyrie, and, as always, email us if you have anything you think should be featured in our magazine or on our website.

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

INSTAGRAM @theeyriemag

TWITTER @the_eyrie

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

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

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SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE 31

GYMNASTICS 28-29

VALENTINES DAY 9

NEWS NEW ACT | 4 TREE HOUSE | 5 ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE | 6

INNER DEMONS 33-35

SCHOOL MURALS | 7

FEATURE

COVER GRAPHICS BY SYDNEY LEWIS

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARY ELECTIONS 18 | COVER

05 10 15 23 32

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TREEHOUSE SELGAES EP UNPLUGGED GUN LAWS INNER DEMONS

QUESTIONS WITH THE COUNSELOR |8 VALENTINES DAY | 9

AFFIRMATIVE ACTION| 23 FAILURE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY| 24 SLACKTIVISM | 25

ENTERTAINMENT REVIEWS | 14

EP UNPLUGGED | 15

FESTIVE FOODS | 12-13

INNER DEMONS | 32-33

COVER FEBRUARY 2020 | VOL. 59 | NO. 03

POST-PARKLAND GUN LAWS | 23

SELGAES | 10-11

JUAN PINTO | 16-17

EPHS NEWS MAGAZINE

OPINION

PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES | 18-21

SPORTS

GYMNASTICS | 28-29 SPOTLIGHT ATHLETE | 31 FEBUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

NEWS

An ACT that only takes an hour

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BY KATHERINE SUN

s more and more students take the ACT every year, the standardized test is becoming a crucial component in most high schoolers’ college application process. The ACT recently announced some major changes that will be enacted this year. Starting September 2020, they are introducing three new firsts: section retesting, superscoring and online testing.

Opposed to the current four to five hour comprehensive tests, the new ACT rules allow students to take individual English, reading, math and science sections. Students can concentrate their efforts in one area instead of having to study for the entire test.

This option is available to any students who have taken the full ACT test first.

Although many colleges have been accepting superscored standardized tests, the ACT will now provide students with reports that include the superscore in the official document. A superscore is the average of a student’s best scores from each section across multiple tests. Superscoring will enable students to send their highest scores for college admissions and scholarships.

Lastly, the ACT will offer a new online testing option. Students who opt for this paperless choice will receive their scores faster.

The turnaround time can be as fast as two business days after taking the test. Online tests will only be offered on national ACT testing dates and must be administered at a designated testing location.

Overall, the new ACT changes aim to give students more flexibility and confidence in their ACT scores. According to their website, the ACT hopes the new options will increase the test’s ability to “best reflect [students’] hard work, overall academic achievement, and potential for success throughout their lives.”

GRAPHICS FROM ACT WEBSITE

PHOTO FROM FUNDACIÓ

DESIGN BY KATHERINE SUN

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Treehouse Youth Outreach: Ending hopelessness among teens

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BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

reeHouse Youth Outreach is a Minnesotan program that aims to show teens that they are capable of being loved with “no strings attached.” By giving teens structure in their daily life, a safe space to speak openly and access to helpful, dependable counselors, the founder hopes to help teens find their place in the world and learn to use their resources to help them succeed in life.

The original TreeHouse was founded in 1979 in Robbinsdale, Minn., by a middle school teacher who saw his students struggling. Since then, over 30 new locations have sprung up around the metro area, including in Eden Prairie in January of 2019.

TreeHouse offers three programs: weekly small group meetings led by staff, support groups for specific challenges and one-onone mentoring.

For sophomore Zania Gray, the support groups have really helped her open up. “Before going to TreeHouse, I didn’t really used to talk and be out there,” she said. “I guess I just learned that people are there for you and you can talk to anybody. Counselors, mom, dad, anyone.”

TreeHouse Youth Outreach has had an incredibly positive impact on Minnesotan teens. According to Andy Swanda, the director of outreach at the Eagan location, “98 percent of teens who have entered TreeHouse with problems such as thoughts of suicide, a history of self-harm and substance abuse have experienced a decrease in at-risk behavior after connecting with a program mentor.”

The Eden Prairie group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. at Wooddale Church, with transportation and dinner provided. Although it is a Christian-based program, TreeHouse accepts everyone regardless of religious affiliation or identity.

“I know some people need support out there,” said Zania. “So I think that it will be fun because they provide food and then they do support group and free activities, so that’s cool.”

GRAPHIC BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

If you’d like more information about TreeHouse, visit their website at: https://treehousehope.org/ or contact the EP location at (952) 500-9723.

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

NEWS

Left to right: Baylee Brabender, Abby Horn, Jaycey Horton

Students on board to cross the world Left to right: Baylee Brabender, Abby Horn, Jaycey Horton

PHOTO AND STORY BY SRIHITA RAJU

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hile most students at the end of summer dread going back to school, senior Abby Horn, along with three other Eden Prairie students, will be packing a suitcase and setting off halfway across the globe. Horn will be going to Denmark as a part of the Rotary Youth Exchange.

The Rotary Youth Exchange is a student exchange program Rotary International conducts where students ages 15-19 are sponsored by their local Rotary Club to be a part of an equal student exchange. The Rotary Club is an international organization with local clubs in over 200 countries around the world.

The Rotary believes in putting service above self and strives to instill this idea in Rotary members as well as students participating in the exchange.

Other students from Eden Prairie Participating in the exchange will be Baylee Brabender, Adrien Augustyn, and Tori Larson. Additionally, students

DESIGN BY MANEEYA LEUNG

Jaycay Horton, Malorie Dekam, and Luc Willett will be participating in a short term exchange. This type of exchange will take place over the course of about two months wear the student will go live with another family in another country, and then the family comes back with them to live here.

Horn will be studying and living with a host family while exploring all Denmark has to offer. Horn has always wanted to travel to Europe, and since Denmark is one of the happiest places in the world, she’s excited to learn about their lifestyle.

Horn first heard of this program at a career fair. At the fair, she spoke with a Rotarian who told her all about the program. Horn had always wanted to travel and learn about another culture, so she knew this was the opportunity for her. “I had to do it,” said Horn. “I’d be upset if I let this pass me by.”

Although the exchange isn’t for another few months, students undergo lots of preparation to be sure they have a safe and valuable exchange. Horn

has been taking language classes and attending orientations where students listen to presentations about things like culture shock, and parents learn how to deal with not seeing their child for an entire year.

To get involved in the program, students had to fill out an application on the Rotary International website, which included some questions and a short essay about why they would be good candidates for the exchange. Then, a parent writes an essay about why they believe their child should be a part of the exchange. Students then had interviews with Rotarians. Once admitted, students got to meet others going on the exchange and rank the top five countries they would want to go to on the exchange.

For any students considering the exchange, Horn recommends learning more about it and reminding themselves that there is no way for anyone to have a negative experience. “It’s a year you’ll never get back. Anyone who is interested in learning and seeing the world should do it.”

Paint how you feel: a new mural

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BY MANEEYA LEUNG The murals of EPHS date back far and young. Each one allows students to create and leave behind their own message to the school, and the newest one is being created this year

by Art Club.

Art Club advisor Courtney Berndt knew that Art Club had wanted to do a mural for a while and talked about it with the Administration. Eventually, the staff from health department told her they wanted to collaborate. From there, they chose a location for the painting that was right outside the health room 167.

They also found a Dr. Seuss quote they liked, which states, “be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” To Berndt, it promotes welcoming students as a whole: “It supports this idea that students can be themselves no matter their identity, no matter their sexual preference, and no matter their ability level.”

The health department asked Berndt to show the quote to Art Club. They wanted to see if the students could combine their own original imagery with the quote for the mural.

Sophomore Lucy Jiang is one of the students who took up the task of creating a design and completing the process. She first heard about the mural project when Art Club started in the beginning of the year and thought it sounded fun. “You get to paint on walls, and you don’t get in trouble for that,” said Jiang.

When she started her drawing, Jiang intended the design to be peaceful looking.

She began with flowers. “Then I was like, you know what’s really cool? Mice,” she said.

Jiang remembers drawing what felt right at the moment.

The rest of the process included redrawing the design to clean it up. Then, Jiang along with other Art Club members used a projector and cast it on the wall. They drew over the projected lines with sharpie and started painting.

Jiang didn’t have much trouble coming up with the design. She did have trouble redrawing the flowers and choosing colors, but her biggest struggle is finding time to complete it.

She guesses the mural will be finished around the end of this February. Jiang hopes that other students will see it as a nice addition to the hallway, and that the quote possibly helps them through hard times.

Berndt shares common goals for what the mural might inspire towards students who pass by: “I hope they just take a second to think about how important it is to show up as their true self every day.”

Lucy Jiang with the uncompleted mural taken January

Concept drawing of the mural drawn by Lucy Jiang

PHOTO BY MANEEYA LEUNG

February 2019 | theeyrie.org

FEATURE

Questions for a counselor

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BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

indy Doth, our school’s Youth School Outreach Manager, is a resource for students with any substance abuse concerns. Doth is going to begin answering questions for our magazine from students. Students are able to submit any questions they may have about drug and alcohol abuse or mental health to The Eyrie anonymously, and Doth will be giving her answers.

Doth works with Hazelden Betty Ford Plymouth, an addiction treatment and advocacy organization. She has recently completed her second Master’s Degree and is about to complete her last few hours of supervision to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. She has been working with EPHS since this fall. Doth is located in an office right next to the South Commons Collab, under the registration office sign. On Mondays during school hours she is here as a resource for students struggling with chemical health concerns. Outside of her work at EPHS, she does many different things. “When I am not at EPHS I am at other schools or working at Hazelden Betty Ford Plymouth,” she said. “I am responsible for supporting parents that are interested in having a student getting an assessment for their substance use or mental health concerns. I also train school staff and community members about substance Youth Outreach Manager, Cindy Doth PHOTO BY SYDNEY LEWIS use and mental health concerns, develop professional presentations regarding mental health complications with substance use In an appointment with Doth, the meetings are designed as a and train Hazelden Betty Ford Plymouth staff on non violent crisis screening for chemical health concerns only. With state standards intervention skills.” she cannot do anything considered treatment within the school.

In an email, Doth summed up the work she does here: “During a meeting with a student we start by reviewing the purpose of the meeting (screening for chemical health concerns). This also includes Can I get in trouble for sharing things with you? discussing the student’s ability to stop the meeting at any point, as it is voluntary. We discuss their privacy rights and limits as I am “NO! I am bound by confidentiality. I cannot disclose the a mandated reporter (I must report any concerns related to child content of what we talk about unless they give me permission abuse or neglect to the appropriate reporting agencies, and must to tell specific people. Even if you give me permission to talk to also take action if there are safety risks present (intent to harm self someone (parent, dean, AP, counselor, etc.) I choose not to tell. I or others).” think it is important to have a safe place for students to openly The meetings are designed as a screening for chemical health talk about why they use, what they get out of it, the consequencconcerns only. It is not treatment, therapy, or any form of an ases of their use, and their fears of stopping without judgement, or sessment and I cannot disclose the results of the screening without the belief that I will go and tell on them.” written consent from the student.” She thinks it is extremely important for students to have a safe place to discuss their substance use and reasons for it without judgement or fear.

Students are able to meet with her by reaching out to their counWhat is the difference between coming to see you versus a selors or APs, and there does not have to be any substance violation school counselor? to meet with her. She is available to anyone who has any concern “I think I have a unique perspective on substance abuse that regarding substance use. A meeting is usually put in place, though, when a student has a substance use violation on school property school counselors may not have. We also have the chance to talk or has had encounters with law enforcement that has resulted in about things in private. Kids as young as 12 years old can come being ticketed. Related to statue 691 local law enforcement is reand get services without parental consent.” quired to notify school districts when students have had substance use violation, and the school is required to have a substance use screening process to get the services needed for them. If someone is concerned about a peer, they can contact their dean who can then help make a referral.

Students of different backgrounds come in to see Doth. “I have Anyone interested in getting in contact with Doth can contact seen students that have good attendance and poor attendance, ones her at cdoth@hazeldenbettyford.org or 763-509-3953. For anythat are involved in sports and ones that have no extracurricular one intrested in submitting questions to the Eyrie, send to Doth directly or to the Eyrie at theeyrie.ep@gmail.com. Questions will activities, some students have experienced homelessness, and some students have supportive parents,” she said. “ Some of the students be printed anonymously. have made one poor choice to use substances at school and some have struggled multiple times.” The most prevalent substances she sees students for are marijuana and alcohol.

Q: A:

Q: A:

Contact information:

DESIGN BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

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Things to do on your Valentine’s Day off STORY AND PHOTOS BY GRACE PETERSON ou can take the typical path of staying at home and buying flowers, cards, chocolates, jewelry, or romantic gifts for Valentine’s Day. Or you might want to try something different and learn a new skill with your friends or partner. There are plenty of options for enjoying this February four day weekend.

What to do:

-Eat breakfast in bed -Create crafts -Romantic Movie Marathon -Make heart-shaped foods -Go out to dinner -Go to the movies or movie night -Exchange thoughtful gifts to a significant other -Recreate your first date -Ice skating -Eat candy -Cooking class -Hang out with friends (galentine) -Baking

Where to go:

Cooking: -Instead of taking your date out to dinner, you can learn how to cook a romantic meal or take a class with your partner.

-Kitchen Window and Whole Foods in Uptown Minneapolis offer Valentine’s themed cooking classes, some for adults and others for kids.

Arts: -Others might enjoy a two-hour Valentine’s Day Paint Nite which takes place each year at the Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel: The Depot.

-For a free, fun, and arts-filled day with your sweetie, head to the Valentine’s Arctic Market at Lakes & Legends in downtown Minneapolis. This event will have about 30 local makers selling woodwork, home goods, jewelry, apparel, and other items you can give your sweetheart as a gift.

Outdoors: -One of the Twin Cities’ outdoor ice rinks at Lake of the Isles Park where you can soak up the natural beauty and enjoy the walking and biking paths.

-Another outdoor ice rink is Centennial Lakes Park in Edina. This is a great place to enjoy the ourdoors in a fun envirnoment.

Centennial Lakes Park, Edina

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

FEATURE

SELGAES 2020

A walk through Paris

BY JADAN FIX Winter months are some of the longest, and most boring months of the year, and that is why Selgaes is the best way to get out and do something fun with your friends. Selgaes is the “girls ask guys” winter formal at Eden Prairie. This year selgaes is on February 22nd. Selgaes is a fun tradition that has been going on for awhile. Many students have different ways they celebrate selgaes. Most groups take pictures, go to dinner then either go to the dance or have their own party. It’s something fun for everyone to do in the winter. I asked some students how they felt about selgaes. Senior Randy Williams, says he really enjoys Selgaes. He likes how our school does a winter formal.

Student Counsil does a lot of planning leading up to Selgaes. Oumou Barry, senior on Student Council, said the Student Council talked a lot about the planning process. They have to do lots of advertising so students show up to the dance, and seem interested in going. They also ask input from students about the DJ. They have had to change the DJ before so more people come. They also have to plan the spirit week, which is the week leading

Emma O’connell, Sophie Barbari, Abby Lawrence, Maddie Johnson

up to the dance. It’s always a fun week for students and teachers to dress up during the week and show their school spirit. She talked about how planning the week takes a lot of time to make sure students will enjoy the week. They usually do lots of advertising through spirit week.

Selgaes is fun and all, but there is a lot of work that goes into it. Especially the outfit. Students feel that they have to find the perfect dress or suit, shoes, makeup, nails, hair, and accessories. There is lots of time and money that goes into these dances. Some students even shop months in advance for these things. Junior Michaela Goetz said she starts looking about a month in advance to order online. There are lots of factors to ordering online, especially if the dress does not fit. Sophomore Henry Husmann, says he finds his outfit about a week before Selgaes. There is a lot of planning that goes into Selgaes, but it is always worth it in the end, and the fun memories last forever.

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Selgaes usually shows lots of small trends through peoples styles. These girls all pretty much had the same hair style. Their hair is all curled, but styled differently with hair pulled back or just down and curled. This was just one hair trend for Selgaes last year.

DESIGN BY JADAN FIX

They’ve got the look

Veronica Hansen

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Veronica Hansen talked about how her favorite Selgaes look was junior year. She said she went with a simple look. Her hair was her favorite part because she didn’t try that hard and she liked the way it looked. She also said her favorite color is pink and her dress was a “simple salmon color,” so it suited her. Overall, Hansen said her look was comfortable and that made everything feel very easy and less stresful.

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Dylan Nduulu

Dylan Nduulu said his favorite Selgaes look was also his junior year. He said “it is versatile.” He talked about how he can be clean and comfortable. He said it was nice to be able to go out and hang with his friends later and have a good time without having to change clothes.Overall, Nduulu really emphasized having good style while being comfortable is the most important thing about your outfit.

Selgaes is always a time where people can show their own style and dress up. Most girls wear shorter, less formal dresses rather than maxi dresses.

Girls also wear heels, but it has been a trend to wear lowtop shoes. Guys usually wear a shirt with a tie or bowtie with nice dress pants and dress shoes. Selagaes is always a fun night to dress up and show your style.

Lanie Cline and Phoebe Gullingsrud

Will Foster and Tommy Mendyke

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

FOOD

Festive Foods T

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

he Western Christmas and New Year’s festivities are now far behind us, and many weeks of cold, dark winter weather stretch ahead. It seems like once the hustle of the holiday season is over, there’s little to anticipate except for spring break and the rare day with a temperature above 10º. However, not everyone is willing to give in to the winter blues. When it comes to looking forward to spring and new life, there’s a grand celebration to be found in the Chinese observance of the lunar calendar New Year.

The Chinese New Year is typically observed over the course of 15 days, making itthe longest holiday of the Chinese year.

This year it was celebrated from January 25th until February 8th. The start and end dates shift among late January to early February each year due to their reliance on the completion of the lunar cycle.

Celebrants - including many students here at EPHS - took part in a variety of traditions and activities during the New Year, such as spending time with loved ones, eating delicious food and celebrating a fresh start with the coming of the new year.

One such student was senior Claire Mitchell. For her, the New Year is “a time to gather with family to celebrate a good year”.

Claire has a unique perspective on the holiday due to her adoption from China at a young age. “Celebrating with adoptive non-Chinese parents does change the experience,’’ she said. “It’s a lot less traditional. Also the food is a lot less spicy!”

Some of her relatives also come to enjoy the food and quality time with family. “My grandma, uncle, and godmother attend,” she said. “We usually spend some time talking then the rest of the time eating. After we’re all stuffed we go back to the living room and talk about fun memories.”

Additionally, the act of giving money as a gift is common.

“The children in the family who have not yet attended college

Remember to grease the pan!

DESIGN BY MIKAYLIE SOSNOWSKI

Place sugar-covered biscuit pieces on top of butter mix.

Add a top layer of butter mixture once all biscuits are in the pan.

Flip the bundt pan to enjoy the final product!

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receive red envelopes full of money that get put toward college,” said Claire. The red envelopes are called hongbao in Mandarin or lai see in Cantonese, and they symbolize good luck.

A day long celebration requires hard work and preparation, so good food is really important to keep everyone energized.

Claire’s family’s staple food for the Chinese New Year is monkey bread.

“It’s not actually traditional,” she said. “But it’s so tasty and we only ever make it for Chinese New Year. It’s like a bundt cake shape and it is made with soft pieces of dough sprinkled with caramel and cinnamon”.

This delectable dessert will keep you feeling warm and cozy inside until the cold, dark winter days are over. Enjoy with family and friends to complete the experience!

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.

INGREDIENTS ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 (16.3 oz.) cans refrigerated biscuits ½ cup caramel (may not need all of it) 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¾ cup unsalted butter, melted

DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350° and grease your bundt pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl stir together the sugar and cinnamon.

Bake biscuits according to package directions, then cut them into 4 pieces. Add the biscuit pieces to the cinnamon sugar mixture. Make sure to toss together well so all the biscuits are coated.

In a separate bowl whisk together the brown sugar, vanilla extract and melted butter.

Add half of the butter mixture to the bottom of the Bundt pan then add the biscuit pieces to the top.

Pour the remaining half of the butter mixture on top of the biscuits.

Bake for 28-32 minutes or until it is cooked through. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Once done cooling, remove from pan and drizzle caramel over bread.

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

REVIEWS

“Parasite”: The most surprising movie of 2019

BY ADAM KHELAH “Parasite” is breaking barriers for foreign films in the industry. It has been nominated for six Oscars including Best Picture.

That’s rare. Only a few foreign language films have ever earned Best Picture nominations. The film’s director Bong Joon-Ho is an acclaimed director with credits such as “Okja” “Mother” and “Snowpiercer” to boot. He has a great track record, and “Parasite” solidifies this even more.

It’s best to go into this movie completely cold, as I did. You will get the best experience. I thought I knew where this movie was going, but it pulled the rug out from under my feet. It’s hard to get that experience from movies these days, so this movie stand out from the rest.

“Parasite” plays out like a dark comedy social satire. Yet, as the viewer descends further into the film, the tone shifts around quite a bit. This is one of my favorite aspects of the movie. The tonal shifts all feel so seamless and never take you out of the story. From my experience, this is extremely difficult, and I applaud the director and everyone else involved for pulling it off.

The movie also had some very powerful social commentary kneaded into it about the contrast between rich and poor and

the struggles that ensue because of it. And while it doesn’t necessarily offer a solution, it does give great insight. One scene particularly stood out to me in this department. One character claims a family is “rich but still nice.” His wife responds, “They’re nice because they’re rich.” It goes to show how the rich and privileged don’t have to worry about certain things while the poor have to fight each other over what little is left.

Audience and critics alike are calling this film a masterpiece. I’m not sure I’m quite there. I do have a problem with it toward the end, but I feel that may be simply because I was shocked by it. I think I’d have to see it again. What I can say is that it lingered in my mind for days after I watched it.

“Parasite” is a must watch for cinema lovers. Casual moviegoers can also enjoy it. Don’t let the subtitles turn you away. This is a truly unique movie-going experience. Rating: 4/5

It’s not my fault! I’m a Virgo, and Mercury is in retrograde!!

BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN

It’s not my fault! I’m a Virgo, and Mercury is in retrograde!!

Co—Star is an app that provides you with a “hyper-personalized” horoscope. The app claims its out-of-the-world singularity on its service being hyper-personalized. They assert that other astrology apps merely request the month of your birth to create the various predictions about your personality and future. Co—Star, however, takes your whole astrological chart into account. With the exact time and place of your birth and with NASA data to track the planets, the app creates a hyper-personalized astrological chart that reveals tidbits about each day. Co—Star also features an in-depth personality analysis based on your chart and the ability to add friends to keep track of their zodiac signs.

Skepticism aside, I have really enjoyed this app! I appreciate that the AI divines the readings of the planets because that eliminates human bias. The daily readings have become somewhat of a comfort to me. Knowing why or what is happening to me and basing it on an external source relieves some burden and reduces my anxiety dramatically. I simply let go and allow the stars to rule over my destiny. I do have to concede that I am a believer in astrology.

The readings may be cryptic at times, and often they are poignant pieces of poetry that are intimate and create the promised “hyper-personalized” journey through the realm of the planets. The accuracy, in my experience, has been spot on. And the personality analysis is always enlightening to read. Co-Star is available for iPhone and Android users.

If you believe in the stars, I highly reccommend this app! If you are a nonbeliever, I challenge you to try this app! Ten Jupiters/ ten Jupiters!

DESIGN BY SRIHITA RAJU

Bad ideas and best friends: “Booksmart” Review

BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

Booksmart, released on the May 24th, 2019, follows two straight A students and best friends (played by Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Denver) who realize they should have worked less and played more. Determined not to fall short of their peers, the girls try to cram four years of recklessness, bad ideas and fun into the night before their graduation.

The film surprised many during the 2020 Golden Globes when Beanie Feldstein was nominated for Best Actress - Musical or Comedy.

Booksmart works to incorporate large-scale, world changing topics without centering the plot around an ideology or agenda. Both girls are clear liberals, with Warren 2020 bumper stickers and RBG posters. Director Olivia Wilde manages to convey their passion for social justice without preaching to the audience. One of the two main characters, Amy, is gay but has never kissed another girl. Her long-time crush becomes a major plot point without centering the movie around her sexuality. It is treated as any romantic subplot in a coming of age movie, regardless of the social implications. This comedic, fun loving movie made me laugh until I was crying. Sure, it lacked some of the depth of reality, but overall I would highly recommend.

CREATIVE COMMONS PHOTO

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Preview: EP Unplugged

BY SRIHITA RAJU For Senior Robbie Breese, nothing is better than being on stage. Breese is a part of the choir and the drama department.

Outside of school, he enjoys spending his time singing, taking voice lessons, and playing the guitar, piano, and violin. He also enjoys writing and recording his own original songs.

Although Breese sometimes performs alone, he is also a part of a band, The High Straps. The High Straps consists of Robbie Breese, Ian Brown, Jack Wagner, Jonathan Shepherd, Ethan Kane, and Neil Namjoshi. The band got their name from the way that jazz bands’ guitarists strap their instruments onto their body. Jazz musicians tend to wear their guitars higher up on their bodies. This style has become iconic for jazz instrumentalists, which lead to the name “The High Straps” for this student band. To see more of The High Straps and Robbie Breese, check out ‘Robbie Breese’ on Youtube.

One musical event Breese is looking forward to this year is EP Unplugged. In March, students will have the chance to come see their classmates perform covers and originals, all acoustic.

This year, Breese is excited to perform at this unique event. It is the only event where everything performed is acoustic. Breese’s favorite part of EP Plugges is getting to see all the collaborations between students.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ROBBIE BREESE

EP UNPLUGGED Who will be performing: Student musicians What: Watch your classmates playing acoustic covers and originals Where: PAC When: March 23rd, 7:00 p.m.

Free to attend

Mindless Music Are music genres exclusive to a race?

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BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

usic is known to be universal. It’s the great thing about it. You could be living in Kazakhstan and be listening to Justin Beiber’s latest single. But every genre has its roots planted in history, and the universal spread of music has blurred the lines of race and gender. In 2020, politics is in every aspect of entertainment—music being no exception. But how aware should the listener be when it comes to the history of what they listen to? And can a genre socially accept other ethnicities entering a genre rooted in a certain culture?

Perhaps the biggest genre in music today—and certainly for our demographic—is hip-hop. Hip-hop originated in the South Bronx of New York during the early 1970s. Originated and cultivated in African-American culture, hip-hop remains a classic staple of African-American culture and history.

However, in modern society, hip-hop is shared amongst all races. After all, streams and purchases are revenue, regardless of race. But there is a careful line that non-black listeners have to tread lightly. Just because you listen to hip-hop, rap, r&b, or any other black-dominated music genres, does not give anyone the right to try to appropriate black-American culture.

I’ve seen so many instances of other races wearing dreads, getting grills in their teeth, and changing their way of speaking to imitate AAVE (African American Vernacular English).

Perhaps the most ignorant thing I’ve heard from hip-hop and rap music listeners is that in the name of “singing along”, they say the “n” word. It’s racist and derogatory for non-black Americans to say the word without understanding the implications of what it means for a white man to even say the “n” word.

A similar situation can be seen in other mainstream music as well. The latest genre to breakthrough into the western world is k-pop. Korean pop music has barrelled into the American music scene with frontrunners BTS and Blackpink, followed by other acts such as NCT127 and Monsta X. These groups consist of ethnically East Asian members, often from Korea, but also Thailand, China, and Japan. With the recent spread of these groups in the west, the genre has garnered more and more fans from around the world. But the recent influx of Korean music and culture has brought along a huge wave of cultural appropriation in the west, as non-Asian people start to fetishize asians and their culture. The term “Koreaboo” has been dubbed for those who throw random Korean words into their language, pretend they are Korean, or an extreme--get cosmetic surgery in order to “look” like they’re Korean. Regardless of what people do in order to appear or be more East Asian, it’s cultural appropriation done badly.

Cultural appropriation should be something we are all aware of, as it is harmful to people of color and their heritage. So while music is universal and should remain universal, there are certain lines that should not be crossed.

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

PROFILE

From Venezuela to Minnesota: A profile on Juan Pinto J

BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

uan Pinto was just 12 years old when his family packed their bags and took a plane from Venezuela to Minnesota. He had to leave everything behind, from his friends to the horses his family owned. It wasn’t secure for Juan’s family to stay in Venezuela since the economy was failing due to falling oil prices. Juan noted that “you could fill your entire gas tank for one dollar.”

So he and his family packed everything up and found a new home in Minnesota. Here in Minnesota, his parents still work in business but with a different company. Juan had no choice but to accept the changes in his life and keep moving.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of Juan’s life in Venezuela was his horses. His family owned a family of four horses, which they participated in competitions with. Juan started riding horses at 4 years old and eventually became a nationally ranked competitor in the sport. He named his favorite horse “La Navaja,” which essentially means “Swiss army knife” in Spanish. Juan and Navaja competed in many other competitions where they had to herd and properly separate cows. This was a difficult thing to do, as it is a cow’s nature to be with other cows. So as Juan and Navaja would separate cows, the cows would simply walk back to the other side.

With speed and precision, Juan would herd the cows as quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, as the Pinto family was forced to move to America, they had to sell their horses to ranchers in Colombia.

Juan isn’t able to retain his sport here in Minnesota, but his family visits Florida biannually in order to see and take care of horses there.

Juan’s move from Venezuela to Minnesota was more than just a geographical move. When he arrived here, he did not know

“All my friends are still in Venezuela.“ DESIGN BY SHANNA SIVAKUMAR

anything about the English language. He struggled to assimilate into American society. When asked how he would describe the move, he simply replied, “it’s complicated.” Juan said that by ESL (English as a Second Language) standards, he was fluent in English after 1.4 years.

His favorite part of Eden Prairie High School is that everyone treats him like they’ve known him forever. He appreciates the kindness that resonates throughout the school. His least favorite part of EPHS, however, is that the school is “gigantic.” It’s hard to find classes every semester.

Juan said he wishes to follow in his parents’ footsteps and be a business major in the future. His love for business increased after he took Introduction to Business here at the high school. On the other hand, he does not enjoy science classes.

In the future, Juan knows he will return to Venezuela to at least vacation there. “All my friends are there,” he said. He keeps in touch with his friends through text, but hopes to one day meet in person and ride horses together again.

He mentioned that his extended family had to split up as they moved out of Venezuela. His family now lives in 14 different countries, including Russia, Colombia and Bolivia. From Venezuela to Minnesota, Juan Pinto has had a tremendous life filled with change, hopefully for the better.

Below: Juan and Navaja, age 12

Above: Juan and Navaja at a cow-herding competition

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Above: Sophomore Juan Pinto, age 15

Right: Juan after he came to America

Left: Later, at the same competition

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

COVER

NEED TO KNOW: PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION PRIMARY ELECTIONS

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BY SYDNEY LEWIS

ince 1992, Minnesota has held presidential nomination elections through a caucus system. The last time Minnesota held a presidential primary, the election did not bind delegates into voting for who the population of Minnesota voted for. Now, the newly implemented primary elections will be binding for delegates. The elections will be held on “Super Tuesday,” March 3, the biggest day in primary voting around the country. Early absentee voting has been open since January 17.

Minnesota will still have caucuses for non-presidential elections. Caucuses are forums where voters can express opinions on issues, and after several hours of debate, they cast a vote for a candidate. The caucus system is structured to allow major political parties to endorse a candidate for election. For example, in 2018 Tim Walz and Jeff Johnson won the DFL and GOP endorsements, respectively, for governor.

In a primary system, voters head to the polls, select a party, then choose a candidate from the ballot-- thus indicating whom they want to be the nominee for their party. The head of the two major political parties in the state sent a list of candidates they want on the ballot to the Secretary of State.

State representative Laurie Pryor sees the move to a presidential primary as “a better way to get people to participate” because there was a real barrier for voters when using caucuses. For caucuses, several hundred people at one location attempted to have civil discourse on issues they care about. Instead of the minutes that voting in a primary takes, voters had to spend up to four hours talking about candidates. People who had the ability to go for those hours and potentially miss work or school were over-represented in the caucus voting.

While Democrats will have a large number of options when choosing their representative for the Democratic Party in the general election, Minnesota Republicans will only see President Donald Trump’s name on the ballot.

The Minnesota Supreme Court recently heard a case arguing that the Minnesota GOP should not be allowed to put only one name on the ballot. The court did not rule in favor of the plaintiff, a candidate seeking the Republican nomination for president.

DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS

Some people have speculated whether or not voter turnout will be lower because there will be only one Republican on the ballot. Congressional District Three had the highest voter turnout in the country in 2018.

Eden Prairie City Clerk, Kathleen Porta, said Hennepin County expects an over 51 percent voter turnout.

When voting, voters must pick a political party from which to choose a candidate. Minnesota voters do not register and are not members of political parties. Any voter can enter the polling booth and pick any political party from which to choose a candidate.

Their choice will only be accessible to the major political parties of the state. After picking a ballot, voters will choose a candidate to vote for and will submit their ballot.

Minnesota is progressive in the sense of voter accessibility. Voters can register to vote in person on election day or register online in less than five minutes. Voters will not need a drivers’ license on voting day if they are pre-registered.

ON THE BALLOT Democratic-Farmer-Labor: Michael Bennet, Amy Klobuchar, Joseph Biden, Deval Patrick, Michael R. Bloomberg, Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro, Marianne Williamson, John K. Delaney, Andrew Yang, Tulsi Gabbard Republican: Donald J. Trump Find more information on where and how to vote on the Secretary of State’s website.

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STUDENT INVOLVEMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS

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STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHARON MICHAEL olitical activism doesn’t start and end at the ballot box.

For students Brian Samuel and Leeza Kuznetsov, their involvement in presidential campaigns is an opportunity to influence the outcome of elections before they are legally allowed to vote. Although Samuel and Kuznetsov both work for completely different candidates, Samuel working on President Donald Trump’s campaign and Kuznetsov working on Senator Bernie Sanders’ campaign, the work they do is equally important and impactful.

As students, the campaign-related activities that Samuel and Kuznetsov primarily partake in include recruitment, phone banking, reaching out to local politicians for donations and simply having conversations with people about the upcoming election. All of this work is just as time-consuming as you would think.

Samuel said that he devotes around fifteen hours per week on Trump’s campaign, something he feels is a great opportunity to build his own resume and also to get the feeling of serving others.

Samuel was inspired to first get involved from his previous work with Congressman Erik Paulsen, saying,“I’ve always been interested in politics and serving my country.” As for Kuznetsov, the inspiration behind why she decided to get involved runs much closer to home. Kuznetsov explained how even though she won’t be able to vote in the upcoming election, she was considering her grandmother, who has congestive heart failure. “I don’t know what we would do if my

Leeza Kuznetsov phone banking for Bernie Sanders

grandma didn’t have healthcare.” The fact that so many people don’t have to think about that “is just an injustice that I have to make up for and Bernie’s campaign is the one I see doing that.” she said.

With the voting age being 18, many high school students don’t feel the need to get involved. Kustensov and Samuel believe that being politically active goes beyond just voting.

“You still have a voice, there are also so many movements that are going on to try and lower the voting age to our age and you have an opportunity to change the minds of other people,” Kuznetsov said. “It’s not like you can’t talk, it’s not like you can’t have conversations, there are still things that you can do other than vote that will help the candidate that you believe in.” Samuel said that “this is the greatest opportunity to be able to actually make an impact in politics and reach out to politicians and get a feel for where you stand politically.”

Encountering discouragement at this scale of political activism has become so easy because meaningful change demands an exceptional level of cooperation between all levels of government and civil society. For the hundreds of students that protest, volunteer and vote, there are hundreds more that have been successfully dismayed into inaction.

The youth will have the opportunity to change the outcome of the election with their votes. As Kustenov said, “There are 20 million students that are eligible to vote this year and I have a feeling that that turnout is going to be the best it’s ever been and without those students, a candidate can’t win.”

Brian Samuel phone banking for Donald Trump

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

COVER

POINT-COUNTERPOINT Moderates win elections

BY SHARON MICHAEL

The ultimate goal of the Democratic party needs to be defeating Donald Trump. Therefore, it only makes sense to elect a more moderate-based Democratic candidate. When looking at past presidents and their ideologies, one thing stands out: moderate candidates almost always do better at the polls than extremely progressive ones.

According to a Vox article by Matthew Yeglesias, Trump did not run and win as an ideological extremist. “He paired extremely offensive rhetoric on racial issues with positioning on key economic policy topics that led him to be perceived by the electorate as the most moderate GOP nominee in generations.”

With the upcoming election, it’s not only important to consider the electoral college but also the swing states. In the 2018 midterms, when the Democrats flipped the House of Representatives, all the media attention tended to focus on the most progressive candidates such as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley and Rashida Tlaib, but most of the Democrats who flipped seats from red to blue were, in fact, moderates. They convinced Republicans, Independents and suburban women disappointed with Trumpism that they were not radical left-wingers or socialists.

Joe Biden’s paper-thin lead over Trump in the swing states is also largely attributable to the public perception of Biden as a moderate compared to Warren or Sanders. According to a recent poll by the New York Times, three-quarters of those who would vote for Biden over Trump, but Trump over Warren, say they would prefer a more moderate Democratic nominee to a more liberal one. They also prefer a candidate who would find common ground with Republicans over one who would fight for a progressive agenda.

It’s important to not overlook the fact that 2018’s congressional elections when Democrats took power in the U.S. House of Representatives, it was largely through moderate candidates who won over suburban voters by focusing on “kitchen-table” issues such as coverage for preexisting medical conditions and income inequality.

Although policy ideas such as eliminating private health insurance, for example, sound appealing to a large swath of the Democratic base, they aren’t as appealing to voters in swing states because there’s no guarantee that a candidate who champions them will inspire the Obama voters in swing states who stayed home in 2016.

America is in such a time of polarization and division that when one party gains power, it immediately acts unilaterally to undo the policies of the other. This explains why America’s pressing issues never get solved. America needs a moderate-based candidate who will unite our country, and this will never be accomplished by electing an extremely progressive candidate who will just push moderate Republicans further to the right. We need a powerful, passionate, moderate candidate willing to solve problems, work with adversaries and encourage civility.

DESIGN BY SYDNEY LEWIS

Progressives win elections

BY ADAM KHELAH

Democrats want Donald Trump out of office. Even some Republicans do. Many Democrats consider this an emergency and will do anything to ensure that someone besides Trump is in the White House for the next four years. Someone who is a safe bet. Someone who can maybe get moderate Republicans to vote Democrat. Someone more predictable. For many that someone is Joe Biden.

Biden has sold himself as the most electable and safe candidate to beat Trump. When asked why he wants to be president, Biden responded that it’s really important that Trump is not re-elected. It’s his responsibility. However, does Biden really have the energy and passion to win the presidency? Does Biden really align with the wants of the democratic party, or will the democrats potentially back him because he is the most “electable?”

First off, the word electable doesn’t make much sense. It’s a skewed view of an impossible standard frequently used to mischaracterize the ability of women or people of color to win the office of the president.

In most cases, only old white guys are “electable.” Yet these unelectable people are winning. Obama surely wasn’t considered electable and he won. What about Trump? Wasn’t Hillary Clinton the safe bet in the 2016 election? Everyone believed that she would easily win against Donald Trump. The entire media seemed to be on her side. Yet she lost to the most “unelectable” candidate in American History.

Moderate candidates may be more likely to win elections, but we’ve got to look at this election in context. Predictability has gone out the window. We now have an impeached president running for a second term. The country is more polarized than ever before.

It’s either one way or the other. In this polarized country, Biden doesn’t scream excitement. Someone has to shake the system. That’s what Trump did.

Trump didn’t win because of his policies. How many of his voters can even name them? He won because of one thing. Excitement. That’s what Democrats need to beat Trump. Unpredictability. Not a safe candidate. Just look at a Bernie Sanders rally and then look at a Biden rally. You’ll immediately see the difference. Candidates like Sanders and Elizabeth Warren generate excitement.

Democrats need to vote for who they want to win, not for who they believe will win. That’s how Democrats lost to Trump in 2016, and that’s how they will lose again in 2020.

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STUDENT OPINIONS ON THE 2020 ELECTION “Buttigieg and Warren are my top choice. But I also like Klobuchar. I need to do more research.”

Lena Copper Senior “I like Warren.

She is more electable than Bernie.”

Sophie Flom Junior

“I haven’t gotten far into it because I can’t vote.”

Samantha Robinson Junior

“I support Trump because he follows through on the promises he’s made.”

Keegan Orth Junior “I support Pete Buttigieg because I align with his policies and value his intelligence and honesty.”

Lucas Wagner Freshman

“Amy is interesting but it doesn’t seem like she could win.”

Kayla Malmgren Senior

“Bernie because he seems genuine compared to everyone else.”

Prayag Rajagopalan Junior

“I don’t want Trump because he doesn’t think before he talks. He doesn’t make good decisions.”

Braden Lane Junior

“I like Trump because he’s a Republican and I’m a Republican.”

David Weidman Junior

“Klobuchar because she is fairly centerleft.”

Andrew Peng Junior

“Bernie is the best because he wants more socialist policies.”

Vivi Tabor Freshman

“I want Trump because the economy is doing very well and I’d like to see that continue.”

Nicholas Erickson Senior

“Warren and Buttigieg are pretty good.”

Sam Aaberg Freshman

“It would be really cool if we had the first female president.”

Meagan Villegas Sophomore

“I support Andrew Yang because of the $1000 a month and the enforcement of anti-trust laws on Amazon.”

Jackson Henry Senior

“I support Andrew Yang because he is trying to find the best of both parties.”

William Gillquist Senior

“I haven’t been following because I can’t even vote.”

Rushil Desai Junior

“I want Sanders because the 1 percent must pay their fair share.”

Ryan Hines Sophomore

“I like Warren because she is learning left but in a moderate way.”

Madi Mitchell Junior

“I’ve always said Bernie but I’m still researching candidates.”

Jasmine Carter Senior

“I like Bloomberg because he is the most centrist candidate.”

Sophia Sailer Senior “I’d probably vote for Trump, though he is not perfect by any metric. He’s the best option available.”

Ali Yousefzadeh Senior

“I took a test to see who my candidate would be, and I got Bernie.”

Annette Juarez Freshman

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

OPINION

Taboo Topics Vulnerabiltiy

BY SHARON MICHAEL Vulnerable. Adjective. Susceptible to physical or emotional attack or harm. Even the mere definition is a bit unsettling. Although being vulnerable is something almost everyone experiences, in recent years, it seems as if our generation has a growing angst towards it. Think about all the things we do and say to protect us from, God forbid, human connection. I know, scary. But why? Why is it we are so afraid of being vulnerable? It it rejection? Hurt? Embarrassment? Heartbreak? When did we become so afraid to show that we care?

I’ve heard our generation referred to as the “emotionless” and “hook-up” generation time and time again. That’s probably because we’ve absolutely killed romance. What happened to going on dates?

To getting flowers just because? To openly telling people that you love or care about them? Instead, we play games. We lead people on for our own amusement or maybe even because we’re bored. We treat others poorly out of the fear of being the one who cares more. We talk to people just enough to make a comfortable connection, and then flee as soon as they get too close. We look at people who we know we could really fall for, and we try to keep them at an arm’s length. We hold back emotions that we should display. We wait for hours for the other person to text us, then take even more time to text back so that we’re in control.

If we’re in control, we can’t get hurt, right? Whoever cares less wins.

Our idea of a “date” is definitely not what it used to be, but that’s okay, right? Because the less time we invest in a person, the less likely we are to get hurt. We’re afraid to show any emotional investment in a person, or, as we might put it, we’re afraid of “catching feelings.” Because once you catch feelings...you guessed it: you can get hurt. No wonder we have so much trouble being open with our emotions. We aren’t even giving ourselves the chance to feel them.

Don’t get me wrong. We can have relationships that are just something fun and not want to go on dates. Sometimes, we genuinely don’t have feelings for potential partners. Occasionally, our relationships just aren’t going to work out. We might hold different values, or we might know that the other person is toxic for us, so a relationship with them is out of the question. Sometimes, we’re just genuinely terrified of the possibility that we could be loved back. And all of that is okay; well, maybe everything except for the last one. But we shouldn’t let our fear of being vulnerable get in the way of meaningful relationships because much of the time, it only keeps us from human connections that could be great.

And isn’t that the entire point of life? Human connection? Humans feel things. We cannot protect ourselves from emotions, and if we get anywhere close to doing so, we are also blocking ourselves from the good ones. Aside from stability and companionship, a genuine connection with another human being in any relationship is one of the most valuable parts of our existence, and it’s one of the most beautiful capabilities we possess. The emotional intimacy that we find from the vulnerability of those close relationships doesn’t just satisfy us, it makes us better humans.

Staff Editorial For the first time in 59 years of publishing a news magazine, The Eyrie, as a staff, have decided to endorse a presidential candidate for the 2020 election. After a series of votes cast by the entire staff, we are proud to announce our endorsement for Senator Elizabeth Warren. To us, Warren represents a new wave of candidates who embody intelligence, compassion and insight into the possibilities of America’s future. We have chosen the candidate that we believe is the best for young people.

Warren isn’t in the race for power or to be the first female president (though that would be a huge bonus).

She is in the race because she wants to see a better future for America and she knows that she is the best person for the job. She recognizes that America isn’t great for a lot of people living in it, and she fights every day to make it accessible and inclusive for everyone.

If you look at the organizing efforts of herself and her campaign, you don’t see a politician who says whatever they think will get them elected. Warren is strong in her beliefs and is enacting policies that she believes will benefit our society. Her campaign and staffers always listen to new ideas and encourage dialogue, which is one of the biggest things missing in our current administration. Warren is passionate about issues that impact every single person. She believes that America can be better. She believes in us and we believe in her.

Warren has extensive plans detailing everything she aims to do in her four years of office. From student loan forgiveness to campaign finance reform, Warren is committed to strengthening our democracy. It is time for a true progressive to push the limits of the democratic party and use their position to improve the lives of the people put at risk by the Trump 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 SHARON MICHAEL

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PHOTO SUBMITTED

School shootings fail to spark gun law change

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BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

n the two years since the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, there has been alarmingly few nation-wide laws passed regarding gun control.

In the years prior to the Parkland shooting, the laws in Florida were pretty lackluster, and the state did not have nearly enough to keep its people safe.

Florida did not have a requirement for an owner license, no state permit required for gun purchase and no specific assault weapon laws. Since the horrific shooting, there have been multiple laws passed, mostly at the state level and still very few nationally.

One law passed in Florida in the wake of the shooting was named the “Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act.” This law raised the age of

purchasing guns from 18 to 21, banned people “mentally defective” from buying a gun and banned bump stocks. This law is something the state of Florida should have had in place far before this tragedy occurred. Banning things like bump stocks, which make guns much more deadly, and having the age to purchase a gun be 21 seem like very obvious things to have in place. Why should someone not be able to drink alcohol, but able to own a gun?

Multiple other states such as New York, Vermont, California and Louisiana have also passed gun control legislation in response to the shooting. It really frustrates me that something so awful has to happen to have anyone turn an eye and make a change. Lawmakers should be protecting the public's safety so things like this don't happen at all, not just in response to when tragedies do occur.

Trump has repeatedly voiced his

support for passing “sensible” gun laws, yet nothing has been passed. The president should take action to get the laws he supposedly supports passed.

Something positive that came out of something so awful has been the March For Our Lives movement. This movement has been one of the most inspiring and impactful movements teenagers have ever started.

This movement was started by a small group of survivors from the shooting that has now become a nationwide movement supported by celebrities, politicians and students from all over the world.

The Parkland shooting has been one of the biggest tragedies the United States has ever seen, and even with the multiple state laws passed since the shooting two years ago, there has been an extreme lack of national gun control. That needs to be changed.

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

OPINION

The birth lottery should not be a factor in college admissions

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BY KATHERINE SUN

ewborns have no control over what family they are born into or what political climate they appear in.

Newborns can’t choose their family’s socioeconomic status or race. They simply are what they are.

Yet, in college admissions, some high schoolers are being punished for their low-income or minority backgrounds.

Applying for post-secondary education is becoming a fight against the odds–a fight against nature. Because of this, college admission policies that attempt to eliminate preference for factors entirely determined by the birth lottery are essential for achieving fair admissions. Without these policies, society would severely limit its intellectual and social potential.

Students from low-income backgrounds are underrepresented in selective universities. In 2002, students from families in the bottom economic quartile comprise only three percent of enrollment in the most competitive schools, while those from the top economic quartile comprise 72 percent. In recent years, little has changed. A 2017 New York Times reported that across thirty-eight colleges, students from the top one percent constitute more of the student body than those from the bottom sixty percent. These stagnant figures are evidence of the problematic socioeconomic stratification present in postsecondary institutions.

As high-achieving, low-income students are denied the world’s top educational opportunities, society suffers an unfavorable loss in potential ideas, efforts and progress. If our nation is constantly searching for more advancements, then why are we denying the brightest and most diverse minds the initial step towards their future?

Unfortunately, the answer to this question is complex. The college admissions process is a black box, and there are many elements that stir within it. Despite the benefits of policies like affirmative action, which have not been very effective, low-income students still face many factors that favor wealthier applicants.

Academic assessments, preference for demonstrated interest, early action/decision and legacy preference are some of these factors.

Prioritizing academic assessment has harmed low-income students, especially since 76 percent of the US’ most selective universities filter applications through an initial academic review to reject students who seemingly are not capable of handling the institution’s academic rigor. High-achieving, low-income students generally have less access to college prep courses, such as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes.

As for standardized test scores, it’s no surprise that high-achieving students from the wealthiest families are twice DESIGN BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

as likely to have taken SAT preparatory courses or tutoring as those from the poorest families. Although free resources like Khan Academy have been aiding many students who cannot afford private tutoring, they lack the personalized feedback and explanations that private services offer. Because of something uncontrollable like family income, many students will never get the chance to be viewed as more than just a number.

For Ivy League schools, early admission rates are three to five times higher than regular rates. However, low-income students are half as likely to apply early because their families are unable or hesitant to commit to the cost of a school. It seems that colleges are more concerned with profit and maintaining high yield rates to gain prestige than blatantly disadvantaging a significant group of students.

And out of all these factors, legacy preference is probably the most unfair. Over 80 percent of highly selective universities consider legacies. Since legacies are disproportionately wealthy and white, legacy preference has been called, “affirmative action for the rich.” Legacy admissions are enabling parents to buy their children’s way into universities and manipulate the odds of acceptance–a fundamental breach in ethics and equality.

All in all, the fairness of college admissions depends on students, families, and institutions acknowledging the current

As high-achieving, low-income students are denied the world’s top educational opportunities, society suffers an unfavorable loss in potential ideas, efforts and progress. underrepresentation of low-income students in selective institutions and the on-going bias embedded within admissions factors. A successful solution should include policies that remove preferences for the wealthy, a means of redefining merit, and an effective financial aid policy.

No one chooses what conditions they are born into, so colleges should not discriminate based on disadvantages that are wholly out of a student’s control. Selective universities, which hope to produce the world’s new wave of leaders and innovators, should recognize the unlocked opportunity in supporting high-achieving, low-income students. Let us live in a society where potential is independent of socioeconomic status.

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THE END OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

BY SYDNEY LEWIS Every non-Trump supporter has a line that the president either has crossed or will cross. For some, it was when he was elected. For some, it was when he said you could grab women by the p----. For some, it was when the Mueller Report was released. For some, it was when he was impeached by the House of Representatives. For me, it is when he attempts to run for a third term.

Yes, his presidency is illegitimate and his second term probably will be too, but those two are still within the confines of the Constitution. If President Trump attempts to campaign for a third term, he will be breaking the constitution. His supporters will undoubtedly follow him and urge

BY KATHERINE KREGNESS him to act as the Commander in Chief for another four years.

If he attempts to make such political strides, he will be met with a Slacktivism is the practice of supportconstitutional crisis. He will be in direct violation of the 22nd amending a political or social cause by means ment which states that a President may serve for no more than two such as social media or online petitions, terms.

In such a case, the American people and the supreme court characterized as involving very little effort will be forced to make a decision. Will the Supreme Court uphold or commitment. The United Nations has the word of the Constitution that they have sworn to protect? In defined slacktivism as when people “support my opinion, the answer is no. a cause by performing simple measures” but We can assume that in the next four years Ruth Bader “are not truly engaged or devoted to making a Ginsberg and potentially other Supreme Court Justices will change.” no longer be alive. This will give the Executive the power That in of itself is an oxymoron considering to appoint far-right justices that will allow him to run for a the definition of activism is the policy or action of third term. using vigorous campaigning to bring about political While news outlets and many democrats talk about or social change. Activism is about going out of your Russian interference in the 2016 election, Donald Trump way to make change, not doing the bare minimum to attempts to convince the American public that Ukraine feel good about yourself. was indeed the one who interfered. This line of reasonSocial media activism can be beneficial to a moveing could give the Supreme Court, Donald Trump and ment--in moderation. It can spread awareness, mobilize his supporters the reasoning they need to demand a a base and encourage people to take action. But the fact third term. remains, social media activism is only the first step of many Trump and his administration are already frein the efforts to progress a movement. quent discreditors of the press, with NPR’s Mary The dangers of slacktivism allow supporters of an issue Louise Kelly as their latest prey. Once Trump’s to take a couple of seconds to repost and never have to worry incompliance to freedom of the press becomes about it again because they have “done their part.” With no blatant suppression of thought, our democracy skin in the game or personal risk, supporters can stay within the will be broken. safe confines of their homes and say they tried when their efforts At this point, you may think I’m a conspirfail to make change. acy theorist. I’ll admit, these ideas are not for A constant flow of awareness posts and screenshotted headlines certain, but they are a possibility of what can sometimes be even more harmful to a movement than it is helpthe next eight years hold. ful. When a person scrolls through twelve or thirteen pictures of crying parents and floods a day, it’s far too easy to become desensitized.

Consumers become accustomed to the disasters from the safety of their Instagram pages, and find it far too easy to click past without a second thought. This blatant acceptance for global atrocities allows for genocide, famine and bigotry to go unchecked, while protesters are left scrambling to find people still horrified by the headlines and willing to take meaningful action.

Actual lawmakers are far less likely to respond to a viral post with bold actions than they would be if faced with large-scale traditional civil disobedience, demonstrations, or advocacy. Sure, a viral post placing pressure upon an elected official may help to bring an issue to light or discourage stalling, but the number of likes is unlikely to dictate a shift in policy stance.

Slacktivism doesn’t allow for a voter (or non-voter at that) to back up their words with actions. It’s easy to repost a picture of bamboo straws and call yourself a climate activist, but graphic T’s and ableist plastic-shaming won’t create the real structural change necessary to progress the cause.

SLACKTIVISM

FEBUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

OPINIONETTES

Of course I’m going to judge you

BY SHARON MICHAEL Telling a person to not judge others makes no sense. Seriously, it’s like asking someone to look at words and not read them.

It’s impossible. Just as meeting a new person and making zero internal judgements about them is. Of course, harsh judgement for the purpose of exclusion and hurt should not occur, but it’s human nature to judge and it shouldn’t be looked down upon.

Judgement is necessary, without it, our society may become one wherein everything is permissive and nothing is wrong. Nowadays, many people tend to clump all judgement- good and badunder one banner of “wrong.” It’s come to a point where we no longer see any good in the word “judgement.” And I don’t think that’s okay. What I do think is okay, however, is to be a judgemental person.

We’re all going to die

BY KATHERINE KREGNESS So the world is ending. This is not news. We are all very much aware. The real question is this: how are we all going to die? What will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? Will it be famine? Floods or droughts? Wildfires like the ones destroying Australia? Volcanoes and earthquakes? All very plausible answers, yes. But all wrong. It will be disease. Specifically, the plague. Just take a moment to think about it. Both 1820 and 1920 had massive and widespread plague outbreaks. Well here we are in 2020. What are we waiting for? With the anti-vax movement on the rise, it was honestly just a matter of time. According to the Chinese zodiac, 2020 is the year of the rat. Coincidence? I think not. Time to get vaccinated, folks!

Edit: I wrote this opinionette in early January, before the coronavirus was frequently talked about. Well now look where we are. Not to say I told you so but...

DESIGN BY DANIELLE JOHNSON

Restricted is a joke

BY JADAN FIX Restricted study is a joke. People have said when you walk in there and all of the students are either watching Netflix or on their phone. Every student I have talked to who has been in restricted says it’s not even a punishment. It is just an extra time to get work done or watch netflix before you go home. People are always talking to each other or the security guards who sit in there. There are always people who walk in and out of the room, and it is never really silent in there. There really is not even any punishment behind having restricted. I don’t know why anyone would complain about having restricted since you literally get to watch Netflix for an hour.

Where identity and music meet

BY MANEEYA LEUNG

List all the Asian-American music artists you know. (That’s Asian-American. So cross it out if it’s k-pop, sorry). Cross them out if they’re male. Now cross them out if they’re half-white. I’d be surprised if you had more than three left. That’s how many match what I see as two large parts of my identity: my race and gender.

My identity is composed of so many different factors. Although race and gender are very surface-level ways of seeing it, sometimes that surface-level view is all I and other people need to either set me apart or group me with others.

When I make an effort to listen to an artist, which in my eyes is the same as supporting an artist, I want to support more people that share my identity. It seems inconsequential, but one day I hope listeners of every race and culture will be able to discover music by artists that share their roots.

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FIRST PERSON

h t i L i w f e 3 g n 6 i 0 Liv

BY DANIELLE JOHNSON Life360 is probably one of the most annoying parts of my life. Life360 is an app that is basically like Find My Friends, a tracking app, but with more features. The app tells you what battery percentage everyone in your “circle” is at, how fast they are driving and the exact driving route they take, where they are, and if your parents are feeling really adventurous, they can get the premium version that costs money with even more features.

I know a lot of my friends and their families use the app as well so it’s nice to know its not just a me thing. My family has had Life360 for about two years now and although my parents usage of it has gotten a lot better, it’s still annoying.

I think the height of my parents’ use of the app was when I got my license last year, and they would see how fast I was going. I am not very good at going the speed limit, which they knew, and they would text me to slow down while I was driving. Texting someone while they are driving with the intention of getting them to drive safer seems slightly ironic, but what do I know.

They can see where I am at all times, so if I was somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be they would know. I know that both speeding and being places you aren’t supposed to be are bad, but I feel like these are normal teenage things that don’t need to be monitored.

Teenagers need handle the consequences of their own decisions if they choose to make ones that aren’t the best. It made me feel like I was having all my freedom taken away from me when I was supposed to be having more of it than ever. I have talked to them a lot about the app since then and how it makes me feel like they don’t trust me, and it has gotten a lot better since then.

I don’t get talked to about about my driving anymore which is definitely a plus.

I get why people’s parents, including my own, want their children to have the app.The safety purposes make sense to me and just making sure everyone in your family is where they are supposed to be in case of an emergency is a good idea in theory, but with the driving and more advanced features I feel like the app gets toxic. What is the point of being able to see how fast my dad is going on Highway 5?

Some kids, including myself, also find ways to be able to mess around with the app and make their locations settings different, so it honestly just makes kids even more sneaky with their parents, which the app is trying to prevent anyways. I think if parents want to get the app to use with their kids, they can, but they need to know how to not violate their kid’s freedom and respect their boundaries. As the slogan says, “Feel free, together.”

GRAPHIC BY MANEEYA LEUNG

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

SPORTS

EDEN PRAIRIE

GYMNASTICS The Eagles are getting ready for sections this upcoming Friday. Get to know more about these hardworking athletes.

E

BY GRACE PETERSON

den Prairie Gymnastics competes under the Minnesota State High School League. As a team, their main goal is to beat out their section and make it to state. They have to practice almost 15 hours a week, so another goal is to have fun while focusing and working hard to improve for this season.

Seniors Kenzie Kluge, Morgan Young, and Ellie Steidle are captains and strive to be good role models and leaders for everyone on the team. “I make sure the girls stays on the task every day at practice, plan apparel, and organize fundraisers,” Steidle said. “I also try to set the best example by being there to support and motivate everyone throughout the season.” They’re also trying to make the most out of their last season together.

These girls have been doing this sport since they were super young, and it takes years and years of training filled with numerous failures and successes to be a good gymnast worthy to wear the EP logo on their backs. Their season consists of multiple meets, invitationals, sections, and if they qualify, they will head to state. Sections is February 14th at Lakeville North High School!

Most people don’t know that gymnastics is a mental sport. When trying new skills, they have to be mentally prepared. Mental blocks are a common occurrence when trying to learn new things.

DESIGN BY GRACE PETERSON

Gymnastics practice is located in the small gym at the Eden Prairie High School activities center. The gym is like their own little home and they make it personalized with posters and lights.

It also is the perfect size for all of the equipment they need to have to be able to practice. They don’t have to share this space for the duration of the season which makes it really nice to have their own turf. “It feels like home in there and I wouldn’t want to practice anywhere else,” Kluge said.

The events are vault, bars, beam, and floor.

Some people do all the events and some specialize in individual events. It’s all based on preference and what they want to compete.

To be a part of this hard working team, an athlete needs to have good academics, attendance, and good work ethic before thinking about joining this group. This group of girls spend almost every day together and become very close. “My favorite part of the season is definitely the people I spend all my time with because it’s such a special, amazing group of people,” Steidle said.

Fans are always welcome to gymnastics meets.

“I think it would bring a lot more energy to the meets if more people came to support, especially at home meets,” Young said. “But I think the atmosphere in the gym at meets right now is full of support.”

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Winnie Wallace

Olivia Seigler PHOTOS BY SYDNEY LEWIS

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

Lions Tap $1.00 off any Famous Hamburger Dine in Only. Tax not included. One coupon, per peson, per visit. Not valid with other offers.

Expires March 20

EPHS WWW.THEEYRIE.ORG

SUBMIT TO THE LITERARY MAGAZINE Featuring the works of EPHS students

DEADLINE APRIL 1 ACCEPTING ALL PHOTOS, SHORT STORIES, POEMS, AND ART Submit all works and questions to 2020litmag@gmail.com

DESIGN BY ADAM KHELAH

SPORTS

31

Spotlight Athletes

Sydney Langseth - Hockey

BY GRACE PETERSON

Q: What are your future plans after high school?

A: I plan on attending Minnesota State University Mankato next year and playing Division I hockey there, and I would like to do something in business.

Q: What’s your favorite memory of high school hockey?

A: My favorite memory of high school hockey is winning state my eighth grade year.

Q: How long have you been playing hockey?

A: I’ve been playing hockey since I was 6 years old.

Q: What’s your role as a captain and senior?

A: My role as a captain and senior is leading by example and making sure everyone is on the same page for success.

Q: What are your goals for yourself and the team this season?

A: This season we want to make it to the state tournament and have good team chemistry.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

John Mittelstadt - Hockey

BY JADAN FIX Q: How many years have you been playing hockey?

A: 15 years Q: What position do you play?

A: Center Q: How has the team been doing this year?

A: The team has been doing pretty great. We have been ranked 1st for most of the season Q: What is your role as captain?

A: My role as a captain is to lead the team as a person and as a player. I also have to get our team prepared for games.

Q: Are you excited to keep playing hockey next year in college?

Why? A: Extremely excited because I have always wanted to be a Gopher. I've been going to games my whole life, and I can't wait to play for them.

PHOTO SUBMITTED

FEBURARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

PHOTO ESSAY

INNER D

“A rage that easily can consume me. Feels like every time I get mad, I am a big ball of flames that will burn everything including others, but particularly when I’m hurt or mad, it’s hard to let the fire die out and the ‘burns’ never really go away.”

“My mind sometimes becomes so overloaded with emotion that my entire body goes numb, my vision blurs and I am unable to fully process complete thoughts. Then I panic.”

“I fear not being good enough.”

DESIGN BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN

“There are different types of OCD, not just the cleaning type. My obsessive thoughts consume me and strangle my existence. I have OCD.”

Demons

33

BY VISHALLI ALAGAPPAN AND SYDNEY LEWIS

“Eating causes me to feel an overwhelming sense of shame; one that makes me want to disappear forever.”

“I feel overshadowed.”

“A low self esteem is something thatmakes me undermine my own accomplishments as the bare minimum. Nothing I ever do will be enough, and I’ll always be a disappointment to the people around me.”

“My heart feels like a time bomb. Ticking faster and faster until I wish it would just explode.”

“I fear the future and prolong my anxiety.”

FEBRUARY 2020 | theeyrie.org

ACTIVITIES

11

Valentine Crossword

1. The first stage in a relationship is the _________ phase.

2. “High school ___________” 3. Many people receive heart-shaped _________ on valentine’s day 4. Gender-neutral term for girlfriend or boyfriend 5. Will you be my _________ 6. Taylor Swift’s latest album 7. Symbol of love 8. Watch out for _____’s arrow 9. An upcoming school dance on February 22 10. Item given to contestants on the Bachelor 11. A person who does not have a partner is 12. For many couples, Friday night is ____ night 13. They are more than friends but aren’t quite dating.

14. In 2015, same-sex ________ was legalized in all 50 states in the Supreme Court case Obergefell v.

Hodges.

15. A marriage or relationship between three people 16. 525,600 minutes 17. An online dating app and a reading done in APPS 18. “I’m a hopeless ________.”

DESIGN BY KATHERINE KREGNESS

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