WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL
Volume 33, Issue 3
tt October 3, 2014
trojan tribune
{{THE HOMECOMING ISSUE}}
Photo taken by Megan Ruhland
The Hard Hats are pictured cheering on the Wayzata football team taking on Maple Grove on September 5, 2014. The group was wearing the blue and yellow striped overalls.
inside this issue What is Success? PAGE 5
Homecoming Royalty Profiles PAGES 6-7
Stern’s Movie Reviews PAGES 8-9
A Comment on the ACT PAGE 10
Drew’s Picks of the Week PAGE 11
Trewick on overalls: “The issue is behavior.”
T h e d i s p u te b e twe e n th e a dm in istra tio n a n d th e Ha rd Hat s cont i nues By HANA KASSEM EDITOR IN CHIEF
Two KMSP-TV reports, a blizzard of Tweets and Facebook posts, and a series of confrontations and meetings have brought little clarity to the overalls controversy. Overalls remain banned for members of the Hard Hats, according to Principal Mike Trewick. Attorney Steven Weintraut, who is representing some members of the group, said on Wednesday he had not filed a lawsuit. Weintraut said he had come to the high school hoping to meet with school personnel. “As of right now, I am awaiting a response from the school and school attorney.” “The grounds to defend the Hard Hats are primarily constitutional,” Weintraut said. “The First Amendment protects their freedom of speech. The 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection clause protects the group as well. Punishing the group for associating together also violates the First Amendment,” Weintraut said. Principal Mike Trewick said viewing the problem as only a clothing/dress issue is miss-
ing the main point. “The issue is about inappropriate student behavior,” Trewick said. “The overalls/uniform is of concern because it is used by the group to identify its members and protect the exclusive nature the group has created over the years,” said Trewick. According to Trewick, Wayzata Public Schools is not considering the overalls a form of speech. “Even if it were, it is the disruptive behaviors that are of greatest concern to us,” Trewick said. According to Trewick, Minnesota law gives the School Board the authority to “manage and control” the school and the school board delegates that responsibility to the administration. Weintraut said he considers two school speech cases important precedents: Tinker v. Des Moines and Chambers v. Babbitt. In the landmark decision Tinker vs. Des Moines Community School District (1969) the Supreme Court held 7-2 that public school students “do not shed their Constitutional rights to freedom of speech and freedom of expression at the schoolhouse gate.” In 1965, 13-year-old Mary Beth Tinker had been suspended for 10 days for refusing to take off a black armband worn in protest of the
Vietnam War. The Court held that her armband was speech, and it was constitutionally protected speech because it did not “materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of the school.” Tinker established a test to judge whether school speech could be censored based on whether the conduct was, or could reasonably be predicted to be, disruptive. Chambers vs. Babbitt (2001) was decided based on the Tinker standard. Woodbury, MN High School student Elliott Chambers was prevented by Principal Babbitt from wearing a sweatshirt to school that said “Straight Pride” on the front and had a graphic representation of a man and a woman holding hands on the back. U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank held the school’s censorship to be unconstitutional because the school did not prove that the message on the shirt caused disruption. Chambers was permitted to wear his shirt from that point forward, but Babbitt was also permitted to ban it if a more compelling connection between the shirt and a disruption were to be established by future events. Continued on Page 2
Changes in standardized testing at Wayzata ACTs and MCAs to be taken by all juniors B y M AG G I E H A R L E S S S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
Wayzata High School students will be adjusting to major standardized testing changes this year and in the years to come. There has been talk in the junior class about these upcoming changes and while the rumors that they will not need to take the MCA tests are false, there will most certainly be differences. In the state of Minnesota a student must meet assessment requirements through Graduation-Required Assessments for Diploma, or GRAD, in writing, reading, and mathematics
According to Laws of Minnesota, in 2013 the testing laws were altered in several ways by the state legislature. Alternative assessment options were added for students who do not pass the GRAD tests for high school graduation. The law also required the development of new assessments that are aligned with the academic standards but also include career and college readiness benchmarks. At one point there was the thought of an option of getting rid of the MCA tests comPhoto taken by Hana Kassem pletely and just using the ACT, but
WORLD NEWS By HANA KASSEM EDITOR IN CHIEF
in order to graduate, according to the Minnesota Department of Education website. The GRAD tests at Wayzata have included the MCAs.
In this staged photo, Megan Ruhland (12) takes a standardized test
Continued on Page 2
www.lavoz.com.ar
The Hong Kong police force is cracking down on protestors as they protest a reform in the nomination process in Hong Kong’s leadership elections, scheduled to be implemented in 2017. As Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests spread the umbrella is increasingly becoming a symbol of opposition as they use it as a shield against the police force firing pepper spray and tear gas on the protestors.
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
NEWS 2
The current controversy is complicated From page 1 by history. “The Hard Hats, over the course of many years, have repeatedly chosen to not follow reasonable guidelines set by the administration,” Trewick said. “Selling overalls in the school store was explored as a possibility in 2013 as a way to foster school spirit. It became apparent, however, that there was pressure for the overalls to be sold only to members of the group,” said Trewick. The plan was dropped, Trewick said. Weintraut confirmed that at least one member of the group has been excluded from all Wayzata athletic Hard Hats
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3, 2014 events through December 2014 as a consequence of events at last Friday’s football game. “This may pertain to a few of the other members as well,” Weintraut said. Trewick stressed that the group was “not school-sponsored.” “Compromises are difficult to negotiate with non-school sponsored groups as the interests of such groups are often not consistent with the general nature of school sponsored groups and activities. Therefore, we do not have plans to revisit or reconsider our position on this.” According to Trewick, so long as the Hard Hat group shows up to school or school events while representing
the group, drawing undue attention to themselves, or engaging in disruptive or other inappropriate activities, they will not be allowed to enter. In the first of two KMSP-TV segments aired in the past two weeks, Superintendent Chace Anderson described “inappropriate chants” and intimidation of other fans during football games as some of the “inappropriate activities” that had led to administrative action. Several dozen students, mostly girls, wore red-dyed overalls to school on Friday, September 27 as part of a “Red-Out” for that evening’s football game. “Overalls, in and of themselves, are not banned at WHS,” Trewick said.
Additions to Wayzata High School By STELLA WANG
S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
Wayzata High School will be making expansions to the school building in the coming years including expansions to the music and performing arts center and athletics area as well as new commons areas and a new tower of classrooms in order to accommodate the high school’s anticipated growth. The main reason for the expansion is to accommodate the school’s growing population. “We have about 3,350 students right now,” said Principal on Special Assignment Scott Gengler, “We are anticipating 4,000 in the coming years.” Groups of teachers and administrators called User Groups are a key part of the construction process. “The main
use of user groups is to be front runners in designing the space,” said Gengler, “User groups design how spaces look, feel, and operate.” Different groups were created for different areas of construction. “Our group is focused on giving feedback about the organization of the interior classroom space,” said Social Studies teacher Nick Tibesar. “We also discussed some possibilities for meeting spaces, managing student flow in the hallways, and creating small group spaces that can easily be accessed by classrooms.” Besides new classrooms there will also be an expansion of the music wing “There will be a new 350 seat audi-
torium and a new band room,” said Principal on Special Assignment Scott Gengler. “Music and performing arts will have needs along with other academics.” Although there will be change coming to the high school, Gengler hopes to continue to build a positive school culture and community. “It is not so much looking at changes but rather opportunities to help students feel more connected to the building and build a sense of community,” said Gengler. “We want to make sure we don’t lose sight of that in such a large building.”
Changes made to pepfest B y A N N A RO D R I G U E Z & G R AC E L E I N B E R G E R N E W S E D I T O R & J U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
The pepfest this year has undergone many changes inc luding the time and the place. According to study body president Andrew Q uirk (12), due to some issues with pepfests in the past the administration has implemented many changes on how the event will be r un. “It will be on the Monday of Homecoming week star ting at 7:30 in the morning in the stadium, then school will r un on a late star t schedule,” said Q uirk. The pepfest will be moved to the stadium because “the g ym simpl y cannot fit all of the students due to increased enrollment,” said Q uirk. According to Q uirk the stadium is going to be a ver y different venue, and should prove to be a lot of fun for ever yone invol ved. D uring the pepfest they will highlight captains and representatives of fall spor ts and activities at the high school. “ We’ ll also get to know the homecoming royalt y,” said Q uirk. According to Q uirk there will also be many fun sur prises. “ We are bringing pepfests back to being about building school spirit, so get ready to get hyped,” said Q uirk. Standardized there was not enough over lap Tests between the stanFrom page 1 dards for college, career, and Minnesota academic standards. This means that students will continue to take the MCA tests, but they will also be adding the ACT tests according to the Way zata Public S chools Director of Research and Evaluation S tacey Lackner. The ACT will take place in April for current Juniors. Juniors will be taking the test during school, but it will be r un exactl y the same as any of the national ACT test days. The test will inc lude writing, and the state will be paying for the test. The PLAN is still being taken by S ophomores in November with no changes according to Lackner. “I hope it ’s seen as a positive in the student body because i think it reall y is a good oppor tunit y that now with the ACT, that test is connected with college enrollment, whereas the GRAD was just something that didn’t reall y help students beyond achieving their diploma” said Lackner. Other notable change in regards to standardiz ed testing is that almost all of the MCA test will be computeriz ed from now on. The MCA tests will be spread throughout three weeks and there will onl y be one disr upted day of learning in April.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
NEWS 3
HOMECOMING THEME DAYS 2014 TWIN DAY Photo by Maggie Harless Quiz Bowl sponsor Meaghan Decker working with two of her teams prior to the start of the season.
Wayzata Quiz Bowl aims for Nationals SENIOR STAFF WRITER
swer game where a trivia question is asked and players buzz in their answers. Most tournaments are played with teams of about four or five players. They score points by the speed of buzzing in answers and responding correctly. The game is most commonly played with two types of questions: tossup and bonus.
Tossups are buzzed in without collaborating with teammates, while bonus questions have mul-
“
Photo by Maggie Harless
Thomas Zhang is unhappy with the outcome of this question.
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The most common description players have for the team is that it’s like a family.
TIE-DYE DAY
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Wa y z a t a Q u i z Bowl is gearing up for the new year and while they have many wins under their belt from the past seasons, they are putting in the hard work to make this one even better. Photo by Maggie Harless Quiz Bowl is a question-anBy MAGGIE HARLESS
tiple parts and teammates can confer with each other, according to the Quiz Bowl rules page on the Stanford website. With one of the largest Wayzata groups yet, practice is key. The average practice starts with one section from 2:45 to 3:15 where they split into groups based on many majors such as literature, geography, current events, and social sciences to have small groups practice time or to learn a lesson. From there they split into two teams to go through question packets in a jeopardy style until 4:30, according to senior captain Austin Zhang . This is only the beginning of the season for Quiz Bowl and there have been no competitions yet, but the team has a lot to live up to. They got second in the state tournament in 2014 and first in state the year before. “ We have kind of a running dynasty in Minnesota. Since we have such a strong team, we are going for first this year,” said Zhang. The team has also had a strong placement at nationals with a 13 out of 300 in 2012. While the team may be a mental powerhouse in their competitions, they pride themselves on having a great environment and positive team mindset. “ What i’m most proud of is the rapport that we’ve built up as a team. The most common description players have for the team is that it ’s like a family. Our players keep coming back year after year because they have fun and feel like they are well liked and supported here and because it ’s such a positive experience for them,” said Decker. “Our goal is not only to place well at nationals and win as many tournaments as we can, but also to have a team where everyone is included regardless of ability,” said Senior Captain Vineeth Thirunavu.
PAJAMA DAY
PREPPY DAY
WAYZATA SPIRIT DAY
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
FEATURE 5
Homecoming Royalty: TEACHER EDITION Can you guess who these WHS teachers are?
W h e n you are truly passionate about what you do, success will come automatically. Success is scary because it’s unknown and you have to define it for yourself. -Shahreen Ahmed (12)
S uccess is not a numerical label. Grades are important but your own personal well-being is more important. Success is achieving what you personally think is the best that you can do not compared to what other people are doing. -Sonia Neculescu (12)
Each fall as college deadlines loom on the horizon for seniors at Wayzata High School and all over the nation, students begin to question how well their high school career has prepared them for whatever step they’re choosing to take in the next year or so. Those filling out applications begin to see their identity formed on a piece of paper or on a computer screen, leaving them to ponder where they rank against thousands of other applicants. The question on every one of their minds: have these last four years been a success for me? To answer this questions well, a statement of definition must first be made. Let’s see how seniors at WHS choose to define that loaded word: success.
Succeeding at Wayzata is taking advantage of all the opportunities that Wayzata has to offer and doing the best that you can in school. -Claudia Schmitt (12)
S u c cess is having a dream, achieving that dream, and taking it farther to re-imagine what you can do. You never know what’s going to be that thing that you really click with. -Seth Klein (12)
1992, Wayzata High School
1979, Aitkin High School
1980, Wayzata High School
Success means doing what you love and being able to sustain it. Don’t get stuck on one path to success. Try different options because something you don’t expect to change your life will. -Andrew Stern (12)
1998, Denfeld High School
2004, Wayzata High School 2000, Chaska High School 2007, Wayzata High School
1992-Carrie Berg, 1979-Rebecca Wyffels, 1980-Sue Iverson and Dan Dugan (Allie Dugan’s father), 1998-Anne Phaneuf, 2007-Rebecca Blanck, 2000-Crystal Polski, 2004-Russ Pettersen
The Trojan Tribune {October 3, 2014} Hayden Farmer’s hair routine features Acqua di Parma which is infused with Bulgarian rose and jasmine scents. Hayden’s secret talents include knowing Morse code because while he lived in Winnipeg he often used Morse code and smoke signals to communicate in the deep winter. Humor and a fun personality are what set Ellie Mckee apart from the other contenders for queen. Her best friend Shelby Kurr will be one of her biggest competitors. Once Ellie wins queen she hope to go to Africa with her true love Zach Efron and fix world hunger.
If it’s a good morning Ellie Erickson’s hair will be straight. Her caring, bubbly attitude would fit perfectly with celebrity crush Matthew Mcconaughey. She thinks we should focus more on smaller charities to end world hunger and her biggest competition is Sophia Shaver.
Austin Rush says that his haircare routine is “...kind of like Niagra Falls, once you see it, you can’t stop looking at it.” Austin plans to watch his favorite childhood show, Spongebob Squarepants, with the future his celebrity crush, Jennifer Lawrence.
Camille Smith’s pink tuft along with her “complete lack of decorum” sets her apart. She will one day solve world hunger with the machine from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Her secret talent is shark whispering, and she would get ice cream with Joe Biden any day of the week.
Allie Dugan’s morning routine consists of waking up and showering and her approach to world hunger is to give everyone Cheez-its. Don’t let this simplicity fool you, she plans on winning the audience over with her quirky personality and defeating her so called “pet giraffe” Megan.
Tahir Adatia claims that Hayden and Charlie are his biggest competitors because of their incredible hair and Hayden’s Canadian roots. However Tahir has a black belt in karate and hopes that if his amazing and humble personality doesn’t bring him victory his karate skills will.
Hannah Olson simply woke up like this. Despite her ***Flawless outlook on life she has an aptitude for falling down and tearing her ACL, but her cripple lean will be sure to win the audience’s sympathy. Hannah’s favorite disney character is Belle.
Trevor Bedard is renowned for his writing/poetry skills and facial hair, which is what he believes will set him apart from the other candidates. Trevor wants to end world hunger with his celebrity crush, Beyoncé, by giving everybody the necessities they need for survival.
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Alex Felea spends lots of time gelling his hair in the morning while thinking of celebrity crush Ariana Grande. He can play any sport except hockey, play guitar, and believes that he can rap. Alex plans to end world hunger by serenading the hunger right out of those children’s hearts.
Homec Roy
Jenna is the only golfer on court. She doesn’t have a secret talent. but she makes an effort to be nice to everybody. Her favorite childhood movie is Cinderella and she believes her biggest competition is one half of the school’s power couple, Camryn.
Luke Soucy’s swagger and charm makes him a shoo-in for the crown. His hidden talent lies deep within his briefcase and will not be revealed to the world until he deems them ready. Furthermore, he plans to win the audience over with his dapper suit game and his aptitude for witty banter. The stage may not be ready for Luke, but Luke is no doubt ready for the stage.
14
The Trojan Tribune {October 3, 2014} Despite living in the arctic tundra that is Minnesota, Donnie Brooks holds the ability to keep a perfectly tanned and distinguished look year round. This talent finds its roots in good genetics and an aptitude for hair care. His celebrity crush is Jennifer Lawrence.
Charlie Chermak’s good looks and charming attitude may be enough to win over the audience as soon as his feet touch the stage. Chermak also claims to be a “pretty good piano player” which is a sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Charlie’s infamous locks will look wonderful under the crown.
Megan Ruhland speaks a whopping four languages, including sign language, which will set her apart from the competition. She loves Remember the Titans and believes that Jenna Nelson is her biggest competition because she’s only heard positive things about her.
coming yalty
Adam Grooms has a bit different background than his fellow contestants having lived in another country for 5 years and being a childhood actor on a Japanese TV show. Adam’s favorite childhood movie is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. His charm is what he believes will win him the crown.
Just like Allison Fries’ favorite childhood character Ariel from The Little Mermaid, her locks are long and luscious due to her routine which includes straightening or curling. She longs to be part of Channing Tatum’s world, and her biggest competition is her best friend Camryn.
Camryn Wentzel has the magical ability to create hats that are lucky, and even though she has only made one thus far, she is confident in her lucky hat-making abilities. Camryn stays true to herself and is very friendly. She gets through her day jamming to Chris Brown, her celebrity crush. Anthony Clarke has a huge heart and believes that a fearless attitude with a consistent work ethic will get him the crown. Not to worry, though, he says that he’ll be sure to keep it humble. The flow and its owner, Hayden Farmer, are Anthony’s greatest competition.
Sophia Shaver maintains her lovely locks through an incredibly simple yet effective routine of washing, drying and straightening it. Sophia plans to win over the audience with her overpowering friendliness and her ability to make herself look pregnant.
John Pupkes and his childhood hero, Tarzan, have more in common than many would think. Not only do they both exhibit good looks, a charming manner and modesty, but they both have owned a loin cloth. With ape-like strength, John Pupkes claims his only competition is himself.
Shelby Kurr’s hair-care routine includes the use of Morrocan Oil, and she has a secret aptitude for baking. Her favorite movie is The Little Mermaid and has a celebrity crush on either Ryan Reynolds or Ryan Gosling.
Laura Palasek loves gazing at Channing Tatum while listening to some classics from her favorite movie, High School Musical. She keeps her morning hair routine simple with the standard shower, dry, and straighten. Camryn is her biggest competition at this point.
Andrew Stern’s hair care routine can best be described as “lengthy and important”. He appears to be confident in his strategy to win the crown which includes a fourth nipple and the ability to talk to people who are not yet dead but will die at some point in their lives.
STERN AT THE
CINEMA REVIEWS BY ANDREW STERN
The Boxtrolls
The Maze Runner There’s a joke somewhere here about how The Maze Runner takes a wrong turn, but I’m not going to make it. Based off of the popular young adult novel by James Dashner, this film is about a group of teenage boys who live in an isolated environment with no memories of their previous lives. Completely enclosed by a large maze, they try to find their way out of the “Glade” while a new boy arrives with supplies every month. After Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) arrives, things start to change, for better or for worse. As is the case with a lot of young adult fiction, The Maze Runner suffers heavily from Special Snowflake Syndrome. Special Snowflake Syndrome occurs in these movies when none of the other characters are more than blatant stereotypes, and the protagonist is treated as “special” while only exhibiting relatable traits. This feeds on our desire to relate to the hero and feel special, even when there’s nothing that exceptional about us. In this film, Thomas is mainly different from the other boys because he’s curious about things. He also does unjustifiably brave things that you’d like to think you’d do when fantasizing about being in this reality. Not that any of this stuff is damning for the film, but it makes it hard for me to differentiate this movie from other movies in the same vein (like The Hunger Games and Divergent), despite claims of a darker tone. Although none of the performances were really exceptional, at least all of the actors were relatively charismatic. Similarly, although none of the special effects were all that innovative, they were all executed well enough to where they didn’t take away from the story at hand. None of the actors were really given more than a bland archetype to work with, but they were entertaining to watch nonetheless. I would have liked to see a little more controlled character development though, because all of the time spent on character development in this film was just to further establish assumed roles like the tribe leader, antagonist, uncorrupted child, etc. It’s just a little disappointing, as I feel like some interesting character dynamics could have been explored, rather than focus all of the energy into the mystery of the maze. A $34 million dollar production budget is tiny compared to similar mov-
ies (The Hunger Games and Divergent were $78 and $85 million, respectively), yet the film doesn’t feel cheap. That said, the creature design for the “grievers” is just a mechanical spider, which feels like an obvious choice. And when inside the maze, there’s not a lot of variety in shot choices. Normally, continuity errors aren’t significant enough to mention in a review like this, however, in The Maze Runner, it’s hard to focus on much else. Starting with 0, a new boy is released into the glade every month, and it’s said that this has been happening for 3-4 years, so there should be somewhere around 40 boys, minus the significant chunk that were said to have died while fighting each other, or in the maze. There is a shot of a wall with all of the names of the boys in the glade, and it appears as though there should be 20 or so guys left, tops. However, 35 “Gladers” are credited. And it seems as though not everyone was credited, because in some shots it appeared as if there were 50-60 or even more people there. Imdb.com even claims that there are 60 boys. And when the boys are ambushed and several are captured with the implication of a massacre, there are 20 or so guys left when we emerge. I’m relatively certain that I’m not nitpicking when it comes to things like this because it was all I could think about for the duration of the film. These decisions show a level of laziness and preference of aesthetics over logic, which just feels kind of patronizing. I’ll admit that mystery surrounding the glade and the reason that the boys are there is intriguing though. I enjoyed myself a lot more in the first half than in the second half when the filmmakers started their haphazard attempt to explain things. The aggravating thing is that the questions that are chosen to be answered aren’t the one’s you care about. Everything else is left for you to find out in the sequels. This doesn’t appear to be an artsy decision in the context of the film though; this comes across more as a lack of motivation and understanding. There’s a difference between having a background and making a conscious decision to not explicitly tell the audience, and not really knowing the background and desperately avoiding being called out on it. The ending is also just a big “Screw You!” to the audience. From the appearance of characters to add drama, to an unnecessary tearjerker moment, to the reveal of the reason that the boys are in the glade, the ending sums up the film as whole - desperately unfulfilling and kind of aggravating. 4/10.
From Coraline and ParaNorman comes a new claymation film based on the Ala Snow book Here Be Monsters. A young boy named Eggs (Isaac Hempstead Wright) is raised underground by a group of engineering monsters labeled Boxtrolls while a “Red Hat” named Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley) attempts to capture them. As the Boxtroll’s numbers dwindle, Eggs is forced to go to the surface and rescue his adopted father. I love Claymation. Even when the claymation isn’t anything special, there’s a certain charm to it that gets me. The amount of labor that goes into making the characters move and react makes the film feel intimate. Even when the story wasn’t very intriguing, the claymation was mesmerizing - especially during the action sequences. The movie follows a watered-down version of the standard Hollywood formula. The story hits all of the standard beats, but the beats seem kind of forced and don’t carry as much weight as they normally should. The result is a strong start that slowly loses its focus and motivation. The clichéd “foreign person adjusting to our everyday life” sequences were also surprisingly weak. The jokes and situational-type humor could be copypasted into any movie with a similar sequence. The whole time it just felt as if the filmmakers were just trying to get through the second act. Some of the characters in the film are a lot of fun. And some of them are pretty annoying. By far, the most entertaining characters are the antagonists. Ben Kingsley gives a good performance, but the scene-stealers are his side-kicks. Played by Nick Frost, Richard Ayoade, and Tracy Morgan, they discuss mortality and the dichotomy of good vs. evil. These characters provide the majority of the film’s self-awareness, which is definitely much-needed. Elle Fanning plays Winnie, easily the most annoying character in the film. I get that the point of the character is that she’s supposed to be somewhat abrasive, but the humor didn’t really work. Every time she was on screen, I was wishing that she wasn’t. While The Boxtrolls had some interesting physical movement, I couldn’t help but think that they were just Despicable Me rip-offs. The Boxtrolls is a lot of fun if you’re 7 years old. It’s entertaining if you’re older as well, but it’s nothing too special. It’s still significantly better than a majority of other animated kids movies, but it’s still not quite a universal experience for both kids and adults. There’s just not enough subtlety to everything. I still enjoyed myself quite a bit though, even if a large portion of why was because of the animation style. 6/10.
This is Where I Leave You With an all-star cast including Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Jane Fonda, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Dax Shepard, and Kathryn Hahn, This is Where I Leave You is the adaptation of Jonathan Tropper’s novel of the same name. Directed by Shawn Levy, the story follows 4 children who sit Shiva in their mother’s house after their father dies. It’s essentially August Osage County, only with comedians. When each of the characters are introduced, they are introduced as clichés. However, as the film goes on, these clichés are developed pretty well. By the end of the film, all of the characters still seem like clichés, but they also all seem like real people. It’s obvious that a lot of effort went into the creation of these roles, but everything that the characters do seems forced and predictable. However, I can’t fault the movie too much for this, because it seems to be the intent of the film makers, as this conundum is referenced several times by the characters in the movie.
The Equalizer Loosely based on of the 80s TV show of the same name that you probably vaguely recognize for its appearance in The Wolf of Wall Street, The Equalizer is the latest action movie vehicle for Denzel Washington. Reteaming with Training Day director Antoine Fuqua, the story revolves around a blue collar man (Washington) with an ambiguous past, who takes on a series of Russian gangsters after they assault and kidnap a young call girl (Chloë Grace Moretz). You remember the Lonely Island song “Cool Guys Don’t Look at Explosions”? Because The Equalizer does. When we get to the clichéd scene with Denzel Washington blowing up a building and casually walking away, it just seems to fit. The whole movie is the epitome of the male machismo fantasy. If you want to see Denzel Washington beat up people up like there’s no tomorrow, this movie is for you. Because despite a
A large part in the creation of these character-cliché hybrids likely lies in the strength of the performances. Everyone is given time to shine, and everyone gives a fantastic performance. The style of the film allows for there to be a large number of different conversation pairs, and somehow everybody has chemistry with everyone else. Everybody has so much charisma that you’re never left waiting for a new character to come on screen. Although it’s generally entertaining all the way through, it’s also very one note. You could probably walk into the film at any time and still feel the same way about it. The whole movie is just characters talking and fighting and trying to figure out their lives. It never really leads to anything though. This is Where I Leave You is manipulative, but it’s charmingly manipulative. It’s not astounding in any sense, but I don’t feel like it aims to be a big critic nor crowd pleaser. Despite the constant fighting, it’s a quiet film. I enjoyed it, but I also recognize its faults. 7/10.
calm and calculated start, that’s all this film is. By the time we reach the climax, the movie becomes self-parody. I didn’t realize that I needed a 20 minute sequence of Denzel Washington shooting people in slow motion with hardcore stock action music in the background, but evidently I did, because it was absolutely hysterical. With exception to one Russian man who gets a couple hits in for some inexplicable reason, Denzel wins every fight with magnificent ease, which is an impressive feat, considering that extras appear out of thin air. And he’s so charismatic while he does it. He’s really the saving grace of this movie. He’s not exactly doing anything new or innovative with his performance, but he’s just so cool. Although he doesn’t do much, he does it so well. Unfortunately, his performance can only carry the movie so far. Not that the other performances are bad, per se, but they’re all kind of average and expected. There are no outstanding supporting roles or anyone who even really breaks out of their caricature. Chloë Grace Moretz
plays a call girl who talks with Denzel at the beginning and end of the movie, but I can’t see anything other than Chloë Grace Moretz doing her annoying lip raise and reading lines. Johnny Skourtis plays Denzel’s coworker, and despite the actor’s obvious charisma, never develops into much more than a plot device. And Martin Csokas plays the main Russian villain, but comes across as nothing more than a cartoon. There are no inherently bad performances here - in fact, many of the actors are very fun to watch - but none of the characters are given enough to come across as real people. Subtlety also isn’t this movie’s strong suit. Early on in the film, Denzel’s character is reading The Old Man and the Sea, and states to Moretz’s character that, “Old man’s gotta be old the old man, fish has gotta be the fish.” It’s not the first time in the film that a metaphor is shoved down your throat, and it certainly isn’t the last time. The film lacks the self-awareness necessary to make it fun, but if you want to watch some mindless ultraviolence, it’s not too painful. 4/10.
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
OPINION 10
ACT: A test of intelligence?
It has become increasingl y c lear that all the American education system has amounted to is placing a number to each high school student ’s value. How is a standardiz ed multiple choice test supposed to measure my intelligence and college preparedness? Does that number I receive tell colleges my experiences or my capabilities? The answer is that it does not. The ACT can’t prove anything about a student. All it shows is that you are good at taking a multiple choice test. That ’s not to say that if you got a 36, you didn’t deser ve it, or you’re not a genius. But that being said, the same goes for if you received a 23, 19, or a 12- that doesn’t make you any less intelligent or capable than someone who received a higher number. That number doesn’t define your abilities, and doesn’t necessaril y mean you are intelligent or not. If it ’s so easy for some kids to cheat on this test, then does the
ACT reall y show any value? Certain kids who have worked significantl y less than others through high school manage to take away other kids’ chances who are more capable and deser ving. S tudents who cheat on this test are stealing others chances to attain placement in top-tier colleges where they have worked to be. Congrats, kids who cheat are just making it harder for ever yone else by inflating the scores and taking away oppor tunities. This test has brought stress to a whole ne w le vel, especiall y to students who already push themsel ves to the maximum. If students feel the need to receive thousands of dollars in tutoring in order to receive an “acceptable ” score, does this test reall y measure high school de velopment? This creates an insane disadvantage for kids who can’t afford this extra help. The ACT essentiall y comes to this- you’re either highl y intelligent and capable of taking
a standardiz ed test, have By HANA KASSEM EDITOR IN CHIEF the financial abilit y to afford tutoring, or cheat. If you’re none of the above, you’re screwed. The fact that colleges place so much weight on an ACT score leaves a defeated feeling in so many students who didn’t receive their target score. This shouldn’t be the case. GPA and extracurriculars should also hold weight as well--which they do, yet it seems that they don’t hold enough. S tudents are lef t with insecurit y and the need to compare themsel ves with their peers, asking, “ W hat score did you get?” while secretl y hoping their number is higher. For this reason high school students are lef t with onl y a number to make or break their self wor th.
If the Hard Hats were wearing their overalls in class, as opposed to in the halls while being escorted out of the school, I might have gotten some work done. But because of this unnecessary situation I couldn’t. I know my situation is unique (most students don’t work in the office), but the observation I made holds true for every student at Wayzata High School. Students began wandering towards the main entrance, ditching their classes to get a glimpse of the event. And that’s exactly what it’s become - an event. An event that distracts students from achieving the goals the administration sets for them. That’s why this whole ordeal is backwards: the legal reason the administration cites for outlawing the overalls is that they are a distraction. Now, the power struggle has evolved into a bigger distraction that any article of clothing could ever be. Even the students who don’t see it firsthand are affected. Every time the Hard Hats are sent home, suspended, or
TROJAN TRIBUNE EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief Hana Kassem News Editor Anna Rodriguez Sports Editor Hayden Farmer Graphic Designer Hannah Weas Advertising Manager Mahdy Michael Advisor David Motes
MISSION STATEMENT
A persisting distraction I was sitting in the second floor office, minding my own business, when a sudden hysteria broke out among adBy DREW CARTER ministrators. S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R The Hard Hats had been called to the second floor office to be disciplined - again for wearing their overalls. They pushed back against the administration, refusing to take the straps off or leave the building. Teachers, counselors, and police liaisons alike were called upon to control the group of 12 students. Meanwhile, I sat at my desk and watched the bedlam unfold. In a few hours, I would be taking an AP Stats test - one I planned to study for during second block. Instead, I spent my 90 minutes with my full attention occupied by the power struggle that will seemingly never end.
Opinion Exchange
even just talked to by an administrator, the conversation opens up again. Texts and tweets begin streaming through high schoolers’ phones. The event distracts everyone. If the administration truly cares about the “distraction” of the overalls, they should notice what’s happening because of this war that they started and refuse to end: the distraction has been magnified exponentially. To be fair, the power struggle could easily be ended by the Hard Hats. They could just stop wearing the overalls and the whole thing would be over. But that won’t happen. At this point, the straps define them. It’s time for the administration to decide what’s more important to them: showing the students of Wayzata that they will rule with an iron fist, or getting rid of an unnecessary distraction. By 9:30, I had given up on studying. This Hard Hat thing is high-quality entertainment.
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THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
SPORTS 11
DREW’S PICKS OF THE WEEK
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
Trojan football hammers the Hornets
Wayzata football overcomes adversity on Thursday’s game against Edina, winning 43-24 The boys of fall currently hold the record of 2-4 after the defeating Edina 43-24 last night. Although the season hasn’t been going as planned the team plans to get back on track and has proven this at last night’s game. “As a team we want to reach our maximum potential,” said senior cornerback Anthony Clarke. “If we do that then the games will fall into place.” “We have picked up intensity and practice, and the concepts and experience with offense and defense are growing each week as well,” said captain Brandon Mead. The head coach Brad Anderson also holds a positive attitude toward the team’s overall success. “The season is not going as well as hoped, record-wise, but we are very pleased with the attitude and effort being put forth by all the team members. The players have responded to adversity as we would expect they would. The coaches also have been working on helping our team focus on areas where we need to improve.” The team received a new defensive coordinator this year, David Ritter. “I feel our players have done everything we have asked them to this By HANA KASSEM EDITOR IN CHIEF
Jets @ Chargers -6.5 Unless the Jets somehow become not terrible at making decisions overnight, they’ll start Geno Smith. I think the Chargers are a top five team in the league, and should be favored by more than a touchdown against a team without an offense or secondary. Philly Rivers should shred this defense. Rams @ Eagles -7 The Rams’ strength was supposed to be their pass rush this year, but it has actually been one of the worst in the league and won’t take advantage of the Eagles’ injuries on the O Line. Expect big plays from all three Eagles units in a convincing win at home. Browns +2.5 @ Titans The Titans should never be favored. If they played the Wayzata Trojans, they might be underdogs. This pick is even better if Charlie Whitehurst starts for Tennessee. Seahawks -7.5 @ Washington What’s the over/under on Kirk Cousins interceptions vs. L.O.B.? 4.5? 5.5? The Seahawks will be well rested coming off their bye week and ready to make Captain Kirk’s life miserable on Monday night.
year; on the field and in the classroom. I don’t believe our record reflects the amount of hard work and dedication we have committed to this
in the coming years,” said Coach Ritter. “I always tell our players their job is to provide effort and hard work, while our
as a team,” said Mead (12). “I think this team can create its own destiny,” said Clarke (12) in an interview before Thursday’s game. “Some teams don’t have the talent to go to the state tournament and others don’t have the heart for it. As of right now we don’t have the heart, but I can definitely see that changing.” The win against Edina has implied that Clarke’s statements hold true. Win or lose, the team still holds its traditions before each game. “In the air tonight has been apart of Wayzata football’s tradition for at least as long as I can remember,” said Clarke (12). The teammates sit in the dark locker room listening to the lyrics and get fired up. When Senior Austin Gordon finds a whole on the outside and runs in a Trojan touchdown. the drums in the song starts, Photo courtesy of Shannon Bedard they begin to pound on the year. We are continuing to job, as a coaching staff, is to lockers to the beat of the get better each day with the teach the correct technique drum. “It also makes it really hopes of making a run in the that puts each player in the weird hearing it outside of playoffs,” said Coach Ritter. best possible position to the locker room. Your mind Although there is a new make plays. If we continue goes straight to football.” defensive coordinator, the to take care of what we can “My favorite part of this defense hasn’t necessar- control we will continue to season has just been the opily changed significantly. have success in the future,” portunity to put on the pads “Besides several new plays said Coach Ritter. with my brothers on the and some minor technique The players still hold high field. It’s honestly a blesschanges, our defense re- expectations for finishing off ing to be able to play next to mains much the same from their season strongly. “The each and every one of them, previous years. It is my hope dream is always to be play- and I am honored to be able to continue to adapt the ing in the prep bowl, but we to lead them,” said Mead defense to best fit the ath- have to take games one week (12). letic strengths of our players at a time and keep growing
Girls soccer has eyes set on state By MAGGIE FRANKE J U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
The girls soccer team is entering the end of their season with nine wins, three
losses and two ties. “ The season was rocky in the beginning with injuries and a couple of first-time varsity players, but now we are very in sync,” captain Nicole Palsgrove (12) said. Sections and state are great opportunities for the team to really shine, and they are excited to show everyone what they ’ve got. The girls have played very well against lake conference teams with a record of 5-11, tying against Edina and losing to Hopkins early in the season. The Trojan girls are third in the conference, only one game behind Eden Prairie and Edina, who are tied for first place. This year’s team is a vast improvement from last year’s team, whose record was 4-12-3. “ We have proven that we can play with top level teams and if we continue to put in the hard work and keep up the intensity, we know that we can get back to the State Tournament,” said senior captain Megan Schwartz. The girls soccer team has very specific and timely goals. “Stay healthy, train hard, and leave everything on the field to show Minnesota that we are number one in the state and finally, win the state championship,” says Palsgrove regarding their goals. Not only do the girls play well together, they are also one of the closest group of girls anyone will find at Wayzata. “You have 21 other players that are like your sisters and are there for you no matter what. It is sometimes hard to balance all the school, work, and soccer practices and games, but we all manage to make it work,”
Schwartz said. Nicknames are also common on the team, and Palsgrove says, “I have to deal with people calling me a field fairy but I mean I for one have embraced that name now,” Their next game is October 2nd at Minnetonka High School and then the section tournament begins. Senior Nicole Palsgrove steals the ball from an Edina opponent and pushes the ball upfield.
Photo courtesy of Naomi Liew
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
SPORTS 12
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2014
Fall Sports Swim and Dive hope to stay undefeated Preview
meet, but they always surprise us,” said Stover. NEWS EDITOR “ There are also other schools like Chanhassen and Stillwater who are not in our section so we will not face According to the Lake Conference them until True Team state,” said website, Wayzata girls swim and Herda. “ They have always been big dive has a 5-0 record this season and competitors so it will be fun to go they ’re looking to remain undefeated up against them later this season.” for the rest of the season. “I think that this year ’s team According to captain Kate is special because we have fast Herda, the team won their girls from all grades. We have meet against Minneapolis some really fast upperclassmen Southwest on Thursday, than have been winning their September 23rd. “Even events and dropping time though we won it still for years, but we also have showed us some technical some underclassmen that are areas we could work on to blowing ever yone away,” said improve. It also gave some Herda. “I think this really of our JV girls a chance to shows our depth, and that we swim in varsity events, and will continue to be a good they all did an awesome team for years to come.” job,” said Herda. “I think one of our biggest Megan Larson (12) said strengths is the team spirit the girls got to swim events Photo courtesy Thomas Franke we have. The team is one big that they usually don’t family, and we all have so much Emily Sherman (11) contributes to the Wayzata first place. participate in which was support for each other, and pride in a nice change. “ We all could pay a little more attention to the little she is also optimistic about the our sport,” said Emily Sherman (11). details that can make a difference in season and the goals they have “ We all know how hard we work, a race; such as flip turns, starts, and set for themselves. “O ur biggest and want to see as much payoff breathing but it was a fun meet and competition is Edina. They didn’t as possible. You’ ll always see us we are all looking for ward to all our lose any girls last year and they cheering for each other regardless gained some really fast girls. We if it ’s a JV or Varsity heat.” future meets,” said Larson. were able to beat them at the dual By ANNA RODRIGUEZ
FOOTBALL OPPONENT: Eden Prairie DATE & TIME: 10/10/14 @ 7:00pm LOCATION: Wayzata HS
BOYS SOCCER OPPONENT: TBD (PLAYOFFS) DATE & TIME: 10/9/14 @ TBD LOCATION: WHS
GIRLS SOCCER OPPONENT: TBD (PLAYOFFS) DATE & TIME: 10/9/14 @ TBD LOCATION: WHS
BOYS XC OPPONENT: LAKE CONFERENCE DATE & TIME: 10/9/14 @ TBD LOCATION: Away
GIRLS XC OPPONENT: LAKE CONFERENCE DATE & TIME: 10/9/14 @ 7:30 LOCATION: Away
GIRLS TENNIS OPPONENT: Edina DATE & TIME: 10/6/14 @ TBD LOCATION: TBD
GIRLS SWIM AND DIVE OPPONENT: multiple schools DATE & TIME: 10/11/14 @ TBD LOCATION: Lifetime athletic center
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL OPPONENT: Waconia DATE & TIME: 10/7/14 @ 5:30 LOCATION: Wayzata HS
JV FOOTBALL OPPONENT: Edina DATE & TIME: 10/3/14 @ 4:00 LOCATION: Wayzata HS
Come support the Trojans!
“O ur biggest goal for this season is to have an undefeated record. This means winning our conference, winning True Team state, and the high school state meet. We did it last year, and truly think we have a good shot at repeating that success,” said Herda. Captain Katie Stover (12) said
Student athlete takes on double the sports
pretty much it. Sunday is my day to get caught up.” “If soccer was a spring sport, that would be awesome,” said Elmore. “But it is what it is.” If you’re wondering how Elmore is able (and chooses) to live such a busy life, he says there’s nothing special about how he stays motivated. “Motivation is not too hard,” said Elmore. “You just kind of do it because at some point you get into a
By HAYDEN FARMER and DREW CARTER S P O R T S E D I T O R a n d S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
Clay Elmore scoffs at the idea of a “senior slide.” The Wayzata senior epitomizes the term “student athlete,” balancing sports with academics like no one else can Elmore plays two varsity sports football and soccer - and has three AP classes on his schedule this semester. “It would have been four APs, but I had to drop one,” said Elmore with a chuckle. Elmore has been the varsity kicker for the football team for three years in a row and also has been playing varsity soccer for two years. The Trojan football team is currently 2-4 while the boys soccer team is 10-2-3 and ranked third in the state. To say Elmore’s schedule is hectic is a colossal understatement. He goes to a soccer practice or game every day, and has football three days a week. Combine all that time on the field with multiple hours of homework every night, and Clay is absolutely swamped. Elmore usually doesn’t get home until around 8:00 pm, and then has to start working on homework for his three AP classes - three of the seven total AP classes Elmore is taking this year. When asked if he as any time for fun, Elmore said, “Not much. Maybe a little on Saturday nights, but that’s
rhythm.” All the hard work is beginning to pay off. Elmore has received attention from Northern Illinois and the U of M, as well as many Division II and III schools, for his kicking on the football field. If he doesn’t choose to pursue football in college, though, Elmore said he hopes to go to Washington University in St. Louis.
Photo courtesy of Eleanor Albers Clay Elmore (12) steals the ball from Jared Stout (12) during practice
Ping Pong builds momentum in WHS By MADDIE ORZESKE
Af ter the cross coun tr y team c lears out of the w restling room on Fr iday s, a group of WHS students takes o ver the athletic wing. Their spor t of c hoice? Table tennis. For those interested in play ing ping pong and spending time with fr iends, the WHS Intr amur al Ta ble Tennis league might be just the thing. “ It ’s just fun -- come out and play!” said Colin Pac kard (10), who is just star ting his second year in the league. S enior Mic hael Bohlke has played Intr amur al Table Tennis f or his S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
f our years at Way z ata. He say s as a sophomore he recr uited fr iends to play and made the team his own. Now his brother, sophomore Mat the w Bohlke, is doing the same --
recr uiting his fr iends to play in a league that is fun and c asual. Pr actices gener al l y consist of a war m-up and then a ser ies of games bet ween par ticipants, tour nament-st y le. S tudents invol ved pr aise the social aspect of the c lub and as Matthe w Bohlke said, “ Ever yone fits in. ” The Way z ata Table Tennis league meets f or five Fr iday s in the fal l and five Tuesday s in the spr ing. Mrs. Jones is the team’s coac h. As sophomore and league mem ber Z ayd K assem (10) puts it, “ You just play table tennis. That ’s al l there real l y is to it. ”