Volume 33, Issue 7
WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL
December 19, 2014
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trojan tribune
Inside this issue New Club: Feminism PAGE 2
Junior tackles iPad and Internet filtering
Junior Nathan Ringo--’hacker’ or ‘cracker?’ By KENDALL GARVEY & ELLIE RONNING J U N I O R & S O P H O M O R E S TA F F W R I T E R S
New music in Minnesota PAGE 4
2014:Year in Review PAGES 6-7
“Why I hate ‘Year in Review’ Lists” PAGE 10
Boys Basketball starts a strong season PAGE 11
A recent blog post critical of WHS technology policies by junior Nathan Ringo has gone viral. Ringo’s article detailed his experiences with the ‘censorware’ that stands between students and the internet. According to school officials, filters let the school claim federal funding in exchange for blocking pornography. “Our censorware blocks material ranging from Twitter to comic books,” Ringo said. Ringo said he spends hours each day on his computer playing with programs and strategy games. “I was unaffected by all the bad Internet policy decisions made in the next two and a half years,” Ringo wrote. Wayzata Technology Director Wade Phillips said, “Internet safety for all students and responsible use of technology is a top priority in the Wayzata Public Schools. School Board policies are in place that establish guidelines for the content students have access to on the internet.” “As a school dis-
trict, it is our job to provide appropriate content to support the educational needs of our students,” Phillips said. Ringo contended in his piece that what he is doing is harmless, and he is just a frustrated student who disagrees with the system’s decisions. “I may have messed up my attempt to explain the difference between cracking and hacking. I’d never touched the school’s firewall,” Ringo said. Phillips said he and the other technology experts employed by the district are trying to adjust the filter to meet the students’ learning needs. “We have a process in place to adjust the filter. Because of the Child Internet Protection Act requirements, we are constantly trying to balance these needs,” said Phillips. Nathan’s piece can be read at http://boingboing. net/2014/12/03/in-wayzat a - m i n n e s o t a - a - s c h o o. html but you’ll have to do it at home--the site is blocked by the school’s internet filter.
WORLD NEWS By HANA KASSEM EDITOR IN CHIEF
Peshawar Attack 148 people, including 132 school children, were killed by Taliban gunmen in Peshawar, Pakistan on Tuesday, December 16. Gunmen entered the Army Public School and opened fire on students and teachers, killing 132 children and wounding another 121. According to The Independent, Pakistani Taliban spokesman Mohammed Khurasani also vowed more attacks as he warned civilians to detach themselves from all military institutions. Military spokesman Major General Asim Bajwa said the school principal was inside her office when the attackers made their way into the administration building. He said she locked herself into the bathroom but was killed after a grenade was thrown through a vent and into the room. There also have been reports that some female teachers were burned alive during the attack. Army commandos fought the Taliban for eight hours until all of the attackers were reported to be killed and the school was cleared. Sydney cafe siege Australian authorities stormed the Lindt Chocolate Cafe in central Sydney early Tuesday, where a radical, self-styled Muslim cleric by the name of Man Haron Monis had been holding hostages. Images from Australian media showed hostages with their hands pressed against the cafe’s windows. The authorities moved in 16 hours after the siege began after hearing gunfire inside the cafe and killed the gunman, New South Continued on Page 2
The Trojan Tribune {December 19, 2014}
Wales police Commissioner Andrew P. Scipione told reporters. Two of the 17 hostages taken by the gunman died, according to Scipione. The two have been identified as Katrina Dawson, 38, and Tori Johnson, 34. Other people injured in the situation are said by the police to be in stable condition.
WORLD NEWS CONT.
Pennsylvania manhunt The manhunt for Bradley William Stone is over as the body of the murder suspect has been found near his home the day after he allegedly killed six of his relatives, according to the district attorney. Stone, 33, a former Marine reser vist, allegedly went on a shooting spree early Monday killing six of his family members, including his exwife, and wounding a teen in three towns across Montgomer y County,
businessweek.com A cafe worker escapes after being held hostage (Sydney, Australia).
Pennsylvania. Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri confirmed that Stone was found dead after an apparent self-inflicted cutting wound in “the center part of his body.” His body was found approximately a half mile from his home. The motives for the murders remain uncertain, but legal documents indicate Stone and his ex-wife had been having custody issues over the control of their five and eight-year-old daughters.
leader Kim Jung Un, following a threat from hackers that people should avoid going to theaters where “The Interview” is playing. U.S. officials believe the hack was ordered directly by the country’s leadership. North Korea experts say the country has spent its scarce resources on building up a unit called “Bureau 121” to carry out cyber attacks.
Sony pulls “ The Interview” release The U.S. is prepared to blame North Korea for the mega hack on Sony Pictures, as the studio said Wednesday it is canceling next week’s planned release of its controversial comedy “The Interview.” Sony pulled the film, which depicts the assassination of North Korea’s
U.S.-Cuban relations thaw President Obama has promised to “cut loose the shackles of the past” and get rid of one of the only remaining legacies of the Cold War by ordering the restoration of full diplomatic relations with Cuba and the opening of an embassy in Havana for the first time in more than half a century on Wednesday. The announcement came at the end of 18 months of secret talks negotiated with the help of Pope
nbcphiladelphia Stone (left) and his ex-wife Nicole Hill (right) whom he allegedly murdered.
huffingtonpost Seth Rogen and James Franco featured on a poster for “The Interview”.
Francis, producing a prisoner swap, and conc luded with a phone call between President O bama and President Raul Castro. “ We will end an outdated approach that for decades has failed to advance our interests, and instead we will begin to normaliz e relations between our two countries,” President O bama said in a nationall y televised statement from the W hite House. Republican lawmakers who will take control of the House and the S enate next month made it c lear they would resist lif ting the 54-year-old trade embargo. President O bama has long expressed hope of changing relations with Cuba, and resol ved to make it a priorit y for his second term.
cbsnews President Raul Castro and President Obama shake hands at Nelson Mandela’s memorial service in 2013.
New feminism club at WHS By MELISSA TROUT SENIOR STAFF WRITER
S tudents Gabi Ampuero (12), Madison Marko (12), and S ydney Foy (12) have taken their own interest in reaching out to students at WHS regarding feminism. “I star ted the feminist group af ter going to the S lut Walk in Minneapolis. I was surrounded by women who were outspoken about equalit y and it reall y opened my eyes. I wanted there to be a place at school where I could continue this conversation and hopefull y educate my peers,” said Ampuero. In order to form a c lub at WHS there needs to be an employee willing to advise the group. Foy said social studies teacher Mrs. Polski was interested in taking on this role. The next step was to fill out a form. A few weeks later, Ampuero said
she was called to meet with activities director, Mr. S her wood, who signed off on the c lub. “I hope that we will be able to share our interest in women’s issues with other gir ls in the school who feel the same way as well as create a greater awareness about the issues women face,” said Foy. “ The goal is to have the c lub become invol ved in volunteer work to show the members that they are capable of creating change. We are also hoping to schedule some speakers to come in,” said Marko. Meetings for the c lub will begin af ter winter break and continue to take place about two times per month. “ Too of ten people get this vibe that feminists are man-haters and bra burners,” said Foy. “ We want to
allow any female to have a voice and feel suppor ted by their communit y.” In late S eptember, celebrit y Emma Watson gave a speech regarding feminism in front of the United Nations as an entrance to opening the “HeForS he ” campaign, according to Vanit y Fair. The campaign’s primar y goal of taking action to make women stop facing inequalities globall y. “I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplic ated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Apparentl y I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive,” Watson said in her speech.
Seniors Ellie Schultz (left) Gabi Ampuero (middle) and Madison Marko (right) at the Minneapolis Slut Walk 2014.
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
NEWS 3
2014 world news in review By HANA KASSEM EDITOR IN CHIEF
#BringBackOurGirls An extremist group in northern Nigeria by the name of Boko Haram kidnapped hundreds of schoolgirls on April 15. These girls, ages 15-18, knew the risks of seeking an education. Schools in the area had closed down in March in fear of terrorist attacks. This school reopened so that the girls could take their final exams. These girls--the stars of their villages--were expected to become doctors, lawyers, and teachers. About 50 girls have escaped, but police say that 276 are still missing while the Nigerian government has done nearly nothing to help find the girls. Reportedly, these girls are being auctioned off for $12 each to become “wives” of militants. There is yet to be a meaningful search for these schoolgirls. Missing Flight MH370 Malaysia Airlines flight 370 departed from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the 8th of March and was due to arrive in Beijing that day. Malaysia Airlines says the plane lost contact less than an hour after takeoff. No distress signal or message was ever sent. The last communication between the plane and Malaysian air traffic control took place about 12 minutes after. At first, the airline said initial investigations revealed the co-pilot had said, “All right, goodnight.” However, Malaysian authorities later confirmed the last words heard from the plane, spoken by either the pilot or copilot, were, “Goodnight Malaysian three seven zero.”
The search for the plane continues. The search of the current priority zone may not be finished by May.
Plane shot down in Ukraine All 298 people on board the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 died when the plane was shot down over eastern Ukraine in July. The plane departed from Amsterdam and was heading for Kuala Lumpur. The Dutch Safety Board said the plane lost contact with air traffic control when it was about 50 kilometers from the RussiaUkraine border. The crash site was in territory controlled by pro-Russian separatists, and Western nations said there was growing evidence that the plane was hit by a Russian-supplied missile fired by rebels. Russia blamed Ukrainian government forces. Dutch experts say flight MH17 broke up in mid-air after being hit by “objects” that “pierced the plane at high velocity.” Operation Protective Edge Following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers by two Hamas members, Israel launched a military operation by the name of Operation Protective Edge. Between 2,127 and 2,192 Gazans were killed, including 519 children, and between 10,395 and 11,100 were wounded. The Gaza Health Ministry, UN, and other various human rights groups reported that at least 75% of the Palestinian casualties were civilians. 66 Israeli soldiers and five Israeli civilians were killed in the conflict. 469 Israeli Defense Forces soldiers and 261 Israeli civilians were injured.
On August 5th, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs stated that 520,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip (30% of its population) became displaced as a result of the operation. 485,000 needed emergency food assistance, and 273,000 were taking shelter in 90 UN-run schools, which also fell victim to destruction caused by the Israeli military operation. 17,200 Gazan homes were completely destroyed. Ferguson On August 9th, former police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. The shooting resulted in protests that jarred the area for weeks. On November 24, the St. Louis County prosecutor announced that a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson, setting off another wave of protests. The case brought national attention to the police brutality and racial profiling that is plaguing the country. Ebola epidemic The most widespread epidemic of Ebola in its history is currently ongoing in multiple West African countries. The first isolated cases of Ebola in West Africa were found as far back as December of 2013, but the epidemic did not gain huge media attention until the late summer of 2014. Researchers generally believe that a twoyear-old-boy, Emile Ouamouno, who died in December 2013 in Guinea, was the index case of the current Ebola epidemic. His mother, sister, and grandmother then
became ill with similar symptoms and also died. People infected by those cases then spread the disease to other villages. Although the Ebola virus disease is a major health issue in sub-Saharan Africa, no cases had ever been reported, and instead, early cases were diagnosed as other diseases more common to the area. As a result, the disease spread for several months before it was recognized as Ebola. Missing students in Mexico The 43 students kidnapped in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico have been missing since September 26 when they left their college to protest a speech by the mayor’s wife and ended up in a confrontation with police. The police allegedly turned the 43 students over to drug cartel Guerreros Unidos to be murdered and disposed of. The Huffington Post reported that the remains of the first student was identified last week, and the incident is still under investigation. Nearly 80 people have been arrested in connection with the students’ kidnapping and probable death. According to a recently published investigation by Mexican magazine Proceso, government officials knew that the group of students would be attacked by police in September but failed to stop it. The magazine’s story, disputed by police and not yet verified by other news agencies, is based on leaked government documents, revealing that federal law enforcement was tracking the students’ movements before the alleged massacre earlier this year. The report contradicts Mexican President Peña Nieto’s insistence that the federal government had nothing to do with the kidnapping.
Senior Emmy Paulson statewide DECA president By ASHNAA PATEL & MAHDY MICHAEL SENIOR STAFF WRITERS
in running and establishing her Emmy Paulson (12) was recently campaign. elected the first Wayzata president “Ellie Brandt and I helped during of DECA at the state level. the campaign as campaign managers. DECA prepares emerging leaders We assisted in the preparation and and entrepreneurs in marketing, fi- delivering of Emmy ’s speech, her nance, hospitality, and management preparation with the inter view, and in high schools and colleges around w i t h t h e her sloglobe. gan as Paulwell,” son is a s a i d hugely Tahir accomAdatia plished (12). DECA Paulm e m son is b e r . incredPa u l s on ibly apm a d e preciait each tive of year to the help the inshe reternaceived tional f r o m compeh e r t i t i o n . Emmy Paulson at the DECA State Convention with her team members Tahir peers. “I Adatia (12) and Ellie Brandt (12) H e r would sophoreally more year she was Wayzata V ice like to thank them for ever ything!” President, while her junior and se- said Paulson. nior year she was president. Paulson’s platform focuses on Paulson has enjoyed ever y second building relationships with busiof her time involved in DECA. “‘I’ve nesses, especially through DECA had a lot of favorite memories, but volunteering at nonprofits in Waythey all come from the great experi- zata. “Emmy ’s slogan was ‘picturing ences I’ve had with DECA members success’ which is exactly what we and advisors,” said Paulson. believe will happen with Minnesota Paulson said she had a lot of help DECA,” said Adatia.
Emmy will take a lot away from her experiences in DECA as well as the relationships that she has built. “I learned how rewarding it can be to step outside of your comfort zone and experience something new,” said Paulson.
Before joining DECA Paulson never thought that she would have a career in business, but her experience has opened up different possibilities and career opportunities. “[The presidency] feels great but also rather daunting,” Paulson said.
The Trojan Tribune {December 19, 2014}
WHS Quiz Bowl fundraises for nationals Imagine spending all SENIOR STAFF WRITER year to prepare for a test that could have questions about science, literature, geography, history, or something that doesn’t fall into one of those categories. And there’s a little more at stake than a game of Trivia Crack. For the WHS Quiz Bowl team, that description is a reality. Preparing for the National Academic Quiz Tournament is a year-long commitment, and it involves learning facts about everything from baseball teams to computer programming language. With two Wayzata teams finishing By MADDIE ORZESKE
in the top 100 last year at the national tournament in Chicago, Illinois, there’s good incentive to keep working toward success. “We have to take every tournament seriously to go to nationals,” says Lucas Sun (12), a Quiz Bowl Team member for the fourth year in a row. “Last year our B team made it to playoffs for the first time ever.” “The program has expanded so much over the past four years every year it’s stronger. we’ve been building up ever since [my sophomore year] and it doesn’t show signs of stopping,” says Luke Soucy (12). So far, four Wayzata teams have qualified for the national tournament. “At normal
Saturday tournaments, there are eight preliminary rounds and the top teams advance to playoffs, where they are subject to single elimination,” says Sun. Each team is comprised of four players, but the exact makeup of the teams can change, acccording to Sun. “Based on your performance, the coaches will move you around,” says Sun. But financing a trip to Nationals is not a given. “We need to raise money to travel to Nationals,” says Sun. The 26 or so qualifiers have to be bussed to Chicago for the National Tournament on May 27th. “This year, I started a video game club to play Super Smash Bros, so I’m trying to
set up a fundraiser for Quiz Bowl through that,” says Sun. He will be hosting an event on January 31st open to anyone interested in playing Super Smash Bros. The money raised will go to the WHS Quiz Bowl Team to fund the team’s trip to Chicago in May. For Quiz Bowl member Steele Kowalczyk (12), the best part about Quiz Bowl is not knowing everything. “It’s everything that you don’t know. There are so many things that are really interesting that you want to learn about that come up in tournaments,” says Kowalczyk.
offers a new perspective on how to approach a new repertoire. A similar orchestra program to GTCYS is the Minnesota Youth Symphony (MYS). MYS has three hour rehearsals on Saturday mornings and has concerts at Orchestra Hall. The youth symphonies have a tight bond with the Minnesota Orchestra. Junior violinist Seri Choi has been involved in MYS for four years. “It is a great experience to have Manny Leureano as a conductor and to be able to challenge myself to play some great pieces. Even though it is hard to wake up early on Saturday mornings just like school days - but I enjoy every minute of the rehearsals! I always feel accomplished when I play the last note of the piece at the concerts,” said Choi. Senior David Begelman plays clarinet in MYS. “I have benefited from being in a symphony orchestra that hosts students wanting achieve something beyond what is written on a sheet of paper, but instead what is truly felt and heard within emotionally is something that has changed the way I perceive music and the world around me,” said Begelman. Wayzata students are also involved in the Min-
nesota Youth Jazz Bands (MYJB). These classic big band instrumented groups practice at Southview Middle School for two hour rehearsals on Wednesdays.There are usually 1-2 concerts each semester on Sundays at the Uptown Famous Daves. Senior Nick Lawrence plays bass trombone in MYJB. Since Jazz is more unconventional than symphony groups and does not always follow the written page directly the band director usually gives the students a song, has them all listen to a recording as a group, and then plays the chart through before having the group vote on what they want to play. According to Lawrence, this is a very efficient way to gain exposure to jazz styles. “Being involved in MYJB has helped me so much as a musician especially in sight reading and improv, two highly underrated aspects of music,” said Lawrence. For students of all branches of the music department, All-State ensembles are vessels of hard work and take much preparation. Students audition in the spring for the week long music camps in the summer and have a reunion concert in the winter. Only the best in the state make it into these ensembles and Wayzata is home to
many. Rachel Gessner, senior oboist, is one of these students. She participated in the concert band and was a major soloist for two pieces. “During camp we worked with our director, who was a professor from the U of M for around 6 hours a day as a whole band and worked in sectionals for another hour or so depending on the day. Before the concert, we recorded all of our songs for a CD, and the next day we performed with the other groups! They all blended and played so well together that you would never guess that we all met a week ago,” said Gessner. Another All-State participant is Junior Nick Scheffler who sang as a bass two in the all men’s choir over the summer and is looking forward to a reunion concert at Orchestra Hall on Valentine’s Day. “Being involved in a music program outside of school really has made me a better singer. We have a terrific choir here, one of the best in the state, but it’s a whole different scenario singing with different people from all over Minnesota. You learn technique from kids who are fantastic, and that’s really awesome,” said Scheffler.
Talented Wayzata instrumentalists shine outside of school By MAGGIE HARLESS
For students at Wayzata, a packed schedule is the norm. For many of these students, much of their time is spent loading up their instruments for rehearsals up to an hour away and performing at prestigious music halls in the heart of Minneapolis. One of these programs is the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS). For Symphony, the top GTCYS orchestra, students practice at Good Samaritan church in Edina every monday night for 3 hours.They have six concerts split into two semesters, and their concerts vary in location from the Ordway, to Orchestra Hall, to Ted Mann Hall. Symphony orchestra has been recorded at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra Center and has had pieces featured on MPR. Senior Erin Nakagaki is a Violist in Symphony and has been involved in the program for three years. “Instead of a worrying about grades I can just play for fun, this is what really got me to love playing in and outside of school orchestra,” said Nakagaki. She also recommends playing in a music ensemble outside of school because it SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Minnesota’s New Music Scene By MARISSA ABARA JUNIOR STAFF WRITER
Hippo Campus Trampled by Turtles Lizzo Announcing themselves as Hippo Campus merely five Very well known for their aggressive violin and banjo playShowing herself as a strong independent woman, Lizmonths ago, this band already has a rapidly expanding fan base. Composed of four amateur musicians fresh out of high school, Hippo Campus has quickly made record breaking achievements. This includes their first official show at the 7th Street Entry, being sold out weeks before the gig, and the much talk and air time they have been receiving on 89.3 The Current and also radio stations in Namibia, Africa. Composed of lively Afro-Pop beats and pentatonic scales, they have repeatedly been compared to bands such as Vampire Weekend and The National. They recently announced that they will be opening for the Mowgli’s on their first tour. Often confused as professionals because of their impressive live performances, you will most definitely want to check this band out. Recommended Tracks: Little Grace, Sophie So, South
ing, Trampled by Turtles have recently been making quite the name for themselves in Minnesota. Hosting their first Festival Palomino music festival last fall in Canterbury Park they have shown themselves a prominent influence in the advancement of Minnesota’s upcoming music scene. This talented group formed the Trampled by Turtles project back in 2003 and consists of five members. Inventing their own genre of Progressive bluegrass this combo has sounds similar to bands like Alabama Shakes and Dawes. Rumored to be playing at Coachella in 2015, this upbeat country bluesy band should definitely be on your to watch list. Recommended Tracks: Wait So Long, Western World
zo’s strong sound and crazy fast rhymes has earned herself much praise in the Twin Cities. Her style and songs have been compared to other old school artist such as Salt-nPepa, Queen Latifah. Comically up front and feisty in her music, Lizzo states how it is, making many political references on women and gay rights. Many describe her style as slightly aggravating because of her sharp and snippy lyrics. Lizzo has also done a number of collaborations with artist of varying genres, including a progressive rock band called Elypseas, and singer songwriter Caroline Smith. Lizzos looks reflect greatly on the local uptown tastes. You can find her opening for many bands and doing small shows here and there in the Twin Cities area. Recommended Tracks: Let em’ Say, W.E.R.K Pt. II
Spooky Black Caroline Smith Poliça Only 15 when he recorded “Without You”, Spooky A singer songwriter from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, CarA synthpop and alternative R&B duo, from MinneapoBlack has become viral very quickly. With more than 1.9 million views on YouTube and steady radio time on The Current, this kid and his crew, The Stand4rd, are not far from becoming Minnesota’s next big hip hop artist possibly kicking Rhymesayers to the curb. One of the countries biggest booking agencies, The Windish Agency, has signed him months before he even had his first show in November. Quiet and weepy-voiced, Spooky Black brings a mysterious and dark sound to his music. Keeping his identity hidden only adds to the unknown. An internet-borne celebrity, Spooky’s voice: full, flowing and smooth, is well beyond his years. This R&B and hip-hop artist is well worth the listen. Recommended Tracks: Pull, Without You, CorbinWorn, DJ Khaled is My Father
oline Smith originally made her first debut back in 2006 with her indie band, Caroline Smith and the Good Night Sleeps, before going solo in 2012. Her neo-soul and indie-folk sound has made her a more establish artist earning her many sold out shows not only in Minnesota but all over the country. On her most recent album “Half of Being a Woman” she features many guest artist such as Bon Iver and Andrew Bird. She also has a single with Lizzo called, “Let em’ say”, about self-acceptance and independence. PBS released a short documentary about her, “My Way Back Home: Caroline Smith” about her pursuit of leaving Minnesota and going on tour. Releasing four albums with her original indie band, and one of her own, I have a feeling that this 26 year old R&B artist is about to get much praise soon. Recommended Tracks: Magazine, Animal, Bloodstyle
lis, Minnesota having been earning widespread critical acclaim. Founded in 2011, by Ryan Olson (production) and Channy Leaneagh (vocals), this band has high publicity in such a short amount of time and even been rumored to be playing at Coachella in 2015. Their first album “Give You The Ghost” released in 2012 has even been promoted and advocated by Jay Z and Bon Iver. Their sophomore album “Shulamith” released in early 2013 peaked at 1 for Top Heatseekers two years in a row, 21 for Top Independent Albums of 2013. Other artist similar to Poliça, include the xx, Sylvan Esso, Grimes, and The Weeknd. Recommended Tracks: Tiff, Lay Your Cards Out, Dark Star
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STERN AT THE
CINEMA REVIEWS BY ANDREW STERN
DESIGN BY DIAMOND SAMPSON
ing Samuel is incredibly unnerving, and Wiseman does his job of being awful magically. With many horror films, the villain is generally the one that is getting the character study. However, with The Babadook, the spiritual entity is not the focus. It’s used as a way for the filmmakers to analyze the main characters, which is something that is very rarely done well in horror films. But in this movie it’s done in a way that adds extra layers to the film. That said, at times it does become obvious that this is Kent’s first movie. There is the occasional sound error or weird cut that shows some of her insecurities behind the camera. However, The Babadook is a film to be proud of. I feel that Kent has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to see more films that she creates. 8/10.
THE BABADOOK Directed by Jennifer Kent, The Babadook is an Australian horror film about a single mother, Amelia, and her annoying son, Samuel. After Amelia reads a mysterious children’s book called “The Babadook” to her son, a physical formation of this monster appears to haunt her and her son. At first sight, it would be easy to confuse The Babadook with any other generic paranormal horror flick, but it’s significantly better than a lot of other horror films that have come out recently. For one thing, The Babadook is legitimately scary. Rather than relying on jump scares and random acts of silence, The Babadook presents legitimate consequences to the events that are happening, which makes the film
extremely frightening. The characters are created incredibly realistically, so you can relate with the characters and experience their pain, rather than just watch passively. Kent also creates a strong sense of tension and anxiety that makes you feel as if there is no time for the characters to rest. Essie Davis turns in a fantastic performance as Amelia. Dealing with the loss of her husband and having to both work and take care of her son, the character is exhausted, and Davis communicates this stunningly. When pressure is increased for Amelia, there is a sense of desperation that Davis is able to encapsulate wonderfully. Noah Wiseman plays Samuel, the trouble-making son. Watch-
WHIPLASH I waited for this movie for almost a year. I first heard about Whiplash in January, where it won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance film festival. All I knew about it was that it starred Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons, and that people were going crazy about it. Since 2013’s The Spectacular Now, I’ve been a big fan of Miles Teller. Despite the varying quality of his films, I always think he’s remarkably charismatic, in an evil sort of way. Since Sundance, it’s been a waiting game to see this film. However, even with all of the hype and waiting, I’m glad to say that this movie was completely worth it. Miles Teller plays Andrew Neyman, a drum player at the fictional Shaffer music conservatory. After practicing his drums one night, he is noticed by Terence Fletcher ( J.K. Simmons), the conductor of the Studio band, the highest level jazz band at the conservatory. Andrew is unexpectedly moved up to the Studio band, where he is terrorized by Fletcher for the remainder of the film. Fletcher is a band director who believes that the best way to motivate his students is by harassing and abusing them. He says that he does this to push people past what is expected of them, and that someone who is a true ‘great’ would never give up no matter what is said or done to them. And nobody could play this character with as much intensity and ferocity as J.K. Simmons. He is truly in a league of his own with this performance. With a weaker actor, this part would have seemed cartoonish, but part of what makes Fletcher so intimidating is the realism that is interjected into the performance. Simmons lights up the screen with every frame he’s on, and thankfully he’s on
screen for a good chunk of the film. I hope I don’t sound too hyperbolic when I say that this performance is not only one of the best of J.K. Simmons’ career, but one of the best that I’ve ever seen. However, while Simmons’ performance is absolutely phenomenal, his is not the only one carrying this movie forward. Miles Teller is absolutely heartbreaking as an awkward young man who is generally antagonistic towards most everyone he comes across. Miles Teller gives soul to an incredibly flawed character, and while he’s at times unrelatable, he’s absolutely real. But the most astounding part of Miles Teller’s performance is that he’s actually playing the drums on screen. In many movies involving music, most of the performance is shot through a variety of close-ups that allow for someone who can actually play the instrument to play the instrument. In Whiplash, whenever the drums are played, it is shot wide in a way that allows for both Miles Teller and the drum set to be seen.
And while the actual audio track is dubbed, it’s obvious to see that he knows exactly what he’s doing. Miles Teller is said to have taken drum lessons 3 times a week for 4 hours at a time, but he must have been practicing constantly in his free time, because the drum parts he has to play aren’t easy. It’s hard to end a film well. Often times the 3rd act of a film is the weakest part, because it’s always difficult to bring closure to a lengthy story. But Damien Chazelle, the writer/director of the movie, holds firm control of the film throughout and ends it in the most satisfying way possible. The third act of the film is one of the best third acts that I’ve seen in a long time. And I didn’t breathe or move through the entirety of the insanely intense final sequence. Since seeing this film, I haven’t been able to get my mind off of it. This is a movie that I want to watch over and over again. Every moment of it is uncomfortable cringe-worthy joy. This movie is why I love cinema. 10/10.
EXODUS GODS AND KINGS Ridley Scott has made some great films. Between Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator (and that’s just scratching the surface), he has definitely made an impact on the history of cinema. Like many brilliant filmmakers, he has also made his share of mediocre films. This is one of such films. The most emotionally charged moment of the movie was the beginning of the end credits in which Ridley Scott dedicated the film to his late brother, Tony. Exodus: Gods and Kings is a retelling of the famous bible story of Moses. This film has faced a lot of criticism due to the fact that many of the actors playing prominent roles within Ancient Egypt are not middle-eastern. While it’s true that the races that were present then are not the same as the races that are present now, it’s incredibly disappointing to see a film so blatantly whitewashed. However, it’s understandable why it had to be done. To mount a 140 million dollar film, the investors need some sort of assurance that they will make their money back, and it’s much easier to sell a film when there are big-name stars. To play Moses, the film chooses Christian Bale, who is naturally very charismatic but doesn’t seem to be trying too hard. Joel Edgerton goes all out to play Ramses
however, and really carries the film through many of the lull periods. There’s also a lot of very big name actors that have small, weird cameos that don’t hugely contribute to the plot. John Turturro plays a Pharoah of Egypt, Aaron Paul and Ben Kingsley play followers of Moses, and Sigourney Weaver plays Ramses’ mother. When described like this, the film sounds like a comedy, but it takes itself pretty seriously. As a film, Exodus: Gods and Kings is aggressively mediocre. That said, there are moments of inspiration here and there: The decision to make God a child was an fascinating choice. The child actor they got to play him was very good as well. And the plague sequences were all pretty interesting. However, these moments of inspiration appear within a film that is pretty bland. While many of the fight scenes in the beginning of the film are reasonably well put together, the last act of the film is really poorly edited. In a sequence with Ramses’ army chasing Moses and the Jews, there is no continuity in where people are located in relation to one another. Any relevant drama is completely lost because all of the events that occur seem so random. The film also ends in a very strange place. The film in general would have been stronger if it weren’t cut off where it was cut off. However, the film was in no danger of being a masterpiece, so, as an audience member, I appreciated it ending early. 5/10.
THE INTERVIEW Deceased before released
The Interview will now no longer be released by Sony. Amidst terrorist threats, its Christmas day opening has been cancelled and Sony claims that they have no further plans to release it on DVD or VOD. This is incredibly disappointing. Not only does it set an awful precedent for how we handle these threats, but it’s a complete suppression of our freedom of speech. Let’s back up a little bit. The Interview is the most recent Evan Goldberg/ Seth Rogen film about two journalists ( James Franco & Seth Rogen) who are recruited by the CIA to go to Pyongyang and assassinate King Jong-Un. Late last month, Sony’s internal database was hacked and various emails, salaries, and scripts were leaked to the internet. The group that did this call themselves the ‘Guardians of Peace’, a group that is speculated to potentially be a group of North Korean cyberterrorists. A few weeks after this leak, which will cost Sony millions in damages, the ‘Guradians of Peace’ threatened moviegoers, “Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear. Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.)” After this threat, Sony released movie theatres from their contracts, allowing individual theatre chains to show the film only if they would like to. Many major movie theatres backed out, and Sony later pulled the film from its theatrical release. Some people are defending Sony’s decision in not releasing the film because it’s better safe than sorry. However, it should be noted that these threats don’t
mean anything. There’s no evidence that “Guardians of Peace” will be able to do anything. Cyber-hacking and launching a full scale act of war are two entirely different things. Sony’s decision shows that as Americans, we will immediately back down on what we believe in if there is any empty threat of violence present. It should be noted that in 1940, Charlie Chaplin made a film called The Great Dictator. In it, Chaplin plays Hynkel Dictator of Tomania, as well as a Jewish barber who gets mistaken as him. Chaplin stylised his signature mustache to make it more Hitler-like, and makes fun of Hitler throughout the whole film. It was nominated for 5 Oscars, including Best Picture. To those who say that that film is any different because it doesn’t mention Hitler by name, let me remind you that in 2004, Matt Stone and Trey Parker released an animated film titled Team America: World Police. In this film, Kim Jong Il is the villain. It’s not just this movie that’s being impacted though. Steve Carell's thriller, Pyongyang, about a man who grows paranoid after working in Pyongyang for a year has been scrapped. If interested, the graphic novel that the movie would have been based off of is available for purchase online. It may be your only opportunity to hear this story in a long time. It’s not that The Interview would have been a great movie. It likely would have been pretty mediocre. That’s not the point. The point is that we self-censored art. The Interview might not have been an important movie before this incident, but now it’s incredibly important. We can’t let others intimidate us into censorship, and we definitely can’t stop making risky movies.
The Trojan Tribune {December 19, 2014}
Opinion It’s too bad we like Elsa more Exchange If you’ve been out shopping lately—or in the last year—you might notice that t h e r e is By MEAGHAN DECKER GUEST WRITER F r o z e n merchandise ever ywhere. There are dolls and toys and pillows and beach towels and toothbrush holders and anything else you can think o f . I ’m p r e t t y s u r e I c o u l d o u t f i t m y e n t i r e h o m e i n Fr o z e n d é c o r. B u t u n l e s s y o u ’r e w i l l i n g t o g o to extreme lengths and pay exo r b i t a n t p r i c e s , y o u ’r e n o t g o i n g to find anything with Elsa on it. Oh, unless it has Elsa and Anna. Elsa stuff sells out the moment i t ’s p u t o n t h e s h e l v e s . E v e n Olaf (admittedly funnier than I had anticipated) seems to sell out much faster than Anna. W hy so little love for the little sister? To b e g i n , I ’d l i k e t o b a c k u p t h e E l s a f a n s o u t t h e r e . S h e ’s g o t s u p e r p o w e r s , a b e v y o f s h i n y, sparkly stuff, an abominable snowman at her beck and call, a n d o n e h o o k y s o n g y o u c a n’t e s cape. Admit it, you’ve sung “L et I t G o” w h e n y o u t h o u g h t n o o n e was listening. And we can relate: E l s a i s m a l i g n e d f o r h e r “o t h e r ness.” At some point, we’ve all felt like misunderstood outsiders, left alone, maybe even hated because we seemed weird to ever yone around us. Maybe we d r e s s e d d i f f e r e n t l y, d i d n’t g e t t h e
inside joke, or had an uncommon h o b b y. M a y b e i t ’s s o m e t h i n g a lot more per vasive, like our gend e r, s e x u a l i t y, r e l i g i o n , r a c e , o r socioeconomic status. Maybe i t ’s s t i l l h a p p e n i n g n o w. S a d l y, E l s a r u n s a w a y, w h i c h i s a l s o p r e t t y r e a s o n a b l e . We might even consider it emotionally healthy to get away from our oppressors, as compared to sitting around and taking the abuse. But what life does Elsa have after this? I know the cold n e v e r b o t h e r e d h e r a n y w a y, b u t what about star vation? Move a l i t t l e f u r t h e r u p M a s l o w ’s h i e r a r c h y, a n d E l s a i s a f a r c r y f r o m meeting the psychological needs of friends and a feeling of accomplishment, let alone selfactualization. Unless, of course, you think Marshmallow provides the necessar y skills of hunting, gathering, and stimulating conversation. A n d o k a y, A n n a i s n o t a c o o l c h a r a c t e r t o l i k e . S h e ’s w a y t o o s e l f - a d j u s t e d a n d n i c e . S h e ’s g o t no edge, no real problems, and l o t s o f m e n l i k e h e r ( a c t u a l l y, t w o : o n e w i t h — S P O I LER ! — a pretty major heel-turn in his future, and one who never bathes; what a lucky lady). But she is the one fighting for Elsa—not just on a personal level, but in front of ever yone. She is the one demanding a future of not just acceptance but love. She is the agent of change. I do not think we should start congratulating the majority for “letting” the minority hang
around them or that we praise anyone for “tolerating ” the exi s t e n c e o f t h o s e u n l i k e u s . I ’m arguing that we should all be a l o t m o r e l i k e A n n a . S h e d o e s n’t simply tolerate Elsa for being different or pay lip ser vice to her s i s t e r ’s u n u s u a l q u a l i t i e s . S h e calls off the oppressors, demands respect from the bystanders, and convinces Elsa to love herself. A n n a d i d n’t s u p p o r t E l s a b y r e l a t i n g t o h e r. A n n a d i d n’t s u p p o r t E l s a b y y e l l i n g “ Ye a h ! ” a t t h e s c r e e n w h i l e s h e r a n a w a y. A n d A n n a d i d n’t s u p p o r t E l s a b y buying a bunch of plastic junk with her likeness on it. Anna supported Elsa by bei n g A n n a ( i s n’t t h a t t h e p o i n t of the movie?). Anna thought it was worth facing whiteoutconditions, opportunistic business owners, mocking strangers, a kingdom full of scared subjects, and political enemies from ever y angle in order for a single person (I concede, her sister and the queen) to feel secure in her ever yday life. The chunk of time known as the Civil Rights Era is the past, yet people are at this moment taking to the streets to be treated equally to those with the most rights. Maybe Anna is a Civil Rights l e a d e r. M a y b e i t ’s j u s t a k i d s ’ m o v i e a n d i t ’s n o t t h a t d e e p, a n d w e c a n like whichever character we like a n d w e d o n’t w a n t t o t h i n k t h a t hard and movies are just entert a i n m e n t . I g u e s s i t ’s u p t o u s .
“Why I hate ‘Year in Review’ Lists” I t ’s t h e e n d o f t h e y e a r. And with the end of the year comes By ANDREW STERN the need to reS E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R flect upon ever ything that has happened over the last 300-odd days (reflection pieces always seem to appear before the year actually ends). It seems like ever yone has or will h a v e a “ To p 1 0 M o v i e s o f 2 0 1 4 ” list. Having reviewed films for t h e Tr o j a n Tr i b u n e a l l y e a r, i t would make sense for me to have one of these lists. I will not. I rea l l y d o n’t l i k e t h e s e s o r t s o f l i s t s , for a variety of reasons. The idea of using a year as the measurement system is so arbit r a r y. I t b e c o m e s e v e n m o r e c o n fusing when taking into account that many movies have more than one release date. Large studio films are able to put their movie in thousands of theatres at once, b u t t h a t ’s n o t t h e c a s e f o r m a n y f i l m s . Fo r e i g n - l a n g u a g e f i l m s a r e o f t e n m a d e i n o n e y e a r, b u t d o n’t g e t r e l e a s e d i n t h e U. S. u n t i l a l a t e r y e a r. O t h e r f i l m s m i g h t n o t
get a studio to release them past large cities, if at all. And what about festival films? A movie could be in several film festivals i n o n e y e a r, b u t t h e n n o t g e t r e leased to the general public until a f o l l o w i n g y e a r. J u s t b e c a u s e a m o v i e d o e s n’t h a v e a l a r g e s t u d i o b a c k i n g , d o e s n’t m e a n t h a t i t ’s n o t a g r e a t f i l m . Studios can choose not to buy or distribute movies to a large audience for a variety of reasons othe r t h a n q u a l i t y. I n 2 0 1 1 , T h e F P p r e m i e r e d a t S X S W, a l a r g e f i l m f e s t i v a l i n A u s t i n , Te x a s . I t d i d n’t get distributed until 2012, and the largest release it saw was 28 A m e r i c a n t h e a t r e s . I t ’s a c r a z y, u n m a r k e t a b l e f i l m t h a t d o e s n’t appeal to a large audience, but i t ’s a l s o o n e o f m y p e r s o n a l f a v o r i t e s . T h e r e ’s a l w a y s g o i n g t o be another hidden gem. A t t h e e n d o f t h e d a y, t h e r e ’s j u s t t o o m a n y m o v i e s . I t ’s h a r d t o keep track of the number of films made because not ever y film that gets made gets into a film festival. And not ever y film that gets into a festival gets released. P lus, with the increasing omnipotence
of the internet, many films are able to be made and released without the studio system. That said, generally around 500-1000 movies get released in the United States alone. Around the world, i t ’s t e n t i m e s t h a t n u m b e r. T h e r e is literally not enough time to watch all of the movies made in a g i v e n y e a r. H i g h p r o f i l e c r i t i c s are able to see a lot of films, but ver y often they miss some of the smaller ones because they are reviewing films with significance to a large number of people. T h e w h o l e “ To p Te n o f t h e M o v i e s T h a t I ’ v e S e e n” e x c u s e i s also pretty ridiculous. I’ve seen 5 0 m o v i e s t h a t w e r e ‘r e l e a s e d t h i s y e a r ’ . I f I m a d e a t o p t e n l i s t , I ’d be telling people about the top 20% of movies that I’ve seen. And there are so many movies t h a t I w a n t t o s e e t h a t I h a v e n’t had the opportunity to yet. How many foreign language films have I seen this year? None. Document a r i e s ? O n e . I ’m a l w a y s a f a n o f recommending movies, but calling something the best of a year is incredibly short-sighted.
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 To address issues that Wayzata High School is facing; to investigate with courage, persistence and passion; to report the news with accuracy and without bias; to encourage thought, investigate events which incite praise and those which incite criticism; and to make connections between people in this community. EDITORIAL POLICY Editorial policies and content decisions are made by the student editorial board. The opinions expressed in the editorials, columns, and opinion pieces are those of the Trojan Tribune staff and are not necessarily the opinions of the advisor, administration, students, faculty, or District 284. The Trojan Tribune follows guidelines of the Associated Press Stylebook and is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association. ADVERTISING We accept ads that provides goods and services for the age group this publication serves, as long as they conform to the school and district regulations. Inquire for an ad sheet. The Trojan Tribune works jointly with the advanced television production class to produce Wayzata NewsBreak. Comments concerning NewsBreak may be sent to the address below. This publication is a limited open forum within the community of Wayzata High School. The newspaper is the product of Journalism students and others and is not the curricular work of a single class. Opinions, discussion, and input are always welcomed and encouraged. Comments, questions, thoughts, and ideas may be addressed to: The Trojan Tribune 4955 Peony Lane Plymouth, MN 55446 david.motes@wayzata.k12.mn.us
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
SPORTS 11
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014
Boys basketball establishes presence in the Lake Conference Junior Johnny Beeninga leads the team with 17.3 points a game. Beeninga featured shooting a jump shot below and also breaking to the rim for an easy two point against Hopkins. (Bottom Right)
By HAYDEN FARMER SPORTS EDITOR
The Wayzata boys’ basketball team has been an image of resiliency in the past couple weeks, beating three of their last six opponents by one basket, coming back from a 10+ point deficit. The Trojans’ 2014-2015 roster is without a single senior and also welcomes new head coach Br yan Schnettler. The Trojans finished their 2013-2014 season with a regular season record of 8-17 and have started this season 5-1. On November 25th Wayzata travelled to Eagan for their season opener. In the first half of the game the Trojan guards were not keeping up with the pace of the wildcat offense and Trojan big men Austin Slater (11) and Troy Louwagie (11) were not defending the paint. Going into halftime down 22 points this young Wayzata team looked a lot like its predecessor. A shift in momentum occurred in the second half that put the Trojans on a run led by junior guards Johnny Beeninga and Jack Sowada. The Trojans were making shots and started to take control of the paint. The Trojans kept the momentum and took the lead in the final seconds, winning the game 68-66. From that moment on, the Trojans have been locking down defenders and scoring points at will. The following game against Lakeville North, the Trojans pulled off
another comeback and won by the same score of 68-66. “I think are success so far is greatly due to our team chemistr y, we’ve really come together as a unit and when we hit a groove we are pretty hard to beat,” said Slater. The Trojans also defeated Buffalo and Holy Family before arriving at Hopkins for their first Lake Conference match up. The Trojans kept with the Royals for the entirety of the game and were up 6 points with three minutes left in the game. The state championship finalists (Hopkins) then scored a pair of threes and evened the score. With the clock winding down the Hopkins junior Vinnie Shahid put in a jumper from the top of the key with three seconds left. The Trojans would get off one more shot before the buzzer, but the game winner was off target. The Trojans were 4-1, but made a statement that echoed throughout the class 5AAAA. The Trojans have not lost a game by more than two points and have competed with ever y team they ’ve faced. The Trojans most recent game was against St. Paul Central and the blue and gold dominated the court with a final score of 68-41.
Leading the team in scoring is Captain Johnny Beeninga who has 104 points on the season and averages 17.3 points per game. Juniors Austin Slater and Jack Sowada are not far behind both averaging 13 points a game. “It has been a great experience playing with these boys, we have started hot and our goal right now is to stay hot. Right now the focus is on Edina and we plan to take it one game at a time for the rest of the year,” said Beeninga. The Trojans will host the Edina Hornets this Friday, December 19th at 7:00pm and will look to win their first lake conference game in two years. Photos courtesy of Naomi Liew
Boys and Girls XC National results B o t h t h e J U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R Way z a t a g i r l s and boys cross countr y teams traveled to Portland, Oregon for the Nike Nationals competition on December 6th, 2014. “Hosted by Nike, NXN is the grand finale to many elite teams’ seasons. 22 of the best teams in the countr y race for a chance to be crowned national champions,” said senior Captain Connor Olson. Both girls and boys qualified for Nationals after winning first place in Nike Regionals in South Dakota. According to junior runner Jaret Carpenter, the boys and girls team both qualified last year for nationals, where the girls were crowned national champions. The situation was different this year for both teams. “Last year we were just kind of in it for the ride; [the experiBy Maggie Franke
DREW’S PICKS OF THE
WEEK
ence] differed this year because we were going in looking to be contenders for the national title,” Carpenter said. Last year, the race was hosted by the Portland Meadows race track, however for this year the race was hosted by the Glendover Golf Course, according to NikeCrossNationals.com. “ The new course was awesome, it was definitely an upgrade from the flat horse track that we’ve raced at in past years. It ’s nice to see a course with hills, because that ’s what we have on courses in Minnesota,” Junior Runner Michaela Keller-Miller said. Olson and Carpenter finished 11th and 12th consecutively, and Senior Captain Anna French, Sophomore Annika Lerdall, and Keller-Miller finished 34th, 68th and 69th overall. “ There are also 45 of the countr y ’s best individuals stacking up against each other (5 from each region)
Lions -9 @ Bears
In one of the most rash and impulsive decisions in sports history (I don’t think that’s an overstatement), the Bears have decided to bench Jay Cutler, the highest-paid offensive player in the league, in favor of... wait for it... Jimmy Clausen! Or as I like to call him, “Jimmy Football.” He was the lite version of Johnny Manziel when he came out of Notre Dame a few years ago: cocky, brazen, and destined to fall flat on his face at the professional level. And fall flat on his face he did - he sports a 1-9 record as a starter, and ESPN points out that his 11.0 QBR is the worst score the NFL has ever seen. Jimmy Football’s second chance begins with a matchup against the second-best defense in the league, according to Football Outsiders. I don’t trust Clausen to lead scoring drives, and I certainly don’t trust Chicago’s defense to prevent them. Expect boos to be raining before halftime in the Windy City.
competing to tr y and be an individual champion,” Olson said. The Wayzata boys team finished 2nd nationally, the best a boys team from Minnesota has ever finished, and the Wayzata girls finished 6th as a team, according to NikeCrossNationals. com. “As a member of a team you have a larger responsibility that you have to own up to. I couldn’t be happier with what we accomplished and I wouldn’t trade second place as a team for 1st place individually,” Olson said in regards to the performance of the Wayzata boys team. “ We were hoping to podium as a team, but considering most of us didn’t have our best races, we were happy to finish 6th this year,” Keller-Miller said.
Photo by Kraig A. Lungstrom
Connor Olson (12) in the five kilometer race in Oregon. Olson finished 11th individually.
Vikings +7 @ Dolphins
As a logical sports fan, I wish my hometown Vikings would stop trying to win games and sabotage their draft position. Since they refuse to use common sense, however, and choose continue in their quest for mediocrity, they have been playing very competitive football recently. The Purple & Gold haven’t lost by double digits in over two months. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are in a tailspin, of sorts, and their playoff hopes are a thing of the past. Miami’s linebacking corps, an early season bright spot, has been decimated by injuries recently, allowing opponents to run all over them. That gives Matt “Slower Than Your Grandmother” Asiata a sliver of hope to find running room on Sunday. Oh, how I miss you, AP. Even if the Vikes can’t pull off a victory, I expect them to keep it close.
Chargers +1 @ 49ers
I love Week 16. Not only is it the Fantasy Super Bowl, we get NFL football on four days of the week, with two games on Saturday. One of those match ups pits an extremely dysfunctional franchise (San Francisco) against a playoff-hungry squad that needs a win to stay alive (San Diego). In our weekly “Jim Harbaugh hates the 49ers and will take literally any other job” update, Michigan has already offered him a real contract with real numbers (six years, $48 million) for next season! If that’s not a sign that he’s mailing in these last two games, I don’t know what is. Give me the guy that would rather cut off his own hand than lose: Philly Riv! Rivers is apparently dealing with a significant back injury, something that might worry me if he hadn’t played through a torn ACL in 2007. The dude is a savage.
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
SPORTS 12
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2014
Boys and girls hockey have state tournament in sight Competing in one of the toughest sections in state, the Wayzata hockey teams have a big season ahead of them. Both boys and girls varsity hockey teams have had a strong start to their seasons. The girl’s team is ranked third in the Lake Conference behind Minnetonka and Hopkins and the boys are ranked second behind Edina. The girls are 7-2-2 averaging 4 goals per game and are led by Natalie Heising (10) who averages 1.45 points per game. The boys are currently 6-1-1 averaging 4.75 goals per game and are led by Billy Duma (12) and Nathan Dingmann (12) who both average 1.5 points per game. Ten of the 16 girls on the varsity team are juniors, the team’s foundation is strong and will look to be an even more talented team next year. “We lost a lot of really good seniors this year so it’s kind of hard to fill their shoes, but we’ve got a ton of really talented juniors that are really going be By MADDIE ORZESKE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
the backbone of our team this year,” said Maddy Johnson (12).The boys also have a slight majority of juniors on their varsity squad, 8-6. “I feel like this year we have a lot more team chemistry and trust,” said Carter Spindler (12). “We’re going to see some tough competition this year,” said Sarah Stelter (11). This includes Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and Benilde-St. Margaret’s. They lost against BSM last year in the Section 6AA playoffs. During the offseason, the girls trained at Tiger Athletics. “We really focused on improving our strength and becoming better overall athletes rather than focusing on just hockey skills,” said Johnson. The boys see Edina as their top competitor, with BSM also posing a threat. “We’ve been playing better at the beginning of this season than we did at the star of last year,” said junior Captain Max Zimmer (12). The boys spent their offseason training at Acceleration Northwest in Plymouth. The Trojan boys have also added new assistant coach Blake Sloan who played for the
University of Michigan. The boys’ last game was a 5-1 victory over Andover on Tuesday, December 9th. Their next game will be on Saturday, December 20th against Burnsville at the Plymouth Ice Center at 2:30 PM.
The girls’ team had a 2-1 victory against Minnetonka on Tuesday, December 16th and will also be playing this Saturday at the Plymouth Ice Center. Their game against Eden Prairie will start at 7 pm.
Natalie Heising (10) steals the puck from Anoka senior Sierra Maki and clears it out of the zone. Wayzata girls currently are 7-2-2.
Photos courtesy of Naomi Liew
Trojets’ great chemistry leads to success By Diamond Sampson SENIOR STAFF WRITER
team that we are going to kill it Photo courtesy of Jenna Meyers ever y time we com-
The dance team has been burning up the floor this season winning 1st place in two meets, second and third place in Jazz, and second and sixth place in Kick. Team captain, Jillian Czura (12) said “ This season has been going ver y well. Our team is ver y close and works ver y well together. We are hoping to make it to state but it will require a lot of hard work.” A big part of the team making it to state this year is all the effort being put into each meet and competition but to push oneself you need inspiration. “I set an example by tr ying to push it in practice and give it my all. That way, I am confident in the
to talk to and accepting of others,” said Captain Jenna Meyers (12).
The varsity jazz team performs their number at the Chaska Invitational. The girls finished second.
pete. I also have a ver y bubbly, and positive attitude and am super easy
The team has two new coaches this year Sam Kaine, and Kaylie En-
stad. Kaine was a dancer herself for the Trojets during her high school career. She then attended the University of Minnesota were she danced for 4 more years and earned 8 national titles. “She is such an inspiration to all of us and she motivates us to work hard ever y day. She brings a new attitude towards dance that’s gets us to push our hardest and she’s ver y fun to have at practice,” said Captain Brooke Talen (12). With the girls training hard to make sure they will be ready for their biggest competition, Maple Grove and Eastview. There is no telling what’s next for these driven ladies and no matter what place the girls are awarded, fulfilling their own potential is what is most important to the Trojets.
New team and new coach sparks Wayzata wrestling By Drew Carter
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Wayzata Wrestling team has a new way of doing things this season, and the early results
are encouraging. In the first meet of the season, the boys took second place at Osseo. Despite a narrow loss to Park of Cottage Grove last night, the team sports a 3-3 record in dual meets. “We are exceeding our own expectations, and I think we have a good chance at winning conference if all our guys are healthy,” said senior Aaron Cote. The team will face stiff competition at the section level, however. Willmar High School, of the same section as Wayzata, handed the Trojans a 63-6 defeat earlier in the season, by far the team’s biggest loss. The team will also struggle to replace a few of last year’s seniors. Collin Sohn and Nick
O’Brien, both of whom graduated last year, are now wrestling at the Division I level. The team’s future is bright, however, thanks to a new coach with a long track record of success. First-year coach Eric Swensen arrived at Wayzata with an impressive pedigree for both coaching wrestling and competing in the sport himself. He was a two-time state champion as a high school student in Connecticut, and began coaching almost two decades ago. Swensen coached in Houston from 1997 to 1999 before moving to South Dakota, where he coached until 2004. He then coached in Spring Hill, Florida, from 2004 to 2012, and experienced a ton of success. Swensen’s team produced 21 individual state champions, and won consecutive team state championships in his final two seasons, according to Wayzata Wrestling’s official website. Swensen does not select season-long
captains at the beginning of the year. Instead, No matter what happens this year, things are new team “leaders” are chosen every week. certainly looking up for Wayzata Wrestling. “Swensen has just never really done captains in all his years of coaching. Whoever works Photo by Diamond Sampson the hardest should be considered the ‘leaders’, and leaders change from week to week,” said Cote. Swensen t e a c h e s Economics/ Public Policy, the class formerly known as “MoPro,” at the Senior Aajaze Davis prepares to take on a Cottage Grove wrestler. The Trojans lost to the Cottage Grove Wolves on December 18th at WHS. High School.