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WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL
trojan tribune VOLUME 32, ISSUE 10
FEBRUARY 20, 2014
SUCCESS FOR THE SKI TEAM: Senior Alayna Sonnesyn was the first across the finish line, placing third overall in the race. She led the team to back to back state titles in her four year career.
top news REFERENDUM
VOTING On Tuesday, February 25, district members will be asked to vote on questions to address enrollment growth. See what the editors have to say. OPINION 6
DANCE TEAM COMES SECOND BEHIND EASTVIEW SPORTS 12
LEAFS ON TREES This Wayzata band’s bloodbath of a show may have the fake band never returning to The Depot again. ENTERTAINMENT 10
HOW TO GET UNFOLLOWED: A GUIDE TO THE HOPELESS TWEETER PAGES 6 & 7
Girls nordic backto-back state champs The Nordic team By HANA KASSEM dominated their seaJ U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R @HanaKassem son this year, and ended with a bang last Thursday, February 13th, when the girls’ team clutched the state title. The Trojan girls placed first at the state meet at Giants Ridge, in Biwabik, Minnesota, and the Forest Lake Nordic Team took first for the boys. Wayzata Girls scored 382 points, with Robbinsdale Armstrong and Stillwater coming in behind scoring 347 and 346 points, respectively. The Wayzata boys’ team placed 6th, with 319 points. “It was awesome to see so many of us do so well and place really high at such a big race. We had four [places] in the top 13,” said senior captain Alayna Sonnesyn. Sonnesyn was the first to cross the finish line for the Wayzata girls, placing 3rd overall in the race. Junior Anna French placed 5th, sophomore Michaela Keller-Miller placed 10th, and junior Nicole Schneider placed 13th. “The main goal was to win state,” said Schneider. “Our next goal was to have everyone ski their heart out. It doesn’t matter how you placed as long as you pushed yourself as hard as possible,” Schneider said.
The team prepared for the race as if it were any other meet. “We were able to ski the course the day before, which helped a lot and made sure we were well-rested leading up to the meet,” Sonnesyn said. Even though the team’s season is over, a handful of the skiers aren’t done yet. With high goals and talent, some are continuing on to Junior Nationals. “Four of us [girls] have qualified for Junior Nationals, which will be the first week in March in Vermont,” said Sonnesyn. Many of the Nordic skiers are also racing next weekend in a 23 kilometer race known as the Kortelopet, in Wisconsin, with over 10,000 other skiers participating. Five skiers total from Wayzata qualified for nationals. There are four girls and one boy: Sonnesyn, Schneider, French, Keller-Miller, and eighth grader Anders Sonnesyn. “The girls even have a chance at winning the ‘best female high school team’ award at nationals. Nationals isn’t part of a high school program, so you don’t go as a high school, you go as a region. Minnesota is considered the Midwest region along with Wisconsin,” said Schneider. “It felt so great for the girls team to win and it was so awesome to end my high school career on a high note,” said Sonnesyn.
Operation Smile Concert and Amnesty Jeopardy Provide Ways to Give Back In Wayzata’s community, it is easy to simply forget about the many problems that are present in the world today. However, Wayzata students are working to help those who are less fortunate in two lesser known clubs. Operation Smile works to help children born with cleft palates get a 45 minute surgery that can potentially save their lives. According to operationsmile.org, cleft palates are a birth deformity that a child is born with every three minutes, and it can prevent them from being able to drink, eat, and socialize. Often times, children are ostracized by their families and communities. Without this surgery, one out of ten children with a cleft palate don’t make it to their first By NICOLE STEPHAN J U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
birthday. “Our club has raised enough money for 23 surgeries. Each surgery is $240,” said Ashley Wilson (12). Operation Smile plans to increase their impact by organizing their biggest fundraiser yeta “Rock the Smile” Concert held at Hopkins Center for the Arts on March 7 from 7-10 P.M. The concert will feature a variety of local bands which students can see for $5 from March 3rd to the 6th if bought from an officer, such as Wilson, Megan Bailey, and Aly Tisthammer, or can pay $7 at the door. “S! (Sexclamation) is playing from Wayzata, Counterfeit Democracy is playing from Minnetonka, and Josie and Allie Ries are playing from HopGIVE BACK kins,” said president Megan Cont’d page 2
Wayzata scores well in school lunch survey
What happens when you COP Y EDITOR @jaredography can’t pay for your lunch? In some school districts, it is taken from you and publicly thrown in the garbage. According to a survey by the Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, a whopping 46 Minnesota school districts reported a policy of refusing to serve any school lunch to students who qualify for reduced-price lunch but cannot pay. Some districts’ policies read “students will be denied to eat lunch” and “we will stop the student from taking a lunch” if balance goes negative. A few districts reported pulling trays and dumping food in the trash in front of students, and justify this practice as a way of teaching children accountability and responsibility. 53% of MN school districts offer less nutritious meals, like a peanut-butterand-jelly or cheese sandwich, instead of a school lunch if a student can’t pay. 32%, including Wayzata, reported always providing a full menu-appropriate meal to students regardless of whether or not a student could afford it. “Our official policy is that if a student is running low on money, we always remind them. Then, we also have an ‘angel account’ to cover negative balances,” said Sue Johnson, the Culinary Express High School Site Coordinator. Johnson said that when seniors graduate, they get the option to either get reimbursed for the money in their lunch account or donate it to the angel account. The Culinary Express staff tries to encourage students to find other ways of paying for lunch if their accounts have run dry, but the cashiers can draw from this angel account to effectively loan money to students until their account is refilled. “We have never intentionally denied a student a lunch since we started the angel account program a few years ago,” said Johnson. What about just giving lunches for free? At the beginning of this school year, Boston public schools announced that all LUNCHES students would reCont’d page 2 By JARED KAUFMAN
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
NEWS 2
THURSDAY, FEBUARY 20, 2014
Wayzata paraprofesional on path to become teacher Walk through the hallways of Wayzata high school and you are more than likely to run into Tracy Byrd. It may seem that the Wayzata Sophomore Football Coach and Student supervision Paraprofessional is everywhere at once. Byrd is used to being all over the high school monitoring and prowling the halls to keep them safe for students. Students appreciate him so much that they even have a name for him. “I can’t really remember how I got it, I just know it was somebody from Wayzata High School that gave me the name,” said Tracy Byrd about his noted nickname, the “Byrd man.” Tracy Byrd grew up in south Minneapolis which he said, compared to Wayzata, “resources are scarce.” Byrd recalls his time and efforts placed towards school and seeing his dream of playing college football disappear. “When I was younger I wanted to play football and work on Wall Street, Those were the two things I wanted to accomplish in the next ten years after high school graduation,” said Byrd. “When I was the age that these kids are now, I didn’t see what was right in front of me,” said Byrd. Byrd decided to go back and get a four
year degree and license to teach English to grades 5-12 starting at MCTC (Minneapolis Community & Technical College), then later transferring to Metro State University. Byrd is planning on finishing his degree Spring of 2014 and then starting in the fall of 2014 as a long term substitute teacher. “It’s tough to get a job at a high school without someone giving a reference for you. Besides, the referral hopefuls also have to go through a background check and have a college degree, depending on the job,” said Byrd. Byrd’s advises students to “take care of school the right way,” and putting their best foot forward in all they participate. “I can be very busy because I am a father and husband now, but I would not change a thing, it made me who I am today.” As of right now, you can find Byrd located in the fourth floor office working as an Achievement Specialist. “Basically I help students who are struggling with school work and make sure they can be successful.” For football Byrd has said that he will continue to coach the boy’s sophomore football team while he continues to work for a teaching job at Wayzata high school. “I love where I am right now, I love coaching and working with young adults”.
receive free school lunches, regardless of their From page 1 ability to pay. Currently, Wayzata school lunches cost $2.50 for elementary students, $2.85 for middle and high school students, and $3.65 for adults and second student lunches. Students who qualify for reducedprice lunch generally pay $0.40 per lunch. “We get subsidized a certain amount for one lunch per student. That’s why our
current lunch prices are actually pretty low. It may not seem like it, but it’s cheaper than going to McDonald’s!” said Johnson. She said that those lunch rates take food prices into account and must be approved by the school board. Governor Dayton has vowed to include a school lunch funding increase in his supplemental budget request this year, and several state legislators are showing interest in proposing a bill to do the same thing
By SAMANTHA KROETEN S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
LUNCHES
Amnesty students give back
All students can get involved, and can get From page 1 information from the club’s Facebook group, Wayzata Operation Smile Club, or in the Y.E.S. office. On the other hand, Amnesty Club works to help those whose rights have been violated by their government, such as political prisoners. “As a single chapter, we help in this process by raising awareness...we do this is through our write for rights campaign that we do every year. We write letters to governments that have violated rights (i.e. torture, suppression of free speech),” said Emma Bergeson (12). “We’re currently planning a teachers vs. students jeopardy night on March 7th at 7 in the auditorium that will focus on questions concerning foreign policy, issues in the world amnesty has/is involved with, as well as some more pop culture type categories,” said Bergeson. “Tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the GIVE BACK
door. Teachers and students will compete – and be “tortured” for wrong or incomplete answers,” said Dan Goodrich. The winners of the competition donate the profits to the human rights organization of their choosing. A main focus of Amnesty Club this year has been fighting for women’s rights throughout the world. “Especially in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, a lot of women are a victim of atrocious crimes and their governments don’t do anything about it,” said Bergeson. According to Bergeson, students can easily get involved by attending meetings every Thursday after school in C219, or by participating in various fundraisers, such as movie nights. “Amnesty is important because it brings attention to a lot of the problems in the world that we don’t always hear about. As high schoolers we’re trying to prepare ourselves for adulthood in today’s world and amnesty helps do that,” said Bergeson.
A HELPING HAND: Wayzata High School Amnesty International members aim to give freedom to political prisoners and help those who have been abandoned by their government. Syrian children are given blankets and other necessities from members of the organization. when the session begins later this month. Some schools also accept alternate forms of payment in the lunch line. “Before we got the PIN number keypads, we actually used to use lunch tickets,” said Johnson. “Students would pay for a pack of about 20 tickets, and use one for every lunch they bought.
We now accept cash on very rare occasions, but taking cash would make the line take forever. It’s mainly a speed and accuracy issue,” Johnson said. Counting out change would make the lines move much slower than they already do, and the handling of both food and dirty money also poses a health risk.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
SO
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
ENTERTAINMENT 3
CHIC:
AMONG THE
WILD FLOWERS By SADIE BELL PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
@mssadiebell
After the counterculture youth took to their vans heading west, the Summer of Love was in full swing along the Golden Coast by 1967, thus creating the psychedelic subculture known as hippies. The flower children of the late sixties and early seventies identified with sexual freedom, a rejection of social norms, and a search for inner-peace through music, drug experimentation, and love. With their psychedelic music and values, hippies created a style of their own that has left a lasting imprint on American culture and fashion. The original hippies of the twentieth century made a point to deviate from the normalcy of current trends by blurring gender lines and emphasizing a non-Westernized style. Men and women both grew their hair long, wore bell-bottoms, fringe vests, sandals, and tunics. Women often wore peasant blouses, long, full skirts, and crocheted tops. Both genders often wore Native American printed clothing and jewelry as a defiance of Western culture and corporate America This style echoed the women’s liberation of the time. As women gained more freedom, their skirts got shorter, tops got looser, and they weren’t expected to look as polished. Though the subculture was against commercialism, their style has become exactly that. Now hippies are a popular Halloween costume or the stylistic goal of girls going to music festivals by accessorizing with a flower crown they ordered online. Hippie fashion was a way to become in touch with one’s embrace of self, nature, and individual freedoms. Though these once taboo ideas may no longer seem so taboo or relevant, the style that originated by the movement influences the fashion industry today. The fashion world values ideas of expression and freedom, therefore
Photo collage by Sadie Bell
LEAFS ON TREES TAKES ROOT AT THE DEPOT
Photo by Hannah Vogel
BLOOD BATH: The Ice Cream Socialists played what may be their last show at the Depot under the name “Leafs on Trees” (unintentionally spelled wrong by band members). The finale of the show included pouring a bucket of fake blood on the moshing crowd.
The Depot is the place for @hannah_mv up and coming bands. This past Friday, Leafs on Trees mounted the stage. You may not recognize that name, but does the band Ice Cream Socialists ring a bell? Same boys, different name. When Tanner Colpitts, Eric Deering, Dylan Kunkel, and Michael Dayton originally ask the Depot for a slot under the name Ice Cream Socialists, they never received an answer. So what other option is there other than to change your band name and create a fake identity? By HANNAH VOGEL MUSIC COLUMNIST
The boys wrote to the Depot asking for a slot, claimed that they were a civil war era folk band who made apple cider on stage. The depot booked them. But the Ice Cream Socialists are not a civil war folk band. In fact, they’re the farthest thing from it—a metal band. Their plan was to put on a great show by living up to both their stage name and their true musical aspirations. They started off the show with everyone sitting on the ground. Dylan, the drummer, spoke some words of inspiration as three candle bearers shimmied through the crowd. The audience was asked if they wanted to be “saved”. Then the real fun started. Ev-
they are integrated into designs in a society that now, for the most part, widely accepts them. Though many of the lines featured at New York Fall 2014 Fashion Week contained similar color palettes of lavender and greys, large-knit sweaters, and oversized coats, two lines deviated from the rest, much like their inspiration from the past. Michael Kohrs
eryone hopped on their feet as the band grabbed their instruments and started in on their metal set. The entire show was upbeat and hectic. The audience moshed the entire time. The band even brought a bucket of fake blood, which by the end coated not only the crowd but most of the venue as well (to the dismay of the Depot employees). Leafs on Trees gave an intense performance and left everyone a little dazed and confused. They won’t be asked back. The show was a great time—dancing and mayhem. Whether it’s as Leafs on Trees or as Ice Cream Socialists, theses guys are worth checking out.
and Ralph Lauren featured two similar lines at Fall 2014 Fashion Week inspired by the laid back, expressive style of the counterculture of the late sixties and early seventies. Michael Kors’ Fall 2014 line centered around the concept of “California Dreaming” by focusing on inspiration from the hippies of California in the twentieth century. Kors tried to think of a ready-to-wear line that women would most like to wear in the colder months to remind them of a warmer season, which lead him to the inspiration of California. Kors’ collection contained a plethora of fringe in skirts, suede jackets, and over the shoulder bags. Much of the collection included sheer, feather printed peasant blouses and dresses. The dresses Kors designed look like a peasant blouse on top with full sleeves, tighter at the wrists, but instead of being the length of a typical blouse, they come just above the knee or are even floor length. Kors dresses are an innovative, modern take on hippie style. The loose, sheer fabrics maintain the free nature of hippie fashion, but the hemlines and general shape of the dresses give them a more feminine look. Kors designs definitely capture the mindset of California dreaming and a lifestyle once prevalent along the coast. Like Kors, Ralph Lauren opened his runway show with his new counterculture-inspired, ready-to-wear line. Lauren’s youthful line is full of fringe, suede, plaid, and Native American prints. Lauren’s ensembles contained many layers of different plaids over dark floral dresses or under leather bomber jackets with fringe. Mimicking the hippie style, many of the Lauren’s oversized cardigans and dresses were printed with Native American-like patterns and often paired with plaids. Much of Lauren’s designs were styled by layering jewelry, belts, and plaids, and the use of ankle boots with thick socks, and an uncommon styling of heels also worn with thick socks. Ralph Lauren seemed to deviate from his normal signature name-brand line with this collection, and with the exception of Kors, from the rest of Fashion Week. Whether swaying to Janis Joplin at Woodstock’s Three Days of Peace and Music or at a sit in, counterculture values remained prominent and were reflected in hippie style. Though the true subgroup may cease to exist and their nature become commercialized, as seen on the Fall 2014 Fashion Week runway, their style remains a source of inspiration for modern designers. Though the carefree, self-invigorating nature of hippie clothing continues to make its way to the pages of Vogue or on the runway, it will forever belong among the wildflowers.
STERN AT THE CINEMA The best movie this week is one intended for children. So what does that say about the rest?
REVIEWS BY ANDREW STERN
ABOUT
LAST NIGHT
MONUMENTS
MEN
Initially intended to be released in December with the awards season in mind, Monuments Men was pushed back to a February release as the special effects weren’t complete. Written, directed, and starring George Clooney, this film is a biopic about a WWII platoon tasked to rescue art from Nazis. Monuments Men has a big ensemble cast, including Matt Damon, Bill Mur-
ray, Cate Blanchett, John Goodman, and Jean Dujardin. It appears as if each actor is working hard with what they’re given, but they aren’t given much. All of the characters in the film are more caricatures than real people. The real problem is that the script doesn’t give the characters enough time to develop. Almost immediately after they are introduced, they split up and start the mission. There’s no opportunity to get to know the characters, and so you end up not feeling anything for any of them. The script on a whole is very weak. The dialogue is mediocre, never settling
on a tone. The pacing is unbalanced, as if the story doesn’t know what plot points are important and what aren’t. And it’s not at all self-aware. It takes itself pretty seriously, so you have to be on board from the get-go, or else the film quickly gets uncomfortable. There’s nothing particularly grating about Monuments Men, but there’s just not a lot there. There are some nice moments, but an underdeveloped script prevents the film from eliciting a significant emotional response. If this is your thing, by all means check it out, but just remember to lower your expectations a bit. 4/10
Whoever thought we’d see the day when Kevin Hart was in a film version of a David Mamet play. A remake of the 80s film of the same name (starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and James Belushi), About Last Night is based on Mamet’s “Sexual Perversity in Chicago”. The story follows two couples and their relationships after chance meetings. The main characters are all black, but race doesn’t play a large role in the film. Michael Ealy and Joy Bryant play the couple that the film spends most of its time with. Kevin Hart and Regina Hall play the supporting characters, the one-dimensional comic relief. A large portion of the film deals exclusively with these four characters, although there are some nice cameos from Joe Lo Truglio and Christopher McDonald. The actors are all very charismatic and have great screen chemistry with each other. This, coupled with the wonderfully written dialogue, makes the film easy to sit through. Though there aren’t too many sidesplitting jokes nor tearjerking emotional moments, the film is a fun watch. About Last Night is episodic in nature, never really building towards anything. This approach keeps the audience in a somewhat passive role. I felt as if I were watching a lengthy highlight reel rather than a film. Not that it wasn’t entertaining, but I found myself underwhelmed by the story. The ending was especially disappointing. While the majority of the film was a commentary on relationships, the finale seemed to be out of a fantasy world. To avoid spoiling anything, I’ll just say that it missed the tone entirely. Cleverly edited, About Last Night keeps a relatively fast pace the entire way through. It’s competently made and enjoyable, but doesn’t do anything revolutionary. Most of the film won’t stay with you by the next day, but there are worse ways to spend 100 minutes than by watching About Last Night. 6/10
THE LEGO MOVIE
The original version of RoboCop (1987) is a cult classic. So when I heard that the ultraviolent satire was being remade, I didn’t know how to feel. On one hand, the original is a little dated. But would the remake have the same heart? The story focuses on a Detroit cop who is turned into a cyborg after he is critically injured. I became tepid about the film when I found out that the remake would be rated PG-13, and lost all hope when the trailer spoiled that Alex Murphy (RoboCop) was injured in a car bomb, rather than a brutal shoot-out. RoboCop is the most frustrating 2014 release I’ve seen thus far. I was anticipating an absolutely horrific movie that I could make a couple “I wouldn’t buy that for a dollar” jokes and forget about --- kind of like the sequels. However, what I saw wasn’t an atrocious degradation of the RoboCop character. In fact, it was actually kind of decent. It wasn’t anything special, but it was okay. It pales in com-
parison to the original, but it’s decent enough where I can’t just dismiss it. This remake has a lot of stuff going for it. For one, it’s got a wonderful cast. While the lead, Joel Kinnaman, isn’t exactly a household name, Gary Oldman, Michael Keaton, Abbie Cornish, Jay Baruchel, and Samuel L. Jackson all have supporting roles. Oldman especially looked like he was trying his best. The effects were also great; the action scenes were generally pretty enjoyable, even if it was all toned down to account for the PG-13 rating. While RoboCop had a lot of potential, nothing is really done with it. One of the best parts of the original RoboCop was the fact that it was a social commentary disguised as a silly robot action film. This remake is just a silly robot action film. While the movie verges on making a statement, especially with Samuel L. Jackson playing an eccentric news host, it never really commits to anything. The PG-13 rating
Directed by comedy/animation duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who also directed Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and 21 Jump Street (2012)), The Lego Movie is the 60 million dollar animated feature about an ordinary Lego® minifigure who is mistaken for a “MasterBuilder” and recruited to join a quest to stop the evil Lord Business. The cast for this movie is absolutely stacked. Actors who contributed their voice talents to the film include Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Morgan Freeman (in his first animated role), Will Arnett, Alison Brie, Charlie Day, Will Ferrell, Liam Neeson, Nick Offerman, Will Forte, Dave Franco, Jonah Hill, Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Daniels (reprising his role as C-3PO), Billy Dee Williams (Reprising his role as Lando), and Channing Tatum. If for nothing else, the enthusiasm of the actors helps make this movie fun. The Lego Movie was animated digitally, but stylized to look like stop-motion. This, on top of the fact that everything in the film was designed to look as if were built out of Lego® pieces, contributed to a nostalgic feel. However, during action sequences, the film wasn’t pulled down by normal limitations of stop-motion. As much as I was impressed by the animation, I thought some of the sound mixing was rather amateurish. The character dialogue often didn’t flow, or was at the wrong volume. That might be nitpicking, but every time it happened, I was taken out of the movie. The script for The Lego Movie was very good. The dialogue was very well written, with jokes for both kids and adults. There was some commentary on individualism and mass-consumerism --- a pleasant surprise. And although the story was formulaic, it was also self-aware. Given its message of ingenuity, The Lego Movie spends a long time on the verge of hypocrisy, but saves itself by the end, with a heartwarming twist. Overall, The Lego Movie doesn’t leave too much room for emotional attachment, but it’s well put-together, and wildly entertaining. It’s one of the better animated films I’ve seen in a while. 8/10 prevents the language and ultraviolence that was prevalent in the original. The film opts for a dark tone, rather than a campy one, but struggles to create an emotional reaction. Significant deaths and events will occur without you feeling a thing - which goes against the theme of the film. I don’t blame the failures of this film on the director though. I think its biggest problem is that it’s way too overproduced. I blame the studios for this. I feel like Director Jose Padilha’s heart was in the right place. He and Joel Kinnaman fought hard for an R rating, but ultimately lost the battle to studio executives who hoped to recoup the sizable budget. In fact, during production of the film, Padilha phoned his friend to confide that making this film was “The worst experience of his life,” and that for every ten ideas he brought to the project, the studio refused nine. 6/10
ROBOCOP
Meredith Johnson @MERE_JOHNSON19 I’ve come to the realization that my family would function so much better without my sister because we all secretly hate her.
•DVÄVNTE• @DavanteWilliams
One of my best skills is internalizing emotion and using that understanding to relate to and help others. No one gets it though.
Katie Talerico @k_talerico
Waiting for those dirty looks from girls in the hallway after people read my opinion piece in the newspaper. #sorrybutnotsorry
Kate Carroll @kjcarroll4
LOUDEST APPLAUSE AT BOEHNER JOKE I AM LAUGHING TOO THX OBAMA
•DVÄVNTE• @DavanteWilliams Why look for a girl when it’d be easier to hire a therapist?
Kate Carroll @kjcarroll4 NO SCHOOL~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SELF When @mere_johnson19 comes “art of on twitter, only your most embar selfies are appropriate. You must r ber that this is not instagram, and th where you look somewhat decent you more good there (you’ll get wa likes than favorites, and who doesn that?). So stick to something funn will give everyone a good laugh and ceive some retweets in return. By MEREDITH JOHNSON F E AT U R E S E D I T O R
SORRY NOT SORRY: #sorryn should only be used when you did something out of the norm, stated thing somewhat embarrassing, or you’re in a “I don’t really care” moo with all that said you still want pe know about it, because even though sorry, you’re really not. Some examp clude; ‘Just ate my weight it Java C cream #sorrynotsorry’ or ‘Haven’ jeans on a Monday since freshma #sorrynotsorry’.
LONG REPLY THREADS: Long threads are simple and hated by mo ple. If you want to have a conve with a friend, try texting or even s for a direct message. Replying to a tweet is understandable, no one sa shouldn’t do that, but when it gets point that you have to load previous to see the whole conversation, you’v too far. Think of it this way, do yo your twitter feed clogged with a co tion between two people over last basketball game? That’s a no.
OVERLY EMOTIONAL TWEETS: tunately these tweets are mostly un able. Not every day can be amazin naturally we let our feelings out on Tweeting your feelings is okay, don’t wrong, but try to keep it to a min Overly emotional tweets tend to mak followers uncomfortable. ‘I think failed my math test :’(‘ is okay, ‘OM MATH TEST WAS SO HARD I’M N GOING TO COLLEGE. LIFE=OVER is definitely not.
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Unfornavoidng, and twitter. t get me nimum. ke your I just MG MY NEVER R :’(((((‘
A GUIDE TO GETTING UNFOLLOWED SUBTWEETS/INDIRECT TWEETS: No no no these need to go away. Don’t ever tweet indirectly, just don’t do it. If you have an issue with someone just get the courage to tell them in person, because by indirectly tweeting you want the rest of the world to know you’re upset. Also you just confuse all your friends by causing them to think that they did something wrong. So suck it up and stop indirect tweeting because you’re making everyone upset. Plus these err on the side of melodramatic, something no one wants to deal with. YOLO: YOLO should only be hashtagged in a sarcastic way, like ‘Just failed part four #YOLO’. If you use YOLO seriously you need to reevaluate your tweets. The reason is that YOLO in itself is super annoying, and by tweeting something stupid that no one wants to hear about with a #YOLO attached, you’re just giving people a weird vibe. When this happens, they’re only going to be saying YOLO while unfollowing you. CELEBRITY RETWEETS: What are you trying to prove to us? OMG you RTed Lena Durnham, you’re so progressive and socially minded! Can I be your friend? Or it’s just irritating nonsense from LILBBASEDGOD or Miley Cyrus. There are few exceptions to this “no celeb rt” rule. NO SCHOOL TWEETS: NO SCHOOL! I wasn’t aware. Your jubilation should be followed by something more than another day where you get to spend in bed procrastinating or being under the influence of illicit substances. Stop. The excessively emotional no school picture tweets are embarrassing and will be looking at dismissively and with judgement. Just save yourself now, refrain.
QUOTES/LYRICS: “Say something I’m giving up on you.” “Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars.” As much as you’d like to pretend that these song lyrics apply to your life, they don’t, so don’t tweet them anymore. If everyone thinks the same exact line was meant to describe their life, it’s not unique at all. The song was written to get the praise of everyone, not put to words how you’re feeling. But if the shoe fits, wear it I guess. I’M BORED/HANG OUT WITH ME: Really? REALLY? Text a friend, hang out with your mom. Marathon Netflix. Do you want us to know that you don’t have a social life? The internet exists for those who don’t have social lives to occupy their time, but for God’s sake, don’t readily admit to it. The word “bored” is for those with low attention spans that cannot find interest in the world around them. This is the 21st century, there’s always something to do. Tasks may be “boring,” but if you’re “bored” you’re doing something wrong. CAPS: Unless you’re Tyler the Creator, please don’t tweet in all caps because you’re not a rapper with millions of followers. YOUR ENTHUSIASM IS NOT CONTAGIOUS. TURN UP: Don’t get me wrong, I love to tweet turn up in a completely sarcastic way. Note that I said sarcastic. If you do use it seriously, we get it, you want us to know you party. But by you letting us know you’re “all the way turnt up” all the time, the rest of us are going to turn up when we block you.
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O u r hallways are jam-packed and we have the resources to expand our Trojan halls before it’s too late. If we were to hold off on district expansion for any longer, not only may our school literally explode, but Wayzata’s ability to remain as one of the state’s best public institutions would be threatened. By TAYLOR CRANFIELD As for the improved A DV ERT I S I N G M A NAG ER safety and security measures, I’m glad that Wayzata is taking the initiative to increase safety in the district. In light of recent gun shootings around the country at schools, I’m impressed and thankful that children can come to
school and feel safe. With a school of over 3,000 students, security is hard to maintain, so I commend the district for tackling that issue. However, I’m still concerned about the second part of the referendum, which aims to renew Wayzata’s $2.7 million annual technology “levy”. While I agree that computers and Smartboards are necessary in today’s world, I daresay that dedicating such a large amount to purchasing new technology is excessive. It’s not that I’m against technology, but its place in education is questionable. From my four years at the high school, a little more than half of my teachers actively used their Smartboards and less than that used the clickers. I’ve maybe checked the flatscreens that line the halls twice. The big, 90s TVs in every classroom probably get turned on once a year, if that. Knowing our utilization of technology is weak, should we really spend more money on equipment that may never be used? We are surrounded by unused electronics. TVs, clickers, iPads - where do we stop? Not only did
the $35/piece clicker program cost a small fortune, but teachers were unable to utilize them in a classroom setting. Personally, as someone who takes a lot of communications classes, which heavily rely on faceto-face discussion, it’s nearly impossible to utilize an iPad or a clicker, when most of the questions are reflective as opposed to multiple-choice. The problem with the school’s investment is that technology quickly becomes out of date. If we buy every student in the Wayzata School District an iPad, which I guess runs around $300 each, how many years will it be until those iPads are out-ofdate? Three years? Two? The brutal cycle of constantly needing to renew technology so that it’s “current” not only leads to more spending, but more training for district employees and more complications for teachers. The bottom line is that we don’t have a formal plan. Without an idea of what we are putting our money towards, we may as well throw all of it to the wind - or find another way to spend it. Now that’s something to vote on.
If you’re thinking of voting no because you’re of the opinion that we should build two high schools, let it go. Were we to have built two high schools, the time By KATIE TALERICO would have been EDITOR IN CHIEF in 1995 when we were planning the current Wayzata High School. As Central Middle School was growing radically packed, the original plan was to build two high schools. Cost and economy of scale
led the district to build one larger school. The moment that the school district decided to build one large school, the possibility of a second school was forever doomed. There’s no rational way a second high school could exist alongside our current “big school” model. Our high school prides itself on our achievements in the arts, athletics, and academics. Were our school to be split, boundaries would be drawn, inadvertently dividing students in our district based upon their socioeconomic status (SES). In a study of randomly selected Wisconsin high school seniors by the University of Wisconsin Madison, SES was positively correlated with college attendance (1967).
In a study published in the Journal of Poverty, low test scores were also correlated with a lower SES (2004). Were our school to be divided, test scores and achievement may lead to an unpreventable difference amongst either school. Look at The Robbinsdale School District, which is divided into two high schools: Cooper and Armstrong. According to greatschools.org, 32% of Armstrong students are eligible for free and reduced lunch. They rank in the 84th, 76th, and 55th percentiles in writing, reading, and math respectively. Compared to Armstrong, 53% of students are eligible for free or reduced lunch at Cooper. They rank in the 80th, 69th, and 47th percentile for
writing, reading, and math, on average scoring 6.3 points lower than Armstrong, who demonstrates a higher SES. Another option: a magnet school, where high-level students can pursue advanced studies in the mathematics and sciences. This, too, poses similar issues. This draws high achieving students away from Wayzata High School, reducing the competition and success among students who remain behind. There simply is no alternative at this time to the expansion. If you plan on voting no to the referendum as a protest against our district’s spending, you’re dooming the high school to five year period of intolerable overcrowding.
When I first heard news of a potential referendum, dollar signs flashed in front of my eyes. I was aghast at the costs associated with expansions: for the high school, other existing By KATE CARROLL schools, a new O P I N I O N EDITOR building, and various security measures. $109 million just for the first ballot question? My eyebrows rose. This sounds like a huge amount of money, and it is: put into perspective, the cost of the referendum could pay for the entire class of 2014 and then some to attend an average, private, four-year college in the US. This referendum comes at significant costs -- and not just monetary. Consider the environment. If the refer-
endum did not pass, would the housing developments continue to be built? The beautiful grasslands are being demolished in order to build the houses. This comes at a significant environmental cost. Personally, I’ve always struggled with the idea of sacrificing scarce natural resources for economic growth. In 1969, the federal government enacted the National Environmental Policy Act, which mandated that each piece of legislation must also include an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). Although Wayzata is not legally bound to include an EIS, they have accounted for the impacts on indoor/outdoor air quality and tried to use environmentally sustainable designs. However, it’s not enough to complete a full EIS. Why do we tend to think that we cannot afford to lose? That a stellar education means we always have to be on top? We’re too concerned with constantly being number one, but is there something so wrong with being number two? Wayzata has a sense of exceptionalism over
Minnesota education. Let’s be realistic, eventually we just won’t be able to keep up, why delay the inevitable with an expensive ballot measure? The second question on the referendum is related to technology improvements, something we probably need. I question the efficiencies of the current levy. Here’s a well-kept secret: the school bought at least one pair of Google Glass. Why? I have no idea. I have failed to come up with a rational explanation for why this “tool” would be useful in education. This is just another example of my current skepticism. Remember the EIS that must be attached to all federal environmental legislation? I’d like to propose an idea -- Wayzata, why don’t you create something like an EIS for new technologies? This would detail the effective and efficient uses for all new technology acquisitions. I think that would make us all a lot more comfortable with levies like this. The field of educational technology is rapidly growing, and our school is right
in the middle of it. As much as I may disagree with current practices, taking advantage of technological advances is necessary for Wayzata students. It helps to know that Wayzata school district voters have yet to deny any school-related ballot measure. The state of Minnesota may have mixed political viewpoints, but on the issues of education we clearly lean left. Reflecting on this editorial, the suggested expansions are necessary. This remains a binary question: yes or no. Those who see benefits from the referendum even with significant criticism will probably vote yes. While I’m going to be voting yes on both of the ballot questions, I’m nervous and uncertain about the future implications. It’s a shaky yes, but it’s not enough to say no. Lastly, if we’re willing to spend a hundred million dollars on expansions; for goodness sake Wayzata, you should be able to replace those awful hand dryers.
Wayzata excels at greatness. Our high school has been home to a United States senator, a Minnesota state senator, NFL players, marathon runners, actors and actresses, writBy DAVANTE ers, and highly WASHINGTON successful busiNEWS EDITOR nesspeople. Our success comes at a cost. To maintain our community’s golden standard in academics and our athletic excellence, our school must be allowed to grow. We are facing difficulty with overcrowding right now and are in need of supplementary space. The fate of our growth depends on the decisions made by Plymouth and Wayzata citizens this coming week. For example, most Composition and Grammar classes at Wayzata High School contain about 33 students. That’s eight more students than what classes are supposed to be capped at. The student-teacher ratio at WHS is 27 to 1, compared with a 23 to 1 state average. Something must be done to keep Wayzata’s class sizes down. Numbers are only going to rise in the coming years. According to a study done by Hazel Reinhardt Consulting, an estimated 900 students are expected to move into the district within the next ten years. To put that into perspective, the current freshman class at Wayzata High School this year is around 900 students.There is clearly not enough room to accommodate those students in our current facility.
Part One of the referendum gives the Wayzata School Board clearance to take out $109 million in bond funding. About 63% of that goes to an addition of 172,000 square feet for the high school. Additions will include: a four-story wing on the east side of the school, extensions to both the athletic and theater departments, and augmentations to Culinary Express. Turf fields are expected to replace some of what is currently the soccer/lacrosse fields. With an increase in student population, more parking space is legally necessary for those who drive to school. More buses will be needed to cover more routes, as those too begins to fill. More computers will be needed in labs and the media center. More teachers will have to be hired to provide a stellar education to Wayzata students. Do you get the idea here? More students equals more needs, and within the next ten years Wayzata High School is expected to take in nearly 1,000 more students. Part Two of the referendum seeks voter approval for a “technology levy.” If approved, this will allow spending of previously allocated funds on technological upgrades throughout the district, training staff on these new technologies and systems, and support costs. This year is the first that Wayzata High School has provided freshmen with iPads for use both in and out of
the classroom. Wayzata has been gifted with technology over the past ten years, from the iPads to the Smart Boards that we all share. As I said before, there is a cost for being the best. There is no doubt that this levy will allow the district to acquire and utilize new technology for educators at zero additional cost, about low as it gets. On the topic of cost, the median household income for Plymouth residents in 2011 was $81,438, according to City-Data.com. This is around $30,000 more than the state average for that year. Of course, our district houses more than just those living in the city of Plymouth. Wayzata families bring in a median of $64,176 a year, according to CityData.com. Approval of the referendum will cost the average Plymouth and Wayzata resident around $10 a month, according to Ehlers’ estimated tax impact. There’s a lot riding on Tuesday’s ballot. This vote is a must-win for the school board, as well as students attending Wayzata High School in the next decade. If Part One of the referendum is not passed, our school will become even more overcrowded than it already is. With class averages reaching over the suggested student-teacher ratio, something must be done to allow Wayzata students to sustain our excellence, and it is up to the community to make this happen. As far as the “technology levy” is concerned, as long as the allocation of the those re-
sources are used efficiently, I see no problem adding more hardware around the district. For seniors who are 18 years old, you can vote on this referendum. For mostly everyone who fits that description, this could be your first time voting on public policy. Take it seriously, take all the facts into consideration, and understand why you are making your decision.
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
OPINION 10
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
Opinion Exchange TROJAN TRIBUNE EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief Katie Talerico News Editor Davante Washington Feature Editor Meredith Johnson Sports Editor Emily Berg Opinion Editor Kate Carroll Photo Editor Sadie Bell Copy Editor Jared Kaufman Advertising Manager Taylor Cranfield Advisor David Motes
MISSION STATEMENT 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 the guidelines of the Associated Press Stylebook and is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association.
Beware the THE HIGHEST BIDDER modern-day monopoly AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...
Last year, 40.3 million people tuned in to watch the Oscars, nearly 4 times the number of viewers of the series finale of By ANDREW STERN Breaking Bad. The FILM REVIEWER goal of the Oscars, like the numerous awards shows that have been going on since December, is to recognize the best achievements in film for the previous calendar year. And we shouldn’t take them very seriously. The awards season is all business. If you want people to watch your show, or care about the results, you need to have films that people will recognize. All of the films that have been nominated for a major category have a sizeable advertising budget. You don’t find too many indies vying for the top prize. Sure, The Weinstein Company usually has a top competitor, but calling The Weinstein Company an independent studio is like calling Taylor Swift a country musician -- technically true, but also pretty ridiculous. These smaller films aren’t necessarily worse than the large Hollywood films, they just don’t have as many resources to reach out to voters. This year, controversy struck when the song “Alone Yet Not Alone” was nominated for Best Original Song. How could this be possible? Nobody saw that movie! It just so happens that the composer of the song, now eliminated from the competition, was a former governor of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and a current executive committee member of the Academy’s Music Branch. But really, how different is that from all of the other advertising that goes on during awards season? CNN reported last year that more than $100 million is spent on Oscar campaigns alone. If all the songs were put on the same playing field, would people realize how horribly cliché “Let it Go” is?
The Academy had 289 films on their reminder list this year. That’s not including films that didn’t meet requirements or didn’t bother to apply (See: Upstream Color). It’s almost impossible to see that many movies in a year. Hence, if your studio can send out screeners to get as many voters as possible to see your film, your odds are a lot better. Then why do studios care about these accolades? When a film gets a nomination, it’s free publicity. This translates to increased sales. According to market research organization IBISWorld, after a film is nominated for a Best Picture Oscar, it grosses nearly $20 million more at the box office, and another $18 million if it wins. This business incentive dilutes the awards season from recognition of the best of the year to a simple way to make some extra cash. The films chosen tend to be reasonably good, but also quite safe. Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave has been a big awards contender this year, but his last film, Shame (2011), was shut out of many of the large shows. Why? Its NC-17 rating may have been a factor. At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Blue is the Warmest Color won the Palme d’Or award. A drama about two lesbians, the fact that it had a 3 hour runtime and an NC-17 sticker may have hindered its chances for a Best Foreign Language Film Nomination. One of the most talkedabout documentaries this year was Blackfish, but it didn’t get a nomination. Could it be that SeaWorld doesn’t want a film that puts their company in a bad light to get any more notice? Awards shows can be fun, though. We’re competitive by nature, and trying to find a winner just seems natural. We must realize, however, that we can’t truly grade art. I know, this is ironic coming from someone who has been doing just that this entire year, but any opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. Film is incredibly subjective, and so finding the “best” is an impossible job. I’m not advocating a boycott on the Oscars, but just don’t take them too seriously.
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Internet access is a utility, just like electricity and trash service. It is not just floating in the air; internet access must be paid for. But who provides that service? For nearly By JARED KAUFMAN 20 million AmeriCOP Y EDITOR cans, that answer is Comcast. My family is included in the 20 million, so we rely on Comcast to deliver our television, home phone, and internet services. When my dad called Comcast about our recent internet outage, Comcast’s answering machine said, “If you are currently experiencing service troubles, please visit the ‘self-help’ page on www.comcast.com to try to solve your problem.” Oh, yeah, we’ll just go on the internet to fix our problems…with the internet. A few days ago, we had yet another problem. This time, it was an inconsistency with our bill, so my dad called Comcast. Comcast misinterpreted that as another service trouble, so they reset all our connections. Unfortunately they did this wrong, so our internet, TV, and phone all went out. My dad then had to transfer to the “Customer Retention Department.” That’s right, Comcast has an entire call center department devoted to trying to stop customers from jumping ship whenever Comcast messes up. According to the job description on Comcast’s website, a retention specialist is “equal parts detective, ally, troubleshooter and negotiator” who tries to convince customers to stay with the company. “And once they’re convinced, you’ll be ready to upsell new XFINITY products/services that meet their unique needs,” the description continues. So after our retention specialist reset our connections properly, my dad found out that the original issue with the bill was caused by the fact that our contract had expired and Comcast had just never bothered to tell us. Comcast has received poor rankings in terms of customer service. In 2010-2011, the American Consumer Satisfaction Index rated Comcast lower than the IRS in their annual industry benchmarks for satisfaction. Comcast’s TV service gives a glimpse into how they can get away with this—by nearly being a monopoly. Comcast recently said it would buy its rival, Time Warner Cable, for $45 billion. This would give Comcast 10 million more subscribers than its nearest rival, DirecTV, which only provides satellite service, not cable. Comcast also owns NBC Universal, the parent company of NBC Entertainment and NBC News, and Universal Studios and Universal Parks & Resorts. A true monopoly is characterized by a single company being the only supplier of a particular commodity, which therefore enjoys a lack of competition. Because there are no other choices, the monopolizing company has no incentive to offer competitively low prices or good customer service. Sounds something like Comcast. If you see a movie, watch the news, or use the internet, chances are Comcast may be involved in some way. So what will be done? The transaction between Comcast and Time Warner Cable is currently under governmental review. Only time will tell if Comcast will be allowed to expand even further. And the more the company grows, the less of an incentive it has to improve in any way. So what can you do? Be mindful of this modern-day monopoly, and students—let your parents handle the bills!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
SPORTS 11
Alpine returns to State after waiting five years
ALPINE: Four Trojan skiiers took to the slopes at the state tournament on February 12th.
Four Trojan skiers individually represented Wayzata on Wednesday, February 12th at the alpine skiing state tournament. Laura Gove (12) placed 40th in the girls tournament, while JJ Heflin (10) placed 40th, Trevor Cammack (10) placed 71st, and Connor Steffens (9) placed 86th in the boy’s tournament. In sections, the boys placed 3rd and girls placed 4th. “It’s the highest I can remember them placing,” said head coach Mike Dzubay. The alpine ski team itself did not make it to state as a whole. “Competing with my team, to avoid crashes, I race at about 80%. Competing without worrying about team points and only individually, I was able to crank it up By NICOLE STEPHAN J U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
Catch up on By MAVRIK JOOS
S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R
Brainerd Lakes Area: The best walleye action has been on Gull and Whitefish near sharp drop-offs, in 20-30 feet of water. Using a silver and red medium-sized Slender Spoon with a minnow head should be t h e
to 95% to try to have a chance at a good individual placing,” said Heflin. “I have competed that last two years as an individual. I think it takes a little bit of pressure off knowing that your points aren’t counting towards a team score, but I still always want to do my best. My mindset stayed the same because no matter what I want to go out there and have a good race,” said Gove. Blake and Minnetonka upheld their past state victories this year in the team category. “Minnetonka is always our biggest competition. They are in our conference and our section so we compete against them a lot and know they are good. Two of their racers finished first and second and the rest of their team was close behind,” said Gove. Although the result was bittersweet, the boy’s team plans to learn from the experience and come back even stronger next year. “This year I definitely learned to stay calm and ski within my means, which I can use as a building pad for next year’s season... we are very young, with only two seniors this year, and hope to build upon our close performance at sections. We are confident that our men’s team can make it to state next year,” said Cammack. “I found strength when it came to recovering [avoiding falling] during the course. A weakness was that of my second run when the slope dropped to a steep pitch and had to adapt to the speed and change in stance,” said Heflin. Gove’s last meet as a high school skier left her with one of her best runs and a total time of 1 minute and 30 seconds. “Skiing has been such a huge part of my life for a long time now so it was weird having it come to an end. I had a great season though so I’m glad I could end it at the state meet. I hope to continue racing in some way in college and I will definitely be skiing for the rest of my life,” said Gove. However, there is an overwhelming hope and anticipation for the future of alpine skiing here. “There are a ton of young racers, so I think the talent in this sport is only going to continue to get stronger and I’m excited to see what happens,” said Gove.
FISHING ticket to a full Walleye limit. Metro Lakes: Minnetonka, Medicine, and Independence have been the place to go for crappie. Try using a ⅛ ounce jig tipped with a waxworm on weed edges in 15-20 feet of water on shelves. Later on in the day, move out to 20-25 feet and use a glow-inthe-dark jig head. With the weather warming up, Walleye and Northern may move into s h a l l owe r water.
Boys’ hockey secures first place seed in section tournament The boys’ varsity hockey team just wrapped up the By MATT JOHNSON S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R regular season schedule with a 4-1 win over Hopkins. Recently, the boys have found great success as they have maintained a 15-2-1 record over their last 18 games. “I think the regular season went great for us,” said head coach Pat O’Leary. “We played in multiple 1 goal games and learned from each of them which will help prepare us for the playoffs,” O’Leary said. Leading goal scorer (16 goals) Jack Sorenson (12) and points leader (30 goals) Max Zimmer (10) have been big contributors to this stretch of dominance. The excellent play of the regular season has earned them the #1 seed in the section tournament and will line them up for a run to the title. “Our goal for the regular season was to earn the number #1 for sections, which we have. Now our goal is to win the section tournament and advance to state,” said Brian Machut (12). Offensively, Wayzata has outscored their opponents by 57 total goals, which averages to about 3.5 goals per game. Defensively, they have held opposing teams to 32
goals scored in 25 games. Goaltending has been huge 1 in the regular season and were towards the bottom of for the Trojan boys, led by Vaughan Ahrens (11), who Northwest Suburban conference. finished the regular season with 5 shutouts and a save “I think our leadership and senior class will what drive percentage of 94%. Backup goalie Alex Schilling (10) us through the playoffs,” said Coach O’Leary. has played in 5 games and 3 of them have resulted in shutouts. Despite the major success in The Twin Cities' Oldest the regular season, the boys Independent bookstore. are excited and determined to play in the section tournament. “The intensity of the section games is a level higher than est. 1963 the regular season, so that, coupled with hopefully a ◆ Over 12,000 books in stock ◆ good fan turnout, should make sections really fun,” said ◆ Special orders arrive within days ◆ Machut. ◆ Book Signings • Live Music ◆ The Trojans will host Robbinsdale Cooper in their first section game, and look to take full advantage of the #1 seed they’ve been given. Cooper finished only 9-14-
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THE TROJAN TRIBUNE
SPORTS 12
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
Photo by Grant Hill DANCE TEAM: The girls took second in jazz and fifth in state last weekend at the Target Center. The team will graduate 6 seniors from their varsity jazz team and 9 from their varsity kick team.
Dance team takes 2nd in jazz and 5th in kick at state
Going in with confiSENIOR GUEST WRITER dence from sections, the Trojet dance team competed in the Minnesota Dance Team State Tournament on Friday, February 14th and Saturday, February 15th at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Wayzata was fortunate enough to qualify at sections to dance both jazz and kick at the state level. Day one, Friday, was By SOPHIE TOLAND
the jazz portion of the competition. In prelims, the girls danced well enough to qualify for finals later that evening. “We had so much confidence and energy out there on the floor,” said junior Monique North. Dancing to their song “Dance Is…”, the Trojan athletes left it all on the floor. “We ended up second in jazz, which was a disappointment after placing first in prelims, but we were the only team that yielded a standing ovation and left an impact on the audience. Random specta-
tors took to Twitter to praise our dance which was awesome to see,” said senior Ashlyn Bunning. Regardless of the red versus blue medals around their necks, the Trojets were nothing but joyous of their time on the state floor Friday night. “It was by far our best performance throughout the entire season. I’ve never seen our team or coaches happier with how we danced,” said junior Brooke Talen. When Saturday came around, the dancers were looking to advance to finals in the kick
competition. “Our goal was reached, and we got the chance to dance as a team one last time. Overall, we placed fifth, but there was only an eight-point difference between second and fifth place, so it was close,” said junior Annie Carlson. However, the goals did not end at advancing to finals, but saving the best for last. “We all really felt ‘it’ and left it all in our last performance,” said senior Ari Wolk.
Girls hockey awarded section 6 runner-up A fast start conS E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R cludes @Johnson47M with a b i t t e r end for the girls varsity hockey team this season. The girls lost the section 6 title to Benilde-St. Margarets that would have sent them to the state tournament. “I’m not sure why we fell short, I think we came into the game a little timid,” said senior captain Carly Noble. The girls were trailing throughout the game, never being able to take a lead. Benilde was on the board first in the opening period but early in the second period points leader Kaitlyn Klein (12) scored off of a Hannah Bangen (12) and Sophie Leininger (12) assist. However Benilde took back the lead with an early third period goal but was retaliated by Sophia Shaver to even up the score once again. Later in the period Benilde, for the final time, retook the lead with limited time for the Trojan girls to force a comeback. Despite the excellent goaltending and 24 saves displayed by senior goalie Paige Marcy the girls were outshot by 11 and their offense couldn’t compete with Benilde’s. “Paige Marcy also had an amazing sectional tournament, and a huge reason why the game was so close was because of her amazing goaltending,” said senior Kaitlyn Klein. “Both teams are very talented, and By MATT JOHNSON
the game could’ve gone either way. Even though we lost, I am so happy with the valiant efforts of our team,” said Klein. Although they didn’t bring home the gold, It had been several years since the girls made it to the section finals. As a team this season the girls have eye-opening stats from this past season. They outscored their opponents 104-39 and outshot them by over 200. Overall, the girls finished 17-6-1 including highlight wins over Edina and Hopkins. Loads of individual success can go out to Kaitlyn Klein, Sophia Shaver, and the entire goaltending staff. Klein lead the team in goals (17) and assists (29) and averaged nearly two points per game. Shaver (who will return as a senior next year) tied Klein for the most goals and also recorded a second best 22 assists. Both Klein and Shaver finished in the top 10 in points in the Lake Conference. As for the goalies (Paige Marcy, McKenna Lorenz, and Sarah Stelter) they all recorded a shutout and finished the season with at least a 90% save percentage. Many players such as Noble and Klein have seen the last of their high school hockey career and leave the team in optimism. “It’s still taking me time to really believe that it is over,” said Noble. “Obviously I’m going to miss the experience of playing high school hockey,” said Klein, “but I’m going to miss my team just as much.”
Photo by Cathy Roth
Gymnastics advances to the state tournament It takes an e normous J U N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R amount of @diamondsampson talent to succeed in a sport like gymnastics. “Being a gymnast requires so much strength and flexibility,” said junior Claire Lorbiecki. The girls gymnastics team has been succeeding more than ever this season. Cocaptains Hannah Roth (12), Kasey McCarthy (12), and Brenna Ruegg (12) would have never guessed that they would be achieving so much. “I never imagined that we would have been this successful. Last year, I would have laughed if someone told me we could get a 148 as our team score,” said McCarthy. With so much success comes an enormous amount of work. “As a team, we are very close. We spend more than 18 hours practicing together each week,” Roth said. By DIAMOND SAMPSON
With there only 19 girls on the varsity team it is easy to become close with each and every team member. “I feel like this year we all have connected a lot more than in other years,” said Ruegg. Gymnastics requires a lot of mental strength and sometimes things can get difficult if you don’t get the score you wanted or you mess up on a stunt. “Gymnastics requires that you stay positive no matter what,” Lorbiecki said. The girls won sections on Saturday, February 8th and they are ready to go and achieve something great at state. They aren’t putting a lot of pressure on themselves to win it all they are just happy to share the moment of making it to state with each other. “State for us is really about having fun and for the seniors just doing the best we can.” said Roth.