Trojan tribune issue 5

THE WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL TROJAN TRIBUNE PRESENTS

THE

PEOPLE

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

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November 26, 2013

THE

VOICES

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of two cultures

Singer Shruthi Rajasekar is no novice to music.

Classical Indian music, that is. Growing up in a family with a professional musician, it only seems natural that Shruthi would follow in those footsteps.

Shruthi Rajasekar (12) @mssadiebell has been taking home music trophies for years. But for her, music isn’t about the skill or the recognition, it’s about expressing who she truly is.

Shruthi has been singing since she was four. She wrote her first piece at age six and, though her first composure consisted of only four notes, there was great potential.

At the age of seven, she officially began to learn Southern Classical Indian music.

Since then, Rajasekar has gone further than she could have ever imagined.

Rajasekar began studying Western Classical music in middle school and started private lessons as a freshman.

“I don’t think I’d call myself a ‘natural talent,’ but I’ve always loved music,” said Rajasekar.

Rajasekar primarily performs Carnatic music, the melody-based music of Southern India.

Carnatic music is over 2,000 years old and is known as the pure music of the South, since it was isolated by a mountain range.

Northern Indian music became a mix of various influences, but the South remained untouched.

Carnatic music is different because it’s melodic based, meaning it is meant to sound like one voice so the instruments mimic the vocals said Rajasekar.

Shruthi also sings Western Classical choral music which is different from Carnatic music since it’s harmonic based.

An important aspect of Carnatic music is Manodharma, a form of improvised music, but with set boundaries. Mano meaning heart and dharma meaning rules, Manodharma stands for using emotions while singing, but with the strict grammar of music.

There’s never a quiet moment in Rajasekar’s home. Her mother is a prodigy musician, so it’s inevitable that music was constantly playing in their home as she grew up.

By age sixteen, her mother was one of the top classical musicians in India.

When her parents married, her father’s job took them around the world. Rajasekar’s mother took their traveling as an opportunity to introduce Carnatic music to new places and gain influences by other cultures.

“She inspires me because no matter how many obstacles exist, she has always found a way to follow her passion. I hope that I can be the same way in my life,” said Rajasekar.

By SADIE BELL

S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

Rajasekar’s mother isn’t just her parent, she’s her teacher.

As a parent and a teacher, Rajasekar’s mother always encouraged her and allowed her to learn Carnatic music and Western Classical music.

Rajasekar said, “When I learned Western I stepped out of my comfort zone, but my mom encouraged me to learn new things.”

Rajasekar was always encouraged to pursue talents to her best ability. She continued to work at her talents, until she was finally able to make her musical debut.

Rajasekar said, “Students of Carnatic music are considered professionals when they perform a debut concert called an arangetram.”

“The arangetram is a rite of passage, a kind of graduation ceremony, after which students take their music to another level,” said Rajasekar.

In September 2012 after much hard work and dedication, Rajasekar performed her three hour long arangetram.

To encourage younger musicians, experienced artists perform with students during their arangetram. Shruthi was fortunate enough to be accompanied by some of the top Indian Classical Musicians during her debut.

Since her arangetram, Rajasekar has performed

across the Twin Cities in various venues such as the Minnesota State Fair and St. Mark’s Cathedral.

Her singing has also taken her across the nation to Madison, Chicago, Huntsville, and even to Toronto.

As for Western Classical, Rajasekar has sung with the Oratorio Society of Minnesota, the All-State Mixed Choir 20122013, and the All-State Women’s Choir 2013-2014, in which she was a featured soloist.

Rajasekar is also a member of Wayzata Concert Choir, where she is a proud “Alto Mama,” as well as the president of the choir.

Even though Rajasekar has been performing for years in various choirs and locations, she still has stage fright.

“People tell me that I look calm and composed when I perform. In reality, though, I have a lot of stage fright,” said Rajasekar.

Rajasekar said, “I believe that it’s important to be a little nervous because then you have acknowledged that t h e

music is greater t h a n you.”

Rajasekar’s singing has taken her places that feel surreal; never did she imagine that her music would take her this far.

The stage lights beamed down on Rajasekar in Chicago on October 27th at the finals for the third season of Carnatic Music Idol USA, a national Indian music competition. The intense lights blinded her from the silent, judging audience.

The wide stage seemed endless from behind the curtain as she waited to perform.

Suddenly, all of her nerves escaped her, she realized she just had to do the best that she could.

Rajasekar thought the competition was better than her, so she was able to collectively listen and learn from the other performers.

Once the competition had come to a close, it all felt dreamlike when Rajsekar won “Best On-Stage Presentation.”

She was not expecting to take home the prize, but all of her hard work paid off.

“It felt surreal. I’m grateful to my teachers and all that have helped me,” said Rajasekar.

On November 2nd, Rajasekar also won first place in her division in the finals of the Minnesota National Association of Teachers of Singing Fall Auditions.

Rajasekar said, “Music is an escape and a release of emotions. I love to sing because for me, my music a safe haven. Yet at the same time, when I sing, everything feels a little more real.”

“In school I’m pretty talkative and express my thoughts, but in reality I have a more quiet, vulnerable side, which is the true me,” Rajasekar said.

With music she is able to reveal her quieted side, which doesn’t stop her from being just as vibrant and express herself.

While she talks, Rajasekar says she projects an image, but her genuine self is revealed through music.

Rajasekar’s practice has gotten her to where she is now.

The titles and the trophies aren’t what Rajasekar sees as rewarding, it’s the connection to her audience.

Rajasekar’s singing is like a conversation, an initiation to meet new people.

“I get to know people when I sing to them, it’s like a handshake,” said Rajasekar.

Rajasekar hopes to continue to learn and grow as a musician, forever connecting with her audience and setting new goals that she will surely accomplish.

Shruthi Rajasekar doesn’t know where they future will take her, but she does know throughout her whole life, music will always be with her.

November 26, 2013

THE PEOPLE ISSUE

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Photo by Katie Talerico Few people can keenly pick up on @k_talerico whether a note is sharp or flat, whether it’s high or low. Not many of those people also wear a hearing aid.

Lauren Capps (12) was born with impaired vision and hearing. Besides relying on a hearing aid, she also wears a prosthetic right eye as a result of bilateral cataracts. Through surgery, doctors were able to fix one eye but not the other.

Despite her disabilities, music has always been a part of her life.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve been singing,” said Lauren. In elementary school, Lauren was a part of Gleason Lake’s honors choir. In middle school she had begun to play the cello, but something always brought her back to choir.

During a Career Interest Survey, Lauren had an epiphany. “I realized that I loved to sing, and I thought, ‘Why don’t I focus on that?’”

Currently, Lauren is a part of three choirs: Wayzata’s Bel Canto and Vive Voce, and the Minnetonka Chamber Singers. Each choir is made up entirely of women.

“Mrs. O’Neill started crying when she told me I’d gotten into Vive Voce,” said Lauren. “So did Mrs. Wyffels. We were so excited.”

Vive Voce is a select audition choir at Wayzata that’s made up of around fifteen girls, combining the best female voices from Bel Canto and Concert Choir. For her audition, Lauren had practiced sight reading, tonal recall, and expanding her range.

Lauren brings her gifts to Bel Canto, a choir of nearly seventy women. “I love working on the pieces together and creating beautiful music,” she said. “We’re all there because we love to sing. We care about each other and want the best for each other.”

Mikaela Kendall (12) recounts a time when Lauren was called on in Bel Canto.

“Mrs. Wyffels lowered her hands as the last chord drew out on the piano. She paused, then turned to Lauren. “What did you notice?” she asked.”

“Lauren blushed then, and it was the cutest thing. ‘We were a little sharp,’ she said. ‘Just a little bit, though, but it sounded really pretty!’”

“She was trying to be so sweet and nice, even though we’d messed up, and she was the only one who recognized it,” said Mikaela.

“Lauren Capps has been such a light to our

By KATIE TALERICO EDITOR IN CHIEF

choir room. She has a very good ear for pitch and she always keeps us on top of things. She is definitely a secret weapon in our choir,” said Mikaela.

Last Friday, Lauren and fellow Bel Canto singer Julie Rodriguez (12) performed a duet of Everlife’s “Coffee at Midnight.”

“I had no idea Lauren had such a great voice.

She’s so humble and passionate,” said Bel Canto member Emily Berg (12).

Lauren auditioned for an Augsburg College music scholarship this Saturday. In order to practice, she sang her songs, an Italian folk piece and “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from Phantom of the Opera, to the choir. By the end of her last note on “Wishing,” girls were in tears.

“It’s such an emotional piece itself I can’t let too much of myself go, or I’d be choking up as I performed it,” confessed Lauren.

“Lauren’s voice makes people listen, and they don’t know why,” said choir director Rebecca Wyffels. “It’s because she has such artistry in her music, it’s intriguing.”

Lauren couldn’t have achieved such a high level of success without amazing teachers and paras.

“A year ago, my greatest challenge was sight reading,” said Lauren. The notes on the pages were too small for Lauren to read, and she could not keep up to speed with the rest of the choir. When the choir would sight read the notes and words of a song, Lauren could only read one or the other, not both.

Lauren’s paras have helped her overcome this challenge by providing her with enlarged copies of music.

“I learn nearly everything by ear, anyway,” said Lauren. “I can sight read, but if I listen, I’ve got it.” Lauren spends her personal time in front of the piano in order to learn and memorize everything by ear.

Lauren may be able to pick up on the pitches of music better than the voices around her. Every one of Lauren’s teachers wear a special microphone that sends signals directly to Lauren’s hearing aid.

“Some teachers forget to take it off before they go to the bathroom,” said Lauren. “I’ve heard some awkward things.”

“There’ll be times when teachers have to juggle it LAUREN around if there are a few Cont’d page 19 of them in the room,” said

MUSIC FINDS

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WAY Lauren Capps is blind in one eye and has a hearing impairment. She also has incredible pitch and a keen sense of musicality.

Photo by Katie Talerico SINGING WITH THE HEAD AND THE HEART: Lauren Capps (12) sings with Bel Canto, a choir of nearly seventy women who have supported Lauren throughout her musical journey.

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

By MEREDITH JOHNSON F E AT U R E E D I T O R

@mere_johnson19

Will all the stress that comes along with senior pictures, could you imagine not only having to organize your own, but also organizing and shooting pictures for other students? For three WHS students, this is exactly what they did this past summer.

With a mutual interest in photography, Marissa Ablack (12), Katie Talerico (12), and Sara Ali (12) each decided to put their individual talents to work as they completed multiple senior photography sessions this past summer for students of WHS.

November 26, 2013

“I plan on going into magazine journalism, and the publication industry relies heavily on photography for a large part of their content. I wouldn’t become a photographer, but I know the concept of photography will be prevalent throughout my career,” said Marissa.

KATIE TALERICO “I got my first camera in fifth grade, and it was just a simple Sony Cyber-Shot, nothing fancy about it,” said Katie Talerico. “When I moved to Minnesota in seventh grade, my mom signed me up for a black and white One of Caitlyn Lindquist’s senior pictures shot by Marissa Ablack this past summer. photography class at the Minhave consistently produced great images netonka Center for the Arts.” for decades,” said Marissa.

“When I entered the class with my dinky With inspiration from the many fashion digital camera, I was so embarrassed. Evmagazines, and the encouragement from eryone had out their fancy telephoto lenses her family, Marissa found that shooting and huge camera bodies. My mother failed MARISSA ABLACK For Marissa, photography has been some- people’s pictures was something that she to inform me this was a film photography class.” thing that she has been interested in ever really enjoyed.

“Since I got into photography, my favorite “After the class I went and rented a camsince she was young. subjects to shoot have always been people. era from the National Camera Exchange, “I’ve been into photography since I was When I was younger I’d have little ‘photo but I had no idea what I was doing in film around twelve years old. My brother actushoots’ with my friends for fun, and then I photography. By the end of the class, I was ally purchased a Nikon D80 because it was realized it was something that I could actuable to get a really good foundation of apon sale during Black Friday after Thanksally pursue as a job,” said Marissa. erture, shutter speed, and exposure: the giving, and encouraged me to get into it.

According to Marissa, she will continue basics that I needed to know in order to After that, I really became curious about photography in college as well.

“I will deficontinue getting better,” said Katie. photography and began experimenting nitely continue taking pictures in college At the class, Katie was asked what her fawith self-portrait and portrait photograwhen I come back for the summer.

I think vorite subjects were to take pictures of. As phy,” said Marissa. that, especially with photography, the more a new photographer, she answered, “AnyFashion magazines with eye-catching picyou do it, the better you become.

Hopefulthing that isn’t people.” tures drew Marissa further into photogly I’ll be able to learn a trick or two while “Later on I realized I was absolutely awful raphy; the photographers behind the picI’m at university,” said Marissa. at taking pictures of static things, and that tures were a great inspiration as well.

Photography will be something I will alI was only really good when I took pictures “I’ve always been the type to cut out really ways incorporate in my life because it plays of people. People are so much more incool pictures from magazines and make such an important role in any business or teresting than random objects. They have collages to hang up on my wall. I really like advertising, said Marissa. emotions. They have stories, that’s what’s Annie Leibovitz and Mario Testino who

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THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

Developing

really interesting about them,” said Katie.

Katie practiced taking photos with friends, setting up days where they’d get together, dress up, and pretend to be models for a day as Katie snapped away.

“I got really good feedback from friends. I started a blog, started putting things up on Facebook.” From there, Katie started taking senior pictures for her friends and posting the final results on Facebook, which really helped her get started.

“I guess it just spread through word of mouth that I was taking pictures. I thought, ‘If I’m going to be charging people for this I should make a website and do the whole business side of this as well,’” said Katie.

“What I love most about these shoots is that I get to meet a ton of people. I might not have seen or talked to them since middle school, but we always hit it off during the shoot,” said Katie.

Katie plans on continuing taking pictures for the class of 2015 when she returns from college. When it comes to col- l e g e , photography will be incorporated in her everyday

a company that

CLICKS

life.

“In college my camera is going to be attached at the hip like it always is, but I have to remember to enjoy what is going on in life because it’s so easy to get lost behind the camera,” said Katie.

“I don’t see myself pursuing photography as a career, because I’m also very interested in sciences and engineering. But it’s not like these things are on opposite sides of a vocational spectrum at all. Through photography I’ve been able to see things from new perspectives and build my creativity, which is perhaps the most vital skill anyone in science can have.”

One of Christine Enubuzor’s senior pictures shot by Katie Talerico this past summer.

SARA ALI Sara Ali has been pursuing photography since middle school, but this past summer was when she realized that she wanted to further explore photography, and commit to making it into a business.

“I was initially fascinated by the notion that with a camera, you have the ability to capture a beautiful moment and keep forever as a photograph. As I learned more about photography, I was even more fascinated by how many factors go into creating the perfect shot, like lighting and camera positioning, and now what I love most is facing this challenge every time I take a picture,” said Sara.

The idea of taking senior pictures came to Sara after photographing a couple of small weddings. “I thought it would be fun to try senior portrait sessions since that style of photography was completely different from the event photography I was used to,” said Sara.

Photography isn’t the main focus when it comes to a career for Sara, but it’s definitely something that she wants to be a big part of her life.

“I actually would like to pursue medicine or something science related but I will definitely continue photographing on the side.

I hope to find a creative way of combining photography and science so I can simultaneously do the two things I love to do,” said Sara.

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

Morris, always in the process of designing the shirts, said, “I want them to have more of a doodly look. I messed around with stuff and came up with a few things I like. The designs I came up with are mostly influenced by things I enjoy doing.”

“I’m definitely trying to get more of an edgier vibe,” said Morris. “I’m also trying to design so people can wear it through their style and decide what they can do with them.”

Morris’ friends have described her style as indie-grunge. “My personal style has a huge impact on what I design. The prints and subjects are all things I would wear and would fall into that ‘indie-grunge’ category.”

Morris has been posting design drafts to her personal twitter account to get a feeling ALLY MORRIS ISN’T LETTING FASHION for how they would be received. “The feedLABELS DEFINE HER: SHE’S CREATING back has been amazing,” said Morris. “My THEM HERSELF. friends have given me some of their opinions and those have helped tremendously as well.

People have been mainly supportive and extremely helpful.”

The designs come to life on Morris’ tablet, Many teenagers admire the

By HANA KASSEM where she uses the app Adobe Ideas. “The software is defiJUNIOR STAFF WRITER work of designers like John nitely not ideal but it serves its purpose. I’m still in the @HanaKassem Pasche (The Rolling Stones process of looking for an app that would better suit what I t-shirt) and Shepard Fairey need.

I will occasionally doodle and make a rough draft of (Obama’s Hope design), but a design idea.

Sometimes I’ll draw a design straight on a few decide to become one themselves. Allie Morris is a tablet.

It really depends when a new idea strikes and what sophomore whose fashion interests have led her to design. resources I have when it does,” Morris said.

Morris’ interest in fashion since age nine sparked from She describes her workplace as “organized chaos”, with watching Project Runway and made her want to become a photos, pieces of artwork, candles, and coffee mugs scatfashion designer, “but I knew it was a little out there,” said tered everywhere.

Morris. At age thirteen she became active in her interest Morris has taken Drawing 1 and Painting 1 so far in for fashion again. Recently the idea for designing her own her high school career and her goal is to make it into AP shirt line, “Wild Vibes”, popped up.

November 26, 2013 Drawing her senior year.

Morris’ next goal is to get her new business up and running within the next one or two months. She is in the process of setting up an online store on a hosting site, storenvy.com. The platform is similar to Etsy, where items from various stores can be viewed, but storenvy.com allows you to have a customizable shop with a url unique to your shop. Morris has set up her shop, wildvibes.storenvy. com, and a twitter account (@wildvibesstore) for updates on opening dates, promos, and design sneak peeks.

“I want to be able to get the name out there and have kids see it around school,” said Morris.

Morris intends on keeping the prices of her products low, but depending on the supplier costs, she predicts each customdesigned shirt will go for around $20.

team, with two representatives for each event from the country.

“I never expected to win. Coaches weren’t allowed to go with you and the other girl on the American team had beat me two weeks earlier,” said Rue. Winning by one bar height, but with a personal record of six inches, she earned the gold.

“All my training in my freshmen year really came together that day,” said Rue. “I had the results I was supposed to have.”

Competition makes a meet intense, but so can the weather. During Nationals in 2009 it rained and there was a three hour delay that was spent sitting inside and waiting.

“It was long, boring and frustrating,” said Rue. “At nine P.M. we started warm ups, and we were still expected to do well even after waiting.” The rain had little effect on Rue’s performance. She earned second place.

Rue said she is most proud of being a part of the winning top ten team. During the top ten competition you earn points for your team according to how you place, which is added together for a team total.

During her senior year, Rue was at a regional meet when she pulled her quad for the second time. The pulled muscle prevented her from qualifying for Nationals.

She was now out for the rest of the season.

“It was really disappointing. I couldn’t do anything about it. I couldn’t fight through the pain,” said Rue. She knew though, that her career was not over yet. For the next two years Rue competed at college in a category of college graduates. Every morning, Rue would arrive at the school at 5:45 to train three days FLYING COLORS: Math teacher Alicia Rue knows what she’s talking about when she’s coaching pole vaulting. She backs up her coaching with years of experience on the University of Minnesota track and field team, where she won the Pan American Junior Athletics Championship and took second place in Nationals. a week, but that quickly became exhausting, she said.

Wayzata Track and Field the bar,” said Rue. Although Ms. Rue retired competing last

By EMMA BERNARD pole vaulters set the bar high After finishing her high school seasons with a personal year, she still coaches Wayzata track and field pole vaultFRESHMAN GUEST WRITER during meets. Besides talent, record of 13 ft. 3 in., Rue was accepted into the Univer- ing and works at camps over the summer. “My experiences great advantages come from sity of Minnesota with a scholarship. “The U of M was help me make choices for the athletes about which pole to support. Where better to find not my first choice. I was set on going to the University use, what to do about the wind, and different phrases to say support than in a former professional pole vaulter? Way- of Nebraska-Lincoln, but my high school physics teacher to improve their techniques.” zata math teacher Alicia Rue applies her experiences to talked me out of it.”

Having a coach like Rue provides a definite advantage for benefit the pole vault team.

The University of Minnesota gave Rue an advantage. The the Wayzata track team over other schools because she is “I started polevaulting in ninth grade because all of the university supplied pole-vault-specific coaches and new specifically a pole vaulting coach, which other schools do girls I had gymnastics with were doing it,” said Rue. She and suitable poles for the jumpers, which was a great ad- not have. was the only one of her friends to pole vault in college and vantage.

“It’s challenging, there is always something you can imcompete professionally.

In 2007, Ms. Rue competed in the Pan American Junior prove. Always something you can feel successful about.

To pole vault you must “run with a 14 foot pole, stick it Athletics Championship, a track and field event where Making small gains every time,” said Rue. in the ground, jump and swing yourself upside down over students eighteen and younger compete as an American

SETTING THE

BAR

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YOU’L L

THE PEOPLE ISSUE

November 26, 2013

7

NEVERBE

WISE & IF YOU O L D WERE NEV

YOUN G&

ER

RECKL

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BUT W HEN T IS OV HE NI ER A GHT N PASSE D YO U’RE D OU T ON FLOOR THE W I T H ERS, IS THE EX STRANGREALL P ERIEN Y WOR CE TH IT? The drugs.

The partying. @k_talerico The money.

The fame.

Where does it go? What’s left when you’ve fallen on the floor with a bottle of sleeping pills in your hand, ready for death?

After three months of living independently, sixteen year old Penny Kernyaiszky was left with nothing. The only prospect of life was making it to next night, the next club, the next pill, only to start it all over again.

It all happened in the course of a year.

Before that, Penny said she had been attending a boarding school in Colombia for eight years. “My senior year, I moved to Miami where my dad was living,” said Penny.

Living hardly describes it: he was an international businessman, taking monthlong trips out of the country. Penny took advantage of her father’s relaxed attitudes and absences.

That night—the night everything exploded—Penny threw a party.

Condoms littered the floor. The bathroom sinks were clogged with vomit. The sweet stench of alcohol had penetrated every room. Passed out bodies of people Penny didn’t even know were sprawled across the furniture. Penny went to her room to find that her laptop had been stolen.

“That was the big boom,” said Penny. Her father soon returned from his business trip in England, discovered the damage that had been done. Penny said she had also received a speeding ticket in his car. “My dad was done.”

Penny began skipping school. “It stopped being ‘one day I’ll go, another day I won’t.’

I stopped going to school for entire weeks,” said Penny. She started smoking pot around that time. Many of her days off included trips to the beach where she would wander and smoke.

By KATIE TALERICO EDITOR IN CHIEF

After six months of high school, she dropped out completely. “I told my dad I was going to get my GED and make money,” she said.

“My dad was in a tough situation. I hadn’t contacted my mom in months, and she wasn’t sending me any money,” said Penny.

“I just needed money.”

Penny found a job with high end fashion designer. “I lied and said I was twenty one.”

She had a fake ID. The designer hired her as a manager for his store in Miami, where she worked with celebrities who were buying gowns and accessories for premieres and award shows.

“I met Usher’s mom and Rhianna’s sister. T-Pain came in once with his wife or stripper or whatever she was,” said Penny.

Working with celebrities paid well: $1500 a month.

The designer became Penny’s mentor, teacher, and friend. “Here was this forty year old man, my boss, and he was my best friend.”

After working for two months, and with $3000 in her pocket, Penny decided to move out of her father’s house.

“I got an apartment by myself, using the fake ID. I started to meet high end club people, which allowed me to get into lots of clubs,” said Penny.

It was then that she entered the world of hard drugs, club drugs, pills she didnt’ even know the name for.

Penny tried it all. “I’d crush the pills into a powder and then snort it.” “I came home at five in the morning and had to smoke weed to get to bed because I didn’t have any sleeping pills,” said Penny. “I was irresponsible with my money, I spent it on drugs.”

Meanwhile, Penny was working seven days a week, open to close. She had begun with an interest in fashion, but was left only exhausted in what seemed like a dream job.

“The designer would leave for Africa and leave the store to me to operate full time,” said Penny.

“I wasn’t living a 16 year old life, I was living a 22 year old life.”

“All of my friends were 25, I stopped hanging out with my school friends, and I couldn’t pay my rent so I had to ask my boss to spot me.”

The dream was beginning to crumble.

“The comedown from drugs would leave me in terrible depression,” said Penny. Penny said she attempted suicide.

That’s how she ended up on the floor of her apartment.

“I took an entire bottle of sleeping pills that I’d gotten from a friend. They were prescription pills, not meant for me, but I took them all,” said Penny. “I was drowsy, dizzy, and I was losing my vision.” She remembers falling into darkness, her eyesight slowly failing her.

Penny claims her dog saved her.

“I’d adopted Tali a month before. She came up to me on the floor and started licking my face, then all over and around my mouth. I remember her tongue going down my throat. It’s gross, but that was enough to make me throw up the pills I’d swallowed,” said Penny.

“I felt death that day,” said Penny. “Nothing is like the feeling of a comedown, depression cannot be compared.”

“Who would have saved me?” asked Penny. “I was living alone. Who would have saved me?”

“Partying and drinking: teenagers think it’s the most amazing thing in the world, but really boys just go to [have sex] and girls go to get drunk or have sex,” said Penny. “This world that every teen wants to live in is Hell.”

Soon after her suicide attempt, Penny received a phone call from an aunt in Minnesota.

“She called me at a moment in my life

where she said exactly what I was thinking,” said Penny. “She told me that I didn’t have to pay bills any more, that I didn’t have to live the life of a twenty two year old anymore.”

“If she’d have called me a month before, I would have said I was okay, but I was so overwhelmed,” said Penny. “I was so, so tired of it all.”

She moved to Minnesota in July. The first thing that hit were the withdrawals.

“In my first week here, I slept one day out of the entire week, and couldn’t eat at all,” said Penny.

“I didn’t want to do drugs, but I remembered that when I was on cocaine, I used marijuana to push down my withdrawals,” said Penny. She used weed to help her eat and to fall asleep.

“I didn’t want to talk to anyone about it,” said Penny. “Connor, my boyfriend, was the only person I was able to open up to.

Penny says that Connor Moen (10) would show up every day of summer to make sure she was fine. “He was my shoulder to cry on when I was depressed from withdrawal.” “[Connor’s] family has helped me out so much with emotional support,” said Penny.

“They are my second mom and dad.”

After a month of gradually weaning herself off marijuana, Penny was able to fall back into a normal cycle of sleeping and eating independently, something she hadn’t been able to do in months.

“I’ve been clean now for four months,” said Penny.

“I’m a senior now and I’m proud to have a good GPA, a good ACT score, and good grades,” said Penny. “I’m applying to college.”

“I knew it had to happen for a reason,” said Penny. “Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.

You’re never going to be old and wise if you were never young and reckless.”

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November 26, 2013

THE PEOPLE ISSUE

OPERATION SMILE:

IGNITING

CHANGE On a mission trip to Africa, Megan Bailey encountered women and children suffering as a result of cleft lip. Through Operation smile, she saught to change that.

Desper ate.

H opeless.

GUEST WRITER Depressed.

Ashamed.

Alone. Overwhelmed. These are the words that come to mind when I recall my encounter with a mother in Mekelle, Ethiopia where I served as an Operation Smile student volunteer.

Her newborn son had a cleft lip and she struggled to feed him, desperate to sustain this fragile life. Despite her efforts, he lost weight rapidly as the weeks passed after his birth. As a last hope, she spent all of her money to travel several days to Ayder Hospital in Mekelle. She had heard that Operation Smile would be there to fix deformities like her son’s. Sadly, due to his small size and poor health, our team of doctors and nurses quickly determined it was unsafe to operate on him.

Operation Smile volunteers continued to look out for the health of this tiny

By MEGAN BAILEY

baby and his anguished mother despite the fact that he couldn’t be operated on.

I saw firsthand the compassion and thoroughness of Operation Smile volunteers when I joined our pediatric resident, Laela, and my mission sponsor, Dottie, on a follow-up visit at the patient shelter By the looks of it, the mother was not much older than me. Laela held the tiny baby as Dottie asked the mother questions through an interpreter- How did she feel? Would she remember to continue breastfeeding? She stared at the ground, head hung, hands clasped, and shoulders slumped. The mother told the interpreter something, never meeting his eye.

“She says that she can’t continue breastfeeding. She has another child that she needs to support, and the only way to make money is by cleaning houses all day; the baby can’t be with her. You see, when this baby was born with a cleft lip, her

husband, he said, ‘We are done’. Now she must support herself.”

“Does she have any family? Or friends?

Is there anyone she can stay with until this baby is a little bit stronger?” When the interpreter relayed this, she simply shook her head. A tear streamed down her cheek, and down mine, too.

“Please tell her that we will do our best to help her.”

Dottie then rushed off to talk with an employee at the shelter who was familiar with local charities. Laela was still preoccupied with the baby, feeding him with a special bottle. The mother stared vacantly ahead. I reached into my backpack and pulled out a sheet of stickers. I pulled one off and sat down next to her. I showed it to her and gestured toward her dress, asking permission to place it there. She nodded, still avoiding my eyes. I stuck it on and smiled at her. The corners of her lips raised ever so slightly. Excited,

Photos by Megan Bailey Above, a nurse feeds a baby born with cleft lip. One in ten children born with cleft lip will die before their first birthday. Many develop eating problems and speech disabilities. Operation Smile gives those children surgery to repair their cleft lips and palettes.

I pulled off another sticker and placed it next to the first. Her smile was the most precious thing in the world- I would do anything to make this desperate mother feel loved. I showed her a heart sticker and she nodded in recognition. Meeting her eyes, I pointed to myself, held up the heart, then pointed to her. Then I did the same--me, the heart, the baby. Her, the heart, the baby. Laela, the heart, her. Laela, the heart, the baby. Finally, I pointed at her, held up the heart, and touched her tiny son. She grinned.

Concerned and committed Operation Smile volunteers sought long-term, sustainable support for the mother and her baby in Mekelle. Thanks to their love, she received not only vital postpartum care, but the offer of shelter and financial support from a local organization. The charity extended their aid for six months, until the time of Operation Smile’s return to Mekelle. Hopefully with this newfound support system, the baby will be healthy enough to receive surgery. Regardless, the mother and her infant son have experienced change forever thanks to Operation Smile’s commitment to each and every patient that seeks their aid.

I was at the hospital on our final day of surgery when I spotted the mother in the waiting room for follow-up postpartum care. I waved to her and she smiled shyly in recognition. When I walked over to greet her, she turned and proudly displayed the bundle on her back - her baby boy was sleeping peacefully. She waved an interpreter over to us and explained something to him with an earnest smile.

“She wants your help,” he told me. “She would like to hold a birthday party for her baby tomorrow.” He explained that Ethiopian tradition dictates a celebration of a baby boy’s life a certain period after their birth. The mother beamed. Operation Smile had changed the life of this mother forever by giving her the greatest gift - the gift of hope for the future.

November 26, 2013

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

mexico

MISSION TRIP TO NPH is an orphanage home to to more than 400 children in need of love and care. Wayzata students provided that for them.

435 children call the Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos orphanage @emilyberg26 their home. The Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) orphanage is home to children ages birth-18 and is located in Miacatlán, Mexico.

“We took two planes and a rode on a bus for three hours to get to the orphanage. It was a long day of travel, that’s for sure,” Ally Breyer (12) said.

“While we were there, we played with the kids, and we also put on a vacation bible school,” Breyer said.

“This mission trip is very unique. Normally, when someone does mission work they build something.

What we did was we connected with the kids and played with them. Our progress throughout the week wasn’t visible,” Ashley Wilson (12) said.

“The best part of the trip was meeting the amazing children and building relationships with them. The kids taught me so much about life,” Alaina Hall (12) said.

“I sponsor one of the children now and I love getting letters from him. He inspires me because he and the other kids have nothing, yet they are the happiest kids ever. The whole experience was very eye opening,” Breyer said.

“The best part of the trip, for me, was meeting a boy named Jonathan, an elementary school aged kid. He

By EMILY BERG SPORTS EDITOR

was so friendly and optimistic and he made me realize how grateful I am for what I have,” senior Matt Prisby said.

“I find it interesting how patient the kids are. I am not fluent in Spanish and the kids would repeat things until you can understand what they are trying to tell you,” Wilson said.

“I will never forget the first time I met my godson Angel. I was sitting down

and he jumped on my back and we had an instant connection. I will also never forget when a little boy name Jesus told me he wanted me to go hide so I didn’t have to go home,” Hall said.

“Most of the kids that live at NPH have been there for most of their lives,” Breyer said.

“They don’t refer to NPH as an orphanage, they call it their home,” Wilson said.

“I can’t pick out one part of the trip and declare it my favorite because the whole trip was so life changing.

It amazes me to see that even though the kids have nothing, they are so humble and full of life,” Wilson said.

“I will never forget leaving the kids. It was so hard to say goodbye to them after we all had made such strong bonds with them. They were as attached to us as we were to them. It was really cool to see that we really made an impact on them in just the one week that we were there,” Breyer said.

“I’ll never forget how the kids would give me the only thing in their locker as a gift of appreciation and most of the time it was a craft we made with them,” Prisby said.

“I learned that I need to appreciate the people that I have in my life and be more compassionate with the people I’m close to. If these kids can make a family with many orphans, I can get as close as a family with my friends,” Prisby said.

“I would love to go back to NPH and volunteer there for a while after college,” Hall said.

“The most important thing I learned during my time at NPH was how people who have so little are truly some of the most beautiful people in the world,” Hall said.

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

Carly (12) and Char@mssadiebell lie Hicks’s (10) parents both turned fifty this year, so they decided to do something big.

Jumping out of a plane or scuba diving would be too simple for the Hicks family; big for them meant climbing the highest peak on the African continent, Mt. Kilimanjaro, standing at 19,340 feet high.

The Hicks spent two weeks this past summer reaching new heights: climbing the mountain, exploring the natural life of Africa, and giving back.

Despite the lack of elevation in Minnesota, the Hicks started training for their climb early last year. Weekends were spent walking in local parks to break in their hiking boots, all for the goal of making it to the top.

“The company we climbed with is based in Minnesota, so they said if we could walk for three hours straight at home, we were good to climb,” said Carly.

Charlie said, “I could have done more to train. I would have hiked more and gone to higher altitudes.”

The Hicks’ opportunity to train dwindled as summer approached. It was time for their journey to begin.

By SADIE BELL

S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

The Hicks were joined on the trek by their aunt, uncle, cousin, three guides, and thirty-two porters, strong men who helped carry their equipment up Kilimanjaro.

Charlie said, “We hiked with three guides, one main guide that needed to take the fall if anything went wrong, a head guide, and an assistant guide.”

“We climbed for seven days total: five days up, two days

down,” said Carly.

The magnitude was overwhelming.

The first five days were spent climbing for six to seven hours straight.

As they approached the summit, or the peak of the mountain, they continued to persevere.

Near the top, it was nine hours of continuous, slow walking where they met their biggest challenge.

Mountain climbers must adjust

November 26, 2013

to the drastic change in altitude.

Even the sounds of Carly’s favorite band, Imagine Dragons, on her iPod couldn’t help. Sounds began to drown out and Carly became very tiresome, all because of the altitude.

It was altitude sickness. Carly said that her guide instantly grabbed her hand to pull her down the mountain.

Altitude sickness occurs when you cannot get enough oxygen at higher altitudes because of the thinner air.

Never once did they think of giving up, said Carly. The Hicks persevered through the pain to see the success of their goal.

“My favorite part was the hardest part,” said Charlie.

After five days of continuous hiking, the Hicks family finally made it. Their hard work had turned into two gifts: the sense of accomplishment and the view from Kilimanjaro’s summit.

The top of

almo ing w endle The cloud crate Tho most a spe moun on Ea Cha of a k “Th manj was s “You feren es. W anim becau Char Cha Kilim to ev ter ho and h Afte down part what ed sc The ral ta On enda The B ing A K i l i - Cap man- nos j a r o from w a s leopa

November 26, 2013

ost cosmic, said Carly. Nothwas above them but a vast, ess sky. e Hicks stood high above the ds, staring down into deep er on the top of the mountain. ough the ground consisted of tly dust and glaciers, they had ectacular view of the tip of the ntain and beautiful life back arth. arlie said the view was, “One kind.” hey call the top of Mt. Kilijaro the rooftop of Africa. It so beautiful,” said Carly. u get different views from difnt mountains in different placWith Kilimanjaro you can see mals like elephants and giraffes use of the rounded top,” said rlie. arlie said, “By climbing Mt. manjaro, you are really equal verybody else. It doesn’t matow fit you are, it’s the altitude how you cope with it.” er the Hicks climbed back n the mountain, they spent of their trip on a safari, in t seemed like an artfully craftcene from The Lion King. e safari gave the Hicks a natuaste of Africa. the safari they saw the most ngered animals in Africa, Big Five, grazing on the rollAfrican plain. pe buffalo, elephants, and rhidrank in unified harmony m the watering hole. Lions and ards hid in the tall grasses as they gracefully stalked their prey.

“The safari was the luxury of the trip, the climb was

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE MAKING A CHANGE: Carly Hicks (12) spent last year collecting school supplies. This summer, they donated notebooks, pencils, and books to the Massai Joy Children’s Center in Tanzania. Her parents also raised money to contribute to teacher’s salaries at the Children’s Center.

the experience,” said Charlie.

Not only did the Hicks set out to climb 19,340 feet, they sought to change the lives of the less fortunate.

Last year the Hicks piled up notebooks, pencils, and folders with the intention of donating them to a children’s school in Tanzania.

They donated money their parents raised for teachers’ salaries and the supplies to the endearing, optimistic Maasai Joy Children’s Centre.

“The Maasai Joy Children’s Centre was the most enlightening part. However poor the kids were, they were all extremely happy and friendly,” said Charlie.

Carly said, “At first they were shy because we were new people, but then they were so excited and smiling.”

The children warmed up to the Hicks and even crushed them in a game of soccer, played with a soccer ball the Hicks donated.

“I saw the result of a lot of donations, but not enough,” said Charlie.

Carly said, “It was cool to see we made a difference in their lives.”

“It was cool to do it once, but since I made it to the top, I don’t think I need to do it again,” said Carly.

Charlie said, “It was a wonderful experience, but to climb again is doing the same thing twice and that is less rewarding than doing something else.”

Carly’s next challenge? Running a half marathon.

“If I can climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, I can run a half marathon,” said Carly.

THE PEOPLE ISSUE

12

November 26, 2013

PROVIDING CLEAN WATER FOR STUDENTS: The taps above were installed by the One Day Water Project. Students at Naparima College were able to drink out of the taps at school for the first time due to their new filtration system.

Clean water in members of Triadic include Creative Director Daniel America is a seem- Woo (12), Chief Editor Bryan Pogorelsky (12), Director ingly endless re- of Photography Kevin Zheng (12), and Project Manager source. We use it to Matt Prisby (12). The group is still planning to expand, brush our teeth, drink, cook, and even play in. But coun- said Prisby. tries like Trinidad are not so fortunate to have those kind “Our original project that brought us together was our of resources in their school Business Professionals of America project last year where Senior National Honor Society members traveled to we made a documentary called ‘Capping The Prescription Trinidad over the term break. The trip was part of Marissa Addxn’ which was a documentary and dramatization of Ablack’s (12) senior project, for which she created a non- the problem of prescription drug abuse in our community,” profit organization, One Day Water Project. said Prisby. The documentary earned them a third place Funded in Minnesota, it aims to fund the installment of national award. water purification units in schools in Trinidad, said Ablack.

After their first documentary’s success the group wanted These purification units, or ozonation units, separate wa- to do more. Their goal was to do a project that would benter from unwanted molecules like chlorine, magnesium, or efit both local communities and those around the world, excess iron. said Prisby.

Ablack said her aunt and uncle conAblack first got in touch with the film ducted tests in water supplies in Triniproduction group through her father, dad. Their findings showed that the who is friends with Prisby’s father.

MEET MATT: water contained nearly three times the “When Triadic heard about the opamount of chlorine as pool water. portunity we couldn’t pass up the He is one of the In order to take in any money as a nonchance to help because we knew members of Triadic profit you must be registered as a 501C3, how much it could help the kids in Productions, who and funding must be reported to the Trinidad and our incaptured the trip on IRS at the end of every functioning year. terests in film, as film.

Ablack and her father decided to commit well as Marissa’s to the plan and registered the organizainterest in her tion. charIn order to raise awareness, the Triadic Productions group documented the trip to the Caribbean island.

T h e

By DAVANTE WASHINGTON NEWS EDITOR

MEET MARISSA: She is the Director and Founder of One Day Water Project.

A JOINT EFFORT: Marissa Ablack combined forces with Triadic Productions in order to document her volunteer trip to Trinidad. Triadic will be doing two projects one on the importance of hydration and the other called “Partners in Prevention,” a film intended to inform parents about the abuse of recreational drugs within the area.

ity, One Day Water Project,” Prisby said.

“The kids were really engaged and interested in what we were doing,” said Prisby.

It would be one thing to set up this organization and donate money but going to Trinidad and actually seeing the impact that your actions have on people was so much more beneficial, said Ablack.

Ablack said that the company that makes the water purification device [Del Ozone] donated a purification unit for a donation.

“We’ve raised $1,000 as well as the $2,000 purification unit,” said Ablack.

“We went into higher level chemistry and environmental science classes since some of the students were curious about the technology in the filters,” said Ablack. “Many students asked what our school was like. They wanted to know about the amenities that we had, that we had drinking fountains, computer labs. They were amazed.”

“The facilities at these schools haven’t been updated. It’s not a priority of the government to put money back into education,” Ablack said.

Ablack and her organization plan to continue to work towards their yearly goal of $10,000.

MEET DANIEL: He is also a member of Triadic Productions, who captured the events of the trip.

THE PEOPLE ISSUE

November 26, 2013

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MAKING AN IMPACT: Billy Jeide (12) visits Machu Picchu on his trip to Peru, where he also was able to help locals by working on a project to improve food security through yogurt production. The trip was sponsored by World Savvy and required an involved admission process.

PERU:

Machu Picchu A L PAC A S

and YOGURT? Billy Jeide took the trip of a lifetime to Peru this summer. But he didn’t just go sightseeing, he helped out the locals through a peculiar medium: yogurt.

By MATT JOHNSON

It’s not often S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R that students get @Mjohnson_snn the chance to travel to another country. It’s even less often that their travels can make a difference in the world.

World Savvy is an organization that was established in 2010 and offers high school students a once in a lifetime travel experience. The organization aspires to increase global awareness and respect for different cultural viewpoints by sending youth abroad. Senior Billy Jeide took

full advantage of the opportunity. He decided to work with World Savvy and travel south to Peru this past summer.

After an interview process and several letters of recommendation, Jeide found himself packing for South America.

“I left on June 30th and I was there until July 27th,” said Jeide. “The whole focus of the trip was food security and nutrition.

I was studying with other students like me about how people suffer from a lack of food security or how they create food security for themselves,” Jeide said. Food security is the ability to receive sufficient, safe, and nutritional food to meet dietary needs.

Jeide spent the first few days of the trip taking in the unbelievable sights that Peru had to offer. A visit to Machu Picchu was very enjoyable, Jeide said.

After a short stay in Lima, the entire crew made their next stop in the city of Llamas, where Billy’s host family lived.

He quickly made himself feel at home.

“My host brother’s name was Rafael.

We did activities in and around the town with our host siblings, and we spent most of our time with them,” Jeide said.

“Rafael and I got along very well. He was always really nice to me and he asked me what I wanted to do,” said Jeide.

Jeide spent two weeks living and eating in his host family’s household. Peruvian food and cold showers were huge culture

shocks for Jeide. Finding a drink of water didn’t always come easy, according to Jeide.

Even though he could have contacted his parents, he decided not to in order to focus on the projects at hand.

“I felt like I should try and be in the moment as much as possible,” said Jeide.

“I was really in it. It felt like a dream.”

A main focus of the food securityfocused trip was teaching residents how to make yogurt.

“We were creating a way for the schools to profit by selling yogurt to students,” Jeide said. The students would also benefit because they would get a more nutritious meal, said Jeide.

Although it was a rare sight to see a car in Llamas, many people have Facebook profiles. Now, it is easy for Jeide to communicate with Rafael through Facebook. Jeide even hopes Rafael will be able to visit Minnesota soon.

Transitioning from Peru back to the United States wasn’t easy. “It was weird to see that everything back here was pretty much the same,” Jeide said. “I felt different, and it was weird to see when you go back to a place that remains the same after you have changed. It is still my home, but it feels so different after what I experienced in Peru. Part of me was ready to leave Peru but another part of me didn’t want to leave the people.”

Kendama began as a traditional Japanese skill game. The trendy toys have now gained popularity across the United States. No matter whether you’re nine years old or ninety, there’s no denying it: these toys are addicting.

November 26, 2013

FLIP OVER

PING THE PEOPLE ISSUE

T U O

KENDAMA

Two wooden cups. A wooden spike. A ball. These parts EDITOR IN CHIEF comprise a kendama, a tradi@k_talerico tional Japanese toy that you may have seen students playing with in the halls during their heyday last spring. But for a group of three senior boys, these kendamas are not just a simple play toy, they’re a way of life.

Alex Tyler, Jack Iverson, and David Rakieten make up Wayzata’s own Kenlove Kendama, a team that challenges each other to improve their skills.

As a team, the group goes out and ‘damas’ (yes, that is a verb) in different places around Wayzata.

A camera will often swing by their sides, and they take the opportunity to film their tricks and moves.

“Kendama is as much individual as it is team based,” said Tyler. “What you can do with kendama depends on your skill set, but what you can strive to achieve depends on your friends and what ideas they have for cool tricks or combos.”

“A lot of my doing kendama is either to do something Jack can’t, or to just have fun,” said Tyler.

Jack Iverson, who has been playing for four months longer than Tyler, laughs.

“I’ve always been a little bit better, but [Alex] is catching up quickly.”

“It’s like anything: if you don’t have someone to push you, compete with you, or get you hyped up about what you’re doing, then it’s going to suck,” said Tyler.

Teams exist across the country and in other parts of the world, but competitions are mainly known about by pros and who they’re sponsored by, said Tyler.

Keith Matsumura from kendama’s USA Tribute team is ranked the number one kendama player in the world.

According to Iverson, Matsumura won DamaFest and Battle in Seattle, two battles that were filled with international competitors.

“I have a ton of respect for Keith [Matsumura] because he innovated the game a lot,” said Iverson. “But he only won those battles because he’s unbelievably consistent at tricks. That’s impressive, but it hardly qualifies him as number one.”

There are more kendama ‘celebrities’ than just Matsumura.

“They’re all crazy when it comes to kendama and they help push many people I know, including myself,” said Tyler. “They make videos and we’ll watch them to see the new possibilities that are out there.”

Many people see Kenlove’s kendamas as stupid toys, but once they see the videos of the pros, their outlook changes. They realize that this is something that’s done across the country, and that this little wooden toy is full of incredible possibilities.

Even Tyler had his initial doubts. “I saw that Jack had one a couple of summers ago, and I thought it was the dumbest thing in the world. This January, after five months of making fun of him, I tried it. After fifteen minutes I was hooked.”

Iverson and Tyler recently attended a convention in St Paul hosted by Sweets Kendamas, a company based out of Bloomington, MN. Pros showed up, shredded with little kids, and participated alongside amateurs in competitions.

“It was a full day event with master classes, a competition, and numerous other mini-games,” said Jack Iverson (12).

Beginners may compete in games like KEN, similar to HORSE in basketball, but with Kendama tricks. “It’s a good way to incorporate some strange tricks and show off to your freinds what you can do with consistency,” said Tyler. “When you stick a crazy trick, to see their faces drop is a pretty satisfying feeling.”

Kendama Battles, like those put on by Sweets Kendama and companies like Air Traffic, are a way to show off tricks.

Competitors enter one of three levels: beginner, intermediate,

By KATIE TALERICO

15

or advanced. For each level, there is a predetermined list of tricks that must be completed in succession called “ladders.” One attempts each trick until they can successfully complete it, which allows them to move up to the next trick in the ladder.

Iverson competed in the Minnesota Kendama Open. He lined up on stage with eight other people and began the ladder, trying complete one trick after another in order to advance. He placed fourth in the intermediate bracket out of the seventy players that participated at that level.

T U R N I N G DAMA-ING INTO DOING Tyler was able to turn his passion for dama-ing into a job. He applied at Air Traffic, a store that sells kendamas, yo-yos, and other skill toys.

Tyler had gone in several times over the summer for Air Traffic’s Kendama Night, hosted every Tuesday. “I loved the people that worked there, and I applied.”

“It’s amazing. I love being able to do kendama all day and have people walk in and realize all that’s possible with a kendama.”

“Not many people realize you can stall the ball on the sides of the ‘ken’, do tricks by holding the ball, swing it around your hands with crazy spins, or even spike it.

Watching people see that and seeing them smile and laugh is one of the best parts of my job. After showing them that, almost everyone wants to try it.”

“People see the kendama as a simple wooden toy, but it’s really so much more than that. When I show people what a kendama really is, it’s amazing. When they realize what’s possible, you can see them shift their opinion from just a wooden toy to something really impressively amazing.”

WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE DAMA? “I think Kendama is really pigeonholed as a children’s toy. People that are actually a part of the Kendama scene know how false that really is,” said Iverson. “Most of the talented players are in their early twenties or late teens.”

Kendama is big in Minnesota, and has recently begun to trend on the East and West coasts.

“Kendama is definitely expanding, but in a way that is detracting from its appeal to older players. More younger children are picking up the toy without respect for the point of Kendama,” said Iverson.

According to Iverson, Kendama was invented in 19th century Japan as a way to teach schoolchildren hand-eye coordination and patience.

“The more mature players understand that the point of the game isn’t to be the best that there is,” said Iverson. “The point is just to enjoy time with your friends and play with a little wooden toy that has endless possibilities.”

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

November 26, 2013

galloping TO

GREATNESS There’s always that one horse@AnniePolis crazy girl—the one that’s always wearing show jackets and seems to bring up horses in every conversation. Ninth grader Kira Stetler is that girl.

Stetler’s been involved with horses since she was four. Her passion for horses was inspired by her mom, who had been riding since high school and didn’t waste any time introducing her daughter to the horse world. Stetler began showing horses by the age of six.

As she became more experienced in the ring, she moved onto bigger and better things. She began to show Chance, a horse her mother had owned since he was a foal, in walk and trot classes.

Walk, trot, canter and gallop are the four basic gaits that horses have, each one successively faster. When cantering, the horse leads with a certain foot depending on their direction. In shows, specifically Western style riding, the gaits are modified to be slower to demonstrate how collected the horse is.

Stetler rode Chance for two years in walk, trot, and canter classes until his health began to deteriorate. At first they didn’t know what was wrong.

“He spooked a lot, sped up a lot, and picked up the wrong lead when cantering,” said Stetler. “We found that he had a narrowing spinal column, which made it hard for him to feel his legs.”

It was the most difficult experience that Stelter had gone through. “We still won Pinto of the year in English Equitation,” said Stelter, meaning that she had the most points out of everyone in her division in the country.

Stetler needed a more reliable horse to start riding, and one named Gladiator fit the bill. He was Stetler’s trainer’s horse, but the Gladiator and Stelter didn’t get along . She couldn’t stand him at first.

“Every time I went out to get him in

By ANDREA POLIS

S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

the pasture I had to bring a whip and a treat because he would stop dead in his tracks and not let me lead him in.”

After working with Gladiator for a year, Stetler’s relationship with him improved immensely. The pair grew comfortable enough with each other to travel to Oklahoma to compete in the Pinto World Show.

When riders compete in pleasure shows, they are in a ring full of their competition. They walk their horses into the arena, having spent hours grooming and washing in preparation for this moment. All eyes are on the riders as they file in single file.

Keeping composed posture and a full smile help, but judges evaluate each horse based on event criteria.

Rather than a point system, the placings are decided based onthe judges opinion of which rider best demonstrated the qualities they were looking for.

The riders follow a set of instructions announced over the loudspeaker. “Trot your horses,” blares

through the speaker and each rider ques their horse into a faster pace.

It was at the World Show that Stetler had her proudest moment. Gladiator and her won World Champion in Show Hack, and as champion she received a ribbon and a belt buckle. “That was my favorite memory” said Stetler.

After her victory Stetler spent the rest of the summer trying new, and more challenging tricks with Gladiator. One of the most fun tricks they did was cantering bareback with no hands.

Since Gladiator was never actually Stetler’s to keep, Stelter and her Mother decided it was time to find Stelter a horse of her own.

That’s when Stetler found Jace. He’s a National show horse, meaning he’s half Arabian and half Saddlebred.

Stetler said that he had already won World Champion in halter a couple times, but no horse is perfect.

Jace had a bone chip in his fetlock.

This

meant that when Stetler rode him he would randomly speed up, and had trouble picking up the right lead, all because he had trouble feeling his legs.

Stetler stood by and watched the vets take it out. “They had to sew an IV into his neck but hit a vein,” said Stetler. The needles and blood were more than she could handle and in the next second she lost all consciousness and fell back on the concrete.

“There went my lifelong goals of being an equine vet,” said Stetler. She received a minor concussion, but she was soon back in the saddle.

“Jenna, my trainer, taught Jace show hack and helped me learn to ride without reins or a bridle,” said Stetler. “I think he’s beginning to love me as much as I love him.”

Besides actually riding horses, she also frequently takes photographs of them.

Her Instagram account @HORSERIDER318 has over 5,000 followers and she frequently posts amazing pictures of all different kinds of horses.

Stetler spends a majority of her time at the stable, in part because her parents own it. They bought and now own French Lake Equestrian, a boarding facility housing around 40 horses. “It’s only a 15 minute drive, so that’s pretty nice,” said Stetler.

With over ten years of riding experience, Stetler more than loves horses. She lives and breathes them.

“I’m glad to have had horses in my life for as long as I have and all the memories and opportunities I have with them.”

RIDING WESTERN: Kira Stelter (9) has been competing in horse riding since she was four. Here she competes in the 2012 Glad Western.

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

G EN people.

Based on his rank, Daniel received his seed, a pool of six fencers from across the country.

The fencers would participate in a round robin tournament, each of them playing the other in a “bout” until someone got to five points.

The game of fencing is about hit-

Sword fighting isn’t just for knights. Daniel Ibeling, a sophomore at Wayzata High School, is a champion fencer with a national title.

Ibeling holds the state title for Individual Men’s Sabre and is 10th place overall in Youth 14 Men’s Sabre in the nation.

Ibeling entered the North American Cup in October 2012. The tournament hosted over a hundred trained fencers, many more than Ibeling had experienced at his local tournaments which were only comprised of thirty

ting the opposing player without getting hit yourself. If both players hit each other, the referee makes a call to indicate who receives the point.

Seems complicated? Not so much.

“The game is all about right of way.

If I’m moving forward, I have right of way, but if I lunge and I miss, the opposing played has right of way.”

There are three different types of fencing: épée, foil, and sabre. Each type

AMIS A CH D. G N I L E BE ANIEL I ONALLY RANK D E R O M TI IFE. SOPHO ER AND IS NA HIS WAY OF L IS ENC PION F ORDFIGHTING SW ERICO HANA

of fencing indicates a different type of weapon used, and the rules are different for each weapon. Ibeling participates in sabre, perhaps the most subjective kind.

At the America’s cup, Daniel received third place in Y-14 Men’s sabre, losing 13-15 to a Russian player.

“Third place still felt good,” said Ibeling. “Like being God, basically.”

“When I did that tournament I’d only practiced three times before in the past three weeks,” said Ibeling. “If you consider the ratio of how good I am over how awful my club is, the amount of days I practice, and my low my athleticism is, I am probably the highest in the world.”

Ibeling got his start at a summer camp, following in the footsteps of his older brother, Duligur (‘12) who quit fencing as Daniel began to pick it up. “I did some sword fighting there, and I thought it would be fun.”

Ibeling, now fifteen years old, has been fencing for five years and plays year-round.

“The sport is very intense, and requires endurance, strength, and intelligence too,” said Ibeling. “It’s important to fence with different people to gain experience, especially the highly competitive fencers from the east and west coasts. Some of them are training just to get into the Olympics.”

Ibeling practices three days a week for two hours a day at the Minnesota Sword Club and Twin Cities Fencing club. Practices entail drills for thirty

M& KASSE

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TA KATIE

minutes, footwork for another half hour, and finally an hour of fencing.

“The coaches are pretty good, but they are not Russian or Eastern European, who yell at their kids a lot during competitions. I appreciate my coach not pressuring me to win all the time, but sometimes a little yelling might help me get into the competitive spirit,” Ibeling said. “The Russians are the best, so the champions come to the United States and start clubs.”

“Fencing is not a big thing in the Midwest in general, so Minnesota fencers are not very competitive. It’s also hard to find good people to practice with,” said Ibeling.

“It’s a good way to stay in shape and makes you competitive,” said Ibeling.

The sport has taught him intelligence is required to compete and he has to learn to adapt to his opponents. Ibeling’s favorite part of the game is of course winning—and making other people mad.

“I’m pretty unathletic, but you just do it. It’s also a mental game, it’s not just physical,” said Ibeling. He describes fencing as physical chess, quickness being important but not as necessary as a good mental outlook.

“There are old fencers who have been fencing their entire life that are slower, but they’re still powerful,” said Ibeling.

Ibeling hopes to continue on with fencing in his future and through college. “Many Ivy League colleges recruit for fencing and they care about being Top 10 in the country for your age group,” said Ibeling.

THE MAN IN THE MASK: Daniel Ibeling fences at the Minnesota Sword Club. He has been fencing for five years and is now ranked within the top ten fencers in the nation. He competes in the sabre category. “Fencing has been described as mental chess,” said Ibeling.

Photos by Mr. Ibeling

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l

November 26, 2013

“I decided to

looked

RUN,

& I haven’t

BACK.” -Mary Franke

By DAVANTE WASHINGTON NEWS EDITOR

S

enior Mary Franke has had an astonishing amount of success in her high school running career. “I have been running since I was a sophomore in high school. I swam before I ran,” said Franke.

Even though running has been a relatively new sport for Franke she has recorded a lot of success on the track and on the fields. “I lettered in track and field as a freshman in the 3200 meter. Over the next month, I began training and debating over which sport I would like more, running or swimming. I decided to run, and I haven’t looked back”, said Franke.

Franke runs 40-45 miles every week. If you do the math that’s about 2,210 miles a year, that’s like running from the high school entrance to Mexico City, and then some.

Franke’s more recent success can be seen in her 18:40 5K at the Nike Cross Country Regionals, a time that helped bring her team to nationals.

She and the rest of the girls cross country team will lace up their spikes in Portland, Oregon December 5th through the 8th.

Franke and the rest of the team has high expectations for the Nike Nationals. “My teammates and I have had the goal to qualify all year. But personally, I have had the goal to win Nationals since this past June,” Franke said.

“I love to run, it releases stress, gives me a sense of empowerment. Running has given me an entirely new perspective on life,” Franke said.

“I am really really competitive and I hate losing,” Franke said. This competitive nature has created a fierce competitor and has brought Franke to three state appearances as well as two national appearances.

“The meets are fun, but hard, and sometimes stressful.

Learning how to deal with that makes you not only a better runner, but a better overall person because you are learning how to deal with the pressure and stress.”

I think my favorite part of a meet is just being with my teammates, “They are like my second family,” Franke said.

Franke has committed to running for Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Franke said, she loved the mountains, the school is great and the coaches are just as amazing. “I hope to run varsity when I go there next fall,” Franke said.

Lauren. “It can get pretty confusing.”

“I’ve tried to never let anything get me down,” said From page 3 Lauren has been blessed not only with Lauren. “I think of my disability as part of me. Music supportive teachers, but parents who is also a part of me. Having the two together in my life encourage her musical talents. allows music to lift me up from those constraints.”

“There’s always some sort of music coming from our house,” Lauren’s mom commented.

“My dad can’t really help much—he’s tone deaf,” said Lauren. “But they do the best that they can.”

Recently, Lauren visited Augsburg and was invited to sing with the college’s choir. She plans to major in vocal music education or performance. Lauren was also considering Juliard or St Olaf, but may be leaning towards something closer to home in order to commute.

“Music brings me so much joy and happiness in my life,” Lauren said. “I have good pitch, and I’m so honored and grateful to have that.”

LAUREN

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THE PEOPLE ISSUE

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.

ADVERTISING

Contact the Trojan Tribune with questions regarding ads. 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 committed to providing a limited forum within the community of Wayzata High School, and one in which 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 Room C117

trojantrib14@gmail.com

20

all we DO IS

THE PEOPLE ISSUE

By MAT

SENIO

November 26, 2013

T JOHN

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NIKE CROSS HEARTLAND: Sophomore Nick Shaleen contributes to the boys impressive second place f inish at the Nike Cross Heartland Tournament in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on the 10th of November. The girls also did well; they dominated and took home f irst place.