Trojan tribune issue 6

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WAYZATA HIGH SCHOOL

trojan tribune VOLUME 32, ISSUE 6

DECEMBER 19, 2013

Photo by Thomas Franke

JUST DO IT: In a state where championships are rare, the Girls Cross Country Team has brought back the Nike Cross Nationals first place prize home to Wayzata. Mary Franke (above), was one of the seven Wayzata girls that participated in the girls win in Oregon. They surprised many teams in their victory, including the seven-time reigning champions from New York, Fayetteville-Manlius as well as themselves.

Girls cross country wins Nike Cross Nationals

The 2013 girls cross country @EmilyBerg26 team made Trojan history winning the Nike Cross Nationals on December 7th, 2013, becoming national champions.

The Trojan boys cross country team also made an impressive showing placing 15th out of the 22 male teams present at the meet.

The 5K event took place in Portland, Oregon and 22 teams of seven runners each competed for the title. According to

By EMILY BERG SPORTS EDITOR

Annika Halverson (12), the seven fastest runners from each school are the ones that compete at nationals.

Wayzata is the first team to win this prestigious race that isn’t from New York.

The girls put an end to Fayetteville-Manlius High School’s seven year winning streak.

“We trained with two new coaches to prepare for the race because it was designed as a club team event rather than a high school one. Coach Emmans was not allowed to train us leading up to nationals,” Halverson said.

“Our team had been preparing for nationals all summer and into the fall. We had put in an immense amount of training every week, along with a healthy lifestyle of eating the right foods, and getting a lot of sleep,” Alayna Sonnesyn (12) said.

Our team competed in the Heartland Regional Meet in mid-November in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We took first place as a team and the top two teams qualified for the Nike National Meet in Portland, Oregon.

“After the race, as we NIKE were waiting for the Cont’d page 2

Days are numbered for old clocks

By EMMA BERNARD FRESHMAN GUEST WRITER

Early Monday morning, many of us arrived to school, did a double take, and rubbed the sleep out of our eyes. Were those clocks there before? No. “We went that (new, digital clocks) direction because it was costly to repair the old clocks,” said Kirk DeCamp, Head custodian at Wayzata. He and the district staff/ electrician wired them in over Thanksgiving break.

The old clocks would be taken in for repair, about twenty at a time. “Six to ten clocks a year would break, so the cost quickly piled up,” said DeCamp.

The new digital clocks were first installed in hallways and corridors, typically where the old clocks were, but in order to increase visibility from many angles in the hallway, they are two sided, and are perpendicular to the wall, said DeCamp.

The next installment of clocks will be in the Cullinary and the woodshop hallway.

Then the plan is to eventually have digiCLOCKS tal clocks in the classCont’d page 2

Photo by Hannah Olson THE BIG DEBATE: Soniya Countinho (11) and Madison Marko (11) work on preparations for their upcoming debate competition this Saturday.

With such strong standings, a state championship is up for debate The Wayzata Debate FRESHMAN GUEST WRITER team has been a dominating force this year, having won nearly forty competitions.

“Wayzata is one of the top ranked debate teams in the country, and we hope to mainBy ELLIE RONNING

tain that standing going forward,” Wayzata Debate coach Sheila Peterson said.

“Our biggest strength is endurance,” Peterson said. “There are always setbacks and struggles in doing anything that is hard.”

“Debate is incredibly DEBATE Cont’d page 2 challenging, but the

WHERE DOES YOUR EMAIL GO?

By ANDREA POLIS S E N I O R S TA F F W R I T E R

@AnniePolis

Your school Gmail, your Google Docs: these are things most students take for granted. It’s the account you ignore until you have a group project to do. But what happens to your Gmail once you graduate?

It may come as news to some, but once you leave the high school, your Gmail leaves you.

Supervisor of Technology Support Donna Peterson said that emails are a district privilege and once you leave the district you no longer have that privilege.

“Students are put in a ‘canister’ with their graduation year and when new students join they are added to that canister,” said Peterson. Then, when it comes time to graduate, that canister is deleted.

“Around March to April, students receive emails telling them their Google Docs will be deleted with instructions on how to transfer,” said Peterson. “If someone e-mailed to say they haven’t transferred them, they get a grace period.”

The grace period ends sometime around August when the Tech team prepares for the upcoming year, and all graduated seniors’ Google accounts are deleted, Peterson said. “Some kids ask for their account once they’re in college.”

Unfortunately by that time it’s too late.

She said the warning emails are sent several times. There is plenty of time for students to save all their documents to another place.

The technology department has no data on how many people actually use their emails, but Peterson said that kids use their Google Docs for class all the time, and logically, without the gmail, you couldn’t have Google Docs.

As of now there is no talk of changing the system dramatically, but a program is in the works that will automatically delete email accounts rather than having to manually remove them.

THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

NEWS 2

THURSDAY DECEMBER 19, 2013

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

Photo by Hannah Olson

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

DEBATING IT OUT: Tiffany Haas (11) and Madison Marko (11) practice debate in coach Sheila Peterson’s room.

Highly ranked debaters spend many hours after school gathering information for their arguments.

DEBATE

From page 1

Peterson.

staff and student leaders are committed to overcoming whatever obstacles we face,” said

According to Peterson, the students work hard, strategize, and persevere their way through each competition.

With this hard work, the Wayzata debate team has been able to win various competitions, such as Highland Park, Minneapolis South, Roseville, and the U of M tournaments.

“Teams compete in pairs and have individual records at each tournament,” Peterson said, “We have several teams that have won tournaments, and each weekend it tends to be a different team that performs the best at a particular tournament.” rooms, said DeCamp “We are going to put digital clocks in the classrooms because with so many clocks failing, classrooms can be left without a clock, and the times on the clocks vary from room to room,” said DeCamp.

As the analog clocks are taken out for repair, they will not be put back in. This will go on until the digital clocks are all that remain.

The first wave of digital clocks were purchased last May. The estimated price was $130, and originally twelve clocks were purchased. The cost to repair the old clocks exceeded the cost to simply replace them with new clocks. The digital clocks will last 15-20 years with little to no maintenance.

The new clocks are hooked into the generator so when the power is out the clocks would remain on, and they switch automatically with daylights savings.

“I was very pleased to see the digital clocks because the are easier to read when you are in a hurry,” said Brittney Torguson (9).

“I think the new clocks are easier to read,” said Jack Stettler (9).

“The new clocks are helpful because the location is easy to see. They stand out. It might cut down on tardies because people will know what time it is,” said Ava Gondeck (10).

“In the high school [digital clocks] are nice and efficient, but in the elementary schools the face clocks are still necessary to teach time reading. The face clocks are phasing out,” said DeCamp.

“The new clocks are as efficient as we can be with the almighty dollar,” said DeCamp.

According to Peterson, the debate team practices nearly every day, and those that aspire to be at the top spend extra time outside of class preparing for arguments.

“The novice class (9th Graders) this year is the best set of debaters that I have ever coached,” Peterson said. “I would bet money on the odds that this year’s novices will eventually become the best varsity team to have ever debated for Wayzata High School.” The novice debaters have won a majority of their competitions.

Three of Wayzata’s novice debaters, Dhruv Methi, Jeffrey Lu, and Samyak Jain, (1st, 7th, and 9th places respectively) were in the top 10 speakers at the Novice Glenbrooks, the largest national tournament in the country.

“I’ve just worked hard I guess, and

watched other debaters and tried to learn from them,” said Dhruv Methi, the top speaker from the Novice Glenbrooks. “I hope to continue the success and keep doing well throughout the rest of my career.”

As for the rest of the season, according to Methi, “We just hope to go to the occasional national tournament and do well, but other than that it should be pretty relaxed.”

Another novice debater, Gauri Binoy, said, “I think that the season will go well considering that the novice team has been so successful, and but it has already become a bit more loose and less intense.”

It’s uncertain whether Wayzata will win another state championship this year, but it’s definitely up for debate.

CLOCKS

From page 1

Saturday and Sunday programs!

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THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

OPINION 3

Opinion Exchange NHS: KEEPING US IN THE DARK “Noblesse oblige” is an old French phrase which directly translates to “nobility obliges.” It is the idea that the elite —the nobility—are obligated by their superiority to help the little people down below.

Today, it’s almost exclusively used to describe the attitude of the rich and the powerful as they condescendingly

By LUKE SOUCY stoop to aid the needy. John GUEST WRITER Ralston Saul, the president of PEN International, even stated that the downfall of democracy is marked by “the élite citizen’s imitation of noblesse oblige,” that is, “pretending to be aristocrats or oligarchs, as opposed to being citizens.”

At my induction, I was surprised to discover that “noblesse oblige” is the motto of the National Honor Society.

Perhaps I should not have been so taken aback; a natural part of human nature is pride in feeling better than your peers. But this doesn’t mean it should be a symbol of honor. One of the pillars of NHS is service, yet in my capacity as a public service volunteer I have no desire to fight for those who are lower than I am or lesser than I am or not of the nobility. There should be no nobility. If I help with anything, it won’t be through treating people as inferiors.

It will be helping my equals.

NHS, I freely confess, is a well-intentioned and mostly beneficial organization. Attacking the Society’s antiquated motto may seem frivolous, it is but one of many complaints that can be lodged against NHS. Foremost among them is the arbitrary manner in which members are selected.

Admittance to NHS is based on four pillars: scholarship, character, leadership, and service—all quite simple and easily understood. Except none of those words mean anything.

The NHS Constitution construes scholarship as anything over a 3.0 GPA, which Wayzata bumps up to 11.0 on our scale (or 10.5 if you’re a senior). Great. Except this is the only hard criterion for membership provided in NHS guidelines or those of our local chapter. “Leadership,” “character,” and “service” are all whimsically defined by whoever is doing the selecting. If your institution has four pillars and three are essentially meaningless, you have a problem.

Vagueness in detailing just what NHS supports may be helpful in keeping the Society from getting sued, but it’s distinctly less helpful for upstanding students trying to get in (though, with no definition of character, anything goes).

While the application form gives instructions on what should or should not be included on the sheet, the truth is that if there are no set criteria to follow, applicants have no true idea of what is expected in order to gain entrance.

Furthermore, the process through which the Wayzata chapter conducts its selections subverts the ideal of transparency any such institution should strive for. Take, for in-

stance, that the school’s selection process is predicated on secret teacher recommendations and committees whose workings are secret.

This secrecy is in direct violation of NHS national guidelines which demand that all aspects of the membership process be published in advance of selection. If the chapter cannot abide by the rules of its own organization, where is the honor?

A final slap in the face for students with denied applications comes in the form of their rejection letters. Already, they have been kept in the dark about what is expected of them and how they will be selected. In the last, the letter does not even tell them why they were refused: they are afforded no means of improvement.

In spite of the above, I want to reiterate that I’m fully aware of the merits in NHS. What with Heart Week charities and Senior Service Projects, a great deal of good comes from the Society. But this does not excuse shortcomings, just as those shortcomings don’t preclude its accomplishments.

The emblem of NHS is a torch and at induction we were treated to symbolic speeches about light, ethics, and—of course—honor. If the Society is to be the beacon of light it deems itself, it must stop conducting its affairs in the dark and begin adhering to the ideals of honesty and honor it espouses, and not just out of obligation. I would first like to see the National Honor Society upholding its own principles. Then we can laud its achievements.

THE CONSOLE WAR BEGINS

By DAVANTE WASHINGTON NEWS EDITOR

Microsoft solidified their role in the video game industry with the Xbox 360.

Now, the Seattle-based company is back with their new console, the Xbox One. The “one” comes from the idea that the Xbox will own the living room, and for the most part, it just might.

Not only does the console play the newest and greatest games, but you can watch TV from your cable provider through the box. You can browse shows on the built-in guide just as you would on your cable box. However, the Xbox One does not offer on-demand streaming, a strange choice considering its increasing popularity among cable subscribers. Watching TV then switching to a video game is seamless and almost instantaneous. This ability is an awesome addition to Microsoft’s console.

The Xbox also supports Windows Snap, so players can “snap” a TV channel to one side of the screen while playing a game on the other side. The Snap function also works well with apps like ESPN or NFL Network. In order to use these services you must have a Xbox Live subscription.

The amount of apps that the Xbox One has casts a big shadow over Sony’s console. From the NFL Network to fantasy football to Vevo to Pizza Hut, Microsoft’s console has a lot to offer in the application department -- all accessible from the console.

The new design is similar to the newer Xbox 360 designs. The black box will blend in well in any entertainment center. The system is a bigger and bulkier than its Japanese counterpart, but they both run just as quietly.

The new Xbox Dashboard looks

similar to Microsoft’s Windows 8. It features tiles and pins to keep favorites quickly accessible. The new look matches other Windows devices. The console can be controlled on a smartphone or tablet with the SmartGlass app, which also works as a second screen to show interesting content related to the game.

Kinect is back in a big way. The new Kinect 2.0 can recognize anyone with a matching profile and automatically sign them in. While some issues are still being ironed out with the voice controls and gestures, the Kinect 2.0 is a huge step up from its predecessor.

Developers have put in extra effort adding support for voice control in in their games. For example, players can call for the ball in NBA 2K14 or set a pick all with your voice. Gameplay can also be recorded on the console without pricey capture cards.

The Xbox One controller is an ergonomic masterpiece. The new controller ditches the hefty battery packs found on the bottom of the Xbox 360’s controller, a noticeable difference. Microsoft also redesigned the analog sticks to increase grip. Rumble pads within the triggers add another element of vibration. It will be interesting to see how developers use these new features in the future.

Out of the gate, the Xbox doesn’t have a spectacular launch lineup. Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and Killer Instinct are the only first-party exclusives offered at launch. Microsoft has plans for the future to expand their first-party exclusives, and with promising titles like Halo 5, Titanfall, and Quantum Break on the horizon, it will be interesting to see what Microsoft’s developers can come up with in the coming months to compete with Sony’s stellar list of exclusives.

The new game console from Sony is a blank canvas for developers. The Japanese company is putting heavy emphasis on developer freedom. The new console is set to offer more games from independent developers than ever before. This provides cheap and fun entertainment.

Sony has also taken some notes from Microsoft’s previous console, the Xbox 360. In order to play online multiplayer games, players must have a membership to PlayStation Plus, Sony’s loyalty program. The membership costs $17.99 for a three month subscription, or $49.99 for a full year. This is cheaper than Microsoft’s Xbox Live, which costs $24.99 for three months and $59.99 for a year.

The two online services differ in other ways as well: PlayStation users do not need to have a PlayStation Plus membership to watch videos on Netflix.

The PlayStation 3 is currently the most popular system for streaming from Netflix, and Sony clearly hopes to maintain their popularity with the new console.

Subscribers to PlayStation Plus are also guaranteed two free games a month.

Sony’s console developers decided to go with a light, sleek approach for the physical device. The console’s design is similar to Sony’s tablets and Xperia smartphones. The Blu-ray drive is back to keep games to one disc per case. The user interface has been redesigned to put a greater focus on connecting with friends through PlayStation Network. It shows friends’ recent purchases, trophies earned, rank increases, and much more.

To help players connect with friends, PlayStation Network members can now choose to display their first and last name instead of only using their Playstation ID.

Those who own a handheld PlayStation Vita can take advantage of Remote Play. Remote Play allows players to play PS4 games on the Vita instead of a TV. Gameplay stays relatively similar, but may lag with slower internet connection speeds.

But why use the Vita when you have the DualShock 4? Sony’s new controller features a touchpad in the center of the controller. The touchpad can be used for a multitude of in-game actions, such as reloading a weapon, opening a door, dodging objects, or even selecting items from menus. The Start and Select buttons have been merged into an Options button, and the new Share button will instantly record, screenshot, or stream gameplay via Twitch and Ustream. Another addition to Sony’s controller is the light bar on the back of the controller, which lights up in various colors to indicate different players.

The light bar is also the motion sensor for the new PlayStation Eye. This “peripheral” doesn’t come with the console and it is not necessary to have a great time with the PlayStation 4. The Eye is similar to Microsoft’s Kinect, but does not come close in comparison. So far, the only use for this extra hardware is the PlayRoom, which is mainly meant as a demo space for developers.

At launch, the only exclusive games from Sony’s first-party developers are Resogun, a side scrolling shoot-em-up, and Killzone: Shadow Fall, the fourth installment of the Guerilla Games Killzone series. There is more to come though, with Infamous: Second Son, The Order 1886, the delayed Drive Club Sony, and a new Uncharted game adding to the very impressive line up of Playstation exclusives.

Bottom line: For me, there isn’t really much of a difference in console performance. Both consoles offer amazing graphics and are internally similar. The decision between the the two comes down to the games, as the primary purpose of these machines is to play games. Personally, I will be buying a Playstation 4, due to Sony’s consistent devotion to developers and high standards for original and entertaining software. Which will you buy, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One?

THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

SO

ENTERTAINMENT 4

CHIC:

Sweater Weather

By SADIE BELL PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

@mssadiebell

There are very few occasions that it is appropriate to wear an ugly holiday sweater. Just don’t; they’re hideous.

Leave them soley for an “ugly sweater” party. They’re good to laugh at, but if you have serious intentions of sporting sledding penguins this holiday season, please rethink that decision.

This winter I beg you to keep your sweaters featuring reindeer decking the halls deep in the closet—and don’t even think about accessorizing with those embarrassing twinkling holiday light necklaces. This December, spice up your wardrobe by trading in your ugly sweaters for some new quirky, creative sweaters and accessories.

Quirky sweaters are trending; not quirky as in ugly, but quirky as in youthful and witty.

Sweaters with foxes in glasses or kissing moose sold at retailers like Urban Outfitters are popular pieces this winter.

Other quirky sweaters at Urban are knit with random, striking phrases such as “Meow” or “This is my Ugly Sweater.”

These aren’t ugly, they’re quirky. Wearing a top with a silly animal or a standoutish phrase is a creative way to give character to what you wear.

If quirk isn’t for you, there are many other innovative, stylish sweaters on the market this season. Brands like Free People and Ralph Lauren’s junior line Denim and Supply have made the classic oversized sweater into something more.

Popular sweaters this season are made with more than one pattern or fabric. A sweater might not only be made with wool, but also with lace embellishments and flannels. These added textures give the pieces a more unique, Bohemian look while still maintaining the classic warm and fuzzy feel. Wearing a sweater made with more than one textile will definitely set you apart from the other guests at any holiday gathering.

Trending sweaters are currently oversized or cropped, there’s really no inbetween. These midriff baring sweaters are seen paired with high-waisted pants, nordic prints, or knit leggings. The contrasting oversized sweaters are typically tuxedo style—longer in the back and shorter in the front—also paired with

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

BEWARE OF THE MOSH PIT

On the first day of GUEST MUSIC COLUMNIST November around three hundred kids crammed into a pole barn in Sam Hidani’s front yard to see their friends play music and to get a little crazy.

The Shedunga Blowout Part Deux was the second show organized there by a group of students operating under the name Shedunga Records. Rapper Scarr (Emil Abrahimi), the notorious DJ Drak (David Rakieten), Ice Cream Socialists (Dylan Kunkle, Tanner Colpits, Eric Deering), S! (Alex Tyler, Jack Iverson, Josh Markworth, Marcus Findley), Quintessential (Mikhail Schee, Ben Ehrlich, Max Etling, Ben Verbridge, Mac Wilms), Rising Action ( Joe Deters, Bobby Rethwisch, Grant Gabriel) and many other talented Wayzata students all took the opportunity to perform in front of their friends. The debut Blowout went down on the last day of the 2012-2013 school year, and kickstarted a lot of activity with in the closeknit Shedunga record label.

Shedunga began as an imaginary record label to put on a business card for a project in middle school ETD. However, Dylan Kunkle, Eric Deering, Tanner Colpits, Marcus Findley, Tavion Jones, Sam Hedani, Will Moy and their friends have begun to turn it into legitimate collective of kids with a passion for music. The idea of the Blowout began at an Ice Cream Socialist practice. Tanner Colpits said, “When the new season [of Arrested Development] got put on

By ARTHUR CHAPMAN

Netflix, and like most of band practice revolved around watching TV, we were like ‘We have to watch this season, but it’s embarrassing that we haven’t played a gig for the almost two years that we’ve been a band. So let’s find a gig and then watch the season.’”

After calling around looking for a garage to play in, Sam Hedani caved and asked his parents. Four days later the first Blowout exceeded everyone’s expectations by miles. As it turned out there were quite a few artists looking for a stage to play on and as news spread many people quickly hopped on board.

Around two hundred people attended, danced, and had bundles of fun at the first Blowout. Eric Deering said, “For a lot of the bands it was their first real performance, and to have a big crowd was amazing.”

The do-it-yourself mindset and friendly punk attitude of the Sheduga family has made the Blowouts and other functions incredibly welcoming and exhilarating experiences.

Since then, the bands under Shedunga’s name have been very active. S! have played a handful of shows at the Depot in Hopkins and have another lined up for January 24 with Peter Killian. Ice Cream Socialists and Rising Action both have gigs planned there in January as well. Scarr has been promoting his mix tape “The Hannibal Lecture” and putting together new music with his new group with producer Odin called “Like Minded”. Right now efforts are being made to organize a “Shedunga Sampler” which would feature origi-

nal songs from groups that played the Blowouts or anybody else interested in being involved. Shedunga Records Tshirts are currently being made and will be on sale for ten dollars soon.

The most recent Blowout showed how much interest there is in what these kids are doing. The energy in the pole barn was intense. Everybody was dancing and moshing and getting into the music and the environment. By the end of the night people who had been in the center of the dance floor were covered in fake blood and a small amount of real blood.

“I talked to other people about it, when I asked them about it they said two things: they said that they got punched in the face first, and the second thing they said was that they were hanging out and dancing with people they wouldn’t have talked to in a regular school day… everyone was getting along and having a good time,” said Colpits about the Blowout Part Deux. That being said, if slamming yourself into other teenagers and getting hit by stray fists isn’t your thing, you can still enjoy the music and atmosphere from a safe distance. As Tavion Jones said, “If you can not handle the mosh pit you should stay out of it.”

If you want more information about Shedunga or any of the bands talk to anyone involved and look for them on Twitter and Facebook. The third Blowout is tentatively scheduled for three weeks after spring break at Sam’s house.

Sam Hidani said that anyone planning on attending can expect “mosh pits, music, slaying, a good time and… the best party ever.”

Photo by Hannah Vogel

printed or knit leggings. The cropped and oversized sweaters come in intricate open-stitch knit patterns and Adirondack prints to keep you cute and cozy in a winter wonderland.

If you feel like you’re drowning in oversized sweaters, switch it up and look

into the untraditional cardigans that are also trendy this season. Cardigans that are currently popular are veering away from their traditional preppy style and are becoming more Bohemian.

Open-front cardigans are seen longer and larger because they are meant to drape over the shoulders. These sweaters are crocheted or made with mixed fabrics such as a chiffon paired with a knit. The cardigans have a plaited look to convey an effortless, carefree style with an edgier twist. Be bold this December; spice up your wardrobe by wearing a unique cardigan.

Baby, it’s cold outside, so you better keep warm this winter with a couple of holiday essentials. Necessary holiday accessories include headwraps, legwarmers, and scarves.

Keep your ears toasty with large headwrap headbands that aren’t strictly functional.

Headwraps at stores like Anthropologie include bows, knots, and jewel embellishments. These stylish headbands are braided or made in waffle-knit-like patterns. Before purchasing a headwrap, be warned that not all head shapes look spectacular in them; be sure to find the best accessory that works for you.

If headwraps aren’t your thing, large stitched scarves and legwarmers are also hot holiday items. Any outfit can be enhanced with the right scarf or button bearing legwarmer just slightly peeking out from the boot.

Now that I’ve given you more than enough ideas of what to wear this winter, please refrain from touching your sad ugly sweaters from holidays past.

Oversized, cropped, or cardigan: these innovative, quirky, multi-printed knits this season are sure to keep you cozy and add personality to your wardrobe. Don’t be afraid to give your look a little something extra by pairing an embellished sweater with a trendy and functional accessory. Make sure you face this sweater weather with the right style “‘cause it’s too cold” and definitely time to leave those ugly sweaters at home.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

ENTERTAINMENT 5

Submitted Photo

Paramore spreads wings for show at Roy Wilkins “Some of us have to grow @hannah_mv up sometimes, and so if I have to I’m gonna leave you behind.” Bold lyrics to end the first song of the Paramore Self-Titled tour November 23rd. Front woman Hayley Williams bounced onto the Roy Wilkins Auditorium stage ready to blow minds, and that she did.

Rocking alongside Williams were Jeremy Davis, bass, and Taylor York, guitar. The trio makes up Paramore, a once angsty teen band turned world famous rock band. This latest tour marked the release of the band’s fourth studio album, “Paramore”.

Opening their show was Hellogoodbye and Metric; producing different but stellar shows. Both bands were upbeat and ready to rock.

Hellogoodbye put on an electronic set while nerdy lead singer Forrest Kline danced around the stage with flailing

By HANNAH VOGEL MUSIC COLUMNIST

limbs and jerky hip movements. One is never too old to put on a great show.

Following was Metric, made famous in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. They graced the stage with an energetic and bouncy set. Metric’s set revved the audience for the main event, Pa r amore.

Williams sang through almost the entirety of their new album. In addition to bringing back some Paramore classics including, “That’s What You

G e t , ”

What is Wayzata Leadership Academy?

A few weeks ago you may have noticed the feature called Pillar of the Month, sponsored by the WLA. But what exactly is WLA?

By MAGGIE FRANKE SOPHOMORE GUEST WRITER

Since the beginning of the year WLA has been meeting during advisory and before school on late start days making many decisions, and now they need help from the student body.

“Our goal as a group is to spread awareness about the 5 pillars to the school,” senior member Jack Iverson said, “because nobody really knows what they are.”

According to the WLA moodle site the “5 Pillars of Trojan Pride” are: Relationships, Respect, Responsibility, Ethics, and Awareness.

“Certain jobs are assigned to three groups: the anti-bullying group, pillars group, and marketing group,” junior president of the marketing group Anna Calingaert (11) said.

New member Sophie Schuett (10) said, “You have to be recommended by a teacher and write a letter to the teachers. They then decide who gets into the group.”

“We’re an organization of great individuals and role models who have

want to make our school a better place,” Iverson said.

“We help the school by campaigning against bullying,” WLA member Matt Prisby (12) said Anti-Bullying day on the 23rd of October was organized by WLA according to multiple members.

“We’ve been trying to get our name out there through newsbreak videos and character cards,” Iverson said.

“WLA is important to the student body and the teaching staff to create an awareness of a positive school environment,” staff supervisor Jeff Prondzinski said.

“It’s fun to work with such a motivated group of people to achieve great goals,” Prisby said.

“We need the students of Wayzata High School to exemplify the 5 pillars inside and outside of school,” Schuett said.

“It’s important that students be involved in their school. If we have the power to provide a better school environment and education for ourselves and others, why shouldn’t we?” Calingaert said.

“Crushcrushcrush,” “The Only Exception,” and “Misery Business,” where she proceeded to pull one lucky fan on stage.

Williams said she had been “eyeing him all night” and he was “the real deal.”

The lucky fan got to climb on stage with the band and belt o u t the last chorus while getting his five minutes of fame.

As the set neared the end, the song “Ain’t it Fun” was played, a true ballad about growing up. Halfway through

the Hopkins High School choir sauntered on stage clad in raspberry gospel robes. They jammed out with Williams, singing “Don’t go crying, to your mama, cause you’re on your own, in the real world.”

The crowd loved it. Not a single person was in their seat, with a little coaxing from Williams. She presented herself with poise but raw energy and drive to give it her all.

The show concluded with their radio single, “Still Into You,” a powerful way to say goodbye to an incredible night. As the song ended, green and yellow balloons were dropped from the rafters and bright orange confetti butterflies soared through the crowd.

The entire band ran around stage soaking in every last second of a great show.

The crowd roared showing their appreciation. The night ended with a bang. A flurry of orange hair and orange butterflies.

SEASON ‘TIS THE

SPEND

TO

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When the battle between Coke and Pepsi is boring you, break away from the argument and make your own soda. Soda Stream carbonates water for you, and with dissolvable flavors, the possibilities for customizable sodas are endless.

$79.99

Microsoft’s new console aims to take over your couch. The Xbox One brings a new idea on entertainment the box features a HDMI input that allows you to plug in your cable box and watch TV on the console.

The perfect gift for your living room and home entertainment system. $499.99

The popular Call of Duty series is back yet again with Call of Duty: Ghosts. From the developers that brought you the Modern Warfare series Ghosts tells the tale of a war torn America after a missile strike scatters the U.S. military and a unified Latin America invades. You play as a member of the Ghosts, an elite group of soldiers feared by all of their adversaries. $59.99

Sony is back and in a big way with their new console the Playstation 4.

The perfect gift for the gamer in your life. The console plays the latest and greatest Next-gen games, for $100 less too.

$399.99

If you don’t want to keep your music to yourself, let it out. Jawbone’s Jambox speaker plays your tunes aloud through Bluetooth. Colors are also completely customizable. $179.99

Beats by Dre are now in their second generation with the Studio HD wireless headphones. The headphones use bluetooth to connect to your device, no strings attached. $379.99

Tired of taking selfies on your smartphone? Upgrade to the world of real photography with the Canon EOS Rebel T3i. This is a great starter DSLR, with video capabilities as well. $549.99

Running out of ideas? Can’t go wrong with a gift card.

You’ve got your basic essentials: coffee and Target.

Keep other more obscure ones in mind. Corepower Yoga is currently offering twenty percent off gift cards. So after you’re done drinking your venti coffee, burn of the calories and the jitters somewhere else.

Is there a person in your life that likes to tinker and find out how everything fits together? Does that person also like robots? Well here is the perfect gift for them, the Cubebot. $20.00

The most unique phone cases can be found at Society6.com. Society6, like Etsy, is a breeding ground for young and new artists. There, you can find a piece of art you like, whether it be an Egyptian illustration as seen above, or a repeating pattern. Though these cases look incredible and offer the most choices out of any site I know, they’re not the most protective. If you don’t mind substituting form over function, check out Pantone’s line of phone cases. Pantone specializes in paint color, and with their phone cases you chose a swatch of your favorite color to wear on your phone all the time..

$29.99

Etsy.com has been a creative community for many young aspiring artists wanting to get their work out on the market. Independent knitters, painters, jewelers, and fashion designers bring the cutest clothes and designs, items you definitely won’t be finding at Ridgedale. These Instagram hand warmers are just an example of one of the many accessories you’ll find with Etsy. What you gain in uniqueness, you pay for in price. These hand warmers aren’t some five dollar deal you’ll find at Heartbreaker. $24.99

NOW SHOWING THIS DECEMBER REVIEWS BY ANDREW STERN l STAFF WRITER

THOR

THE DARK WORLD Replacing Kenneth Branagh with TV Director Alan Taylor, Thor: The Dark World is the sequel to 2011’s Marvel movie of the same name, sans the colon. There’s nothing inherently wrong with this movie, it ’s just remarkably bland.

In this installment, the fill-inthe-blanks villain is a Dark Elf named Malekith (Christopher Eccleston). With the Convergence approaching, Jane (Natalie Portman) is infected by the Aether – a powerful weapon. This leads to Thor reuniting with Jane and Malekith attacking Asgard. If you don’t understand the science or importance of things like “The Convergence” or “The Aether”, don’t worry. The movie doesn’t expect you to think about it. In fact, the writers spend as little time as possible developing these things. Just know that they’re super important and lead to crazy hijinks.

Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is the only character that adds any life to the movie. The movie picks up every time he’s on screen, and then immediately draws back once he leaves. And Marvel seems to have realized this, adding re-shoots to stretch out Loki as much as possible. I could talk about other characters in this movie, but to be honest, none of them are more than a simple gag. There’s plenty of humor in the movie, mostly with Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig (Kat Dennings and Stellan Skarsgård, respectively); the jokes are pretty good for the most part, but they just seem out-of-place.

The climax of this film is admittedly very exciting, but it ’s a long trek to get to that point. Thor: The Dark World isn’t as bad as Iron Man 3 – Marvel’s other attempt for the year – but it ’s just not memorable. It will likely just be a distant memory the next day. 5/10.

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB As of recently, Matthew McConaughey has had a significant resurgence in his career. Following The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), he’s had a string of successful supporting roles in some independent films; from Richard Linklater’s Bernie (2012), to winning the Independent Spirit Award for his role in Magic Mike (2012), to Oscar buzz surrounding his (supporting) title role in Mud (2013) this spring, McConaughey has proved that he can act. Dallas Buyers Club may be his magnum opus however, as he lost 38 pounds for the role, and frankly gives the best performance I’ve seen this year.

Based on a true story, McConaughey plays Ron Woodroof, a homophobic, promiscuous, drug-addicted, electrician in 1985 Dallas. After he is diagnosed with HIV and given 30 days to live, he becomes an outcast because of the associations with the disease at the time.

The FDA’s corrupt and lackluster policy of approving drugs leads Woodroof to start smuggling unapproved substances into Texas. With the help of Rayon ( Jared

Leto), a transsexual AIDs patient, he sets up a Buyers Club – a way of indirectly selling drugs to circumvent Texas’ rules about distributing pharmaceuticals.

The main reason to see this movie is for the performances. Along with an amazing physical transformation, McConaughey adds dimension to a seemingly one-note, cartoonish role. It’s a brilliant character study, and it’s a lot of fun watching the arc. Also losing 30 pounds, this movie is Jared Leto’s first film in 4 years. He truly transforms into Rayon; if I hadn’t known that it was Leto prior to seeing the film, I never would have guessed. It’s a heart-breaking character and it’s played with absolute sincerity.

My main complaint with the film is that it slows near the end. It repeats the same theme over and over with only slight differentiation in the events. It overstays its welcome a bit, but it’s still a very enjoyable film.

Not to say that it’s happy-go-lucky, far from it, but I’m definitely planning on watching it again sometime soon. 9/10.

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE In my opinion, The Hunger Games (2012) is not a very good movie. The books essentially rehash a generic dystopian government tale and market it to a young adult audience. Not that there’s anything really wrong with this. It can serve as a gateway to other better cinema and literature. And other than the constant annoying references, people who aren’t interested can just attempt to ignore it. However, when adapting a book about kids killing kids, the MPAA creates an issue. When your main audience is in its adolescence, an ‘R’ rating is out of the question. To keep it ‘PG-13’, the original Hunger Games avoided showing any of the consequences of the violence, and missed the tone entirely. Playing up every aspect except the brutality, The Hunger Games did exactly what it preaches against. However, with a shift in directors, Catching Fire is a significant improvement from its predecessor.

The twist for this movie is that instead of drafting 24 kids to fight to the death, only past winners of the games will be considered. With this ploy, the movie is able to be more explicit with its depiction of the Battle Royale, as well as to bring quality actors into supporting roles – including Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, and Sam Claflin. However, with so many characters, many get left to the wayside. Nearly half of the contestants

are never mentioned. You see them for the first time after they’ve died, which essentially reduces them to a number.

The people who say they watch the movies for the social commentary are lying. The entire message can be summed up with a simple “Class Warfare = bad.”

However, I do think this movie does a good job at depicting a government trying to keep control of its people. There isn’t much of a change in President Snow (Donald Sutherland), but the addition of Philip Seymour Hoffman as the new “Game-maker” adds an interesting element. And Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks), the ambassador to District 12, significantly develops as a character.

The movie still struggles with pacing, has numerous logistical inconsistencies, and could benefit from an ‘R’ rating, but nonetheless it still manages to be pretty entertaining. If you liked the first movie, you’ll like this movie. If you didn’t, I wouldn’t recommend you rush out to see it, but you might not hate it as much as the first movie. 7/10.

12 YEARS A SLAVE Arguably Brad Pitt’s best chance for an Oscar anytime soon (His company – Plan B Entertainment – produced the film), 12 Years a Slave is the third feature film from British artist Steve McQueen. With this movie, Shame (2011), and Hunger (2008), McQueen has become one of my favorite directors working today.

Although he was not a writer for this film, it definitely has his distinct style. 12 Years a Slave is probably his most accessible feature, but that’s not to say it’s any less emotionally taxing. It’s not an easy watch, but 12 Years a Slave is one of the best – if not the best movie of this year.

Based on the memoirs of the same name, the story follows Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free black man from upstate New York, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. The movie is less about its destination and more about the journey that takes place. The title in itself spoils the ending, yet the film is so engaging there’s no feeling of waiting for the inevitable.

The brilliance of the performances is one of the reasons that the film is as convincing and effective as it is.

Chiwetel Ejiofor’s turn as Solomon Northup is one of the best of the year. The real scene-stealer, however, is Michael Fassbender as Solomon’s malicious, possibly mentally unstable, plantation owner. He was snubbed by the Academy in 2011 for Shame, but this performance will hopefully turn some heads. The entire ensemble is absolutely fabulous though; Newcomer Lupita Nyong’o was heart-wrenching as the constantly abused Patsey,

FROZEN

Based off of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, this Disney animated musical (they failed to mention this in many of the advertisements) stars Kristin Bell as Anna, a princess who must find and stop her sister, Elsa, who accidentally caused eternal winter in their Kingdom with her ice powers.

With Robert Lopez–co-creator of both Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon–on board for the soundtrack of this film, it’s disappointing that the songs are as bland as they are. For a movie that’s being sold as the next Lion King (1994), the songs shouldn’t be so forgettable. Not to mention that halfway through the movie they just stop, likely to avoid reaching a 2-hour run-time. It never feels like the movie fully commits to being a musical. It just seems like the songs were added last minute for the sake of novelty.

The characters in this film are incredibly one-dimensional. While an interesting moral dilemma is presented early on with Elsa, it quickly gets recycled and the writers never really do all that much with it. Anna is same faux-strong female archetype that you’ve likely seen many times before. Josh Gad’s Olaf – a snowman obsessed with summer – pro-

Paul Dano (who is slowly turning into one of my favorite actors) is stunning as a despicable plantation manager, and Benedict Cumberbatch provides a touch of irony as Solomon’s (relatively) kind initial owner. Not to mention the rest of the supporting cast, boasting Paul Giamatti, Scoot McNairy, and Quvenzhané Wallis.

Stylistically similar to McQueen’s other films, 12 Years a

vides most of the laughs, but his character is still very hit-and-miss.

Frozen has been getting a lot of press for being the “female-friendly” Disney tale. It was refreshing that even though they were playing up the romantic elements throughout the film, its ultimate message is not one of “needing a man to survive.” But while this is all good, it should be pointed out that Frozen takes out most of the female characters from Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, replacing them with comic relief and potential love-interests. In fact, in the original story, Gerda, the character that would become Anna, attempts to rescue her passive platonic male best friend, who is the only significant male character in the story.

Ultimately, the energy is just spent in the wrong place. The animation is beautiful, but the story is just plain lazy.

Near the climax, there are plot-twists that occur for the necessity of the plot, not because they actually make sense.

And the resolution to restore the Kingdom is downright cringe-worthy. That said, for the most part, it’s not a painful movie to sit through; there just aren’t many redeeming factors. 5/10.

Slave lingers on each shot, not anxious to change to a different angle.

The cinematography captures the mood, dragging you into the experience.

Hans Zimmer’s haunting score is the cherry on top. It’s subtle and subdued, but takes the movie to the next level.

A word of warning, this is not a movie for the faint of heart. Nor is it one that will allow you to function normally for the rest of the day. It took me at least half an hour before I was ready to rejoin society. I will definitely be revisiting 12 Years a Slave in the future; I just don’t know when I’ll be ready. 10/10.

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THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

NEWS 2

THURSDAY DECEMBER 19, 2013

. . .

G N I C U D O R T IN bers d district board mem Meet the newly electe TON l NEWS EDITOR

BY DAVANTE WASHING

Michigan native Sarah Johansen is one of three new members of the Wayzata Public Schools school board.

Johansen has three kids with her husband, Kurt. She attended Kalamazoo College in Michigan, where she majored in human development and social relations, which is a mix of sociology, psychology, and education, said Johansen. She earned her masters in social work at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

“I am currently an adjunct instructor in the graduate program at Augsburg College. I have been teaching at Augsburg for 8 years.

In Minnesota I have also worked at The University of Minnesota with the CitySongs program, and at YouthLink,” said Johansen.

Johansen said that because her children will be in the district for the next 15 years, she has a long term investment in Wayzata Pub-

lic Schools. “I want to do everything I can to keep Wayzata great,” said Johansen.

“I will be very focused on how we address the growth issue. We must prioritize keeping individual class sizes down, ensuring that we have adequate classroom and core spaces, and increasing the amount of academic and athletic opportunities for all students. As our student numbers grow, we need to add classes and extracurricular activities so all students have a variety of learning opportunities,” said Johansen.

Johansen also said she has some serious concerns regarding the transportation system, which she is committed to fixing in the coming months. “I am hopeful that we will soon be able to add additional entrances and exits to the campus in order to relieve some of the congestion and increase safety for all,” Johansen said.

CHRIS McCULLOUGH

ANDREA CUENE SARAH JOHANSEN

Chris McCullough, father of two, is a graduate of the University of Iowa, where he majored in economics and political science. “I also have a master’s degree in political science from Indiana University Bloomington, and a law degree from the University of Minnesota Law School,” McCullough said.

“After graduating from law school, I worked at Gray Plant Mooty, a law firm in downtown Minneapolis, then at Carlson Companies as a corporate lawyer.”

Now, McCullough works as a corporate lawyer at Honeywell, where he has worked for the past six years.

“Over the years, I have served on a number of committees at Birchview Elementary, the [Wayzata] school district, and Wayzata Family Learning Center, and I feel that those experiences, along with my collaborative and fairminded approach to issues, will help me make a real difference as a board member,” said McCullough.

As a board member, McCullough said he hopes to promote important life skills, along with the primary classroom skills like math, science, reading, and history. In school, students learn the importance of responsibility, critical thinking, and being an integral part of the community, said McCullough.

“Learning these skills works best when there is a strong partnership between school and home – children need support at school by teachers and staff who teach and reinforce these skills, and at home by families that care and challenge their children to be the best they can be.”

Andrea Cuene, who was born in Minneapolis, attended the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. “I got my BA in communication disorders and my MA in speech-language pathology,” Cuene said.

“I’ve been employed at the U of MN Hospital, at some nursing homes in Indiana, and at the MN River Valley Special Education Cooperative,” Cuene said. She is now a mother of two Wayzata students and a speech-language pathologist at Greenwood Elementary.

“My experiences as a district parent, volunteer, and staff member inspired me to run for Wayzata school board. I get to see first-hand the hard work, creativity, struggles, and learning that go into a student’s day. I believe every learner in Wayzata schools deserves an education that meets their individual needs and sparks in them a lifelong love of learning,” said Cuene.

“Instead of focusing on pushing for more change, I am interested in wokring on maintaining what makes Wayzata great as we move through the big changes that are already in motion, such as embracing digital learning and accommodating our growing enrollment,” Cuene said.

In planning for district expansion, Cuene said that it is important that the plans meet the needs of the students.

The closing of open enrollment due to over-capacity is just a signal of our great schools and fantastic community -- it’s evidence that parents want their children to attend Wayzata Schools, said Cuene.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 19, 2013

THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

SPORTS 11

Building from the bottom The boys basketball @mjohnson_snn team picked up right where they left off from last season. Currently sitting at the bottom of the Lake Conference, the boys are trying their best to keep themselves motivated. Tuesday’s 2-point win over Highland Park, courtesy of two late putbacks by Jonathan Kinley (11), may be a good place to start.

First year coach Nick Tibesar is trying to find a way for this team’s youth and talent to create chemistry. “Our inexperience has shown early this season,” said senior captain Will Beeninga. “We only have two seniors, and a majority of us are getting our first real varsity minutes this season,” Beeninga said. The only two seniors are Beeninga and Jake Strom.

“Since Will and I have had a little bit more experience, we help keep things calm,” said Strom.

With only two seniors, this team relies on their junior and sophomore classes to contribute any way possible. Sophomore Johnny Beeninga is leading the team in

By MATT JOHNSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER

points per game with an average of 14 points per game. J. Beeninga is also averaging 4.4 assists per game, and steals per game (1.4). The Beeninga brothers combined account for 38% of the team’s points and are the primary offensive spark to Wayzata.

“We are taking this season one day at a time, and we feel that is we can compete hard in practice every day, we can improve from game to game and day to day,” said W. Beeninga.

The Trojans have been struggling to finish games.They are outscoring their opponents by 9 in the first half but being outscored 189-227 in the second half. The Highland Park game reversed that trend, with the Trojans recovering from a 7-point slide to pull ahead with 4 seconds left.

Wayzata is about a month away from Photo by Naomi Liew conference play but they are eager to BOYS BASKETBALL: First year coach Nick Tibesar looks on as Mitchell Sanchez (11) tries to score on get better sooner rather than later.

Eastview. The Trojans lost to the Lightning 55-63 on November 26th.

“We want to win now, but with our youth, we understand it will take time, losing their first 4 but rebounded with 11 ful team, and if wecan play well and stay so patience is important,” said W. Been- straight wins. consistent, we could be able to do some inga.

“We have the potential to be a success- good things this year,” said W. Beeninga.

Last year the varsity boys started out

Dancing from the heart Just warming up

By MEREDITH JOHNSON & SOPHIE TOLAND Talen (11). All the hours paid F E AT U R E E D I T O R & G U E S T W R I T E R off when the Trojets dominated their first invitational.

The season is young, and the Trojets “The competition this year, at inviare dancing their way to victory all from the heart. The team brought a new and tationals and meets, is amazing with stronger level of dance to the floor at schools like Eastview, Chaska, and Wayzata’s home opener on November Maple Grove. Although fierce and 21, 2013. Competing only in jazz, the very difficult, competing with them has varsity team took first place from some made us stronger dancers,” said Mia of their top rivals and competitors from McMurray (12).

Even with all their success, the girls the state floor the year prior.

“Bringing this year’s jazz dance to the have run into some challenges involvfloor has been different, but it united ing teammates become sick or injured. us as a team. The words are our own “We had several girls unexpectedly bevoices, and we decided how dance come injured or sick, so we had to redo should be defined. Oddly the song all of our kick formations in just two has brought us together and has made short days. The fact that we were able competing more of a family matter,” to pull all of it off shows the strength and adaptability of our team,” said said Mckenzie Gurewitz (11).

The team and coach, Leslie Swiggum, Ashlyn Bunning (12).

With the obstacles they’ve overcome, grow to make every move better than the last. “Wayzata dance has always the girls prove that they can handle had a great reputation and we have the anything that is thrown their way. “We talent to continue that this year,” said need to believe in ourselves, trust one another and we will do the best that we Swiggum.

“Every day, we do our best to motivate can,” said Leah Kasner (9). each other and get better,” said Brooke

Photo by Naomi Liew

l

It has been an up and down start for the boys varsity hockey team thus far SENIOR STAFF WRITER as they currently sit with a record of @mjohnson_snn 4-3. Sophomore Max Zimmer is the points leader for the team followed by leading goal scorer Jack Sorenson.

“To this point I don’t think that we we have played to our potential,” said senior Alec Hemenway. “We haven’t been playing bad but the team and I know can be better.”

The team’s record doesn’t reflect their statistical dominance. The Trojans have been outshooting their opponents by 79 and are averaging 1.29 more goals per game. The most efficient part of Wayzata’s offense has been their ability to score on the power play. 33% of their goals have come from the power play and they score on 29.2% of their power play opportunities.

Defensively the Trojans have been very efficient. They haven’t allowed more than 3 goals in a game and they are holding the opposition to 1.71 goals per game. Wayzata’s power play kill has been impeccable as they have allowed only 1 goal in 26 attempts.

The Trojans previously lost a crucial Lake Conference game to Edina but they will have to opportunity to rebound with conference heating up in mid-January.

“The Lake conference is the toughest conference in the state again this year,” said head coach Pat O’Leary. “Our goal is to use the Lake conference schedule to prepare us for the Section 6 tournament.”

By MATT JOHNSON

THE TROJAN TRIBUNE

SPORTS 12

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

Going the extra mile The girl’s varsity basketball team is enduring a transition @HanaKassem year after losing ten seniors last season.

“It ’s been a hard start because we came into the season with only one returning varsity player,” said Leah Johnson (11).

“This is a season for improvement, and developing all the players for the future,” said Laura Palasek (11). “ We want to improve as much as possible while still having fun and enjoying the season.”

The girls plan to compete harder and more aggressively every game. The hard work we put into practice everyday pays off.

“This year we really just want to establish ourselves as a team that works really well together and gives 110% all the time,” said Johnson. “ We don’t have many girls with the height and strength that some of the other teams

By HANA KASSEM JUNIOR STAFF WRITER

Photo by Naomi Liew GIRLS BASKETBALL: Junior Lauren Houts protects the ball against her Burnsville opponent, who the Trojans lost to on December 12th 47-60.

Starting off strong The gymnastics team is off to a strong start @MsSadieBell this winter. The girls have a high skill level and ability to work as a team, according to head coach Carly Jackson.

“One of our team’s strongest skills is that we work together as a team,” Jackson said.

“Our goals this year are to be Lake Conference champions and Section 6AA champions again,” said Jackson.

“We are going to try to beat ourselves every meet and make it to state at the end of the season,” said senior captain Hannah Roth.

Captain Kasey McCarthy (12) said the team is working on their goals at all practices.

“To achieve our goals we have to work hard and stay healthy,” said captain Brenna Ruegg (12).

By SADIE BELL PHOTO EDITOR

“On our time off we have been trying bigger skills that we worked on over the summer. Our coach pushes us to go for skills, even if we’re scared,” said McCarthy.

Jackson said, “The team is going to take things day by day and not get ahead of ourselves.”

“Wayzata has been known for their execution for the past several years. The judges have always complimented us on that,” Jackson said.

“We are making sure to not lose points on little things. We are remembering to point our toes, perfect our landings and skills we already have,” McCarthy said.

“We can work on our confidence level.

We are confident in what we have, we just need to be more confident in our skills and when we are competing,” said Ruegg.

Roth said, “The team can improve by focusing mainly on just us as a team and not worrying about what other teams are

have.” However, one of our strengths is that we can shoot the ball really well. We won’t hesitate to knock down an open three,” said captain Stacy Siewert (12).

There are a variety of girls from different grade levels this year, and the lack of varsity experience has affected the team. “As a team, it ’s been hard to make our intensity and pace match that of the varsity games because we just aren’t used to that level of competition,” said Johnson.

Despite the various strengths and weaknesses the team holds, the girls have a built dynamic. “ We couldn’t have a better group of girls on the team this year,” said Siewert. “One of our favorite things to do after a Saturday morning practice or Friday home game is to go out to eat for some team bonding.”

“The coaches are all really nice and we have a lot of fun,” Palasek said, “but we get stuff done when its time to get down to work.”

doing.”

The team’s best events are beam and floor according to Jackson.

“Our season has been going very good thus far. Our first meet of the season [in December] was just an invitational. We did score a 142.85 that meet, but it’s an unofficial score.”

McCarthy said the highest possible score is 160. “They take the top four scores of each event and add them together. There are four events total and scored out of ten.”

“I was very proud of the team as a whole because our goal was to score a 142.

Although there were some falls and things we could improve on, I was very happy with the outcome of our first invitational,” Roth said.

“We got our highest score we have ever gotten at a first meet. Even though we didn’t compete with them, we scored higher than Roseville, who is considered the best in the state,” said McCarthy.

Though they are not in our conference, McCarthy said, “Roseville has been our

biggest competition in the past because they have been known to have a lot of skills.”

Jackson said Wayzata’s biggest competition this year are Eden Prairie, Roseville, Northfield and St. Cloud Tech.

McCarthy said, “Eden Prairie’s goal is to beat us in our conference, but we just want to do well for ourselves.”

As for their invitational on Saturday the 14th, McCarthy said, “We barely won by 0.4 points.”

“Austin got second place. They won Class Single A State last year and we are in Class AA,” said McCarthy.

McCarthy said there is a lot of depth to their team.

Ruegg said, “We have good team dynamic.

We try to bring the team together and bond. On Fridays before Saturday meets we always have carb ups to bring the team together.”

“The girls on JV can be interchanged with varsity, so even if someone was injured, we would be fine,” McCarthy said.”

Setting records The girls swim and JUNIOR STAFF WRITER dive team @HanaKassem made Trojan history at the state meet on November 20th, winning the MSHSL Class AA State Title.

The girls won with a final score of 275 points. The Lake Conference dominated, as Minnetonka came in second place with 232 points and Edina third with 221.

Seven school records were broken during the meet: the 200 Medley Relay that placed third, and the relay included Carly Quast (9), Madison Preiss (10), Alexis Schaaf (9), and Anna Petty (10). The 200 Free Relay placed second and was made up of Colleen Donlin (10), Quast (9), Sarah Lingen (10), and Anna Petty.

Individually, Donlin placed second in the 50 meter and third in the 100 meter, setting two new school records. Schaaf set a new school record by placing 10th in the 100 fly and Preiss placed second in the 100 breast setting another new school record.

Preiss also became the state champion in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:01.91.

Preiss was the only one to win an individual event, and was awarded Kare 11 Athlete of the Week.

The swim and dive team entered 24 events in the state preliminaries and 20 of them made it to the final portion of the meet. “It was very important to have as many events as we could make it to the finals during preliminaries. Our coach always tells us

By HANA KASSEM

that the meet is won in preliminaries, because only then you are guaranteed to earn points,” said captain Zoey Tu (12).

“We focused on getting as many people back to finals top eight and top sixteen on the night of prelims. Finals didn’t exist until prelims was over,” said Petty.

“Once Wednesday night came, all we had to do was go as fast as we could and try to move up in our heats. We wanted to be the loudest team on deck that night, and I think we succeeded. It was such an exciting night and the girls’ support for each other on this team was motivating and inspiring!”

“It was so cool that we won the meet by such a huge margin,” said Tu. The girls won by 43 points. “Last year we got second by only six points, and third place was only two points behind us. We were all dedicated and very team oriented and that was one of the keys to our success.

Our team environment is so positive and we’re all so supportive of each other, which is extremely important in such a physically and mentally stressful sport,” Tu said.

“When we were congratulated at the end of the meet, that was the best part,” said junior Haley Ruegemer. Going to practice everyday and interacting with the coaches and all of the fun personalities of the team were the best part of the season.

“I’ve been on the team since seventh grade and have never been so excited,” said junior diver Valerie Wollman. “We made history. My favorite part of the season was spending so much time with the dive team because we get so close and make practice

Photo by Thomas Franke Haley Ruegemer (11) swims at the state meet to contribute to their first place finish at Class AA State Meet at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center on November 20th.

fun.”

The girls always go into competitions with a humble attitude and ready to compete at their best. “Our team is really competitive, but we always go into meets with an underdog mindset. A lot of other teams are really cocky, but we stay humble and just try to swim and dive our best at every meet. By the end of the season, we just have to trust out training. All of us are such hard workers, so that really pays off in big meets when we’re tapered down and hyped up,” said Tu. “We set goals at the beginning of the season and put those goals into our practices every day,” Petty said. “We visualized our races and trained with the next upcoming meet in mind every week. Winning state was our biggest goal, and also winning True Team State and qualifying everyone into top eight at sections were important goals.”

“We were told that this year was supposed to be a rebuilding year because so many seniors left,” said Haley Ruegemer (11).

“That gave us the motivation to prove everyone wrong. Being the underdog also gave us the motivation to be the best.”

The team has come off stronger than ever this season and plans to keep up their winning streak next season. “We finished this season completely undefeated, so next year will definitely be a challenge with other teams trying to take us down. We have a very young team though with tons of talent, so I’m confident that they’ll be able to hold their own in the next few years even as upperclassmen graduate,” said Tu. “Most of us are training year round and are already back in the pool,” said Petty.

“We want to come back even stronger next year. We’re looking forward to next season, and I’m sure we’ll set new goals even higher than the past seasons.”