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ubicon April 2011 <volume XXXVIII issue VII> St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave. St. Paul, MN
The Senior Issue About the Cover: The St. Paul Academy and Summit School Senior Class of 2011 parties inside “Club Apollo 11,” the temporary nightclub they set up in Lilly Courtyard on Wednesday, April 20. The set-up included DJ lights and a fog machine.
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Welcome
Staff the rubicon
Editor in Chief Nadja Milena
Managing Editor Maddie Butler
Chief Visual Editor Joanna Mendelsohn
News Editor
Noah Shavit-Lonstein
Feature Co-Editors Rebecca Xu Henry Moyers
Sci/Tech Editor Allison Wang
Centerspread Editor Iman Jafri
Sports Editor Alex Smith
April 2011
Letter from the Editor
Spring, seniors, and songs... Welcome to the April issue! Seniors can count down the hours before they leave for Senior Projects. Juniors are about to take their rightful place at the top of the school. Sophomores are primed to take over the library and freshman are ready to be rising sophomores. April is not just the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It’s a weird transition time for everyone, but especially the Seniors. We’re still so involved in everything around us: sports, theater, music and academics (hopefully), and yet we’re also all totally “out of here,” as they say. Here are my three favorite things in this issue: 1. The story on our own Chef Simon Barrow and his cuisine-inspiring trip to Vietnam and Korea on Feature, page 6. 2. Senior Sports profiles in the form on Sports cards on page 15. Gotta catch ‘em all! 3. QR codes on Sci/Tech page 8. No idea what they are? Check it out and access our secret links to other things we’ve spotlighted for you in the issue! Maddie: Thanks for keeping it all together. 2011-12 Staff: I couldn’t be happier to see you take over the paper. Expect my subscription from college. P.S. check out our top editors current favorite bands. Staff favorites are on the back page!
It’s been surreal,
Op/Ed Editor Rachel Kinney
A&E Editor Kaia Wahmanholm
Satire Editor August King
Staff Writers
Saif Ahmed Taylor Billeadeau Ellie Fuelling Ibad Jafri Lucy Li Liz Rossman Nick Scott
Illustrator: Alicia Little
Adviser
Kathryn Campbell
Writing for Publications Randall Findlay, CJE
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the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue St. Paul, MN 55105 Memberships Minnesota High School Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Columbia Scholastic Press Association Awards JEM All-State Gold, 2004-2008 JEM All-State Silver, 2009-10 MHSPA Best in Show, 2004-2008, 2010 NSPA First Class with 3 marks of Distinction, 2010 CSPA Gold Medal, 2010
Nadja, Editor in Chief Beirut It’s difficult to choose the genre that Beirut, the band led by Zachary Francis Condon, fits into. There are horns, trumpets and accordions; chords blaring, almost clashing, always satisfying. There’ s synthy-pop, so light it’ s almost cute, but always with a little bit of grit towards the middle of the song. And then there are the ukuleles, drums, guitars -- the melancholy gypsy ballads that I always end up humming for days.
Maddie, Managing Editor Van Morrison I just really like Van Morrison. The attraction began when I was only a toddler – my mom would hum along to his music while driving me to preschool or the grocery store. To this day, “Sweet Thing” reminds me of my mother. The music is often relaxing, yet there is an energy behind his singing that makes it something more. My favorites are the songs like “T.B. Sheets,” where he just keeps going and going with the same lines but it’s just so good.
Joanna, Chief Visual Editor The Beach Boys Many kids start listening to Music by listening to The Beatles, but I started with the Beach Boys. I heard their song “God Only Knows” and from there bought their album Pet Sounds. I’ve listened to the album more times than I can count. They have music that is perfect for any time. Whether you’re happy, sad, or just in the mood for some really good tunes, The Beach Boys are great to listen to.
In this issue News............................................................................................................... 3-4 Feature............................................................................................................ 5-7 Sci-Tech ..............................................................................................................8 Spring Sports Preview..........................................................................................9 Centerspread.................................................................................................10-11 A&E.............................................................................................................12-14 Sports Cards ................................................................................................15-16 Satire..................................................................................................................17 Op/Ed...........................................................................................................18-19 RubiMail
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News
April 2011
Jeff Wolfsberg: The comic of narcotics
Q&A with the visiting educator during Upper School Chemical Health Week So what’s the goal: prevention or delay?
Photo Courtesy: jeffwolfsberg.com
In the photo above, Wolfsberg speaks at a conference in Conneticut. He works nationally to educate students about drug use. “I think drug ed is not a presentation, but a collaboration between me and the students,” he said. Wolfsberg was on campus in the week of April 11-15.
During the week of April 11, this reporter had the chance to sit down with nationally renowned drug educator Jeff Wolfsberg and ask him some questions about how and why he does what he does. This Q&A is a portion of the full interview which can be found online on The Rubicon’s Facebook page. Nadja Milena Editor in Chief
What will you be covering during your session this week? Jeff Wolfsberg: We’re going to talk about addiction, of course. I think that word is probably used so caus-
ally now in our culture that we’ve kind of lost sense of what it really means. Every once in a while I’ll be thumbing through magazines for video games and it’ll say, you know, “the most addicting game version ever” or “I’m addicted, I’m a chocoholic”… the word has become so watered down that I think we don’t really know what it means anymore. Addiction’s really a word I bring up, but we don’t spend a lot of time on it because for the most part, kids at this stage of life aren’t addicted, but they’re forming habits and starting a way of thinking about their use that could lead to addiction.
I think a lot of times drug ed programs focus on nonusers, and they focus on the gory details of addiction and homelessness, but they leave out this whole vast interesting middle space... trying to sort out, “what’s my relationship with chemicals?” How and why do you use humor to convey really serious messages to people? JW: I’m purposefully trying to make people uncomfortable in my class. There are some people that need to be made uncomfortable, because their relationship with drugs or alcohol is somewhat self deceptive.
JW: All the research tells us that drug education programs have very little effectiveness in stopping drinking before 21. I think what drug ed programs can do - there’s a lot of research that supports this - I think it can delay use. That’s good news, because one of the big indicators for addiction is age of first use. I think drug education programs can help kids who are smoking and drinking adopt behaviors that pose less of a risk. But that’s controversial, because the people... who don’t work in the profession say, “well that’s terrible; they’re still drinking,” but you have to know what you’re capable of. How has drug education changed over time? JW: What we’ve found is that every 10 years drug education goes through a sort of metamorphosis. In the 60s it was all scare tactics, and we still do that: “you’ll die, you’ll die, you’ll die, you’ll die.” You drive by certain high schools during drunk driving week and you see the mangled car on the front lawn, and that’s just a more nuanced way of trying to scare people. It has some limited success. There are kids that look at that and say, “I don’t want to end up
in that car,” but now we understand that that [fear] only works on kids that don’t drink or get high already. In the 70’s people were like “These kids need information,” so everything was very factual: “Here’s what cocaine is; here’s what it does to your body.” And we just found that we had rehabs filled with very well informed people. We thought it was as simple as “Oh, they do cocaine and weed because they don’t know.” And that’s just not the case. How effective do you think you are in making people reevaluate their relationship with chemicals? JW: I think there’s too much emphasis in education on results, the idea of, if you can’t measure it, nothing happened. I think there’s a value, in drug education, for people to sit down for four days and just have thoughtful, connected conversations. I’ll get e-mails from sophomores and juniors in college who say, “Hey, Mr. Wolfsberg We talked a few years ago, can we connect? I’m having issues with family, myself, roommate...” Whatever it might be. So where does the measurement of the intervention you did for them years ago end? I don’t think it does end.
Flinsch-Garrison turns page to new career New assistant librarian has worked with Pompeii murals, outdoor education, prints Noah Shavit-Lonstein “The library is a tool that News Editor gives a lot of people what they need,” said Elizabeth FlinschGarrison, St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s new Library Assistant. In today’s research world, students are increasingly turning to the internet for information. In the midst of major changes in libraries everywhere, some people question the usefulness of libraries. “I’ve been asked, ‘why do libraries still need to exist?’” Flinsch-Garrison said. “To me, a library is much more than what’s in the walls.” Flinsch-Garrison is currently studying Library Science at St. Catherine’s University. After completing her education, she hopes to continue to work as a school librarian. She notes that she’s glad she started her studies now, when libraries are making changes for the internet era. Library Science is Flisnsch-Garrison’s third career; she worked in outdoor education, attending and
working at Camp Widjiwagan, a camp she also attended as a teen. She liked that it combined her two favorite things (wilderness and working with children), even if “on cold and rainy days, I’d have to convince six 12-yearold girls that they were having a really good time. Before coming to SPA, her love of art led her to a career as Education and Community Programs Director at the Highpoint Center for Print Making. But, she said, all of her interests eventually led her to the library. For example, during her time at University of Wisconsin- Madison, Flinsch-Garrison worked at a local art museum. “That brought out the side of me [that likes] archiving materials, and looking at how materials are collected over time.” Her interest in Library Science was furthered when she worked with plaster murals, or frescoes, from Pompeii that visited Madison’s Chazen Museum. “I started to understand what goes into
taking care of objects that are that old,” she said. “We learn from the successes and challenges of the past.” Still, one might ask, what is the continued use of libraries? Flinsch-Garrison argued that the internet does not make book sources defunct. In fact, she said, libraries are possibly more important now than before the free-information age. “The library has to be able to help teach [students] how to weed out information [and] be critical of the sources.” Flinsch-Garrison was suprised at the use of SPA’s library as a social area: “It gives it a kind of liveliness.” Still, she wishes that more middle schoolers would visit, as currently “it seems like a scary space for them.” So far, Flinsch-Garrison has been busy learning people’s names and writing reading suggestions. She enjoys the atmosphere of the school. “Everybody who passes by introduces themselves, which is very nice, being the new kid on the block, anyway,” she said.
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Newsbrief Election Results Upper School Council: President – Daniel Porter V. P. – Hagop Toghramadjian Secretary – Hannah Johnson Treasurer – Grace Albertson Discipline Committee: Chair – Dylan Perese Student Activities Committee: Co-Presidents – Danny Foussard & CJ Whitaker Secretary – Claire Flom-Staab Treasurer – Drew Whitaker Elections for student representatives to each committee will be held on Monday, May 9. Students interested in running for USC, SAC, or DC should pick up a petition outside the Dean’s office.
SADD hosts distracted driving assembly Jane and Dan Phillips shared the story of their daughter Kelly and her death at an assembly hosted by the Students Against Destructive Decisions group. Kelly was killed in a car accident the fall of her senior year; the driver was texting, speeding, and focused on her friends instead of the road, according to reports from the one survivor of the accident. Students in the US listened silently and left the Monday assembly on April 18 with no articulated questions but showed their appreciation for the Phillips’ story with long bursts of applause. SADD brought the couple to campus as a kick-off to SADD Week.
Wood publishes poem
Submitted Photo: Elizabeth Flinsch-Garrison
Elisabeth Flinch-Garrison has worked in the past as a counselor at Camp Widgiwagan, because “it had a huge impact on me as an adolescent, in terms of learning to work as a team, learning my strenghts, and just love for the wilderness.“
Sophomore Sam Wood’s poem, “Nightshade” has been selected as a National Winner in the American High School Poets Just Poetry!!! contest. Wood’s poem will appear in National Poetry Quarterly, a literary magazine, distributed later this spring. The contest is sponsored by the Live Poets Society of New Jersey, an organization designed “…to provide a forum for young poets to showcase their work and to make their voices heard through their poetry,” according to its web site.
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News
April 2011
Students feel effects of Japanese tragedy Nook,
Credit: Noah Shavit-Lonstein
Students built paper cranes and donated them to a program that sends $2 to Japanese earthquake relief for each crane. SPA made over four thousand dollars.
F l a s h b a ck Rebecca Xu to March 11, Feature Co-Editor the Friday before spring break. Students and faculty say their farewells as they prepare for a peaceful, relaxing, twoweek departure. However, just before St. Paul Academy and Summit School began its period of respite, a disaster occurred in another sphere of the world. On Friday, March 11 at 2:46 p.m. Tokyo time, an earthquake erupted near the coast of Sendai, Japan. Skyscrapers collapsed, 30 feethigh tidal waves drenched the city, and hundreds of lives were lost. The 8.9 magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami not only eradicated buildings, but spread turmoil throughout the country. Two nuclear plants were on the verge of radiation leaks, the economy plummeted, and many families were separated. Then on April 7, Japan faced more devastating news. A magnitude-7.1 aftershock shook up northeastern Japan. Just as Japan began its road to recovery, the number of deaths continued to increase and a million homes lost their electricity. A week after Japan’s first disaster, radiation plumes were report-
ed to have crossed the Pacific Ocean. Faint traces of radiation from Fukushima’s nuclear plants were detected in Sacramento, California. However, the plume’s radiation was diluted along its long journey to the United States, and didn’t pose any health risks. This is different from the radiation situation in Japan. Many Japanese have taken extra dosages of potassium iodine as a precaution because itsaturates the thyroid gland with iodine so that the gland does not absorb any radioactive iodine. Sendai is 8,528 miles away from St. Paul. Earth’s largest ocean lies in between the two cities. It almost feels like Japan, the natural disasters, and the chaos exist in another world; a world far removed from SPA’s relaxing spring break. But Japan’s disaster is closer to home than many think. Junior Hannah Ross’s aunt, uncle, and cousin live on Mount Myoko, an area west of Sendai. Although Ross’s extended family wasn’t directly affected by the initial shock of the disaster, there’s still the threat of avalanches in the area. So far, Ross hasn’t been able to contact her relatives. “I’m operating on the assumption that no news is
good news and that if something detrimental happens they will contact us, but are still living life as normally as they can,” she said. “Still, I can’t actually bring myself to read about the unfolding disasters.” Samuel and Matthew are in 8th and 6th grade, respectively. Every summer, their family visits her extended family in Japan. Due to current conditions, these trips may have to be postponed. This disaster marked the strongest earthquake and tsunami recorded in Japan’s history. The government is estimating thousands of casualties. With cell phone lines down and means of transportation obstructed, communication with Japanese families has become difficult. Intercultural club and Service Learning jointly worked on a project that encouraged Upper School advisories to fold paper cranes on Tuesday, April 5. For each paper crane made, two dollars were donated to the Japan relief
closed due to flooding during the middle of April. Most river levels peaked during two flood crests, which are the maximum river flood levels. According
to the National Weather Service (NWS), major rivers like the Mississippi, Minnesota, and St. Croix River would be undergoing second flood crests in April that were even
higher than their initial crests in late March/early April. To counter these floods, levees and sandbags have been used to keep water from encroaching too far
Students made 2,346 cranes over several weeks.
Ilustrations Credit: Alicia Little & Maddie Butler
Service Learning responds with paper-crane donations
fund sponsored by the Students Rebuild organization. E-mails were sent out to each adviser with an instructional video of how to construct paper cranes. “Paper cranes represent
Together, Upper school advisories sent a total of $4,692 dollars to relief efforts in Japan, far past their $4,000 goal. hope or charity and tie open the theme of origami in Japan,” Service Learning President Sinan Goral said. Cranes are considered sacred creatures in Japanese culture. According to legend, a wish will be granted for every thousand paper cranes made.
Record snowfall leads to floods on Mississippi This spring, high floods are expected to cover Minnesota from the Fargo-Mankato area to the lower Mississippi region. However, it’s hard to predict just how much flooding there will be. Generally, faster temperature rises and more precipitation equates to higher crests, according to a National Weather Service flood update. Rivers this year have come close to record levels in many areas around Minnesota. The Red River has reached its fourth highest level in Fargo and the Mississippi River has reached its eighth highest level in St. Paul. The National Weather Service has also labeled the St. Paul location on the Mississippi River an area of major flooding since its levels have surpassed 17 feet. These levels have been a problem for some commuters traveling along the Mississippi River. In particular, MN 101 near Shakopee was Allison Wang Sci/Tech Editor
Map Credit: NOAA
Around April 14, the day this map represents, The NOAA declared “major flooding” (purple) for the cities of St. Paul and Montevideo, Minnesota. St. Paul is near but no longer in flood stage (yellow); Montevideo is now moderately flooded (red).
upon land. Although levees aren’t enforced by a statewide agency, local communities can build these based on their need. According to NWS Twin Cities Service Hydrologist Diane Cooper, several communities throughout St. Paul have been utilizing levees. Sandbags can also be used in flood control. When water (along with the debris that it carries) flows into the sandbags, clay and silt gets stuck in the porous holes of sand, allowing less water to pass through. Because the sandbag blocks off more water as the sand becomes heavier and muddier with particles, sandbagging has become a formidable tool for flood control. According to Cooper, flooding season is probably not over. It may even extend into early May. “Soils are still very wet and rivers are running high... until we can dry out the system, rainfall could further aggravate the flooded areas,” she said.
popular burger shop, to reopen In 2008, they were voted as one of “The Best Restaurants for All-American Food” by the Minneapolis monthly magazine. That same year, Minnesota Monthly dubbed them “the best burgers in Minnesota.” The Nook, located at the intersection of Hamline and Randolph, has provided the residents of Saint Paul with great burgers, fries and malts since 1938. Although the Nook has been closed since December 14, it is scheduled to re-open soon, according to their website. At 3 a.m. on December 14, a call was made to the fire station. A resident living in the upstairs section of the Nook who had smelled smoke coming from downstairs. Due to large amounts of snow blocking the fire hydrants, firefighters took longer than usual to put the flames which poured from the kitchen. The cause of the fire is unknown, but a cooler malfunction in the kitchen might have started the flames. Whatever the reason, the Nook closed down, set to reopen a few months later. The Nook’s closure was met with disappointment from SPA students. Junior Danny Foussard ate at the Nook occasionally and was disappointed to learn that he would no longer be able to order his favorite item. “The Juicy Lucy is top notch,” Foussard said. Juniors Sophia Myers- Kelley and Lexi Taylor also enjoyed the Nooks delicious greasy burgers. Myers- Kelley ate at the Nook once every two weeks; she loved the cheese curds. Taylor enjoyed the Nook Burger. Although disheartened, all three students look forward to the Nook’s re-opening and the changes it may bring. “[I expect] big things” Foussard said. “I heard that they were going nationwide.” Both Taylor and Myers- Kelley look forward to more available space within the Nook. Myers- Kelley notes that “more room would be helpful.” The Nook’s re-opening signifies the re-establishment of one of RanHam’s greatest icons. Their famous burgers will once again become available to the community that once depended on their food. Henry Moyers Feature Co-Editor
Feature
April 2011
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What is the secret to Senior Project?
Seniors prepare for spring opportunities outside of school If you have ever wanted to try glass blowing, running a yoga studio, or practicing law, now’s the time. That is, if you are a senior. The Senior Project is a great opportunity for seniors to try what they are passionate about outside of school. “It’s a way for students to, on their own, pursue greater understanding in something they are really interested in,” said Senior Project Committee Head Anne Shimkus. “It provides many of them with a way to make some real concrete contacts outside of the school, whereas so many of their contacts are inside of school.” RACHEL KINNEY Op/Ed Editor
Senior Project Guidelines
Monday 5/16/11
8:30-9 Drive to 9-9:30 9:30-10
10:30-11 11-11:30 11:30-12 12-12:30 12:30-1
Step 1: The Search The month of May is dedicated to the Senior Project, an opportunity for seniors to get out of the SPA bubble and pursue their interests in a career field of their choice. However, the student does not necessarily have to be interested in holding a future career in that field. Seniors began the process in February, filling out a proposal for the activities they want to carry out during the project. The proposal must fit the guidelines each senior got in February, which includes at least 27 hours per week of activities, 12 hours total of volunteering, and a career awareness interview with someone practicing in that career area. The project must have a focus activity on which the senior spends at least 16 hours per week, and must be independent of the SPA campuses. The focus activity must be a “structured learning activity that is consistent with the mission of the school,” according to the Senior Project Guidelines.
Wednesday 5/18/11
8-8:30
10-10:30
27 hours of total activity per week (includes at least 16 hours of internship) 12 hours of community service 1 career awareness interview
Tuesday 5/17/11
1-1:30 1:30-2
Internship Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital LUNCH LUNCH Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital
2-2:30 Observe at 2:30-3 3-3:30 3:30-4 4-4:30 4:30-5 5-5:30
Hospital Drive back to SPA Track and Field Practice Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field
Drive to Internship Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital LUNCH LUNCH Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Community ServiceFeed my Starving Children Community Service Community Service Community Service Community Service Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field
Drive to Internship Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital LUNCH LUNCH Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital
Observe at Hospital Drive to SPA Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field
Thursday 5/19/11 7:45 Required Senior Meeting, Breakfast & Yearbook Dedication
Drive to Internship Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital LUNCH LUNCH Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Community ServiceFeed my Starving Children Community Service Community Service Community Service Community Service Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field
Friday 5/20/11
Drive to Internship Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital LUNCH LUNCH Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital Observe at Hospital
Observe at Hospital Drive to SPA Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field
Illustration Credit: Henry Moyers
A large part of senior project is the proposal form. Included in this is the daily schedule that seniors must create to keep track of activity hours. The internship, community service and additional activities must be included here.
Step 4: The Decision Step 2: The Proposal
When seniors have finished their projects, they must be evaluated by the Senior Project Committee to see if the seniors have done what their proposal said they would. In addition, internship supervisors must give evaluations of how the student is doing. Seniors carry out a 20 minute interview with the committee, which will then decide whether the student passes or fails. A failed project usually means the student did not fulfill the requirements. Either the student would receive a blank certificate at graduation or, if there is a severe diversion from guidelines, the student will not be able to attend graduation. A failed project means the student would have to make up time in the summer to complete the project.
Because students have known about the Senior Project ever since the beginning of high school, many already know what they want to do for their project. Others find a project on their own by researching potential activities that would fulfill the requirements. “We also solicit internships from friends of the school,” said Shimkus. This means seniors are given a packet with a list of possible internships SPA community members such as parents and alumni are willing to provide for seniors at their workplace. It includes contact information and a brief statement about what that internship is.
Step 3: The Approval Once seniors have completed their project proposals, they have to be approved by the Senior Project Committee, which is comprised of 24 seniors, 15 faculty members, and College Counselor Jill Apple, Dean of Students Judy Cummins, and Shimkus. Seniors then carry out their project during the month of May, leaving the Upper School with 25% fewer students and allowing the juniors to take over as the oldest students in the school.
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Feature
April 2011
Simon says: it is time for a new menu Taher Chef Simon Barrow tests new recipes from his trip to Korea and Vietnam An elderly Vietnamese woman lifts a clear glass teaming with some strange concoction. She offers it to him with a smile. He and his friends stare at the five-gallon bucket next to her, containing whiskey and what appear to be two panda bear paws. They ask what it is for. Are they supposed to drink this? Or possibly use it to disinfect their toothbrushes? They decide to drink it, after all, trying new foods is the reason they came to Vietnam in the first place. He takes a sip, his throat burning as the acrid drink slides down his throat. Apparently its use is mainly medicinal. Along with panda paw whiskey, buncha, a noodle and pork dish and bahmi, a Vietnamese sandwich were all new cuisines Executive Chef Simon Barrow tasted on his recent trips to Korea and Vietnam. Barrow travelled through the countryside of Hanoi, Vietnam for five days and Seoul, Korea for three, going out of the way to find new recipes for the St. Paul Academy and Summit School kitchen. “Taher, the company I work for, has a group they call the Chef ’s Council,” Barrow said. This group travels all over the world. “It was a huge honor to go along with these guys,” Barrow said. Barrow was one of these lucky few, and he joined the owner of Taher and other chefs in a week-long expedition, learning about the culture and cuisine. “What we do is we try all the different food, experience the culture and cuisine and then we come back and try to recreate all these recipes,” Barrow said. ELLIE FUELLING Staff Writer
Students can look forward to seeing these new recipes in the SPA kitchen. Barrow hopes to add buncha, bahnmi, and pho, a noodle soup, to the lunch menu. He also improved recipes he has already tried here, including beef bugogi and kimchi. Barrow brought back knowledge of the area as well. “Bahnmi is on a French baguette,” he said, “the French were a huge influence on the Vietnamese people. They were there for over a hundred years. It’s interesting to see French influence in Vietnamese cooking.” During his time in Korea and Vietnam, Barrow was intent on immersing himself in the culture. “We like to go off the beaten track, to places where there are no tourists at all. We’re not going to eat at McDonald’s, we’re going to eat what the Vietnamese people eat,” he said. Even though Korea and Vietnam are relatively close compared to Minnesota, halfway across the globe, Barrow explains that their cultures are distinctly different. In Korea, “everything’s built up more.” Korea is more westernized with restaurants, supermarkets and a city feel. In Vietnam, life is quieter, simpler, with more storefronts and a notable lack of supermarkets. He adds that traffic laws in Vietnam were rarely obeyed: “Everybody’s on a scooter, weaving in and out of traffic, it was nuts.” This trip increased Barrow’s appreciation for Vietnamese and Korean cuisine, and he hopes to bring that enthusiasm back to SPA. “I learned a lot about the culture and a lot about the food,” he said. So be on the lookout for new foods on the lunch menu, they bring with them stories and experiences from around the world.
Stir Fried Noodles with Bean Sprouts: 1 Tbsp. Vegetable Oil 1 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Cilantro 1 Small Yellow Onions, Thinly sliced Fresh Ground Black Pepper 4 Garlic Cloves, Minced 1 Cup Fresh Bean Sprouts 6 oz. Clear Noodles, Soaked for 30 minutes in hot water, drained and cut into 3 inch strips 1/2 cup chicken stock (or vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian) 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce 2 Green Onions, Sliced Thin 1. Heat the oil over high heat in a sauté pan, add the yellow onion and garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes, until the edges start to turn brown. 2. Add the bean sprouts and stir fry another 30 seconds. Add the noodles and stir fry for 1 minute. 3. Add the stock and soy sauce, and toss to combine. 4. Remove from heat and stir in the green onions. 5. Serve on a platter and garnish with the chopped cilantro and fresh ground pepper.
A chef’s new kitchen hails a new start Taher Chef Simon Barrow remodels kitchen through a reality television show Some argue that the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house. One person who would probably agree with this statement is Executive Chef Simon Barrow. Barrow will be getting some much needed changes to his kitchen by the DIY Network show I Hate My Kitchen, allowing him to prepare food in the space he deserves. I Hate My Kitchen is a reality television show that takes old kitchens and remodels them into brand new kitchens with elegant designs and more economically friendly appliances. Official remodeling began April 8, and construction is expected to last one month. The episode will air sometime in the fall. “My house has been going through a series of remodelings.” Barrow said. He continues, “My fiSAIF AHMED Staff Writer
ancée saw an advertisement about the DIY show I Hate My Kitchen and we decided to apply. The acceptance process was long, but I am glad that we got it.” Many of the kitchen appliances are going to be eco-friendlier than the appliances Barrow has currently. Even though the remodel is being done by the DIY Network, the recipients of the remodel are expected to pay for some of the work as well. According to Barrow, the entire kitchen will be torn down and everything will be replaced. Throughout the process, Barrow is expected to appear on camera to talk about how he feels about the progress. Along with Barrow’s experiences in Asia, a new kitchen will bring new changes to his life, as well as the community he works in.
All Photos Courtesy: Simon Barrow
Taher Executive Chef Simon Barrow awaits for the Do It Youself Network to remodel his kitchen. “My fiancée saw an advertisement about the DIY show I Hate My Kitchen and we decided to apply. The acceptance process was long, but I am glad that we got it,” Barrow said.
Feature
April 2011
7
Creating fashion photography
Claire Larkins and Zina Pigorev share their collaborative experiences in photography and fahsion The life of a photographer Senior Claire Larkins loves taking photos. She began taking pictures in a photography class at MCAD (Minneapolis College of Art and Design), and fell in love with it. Soon after, she began taking Photography at St. Paul Academy and Summit School. However, Larkins doesn’t only know how to take photographs. “I draw occasionally, I do some computer art like graphic design stuff as well,” Larkins said. This past year, Larkins has taken many students’ senior pictures, such as Zina Pigorev’s, and gotten paid for it. “I’m proud that other people have recognized my photos and asked me to take pictures of them,” she said. TAYLOR BILLEADEAU Staff Writer
Strutting down the runway Senior Zina Pigorev began modeling at age fourteen. “The first big show I did was for Alterna Hair Products, which was when I had to cut like 10 inches of my hair off,” she said. “I went to Latino Fashion Week in Chicago, which was fun. It featured a bunch of local designers from the city. I did a Saks Fifth Avenue show too. They aren’t really big shows in the Minneapolis area because there is only so much to do. I’d rather do pictures than shows,” Pigorev said. She thinks shows are much harder now because she doesn’t fit the height requirement. Designers make a test size of their runway clothing usually to fit girls around 5 ft 8 in. Zina is only 5 ft 6 in. Even with her height disadvantage, Pigorev has had a successful modeling career. However, she doesn’t know if she wants modeling to play a role in her future. TAYLOR BILLEADEAU Staff Writer
All Photos Courtesy: Claire Larkins
Seniors Claire Larkins (top left) and Zina Pigorev work together to complete their art portfolios.
When fashion and photography meet TAYLOR BILLEADEAU Staff Writer
During their senior year, Pigorev and Larkins collaborated in fashion photography. It all started this fall. They both needed photos for their port-
folios. Both of them appreciate each other’s eye for art and style. Larkins loves using Pigorev as a model because she is willing to do what Larkins wants in her pictures. “[Pigorev] looks good when I take pictures of her. She knows what looks good in pictures,” Larkins said. Pigorev agrees, saying that Larkins has amazing talent for photography. “The thing that I like about Claire is that she has a very creative eye. When she’s shooting, she knows exactly what she wants,” Pigorev said. Larkin’s says she’s glad that people have recognized her photos and have asked her to provide photos of them as well. Pigorev’s greatest accomplishment includes an international opportunity. “I was offered a contract in Korea last year for three months, but I had to turn it down because it was during the school year. It was a proud moment because it was cool and in a different country, but I couldn’t take advantage of it,” Pigorev said. Larkins wants to continue with art and photography, but Pigorev doesn’t know how far she’ll go with modeling. She mentioned how she would rather get into the Miami market, where things are more relaxed. “It’s very beachy, I don’t like the high fashion stuff. I like the relaxed style, but I don’t really plan on taking it that far.” Pigorev said. Although Larkins and Pigorev’s days together at SPA are numbered, their work and friendship will continue on.
8 QR codes become more common and advertised Science & Tech
They’re found on Lucy Li adver tisements, Staff Writer signs, paintings, business cards, and even in cemeteries. And they are becoming more widespread. Their use has increased 1,200% during the last half of 2010, according to Mobio Identity Systems. But what are they, and how could they have caused such a hype? They are QR (Quick Response) codes and, when scanned, they reveal more information about an item, show special offers for products, or give a link to a web site. Like a barcode, a QR code shows up on flat surfaces and are processed with a scanner. Unlike a barcode, which can only hold information in one direction, QR codes hold information both horizontally and vertically. They can be read in any direction by finding the three orientation squares in the corners. Because of this kind of structure, they can hold up to over four thousand numbers and letters and take less space. QR codes come from Japan and were invented by Denso-Wave, a
company that manufactures industrial robots and barcode scanners. The larger the QR code is, the easier it is to scan. Smart phones can capture a picture of the code and use decoding software to reveal its data. Decoding software apps include, Upcode on a Blackberry, Barcode Scanner on a Droid, or Qrafter on an iPhone. A QR code requires a “quiet zone” around it, according to Kerem Erkan, the creator of the app Qrafter and a popular online QR code generator. These quiet zones allow scanners to detect the corners of the black figures or the code. “Without the quiet zone, scanner devices will not be able to detect the three orientation squares on three corners, and fail to scan the code,” he said in an e-mail. A QR code can also fail to work if it’s too small, unclear, or not black and white. “People stylize them giving various shapes and distorting them,” Erkan said. QR codes are the next step in linking the real and virtual world. For example, a code on an advertisement in a magazine can lead
How to scan your QR codes
Notable QR Readers: - KAYWA reader - Mobile Tag - Up Code - Lynkee Reader Image Credits: - Scan Life motorola.com, - Snap Maze apple.com, - Nokia Reader samsung.com - Neo Reader
April 2011
Illustration Credit: Allison Wang
to a web site online. “They are even used for mobile payment,” Erkan said. “Your options are limitless.” In a way, QR codes act as shortcuts between actions. A QR code on a contact or business card can allow the information to be immediately added to someone’s address book, while other QR codes can let someone e-mail or text you. “These are just the tip of the iceberg,” Erkan said. QR codes are changing the marketing world, too. 72% of smartphone users claim to likely remember ads with QR codes than ones without, according to a survey conducted by advertisement agency MGH. With its growing popularity, QR codes can hide in the strangest places. “The most unusual place I saw was the pavement of some guy’s garage. It could be seen via Google Maps and could also be decoded,” Erkan said. Other weird places to find them include tattoos, paintings by Fabrice de Nola, and a waffle made by the hacker space NYC Resistor.
Make your own QR code Nicholas Scott Staff Writer
Creating a QR code is easy. Follow these four steps to make QR link to a web site.
STEP 1: Go to Google in your web browser and search for “QR code generator.”
STEP 2: Click on the link that reads “qrcode.kaywa.com.”
STEP 3: Type in the URL that you want to generate a code for.
STEP 4: Copy the embed-ready code and post it (on Facebook or a blog, etc) or just copy the QR code itself to a Word document and print it off. Photo Credits: Nicholas Scott
Phones supported: - Apple - Samsung - Motorola - Nokia - Sony Errikson - BlackBerry - Android source: mobile-barcodes.com
Image Credit: reader.kaywa.com
QR history: a compilation of the major events leading up to QR’s success
Illustration Credit: Allison Wang
9 2011 Spring Sports Preview Sports
April 2011
Girls’ Lacrosse become more competitive with new coach Upper School Chemistry teacher Beth Seibel-Hunt is the new head coach for the girl’s lacrosse team which, like the girls hockey team, co-ops with Visitation. Don’t expect her to pull out the periodic table when drawing up a play: Seibel-Hunt has some big time experience playing lacrosse at Dartmouth in college. “I think we are definitely more competitive with her as our coach,” Alex Smith Sports Editor
Photo Credit: Maddie Butler
Senior captain Carter Peterson (right) believes the season will be a success if people “buckle down, get serious and just go for it.”
said junior Kristen Knutuzen, who also believes that Seibel-Hunt being a teacher here at SPA is a definite plus, because she understands the academic workload, and how sports fit into a student’s life. There has also been an increase in Spartan participation this year, which Knutzen believes is a good thing, “because with more kids from SPA on the team, it feels like it is more of a team,” Knutzen said.
Boys’ Tennis plan to continue their tradition of success
Track Teams sprinting to finish line With all of the team’s state runners returning graduated, one would think this would be a down year. But Senior captain Carter Peterson thinks otherwise. “Last year we did all right, I think we can do better,” said Peterson, “We have the potential to do well, people just need to buckle down. People just need to get serious and go for it. And I think if we do that, we can go far,” said Peterson. Alex Smith Sports Editor
The boys team did well last year, with a 5-3 record and placing 4th in conference. They hope to continue to improve this season. They have a few younger members joining the junior varsity team, but hope they will learn to step up
While the team doesn’t have any of the state participants coming back to run, in last year’s graduate Ben Greenwald, they have one coming back to coach. Peterson said while it was a little weird at first having a former teammate and friend of yours be your coach, the team has gotten used to it and he has been helpful. Meanwhile, on the girls track team, leading the way are seniors Kristina Kramarczuk and Ambrosia Smith.
in the future when their many seniors depart for college. They have had pretty successful seasons in the past and with the leadership from senior captains James Adams, Bobby Whitaker, and Conor Dowdle, the team strives to make the upcoming season their best so far.
With key players returning to the team from last year, such as senior captains Zachary Mohring, Max Hommeyer and John Hill, as well as some younger fresh faces with a boatload of potential, like freshman Mason Mohring, the boy’s tennis team looks to continue its long standing tradition of excellence. “It is going be similar to last year,” five year varsity player junior Birk Mitau anticipates. “The three strong teams that we play are Breck, Blake, and Rochester.” Mitau expects that Rochester is the team SPA will play in the section finals and that should they beat Rochester, they will most likely go on to play Blake or Breck. “Obviously we are going to take it one match at a time,” Mitau said. “But those three matches [against Breck, Blake and Rochester] during the regular season, and then possibly in the post season are the ones we definitely need to focus especially hard on.” Alex Smith Sports Editor
Senior heavy Boy’s Golf putts for par Taylor Billeadeau Staff Writer
Photo Credit: Alex Smith
Number seven, junior Kristen Knutzen says new head coach, Beth Seibel-Hunt is making the team more competitive.
Photo Credit: Alex Smith
Looking to continue their long standing tradition of excellence, five year varsity player, junior Birk Mitau believes this year is a lot like last year where the Spartans key competition comes from Breck, Blake and Rochester.
Girls’ Golf tees off aiming for early success on the green The girls golf team has had many younger members join this season with a lot of potential. Last year, they placed 8th at conference with senior captain Isabella Dougherty receiving an all-conference honorable mention Taylor Billeadeau Staff Writer
award. Also, at sections, five members individually moved on to the second round of sections. They were 1-4 last season and hope to improve this year and are excited about their new players. “We have a lot of natural talent on the team this year; I’m ex-
cited to see how the younger kids develop their swings and how they’ll contribute to the team,” said Dougherty. Helping out Dougherty with her important leadership responsibilities, are assistant team captains, senior Taylor Billeadeau and junior Maulika Kohli
Spartan Softball’s motto of Kaizen promotes growth Photo Credit: Alex Smith
Sophomore Danny O’Shea’s home run against Humboldt high school in the team’s home opener is an example of the team’s boatload of young talent. The Spartans have the depth for the future and the talent for the present.
Spartan Baseball has premier talent With a veteran pitching staff, headed by seniors Chris Pichert, Gabe Mast and John Micevych, backed behind an experienced catcher in senior Alex Petronio and an infield led by sophomore Matt Fiedler at short stop, the excitement for Spartan baseball is in full bloom this spring. The only question lies in the outfield where a new cast of underclassmen and senior Sam Dicke are replacing a trio of former seniors headlined by former center fielder Santano Rosario. However Micevych is confident Alex Smith Sports Editor
in their growth and believes they will continue to develop. In the home opener against Humboldt High School Mast was the starting pitcher and sophomore Danny O’Shea was at first base. During the game O’Shea hit a home run, while Mast finished up with a quality start. Keep in mind, when Mast isn’t pitching, he is usually holding it down at first. With a boatload of both young and old talent, the Spartans have the depth for the future and the talent for the present. As of press time the Spartans are 5-1 and are on a five game winning streak.
Photo Credit: Alex Smith
“We need to get out of innings where we make a lot of errors and learn to put errors behind us and move forward strong,” junior Anna Olson said.
Considering how young the team is, it makes sense the teams motto this year is “Kaizen,” Alex Smith Sports Editor
the Japanese word that describes a philosophy of continuous development. According to the softball team’s
catcher, junior Anna Olson, the biggest improvement she has seen in the team is in the way they play as a team. “In our games, it’s not just individuals playing out there on the field, this year it is everybody, it’s a team effort,” said Olson who also said one of the teams greatest strength is its well-built team dynamic. Every sports team wants to decrease the number of errors made in a game, for the Softball team, this includes learning how to get past errors once they’ve already been made. Olson sees this as key. “We need to get out of innings where we make a lot of errors and learn to put errors behind us and move forward strong,” Olson said. With the motto of Kaizen guiding the Spartans throughout the year, this young team will continue to develop and improve.
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centerspread
The Seniors’ Speech
Tips for your senior speech
2010-11: The Year in Speeches “I’m excited about my job every week.” Tom Fones thinks of himself as a lucky man, and while his job may seem stressful, he wouldn’t have it any other way. As the coordinator of St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s Senior Speech program, he has the unique opportunity to connect with every student who graduates from this school while collaborating on and supervising over their respective senior speech processes. Due to his experience, Fones notices speeches in a way few other individuals can. It is undeniable that he has noticed key differences between this year’s speeches and speeches of old. “There’s a little less humor in speeches this year,” Fones said. “I think there have been a few more speeches that are about the school -- about peoples’ experiences in school -- and fewer speeches about national or international politics.” Reasons for such changes in subject matter can be attributed not only to an intellectually diverse group of students unlike any other, but to a rapidly changing zeitgeist which can inspire varying thoughts in the minds of the public. But Fones certainly has no regrets or qualms when looking at this year’s speeches on a larger scale. “I think [this year’s speeches] reflect the personality of the class, and I think this class has generally done a good job of presenting themselves as people and letting [the audience] see them as people and I think that might make them stand out a little more than other classes. We’ve seen sides of their personality in ways that they think and feel maybe even more than other classes,” said Fones, who thinks that working with more serious topics requires a certain style which varies from the usual way in which one might collaborate on a speech. “When someone is really putting themselves out there in terms of their personal thoughts, their personal life, you want to be really careful in working with them so that they show themselves accurately and they’re not giving a misleading view [of themselves].” Senior Stephanie Hill looks back upon this year’s speeches with fondness. “I feel like speeches from this year are a lot cleverer than those from years past, but every year has a good slew of speeches,” Hill said. Hill is satisfied with the student introductions to speeches from this year, stating “I think that the introductions have been more considerate of the SPA community and haven’t been limited to just inside jokes within the class of 2011.” Senior Addie Colton held a slightly different viewpoint on the matter and said that “A lot of [the introductions] are inside jokes, but they’re generally different depending on the person, and that’s how it’s always been.” Other seniors see no more than minor differences when attempting to draw conclusions from this year’s speeches, as exemplified by Senior Zachary Rice’s statement, “I don’t think [the speeches] have [been different] really. Each person just creates a speech according to his or her own personality, and I don’t think that that’s a pattern that’s really changed over the years.” Senior Jackson Evert seconded this opinion, saying, “the speeches from our senior year have more to do with who we are as a class, but I don’t think are any fundamental differences [the speeches of] our year and those of years past.” All varying thoughts aside, Fones is certainly content with the experience he has had in helping create memorable speeches from this year and others. For him, the allure of his job never quite seems to dim. “We’re trying to get what the person wants to say said in a way such that they’re going to feel good about it and the audience is going to get something from it,” Fones said. “A laugh, a thought, an emotion... something. That’s really cool; it’s really exciting for me. It’s why I love doing this job.”
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Compiled by Taylor Billeadeau and Iman Jafri
Maybe you’ve been thinking about your speech since Middle School, when you had the chance to attend US Assembly to hear senior speeches in preparation for your 8th grade speech. Or maybe there was a topic that caught your attention in 9th grade, and you thought I can write about that. 10th grade, perhaps you remember hearing the speech of a friend and nodded along, sharing the experience because you were there. Or recently, at the Junior Retreat, you drew your speaking order number and began to feel the pressure of walking up to that podium. Regardless of where you are in your process, it’s never too early to consider the advice below from those who have spoken before you.
Ibad Jafri Staff Writer
1.
You have five minutes to say whatever you want; this is a chance to step out of your comfort zone, which makes some people nervous and apprehensive when the times comes to give their speech. If you’re having trouble with an idea or don’t know exactly the general format of speeches, senior Allyson Amis said, “Make sure to listen to the other speeches before yours,” in order to get an idea of what most people talk about.
2.
Come up with an idea that you’re comfortable with and is relatable. Come up with a topic you like that will also keep the audience engaged, “If possible, for the juniors, use your college essay,” Amis says. Usually your college essay is meaningful and says something about you that most people don’t know, and that’s good. “Keep a list of ideas from now on about topics that you want to remember later on,” senior Hannah Lodge said.
3.
“Highlight words in your speech where you want to look up so that, #1, you connect with the audience and, #2, when you look back down you don’t lose your place,” recommended senior Becky Engeleiter.
4.
Start early; don’t write your speech at the last minute. Turn in your speech the week before to get feedback prior to your speech week. “Talk to Mr. Fones and don’t put it off until the Thursday night to edit it. Don’t stress,” Amis suggested.
5.
Be true to yourself; don’t try to imitate some else’s speech just because you enjoyed it, “Don’t try to be the person who gave that speech you liked, because you’re not,” Senior Speech program coordinator Tom Fones recommended. Senior Alexander Hassan advised students to “Look inside yourself and write your soul.”
6.
Remember that the audience will be kind; you won’t be booed off the podium for a speech they don’t like. It’s really not that scary. “Some people are worried that the audience will be mean and they really aren’t,” Fones said.
7.
The History of the Senior Speech
“
Don’t be afraid to ask advice from your teachers and friends, they will be glad to edit your speech for you. The more people that look over your speech, the better. A fresh pair of eyes couldn’t hurt, and it can only improve your speech, not make it worse. “Talk with the other speakers on your day about ways to improve your speech,” senior Alex Petronio said.
Since 1985, started, there were more over 3,150 speeches that had to do students with trips, and family trips have stood in front of podiabroad. There were also um, speech in hand, prepared more straight-out political to address the hundreds of statements. What’s changed students, faculty, and visitors is there are more topics about a topic of their choice about the school and more for five to seven minutes. personal discussions about “Senior speeches were Senior Speech advisor, Tom Fones someone’s life or something started in order to give kids a important that happened to chance to express themselves them.” and practice public speaking,” explained Tom Fones, coordinator Once all the senior class members have given a speech, two of the Senior Speaker program at St. Paul Academy and Summit students each year are awarded the Warren Hart or the Edward School. C. Stringer Senior Speaker Awards by vote of the English DeIn order to graduate from SPA, every member of the senior partment and Mr. Fones. Before 2000, the Warren Hart Senior class must write and deliver a senior speech to the entire SPA Speaker Award had been given to one senior of either gender, but Upper School community. Seniors must take these three to five in 2002 the Edward C. Stringer Senior Speaker Award was created minutes to share personal insights, observations, and reflections and since then two seniors have been recognized: one female and in a public, supportive forum. Personality, humor, politics, civil one male. For boys, the Warren Hart Senior Speaker Award is rights, and family are some of the many topics in which over given, and last year was awarded to Abraham Cass ’10. For girls, 3,150 students have addressed in their senior speeches. the Edward C. Stringer is given, and last year was awarded to Jane “If you didn’t make senior speeches a graduation requirement Meyer ’10. not everyone would do it, and it would be different in terms of If there is one lesson learned by seniors giving their speechgetting the whole class to express themselves,” Fones said. es, Fones concluded that students feel more comfortable public When asked if he noticed any reoccurring themes or topics speaking, and that in the greater scheme of things, that the graduof speeches throughout the years, Fones said, “Back when I first ating class becomes more unified and whole.
Senior speeches were started in order to give kids a chance to express themselves.
“
Leslie Rossman Staff Writer
Photos Credit: Iman Jafri
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Arts & Entertainment
. . . . . The students of Senior Art Seminar . Honors Art Seminar, often called Senior Art Seminar, . is perhaps the class at St. Paul Academy and Summit School which requires the most to take. The criteria the . students must meet are that they must be in 12 grade, the artist must have “firmly developed skills” in at least one art class, and many have . pursued art outside of school in the past. The class does not only take . place during its first period class time but students must attend the class eight times a week, which often requires dedication of three free . . periods per week. Nevertheless, sixteen students have stepped up to the challenge . this year. Often, they enjoy the freedom the class brings, a wel- . come opportunity for students who have spent several semes. ters under the art department’s instruction. Their work . comes in a variety of mediums, from painting to pot. tery to pastels to photographs and beyond. Here are . some samples of the dedicated students whose work is currently on display in the Harry . . M. Drake Gallery, in a show they . titled “Convicted.” . . . . . . . . ..
Convicted Noah Shavit-Lonstein News Editor
th
Kate Loushin Loushin’s portfolio of paintings earned her an honorable mention Scholastic Art Award last winter, and since then she has continued creating artwork that intrigues audiences, containing symbols that hint at the theme of Americana and send messages of anti-war. “The hours aren’t bad,” Loushin said. “It’s really like a break from the day.”
April 2011
Leida Voulgaropoulos Voulgaropoulos’ goal in Honors Art Seminar was to “make a cohesive body of work.” During her time as a sketcher and watercolor painter, she has experimented with different moods and styles. “The emotions that I try to display through the characters I draw try to connect with the feelings I’m having at the moment,” she said. “The colors and style I choose subconsciously give a certain air to the thing I’m drawing.”
Ross Baker Baker has been working in the medium of pottery this semester. He said that he enjoys this medium because of how quickly one can create pieces, and because the form of the piece can be seen early on in the process. Baker has been playing around with glazes and glazing techniques this semester. Pictured is a piece with cobalt glaze, one of the colors he has been experimenting with. This piece is currently displayed in the show. Baker added that he has been working on speeding up the time it takes him to finish a piece.
Zach Rice Zach Rice has been drawing for as long as he can remember. He took Senior Art Seminar in order to pursue his own direction in his art. “I wanted to do an art class, but I wanted to be more independent to do what I wanted to do,” Rice said. Rice has been drawing with pencils and markers this year in Senior Art Seminar. “My favorite piece I have done this year is the hockey sketch I did of my brother.” Many of Rice’s pieces are Spartan-themed, in the style of the piece shown here.
Jacqueline Lis Lis received several awards, including the Gold Key and an American Visions award, for her photograph “Generations,” pictured here. She singled this piece out as her best work in Honors Art Seminar, due to its minimalism and capturing of a natural comparison through generations. During her time in the class, she has worked mostly in photography of various formats. She considers it her favorite medium, because “you have to be spatially aware and think about what will look pleasing... but you’re not creating the whole thing yourself.”
Maddie Butler Butler has taken full advantage of the freedom of Honors Art Seminar. She’s worked in several mediums, including stencil, spray painting, and photography. Outside of the class time, she’s taken classes on screen printing and glass blowing, and incorporates these ideas into her work in the seminar. Pictured here is an image of sophomore August King, which is currently hanging in the Harry M. Drake Gallery.
Kjersten Conway Pictured here is a landscape that Conway painted recently based on a picture she took while backpacking in the Rocky Mountains. She has selected the piece as her best work during the seminar. “I was able to get it to a place where it captured the [mountain view] the same way I remembered it,” Conway said.
Arts & Entertainment
April 2011 Andrew Bullard
Bullard’s work in Honors Art Seminar has been very unique. Through creating his own glazes he made a series of pots, bowls, and plates that are all individual while also being part of a unified body of work. Bullard took the class to gain a deeper appreciation for art and art history, “I wanted to be around people who knew more about art than I did so I could learn from them and their experiences,” he said.
Claire Larkins
Larkins took Honors Art Seminar in anticipation for college. “I thought I was going to apply to art school, so I thought it would help me in that pursuit,” Larkins said. Larkins has been working in a variety of mediums, including digital photography, graphite, and watercolor. She often compiles these mediums together to create digital art on her watercolor backgrounds. Her favorite pieces she has done this year include a drawing of a lion, shown here, and her most recent photos of senior Zina Pigorev (see Feature 7 for more information on this collaboration.)
Chapin Blanchard
Kaia Wahmanholm
The artists’ experience is what drew Blanchard to Honors Art Seminar. “I thought it would be interesting and fun to work around people who were working in different mediums from me” said Blanchard. In Honors Art Seminar Blanchard, a drawing student, has studied a variety of subjects. “First semester I drew a lot of faces, and then in second semester I started drawing more objects in charcoal and chalk,” she said.
Kelsey Wilkens Wilkens has worked in a variety of mediums in Honors Art Seminar. Starting out as a painter Wilkens used mostly acrylic paint and molding paste on canvas. As the semester progressed she moved into utilizing acrylic medium, or clear gloss, on paper, and watercolors. Her favorite piece is a painting she did first semester titled “Till” which was made with molding paste, and green and black acrylic paint on canvas.
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Wahmanholm took Honors Art Seminar, despite its commitment, in order to work with her art more freely. “Rather than a teacher giving me a project, if I gave myself a project, I’d be more motivated to accomplish it, and do it how I wanted to,” Wahmanholm said. “A class tells you ‘make five pieces that all relate to this,’ they think of the subject, or tell you how to draw it, or paint it. I want to see my ideas played out in the way I want, not just slightly different from the rest of the class.” Her work during the class has included sculpture, painting, stencils and mixed media.
Alex Smith Smith took Honors Art Seminar on a recommendation by Upper School Fine Arts teach Marty Nash. Smith, originally a drawing student, now a painter, was in a beginning drawing class when Nash approached him asking if he wanted to be in the seminar. Smith accepted because he thought it would be an enjoyable class and an opportunity to pursue art in a more intense setting. “All of my paintings are a series. In a way they are self-portraits of my thoughts that are ramblings and writings from my journal which I try to write in daily,” Smith said.
Hinnah Abid
Mac Stringer
This year in Senior Art Seminar, Stringer, a painter, has been experimenting with large canvas sizes and simple imagery. “I’ve been painting jellyfish, mainly,” he said. The jellyfish image was inspired by a first-semester Marine Biology lab. His favorite jellyfish painting to date, formerly displayed in the Summit Center, is pictured here. “Even though its demanding, its work I enjoy,” said Stringer, of the long hours required for the course. “So it’s just like playing.”
Abid entered the class as a way to expand on her photography skills. Instead of working on the provided high-quality cameras and film, Abid opted to spend some time working on a small, grainy camera called a Holga camera. Additionally, she would sometimes make what are called “interactive” photographstwo pictures of the same person in interacting positions combined by projecting them together in the darkroom. “You can do so much on Photoshop, but it’s limited what you can do in the darkroom,” she said. “It’s more satisfying.
Conor Dowdle Dowdle took Honors Art Seminar because of the out of class commitment “I knew I would be doing that much art anyway, so I thought I might as well get credit for it,” Dowdle said. Dowdle has been working in a variety of mediums; originally pursuing painting he has branched out into photography, and most recently spray paint on canvas. Pictured here is the first panel of three Dowdle made with spray paint, and newspaper on canvas.
Compiled by Kaia Wahmanholm, Maddie Butler, and Noah Shavit-Lonstein
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Arts & Entertainment
April 2011
“Lights...Camera...Action...Rolling!” Senior’s un-bear-ably funny films entertain audiences, garner awards Here at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, most people know senior Nathaniel Bear by one defining characteristic: his beard. Admittedly, it stands out and does justice to his surname, Bear. However, a facet of this senior that is not obvious at first glance is his love of films, specifically his prowess as a filmmaker and director. Bear’s interest in movies started at a young age. He said that as a child, the future worried him. “I always wondered what I wanted to do with my life. I started filming and thought ‘Oh, this could be fun,’” Bear said. His curiosity with filmmaking has many roots. One of these was an early fascination he had with one part of filmmaking: “I used to be really interested in film trailers, how they would tell a lot in a little bit of time, and would make up my own in my head.” Another was a little boy’s thirst to prove himself. Bear said that when he was in elementary school handheld video cameras were really large, particularly compared to a young boy. “I always wanted to hold a camera,” Bear said, “but my mom wouldn’t let me because she thought I’d drop it. I thought ‘I’ll prove you wrong someday!’” and he did. Though cameras have gotten significantly smaller since the nineties, Bear’s interest in film grew. Bear made his first movie in fourth grade. “My school offered a stop motion class and I did that and it was awful,” Bear said. Stop motion is an animation technique involving setting up a scene, taking a picture, adjusting the scene, Iman Jafri Centerspread Editor
Nat Bear [top left, on ladder] with seniors Phillip Doughtery and Xander Hassan [also shown below in a scene from the film] directing his epic Nerf Wars. Bear gathers a lot of his inspiration from real life and from his favorite films, “I like Nerf Wars because it makes a lot of allusions to the original Star Wars movies, which I really like.”
taking another picture, and repeating until the whole scene pans out. Bear said that his class’ attempt at stop motion was based on the TV show Dragon Ball Z, one of his favorite shows at the time. From simple works like the stop motion piece, Bear moved on to more complex independent work. “I think my first narrative movie was with LEGO people,” Bear said. “It was called The Blank Region. Don’t ask me why. … It never really made sense.” Since his earlier films, Bear has advanced his knowledge of film and filmmaking programs, but he is mostly self-taught. “In the beginning, I looked towards the in-
ternet to guide me,” Bear said. He said he used to spend hours surfing the web for information on filmmaking. He said he also looks toward the examples of other filmmakers
because he enjoys making his friends and family laugh. He said he finds action-comedy films to be the most amusing and tries to make films in this genre. Bear has made three short films for contests: Kid Grim, Giovanni Shards, and Nerf Wars. Bear won last year’s film festival with Kid Grim and this year’s with Nerf Wars. “I like Nerf Wars because it makes a lot of allusions to the original Star Wars movies, which I really like.” Of his YouTube video blogs, Bear cited “One Man Band” as his personal favorite, because of how clean cut it turned out. Making films is not easy. First there is the actual concept, with his longer films, he writes the script himself. The actual filming process takes days, but Bear said that editing is what takes up the greatest amount of time. “The last four days of [making] Nerf Wars, I was editing eight hours on average a day.” Even so, Bear said he will continue making movies and hopes to be a professional director someday. “I can’t imagine myself doing anything else, like having an office job, putting on a suit every morning.” To see Bear’s films visit NathanielBearMedia on YouTube.
All Photos Courtesy: Nathaniel Bear
and video bloggers. One significant inspiration is Edgar Wright, creator of films including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Shaun of the Dead. Bear was originally drawn to making comedic video blogs
Battle of the Bands rocks the campus 10 bands. 34 rockers. Over 25 years.
Battle of the Bands took the stage on April 16. The 7 judges struggled to agree on a winner, with 4 bands receiving 1st Place from at least one judge. The top winners are reviewed. Sophomores Lily Rogers-Grant, Julian D’Rozario and Andre Mohring balanced each other out really well. She brought the T-Swift-cute, they bring the Paramore edge, and the song comes out somewhere in the middle. Rogers-Grant is owning her space. In particular, once she deviated from the Bieber style into something a little more on the Andre-Julian end of the spectrum, she found her element.
The Rookies
Past the adorable outer appearance of The Rookies lies true power. While the Middle School band -of 8th graders Julia Hauser, Eliot Tong, Jordan Hughes, Jonah Mische and 6th grader Lauren Hansen -- did not necessarily look like rock stars, they certainly sounded like them. The notes were tight, and the instruments were together which may be something we take for granted when listening to rock and roll but certainly lacked in the 2011
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battle. The Rookies got the audience singing along with “Soul Sister” by Train, and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day. In the end The Rookies came to the battle to rock and they left as champions.
Rocktopus
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The Flannels
Lilyjulianandre! Rocktopus is like a pumpkin chai latte: it sounds kind of weird and you don’t know what to expect, but when you get it, you can’t help but fall for its mix of soothing, subtle, and a hint of spice. With seniors Jada Wensman and Max Cowles on vocals and Carter Peterson on drums, juniors Gabe Chang on lead guitar and Ayo Jones on bass, Rocktopus impressed with their musical tastes and skills.
The Flannels are getting better every year. Originally a shy, novel group with predictable flannel outfits, the rhythm of their songs really held together; the band obviously put in the work, and as a result they performed as a cohesive unit. Freshman Sam Lodge, lead singer, is comfortable in his own skin, making the bands rendition of Green Day’s “American Idiot” a treat to listen to and to watch.
Find more reviews and photos @ The Rubicon page on Facebook
Sports Cards
April 2011 The Prime 11 Athletes A fencer that even Zorro would be envy of. Three male soccer players that restored glory to a program. An all-state sprinter burning up the track. An all-conference baseball player that has been throwing it around on the diamond for as long as he can remember. Two female soccer players. One of which has displayed a great deal of courage by overcoming a serious injury. Another who displayed a form of mature leadership when she lead the team to the section finals this past season. An all-state girls hockey player that has been skating it up on the varsity team since she was a 7th grader. A female cross country runner that has the stamina and speed to leave her opponents in the dust. And lastly, a football player with a pair of soft hands that remind Spartan fans of Cris Carter. These Prime 11 Spartan Athletes are taking their talents with them as they embark on a collegiate athletic career. And what better way to acknowledge their prime talents then by giving them what all great athletes get- a sports card of themselves! Alex Smith Sports Editor
Prime 11
Prime 11
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Prime 11
Spartan Athletes
Check List
Prime 11
Nick Forsgren Soccer
Prime 11
Mac Stringer Soccer
Prime 11
Levels of Competition With the Prime 11 Spartans Athletes taking their talents to a variety of different schools that compete at an array of different collegiate athletic levels, you might be wondering what the difference is between Division I, Division III and everything in between. Well, the difference is bigger than just one level gets shown on ESPN while the others do not. No, as you will read below the differences include scholarship possibilities and much, much more. Henry Moyers Feature Co-Editor
Ambrosia Smith Track
Prime 11
Conor Perkkio Soccer
Prime 11
Delaney Middlebrook Hockey
Prime 11
Division I The top division, sports scholarships are allowed to be given at this division. In Division I, many sporting events are nationally televised and have a large audience. They often have larger budgets than the other divisions.
Division II Like Division I, Division II athletes are allowed to participate in a variety of athletic scholarships. Division II schools give athletes the chance to play in large budget facilities but at a slightly lower level of competition.
Division III Although Division III athletes can not be given athletic scholarships, they are allowed to take specific academic scholarships, called grants, which can be used to help pay for school.
Jada Wensman Cross Country
Prime 11
Chris Pichert Baseball
Becky Engeleiter Soccer
Prime 11
Prime 11
NAIA
A smaller association, the National Association of Inter Collegiate Athletics is comprised of around 290 small private colleges. The NAIA can help guide athletes to larger divisions and scholarships. Check out the backs of the cards for some awesome stories about the Prime 11 Spartan Athletes. Also, if you want to start or add to your sports card collection be sure to cut these out!
Tania Russell Soccer
Gabe Mast Football
Emma Johnson-Rivard Fencing
April 2011
Mac Stringer Soccer
Nick Forsgren Soccer
For nine out of the 18 years of his life, Mac Stringer has excelled at soccer. He loved all the aspects of pre- season, scoring goals in games (he had 11 in his senior year) and likes the hazing that accompanies the start of any sport. Because of Stringer’s love for soccer, it then comes to nobody’s surprise that he will go on to play soccer in college. Currently, he has the following options which will allow him to further develop his soccer skills. “Saint Mary’s contacted me,” Stringer said. “I contacted Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).” Saint Mary’s plays at the Division III level while SCAD plays at the NAIA level of competition. With these colleges, Stringer has developed these distinct goals to guide him in his playing. “[At SCAD] I eventually want to start,” Stringer said. Another goal of his, is, when playing at SCAD he hopes to come off as a strong athletic leader. “For Saint Mary’s, I want to be the leader” he said, “they are a weak team now, but they will only get stronger. ” Stringer has a lot of options for his athletic goals, and each choice will help him become a stronger player.
He’s played soccer for 14 years. He was all-state twice. He was a candidate for Mr. Soccer. Senior Nick Forsgren has all of the accolades and accomplishments needed to play Division I soccer. Forsgren will attend the University of Vermont next fall. After a successful four years of high school soccer, Forsgren has created many memories which will follow him to college. One of these is going to state and playing at the Metrodome during his senior year of school. Forsgren has developed several goals for playing at the University of Vermont. “I want to make an impact all four years. I waited until [my] sophomore year to make an impact, and I don’t want to repeat that,” said Forsgren. Along with these goals, Forsgren also wants to go into every practice and game with confidence and also start in his first year. “I want to make sure I am on the field freshman year,” Forsgren said. This will be an impressive goal to complete as it is normally difficult for freshman to start in a Division I sport, but when considering the accolades and accomplishments he achieved here at SPA, it should come to no ones surprise if Forsgren does wind up achieving his collegiate athletic goals.
Check List
Prime 11 Spartan Athletes Mac Stringer
Becky Engeleiter
Nick Forsgren
Chris Pichert
Check List
Jada Wensman
Delaney Middlebrook
Emma Johnson-Rivard
Conor Perkkio
Gabe Mast
Ambrosia Smith
Tania Russell
Delaney Middlebrook Hockey
Conor Perkkio Soccer
Ambrosia Smith Track
Delaney Middlebrook cannot leave the ice. She yearns for the feeling of touching her blades to the rink, and longs to firmly grip her stick and make contact with the puck. This St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior loves playing hockey. Ever since Middlebrook was four years old, she knew hockey would be a part of her future. “I spent a lot of time and most of my life preparing. I worked hard to succeed in hockey and my dream is to play Division I hockey” Middlebrook said. This dream may just be sitting on the horizon. When Middlebrook was accepted into Niagara University in Lewiston, New York, she knew she was not only a step closer to graduation, but also a step closer to fulfilling her dream. Middlebrook chose Niagara University for its strong hockey program. After she graduates from college, Middlebrook will continue her career in hockey. Because of the lack of women’s professional hockey teams, Middlebrook wishes to coach younger players in her future. “Hockey is everything to me. It’s what I do other than school. It’s what I do on weekends and during the week. It consumes my entire life,” Middlebrook said.
With the Metrodome being one game away, walking onto the field at Roseville high school, team captain and all-state honorable mention mid fielder Conor Perkkio looked up into the stands and was in awe. Students, faculty and even alumni created a sea of blue and gold. “Walking out to the field and seeing a whole section of SPA fans- it was the most amount of SPA fans I have ever seen at an event. I couldn’t get over the amount that showed,” Perkkio said. That was then, this is now. Just recently Perkkio made the decision to attend Ohio Wesleyan University over Colorado College. At Ohio Wesleyan his goal is to help continue the programs long standing tradition of success and play in the Division III National Tournament. With his three years on varsity Perkkio has seen his seen his good days and bad days. He said his disappointing sophomore season was a real learning experience and helped him grow as a player. “Through my three years on varsity I have learned, you’re gonna play sometimes in an environment you don’t like and have to deal with the adversity and play through it,” Perkkio said. Perkkio is excited for the fans at Wesleyan, but he will always remember the large number of Spartan fans who created a sea of blue and gold.
Known for burning up the track, all-state sprinter, Ambrosia Smith has achieved success in all of her four years on the Spartan Track team. Smith achieved success early on in her freshman year, highlighted by when she attended the national meet. Smith specializes in the 200 meter and 400 meter races. Apart from the obvious benefit of exercise and improved physical well being, Smith says “[track] helps me distress, and it lets your mind go and helps with sleep.” Prior to track and field meets, “I listen to my iPod, it helps me relax and concentrate…and before a race I like to spot out my parents so I know where their cheering from,” said Smith. Smith will be taking her talents to Wesleyan University next year. When she visited the school and met with the coach, she felt a real connection. She is also drawn to the teams tight-knit dynamic and pronounce work ethic. “Everyone [on the team] want to be there. It is not something you just do on the side,” said Smith. Excited to be apart of a hardworking team, Smith will continue to burn up the track while she looks to achieve her goal in college of qualifying for nationals.
Becky Engeleiter Soccer
Chris Pichert Baseball
Jada Wensman Cross Country
It is your senior year and you are the team’s captain. Before the first game of the season, you sustain a horrible injury that sidelines you for the entire year. Your senior year is now finished as you, the team captain are forced to supply leadership all the while being unable to step foot onto the field of play. This was girl’s soccer captain Becky Engeleiter’s senior year. “It was really hard; I missed a lot with physical therapy, and making up work. It was hard to connect with teammates when I was in a totally different place,” Engeleiter said. Engeleiter has learned from her difficult circumstance and plans on taking the lessons she gained from it with her as she attends Gustavus Adolphus College to play soccer. “I learned to deal with injuries and get through the hard times with friends and family,” Engeleiter said. In preparation for the start of her college career, Engeleiter plans on training this summer with the goal of getting as strong and healthy as she can in hopes of preventing future injuries. While her high school career might not have concluded in a storybook ending, when Engeleiter reflects back on it she looks at in a good light. Engeleiter is excited for the beginning her college career and beginning a new chapter in her life.
Take me out to the ball game, take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, I don’t care if I ever get back. Let me root, root, root for Chris Pichert. When St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior Chris Pichert turned six, these iconic lyrics took on a whole new meaning as he broke in his first ever glove and started swinging a bat. At the young age of six, Pichert began throwing it around the diamond. Fast forward to high school - the fast pitching, hard swinging, wealin’ and dealin’, don’t be surprised if he ends up stealin’, an all conference player and complete game throwing Mustang Tamer - Pichert has been on varsity since he was a sophomore. A team captain this year, Pichert is using his leadership abilities and talent to make sure his senior year’s season is one to remember for both himself and the team. After high school, Pichert plans on playing at Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida. While there Pichert can enjoy sunny beaches, a liberal arts education, and a chance to test his pitching skills. However, Pichert’s baseball career ends there. Although Pichert probably won’t play baseball after college, he still wants to focus on the ball game for now.
Many people struggle with running just one kilometer. And just thinking about running 5 kilometers can be close to impossible for some. And once time is thrown into the mix, the hard breathing, endurance grueling competition becomes even more complicated and difficult. For senior Jada Wensman however, this is the same old routine that has been going on for 5 seasons. Wensman, an accomplished cross country runner, will be going on to compete in college. Wensman had a very positive cross country experience, especially during her junior year. “I missed state by two places my junior year” Wensman said. Wensman will go on to run at Bowdoin College. Bowdoin competes at the Division III level of competition. While at Bowdoin College, Wensman would like “to make varsity” she said, “not my first year, but I would like to eventually.” Wensman hopes to improve her time in racing. “[My goal is] to get faster, and to not be the slow kid.” With strong dedication to her goals, Wensman will become an even better runner than she already is.
Emma Johnson-Rivard Fencing
Gabe Mast Football
Tania Russell Soccer
Two masked figures face each other. Their swords clash in mid-air. One figure lays defenseless for a second, while the other figure points her sword and scores. St. Paul Academy and Summit School senior Emma Johnson-Rivard has been fencing since the 5th grade. Although her parents persuaded her to attempt the sport, she no longer needs an external motive to fence. “I had a lot of fun doing [fencing]. In fact, I was pretty terrible for several years” Johnson-Rivard said. Johnson-Rivard regards fencing as one of her prominent activities, next in line to writing. She chose Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, for three main reasons: it had a good literary department, it was a women’s college, and it had a good fencing program. Johnson-Rivard enjoys fencing because “[fencing] involves thinking, but at the same time, parts of it are mindless.” Although Johnson-Rivard doesn’t think she’ll continue competing after college, the state champion fencer intends to keep fencing a part of her future when she takes her talents to Smith College. “[Fencing is] my way to wind down. It’s where I know my friends from” Johnson-Rivard said.
With the talent to go Division I, many in the Spartan athletic community were shocked to hear Gabe Mast is planning to attend Hamline University to play football. However, once you hear his story it makes a lot of sense. Despite a senior year that was side tracked due to injuries and off the field events, thanks to a jaw dropping junior year which saw him advance his already stellar skill set highlighted by a pair of soft hands, Mast received interest from a plethora of Division I schools, including SEC powerhouse LSU. As Mast explained, for a lot Division I football coaches junior year is the main year. And thanks to a highlight video produced by a recruiting company that sent the film to just about every Division I college in the nation, Mast was privileged enough to visit a vast amount of Division I colleges. However, what he saw when he visited, didn’t exactly peak his interest. “You spend so much time with [the program] that they basically own you for your entire college career,” Mast said. Looking for a better environment where he could be successful and have a life, Mast turned his attention to the MIAC. With offers coming from St. Thomas, Gustavus Adolphus College and Hamline, he decided to pick Hamline because he felt it was the best fit.
Tania Russell, also a girl’s soccer captain, has plans of taking her talents to the Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference when she attends Hamline University. And when the thought of playing against her co-captain, and fellow Prime 11 Spartan Athlete, Becky Engeleiter, crossed her mind it brought a jolly smirk to her face and the simple reply, “It will be fun.” Russell is choosing to attend Hamline over a plethora of other schools, such as St. Olaf and University of Wisconsin River Falls, because the coach told her she would have the opportunity to make a difference. Russell’s leadership abilities were on full display this past season as she helped the team battle through injuries to key players as well as the challenge of having a young inexperienced team, as she lead the Spartans to the Class 3A section finals. The defensive juggernaut helped keep the soccer ball out the net for the Spartans, as they became one game away from making it to state. Despite a heartbreaking loss in the section finals, Russell still looks back on the season in high regards. Next year at Hamline, besides continuing her athletic success, her goal is to make good friends, and most of all have fun.
Prime 11 Spartan Athletes
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Sports Cards
Photo Credits Alex Smith (Mac Stringer, Nick Forsgren, Conor Perkkio & Chris Pichert) Maddie Butler (Ambrosia Smith) Photo Courtesy IBID Archives (Delaney Middlebrook, Tania Russell, Gabe Mast, Jada Wensman, Becky Engeleiter &Emma Johnson-Rivard) Card Writers Henry Moyers (Mac Stringer, Nick Forsgren & Jada Wensman) Rebecca Xu (Delaney Middlebrook, Emma Johnson-Rivard & Chris Pichert) Alex Smith ( Conor Perkkio, Ambrosia Smith, Becky Engeleiter, Gabe Mast & Tania Russell)
Satire
April 2011
the rubicONION
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See ya!
St. Paul Academy and Summit School’s FINEST fictional news source
Black is the new Lennon 50% chance of a tsunamic, snow tornado that could start an earthquake; 50% chance to be partly cloudy H-?? L-??
Illustration Credit: Joanna Mendolsohn
She sees everything and it’s just a matter of time before it will blow up in our faces, like the metaphorical time bomb that keeps tickin’ on and on (obviously what Ke$ha was eluding to in “Tik Tok” as well, but that’s another issue). When this happens, we will all need to flea – to Russia. Not the nice urban area, but rather that other 92.72% that is too cold to be used, aka Siberia. What some hear as “everybody’s rushin’” is actually “everybody’s Russian,” the obvious outcome for when the human race continues from Russia, thus everybody becomes Russian. “Gotta get down to the bus stop/ Gotta catch my bus, I see
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the most difficult decisions of all. “Kickin’ in the front seat/ Sittin’ in the back seat/ Gotta make my mind up/ Which seat can I take?” There is “kickin’” in the front seat and yet only “sittin’” in the back seat. Implicit meaning? The back seat is less fun. However, everyone knows that the back seat is safer in the case of an accident. Here, these two rows of seats represent paths in life Black could take. She could take the more fun and dangerous front (path of immorality and irresponsibility) or the more mundane appearing yet all-around-betterfor-society back (path of justice and all that is good). Black, despite all the struggles she faces in life,
“Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal.” Here, Black delivers a double blow, referring to a tragically young addiction to illegal substances as well as the U.S.’s dependency on wheat, rice, and other cereal products.
my friends.” Waiting for a bus to come in dreams represents a temporary setback in achieving personal goals. Miss the bus, and your attempts at reaching these goals are out of control. Get on the wrong bus and you’ve made the wrong choice in your life, one that will not take you to your goal. These are the dilemmas Black must face a she waits for her bus. However, she is blessedly spared too much anticipation on her bus-outcome as her friends come to the rescue. And yet, she still has to make one of
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Genius has a new ambassador and her name is Black. Rebecca Black, that is. At the tender age of thirteen, she has produced such a work of art that upon its first hearing, millions of soul searchers, myself included, wept tears of enlightenment and admiration. That girl is wise beyond her years and her glory should be recognized. In this simple barely four minute song, she seamlessly makes a profound critique on U.S. politics and society. “Seven a.m., waking up in the morning/Gotta be fresh, gotta go downstairs.” Obviously, Black’s obligation to be “fresh” refers to Boaz Yakin’s 1994 film Fresh. Black is forced to emulate the movie’s main character, a 12 year old drug pusher known as Michael or “Fresh.” By stating that she has “gotta be” fresh, Black eludes to the U.S.’s high poverty levels, so high that she, a 13 year old girl living in the suburbs, needs to sell drugs to survive. “Gotta have my bowl, gotta have cereal” Here, Black delivers a double blow, referring to a tragically young addiction to illegal substances as well as the U.S.’s dependency on wheat, rice, and other cereal products. This reliance causes innocent civilians from exporting countries such as India and China to go hungry while us entitled Americans have to our cereal every morning. “Seein’ everything, the time is goin/Tickin’ on and on, everybody’s rushin’” Black will not be blind from the plight of the world that so many try to hide or ignore. Black >Justin LOL MTV Foruim User
chooses the back. How admirable. How moving. And only at 13 years of age. And now, the chorus. “It’s Friday, Friday/ Gotta get down on Friday/ Everybody’s lookin’ forward to the weekend, weekend.” First off, there is an obvious trend here with Black’s downward lateral movements. The metaphor? The rapid downward spiral of society. Next, a paradox. While Black is looking forward to the weekend, everyone knows that in countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran,
Friday is actually the last day of the weekend. So actually, Black’s statement about everyone looking forward to the weekend is a sarcastic one meant to shed light on the closed mindedness and lack of perspective of American society. Clearly, not everybody is looking forward to the weekend. Black knows this and so should we. Let’s skip down to the bridge: “Yesterday was Thursday, today it is Friday/ We-we-we so excited/ We so excited/ We gonna have a ball today/ Tomorrow is Saturday and Sunday comes after-wards/ I don’t want this weekend to end.” “Thursday” is named after Thor, Norse god of thunder, oak trees, strength, and the protection of mankind, “Friday” after Norse goddess Freya of love, beauty, war, and death, “Saturday” after that Roman god who ate his children, and “Sunday” is after the Norse god “Sol,” who represents the sun. How does this connect to Black? Clearly, these “days” are really eras in the span of America’s history. Yesterday was Thursday and the U.S. was strong. Today, it is Friday and while we are relatively intellectual but are still in the middle of a war. The worst is yet to come as we all turn to cannibalism in order to combat the world’s population crisis (as per Jonathan Swift). However, all of our issues will end either in a time of intense enlightenment or in one cruel but swift fiery death. Black is warning us. She is a genius.
Networks clear airtime for day-long stream of royal couple deciding wedding seating arrangements See 7A
Sophomore’s history research paper documents history of writing his history paper See 3B
Remember when these were popular? See 13C
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Opinion/Editorial
April 2011
Staff Editorial
Americans need to be informed For our democracy to work, we should follow the news During the Bush era, the world was very clear on what it thought of America. We looked self-centered, entertainment-minded, and shallow. The “American idiot” became a caricature. When now-President Obama promised change in his campaign, people somehow expected that he would change everything about America. They had hoped, at least implicitly, that a new president would mean a change for America. The president has changed, but unfortunately we haven’t. According to National Geographic, many young Americans are “geographically illiterate”: 63% cannot locate Iraq on a map, and a shocking 33%
do not know where “Northwest” is. More recently (and more alarmingly), a study by Newsweek shows that 70% of Americans do not know what the Constitution is, and that only 38% percent of current Americans could pass the citizenship test. In fact, the British, Finnish and Danish know more about American affairs than us. So who’s to blame? Our failing public education system? The overly complicated government? In reality, we only have ourselves to blame. Understanding world affairs isn’t a matter of what you learn in school as much as a matter of whether or not you read the news. Newspapers and reliable online news are available, but many Americans just read fluffy celeb-
rity news. People’s news nowadays often comes from unreliable sources, like tabloid magazines or television news. People Magazine, for example, has a circulation of 3.75 million (according to New York Daily News), while the New York Times’ circulation is a mere 1.4 million on Sunday, their highest day of circulation (according to its website). If this doesn’t register as problematic, think of how much more attention the mainstream media gave to Charlie Sheen’s drug-based ranting than the recently concluded presidential conflict in the Ivory Coast. For our American democracy to work, all people need to be informed about what is actually happening locally, nationally,
and internationally. Better yet, we should all be well read enough and thoughtful enough to know what actions need to be taken to make our world a better place. It will not work if we ignore what is happening in U.S. and around the world, or get our news filtered through all-opinion shows on Fox News and MSNBC. These information sources only work when accompanying straight news, not as a replacement for it. So, if you don’t, please take the time to inform yourself about what’s happening in the world. You’ll help sharpen America’s image, build a stronger democracy, and possibly make a difference.
Mini-Editorials Unrest around the world can be relieved if we understand what needs fixing Dumping of radiation a necessary sacrifice The 8.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Japan in March 2011 has left a civilization in ruin. Days later, the death toll peaked over 14,000 and more than half a million people were left homeless. When it appeared that things could not get any worse, the earthquake triggered a tsunami which struck a nuclear power plant in Fukushumi, Japan, causing a meltdown of the
nuclear reactor’s core. The Japanese government has decided to remove radioactive water around the plant in a controversial way: by dumping it in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Rubicon never condones endangering wildlife, especially if contamination could remain for generations, but in times of crisis and the risk of worldwide contamination, we understand that sacrifices need to be made.
possible. Since Qaddafi has already opened fire on his people and transformed protest into a civil war, Libya cannot be the next Egypt, where peaceful protest overthrew a similarly corrupt government. The sooner Qaddafi steps down, the sooner Libya can find its way to a democracy, the better. To learn more, check out the NY Times website for a timeline of political events in Libyan events and other related content.
Criminal troops must make clear plans or leave Civilian deaths in Afghanistan are putting American soldiers on trial and making the world question U.S. presence in the country. Reports of an American “kill team” that killed Afghan civilians have resulted in the sentencing of several soldiers, according to a feature in Rolling Stone. NATO had to apologize after one of their air crafts killed
seven Afghani civilians whom they assumed were armed, according to the BBC. The Rubicon would like to thank the American authorities for doing what they could to make this right- namely, prosecuting the criminal troops in Afghanistan. We do, however, wish that the Americans could make their plans in Afghanistan more clear or leave the nation.
the Citizenship Test? Did you know? Only 38% of current Americans could pass the Citizenship Test. See how you do with these four selected questions.
Q: What is the Constitution? A: The supreme law of the land Q: How many changes or amendments are there to the Constitution? A: 27 Q: Who becomes President of the United States if the President and the vice-president should die? A: Speaker of the House of Representatives Q: What is the most important right granted to U.S. citizens? A: The right to vote How did you do? Visit http://usgovinfo.about.com/ library/blinstst_new.htm to see all 100 questions asked on the Citizenship Test.
Qaddafi should step down, allow Libya freedom In Libya, the battle between the corrupt rule of Col. Muammar elQaddafi and the people continues. Most recently, the United Nations has approved “a wide range of actions, including strikes on air-defense systems and missile attacks from ships”. The United States is currently dropping bombs onto military bases in Libya. The Rubicon hopes that this conflict will end as quickly and with as few fatalities as
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Cartoon Credit: Alicia Little
Yemen deserves a free democratic government Following the examples of Arab countries such as Egypt, Yemen, the poorest Arab country, started rioting early this year for the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. The protests started with a demonstration involving 16,000 people, after which Saleh promised he would not run in Yemen’s next election or pass power to his son. Riots against the government continued and security force against civilian violence escalated, leaving many Yemenis dead. As of April 24, Saleh agreed to step down
within 30 days. However, the Yemeni people find his promise hard to trust. In order to deter more violence and unrest, the cries of the Yemini people need to be heeded soon. Yemen’s corrupt government needs to end. One way would be by allowing a democracy form. An interim government would be put in place to ensure that this government would not end the same. It should be watched under the eye of Yemen’s local judiciary system until elections. These elections could be monitored by international observers to foster a free and fair election and a free and fair Yemen.
The Rubicon editorials are representative of the opinions of the Staff Editorial Board, which is made up of all students in Journalism/ Editorial Leadership. All other opinion pieces are the opinions of the authors themselves. The Rubicon Letters Policy: The Rubicon welcomes letters to the editor. They can be mailed to us or e-mailed to rubicon.spa@gmail.com. Letters should be limited to 150-200 words and must be signed. Letters may be edited and published by discretion of The Rubicon staff. All flags from www.flagsinformation.com
Opinion/Editorial
April 2011
19
“Adult” themes should include violence American media reflects a fear of sexuality and an acceptance of aggression
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Michelle and Tony from MTV’s Skins. The PTC has dubbed the show “the most dangerous program ever” for children. The Parents Television Council is outraged. “... MTV’s new show Skins is ‘the most dangerous program ever’ for children,” they stated on their website. In some respects, their concern is legitimate. Skins is for mature audiences. It portrays a group of alcohol guzzling, promiscuous, drug (ab)using teens, who party all night and barely drag themselves into class the next morning. The sexual content of Skins is at the forefront of the PTC’s argument. Currently, they are asking their readership to write their State Attorney Generals to investigate Skins on charges of child pornography, since all of the teenage actors on the show are between 15-19. Their complaint is part of a greater pattern for the Parents Television Council, whose mission is to arm parents with information to help them make wise decisions about what children watch. They offer television reviews with a comprehensive color coded ratings system. Green is for a “family-friendly show,” yellow for “contains adult-oriented themes,” and red for a show that “may include gratuitous sex, explicit dialogue, violent content, or obscene language.” The majority of shows currently being aired on television, including Grey’s Anatomy, Glee, House, Vampire Diaries, and Skins, receive a red rating. Overwhelmingly, the PTC focuses on sexual content in the media. In 2010, two of their press releases had to do with racist jokes or religious disrespect in television, four had to do with violence, 12 with congratulating PTC members/supporters on new positions/offices, and 14 sexual content on television. Nadja Milena Editor in Chief
A new rating system In 1968, Jack Valenti founded The Motion Picture Association of America, which rates all Hollywood films as G, PG, PG-13, R, or NC-17. It marked the end of the era of the Hay’s Code, which forbade everything from inter-racial sexual relations to the consumption of alcoholic beverages to onscreen violence unless absolutely necessary to the plot. When it was necessary, the subject could be hinted at, but could not be “presented in detail.” Valenti’s alternative, a ratings system in which, according to Valenti, “the rating boards’ members, who are parents… look at a movie and try to put a rating on there that an average parent would believe to be an accurate depiction of that film” seemed like one that advocated artistic
expression and freedom. In some ways, it was. The MPAA does not censor films; it merely rates them for content and language. But the reality of film making and rating is more complex. This Film is Not Yet Rated, a 2006 documentary directed by Kirby Dick, provides evidence that the ratings system has a profound, and not always positive, effect on the way filmmakers create and edit their films. In the documentary, Dick interviews a number of directors that received ratings that they felt misrepresented their films. Directors were particularly upset when their films received NC-17 ratings, meaning that no one under 17 can view the film. That translates to a minimal advertising budget. According to box office analyst Paul Dergarabedian, an NC-17 rating can cost a film millions of dollars. For example, the 2003 film The Cooler, starring Maria Bello and William Macy, received an NC-17 rating from the MPAA for a single scene in which, in an intimate moment between the two main characters, Bello’s pubic hair was briefly visible. “Just a couple of months before I had gone to see a horror film that was rated R,” Bello said in the documentary. “In the first 10 minutes, a woman gets her fake breast cut out. There was blood everywhere…Why should that movie get an R, and why, for seeing my pubic hair, do we get an NC-17, when it [the scene] was this beautiful moment between two people that had a lot to do with love?” Violence persists The minds of America’s youth are supersaturated with violence, censorship focuse is clearly against sexual content. According to A.C. Nielson Co., a global marketing research firm, the average American child spends 900 hours in school and 1500 watching television per year. By the time they’re 18, they’ve seen 200,000 acts of violence. Psychologist Alfred Bandura’s experiments have shown strong correlations between aggressive models in media and aggressive behaviors in children. The RAND Corporation for Objective Analysis has concluded that “teenagers who watch a lot of television with sexual content are more likely to initiate intercourse in the following year.” So if both seem to have an effect on the teenage mindset, why aren’t we cracking down on both? Or neither? Either position in defensible; it’s the middle ground that is confusing and hypocritical.
Most forms of violence are illegal, or at least frowned upon. Yet in our media, it is glorified. Jason Bourne, Rambo and The Terminator kill people. They are childhood heroes. And yet the feeling that the naked human body in its natural form is something shameful is pervasive. What are we so afraid will happen if our children see pubic hair or a nipple? What are we so ashamed of ? Of course the root of the issue isn’t really in the mainstream media, which reflect the values of society by producing content that will not be censored and will make the most money. So this fear of sex -- and complacency with violence -- is coming from us. What are you more likely to tell your parents about at the dinner table: an amazing action sequence in the latest blockbuster hit or a particularly steamy scene from the same film? Pushing boundaries This is the problem with the PTC’s attack on Skins: not that they’re concered about the program (they should be) but that in their condemnation of its sexual content, they’re overlooking what makes Skins a truly edgy piece of television. The children on Skins have practically no adult supervision; their parents are so distracted that they don’t notice their children’s eating disorders, obvious drug abuse and violent peer-to-peer interactions. That, at least to me, is so much more disturbing than teenagers having sex. Controversial television programs need to be topics of discussion. They should push boundaries, and they should show generational differences in attitudes about homosexuality, drug use, and slang. Equally, of course the American public should certainly be concerned about the media their children consume: children are impressionable. But if the PTC, the MPAA rating board, and parents everywhere are going to condemn shows like Skins for portraying teenage sex, they must be just as insistent on rating and speaking out against senseless and glamorized violence. Media alone cannot transform a wellmannered young teenager with no interest in sex or drugs into a promiscuous, gun carrying, coke addict. But entertainment full of hypocritical, contradictory and destructive messages feeds a repeating loop that reinforces sex as something shameful and violence as something glamorous. That’s not the world I want my child growing up in.
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The Rubicon’s band practice Our editors discuss their dream acts for The Battle of the Bands August, Satire Editor
Rachel, Op/Ed Editor
Conor Oberst, despite his cynical lyrics and what some refer to as “crysinging”, is a rockstar. His primary band, Bright Eyes, appeals to me because of the beautifully written lyricism revolving around a unique theme each album has (i.e. Digital Ash in a Digital Urn from 2005 contains mostly spiritual songs for the secular person). Conor Oberst is raw, real, and sings as personally as if he was reading lyrics out of his diary.
I’ve been listening to Sigh No More by the British alterMaybe I’m a little biased because he converted to Islam, native group Mumford & Sons constantly. You’ve proband maybe it’s a little old, but I simply adore Cat Stevens. ably heard “Little Lion Man”; it made number 45 on Not only is his life story really fascinating, but his music, to Billboard Hot 100. However, I’ve become drawn to throw in a cliché, speaks volumes. It holds a very organic qualtheir lesser known songs like “White Blank Page” ity that’s both serene and full of life. He’s got a whole mix of and “Dust Bowl Dance ” because of their intense sounds, from earlier more “pop-y” works to more introspective banjo solos. If you think the words “intense folk rock works, and skills with both the guitar and piano. banjo solos” could only apply to bluegrass, think again. All the string instruments Taylor, Staff Writer Henry, Feature Editor Marcus Mumford and his bandmates Deadmau5 Rolling Stones play, go together in an energetic frenzy that accentuates the genuine, I’ve been a fan of Deadmau5 The greatest band ever created was story-telling feel of the songs. for a while, but his last album the Rolling Stones. The Rolling
Bright Eyes
Iman, Centerspread Editor
Mumford and Sons
Cat Stevens
was by far my favorite. He is a progressive, electro and house producer and you can listen to him when you’re just chilling out or if you want something more upbeat. Although most of the songs don’t have lyrics, I still enjoy listening to him if I’m in the car or even on the airplane; he never produces a song I don’t like.
Noah, News Editor Pink Floyd
No rock group has ever been able to rival the conceptual works of Pink Floyd. On their landmark recording, The Dark Side of the Moon, the group moves seamlessly through timeless thematic elements. Its intensity builds through structures of pure sound, blind of instrument or realism. They top this off with guitar solos and jazz instrumentation. Follow-up works were almost as good: a massive rock opera about isolation (The Wall) and a requiem for a friend lost to insanity (Wish You Were Here). It’s no wonder that their records have cut across generations and fads for their reputation as one of the greatest bands of all time.
Alex, Sports Editor
Allison, Sci/Tech Editor
Nirvana
Nirvana defined a generation, turned the face of rock and roll on its head and was the musical equivalent of Catcher in the Rye. With Kurt Cobain’s ability to magically use his unique expressive vocals all the while staying in tune surrounded by catchy melodies made by his simplistic chords, Kris Novoselic’s low running bass and Dave Grohl’s pounding drums, it’s simply awesome music. I could go on and on... Oh, well, nevermind.
Kaia, A&E Editor
The Cure
I’ve been drawn to the alternative post-punk and occasionally gothic rock sounds of The Cure for as long as I can remember. With songs like “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Fascination Street,” The Cure has a distinctive sound with an almost hypnotic appeal. Robert Smith is an incredibly talented guitarist and singer, and as the only steady member of The Cure he certainly has proved himself again and again, making The Cure an unforgettable treat to listen to. And with each album providing a totally unique listening experience everybody is bound to find something they enjoy when they are listening to The Cure.
Stones were formed in the early 60’s in England. They released 24 studio albums and have hundreds of songs. My favorite of their songs, “Sympathy for the Devil,” is sung in first person as the devil himself, and spurred controversy amongst many American religious groups. The Rolling Stones may not be producing music any longer, but their past accomplishments will live on in American society.
Philip Glass
Philip Glass’s music brings out the abstract, the simple, the deep, the beauty, and the mysterious sometimes all at once, depending on the composition. Even though he repeats several themes throughout his works for the minimalist feel, Glass handles these themes effortlessly, using them to his advantage to create a heart-tearing, wonder-filled, or enchantingly beautiful piece. A couple of my favorites include his string quartets, the opening from Glassworks, and the Naqoyqatsi soundtrack (I have no idea what the movie is about, but Yo-Yo Ma and Glass sound amazing).
Rebecca, Feature Editor Beyoncé
She’s classy. She’s sassy. She’s…Fierce. Beyoncé Knowles’ talent is incontrovertible. She sings like an angel and dances like a nymph. From her days with Destiny’s Child to her solo career, Beyoncé has made her mark in the music industry. Beyoncé continues to amaze her fans with her inspiring music. What will she bring on next? Ilustrations Credit: Nick Scott