the The Rubicon student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 51, Issue 6 - Mar. 3, 2026
THE SPACES THAT SHAPE US 3
ANTI-ICE ACTIVISM Students have organized bake sales, donation drives and demonstrations against the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota. Read more in NEWS.
Psychoarchitecture: how spaces affect mentality and mood AMANDA HSU
CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR
Winston Churchill seemed to understand the influence of human-designed environments when he declared after the bombing of the British House of Commons in 1943 that, “We shape our buildings, and afterwards, our buildings shape us.” While dated, Churchill’s statement on the influence of human-designed environments on psychology is still relevant today. The intersection of architecture and psychology falls under the study of “neuro-architecture” or “psychoarchitecture,” in which buildings, rooms and spaces are designed to prioritize human emotion and response. A 2016 study conducted by Roddy M. Grieves and Kate J. Jeffery, entitled “The representation of space in the brain,” found that specialized hippocampal cells in the human brain are specifically attuned to the geometry and arrangement of the spaces they inhabit. Senior Sophie Nguyen believes that personal inclinations play a significant role in the emotions someone experiences upon entering a space. “If you are trying to build a house for just one specific person, compared to a commercial building, that’s definitely based on personal preference and their own personal psychology and what they like, because I think that it could vary from person to person,” she said. The study of psychoarchitecture can give a basic estimate of how a wider population might react upon seeing an environment, based on a few guiding principles. First, curves and organic shapes in spatial design create a sense of comfort and connection by mimicking naturally occurring forms, subconsciously directing a person through a space.
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EVERYDAY IMPACT
Juniors William Drake and Langston Thompson and ninth-grader Elliott Hazzard take action on climate change with small steps. Read more in FEATURE.
IN THIS ISSUE:
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INTERNATIONAL EATS Snacks around the globe offer countless tasty offerings and unique flavors, from flaky pastries to sweet biscuits to savory mixes. Read more in A&E.
2-4 News • 5-8 Opinions • 9 Health & Wellness • 10-11 In Depth
• 12-13 Feature • 14-16 Sports • 17-19 A&E • 20 Good Question