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VOLUME 33, ISSUE 8

LOOKING BACKWARD Center-Spread Take a look back at the trends and fads of your childhood, from the 1990s to today, in this issue’s C-spread, pages 6-7.

Wednesday, June 3, 2015

www.hopkinsrp.org

Differentiated diplomas allow choice by Addie Lennon News Editor As the class of 2015 prepares to accept their diplomas, a senior study committee is working to redesign future ones. “There’s been a large committee of over 20 people working towards having more engagement senior year. We came up with a number of different ideas, but the differentiated diploma is what really began to gain traction,” said Mr. David Williams, Language Arts. The differentiated diploma is a model that will allow students to develop a focus in one of five subject areas: performing and visual

arts, communication and commerce, biosciences and services, cultural sciences, or computation, engineering, and mechanics. However, according to Dr. John Schultz, Superintendent, students need not feel pressured to choose just one of these focuses. “We’re not limiting a student. I think they can move within those five areas easily enough; this is not meant to track a student into one area of study,” Schultz said. “We still want to be sure that students and parents have a choice for the area of study they want to pursue.” Beyond these five areas, students will have the opportunity to work towards a variety of levels. The differentiated diploma offers a focus

diploma, an honors diploma, and a diploma of distinction. The standard HHS diploma with no focus requirement will be offered as well. State and district graduation requirements dictate 37 of a total 64 high school credits. Of the 27 leftover credits, some would be required to be clustered in a specific focus if a student sought a higher level diploma. This would still leave room for students to explore electives outside of their focus. “A good amount of students are already graduating with distinction, so I would think our thresholds [within the differentiated diploma] are obtainable,” Williams said. In 2014, 19 percent of HHS

students graduated with a GPA of 3.75 or higher, making them already eligible for the proposed GPA component for graduating with distinction under the new model. The only change with the differentiated diploma would be an added number of electives in a given subject area. “Colleges will be able to value both the level (either distinction or honors) and also depth,” Williams said. “Competitive schools will be able to look at a particular student and say ‘Wow this kid graduated with distinction in biosciences,’ or whatever other field they choose.” DIPLOMA cont. on page 3

Cleary qualifies for Junior Olympics in synchronized swim by Judaisha Jackson Staff Reporter

Fransisco Gonzalez, senior, plays guitar in the band Quincy during Buckfest Four. Quincy also features members Jack Martin, Drew Kist, and Charlie Butwinick, seniors. photo by Ruby Krietzman

Jamming at Fine Line by Callan Showers Print Editor-in-Chief Prince, John Mayer, Lady Gaga, the Avett Brothers, and the Arctic Monkeys are just five of the famous acts to have played the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis. Last Friday, May 29, five HHS acts joined their ranks. Murph Myres, Goofy Boys, Lux, Quincy, and DJ Micro P

made up the set list of Buckfest Four, the latest of the HHSmade concerts that have previously been held at the Depot in Hopkins and the Garage in Burnsville. For Charlie Butwinick, senior and bass player for Quincy, this event was beyond imagination. “If you had told my eighth grade, pre-pubescent self, still learning how to play bass, that we would be doing something like

this, I would not have believed you,” Butwinick said. “I wouldn’t care if nobody showed up.” But show up people did. Francisco Gonzalez, senior, Quincy guitarist, and major player in planning the concert, estimates that there were approximately 400 people in the building - 50 away from selling out. BUCKFEST FOUR cont. on page 8

Maggie Cleary, sophomore, is the only student at HHS who will compete in the 2015 U.S. Junior Olympics for synchronized swimming (synchro). Currently, Cleary competes not only on the HHS synchro team, but also with her club team, the Aqua Fins. Cleary’s synchronized swimming career started in seventh grade. “I joined the synchro team in seventh grade, and I loved it so much I joined a club team,” Cleary said. On a typical day, Cleary goes to school, has practice from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., and then club practice from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. One of her biggest challenges is balancing the two teams. “Sometimes I get the routines mixed up, or I bring the wrong costume to a meet,” Cleary said. “It’s really hard to balance the two sometimes, but it’s worth it.” Synchronized swimming requires advanced swimming

infographic by Callan Showers

SPORTS, page 11

Three sport captain

skills, along with flexibility, strength, and great poise. At a typical synchronized swimming meet, teams are judged on their routines. Each team must incorporate lifts, kicks, and hand movements all to the music. In addition, they must not touch the bottom of the pool. “People underestimate how difficult synchronized swimming is,” said Cleary. “You have to hold your breath, move around the pool, all while holding other girls up. And then you have to pretend like it’s easy.” The Aqua Fins competed at the regional meet on May 2. The top three teams at the regional competition qualify for Nationals. Cleary’s routine team placed third. “It’s really exciting,” said Cleary. “The other girls and I put a lot of work into our routine so it’s nice that it’s paying off.” Because two of the people on the routine team are 18, Cleary’s team will have to

For the Unruh-Friesens, school and workplace have been synonymous.

CLEARY cont. on page 10

hopkinsrp.org

Lauren Feagler, senior, is choosing academics over athletics at Purdue. FEATURE, page 9

Calling 270 home

Arctic expedition

Matt Carter, senior, will embark on a 50-day canoe trip in the Arctic Circle. Read more on

Class of 2015 The class of 2015 will graduate tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. Here’s what to expect:

Before:

During:

After:

Pictures with the lion and life-size 2015 letters on the lawn

Flags of native countries carried by students

Senior party at undisclosed location

Refreshments sold by 2015-16 NHS members

Speakers Gannon Youakim and Simran Mishra

Flags and flowers taken off stage

Emcees Jaelynn Palmer and Siona Fitzhugh

infographic by Callan Showers

RPWednesday, June 3, 2015

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TOP 5

most awesome

staff accomplishments of the 14-15 school year

5. Mr. Scott Neiman, HAP Coordinator, received the MAAP Exemplary Award.

4. Mr. Philip Brown, Music, was awarded the Bethany College Gold Award.

3. Mr. Matt Kappel, Science, got his PhD.

2. Mr. Brian Cosgriff, girls

basketball coach, was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

1. Ms. Patty Johnson,

Principal, is engaged to be married. Her name in the fall will be Ms. Patty Awsumb.

500 students participated in this year’s Nerf Assassins game. The game has attracted police attention.

photo by Ruby Krietzman

Police crack down on Assassins by Jack Smith Staff Reporter The Hopkins Nerf Assassins game has been going on for several weeks, and more than 300 players have been “killed.” In only its second year, Nerf Assassins attracted more than 400 students, each competing for their share of roughly $3,000. As always, students and their teams are trying to eliminate other players by shooting them with Nerf guns. Historically, the game has gone on without much trouble from the community. There were occasional run-ins with police, but these were usually isolated incidents. However, this year, police are cracking down on the assassins game. Jonathan Palmer, senior, is in charge of running solo Assassins, a long-standing HHS tradition similar to Nerf Assassins, though without teams. He is also playing in the Nerf Assassins game and has had an encounter with the police. Palmer was looking for kills at a park with his team when a cop entered the park. “We all piled in our cars and decided it was best to avoid confrontation, so we left

the park. As we were trying to leave, a second cop car blocked the entrance. [Policemen] saw our Nerf guns and told us we needed to be more conscious of the community we were in,” Palmer said. Palmer isn’t the only player who has been stopped by police while playing. Maddie Steinbrunn, senior, was looking for kills near Alice Smith Elementary School, when she, too, had a run-in with the police. Consequently, police have received many calls from neighbors around the area. “The cops ended up coming, they stopped both of our cars and told us how we need to be more responsible. They also said we shouldn’t be on public property when playing,” Steinbrunn said. In both cases, police talked to players about the risks that Assassins poses, including hurting other players or innocent bystanders and scaring people who may not know about the game. There are players, however, who don’t see the game as a safety hazard. Abas Nor, senior, had an experience with the police during Nerf Assassins’ “Purge Day,” a day during

Development: by Justice Feldman Staff Reporter During the 2014-2015 school year, junior high teachers, principals and District administrators reevaluated the junior high grading system. “Both junior high schools have worked on their grading procedures over time, but as far as I’m aware, this is the first time in a number of years that both schools have worked together to refine and align their grading practices,” said Diane Schimelpfenig, Director of Teaching and Learning. During the 2012-2013 school year, the District reevaluated elementary grading practices. The outcome of the reevaluation resulted in an increase in accuracy and consistency in grading at the elementary level. At the junior high level, teachers and administrators were

which many rules were no longer in effect. “We were driving around Hopkins a couple times when a cop stopped us. He knew about the whole game going on,” Nor said. Nor and his team talked to the cop, who told them something similar to what the police told Palmer and Steinbrunn. “He said it was a safety hazard, but I don’t see that. We were in a parking lot with nobody around,” Nor said. Mr. Jason Tait, Police Liaison, notes that these police are simply doing their job. “Police get calls in the community of suspicious persons or activity related to Assassins on a regular basis after the game starts. It is a strain on police services and often leaves the callers in fear of something more sinister happening,” Tait said. These police don’t necessarily want to give players a ticket. Instead, they are trying to ensure that the game doesn’t pose a risk to the players and the broader community. In planning the solo Assassins game, Palmer made sure to keep safety a priority. “I tried to keep in mind the safety of the players. I wanted to

keep everything legal and safe. I didn’t want my players to have any run-ins with the police. We have rules regarding concealing guns, decoy rules, and trespassing rules that keep people out of trouble,” Palmer said. Some of the rules Palmer made include a ban on playing at the following locations: school property or events, inside private residences unless invited in by someone who lives there, and testing sites. There is also a ban on drive-bys. Benjamin Parker, senior, is also playing Nerf Assassins. He understands that the game is not worth causing trouble over. “If I were causing problems in a neighborhood while playing Assassins, and the cops threatened to give me a ticket, I think that would be fair. I would listen to the cops. It’s a game; there’s no point to risk getting in trouble with the authorities over a game,” Parker says. When the police get involved, the game becomes more serious and the penalties get more severe than losing. “At the end of the day, all you need to do is avoid causing a lot of trouble, and you can avoid the cops,” Palmer said.

Junior highs propose new grading systems

interested in conducting a similar study to update their grading practices based on research from other districts and best practices in grading. Staff members and administrators from each junior high and the District met throughout the 2014-2015 school year to decide on a proposed change in the middle school grading practice. “Our purpose is to use research-based best practices as a guide to align Hopkins junior high grading, in order to provide students and families with consistent feedback and information on students’ academic progress,” Schimelpfenig said. After the group reviewed the purpose of junior high grading, the group conducted a researchbased study on national and regional expertise in grading. The outcomes of the research by the committee were presented to all junior high teachers in April.

The presentation to both junior highs included a new assignment of grades, summative and formative assessments and an elimination of the zero in grading assessments. The new suggested alignment of grades for junior high grading are 50-59%=F, 60-69.9%=D, 7079.9%=C, 80-89.9%=B, and 90% and above=A. Summative assessments will be used by teachers to assess student learning over a period of time within a specific course. “Summative assessments may include tests, projects, demonstrations, etc., to reflect what a student has learned and practiced throughout the course, and are a strong reflection of what students know and are able to do,” Schimelpfenig said. Formative assessments will serve as progress checks and will account for no more than 20 percent of a student’s course grade.

If a student refuses to do their homework, school work, or if they show a lack of work completion in a course, they will be given a grade of No Evidence (NE) in grades seventh and eighth, and F in ninth grade. District members and staff members from both junior highs plan to develop a different grading style to accommodate students with special educational needs. “Our study group will continue working on the important details involved in providing grades to students with Special Education needs. Special education staff members will be closely involved in that work,” Schimelpfenig said. Parent information regarding the junior high grading practices will be communicated to parents through “Back to School” information at the beginning of next school year.

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RPWednesday, June 3, 2015

Community faces hunger

by Haley DenHartog News Editor

Every year, the girls hockey team stands outside a Lunds grocery store for hours bellringing to raise money for the Salvation Army. “We have a lot of fun, we end up singing songs and we bring awareness to the cause,” said Stephanie Sween, senior. “The captains usually choose [where to volunteer], but bell ringing started awhile ago and now it’s kind of a tradition.”

However, bell-ringing reaches lengths greater than just upholding a tradition. The hockey team is a group of loyal volunteers, which has become crucial for the upkeep of the charity. Currently, the Salvation Army is facing a dilemma; as the number of hungry people arriving at the doorsteps of the charity has increased, the number of unpaid volunteers has fallen. Staff expressed concern about their services in the coming months. “We are just weeks away

Scholarships awarded to deserving seniors by Jack Bass Staff Reporter

For one night, the cafeteria was given a formal makeover. On May 20, HHS held its annual scholarship night event. The evening was filled with students, parents, and staff celebrating outstanding seniors who were receiving scholarships for various accomplishments. Sophie Holm, senior, was one of the recipients of the more than 20 scholarships gifted. Holm was awarded the Hopkins Rotary scholarship, worth $1000. “Its a nice accomplishment,” Holm said. “Community service is a really big part [of my life], so it’s nice to know that the things that I’ve done, like being a camp counselor and Feed My Starving Children, are being recognized.” Students were recognized for a variety of different aspects, ranging from musical achievements to community service. Claire Dirnberger, senior, received a scholarship for her involvement in the community with the ICA food shelf.

“My hard work has paid off,” Dirnberger said. Dirnberger began volunteering at ICA this fall through Community Involvement and goes every other day to lend a hand. Gannon Youakim, senior, was also awarded a $1000 scholarship. “A kid in my situation cannot look at $1000 and say that will not help in college,” Youakim said. The prices of college have grown substantially over the past 10 years. These scholarships are intended to lessen the expense burden on families with students attending college. “Make sure you put in some good volunteer work, show people you care about your community, maintain your grades, be responsible, and work hard when you have to,” Youakim said. Holm expressed similar sentiments. “It’s a very easy thing. There are so many things that are considered community service, and it’s a great use of your time,” Holm said.

Differentiated diplomas DIPLOMA. Continued from page 1 Claire Miller, senior, has been involved with the music department at HHS throughout her high school experience. She believes that graduating with a distinction in performing & visual arts would be applicable to her future. “I think as a musician, I would benefit from graduating with distinction in the performing arts because I would have narrowed my focus to music and would have, potentially, a head start on college curriculum and material for my major,” Miller said. “Colleges may look favorably at that, depending on other coursework as well.” Jefferson High School in

Bloomington has an honors diploma, and Chaska High School has a version of the focus diploma, but the senior study committee could not find a model as comprehensive as the differentiated diploma. The school board and the senior study committee are continuing to develop the differentiated diploma, but have several years of work to do to make it ready for the first diplomas in 2020. Overall, Schultz is excited to see the effects of the new program. “As far as the future is concerned, I think when a student can talk about additional experiences as they are going to the high school, whatever that may be, there is a lot of benefit to that,” Schultz said.

from kids being out of school,” said Jessica Herring, program administrator at the Salvation Army. “We always see a big jump in demand for food once they are no longer getting breakfast and lunch at school.” HHS has a number of students who depend on free and reduced lunch. During the summer, this becomes unavailable and those students must find other ways to obtain affordable meals. In 2014, the Salvation Army served 495,700 meals in the Twin Cities. Since then, it was

reported that the number of people in need approaching the charity has nearly doubled. With a shortage of helping hands, providing necessary alms becomes difficult. The hockey team was discouraged to hear about the lack of volunteers and encourages others to give back. “I think it’s kind of sad; people should donate their time. You feel good when your time is going towards doing good for others,” said Gretchen Patterson, senior.

infographic by Addie Lennon

RP Wednesday, June 3, 2015 Album review: Passion Pit’s “Kindred” the

4opinion

Print Editors-in-Chief Not all learning is done inside the classroom, so find what makes you excited and take it far. -Callan Showers

Do your best to sample each opportunity that comes your way, and take none of them for granted. -Nate Pasko

Design and Back Page Editors

Participate in as much as you can. If not a participant, be an active supporter. -Madeline Martodam

Stay focused, but allow yourself to have some fun. A balance will give you the best experience. -Isabella Weisman

High school is the time to take risks and explore new things. Strive to be the best person you can be. -Alex Felemovicius

News Editor

Feature Editors

Superlatives HHS Left Out

likely to be on 10 Most Sportscenter

Most likely to have a “doctor’s appointment” Most likely to trip at graduation Most likely to drop their cone on the ground

6 Worst case of senioritis 5 4 3 2 1

Most likely to be banned from Twitter Most likely to not be at the 10year reunion Most likely to be stuck in high school Most likely to think a joke about chicken tenders is funny Most likely to know what “superlative” means

Business Editors High school is more enjoyable if you find something you are passionate about and immerse yourself in it. -Brian Yu

Understand the importance of friends and family. -Jacob Ungerman

es.

Top 10 :

Form relationships with your teachers - they have a lot to teach you beyond the curriculum. -Danielle Fogelson

bout 16 th a ,00 wi

album sal

Stay in school, kids. Don’t wish away -Haley Denhartog your days, before you know it you’ll be giving advice to future sophomores. -Madison Petty

Define yourself, don’t let others define you. Regret is the enemy, so always look forward. -Tobie Soumekh

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Brush your teeth every day and don’t let people look down on you. -Hillary Donovan

Graphics Editor

Sports Editors Always Dream Big and Work Hard. -Ben Segelbaum

Opinion Editor

Turning tragedy into dancepop tunes seems to be a pastime for alternative band Passion Pit’s frontman, Michael Angelakos. Both his latest, Kindred, and 2012 release Gossamer consist almost entirely of catchy electronic pop songs. However, woven into these songs are lyrics of Angelakos’ ongoing struggles with bipolar disorder. Where Gossamer thrived due to its paradoxical melodies and lyrics, Kindred does not compare. Cliché dichotomies of light versus dark are used throughout to outline Angelakos’ shifting moods. Undoubtedly, his songwriting capabilities far surpass these obvious and trite comparisons. Hans Zimmer, a composer who is widely known for his acclaimed film scores, helped to produce select songs on the album. With a partner-in-crime this successful, it’s clear that Angelakos had gained the regard of his peers for his previous work. But does Kindred deserve the

ute d

by Adeline Lennon News Editor

same recognition? The album consists of ten songs, a mere 35 minutes or so for one run-through. However, each computerized track feels repetitive, even in this short timespan. Despite the album’s downfalls, standout tracks include “Five Foot Ten (I),” which is an upbeat ode to introverts everywhere, and “My Brother Taught Me How To Swim,” which discusses Angelakos’ road to acceptance of his mental illness. Sonically, “Until We Can’t (Let’s Go)” is also worth noting. So while worthy of respect for his ability to capture sullen emotions in perky pop tunes, Angelakos’ excessive use of synths and falsettos is not quite as powerful as it seemed on past works.

d” de b

*Not Pictured: Ellie Maag and Bradley Kaplan, Web Editors-in-Chief*

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Graduating Editors share wisdom for underclassmen

“K

Royal Page words of advice

infographic by Nate Pasko

Check your privilege by Callan Showers Print Editor-in-Chief My third grade teacher anchored her classroom with one simple rule: “Before you speak, think to yourself, ‘Is what I am going to say necessary, kind, and true?’ If not, don’t say it.” I want to add one thing: factor in your privilege. Privilege is defined as a special right, advantage, or immunity granted or available only to a particular person or group of people. It is plaguing our society because when one has enough of it, he or she does not need to see it to survive. I am a white, American, able-bodied and minded, heterosexual, Christian woman with a middle-to-upper-class, supportive family as well as access to education and infrastructure. I have had inherent, unearned, and unfair advantages since birth. That can be a hard pill to swallow. While privilege cannot be fully “categorized,” race, ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, religion, gender identity, family life, class, and education are common attributes that would indicate what privileges a person may benefit from. Historian W.E.B. Du Bois conceptualized privilege in his 1910 essay The Souls of White Folk. He wrote about “wages of whiteness,” which he described as including common courtesy and respect, unquestioned admittance to all public functions, lenient treatment in court, and access to the

best schools. Du Bois’ point holds true today. With very few exceptions, I can walk through the halls without a pass and have no trouble. I don’t have to decide which gender bathroom would be more acceptable for me to use. I chose a college and can think freely about my future career path without worrying much about pay-off or profitability. I can also recall a time a male peer told me “third-wave” feminism wasn’t real, implying that after women received the right to vote and fought for reproductive choice the need for feminism disappeared. Last fall, a policeman pulled me over for going 13 miles per hour over the speed limit, called me darlin’ and let me off with a warning. Perhaps my privilege saved me a few weeks of wages in that case. Privilege is not easy to talk about. Still, the only way to mitigate the barriers and inequalities enforced by privilege is to have open, honest conversations about it. Moreover, to do this, we must all acknowledge its existence in ourselves - the good and the bad. One example of how to foster community awareness is through activism. Select students should be proud of their involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement. What race were the vast majority of these young activists, though? They were black. We, as a people, are not colorblind. If we didn’t see color, or any other determinants of privilege,

how would we eliminate the school-to-prison pipeline for young black boys, close the gender pay gap for women (especially women of color), or lower the suicide rate amongst transgender people? The goal to omit defining factors of privilege from conversation to practice equality is wholly misunderstood. If I attempt to not see the color of a black person’s skin, will they achieve the same societal fairness I have always had? No, this will only happen with real, conscious efforts and awareness. Nationally, high school clubs like the Exploring Whiteness group at the Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, New York, are creating safe places to allow students of all backgrounds to enter into conversations of equity and prejudice. HHS is helping us delve into these topics, too. Administration has encouraged us to talk to our Principal about any relevant issue or topic in a casual setting, and we have classes like Honors Diversity Seminar and Honors Humanities that allow us to grapple with questions of justice. However, as a graduating senior, I encourage you, underclassmen, to recognize the privilege you hold or lack, both as a student with a voice and a human who deserves respect. Use this awareness to demand more. Talking about it may be uncomfortable, messy, and hard, but we must each be aware of our own privilege to be a competent member of a global society. Justice will come when privilege needs no explanation.

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RPWednesday, June 3, 2015

Point/Counterpoint: Examining Greek life

Greek organizations at many universities around the country do valuable philanthropic work in their communities, but many also serve as breeding grounds for dangerous behavior. Fraternities and sororities are positive assets to a community and teach valuable life skills by Madeline Martodam Opinion Editor As graduation approaches and my first day at the University of Missouri is just three short months away, an important decision requires my attention. To rush, or not to rush? That is the question. According to USA TODAY, there are over nine million college students who are members of a Greek organization. Incoming students choose to participate in Greek life for a variety of reasons. Many join for the benefit of having a network of friends that share common interests and goals. What we see in the media casts a negative light on Greek organizations as a whole. However, I was quite surprised at my findings in correlation to those involved and their accomplishments, as that information doesn’t seem to get publicized to the same extent. The Greek system is the largest network of volunteers in the United States, donating over ten million hours of service. Fraternities alone raised $20.3 million in the 2013-2014 school year. The majority of Greek organizations require their members to attain a set number of

service hours per semester. College graduation rates are 21% higher nationwide amongst Greeks than non-Greeks. Greeks also maintain an above average GPA, while being heavily involved in their chapter’s activities and service projects. Lauren Glaccum, president of the Panhellenic Council, which serves as the umbrella organization for 26 international women’s sororities, says that sororities’ structure places academics before everything else, which is what enables them to keep GPAs high. The eventual success of many Greeks is what fascinates me the most. Since 1825, all but three U.S. presidents have been fraternity members. 85 percent of Fortune 500 executives took part in Greek life. Every Apollo 11 astronaut, as well as the first female astronaut, was involved in Greek life. The wide array of success that correlate with Greek life participation often stem from a strong resumé. In being involved, one can attain a set of transferable life skills that display them as a well-rounded, philanthropic human being. Time management and organization are absolutely vital to make it in the real world. As

a Greek, these skills are learned the second you pledge. In serving others, it is known that you are concerned about more than just yourself; the amount of time and effort spent raising money and awareness shows you’re passionate about what you do, and willing to give your all. Leadership skills are some of the most valuable tools one can attain from going Greek. Public speaking is common-place in a Greek society, whether it be during leader meetings or committee work. Learning from your peers and being able to work together often tends to be most helpful when going on to get a job. I believe a huge part of my decision is finding the proper chapter to be a part of. In movies, the party aspect of fraternities and sororities tends to be the only aspect shown. This has warped the overall image of Greek society. Whether you go Greek or not, I encourage you to do your research. What we see in the media is not what Greek life is all about. If you’re passionate about something, pick a chapter that fits you and your lifestyle. You may end up making friendships that will last a lifetime and gain memories and skills you never knew were possible.

infographic by Madeline Martodam

The negative aspects and impacts of Greek life sorely outweigh the benefits by Nate Pasko Print Editor-in-Chief Members of fraternities and sororities often complain about the stigma surrounding their lifestyle, and not without reason - it is probably impossible to find a more-maligned facet of American culture than Greek life. I must first acknowledge that there are some fraternities and sororities that do great things in their communities and are valuable assets to their schools. With that being said, outlandish caricatures like the fraternity in the film “Animal House” are rooted in fact. Throughout their history in the American highereducation system, fraternities and sororities have been breeding grounds for dangerous and violent behavior by college students. Though fraternities are certainly responsible for the lion’s share of problems surrounding Greek life, sororities do their share of damage as well. Sororities encourage conformity - in actions, dress, and more - and are quite isolating and exclusionary. Many sorority women do not (and are encouraged to not) have friends outside their sorority house. This counteracts the whole point of a post-secondary education - to prepare students for the “real world.” By their nature, sororities gather similar women - be it by political identification, social interests, or any other number of classifiers - under one roof for at least three of the four years spent at a university. It would hardly seem that sororities even remotely resemble the world these women must sooner

or later enter, thereby stunting their personal and social development. Despite the drawbacks of the sorority system, it is almost always fraternities (by which I mean all-male, nominally integrated social organizations, as opposed to professional or academic groups) that are responsible for the parties and other events that create isolated atmospheres in which drugs and alcohol are plentiful - an ideal place for the development of violent and destructive behaviors. Social fraternities (the vast majority of Greek letter organizations, far outnumbering service or professional fraternities) are one of the few venues on a college campus in which a medium-sized group of like-minded men have reason to congregate with one another on a daily basis. The difference between a frat and, say, a collegiate soccer team is that fraternities use their time together to plan parties in which they provide female classmates with alcohol (and often other substances) in a totally unsupervised, unprotected arena. These parties are breeding grounds for rape and other assaults, almost always perpetrated by male students. It is undoubtedly true that simply shutting down Greek life will not fully eradicate rape and sexual assault on college campuses. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t take that large first step. The above statements, while divisive, are not made subjectively - they are based on cold, hard statistics. According to a 2007 study by John D. Foubert, formerly of The College of William and Mary, and two of his

colleagues, fraternity men are three times more likely to commit rape than other men on college campuses. Foubert’s was the third study to confirm this statistic. It is obvious that the existence of fraternities causes a substantial number of rapes on college campuses that would otherwise not occur. Therefore, I cannot justify the hand-wringing and hesitation from college administrators that has so far prevented the eradication of the Greek system. The fact that administrators at the vast majority of our country’s universities have yet to take serious action shows their belief that sexual violence should be accepted as an inherent cost of running a college campus. It must not, and we cannot allow it to be. I do not mean to insinuate that the only problem in Greek life is sexual assault. I have not yet mentioned, much less delved into, the other two members of the “big three”: hazing and binge drinking. Though these problems do not exist solely in the world of Greek life, they undoubtedly flourish there. The bottom line is that Greek life must go. Any benefits wrought by chapters that actually do add value to their schools and communities through service or academic activities are sorely outweighed by the many negative aspects of Greek life. This may be a sad truth, but it is the truth nonetheless: by allowing Greek life to flourish unchecked at their schools, administrators make the conscious decision to perpetuate the dangerous yet preventable behaviors of their students. That is beyond unexcusable - it is criminal.

The conformity conundrum: Can high schoolers escape conformity? Maybe not, but accepting people for who they are is a noble goal for which to strive in adolescence and beyond by Claire Benton Front Page Editor High school is a scary place full of hormonal teenagers. Nearly everyone in this building will judge your every outfit choice, the group you hang out with, or the sports you play. So, to best succeed in your three years of the pubescent zoo they call high school, just fit in. To avoid being original, which is obviously weird and not worth the effort, you can follow the popular fads and blend right into the crowd. Here’s a how-to-

guide. 1. Even if you do not have the money to spend, you should definitely go 100 dollars into debt for Lululemon leggings. 2. The best activity to do is sports. Sports are way cooler than all other extracurriculars. But if you’re on JV, you suck. 3. If you have a Snapchat, make sure to story everything you do in public, especially if you’re with your best friends. We all really want to see that. 4. If you like natural caffeine drinks, anything blended like a Frappe or Cooler is low-sugar, proven to help you

study, and a great inexpensive alternative to water. Make sure you don’t spill on those white Converse. And please post it to your Snap story. High school is a place for fitting in, being one with the crowd, and having as many friends as possible. Get in on the right fads, hang out with the right people, and you can be like everybody else - happy, right? In truth, it’s not that simple. Even mocking the ways many people attempt to fit in is an act of conformity itself. For example, almost ev-

ery time there is a Minnesota snowstorm, students take to the Twittersphere as highly qualified weather reporters. Soon after the initial outpour of tweets, though, there is another message that will undoubtedly appear on your feed: a tweet making fun of their followers who commented on the obvious snowfall. While conformity can come in many forms, from shoes purchased to trendy dance moves (hit the whip, anyone?), its effects are never as straightforward as one might expect. Fitting in can be expensive. It sucks to be the one friend who

can’t afford the spring break trip or needs to check their bank account before agreeing to going out to dinner. Even more problematic, in some cases, is the passive behavior that can follow a desire to belong. Because having unpopular, strongly-held, or even just vocal opinions can isolate and exclude us from groups we seek to be a part of. Consciously or not, we all conform to the ideals of friends, family, and society as a whole. We are not the same people we would be if those outer influences weren’t in our lives.

High schoolers cannot escape conformity. It’s an unfortunate and inevitable fact of being in a building of nearly two thousand teenagers for a full nine months of the year. But perhaps if we begin to accept people for having their own styles, hobbies, or beliefs, the life of a mood-swinging teenager can have one less stressor - that of fitting in. Standing in the mall, people who both follow and stray from the popular trends should feel confident to express themselves in whichever way they choose.

What was your favorite place to get food with your friends?

Children’s Toys

What was your fondest memory from HHS? Mr. Rick Rexroth, social studies Performing on the theatre stage in band Ms. Jane Kleinman, health Canoeing down the Minnehaha Creek Ms. Terri Osland, technology integration specialist My fast pitch softball team

T.V. Shows

CURRENT TEACHERS, PAST ALUMNI

Rexroth: Perkins Osland: Perkins What was your favorite movie in high school? Rexroth: Raiders of the Lost Ark Kleinman: Footloose

Osland: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

How have things changed at HHS?

Rexroth: “The school is twice the size and does a better job of serving all kids.” Kleinman: “Diversity, four-block schedule, and overall nicer building.”

Osland: “Today we have way better food choices and more cultural differences. Back then, we only had a small theater and the old gym.”

Artists

Kleinman: Rocky Rococo

2000

THE TR 2005

RENDS 2010

2015

CURRENT STUDENTS What is your fondest memory from HHS?

Elsie Troutman, senior Homecoming Orielle Heilicher, junior Pepfest Rob Ripley, sophomore Playing varsity lacrosse What is your favorite place to get food with your friends? Troutman: McDonalds Heilicher: Noodles Ripley: Pancheros Where do you think is the most popular place to hang out in the Hopkins area? Troutman: Calhoun Heilicher: Uptown Ripley: The Depot

LOOKING BACKWARD As we reach the end of the year, We reflect on trends and patterns of the previous years By Alex Felemovicius and Isabella Weisman, C-Spread Editor and Infographic Editor of the Royal Page All photos licensed through Creative Commons

The Royal Page 2014-2015

Editors in Chief Nate Pasko Callan Showers

Front Page Editor Claire Benton

Design Editor in Chief Alex Felemovicius

News Editors

Haley DenHartog Addie Lennon

Opinion Editor

Madeline Martodam

Feature Editors Danielle Fogelson Madison Petty

Sports Editors Hillary Donovan Ben Segelbaum

Backpage Editor Tobie Soumekh

Photo Editor

Ruby Krietzman

Infographic Editor

Isabella Weisman

Business Editors

Jacob Ungerman Brian Yu

Web Editors in Chief Bradley Kaplan Ellie Maag

Staff Reporters Jack Bass Benji Bloom Will Cohen Justice Feldman Bea Frank Sophie Frank Josh Freeman Izzy Goldfarb Isabel Hall Judaisha Jackson Noah Kaplan Kyle Makey Jack Smith Brit Stein Jordan Zaroff

Adviser

Mr. Kocur

The editorial represents the opinion of the newspaper staff. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, the student body or the advisor. Signed viewpoints represent the view of the writer. The Royal Page operates as an open forum student publication, and student editors make editorial decisions regarding content. Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone. Annual Subscriptions are available for $20. The Royal Page encourages letters to the editor. Letters are not guaranteed publication, are subject to editing for content and length, must be signed and meet deadlines. Compliments and suggestions are also welcome.

RP Wednesday, June 3, 2015

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Jamming at Fine Line: Buckfest Four Continued from page 1 St. Paul-based rapper Allan Kingdom, who was recently featured on Kanye West’s international single “All Day” that also features Paul McCartney, hosted the event. Lucius Jemison, junior, has known the 21-yearold rapper since Kingdom was 16. Gonzalez also helped make the connection possible. “We met Allan Kingdom after his group The Stand4rd had their last date of their tour here in Minneapolis,” Gonzalez said. “I spoke to him there about the possibility of him being a part of [Buckfest] and he was just so supportive, and really has shown so much love.” Murph Myres, the stage name of Lucas LaFostecasse, senior, performed first with the help of Max Taylor, junior. LaFostecasse’s energy on stage is contagious, and his rapping is always electric in speed and articulation. “[When I rap] I’m like a cartoon rabbit that took a lot of adrenaline shots, jumping up and down, up and down, up and down,” LaFostecasse said. For LaFostecasse, the experience is made by the audience. “[The best part is] Interacting with the audience and just getting this unattainable energy,” LaFostecasse said. “Nothing else does this for me.” His most impressive song was “Flee,” featuring Taylor. “We just finished [Flee] a couple of days ago. It is the fastest either of us have ever rapped,” LaFostecasse said. After Murph Myres came

Top: Lucius Jemison, junior, raps at Buckfest. Jemison performed with two other HHS students in their group Goofy Boys. Bottom: Lucas LaFostecasse, senior, opened the show with one of his raps. Max Taylor, junior, joined LaFostecasse on stage. photos by Ruby Krietzman

Goofy Boys, made up of Alex Goldberg and Jack Martin, seniors, and Lucius Jemison, ju-

nior, along with a slew of “hype men” on stage to get the crowd engaged, with tactics including

beach balls and confetti guns. Their songs “Skee-Yee,” with a Youtube music video clocking

1,235 views, and “Fuego” were memorable pieces from their set. Next came Quincy, the only traditional rock band of the night, consisting of Butwinick, Gonzalez, Martin, and Drew Kist, seniors. Quincy brought a head-bumping yet smooth rock sound to the stage. Butwinick noted that Quincy’s rock feel helped make Buckfest unique. “I think the balance is what makes this event so great. You can come here and even if you don’t want to hear rap, you can come hear [Quincy]. There’s something for everybody,” Butwinick said. DJ Micro P, the stage name of Asher Weisberg, junior, finished off the night with his high-energy mixes. His original mixes were exciting and appealing, and his remixed “Remix to Ignition” by R. Kelly got the crowd singing along. The crowd’s spirit did not fade throughout the night. In fact, it culminated in Weisberg’s act - a shoe was thrown onto the stage. Blue, green, red, and flashing strobe lights along with a fog machine increased the ultraprofessional feel of the event. As for the next Buckfest, many of the current keystone acts are seniors who will be heading to college in the fall. Still, fans should not say goodbye too fast. “Before we leave for school, [Buckfest Four] was probably the last show,” Butwinick said. “But the last Buckfest as a series of events? We haven’t thought it through that far - we are living in this moment.”

Hassan passes test, becomes U.S. citizen by Danielle Fogelson Feature Editor For Khadro Hassan, senior, turning 18 didn’t automatically grant her the right to vote. Rather, it allowed her the right to take her U.S. citizenship test—an extra step Hassan had to take before receiving the rights of all American citizens. “The one thing that I look forward to with becoming a U.S. citizen is being able to actually vote and participate,” Hassan said. Hassan’s family is originally from Somalia, though she was born in a refugee camp in Kenya. Despite being only three years old when she moved, Hassan still has memories from Kenya. “I remember when I was little we lived in a mud and straw hut put together in our refugee camp. When I was little, my mom would put me in the clothes she had when she was younger, and I would run around. If my shoes broke, I would take it to a person in the market who fixed shoes,” Hassan said.

Hassan came to Minnesota in 1999 with several family members to meet her uncle. Since then, many members of her family left or are still leaving Kenya and journeying to Minnesota or other parts of the world. “Slowly, a lot of us are moving here,” Hassan said. “Outside of Somalia, Minnesota has the largest Somali population, which makes it sorta seem like you’re in Somalia sometimes, other than the snow.” Up until this year, when she passed the test and gained citizenship status, Hassan had been granted long-term residence through a green card, which allows people to be employed and reside in the United States. When Hassan turned 18, she had the choice of either renewing her green card or applying for citizenship. “It made more sense for me to take my citizenship test because I would get all the benefits of being an American citizen. I chose to do that rather than go through the work of verifying a bunch of things to reapply for a green card,” Hassan said.

The citizenship test consists of four portions: speaking, reading, writing, and 100 civics questions. In order for her answers on the civics test to be considered correct, Hassan had to memorize each answer word for word. Her friend Nayeli Briones, senior, helped her prepare. “She seemed kinda worried so I figured I should help her,” Briones said. “I think the questions came pretty easy to her, but she did try to practice a lot. During TASC, or whenever we had free time, I would just quiz her the questions on the list, and she would answer.” Preparing for the civics test was tedious. However, Hassan feels that there is value to that section of the test. “I think [the civics portion of the test] is somewhat necessary because some people who weren’t born in this country may need to learn things for their civil rights,” Hassan said. “Some of the questions are really important. For example, there’s a question that says, ‘How can you take part in your democracy?’” While Hassan notes that her

green card granted her many of the same rights as a full citizenship, she admits its inconveniences. “The hardest thing for me was when I was applying for a new job, and they asked for identification, I would give them my green card. They wouldn’t know what to do with it so I would have to explain everything,” Hassan said. “Some employers would ask if having a green card means I’m legally able to work in the United States. Times like that it was kind of a burden.” Hassan is happy to have completed the citizenship test surrounded by a community of people who understand the process. “If you go to any place that is predominantly Somali, like the neighborhoods on Riverside, then you would feel like you’re in a community of people who understand you and understand the same struggles as you,” Hassan said. “Some people are going through the same boat as me, so it didn’t seem that abnormal to have take my citizenship test. It’s just another thing you have to do.”

In 2014, 654,949 people became naturalized citizens.

One-third of Somalians in the U.S. reside in Minnesota.

There are over 32,000 Somalians living in Minnesota. infographic by Danielle Fogelson source: U.S. Census Bureau

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RP Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Unruh-Friesen family calls District 270 home by Madison Petty Feature Editor For Evan Unruh-Friesen, sophomore, seeing familiar faces at school has never been an issue. From elementary school to high school, Unruh-Friesen’s school and his parent’s workplaces have been synonymous. “[My wife and I] were

teaching in Kansas and I grew up in this area, so it was time to come home. We sent out applications, and we both got interviews at Hopkins,” said Mr. John Unruh-Friesen, Social Studies. “When we both got offered jobs from Hopkins, [our friends] were like ‘You have to jump on those.’” John and his wife, Ms. Sher

Unruh-Friesen, Special Education, accepted their respective positions and traveled back to Minnesota. John began teaching at HHS and Sher began teaching in the Compass Program at Glen Lake Elementary, which is a district-wide program for students with disabilities. “As soon as I started work-

Mr. John Unruh-Friesen, Social Studies, and his wife Sher pose with their son Evan Unruh-Friesen, sophomore, after his performance in the HHS play “You Can’t Take it With You” in mid-May. John and Sher have taught in the Hopkins School District for 14 years. photo provided by Sher Unruh-Friesen

Two seniors take on Europe by Sophie Frank Staff Reporter On June 20, Erik Rubinyi and Konstantinos Kochilas, seniors, will be headed for Paris, France, the starting point of their 20-day trip through Europe. Rubinyi and Kochilas will be traveling by themselves from France to Italy and then to Greece with no set plans other than dates and their sleeping arrangements. Rubinyi and Kochilas plan to spend three or four days in Paris, taking a train south to Toulouse, heading west to the small town of Antibes, and then ending in Marseilles. From there, they will take a train to Italy where they will spend time in Milan, Florence, and Rome. They will then head to Bari on the coast, take a ferry to the island city of Corfu, Greece, and eventually fly into Athens where they will spend the remainder of the trip with Kochilas’ relatives there. “We had a limited schedule because Erik is working as a camp counselor [for part of the

summer], so we had to find the quickest way through the places that we thought would be the most interesting,” Kochilas said. Besides Athens and Toulouse, where they plan to stay with family friends of Rubinyi, most nights the boys will stay in hostels. Rubinyi and Kochilas made all of the reservations themselves. “It took a ton of research and comparing each option, and then we kind of picked one at random,” Rubinyi said. Rubinyi and Kochilas organized all aspects of their trip with minimal help. Planning for the trip has been a lot of responsibility, and being halfway across the globe on their own will require even more, but both Rubinyi and Kochilas say that their parents trust them. “My sister did a similar trip with her friend in college, and my brother is currently in Bangladesh working for the World Bank, so [my parents] were all for it,” Rubinyi said. “But a lot of [other] parents I’ve talked to [about our trip] seemed very sur-

prised and were worried for us.” Rubinyi is especially excited to visit France. After studying French throughout high school, he is eager to have a chance to meet real native speakers and utilize the skills he’s learned. However, he recognizes language barriers could be a potential obstacle. “Konstantinos speaks fluent Greek, and I’m not too worried for France - I can’t speak perfect French but I can at least understand it,” Rubinyi said. “I am worried for Italy, though, because neither of us speak Italian. I tried looking at some of the pronunciations and it’s the complete opposite of French; you pronounce everything instead of pronouncing nothing, so that will be interesting.” Yet, that degree of uncertainty is exciting to Rubinyi and Kochilas. “My sister’s major advice was to get the cities planned out but then just get lost and ask people what to see,” Rubinyi said. “So that’s our plan: to get lost in every city.”

This infographic details the route that Erik Rubinyi and Konstantinos Kochilas, seniors, will travel this summer. They planned the logistics of this trip by themselves. infographic by Sophie Frank

ing at Glen Lake when Evan was two years old, I knew it was an amazing community. I wanted Evan to be a student at Glen Lake and I wanted my son to benefit from this group of talented educators,” Sher said. Although the Unruh-Friesens technically live within the boundaries of the Wayzata School District, it was an easy decision for John and Sher to send Evan to Hopkins. “After working with the amazing faculty at HHS, I was very excited about Evan having my friends and colleagues teach him,” John said. “Knowing what I know about our staff, I’d be a fool to have him go somewhere else.” By attending the school where his mother taught, Evan had the opportunity to help and experience the work she did on daily basis. That was most apparent when Evan was in sixth grade, when he befriended a new student of hers who had recently had a traumatic brain injury as result of an accident. Evan taught the student how to use an iPad, showing him apps that were useful and manageable with the student’s new

physical limitations. “He got to join my passion and help me with my mission,” Sher said. “Most children don’t get to experience what their parents do at such a deep level. This wouldn’t have happened if Evan had gone to school elsewhere.” After leaving Glen Lake, Evan continued on to West Junior High. He said goodbye to his mother and hello to his uncle, Mr. Benjamin Friesen, Digital Content Specialist, who teaches at WJH. Three years later, after moving to HHS, Evan was able to carpool with his father. “Not many kids in my grade have had my dad [as a teacher], but I’ve had friends who are older ask, ‘Are you Mr. UnruhFriesen’s kid? You look just like him,’” Evan said. “My dad says there are a lot of kids in his class who are like ‘There’s this kid in the halls that looks just like you.’” Although running into each other in the hallways is a somewhat rare occurrence, Evan knows he’ll see his dad at 9:09 a.m. every Monday morning. “I typically teach seniors, and our paths don’t actually

cross very often. Although, he is in my advisory group, so I get to spend time with him every week,” John said. “I’m sure I’m an embarrassment to him everyday whether we’re at HHS or not.” Although there are many students who have parents that teach at HHS, Evan is the only student who’s had a family member teach in his elementary school, junior high, and high school. Unlike some students who use their parents’ office space as an extended locker, Evan simply uses a bigger backpack. “There are some parent/ teacher combos that spend a lot of time together, where it’s almost like they’re an extra fixture in the office, and then there are others [like myself and Evan] that are in the same building but not always together,” John said. 14 years since John and Sher accepted jobs at Hopkins, it’s proven to be the only home for them and their son. “We spend a lot of time here. I think that’s the thing,” John said. “We all get up in the morning and go to Hopkins.”

Royal of the Month

London Lowmanstone, sophomore This month’s Royal of the Month, London Lowmanstone, sophomore, was nominated by the administration due to his academic success and involvement in extracurricular activities. “I’ve seen some of the past Royal of the Month’s in the newspaper and they all seem like really cool people, so I am excited to be a part of that,” Lowmanstone said. In addition to his challenging course load, Lowmanstone participates in numerous extracurricular activities, such as playing on the boys’ tennis team, participating in student government, composing music for Wind Ensemble, and being a Technocrat. “I did robotics this year, and we placed third in the finals. It was exciting because I was one of the drivers, so I was the one looking at the screen and giving directions,” Lowmanstone said. “That was awesome and there’s nothing quite like it.” Lowmanstone appreciates his friends, teachers, and the atmosphere of HHS. “[I really like] my friends and just all the happy energy at this school. I come to school and everyone is so positive and that just makes it fun,” Lowmanstone said. “I love it here.”

RP Wednesday, June 3, 2015

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Lindbergh Center weight room gets summer face lift by Kyle Mackey Staff Reporter

Maggie Cleary, sophomore, rises above the water in her synchronixed swimming routine. Cleary will compete at the 2015 U.S. Synchronized Swimming Junior Olympics June 26 through July 4.

photo provided by Maggie Cleary

Cleary qualifies for Junior Olympics Synchro Nationals Cont. from pg. 1

to compete in the 18-19 age group at Junior Nationals. Maggie's high school experience has prepared her for older competition. “In high school there is no age group so I’m used to competing against older girls,” said Maggie. “I’m not nervous about

that at all.” Maggie credits her motivation and ambition to her teammates. “One of the best things about synchronized swimming is you get really close with your teammates,” said Cleary. “You spend so much time with them creating your routines, practicing, designing your suits, making your suits. I’ve formed a really close bond with all of

them.” Cleary’s teammates speak highly of her. Sarah Langaard, senior, and Cleary’s teammate on the HHS synchro team, credits her accomplishments to her leadership. “Maggie steps in as a coach when ours can’t help,” Langaard said. “She’s very creative and she’s always coming forward with great ideas. She makes our

team so much stronger.” Cleary and her other club teammates will compete at the 2015 U.S. Synchronized Swimming Junior Olympics June 26 through July 4. Though Maggie has never performed at that level before, she believes she is ready. “My teammates and I have been practicing nonstop,” said Cleary. “We plan on doing really well.”

Baseball has lots to cheer beyond record by Noah Kaplan and Jordan Zaroff Staff Reporter

With a .500 regular season record in 2015, the Royals had their best regular season since 2012, in which they went 14-6 and took the section championship, but lost both state games.Though this season’s game record may not be quite on that level, what the record doesn’t show is a couple of walk offs, and even a no hitter. As the season began, the Royals got off to a quick start as they faced the now 4-16 Irondale Knights. Robbie Palkert, senior and University of Nebraska commit for baseball, was the starting pitcher for the Royals in their opener. In this outing, Palkert pitched 6 ⅔ innings and gave up one run along with two hits as he earned nine strikeouts. Over the course of the next five games the Royals traded off wins with their opponents. in those games the Royals were outscored 11 to 36 including 1-11 losses against Eagan and Eden Prairie. On April 22, the Royals hosted the Minnetonka Skippers, looking for their first conference win of the season.With a three run first inning, and a five run fifth inning, the Royals were leading the Skippers 8-7 after 5 ½ innings of play. In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Royals put up three more runs and Zach Savitz, junior, pitched a scoreless seventh inning to seal the deal. The Royals came out on top by a score of

Jon Koch, junior, winds up for a pitch. The baseball team’s season ended on May 28 with a 6-1 loss to Cooper. photo by Ruby Krietzman

11-7. “Beating Minnetonka showed how good we can be if we can play a complete baseball game,” Palkert said. On May 15, the Royals played their Lake Conference rivals, the Edina Hornets. Coming into the game, the Royals had lost one and won two of the past three. The Royals started the game hot, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Palkert, the starting pitcher, finished a complete-game no-hitter and the Royals went on to win the game 2-1. “One of the high points of the year was when Palkert threw a no hitter,” said Gabe Herstig, senior. On Thursday, May 21, the

Royals headed into sections as the sixth seed. Their first opponent was 14 seed Minneapolis South. Starting pitcher, Palkert, and the Royals defense held South to just two runs, as the Royals offense scored nine runs to win the game. The Royals’ next opponent, was the Edina Hornets. The Royals were 1-1 versus the Hornets so far this season. The Royals went looking for an upset to send them to the next round. The Royals did just that, beating the Hornets by a score of 3-2. The team’s next task at hand was taking on the Armstrong Falcons in the section quarter-

finals. The Falcons scored five runs in the third inning and were able to hold the lead as they took down the Royals 5-1. After the Royals first sections loss to Armstrong, they were facing elimination in a home game against the Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks. The Hawks arrived at HHS ready to play as they beat the Royals 6-1, thus concluding the Royals 2015 baseball season. The Royals baseball team is also optimistic of the team’s future. “The future is very bright for Hopkins baseball. We have great returning leaders in juniors, and we also have some great sophomore talent coming up,” Herstig said.

Since 1995, every student, staff, or adult who has walked into the weight room has walked on the same floor and used the same equipment. That’s about to change. This summer, the weight room will undergo a massive remodel, complete with new equipment and floor plan. “When we plan things like this, we have a meeting in February the year before we want to do it. For the new equipment, we actually started planning this two years ago,” said Dan Johnson, Director of Activities. “It’s a collaboration between the athletics office, the Physical Education department, and the Lindbergh Center as part of the Minnetonka community.” The new weight room will be a result of extensive planning by the Lindbergh Center staff, Physical Education teachers, and the Athletic Department because all three have individual uses for the weight room. Usually, the Athletic Department uses money for specific sports and to update equipment. For example, they might purchase new helmets for the football team. Last year, the department updated the turf, goalposts, and soccer goals on the stadium field. The new weight room is also more expensive than the usual upgrades. “We are using capital money and, usually, you would use capital money for new hockey helmets or something smaller,” Johnson said. “But we’re using $60,000-70,000 for new equipment and repairing old ones.” Despite the expensive renovation for last year’s turf and this year’s weight room, John-

son believes that there isn’t an emphasis on updating facilities right now. “I think we’re always working on updating and upgrading whenever we can. Right now, we’re in the process of looking at our baseball and practice soccer/football fields and so on and is that something we’re going to turf in the future. Any chance we can, we want to upgrade,” Johnson said. A project for next year could be to upgrade the baseball field to have a turf outfield due to the conditions of the current grass. Along with that could come a new softball field and converting the grass fields by the Lindbergh Center into turf fields. The Athletic Department has had people come in and give ideas and pricing for the potential makeover. “Just talking about it right now -no plans, nothing definitive. We would look at doing something with baseball over the spring and summer and then soccer/football [grass fields] in the fall,” Johnson said. “Our grass for the baseball field is overused and under-cared for so there isn’t much left of it.” As for the weight room, with the remodel going on during the summer, the Lindbergh weight room will be closed. There will be a temporary weight room in the newly built shed in the far end of the stadium. The temporary weight room will have its usual summer hours. “Over the summer, we’ll move eight or 10 pieces [of equipment] from the weight room out to the new shed in the stadium,” Johnson said. “Tyler Caldwell, our new strength coach, is going to be in contact with all the coaches and arrange times for each sport to come in and lift.”

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sports11 RP Wednesday, June 3, 2015 Three sport captain chooses academics over athletics by Bea Frank Staff Reporter

For Lauren Feagler, senior, sports have always played a large role in her life. Currently, she is the captain of not just one, but three high school sports teams: girls tennis, Alpine skiing, and softball. Feagler has played softball for 11 years, tennis for seven, and learned to ski when she was just four years old - she began to race in eighth grade. After high school, many competitive athletes choose to continue with their sports into college. Feagler, however, who will be attending Purdue University, decided not to. “You can’t really ski in Indiana,” Feagler said, “But hopefully I’ll find a way to continue with the other two, or maybe I’ll pick something else up if I

Lauren Feagler, senior captain, tosses the ball at the pitcher’s mound. Feagler was a three sport captain this year, yet she does not plan to continue her athletic career in college.

photos by Ruby Krietzman

have time.” But, weather isn’t the only reason behind her choice. Fea-

gler decided not to continue with her sports at the collegiate level so she could focus on

school. “My education comes first and I didn’t want to have to be

so consumed by my sports in college,” Feagler said. “I wanted to be able to do other stuff in college like study abroad and focus on school, and just have more of a college experience.” Being the captain of three very different sports, Feagler has had a big leadership role throughout the year. “It’s interesting because what it requires to be captain is very different for all three of the sports,” Feagler said. “It’s really fun to compare the sports and get to know all of the different kids on that level.” Feagler has enjoyed being a captain for each sport this year. Because all three are so different and she has played for so many years, she has very unique memories from each. “For skiing, I will miss the chairlift rides with my teammates and having the opportu-

nity to beat my personal best. For tennis, I will miss playing doubles, and for softball, I will miss all the traditions that we have and playing in the Palace,” Feagler said. Playing a sport for college is a very big commitment, so not continuing will aid her in concentrating just on school. Understandably, quitting the sports is going to be very tough to do after having been with them for so many years. “I am definitely going to miss all three of them a lot,” Feagler said. Still, Feagler hopes this won’t be the end of her athletics, and she believes that some intramural sports may be in her future. “It was a very hard decision to make because I really love all the sports, and that’s basically what my life is right now, so it’ll be very different,” Feagler said.

United golf team marks season with best score in five years What’s in Connor Hall’s Golf Bag water bottle

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tees & balls

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them. “The strongest part of my game is my iron play. I have more trust in my irons than any other club,” Torborg said. Limiting weaknesses and expanding strengths is crucial to improving your game. Like all other sports, it’s important to put in work outside of regular practice. “To be a successful golfer, I need to play and practice every day. When I practice outside of school, I go to the driving range and hit balls, practice chipping and then head over to the putting green,” Torborg said. Despite the fact that golf can

ment and shot our best score in five years,” said Robbie Torborg, senior. High school golf is heavily reliant on individual success. It is crucial that each golfer performs to their maximum level in order for the rest of the team to do well. “I haven’t had one of my best seasons but I know what I have to do to contribute positively,” Nelson said. “The team is really good at picking guys up when they are down.” There are many different aspects of golf: chipping, putting, driving, and being smart and strategic. It’s important to know your strengths and then play to

The HHS boys golf team is looking to finish strong as the season comes to a close. With only a 14 golfer roster, the team has been competing closely with other teams in numerous tournaments and matches. “We are really solid as a team this year,” said Luke Nelson, senior captain. “We’ve contended in multiple tournaments.” Each match is competitive, with numerous teams coming to one course and shooting it out. Unlike other high school sports, golf doesn’t have offi-

cials or referees. There are not officials stopping players from writing false scores down onto the score card. “People can try, but it’s almost impossible to cheat,” said Matthew Wahl, junior. “People pay attention and will catch on if those things occur.” To score the match, each team takes their top four individual scores. These scores are combined and then compared to the other teams that are participating in the match. Whoever has the lowest score is the winner. “The team has done really well this year. We won a tourna-

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by Will Cohen Staff Reporter

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infographic by Sophie Frank

be a game of ups and downs, this year’s team is especially positive and loves being united as a group. Torborg believes that motivation to keep playing with your head up high comes

from his teammates. “The team atmosphere is really strong with positivity,” Torborg said. “Everyone is really good friends, and we really enjoy being around each other.”

RP Wednesday, June 3, 2015

the

12 backpage

LOOKING FORWARD

By Tobie Soumekh, Backpage Editor, and Isabella Weisman, Infographic Editor

as we reach the end of the year, we look forward to events and advancements in the coming years

2016 SUMMER OLYMPICS

COMING SOON TO THEATERS

Fast Facts: • Where: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil • When: August 5-21 2016 • First South American city to host the Olympics “I am really excited to watch Judo in the coming Olympics because the U.S. won its first gold in that event last Olympics. - Whitney Amanga

Marco Rubio

12% 21.3% 4% 36% 26.7% Hillary Clinton

of students interviewed

Bernie Sanders

13.75% Tennis

Movie Ted 2 Magic Mike XXL Minions Paper Towns Fantastic Four The Jungle Book The Peanuts Movie Mockingjay Pt. 2 Finding Dory

of students interviewed

“I think the possibility of having our first female president is exciting and would be a turning point in American history.” - Celine Bartels-Mills

sketball Ba

35%

Other

Date 6/26/15 7/3/15 7/10/15 7/24/15 8/7/15 10/9/15 11/6/15 11/20/15 6/17/16

of students interviewed

17.5%

lleyball Vo

Jeb Bush

of students interviewed

ming/Div i im

mnastics Gy

The new Vikings stadium will be open for the 2016-2017 season.

you vote for as our next pre ould side ow nt? Wh

Which sport is your favorite to watch in the summer olympics?

16.25%

The Royal Page collected the statistical information presented from a poll which surveyed 82 HHS students.Images licensed through Creative Commons.

Other

6.25%

Horror

2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

IN THE HOPKINS COMMUNITY

CHROMEBOOK ONE-TO-ONE TECHNOLOGY Next year, HHS will provide the Acer C720P Chromebook as a personal device for each HHS student.

“It’s exciting to see the new stadium come to life because it will bring the community together. Skol Vikings.” - Spencer Allen

2.5%

1.25%

YES 40% NO 60%

Comedy

Fast Facts: • When: Tuesday, November 8, 2016 • Declared Democratic Candidates: Clinton, Sanders • Declared Republican Candidates: Cruz, Paul, Rubio, Carson, Fiorina, Huckabee, Santorum

ack/Field Tr

Was it worth it to spend money on the new Vikings Stadium?

NEW ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES Next year, HHS will offer AP Literature and AP Physics as new courses for HHS students to take.

Romance

Action

82 students were polled

What is your favorite movie genre?

NEW VIKINGS STADIUM