The Spectrum Newspaper August 2022

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SPECTRUM

“Your Voice in Print”

blakespectrum.org

Tuesday | August 30 | 2022

The Blake School

Issue I

Unspoken Upper School Norms WE Should Talk About...

The Blake School has been in operation since 1900 and has thrived as a community ever since. This is possible due to the unspoken rules and guidelines of any functioning society. These norms and expectations have been waning throughout the last few years due to COVID-19, graduations, and retirements. In interviews, students and adults show a desire to reinstate these necessary guidelines to uphold the fundamentals of order, respect, cohesion, belonging, and, most of all, tradition.

#1

In the lunchroom, clean up after yourself and others. Encourage others to clean up after themselves. Be a respectful lunch line occupant.

Don’t budge. Respect the trek it took for your peers to earn their spot in line. 9th and 10th graders sit on the courtyard side while 11th and 12th graders sit on the street side.

If you see anyone deviating from these norms, save them from embarassment and refer them to this story. Don’t silently judge. Instead, be kind and remind!

Interviews conducted with David Zalk, Joe Ruggiero, Jen Vance, Chris Loew, Sarah Warren, Darian Mehra ‘23, and Charlie Weyerhaeuser ‘23. The Blake Family Handbook was also consulted.

#2

The hallways during passing time can be busy. Remember to look up from phones while walking, don’t crowd with friends, and live in the moment. An irregular speed that is too slow or too fast is dangerous and impedes on the schedules of others. Maintain traffic flow.

#3

Respect the shared spaces of others.

Use rooms according to their function.

Study in the study rooms and department focused labs. Meditate in the meditation room. Socialize in your designated grade-level lounge. Seniors in the Northrop Lounge, juniors in the Dunn Barry Lounge, sophomores outside the NAR and Bennett Gallery, and freshmen in the Carlson Commons.

#4

Be an enthusiastic Bear. Clap for senior speakers, join different clubs and meet new friends, participate in Spirit Week themes, and attend sporting events. No one is too cool to go to sports games, concerts, or other events. Show up to celebrate your peers!

Most of our teams had captains’ practice last week so everyone on the team could get to know each other and build a community.

Rainbows are rare and double rainbows are even rarer, but Ellison Ratner ‘23 managed to capture the latter on a late summer afternoon spent at her grandparents’ house.

“You chose to take APUSH. Consequently, you shall complete the assigned readings with little gripes. You are not a victim and your teacher does not want to ruin your life.”

News & Sports: Pg. 2

Arts & Culture: Pg. 3

Opinions, Games, & Ads: Pg. 4

STAFF

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | AUGUST 30 2022 | 2

New Faculty Bring Wealth of Experience and Energy Sarah Warren ~ Assistant Director Sofia Perlman | Sci-Tech Editor

A The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy Issue 1 August 30 2022 Editor-In-Chief: Rowan Wallin Managing Editors: Amelia Bush | Zoey Ueland Creative Director: Charlotte Opp Photo Editor: Cleo Kilpatrick News Editor: Sam Tomczik Arts & Culture Editor: Gabi Marmet Sports Editors: Jason Rotenberg | Yoni Zacks

s Sarah Warren, new Upper School Assistant Director, enters her 13th year working in education, she recalls what made her decide on teaching in the first place, stating, “I started thinking back, as a child, my dad had this huge marker board in his office and my play was playing with the marker board and setting up the class and pretending to be a teacher.” Warren also comments that “you’re always educating.”

Warren notes that Blake’s commitment to its values is what drew her in to the school, she says, “As I was looking at particular schools I really appreciated the values that Blake espoused…Particularly, things

around diversity and equity were really important to me, and I wanted to see that not just the token one question was asked, but that it actually came through in multiple places. So I was impressed by that.”

Warren comments, “For better or for worse, the pandemic creates an opportunity to think about what your values are and how you reinstitute those…there’s a lot that’s remembered and there’s also an opportunity to recreate.”

Sofia Perlman

In-Depth Editor: Allyson Jay Games, Advice & Ads Editor: Ali Hecker Sci-Tech Editor: Sofia Perlman Opinions Editor: Oscar Walsh Business Manager: Julia Zhang Online Editors: Mackenzie Higgins | James Prince Faculty Adviser: Anna Reid

STAFF WRITERS: Lilly Anderson, Uma Bhardwaj, Kevin Bizily, Kaylee Chen, Ahan Devgun, Rossalyn Moore, Ainsley Pflaum, Eva Redmond, Andrew Richardson, Eva Stegic, Winnie Ulland, and Max Yousha STAFF ARTISTS: Julia Everett and Melody Lee BECOME A STAFF MEMBER: Contribute to the paper three times consecutively to be promoted to a staff writer!

JOIN SPECTRUM: Spectrum meets in room 351 during both lunches every Tuesday. Please come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing, podcasting or taking pictures for the newspaper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Disagree with something that’s in the paper? Have an opinion you want to share? Like to draw editorial cartoons? Take a stand and speak out. E-mail letters or editorial cartoons to spectrum@blakeschool.org or deliver them to room 351.

Please limit letters to 400 words.

MISSION STATEMENT: The primary purpose of the Blake School Spectrum is to report news and to explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community. We hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions.

Ilah Raleigh ~ Director of Arts

years old. From there, she became a babysitter, and then a nanny.

Once Raleigh began to have Gabi Marmet | her own kids, she started teaching Arts & Culture Editor in schools. Raleigh’s inspiration to become an educator all started lah Raleigh, the new Direc- with her own teacher who taught tor of Visual and Performing an important lesson: “Everybody Arts, loves salsa dancing and who is an artist is also a teacher, watching “Only Murders in the and you just have to accept that that’s part of the job.”

Building.”

Raleigh is excited for the Her first job involved teaching as a mother’s helper new school year and was drawn for babies when she was eight in by the “wonderful reputation Mackenzie Higgins among educators because of the quality of education.” She is also looking forward to getting involved with the art programs in all three campuses.

Raleigh mentions that her favorite part of the first day of school is the “Fashion Parade” because everyone wears clothing that expresses their image and gives a first impression of people.

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Evan Vezmar

Natalia Romero ~ Choir Director

Cleo Kilpatrick

Ali Hecker | Games, Advice & Ads Editor

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atalia Romero, the new choir director, has been teaching for eight years. Beginning her career in education at St. Olaf College, Romero recalls her first experience teaching high school choir, saying, “I got to teach high school choir and I loved it. I remember looking around like ‘Oh my god, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.’”

Coming from St. Paul Schools, Romero states that her attraction to Blake was largely due to its strong sense of community. “Everybody is connected in some way… I’m from Colombia…I moved to Minnesota by myself... I didn’t know anyone... So

the thought of coming to a school that is… a community of people to help students, serve the community, and think critically about who we are and how we want to live in the world, is really exciting to me.”

Apart from teaching, Romero is the host of “Stage”, a television show on PBS that aired this summer and is focused on music in Minnesota.

Daniel Willms ~ Math Teacher Yoni Zacks | Sports Editor

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aniel Willms, new math teacher, has had a very unique path to teaching in Minnesota. He started off teaching at Lincoln Park High School in the Chicago Public

School system. Then he taught at an international boarding school in New Mexico before teaching at an international school in Muscat, Oman.

He’s excited to try a different curriculum as “the last school I was at was an IB school, a full IB school from the primary years up to the diploma program. Before that was also IB, and before that was IB sort of combined with the Illinois State Curriculum, so it’s been a little while.” He says, “I haven’t done a pure geometry course in quite a while, but I’m excited to have the opportunity to do that.”

Willms’ decision to return to Minnesota was an easy one. “I grew up in St. Paul, so it’s sort of like coming home.

I still have lots of family here; after the pandemic and everything that was going [on], we wanted to come back and be close to family again and Blake was a great opportunity to do that.”

Fall Sports Begin, Captains Ready to Start Strong Captains speak to importance of captains practices, season goals Cleo Kilpatrick | Photo Editor

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ugust 15 was the first day of official practice for all high school sports around the state. Most teams had captains’ practice the week before so team members could get to know each other and build community. Swim captain Molly Seidel ‘24 described their captain’s practice as very organized. They

had something fun planned for each of the days. On August 10, the team went to Shady Oak Beach and another day they went to Ivy Besikof’s ‘23 for tie dye and crafts. These activities helped the team bond before the season began. Seidel’s goal for the team this season is, “ trying to make [the team] feel like a family.”

Cross Country held captains’ practices throughout the summer. Captain Seth Flikke ‘24 emphasized that summer practices are crucial because it’s easy to fall behind in a sport during the summer. They held captains practices twice a week on Mon-

days and Saturdays. Flikke is very excited for the upcoming season and he said, “I hope everyone has fun but also grows a lot as an athlete and person.” He continued, “I hope that team spirit continues to grow and popularity in the sport increases.” This season the team has about 45 students signed up. This is a strong number for both the middle school team and boys and girls varsity teams.

Football practices started August 15 with long practices from 3:00-8:00 pm. Luckily the two hours of practice are broken up by an hour of film analysis in between. Cap-

tain Sam Hardy ‘24 said that film analysis is a great time for the team to spend time together off the field. He emphasized, “I want to have good camaraderie on the team.” He wants the team to feel like a family. He mentioned his biggest goal for the team is to win the state championship this season. Last season the Wolf Pack was ranked in the top 10 in their section. Their record of wins and losses was 8-3. This year the team has a strong Blake student presence on the team with 35 students from Blake. This is the most Blake students the Wolf Pack has had on the team in a long time.

STYLE STATEMENT: Spectrum uses Associated Press (AP) Style as of the February 2020 issue.

Mackenzie Higgins

Girls middle school tennis team practices match skills to gear up for a successful season.

Charlotte Opp

Girls soccer team leaves the field after a hard day of try outs. Ellison Ratner ‘23 flashes a thumbs up for the camera and for tryouts.

Molly Seidel

Girls swim team does water aerobics as a warmup activity before a hard practice. The team is made up of three schools: Blake, Providence and Eagle Ridge Academy.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | AUGUST 30, 2022 | 3

Dressy Teenagers Flock to Theaters New ‘Top Gun’ Exceeds Expectations TikTok inspires international trend for overhyped film Oscar Walsh | Opinions Editor

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inions: The Rise of Gru is the fifth continuation of the “Despicable Me” franchise. While the production was delayed due to COVID-19 until this July, the film garnered immediate support from viewers. A TikTok trend quickly emerged from the July 1st release of the movie. Teens arrived at the opening of the film in suits and dress clothes with their friends. The trend spread quickly across the world, and soon videos of fans in suits started to flood social media.

pears to be due to the creators of the “Despicable Me” series, Illumination. The animation company diverted some of its advertising toward an older audience than the movie would typically appeal to.

Illumination partnered with the music producer Cole Bennett and rapper Yeat to produce a teaser for the movie featuring Yeat’s song “Rich Minion”. The song became the background music to many of the videos of teens in suits, carrying bananas attending the movie.

The combination of a nostalgic franchise we all grew up with, and Illumination’s advertising and support for the trend boosted the movie’s popularity among teenagers.

Minions: The Rise of Gru

Sam Stein

Eamon Brass ‘22, Sam Stein ‘22, Peter Johnson ‘22, Jason Gelb ‘22, Roy Chebaclo ‘22, and Ibrahim Khan ‘22 pose in front of the “Minions: Rise of Gru” poster all dressed up. This group is one of many to take part in this viral trend.

According to PostTrak, 34% of the audience for Minions: The Rise of Gru in the first week were between the ages of 13 and 17. This result ap-

set up a comedy-focused cast including Steve Carell as the famous voice of Gru for his coming of age story. The prequel to Minions builds

the premise for Gru’s rise to fame and his long-term relationship with the immortal Minions.

While the one hour and 27-minute film saw rapid success at the box office and online, the movie itself focuses on a singular goal Gru has as a kid. Gru wants to join the Vicious 6, the leading antagonists of the movie.

When he appears before the Vicious 6 and is laughed at, his young ego is torn apart.

Gru steals the valuable Zodiac Stone from the group in an effort to prove his worthiness. ​​ The famous Vicious 6 chasing after young Gru kicks off the premise of the film.

The movie continues classic Minion humor and the comedic relationship between them and Gru. Gru’s mission takes many twists and turns as the vewer is thrown between Gru and the Minions’ separate situations. Gru’s original goal is eventually lost, and much of the movie continues with the Minions in creative fight scenes attempting to locate Gru. The Minions begin to take up more screen-time than Gru and the plot focuses more on the rescue of Gru than his growth as a young villain.

For all the attention the film received, I expected further detail into Gru’s life. I was surprised that the movie focused on the Minions more than Gru, and went through multiple scenes that felt too random with the Minions.

Minions: Rise of Gru encompassed the classic Minions humor that I hoped for, but the storyline felt random and disconnected from the sequels.

Immensely popular film lasts three months in theaters Allyson Jay | In-Depth Editor hirty six years ago, the treasured and actionpacked film Top Gun was released. After decades of persistent success and beloved, loyal fans, the long awaited sequel was finally released this May, breaking over a billion dollars in theaters.

Tom Cruise returns to the Navy as lieutenant Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, only he’s thirty six years older. He is still testing the limits of danger and finding the need to fly in his own defiant way. The highly anticipated character Rooster, Goose’s son, is also introduced in the film. Played

by Miles Teller, Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw is fully grown, following in his father’s footsteps all the way to Top Gun. After more than three decades in the Navy, Maverick, one of the best fighter pilots to ever fly, still hasn’t pushed past the rank of captain. He’s called into Top Gun to train the next generation of graduates, where he and Rooster are forced to come together on a special mission.

Whether it’s the exciting thrills, the action-filled scenes, the unforgettable soundtrack, or the engaging character drama, Top Gun: Maverick is wildly entertaining and possibly one of my favorite movies. The flight sequences still prove

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to be incredibly gripping and mesmerizing. The bittersweet reunion between Maverick and Iceman (Val Kilmer), containing flashbacks and similarities between Goose and Rooster, are nostalgic and heartwarming yet also sad at the same time.

Despite the bitterness, Top Gun: Maverick is also surprisingly funny. The tense but touching relation-

his rebellious and enjoyable character.

Even though I wasn’t born early enough to have waited thirty six years for the movie, Top Gun: Maverick was a long time coming and one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time, especially as a sequel. Although the plot may seem a bit similar to the original, it’s amazingly intriguing and moving throughout the

Rowan Wallin

On a recent trip to the mall, editor Rowan Wallin ‘23 stumbled upon one of many “Top Gun: Maverick” posters at AMC Theaters, emphasizing the continued popularity of the movie and the sucess of film remakes.

ship between Rooster and Maverick brings just the right amount of humor into the film, and the scene of Maverick buzzing the tower one last time stays true to

entire duration.

If you haven’t bothered to watch Top Gun yet, I highly encourage you to do so and I’m sure that you’ll love it too!

Students Expand Creative Horizons, Taking Pictures Over Summer

Martha Hughes

Martha Hughes ‘24 snapped this sunset picture in early August on Lake Minnewashta, MN as she was wake surfing with friends. Summer sunsets occur later and later. No longer does the sun begin to set by the end of the school day, rather, 8:30 sunsets become the new norm. Gorgeous colors warp in the sky: blues, pinks, reds. But Hughes doesn’t feel like she snaps that many sunset pictures despite the fact that it is her favorite time to wake surf with friends because boats begin to disperse.

She notes that she normally doesn’t go on her phone out on the lake and tries to remain in the moment, meaning her camera roll doesn’t fill up with thousands of lake pictures. Her inspiration for the photo was exactly what she took a picture of: the sunset and its gorgeous colors. The sky and lake water make for what Hughes would describe as an ideal summer night.

Will Eckes

Whether it’s a weekend trip to a cabin, a longer trip out of the state, or even the country, a quintessential part of the summer months is traveling. For the week of July Fourth, Will Eckes ‘24 traveled to Oregon. One excursion was to the Columbia River Gorge outside of Portland. The Columbia River Gorge is a large canyon located in the Pacific Northwest home to the Columbia river which forms the boundary between Oregon and Washington. The angle at which Eckes shot the photo features the trees looming larger than life over a waterfall basked in sunlight. The bottom center of the photo features a man so small it may take a magnifying glass to see which provides a new perspective on the size of the waterfall, the trees, and the gorge itself.

Ellison Ratner

Rainbows are rare and double rainbows are even rarer but Ellison Ratner ‘23 managed to capture the latter on a late summer afternoon spent at her grandparent’s house. The first rainbow, still faint, can be seen within the clouds. The second’s colors are saturated and easily distinguishable as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Rainbows are most common in the summer months. To be produced, sunlight must strike water droplets which can be accounted for in Ratner’s photo as the sun peeks out from behind the dramatic clouds and the street appears to be freshly coated in rain. Additionally, rainbows are an optical illusion - they don’t exist at one point in the sky. Rather, rainbows move depending on your perspective making them a phenomenon worth capturing with a camera.

OPINIONS | GAMES & ADS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | AUGUST 30, 2022 | 4

Tips From Experienced Students Useful techniques allow students to thrive Rowan Wallin & Amelia Bush | Editor-in-Chief & Managing Editor

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ow that school is in session, a lot of us will begin to, once again, delve deep into our studies and shy away from the sociability of summer. During this time of fresh beginnings we are reminded of an Oscar Wilde quote: “With age comes wisdom.” Under the presumption that Wilde is correct, we feel it is our duty to grant the rest of you with some of the wisdom we have accrued throughout our careers (so far) at the Upper School. This list will not include the clichés (“Try new things!”), but, rather, meaningful advice that is actually realistic.

Get to know your teachers. You will be spending countless hours with them throughout the school year, so getting to know them can only be beneficial. Who knows… maybe your teacher

you were confused on and then you can get help before the problem becomes a problem. Office hours aren’t just for before big projects, go in after you get your results back. For essays and projects, go through the feedback you’ve already gotten with your teacher in more depth.

Also, if you get written comments on a graded item, read the comments.

They are there for a reason and will tell you more about your work than a percentage will.

Utilize the spots in the school to study. The study rooms, if you can get one, are an amazing place to be with friends. The tables are big and there is room for plenty of people to gather comfortably. It’s quiet and you can talk freely and do your work without worrying about disturbing others or outside distractions. The long table behind the fishtank is also a great place. It’s quiet and secluded without being an actual room. There’s not a lot of people there so you can normally find a spot. The library and Carlson Commons are

gallery is also a great spot. It’s very peaceful and the lighting is really good which can help get into the right mindset for work, however the benches are kind of uncomfortable but will surely keep you awake due to their discomfort!

Finally, be honest with your teachers. If you miss a deadline, tell them why. Do not start spinning fables; this only leads to a bad reputation. Additionally, your lies will surely find you out someday. Most of the teachers are very understanding and if you are swamped with work, you can normally agree on a reasonable extension. We will say however, a lot of the time the work assigned is manageable so don’t ask for too many extensions each semester, especially because some classes have limits on how many you can get.

If that is the case, use them wisely. On a similar note, don’t complain an immoderate amount about your work to your teachers. Remember, you signed up for this. You chose to take APUSH. Consequently, you shall

RantS & Raves

First day of school edition Zoey Ueland, Sofia Perlman, Ali Hecker | Editorial Team

Rave: friends

After a long summer break, there is nothing better than seeing people that you lost connection with over the summer. Maintaining friendships during the summer can be tough: summer plans, travels, and schedules can get in the way. However, upon arrival on the first day of school classes, lunch and hallway chatter make it easier to connect with school friends without pressure or stress.

RaNt: Signing Syllabi

As school begins, empty folders recently purchased from Target quickly begin to fill; but not with scans of textbooks or packets to read. Rather, teachers hand out pieces of paper: syllabi. I understand teachers want students to clearly understand their guidelines for the class from late to extension policies. However, in an increasingly online world it would make far more sense to send such policies to parents and students via email.

Rave: FIrst day Outfits

On the first day of classes, there is no better way to reintroduce yourself to your peers than picking an outfit that expresses your personal style. After a long three months, styles and trends are bound to change, leaving the perfect opportunity to show off your updated wardrobe.

RaNt: Icebreakers At the beginning of each class on the first day of school, many teachers like to use ice breakers to start the year. This activity can be a good way to get to know fellow classmates and ease back into school.

However, after having to repeat what you did over the summer for the third or even fifth time icebreakers become redundant.

JOIN US!

Amelia Bush

Max Yousha ‘24 and Molly Seidel ‘24 ask teacher Kirstin Holm a question in class. Asking questions during class or office hours can help to further relationships with teachers and increase understanding of the material both of which are vital for succeeding in the school year.

shares common interests with you! You’re both at school anyways and you never know what information could be useful.

Office hours are extremely helpful. Meeting with your teachers whenever you feel yourself getting confused can drastically impact your success in the class. Go in consistently throughout the year.

It’s best to understand your material earlier on so when the test rolls around you aren’t struggling to understand the material. Not to mention, eavesdropping on other’s questions can be more helpful than asking your own. You’ll find topics that you didn’t know

probably the most underrated study spaces in the school. There are a ton of spots ranging from tables to comfy chairs to more secluded areas. One of our personal favorite areas is the table behind the bookshelves. No one will come up to you when you’re studying which can help limit distractions. Studying near a ton of books always makes us feel more motivated and studious. The library in general has really great background noise if that helps you focus. No one is ever too loud, but generally there are a couple conversations going which is great if hearing noise helps you focus. The

complete the assigned readings with little gripes. You are not a victim and your teacher does not want to ruin your life. However, we have been there and understand that it can be very hard to get yourself to do those 20 page readings. One thing that really helps fix that problem is using your study hall/free block effectively, whether that’s talking with a teacher, doing homework, or just doing extra studying. If you need to use this time to take a break, that’s okay, but it is really helpful to get ahead on your work so you can have more fun later in the day.

Spectrum Editorial Staff at summer bootcamp

If you are interested in journalism, photography, writing, multimedia, podcasting, graphic design, or want to be part of The Spectrum, come by Ms. Reid’s room (351) during lunch on Tuesdays for the weekly staff meeting.