Spectrum Newspaper October 2020

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the blakespectrum.org

“Your Voice in Print”

Wednesday | November 4 | 2020

The Blake School

Issue II

Students Perform Interactive Fall Play on Zoom Joe Miller Drafted for NHL Team Maple Leafs

Director, cast explore new ideas for theater department amidst pandemic Christina Chekerdjieva | Perspectives Editor e’ve heard about livestreaming concerts, but how about our own fall play? This year the theater group adjusted to the complications of COVID-19 and became an interactive Zoom experience.

The play this year is called “Choose Your Heist” by playwright Dean O’Carroll, which was written to be performed over Zoom. The story follows a priceless painting in the Cosmopolitan Museum of Art as the museum owner attempts to keep it safe from a group of elite thieves. However, at every twist and turn of the story, the audience chooses the direction the play will take through the poll feature in Zoom. The popular vote

Miller shares experience, support of being drafted Theo Liu | Sports Editor

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U Submitted by: Audrey Ronan

Shown above is the entire crew of the upcoming play, including Taous Khazem, Audrey Ronan ‘21, Riley Carroll ‘24, Truman Morsman ‘23, Nora Cornell ‘21, Aarathi Dhavileswarapu ‘24, Declan O’Connell ‘23, Sarah Costa ‘23, Joshua Smith ‘23, Taggert Smith ‘21, John Erlandson ‘21, Oskar Alexander ‘23, and Amanda Ward ‘21.

of the poll will decide the outcome of the play.

At the end, the audience can decide if they want to end the show or go back and follow an alternative path. One version of the show lasts around 40 minutes to an hour, so it gives the audience plenty of time to go back and see every different outcome if they choose to. Theater di-

Emma Martinez Sutton

rector Taous Khazem, the nine cast members, and 18 crew members will bring this play to life through the screen.

2020 has carried many changes to the community, and the addition of Khazem as the new director is one of them. Audrey Ronan ‘21 describes Khazem to be “adaptable, professional, outgoing, and down to earth. She has so many great ideas for the theater department, ideas that we will definitely keep and use even after COVID-19 to broaden the scope of what theater at Blake entails, such as foley artistry, radio shows, and performances outside of the MPAC.” Foley artistry is everyday sound effects to make sounds in perfor-

mances more realistic.

Next spring, we can expect another creative approach to performing during a pandemic with a “walking play.”

Khazem describes the walking play, saying “the audience moves from place to place guided by the actors. Every time the actors land in a location, the scene is performed there.”

The show will be outdoors and performed three times a day so the crowds can be smaller and can allow for more distance.

You can join the Zoom to see the fall play on Nov. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. You can expect a Zoom link in a grade conference email and in your parents’ inbox as well.

nfortunately for the Blake Boys’ Hockey Team, they will likely have to play this season without star player Joe Miller ‘21. Miller, currently playing for the Chicago Steel, a United States Hockey

a text from a few of the Maple Leafs’s star players, including three-time NHL All-Star Auston Matthews.

Miller explained that “a few guys on the team reached out and texted me and just said congrats, which for me, growing up watching them and then having them reach out was really cool.”

The support Miller received did not stop with

Submitted by: Joe Miller

Joe Miller ‘21 plays for the Chicago Steels, U.S. Junior A hockey team, as a forward. Currently, he attends school online.

League team based out of Illinois, was recently drafted into the NHL. Miller found out he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs during a team workout. Miller says this news sparked “everybody in the room to go crazy and congratulate me, which was really cool.”

Immediately following this news, Miller received not only a call from the General Manager but also

the Maple Leafs. Miller elucidated that “so many people I played with or was coached by when I was like nine or ten years old who I haven’t talked to in years reached out and congratulated me which was pretty crazy.

Seeing how many people are like in your corner supporting you from the whole Blake community too was just great, I really appreciated it.”

Students Participate, Share Their Voice During Election Season Students vote, serve as election judge, volunteer Evan Vezmar | Contributing Writer

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very year, many young adults have a new responsibility as citizens to vote. However, many students will not be eighteen on election day, so they turn to new ways of participating in the election.

One common method is becoming an election judge. AP Government teacher David Graham ‘85 explains that an election

Hannah Sweet ‘21 wanted to vote in-person for her first time voting.

judge “check[s] people in, figure[s] out if they’re at

the right spot… if they’re new, you might register them to vote on the spot.

You show them how to fill out the ballot, so it gets counted accurately, and then you help them put the ballot into the machine for counting.”

However, some seniors have had the privilege of voting in this election.

Hannah Sweet ‘21 voted early, stating, “I decided that I wanted to vote in person because it was my first time voting. So I registered online ahead of time and then on my birthday […] I went over

Get to know Nicolle Thomas, Taher Food Service Director, details about her life and job.

Understanding the Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s legacy, future of the conservative court.

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to Plymouth City Hall, and they have outdoor inperson voting, so I did that.”

Although one can still vote in person, Graham explains the changes to this year’s election: “With the discussion of mail-in voting, even though it’s

Emma Martinez Sutton

been quite safe and reliable, people may be nervous… I’ve heard people say ‘I want to go do it myself.’”

Other seniors become election judges to become involved in politics. Jasper Graham ‘21 was an election judge during the August election and talked about the major differences in elections this year.

“I actually did the August election and obviously the main difference was masks and we were supposed to offer [hand sanitizer] to everyone.”

Sweet is also going

Blake Boys’ Soccer, Blake Boys’ Cross Country talk about tough endings to their seasons.

Page 15

to be an election judge this November for the first time.

Continued on page 2.

Yolanda Pauly ‘21 shared her first experience voting on social media to encourage others to vote.

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 2

STAFF

New Cleaning Crew Hired Student Voices Shared, Election Season Crew works to limit spread of infection, keep school clean

Rosa says, “[we] disinfect everything… such as after students touch doorknobs… we are cleaning the areas that have the greatest volume of students there.”

Sage Marmet | Creative Director The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy Issue 2 November 4 , 2020 Co-Editors-In-Chief: Emma Martinez Sutton | Jack Prince Managing Editors: Noor Naseer | Sara Richardson Creative Director: Sage Marmet Online Editor: Jack Prince Multimedia Editor: Will Rosenblum Photo Editor: Betsy Fries Front Page Editor: Sara Richardson News Editor: Emily Rotenberg Student Life Editor: Dylan Gainsley Arts & Culture Editor: Bernadette Whitely Food Editor: Jackie Weyerhaeuser Features Editor: Will Rosenblum | Nora Fox InDepth Editor: Emma Martinez Sutton Games Editor: Maggie Seidel | Christina Chekerdjieva Opinions Editors: Sage Marmet | Noor Naseer Perspectives Editor: Maggie Seidel | Christina Chekerdjieva Science, Technology, and Health Editor: Catherine Barry Sports Editor: Jack Prince | Theo Liu Business Managers: Maggie Seidel | James Prince Adviser: Anna Reid

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n the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Blake has added a daytime cleaning crew staff to limit the spread of infection at school. The cleaning crew is made up of five members, who work around eight hours a day, ensuring that high-touched surfaces do not spread COVID-19.

Each member takes a specific fifth of the school.

New protocols set for the student parking lot Jackie Weyerhaeuser | Food Editor

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ith the recent breakin to my car, many students are wondering what security is doing to improve the safety of the student parking lot.

Although only a bag of clothes and a computer charger were stolen, security is taking steps to prevent a break-in from hap-

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Elena Gill

Noor Naseer | Managing Editor

JOIN SPECTRUM: Spectrum meets in room 351 and on zoom during TASC on Fridays. Please come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing, 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 anonymously in 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.

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

Laila Elbakkal ‘21 voted in her first election.

pening again.

Craig Rawls, a security officer, says, “I advise students to move any equipment they have in their backseat to the trunk; do not leave anything visible in the front seat or the backseat of your car.”

Additionally, security has increased their presence in the student lot as a deterrent for any potential thieves. Rawl goes on to say, “Every hour we’re doing rounds in the parking lot. Park police are doing drive-bys every 25 minutes.”

Because of the break-

in, some students have changed their habits. Ellie Goddard ‘21 says she “always makes sure her car is locked, and I make sure that none of my valuables are in [my car]. I feel pretty secure.” Ian Acheson ‘21 adds, “I’ve started being aware of what is visible in my car. I’ve started covering up my bag and confirming my car is locked.”

In addition to patrolling the lot, students think security cameras would be helpful in preventing further break-ins. Acheson says, “I think security

cameras would be good.

They’d probably act as a deterrent more so than helping catch someone though.”

Although the security cameras could reduce break-ins, it is ultimately up to the Park Board to install them and the school has no say in the matter.

Nora Fox

Craig Rawls, security officer, makes sure everyone, and their vehicles, are safe by walking around the parking lot every hour.

Loud Construction Disrupts Focus of PSAT Examinees Students question need to cancel PSAT scores

BECOME A STAFF MEMBER: Contribute to the paper three times consecutively to be promoted to a staff writer!

...When asked about the importance of voting, Sweet replies, “I definitely see voting as a privilege. I know that there’s a lot of people that can’t vote because […] we have a lot of laws that have disenfranchised people. So I see [voting] as a way to put politicians in office that I feel can push us towards policy that I want to see.”

Clara Lee Molina

as many ways as we can and that includes election judges.”

It may seem as young people don’t have as much of a voice in politics, but students found ways of getting their voices heard this election season.

Car Break-ins Cause Increase in Security Presence

STAFF WRITERS: Shira Aronow, Anna Johns, Jenna Thrasher, Kendall Phillips, Amaka Nwokocha, Ben Lim, Ava Pihlstrom, Emily Anderson, Nya Manneh, Kate Rekas, Shagun Sinha, Chad Woerner

STAFF ARTISTS: Melody Lee,

Nora Fox

The crew cleans everything. Monring temperature checks are also part of the crew’s routine.

Continued from page 1

‘21 is not old enough to vote, so she became an election judge. Lee Molina explains, “I wanted to perform a civic duty.

I can’t vote… so I just wanted to do everything that I could to get involved in politics without being able to vote. I think people really need to be involved with politics.

“I know it can be really polarizing and difficult but this is our duty, it’s our responsibility. We have so much of a privilege in this country to be able to participate in our elections… we should exercise that privilege in

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s an office, we were mortified, we really were,” says Associate Director of College Counseling, Jim Mahoney, about the construction that took place near the gym during the PSAT on Oct. 14. Throughout the exam, there was continuous drilling, clanging, and other construction noises, which were interspersed by the occasional yell from the construction workers.

The construction was in efforts to remove the big blue box that, until Oct. 14, had been residing near the west entrance. This big blue box is actually a “temp cooling unit” according to Lisa Uhler, Director of Buildings and Grounds, which was installed to regulate the temperature in the gym so that it would be more comfortable for students eating lunch there. Because the weather has gotten colder, there is no longer the need for the cooling unit.

Director of College Counseling, Sara Kyle shares, “We first learned of the

scope of this construction, or really that it was happening, on Monday...This is a project that normally takes a significantly longer amount of time to finish so they were on an extremely tight time schedule to complete this work...

They knew at some point during the construction period it would become noisy,

seling team tried to come up with alternatives: “We considered moving over to the middle school, [but] the spaces there aren’t set up in the way that would be workable. The only other option would have been to cancel the test, and that didn’t seem like the right choice either. It was just so unfortunate.”

National Merit Competition using either the SAT or the ACT. [On Oct. 23], I learned that was incorrect information and I can’t even tell you how awful I feel about that.” Students must sit for an SAT to enter the competition, and because of this, members of the College Counseling office are

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Lisa Uhler, Director of Buildings & Grounds, says, “When we decided to convert the gym space to a dining space, we wanted to be sure air temps were comfortable for users.”

but the school had made a significant investment of resources in order to have this project done in this time frame, and I don’t know why it couldn’t have been another time.”

In response to this unfortunate news, Kyle shares that she and the other members of the college coun-

Although the PSAT is largely seen as a practice for the SAT, it is also a qualifier for the National Merit Competition. Kyle speaks on confusion regarding alternate methods of entering the competition saying, “The morning of the test, I called PSAT and verified that students could enter the

exploring the possibility of hosting an SAT during the first week of spring break.

Regarding the possibility of a retake, Kyle says, “We know that there’s a January alternative test date, but in order to offer that test, we would have to pull students out of class, and in the hybrid model, we are already

so short on class time that we just can’t do that...Plus if we were to do that, it would disrupt school for all of the grades.” Kyle shares that she is also looking at the possibility of adding another ACT date in February.

Students must now decide whether or not they would like to cancel their scores and submit an alternate test

by Nov. 15, which is about a month before PSAT scores come out. For students who are struggling to decide whether or not they should cancel their scores and take the SAT or just hope for the best, there was a Zoom meeting held during Tutorial on Nov. 2 where members of the College Counseling Office answered students’ questions and gave them advice. Kyle also shares, “We can have email conversations about that.”

Leon Xue ‘22 speaks to the stress of making this decision: “At first I believed at least that I could cancel my scores if they were really bad because Blake messed it up so bad on test day, but then when I got the email [I learned that] I would have to gamble and evaluate how badly Blake messed it up for me, and so many other students are going to have to do that because they have to cancel it before they get their scores.”

STUDENT LIFE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 3

Theatre Crew Takes New Approach to Producing Play Theatre team puts on virtual play via Zoom due to COVID-19, have class outside Shagun Sinha | Contributing Writer

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arah Costa ‘23 says “Theatre is about community” when asked about an overview of theatre. Costa is part of the stage management team for this year’s production of Choose your Heist.

The stage management team works to make sure everyone is in their place, as well as making sure that the overall performance of the play runs smoothly for showtime.

Although the actors are the only ones who are seen by the audience, theatre has many sections that all work together to pro-

duce the plays and musicals that we get to see.

This includes two broad groups: the cast and the crew. The crew consists of members who work backstage, such as Costa.

Some categories that fall under Crew are costume crew, stage management, sound and lighting crew, however, only the actors that go out and perform fall under the cast category.

For this year’s play, students auditioned in order to be in the cast. Examples of these students include Amanda Ward ‘21 playing L’Oeil, and Taggert Smith ‘21 playing Lt. Elty. Although many members of this year’s production have participated in previous years, the 2020 play will be much different.

Because of COVID-19 and the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe, theatre has transferred over to being completely virtual over Zoom. After talking to Smith about what to

Will Rosenblum

Improv students warm up with class exercises in front of the front entrance on Kenwood Parkway.

UPCOMING EVENTS 11/12: Wolfpack game at Richfield 11/20: “Choose your Heist” opening night 12/2: Band and Orchestra Concert Corrections: Sara Richardson’s last name was misspelled.

Winter Brings New Clubs Clubs offer ways to connect with classmates as winter nears Mackenzie Higgins | Contributing Writer

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Jackson Tix ‘22 and Haya Fine ‘22 participating in theatre.

expect for the upcoming play, he stated “the play that we’re doing is kind of a choose your own adventure, with characters popping in and out and consisting of dialogue between only 2 characters.”

Although taking this route could help with producing the play virtually, there can be some disadvantages.

Smith mentioned how, “making expansive gestures was what was fun for me, and finding ways to incorporate that here has been challenging”.

As for the crew, Costa mentioned how “the backstage time and hustling of the play are

gone and it can be really sad for seniors, as this would be their last play”.

Not all is bad, however, with this new virtual format there have been new roles created for students.

Due to the fact that there is no lighting and sound tech crew, a new sound effects crew will work to add sound effects to the play. This crew will be making the sound effects of the characters over zoom, to create a more realistic play experience.

Although the pandemic has taken away many cherished events, it can never take away the play!

Students Stamina for Zoom Classes Declining

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he onset of COVID-19 has forced many students and teachers alike to shift to a fully online schedule. Being on Zoom all day has many setbacks, one of which is Zoom fatigue.

Zoom fatigue looks different for everyone and plays a large role in a students ability to learn. Gabe Mendoza ‘22, a full-time remote learner, says, “It’s not just school hours it’s also homework hours so it really adds up that way.”

Many hybrid learners feel as if they are spending too much time doing homework on their laptop, but remote learners not only use their laptop for

homework time, but also during each seven hour school day. This excessive amount of time spent on the computer can have negative effects on both a person’s emotional and physical health. Kathryn Kaiser ‘22 says, “It’s very very tiring and it’s very hard to stay focused on the class.” Kaiser talks about how difficult it is to avoid distractions at home and stay motivated when there is no breakup to her day, and no small interactions with the people around her.

Both Mendoza and Kaiser reflect on the difficulties of not being able

to see and interact with friends on a daily basis.

“School is not as fun on zoom,” Kaiser says, and this lack of enjoyment makes it very difficult to stay focused for such a long period of time.

Bill Colburn, a fulltime remote art teacher, is experiencing these same struggles with building connections. Colburn reflects on how difficult it is for him to make personal connections with his students, especially his new ones, without being able to see them in person.

The small impromptu conversations are something that is lacking on zoom,

Mallika Malaviya | Contributing Writer

and this takes away the sense of community that being in person can have.

In order to help include full time remote learners, Mendoza and Kaiser suggest checking in with them every ten minutes in class and speaking louder so that they can hear.

These small changes can make a larger difference on remote learners who are often discluded from class activities. All three of them have found ways to counter their fatigue by getting active whether it be going on runs, or teaching class in a drawing room, they are making the best out of the situation they are in.

fter being in school for these last few months, students are starting to experience a bit of normality. Like any other given school year, clubs and other groups have started up, except this year they have the added challenge of practicing social distancing and

Frank Nutsford ‘24 joined Quiz Bowl, Science Bowl, and GSA.

other safety precautions.

Last spring the debate team experienced a sudden change from competing in tournaments in-person to remotely competing over zoom.

While initially, this was a big change for the debate team, virtual tournaments are now running very smoothly. Grace Homan ‘21 says, “We all kind of have the hang of it at this point.”

The debate team typi-

Riley Carroll ‘24 joined clubs such as Thesbian Society, GSA, and Model UN.

cally travels all over the country for competitions this year, for obvious reasons this cannot be accom-

plished this year. Homan states, “I think we are going to be online all year, which is really unfortunate, I’m hoping we can achieve the same goals as we would in person.”

Model UN is in a similar position to the debate team. Unable to travel for their conferences, they are also doing a virtual alternative. “I’m not 100% sure how it is going to work yet,” says Haya Fine ‘22. Conferences are going to be especially hard to put on virtually because of all the small conversations participants hold with each other.

Fine continues, “We have unmoderated caucuses where basically everyone is supposed to be talking to different people to create resolutions and I’m not really sure how that would work over Zoom.”

Model UN held it’s first meeting on Obtober 2nd over zoom in which they split into small groups to discuss how the club and conferences function. Andrew Chang ‘21 says, “It’s harder to foster a sense of com-

Andre Thomas ‘21 is a member of GSA and Drawing at Dawn.

munity when we’re not right next to each other”.

There’s more effort you have to put in when speaking on zoom. Even though it’s just hitting unmute, it’s an added motion that some people aren’t really accustomed to.”

Just like almost anything we do these days, holding meetings for groups like debate and Model UN can be a challenge.

Club leaders are really optimistic about what this year has to hold and are going to be making the best out of the situation.

ARTS & CULTURE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 4

Oscars Announce Diversity Rules Performing Arts Bring New Faculty Social justice movements continue, Oscars adjust guidelines Sofia Perlman | Contributing Writer

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ecently, the Oscars have created new requirements for the best picture award. These requirements promote diversity and representation for everyone regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and physical abilities.

The different categories for representation

include actors, the crew, those at the studio, and opportunities and training, among other parts of the film’s development. Each of these categories also has subcategories. For example, for a movie to meet the on-screen category’s requirements, it must have one or more lead characters or supporting characters from an underrepresented ethnic or racial group. Additionally, 30% of the secondary roles are filled with people from at least two underrepresented groups.

The academy states that these underrepresented

groups include women, LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and people with disabilities.

The intention of making specific requirements for representation and diversity in film is crucial and an important step for creating a more inclusive and diverse film industry.

Jay Broeker, Director of Visual and Performing Arts, says, “I think that having that visibility of more diverse participants will be a good thing.” Depicting how these requirements will show people movies with more diverse characters and stories.

New hires bring change Anushka Srivastava | Contributing Writer

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fter the departure of Diane Landis, former Theater teacher, Brian Olson, former Music teacher, and Ben Henschel, former Choral teacher, Blake has an entirely new performing arts faculty.

Landis and Olson had announced their retirements before COVID-19, so their positions were already filled.

However, Henschel’s role was only filled in August, which made for a unique hiring experience. Luckily, there were many qualified candidates available.

The new Choral Music teacher is Christiana Howell. She has been teaching choir for over 10 years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Brighton, England. She began singing at a young age, her first solo being when she was only 9 years old. She continued her passion, singing in church and school choirs throughout high school and college, where she majored in Vo-

Noor Naseer

Improv students Jack Tix ‘22, Declan O’Connell ‘23, Riley Carroll ‘24, Truman Morsman ‘23, Anika Hahn ‘21, and Taggert Smith ‘21 work on warm up exercises.

cal Performance and Music Education.

Taous Khazem is the new Theater teacher. She is an international artist that has worked in Algeria, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, France, and Cameroon, as well as here in the Twin Cities. She is a dedicated theater teacher, instructing students in three other local theater production companies in the Twin Cities as well as in Blake. She has acquired many grants and fellowships for her work in the United States as well

as in France and Algeria, has worked with more than nine theater production companies, and appears in print and television ads as well.

Brian Lukkasson is the new Instrumental Music teacher. Lukkasson has been teaching instrumental music for over 17 years at Spring Lake Park High School. Once he started, he discovered a love for teaching students to engage with each other and celebrate their differences and ensembles’ skills.

Fashion Weeks Across World Shift Online During COVID-19 Crisis Fashion brands forced to change their plans Maggie Seidel | Co-Business Manager

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Melody Lee

n typical 2020 style, Fashion Weeks around the world have been modified to accommodate new COVID-19 safety regulations. Well-known brands, such as Chanel, Gucci, and Saint Laurent, typically usher in the fall months with Spring Summer fashion shows that showcase their collections for the upcoming year.

T r a d i t i o n a l l y, fashion shows during Milan, New York, and Paris Fashion Week have invited more massive crowds, presenting a problem for the

current circumstances amid COVID-19. However, the creative industry has not been deterred from maintaining the core aspects of the fashion week experience: introducing new styles for the season ahead.

According to April Guidone, senior vice president of Global Brand and Business development at IMG fashion, “We will have some shows on ABC New York. Many will be outdoors, and some designers are choosing to show their collections through film.” Designers, such as Chanel, have attempted to display their Spring 2021 collections on the catwalk.

Jason Wu heeded the advice from the CDC about social distancing

protocols, ensuring that the catwalk and models were all socially distanced, according to Elle. This created unique photographs and spacing throughout the show.

Although, others, including Saint Laurent and Micheal Kors, have used this time as an opportunity to continue toiling away and enhancing their collections and fabrics. Despite the varied decision and responses to the current circumstances by each designer, the season of fashion weeks inspired and relied on the same sense of creativity that has cultivated new trends, designs, and ideas in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

New Live Action “Mulan” Movie Yields Unexpected Criticism Classic Mulan takes new form Kate Rekas | Contributing Writer

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isney’s beloved animated classic, Mulan, has been transformed into a new live-action movie.

Since theaters have been shut down, Disney was unable to take the conventional release route.

As a result, they turned to their brand new streaming service, Disney Plus, in an attempt to gain as much revenue as possible. live-

action Mulan was released on the streaming service for $30.

In such a stressful time, many who could afford it were quick to purchase the new movie.

Viewers hoped to emulate the feeling of going to theaters to see a brand new movie. Unfortunately for me personally, the film fell short of these expectations.

Frankly, live-action Mulan was not worth the $30. Though packed with impressive action, martial arts, and cinematography, it disappointed

in other areas. The new rendition lacked charm, the nostalgic musical scenes, and amusing characters from the original animated version. The film seemed overall unbalanced. Lacking these pivotal themes that are argued to embody the film’s charm, it was a completely new film.

Not only did some people find issues with the movie’s updated and unfamiliar content, a controversy over its creation arose. Once again, Disney’s reputation was tainted with a of lack of

diversity. In the midst of a racial justice movement, viewer’s were especially quick to call out Disney on the fact that their crew lacked diversity as it was mainly made up of white employees. Many viewers

speculated that the lack of diversity on crew would inhibit the movie from accurately portraying Chinese culture, because the staff lacked the ability to understand the Asian or Asian American experience. So

not only did Disney fall short in creating a Mulan but better live action adaptation, but the corporation once again failed to incorporate racial diversity into a project that called for it.

FOOD | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 5

PIZZA = JOY

Vegan Pizza Lucé Tested Young Joni Impresses Toppings, crust, sauce put to test

cheese,

Zoey Ueland | Contributing Writer

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s a vegan, finding vegan pizza has never really been a challenge. However, finding good vegan pizza is another story.

With pizza being one of the most popular foods in America and the number of vegans on the rise, it is inevitable that restaurants begin to serve vegan pizzas.

One restaurant that has started doing this is Pizza Lucé. Their menu features countless Vegan Pizzas including the “Garden Veggie” which I tried.

The pizza was covered in veggies, as the name suggests, had red

sauce and vegan cheese.

Although I was excited at the prospect of a warm, crunchy crust, gooey cheese, and yummy veggies, this pizza failed to meet my expectations. For one, the crust failed to provide the crunchiness I craved and lacked salt which led to a rather bland flavor. Also, compared to other vegan cheeses I have had, this cheese was a little thick and had an odd texture.

However, overall the taste was delicious and though I did not love the texture, it wasn’t awful.

The sauce to pizza ratio was great, and the overall taste of the sauce was good. It had a nice amount of salt and was well seasoned. For someone craving a good pizza that happens to be vegan, Pizza Lucé proves to be a solid option.

Bold flavors, takeout ease yields positive experience Sara Richardson | Managing Editor

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oung Joni, owned by Chef Ann Kim, offers a twist on regular pizza. Their wood-fired pizzas are globally-inspired, bringing a variety of flavors.

The different types of pizzas had surprising ingredients and were uniformly outstanding. These are not your standard pizzas with tons of sauce and cheese.

Young Joni creates a new twist on the classic meal. The crust did not taste like it came out of the freezer.

Instead it tasted like it was freshly made.

My favorite pizza was the Korean BBQ with beef short ribs, mozzarella,

scallion, arugula, and sesame soy chili vinaigrette. The unexpected ingredients formed a mix of sweet, savory, and rich flavors. The Basque with Spanish chorizo, mozzarella, goat cheese, piquillo pepper, red onion, and castelvetrano oil offered a more sophisticated take on pizza.

The restaurant mixes cuisines and ingredients in an unpredictable yet excellent way. However, if goat cheese or short ribs on pizza is not your thing, their simple pepperoni pizza does not disappoint. Seemingly simple, the ingredients’ quality is incredible; you never feel the pizza is doused in grease or cheese.

If you are looking for a new twist on pizzas or are interested in trying a new restaurant, Young Joni is the way to go, as take-out is incredibly easy.

Sara Richardson, Zoey Ueland, Molly Seidel, Catherine Barry

Top left to right: Papa John’s pizza, Young Joni’s pizza, Pizza Lucé’s vegan pizza. Bottom left to right: Young Joni’s pizza, Catherine’s homemade pizza, Young Joni’s pizza.

Papa John’s Provides Comfort Homemade Pizza’s Taste Wows Pizza offers variety for all Molly Seidel | Contributing Writer

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f you are considering ordering pizza this fall, Papa John’s should rise to the top of your list.

I ordered one pizza with a variety of toppings and flavors. There were a variety of toppings to choose from, including pineapple, olives, tomatoes, chicken, and bacon. I opted for cheese with pepperoni, onion, and spinach on one side. On the other side I ordered sausage with peppers.

The crust was flavorful, soft, and delicious, with a salty and sweet mix of flavors. The cheese and sauce complemented each other very well, and the delivery time was extremely fast. My personal favorite topping was the onions

with spinach as a close second. I was not a fan of the peppers because I don’t enjoy cooked peppers, and I would not order them again. I preferred the sausage over the pepperoni.

The pizza, overall, was a bit greasy, but it is something that can be overlooked as there are many good aspects to the pizza such as the thick crust and great veggie toppings.

Papa John’s is known for their garlic sauce that comes on the side with each pizza in a container in the box. I did not opt to dip my pizza in the sauce because I feel like the crust already has enough garlic and it wouldn’t complement the flavors well.

There are so many flavors to choose from and they have many options for different dietary restrictions such as vegetarian pizza and gluten free crust.

Delicious, simple, quick recipe provides ease Catherine Barry | Sci-Tech Editor

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ngredients:

1 package of flatbread dough 1 package of shredded mozzarella cheese 1 small container of cherry tomatoes ¼ cup basil (fresh or dried) 3 large handfuls of arugula 1 avocado ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions: 1. Roll out flatbread dough into long rectangle flatbread shapes.

2. Lightly sprinkle cheese across dough.

3. Cut up tomatoes into quarters and sprinkle them on top of cheese.

4. If you have dried basil, sprinkle this on top of everything before it goes in the oven, but if you have fresh basil, chop that up and wait to put it on until the very end so that it is more flavorful.

5. Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for 18 minutes or until dough looks cooked and cheese is melted.

6. Spread arugula on top of the cheese and tomatoes.

7. Sprinkle avocado chunks on top of the arugula.

8. Boil balsamic vinegar until it has a glaze-like texture (thicker consistency).

9. Drizzle balsamic glaze and olive oil (separately) on top of the flatbread.

10. Crack some salt and pepper to enhance the flavor and enjoy!

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 6

Equity Lab

Promotes Anti-Racism Through Discussion

On Oct. 23, the Equity Lab and Student Diversity Leadership Council worked together to create an online workshop entitled “Setting a Course for Social Justice Work in your Organization or Personal Life.” Most student leaders were required to attend and even more chose to join as well.

Karn Kaura and Jay Bowles spoke about their summer campaign to raise money for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

The Equity Lab came from the Office of Equity and Community Engagement (OECE), pictured above. However, the Lab is only virtual.

Community hopes Lab brings internal biases to light Nya Manneh | Staff Writer

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ith the summer Black Lives Matter movements on the forefront of everyone’s minds, the Equity Lab emerged at an ideal time.

The Lab was created by Tyneeta Canonge, the Director of the Office of Equity and Community Engagement (OECE) as a place where community members can converse and make sense of cultural differences and commonalities through after school workshops, one-on-one discussions, webinars, community partnerships, and more.

In Canonge’s words, “It’s a place for learning, conversation, and growth. That’s why it’s called the Lab.” Director of Global Programming, Dion Crushshon, explains the reasoning behind its creation: “I know absolutely that Ms. Canonge was thinking about it well

before George Floyd.” It all started when Canonge came to Blake 3 years ago and discovered a need for an easier way to communicate with all three campuses.

“The theme was always going to be an equity related theme, but this year is anti-racism, and I think that theme is a result of the events of the summer and the pandemic. All of these things – the intersec-

with and hopes for the Lab. Cady, who participated in OECE events last year marveled at his experience with BARWE (Building Anti-Racist White Educators), started

by JJ Kahle, leader of LGBTQ Support & Advocacy, saying, “It was really really awesome for a lot of reasons. They provided great resources about how to be anti-racist in the classroom, but on top of that as a com-

dive into the way that we participate in them without even knowing that we’re participating, and that sounds like an interesting conversation.”

Still, she hopes that the Lab will give people of color opportunities to unpack their own biases, surrounded by fellow POC who have gone through similar experiences. Similar to affinity groups, she believes that this opportu-

Shira Aronow led the presentation and divided the group into breakout rooms to discuss before the end of the workshop.

a difference in the Twin Cities as a result of racial unrest. Additionally, there was, through an OECE collaboration with the theater department, an evening of improv with an all Black group that students and family at home can log into and enjoy.

On November 13, Anisa Thompson ‘22, a member of the Student Diversity Leadership Council (SDLC),

“It’s a place for learning, conversation, and growth. That’s why it’s called the Lab” tionality of race and health disparities, the social economic crisis that people are experiencing as a result of the pandemic has racial implications – I think is directly connected to the events of the summer because I think that is what we need the most right now,” says Canonge.

With some programs already open to Blake faculty members, social studies teacher Ben Cady and Grade Dean Anne Rubin talk about their experiences

munity thing, because it was the whole school, I met a bunch of elementary school teachers that I had never really met or talked with before, and it was interesting to hear how are we doing in terms of diversity throughout the school.”

Rubin, who is looking forward to her first program with the Lab, speculates, “I’m expecting just to do some brainstorming and thinking about the unwritten rules at our school and a little bit more of a deep

nity would help people of color worry less about their words offending or being misinterpreted by their white friends and colleagues.

Opportunities for students are opening up in the coming months with programs ranging from conversations with fellow classmates to improv sessions by an all Black cast. On Oct. 23, Shira Aronow ‘21 talked with guest speakers Jay Bowles ‘24 and Karn Kaura ‘24 who worked over the summer to make

is going to present on what it means to be an ally, especially in a predominantly white, ablebodied, and educated environment and discuss ways to effectively support marginalized groups through proper self education and advocacy. For students who want to run a program of their own, they simply need to fill out a proposal form on Blake’s Equity Lab web page.

With the Lab opening up to the student body, Junior Class President

Skylar Wang ‘22 talks about its importance.

Wang says, “I absolutely think it’s necessary. I think that Blake has to do something to address just general disparities, whether it be racial or other forms of discrimination and equity, and I think this is a good first step in the right direction.” Still, she, like Rubin, hopes that the Lab creates a “conscious awareness” for the Blake community to question their own internal biases through anti-bias training or discussions.

With the benefits of improved public speaking confidence, recognition of bias, and a strengthened sense of community, the Lab is providing students with great skills.

As Thompson emphasizes, “I think there will be some change … but I think the overall goal is just to make Blake a place where all students feel comfortable, their voices feel heard, so I think in terms of making Blake more welcoming, it will definitely help. I think it’s definitely important, but I think it’s only going to be as effective as there are people to participate in it.”

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 7

Nicolle Thomas: Cooking up Community Jack Prince | Co-Editor-in-Chief

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icolle Thomas, Blake’s Lunch Program Administrator can be in her office crunching numbers, in the food line handing out meals, or in the dishroom cleaning.

Wherever you locate her, you will find her wearing a big smile and hard at work.

Born and raised in Minnesota, Thomas began working for Taher, the company that operates the food service at Blake, right after graduating from college in Wisconsin. After having some experience in the public school system, Thomas came to work at Blake in 2006. Reflecting on her 15 years at Blake so far, Thomas mentioned, “It’s amazing to see a whole class go from pre-K to graduating.”

After college, Thomas knew that food nutrition was a field she wanted to go into. Since she was little, she has always succeeded at cooking and it has continued to be a passion of

hers. With her parents coming from big families and her grandma owning a restaurant, Thomas grew up to love working in the kitchen and food was at the center of her childhood. Thomas said, “cooking from scratch was the norm in my family.”

Reflecting on her childhood, Thomas jokes that she often teases her mom that she was “deprived” as a child because her mom wouldn’t let her buy cookies from the grocery store. Even though she had unlimited homemade goods (cookies, pies, etc.) at home, Thomas would get her dad to go to the store instead to get the cookies.

Even now, Thomas can still recall some of the special dishes that she made in her childhood. One of her earliest memories was making a pie crust from scratch with her grandma when she was eight years old. Thomas recalled, “I remember making the pumpkin pie filling from a pumpkin that we

harvested out of our own garden.”

Although these experiences helped her enhance her appreciation for food, Thomas really started showing an appreciation for cooking in her junior year of high school.

She said, “I remember sitting down and really taking the time to read cookbooks.

Not necessarily to read the recipes, but to read the methods and about the author.”

Her first big cooking project would occur that year when she ended up making an intricate spongecake filled with whipped cream and decorated with cabbage leaves made out of chocolate.

For the past 15 years, Thomas has brought this same enthusiasm for cooking to the Blake community.

Thomas would describe herself as a very “hands-on manager.” On an average day, in addition to keeping the budget, handing out meals, or cleaning dishes, you can find her in the kitchen, wri-

Thomas makes homemade pasta at Threshing Table Farm, a farm in Wisconsin. She partners with them for farm fresh produce and also has farm dinners outside.

ting menus, corresponding with parents, managing food and appliance invoices, or taking care of human resource needs. When there’s room for improvement in the food service, Thomas will be there first to get the job done.

This year, she has worked hard to make positive changes to the food service at Blake. She had been wanting to incorporate social

media into the lunch service for a while. She said, “In the past, I didn’t have a person who was savvy in [the social media] department. This year, Jessica, an established Taher employee, came to us from another school and asked about it!” Today, there is an instagram account (@ cafeblakeus) where students can read the menu. Thomas stated, “The goal of this was so that students know

what they want to eat right when they get to the front of the line. Also, it gets our name out there, allows us to connect with students, and lets them know that we are very approachable people!”

This year, Thomas has also helped organize daily stretching at each campus at 9:15 in the morning where lunch staff share updates and give each other affirmations.

One of Thomas’ fa-

When bus driver Terry Smith retired form Blake in 2018, Thomas prepared a custom cupcake for him.

vorite parts about her job is the catering opportunities that she has taken part in at Blake. Thomas said, “No two caterings look like, so we have that uniqueness.

We’ve hosted weddings at Blake where we’ve provided the food for. We’ve hosted memorial services where we’ve provided the food for. Anytime we can do something that’s unique and fun, we do it.” Not only does the food taste amazing, but the spreads and meals at these events help make

them even more impactful for those who attend.

For example, when she came to Blake in 2006, they had done a chocolate fountain at graduation every year.

After attending a catering conference in Las Vegas, Thomas found that liquid nitrogen ice cream was the new trend. The following year, she unveiled it at the dessert station at graduation.

She said, “Since then, we’ve really tried to do something exciting and fun every year.”

With COVID-19 canceling

the graduation ceremony last year, Thomas recalled, “Missing the commencement party this last year was a big one not only for the graduates, but it was hard on us to miss that.”

Regardless of all the changes the food department has undergone this year, Thomas always brings the same enthusiasm to work every day, and finds joy at home through spending time with her family, doing arts and crafts, or being outside in her garden.

Submitted by: Nicolle Thomas

Thomas volunteers for Prospectives, a human services agency in St.Louis park that provides housing for women and children moving out of homelessness, by preparing dinner for participants.

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 8

Answering Student, Faculty Questions about State of Supreme Court “WHY WERE REPUBLICANS ABLE TO WAIT UNTIL TRUMP WAS ELECTED VERSUS TRUMP FIGHTING FOR IT NOW?” - Rachel Winkey ‘21

Noor Naseer & Sara Richardson | Managing Editors

“WHAT SHOULD I KNOW ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT?” - CJ Jones Eckhardt

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he Supreme Court is made up of nine members: one Chief Justice and eight Associate Justices. Because of the Certiorari Act of 1925, the Supreme Court does not have to hear a case and therefore reviews about 100 to 150 of the 7,000 cases asked of it each year. The Supreme Court holds the power of Judicial Review, which is the right to declare any Legislative or Executive Act unconstitutional. It’s the highest court in the land and plays a pivotal role in maintaining the checks and balances system of the United States. In order for a case to be heard by the Supreme Court it must go through the lower level courts first.

“WHAT’S ON THE DOCKET THIS YEAR?” - Lizz Buchanan

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iz-Chaves v. Barr This case considers the “stop-time rule” which states that a noncitizen who is applying for their citizenship stops accruing continuous presence, 10 years of which is required for citizenship, if they are served with a Notice to Appear, initiating removal proceedings. The aspect in question is if all of the information about a scheduled removal proceeding must be provided in one document to trigger the “stop time rule” or if the rule can be triggered if the information is provided in multiple documents.

California v. Texas This case questions whether it is constitutional for the Affordable Care Act to require essentially every American to get healthcare.

CIC Services, LLC v. Internal Revenue Service This case calls into question the Anti-Injunction Act. Created in 1793, the act serves to limit the power of federal courts in ongoing state proceedings by limiting the federal court’s ability to issue an injunction, which is an order that “compels a party to do or refrain from specific acts.”

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n March 16 2016, former President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, but this nomination was blocked unlike President Trump’s nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett on 26 September 2020. In 2016, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said, “All we are doing is following the long-standing tradition of not fulfilling a nomination in the middle of a presidential year.” Since the post-Civil War era, there have been nine Supreme Court vacancies in election years and all have been filled within the election year. After Justice Ginsburg’s passing, McConnell changed his stance, creating the idea that a president gets to fill the vacancy if their party controls the Senate. Constitutional Law teacher Ben Cady explains, “When Obama nominated [Garland], the republicans had a majority, and so they had the choice: if they don’t call it to a vote, it doesn’t get voted on.

This time around, it’s a Republican president with a Republican-controlled Senate,” so this aided the swift confirmation of Barrett.

“HOW DOES THE NOMINATION PROCESS WORK?”

- Benji Pomonis ‘21

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irst, nominees must undergo an intense background check, which is called vetting, and the FBI and Judiciary Committee also conduct their own background checks. Next, a nominee will meet privately with as many senators as possible. Then senators will go decide how the confirmation hearing is conducted, including how many questions will be asked. The nominee’s advisers will then set up a mock hearing, which is referred to as the “murder board.” After that are the public hearings and subsequent Judiciary Committee vote, triggering the nomination to reach the Senate and a final vote on the nominee.

UNDERS

THE SUPRE World Mourns Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oversimplifies Her Complex Legacy RBG touted as liberal icon, feminist symbol, bipartisan leader Nora Fox | Features Editor

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ccording to Social Studies Chair Beth Calderone, “In modern American history, there is no greater champion of women’s rights” than late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

While serving on the court, Ginsburg not only left her mark on feminism, but also changed the way Americans see gender, working to eliminate discrimination both at home and in the workplace.

As a litigator with the American Civil Liberties Union in the 1970s, Ginsburg won ground-breaking sex-discrimination cases, challenging laws that governed family life and gender roles. Calderone explains Ginsburg’s winning tactic: “Turning eyes toward how gender discrimination written into law not only affected women, but men too.”

She says Ginsburg was an expert in “knowing what arguments would turn the minds of an all male Supreme court.” Reed v. Reed was her most famous win: the first time courts agreed that gender discrimination shouldn’t be tolerated under the Fourteenth Amendment, which ensures equal protection for both sexes.

“I do think that she was a liberal icon, a feminist icon. She kind of encompassed everything that is liberal,” says Lorna Kruesel ‘21. However, Calderone cautions against this idealization: “She almost became a cartoon, a liberal superhero. And I think I had trouble with that because we are in a hyper-partisan moment in time.”

Calderone continues, “I think it’s important to note that she’s way more complex as a jurist and a judge and actually just as a figure in American history than simply women’s rights or gender.” Although Ginsburg was a strong advocate for women’s rights, she was no friend to Native Americans and

held a moderate position in regards to criminal justice. Calderone says, “Because we set her up to be this sort of superhuman woman, and she is in her own right, I think we set ourselves up to be disappointed when she doesn’t fit all the boxes of what we think of as a liberal.”

“I think her legacy is that we really need to hold her up to someone who’s complex,” Calderone as-

serts. Someone who had this really close relationship with Antonin Scalia, who was sort of her arch nemesis at the court but the best of friends when they would go to opera together,” explains Calderone. Ginsburg’s ability to find common ground with Justice Antonin Scalia set her apart. Even though they had different opinions in Court, they shared common values and a

commitment to upholding and interpreting the law to the best of their ability.

Ginsburg’s and Scalia’s relationship serves as a model for others, revealing that party differences don’t have to separate people.

Hopefully young people will recognize the complexity and nuance of Ginsburg’s legacy, but also see that simplifying her to a superhero is

important in understanding its impact. Without her work on the court, women wouldn’t be able to perform their gender as they wish. Kruesel speaks to this idea: “I”ve been a big fan of her, and she’s been a role model for me since I was a freshman.” Kruesel continues, “I think that people are grieving by celebrating her, which I think is what we need.”

Zoe Florida

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 9

Politics Create Uncertain Supreme Court Future, Usher Potential Changes the race for Demo- tices to a particular side. the American public. While Polticians debate During cratic presidential nominee, Since the Constitution does the first point is in direct “Due to its power new restrictions, many candidates proposed not state how many justices response to Trump’s speedy reforms and the Su- must be on the bench, this appointments, the latter two and the increasing landmark cases bold preme Court became a ma- change is possible. summarize broader probjor voting issue.

With what will be a lems many believe plague Will Rosenblum | skepticism about the The recent calls for significant Republican-ap- the Supreme Court.

Multi-Media Editor Supreme Court reform have pointed majority in the SuFirstly, the life-long s the third branch of stemmed from the fact that preme Court if the recent appointments and general effectiveness of the A government in the President Trump will most nomination goes through, old age of the majority of United States, the Supreme likely have nominated three many see this majority as the justices leads younger nominating system Court has held tremendous Supreme Court justices by unfair and dangerous. With generations to feel underpower for most of the the end of his term. This this in mind, the struc- represented. In addition, Supreme Court country’s history. Original- is not entirely unprecedent- ture of the Supreme Court term-limits aim to stop the of ly, the judicial branch was ed as Ronald Reagen also could see serious change in current political maneuverby far the weakest sector nominated three, Richard the coming years. Demo- ing used to keep certain justices, many of the of the federal government. Nixon and Harry Truman cratic nominee Joe Biden constitutional philosophies However, the establishment nominated four, and Dwight has been vague on ques- prevalent in the court. rules and regulations of Judicial Review in 1803, D. Eisenhower nominated tions about court-packing In terms of specific which allows the Supreme five. However, the haste and said that he will put a and immediate change, Roe surrounding how the Court to limit the power of Trump’s appointments, committee together to con- v. Wade, which declared of Congress by declaring which have been possible sider the issue. abortion as a constitutional Supreme Court is run certain legislature uncon- due to the Republican maAnother proposed re- right, may be overturned stitutional, has turned the jority in the Senate, has form is setting term limits with such a large majority.

Supreme Court into one caused great controversy. for Supreme Court justices. The Obamacare health in- have come under critof the most important and Much of this con- Those who support the surance law is another conconsequential aspects of troversy fuels the argument institution of term limits tested issue the Supreme icism” government.

Due to its power and the increasing skepticism about the effectiveness of the nominating system of Supreme Court justices, many of the rules and regulations surrounding how the Supreme Court is run have come under criticism.

for court-packing. Initially tried in 1936 by Franklin D. Roosevelt to increase the number of pro-New Deal justices, court-packing is not a new concept. It involves adding more justices to the Supreme Court, inevitably shifting the ideological balance of the jus-

hope that removing lifelong appointments will allow Supreme Court justices to be appointed more consistently throughout different presidential terms, depoliticize the current way confirmation is handled, and keep the court in line with the current views of

Court could tackle in the upcoming session. With a new 6-3 conservative majority after Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s confirmation and a controversial election, the future of the Supreme Court will continue to be a highly debated topic.

STANDING

EME COURT Barrett Swiftly Confirmed to Supreme Court Republicans rush to fill seat during election despite past objections Lucy Wolfe | Staff Writer

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n Monday, Oct. 26, one week from the Presidential Election, Amy Coney Barrett was confirmed to the Supreme Court. The confirmation of Justice Barret was not only unjust, due to the halt of Obama’s attempted confirmation in 2016, but is also life-threatening to the thousands of American citizens whose rights are up for debate.

Justice Barrett was nominated and pushed through by an impeached president who lost the popular vote by three million. Her nomination to the Supreme Court is an unethical abomination to democracy.

Justice Barrett took the judicial oath on Tuesday in a private ceremony, making her an active member of the Supreme Court. President Trump has said he will most likely host an event in honor of Justice Barrett’s

confirmation but refuses to comment on the number of guests attending despite occurring in the middle of a third spike of the pandemic and after he’s already tested positive for COVID-19.

Democrats, who voted unanimously against the confirmation, were joined by lone Republican Susan Collins from Maine. With a 6-3 right-leaning majority in the Supreme Court after Justice Barrett’s con-

firmation, marriage equality, reproductive rights, and the Affordable Care Act are all on the chopping block.

Kate Shaw, a professor from Cardozo School of Law, says we are looking at “the most conservative court in 100 years.”

Justice Barrett votes uniformly with conservatives on issues such as gun rights, abortion, and immigration. Her views tend to align with those of her late mentor, Justice Antonin Scalia, and are often even more conservative or organalist than his.

Justice Scalia died in February 2016. When Obama attempted to fill Judge Scalia’s spot, he was denied on the grounds of it being an election year.

This historical moment during the Obama administration has brought a level of controversy to this issue since Justice Barrett was nominated much closer to the election and during an election where many more

voted early than in previous years.

As Kamala Harris said during the vice presidential debate, “let the people fill that seat in the White House.” It was unjust to appoint and confirm Amy Coney Barrett this close to an election. In 2016, Repbulican senators opposed Obama’s appointment of Merrick Garland and that was 270 days before the election that year.

Nominated just 35 days before the election and after actively opposing an election-year nomination during the Obama administration, Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham have nothing but praise and encouragement for Justice Barett.

A jaw dropping and downright appalling moment from Justice Barrett’s confirmation hear-

ings was when Lindsey Graham referred to the time period of segregation in our country as “the good old days” and she did not contest this statement in the slightest. I was disgusted to hear elected officials of the United States government using the word good to describe such a horrendously unjust and unethical moment of American history. In response to this, Barrett did not contest Senator Graham’s language in the slightest.

Appointing Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court is unjust due to the timing of the appointment, the history of appointing judges this close to an election, and her unwillingness to speak out in the face of injustice. Justice Barrett is the wrong person for this position.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 10

Seniors Struggle to Navigate, Balance College Application Process New schedule leaves little time to fill out college applications Nya Manneh | Staff Writer

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uring the normal school year, we would have had three to five hours of homework each night, but now that number is closer to eight with both homework and at-home work due to the hybrid plan. Assignments are sometimes due on days students don’t even have class, but especially for kids who have to work or volunteer in between school

days, it’s hard to get that much work done in time.

How can anyone find time to work on applications when they barely have time to finish their schoolwork? And with deadlines coming up, which do you put first?

In addition to the pressures of homework, when touring colleges, there’s a whole new level of difficulties to face. In regards to doing college research, it’s hard to make a decision without actually being able to experience what campus life is like.

Doing on campus tours lets people see for themselves what campus life and community is like, and it gives them a more emo-

tional perspective about the college than doing online research ever could.

I learned so much more from doing on campus visits because I got to walk the paths, meet students in person and see how everyone works together, and actually look around.

Virtual visits are nice because each counselor is very considerate and tries to answer every question a student may have, but all of the aforementioned points about in-person visits are lacking. College websites are trying to give prospective students more resources to learn about them, whether it be on their website, through contact with representatives,

3 p.m. Due Dates Cause Anxiety Despite structured at-home days, 3 p.m. due dates cause unnecessary pressure Jenna Thrasher | Staff Writer

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synchronous days happen at least two times a week, which means that instead of more class time, we have more assignments.

a M ma Em

These at-home days are usually fine -- unless you have assignments due at 3 p.m.

I understand why teachers have assignments due at 3 p.m. It creates structure so that at-home days are actually productive, not just a chance to sleep in and watch TV all day.

I also understand

that it gives teachers the chance to look over assignments before class and not have work turned in at one in the morning.

However, there is a great deal of anxiety when you look on Canvas and see that an assignment is due at 3 p.m.

Rather than thinking “this is

r ti ne z

S ut ton

great!

I won’t have to work on my homework all night,” I start to feel time slipping away and the panic setting in. I have also noticed that it takes me a lot longer to complete

work on a tight deadline because I spend so much time calculating the hours I have left until the assignment is due, as well as trying to plan my other homework around it.

Additionally, teachers are not grading the assignments right when they get them, so students have to wait just as long for their work to be assessed.

It is our responsibility to turn assignments in on time, so when we complete them should be in our control. Since flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of this chaotic age w e

are living in, taking away the stress of 3 p.m. due dates will not only give students a sense of control, but confidence that their teachers trust them to build a schedule that works best for them.

emails, or possible interviews.

The pressure put on us right now feels unbearable.

It’s like there’s not enough

time in the day to do it all, and with something as serious as college, not being able to focus on applications is terrifying.

Students don’t know which one to put first, school or college applications, when the two should go hand in hand.

Students may turn to books and other resources to perfect their college essays.

!"#$%&"'& ()%&*(+''

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s a cold, dark, and potentially isolating winter draws near, there are growing concerns regarding mental health during a COVID-19 pandemic-ridden winter.

While Minnesota boasts copious social distance friendly options for outdoor gatherings, a majority of those options will not be sustainable during Minnesota’s frigid winters.

The lack of safe places for small social gatherings in the wintertime has raised worries about the state of everyone’s mental health. Specifically, as it is significant in cold-winter States, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) usually affects around 5% of the adult population; however, it is predicted that there will be a sharper increase of people affected by SAD as an isolated and stressful winter looms over our heads.

In addition, because of COVID-19 related

Check in on your homies deaths of loved ones and being unable to gather with friends and family, the upcoming holiday seasons will be difficult and feel isolating for many individuals and families.

This past summer the weather on the Fourth of July allowed for small gatherings to be safe and outside, nevertheless, all of these upcoming events and momentous occasions that bring some light and excitement into the long winter months cannot be celebrated in the same way as previous years.

This new normal may feel like a slap in the face.

Yet, there is a diverse array of ways to stay connected with others and combat SAD throughout the winter months. For example, establishing a regular, daily routine can help maintain order as well as trying to regularly get exercise.

Also, with less sunlight in the winter, it can be helpful to use a light that simulates sunlight, which can help to lessen

SAD symptoms. Likewise, getting up earlier in the morning and watching the sunrise can be a significant mood booster.

Finding ways to have safe social interactions is becoming increasingly harder, and finding alternative ways to connect with others will be so important this winter. Establishing intentional virtual interactions with family and friends, like regular Zoom calls, will help us all get through the long winter months.

Intentionally reaching out to people will become increasingly important, especially when the winter may feel extremely isolating. We need to normalize having conversations about how we really feel, as living through a global pandemic in the winter will be isolating for everyone. It is imperative that we begin to take comfort in what may have previously been uncomfortable and learn how to navigate social interactions in this new world: our mental health depends on it.

Third Floor Provides Best Options when Finding Study Areas Plethora of single tables in quiet corners allows for focused work Emma Martinez Sutton | Co-Editor-in-Chief

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f you’re not going to a teacher’s classroom, TASC and tutorial often feel like a rush to secure a study spot before they’re all gone or overrun with noisy freshmen.

Although it’s a trek to get to the third floor, the English wing has some of the best and quietest areas in the school.

After more than

three years at the upper school, I can confidently say that the corner tables near LearningWorks and the Office of Equity and Community Engagement (OECE) are unbeatable spots to study. Among the many pros of working at these tables, the foremost advantage is their practicality for studying.

Both are wide, circular tables that are tucked away, providing plenty of space to spread out and be distant from everyone else. This hallway on the third floor can get a little stuffy sometimes, but the silence and ample room for studying are unmatched.

Personally, my fa-

vorite thing about these tables are the long rows of windows they sit next to. Both spots have great lighting that makes you feel awake when all you want to do is curl up for a nap.

One set of windows looks out on the Minneapolis skyline and the other has a view of the Otis Courtyard. The views offer the perfect setting for studying and an inviting backdrop for daydreaming, which feels much more idyllic than the reality of cramming for an econ test.

As an aside, the rooftop underneath the aforementioned skyline view would make a perfect patio. Picture this: rather than just

Often in use during times like TASC and tutorial, this table is a popular study spot because of its lack of proximity to others, view of the Otis Courtyard, and easy access to English teachers. Here, Lydia Lee ‘23 spends her tutorial at the table.

two small tables facing the staircase, there’s a door that opens onto the gravel rooftop with more tables and chairs for studying or relaxing.

Would this be a major liability and unusable for at least half of the school year? Sure. Will these realities crush my vision? Absolutely not.

Regardless of the lack of an open-air patio, the English wing still has the best places to escape the chaos throughout the rest of the school and get to work. Next time you’re looking for a spot to polish your essay or crank out some math homework, don’t overlook the third floor.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 11

Election Challenges Political Discourse How polarization has altered conversation between parties Ryker Kemberling | Contributing Writer

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oday’s political climate is dominated by polarized opinions surrounding everything from foreign policy to minority rights, making it essential for people to understand how to respectfully discuss opposing political viewpoints.

When discussing politics the main goal is to obtain an understanding of someone’s belief rather than to argue whether someone’s opinion is “right or wrong.”

Humans are naturally emotional creatures, making it easy for someone to feel attacked when their thoughts or

morals are challenged.

In order to properly converse there should be some rules established.

The first rule is to never assume that someone supports all of the actions and beliefs associated with a political figure or party. People usually disagree with at least one thing from their preferred political figure, and the point of elections is for individuals to choose which candidate resonates with them the most. When someone assumes another’s political beliefs, it can become difficult for the person to accept the other’s beliefs with the preconceptions of that party in mind.

The second rule of discussion is to allow a person you’re discussing with to fully explain their reasoning behind an opinion. Many times when someone has a neg-

ative opinion, listening to someone else’s reasoning allows one to better understand opposing political ideals. Someone may still disagree with another person’s belief, but refusing to listen to them perpetuates politi-

“When someone assumes a person’s loyalty to the opposite political party... it becomes difficult for the person to peacefully accept their beliefs with their preconceptions of that party”

VOTE

c a l polarization.

The final rule for facilitating political discussions is finding common ground. Today’s political climate is very polarized; however, to accomplish any form of o r der, there needs to be compro- mise.

For hundreds of years, the United States has survived due to the people’s ability to compromise, however when

2020

compromise fails nobody wins. When these three rules are kept in mind they not only allow people with different political beliefs to better understand each other, but also work to close the gap between polar ideologies.

College Admissions Foster Competition, Inequality Early decision, early action institutionalize universities’ capital wealth Sara Richardson | Managing Editor

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n increasing number of students, especially seniors, are exhausted, stressed, panicked, and worried about their futures. No, I’m not talking about the upcoming election and the future of this country. I am discussing the dreaded college admissions process.

Applying to college should be about finding the ‘right’ school. At least, that is what I thought. As college admissions become more competitive, more students apply to colleges as early decision or early Action as the acceptance rates are much higher. However, early decision creates

many issues as it is unfair for those who need financial aid, supports unhealthy competition between peers, and creates a game of probability rather than focusing on finding the right college.

Early decision is a binding agreement, which means if one is accepted to the college, they are required

incoming class with this application. Early decision creates an undue advantage for students who can pay full college tuition.

Early decision is no longer about finding the right school but a game of figuring out where one can apply it, which is still very difficult as many colleges are

ments. Students try to figure out how many of their peers are applying early to a particular school or trying to guess the best college they can get into. Applying to college should be about receiving an education and becoming prepared for the future, but now, in short, it is a competitive, toxic mess.

to attend. If one needs financial aid, they could be trapped in a commitment without having enough money to afford a particular school. So one might say, don’t apply early decision.

Yet most highly competitive and elite colleges are taking an upward of 50% of their

titled “highly-competitive.”

These processes change the entire education system into a business: colleges try to maximize their profits and capital gain by decreasing their admission rates.

These processes have created anxiety and disappointment-fueled environ-

No matter how much I talk or write about the college process’ unfairness and issues, it is probably not going to change anytime soon.

Even if it is difficult, the best thing that we students can do is continue trying our best and not getting too wrapped up in the process.

“Applying to college should be about finding the ‘right’ school... however, early decision supports unhealthy competition between peers”

Sara Richardson

Georgia Pettygrove ‘21: “Having to worry about when you’re submitting an application shouldn’t affect whether or not you get in, cause people say you're more likely to get in if you ED. But maybe there is some circumstance that doesn’t allow you to have an application ready by that time. Maybe, the whole playing field would be fairer if everyone submitted at the same time.”

ELECTION

Sara Richardson

Brooke Lee ‘21: “I like the idea of early decision. I just think that the complete binding is a little intimidating.”

Locations Swing Voters Voters fleeing suburban areas may change parties Chad Woerner | Staff Writer

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urrent headlines dominating the presidential race often cover mail-in voting, healthcare, the economy, climate change, the Supreme Court, and President Trump’s response to COVID-19; however, changes in voter demographics in urban and suburban areas have been too long ignored and, now more than ever, are increasingly important. The Biden campaign needs to focus more effort on securing suburban and rural voters as these areas and Trump’s influence on them grow.

Compared to non-incumbent candidates from the past, Joe Biden has devoted much less of his campaign to larger audiences and gaining rural voters. His campaign has usually involved small events, often with personal interactions with voters, even in the virtual format. If voters now in suburban and rural areas cannot be convinced by Biden’s campaign, the probability of President Trump’s re-election may be far from a long shot.

In the 2016 National Election, Minnesota’s urban/suburban Hennepin and Ramsey counties voted overwhelmingly Democratic.

According to a report from the Associated Press, only 28.2% and 26.0% of the vote went to the Republican Party respectively. However, five of the seven suburban counties around the Twin Cities voted in favor of the Republican Party.

Similar voter demographics can be seen throughout the entire country–it has been this way for years. However, new factors, such as the pandemic and increased violence, have dramatically and rapidly interrupted many people’s desire

to live in urban areas.

An obvious push factor toward suburban areas is the COVID-19 pandemic. New York City’s outbreak this past spring is a testament to how quickly the disease can spread in densely populated areas, although testing was more difficult to obtain at the time and public transportation was never shut down.

As cases surged in other densely populated urban areas, many residents fled to less populated suburbs. According to a Douglas Elliman monthly real-estate report, as of the beginning of August, over 13,000 apartments in New York City are empty.

Another push factor has been the sharp increase of crime rates in urban areas.

According to a report from the National Commission on COVID-19 And Criminal Justice, homicides in 20 major cities have spiked a staggering 37% from May through June 2020. Aggravated assaults jumped 35% and robberies increased 27%. As a result, prices of homes in suburban areas are surging: according to a report from The Hill prices of homes in San Francisco suburbs have already risen by at least 10%.

These changes result in an influx of voters in suburban and rural areas, a golden demographic for President Trump’s re-election campaign. Whereas they may have previously had Democratic leanings, as the target demographic of President Trump’s reelection campaign and after escaping from increasingly violent and pandemic-ridden cities, these voters may question voting for a party overseeing the jurisdiction they just fled.

It’s clear that these inquiries deserve more attention from the Biden campaign, as his election may depend on the leanings of these newly suburban and rural voters.

PERSPECTIVES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 12

SOCIAL MEDIA as a NEWS SOURCE Preconceived Biases Influence Readership Accessibility, Ubiquity Inspires, Spurs like wildfire across social tion and fallacies.

Importance of media. However, in this Most of the informa- Important Change in Communities validity rises as election looms Keaton Rannow | Contributing Writer

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ince social media’s rise in the early 2000s, its most powerful tool has been the ability to disseminate information widely and rapidly. Current events that would’ve taken days, even weeks to reach our ears now take hours, even minutes via photos, videos, and texts. Such interconnectivity is certainly beneficial by allowing greater knowledge of current events and better access to critical information, but the speed at which we process such information can also be detrimental when biases are disregarded.

After the renewal of the Black Lives Matter movement following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, social media once again demonstrated its capacity to spread information. Within hours of Floyd’s death, the graphic video had been shared thousands of times and protests had begun to assemble. In an instance of such obvious and explicit violence, social media aided in garnering support for protests of police brutality all across America.

With tensions running high not three months after the death of Floyd, reports of a police shooting in Englewood, Chicago spread

case and oftentimes, there’s two sides to the story of rapid information dissemination. Within hours, calls were made to commence looting of businesses in “retaliation” for the incident. Despite attempts by

tion we consume on social media reaches us so fast that there isn’t enough time to ensure the factuality of different statements or actions.

Even figures that may appear reliable may be using incorrect or

Rise of online engagement promotes activism Bernadette Whitely | Arts & Culture Editor

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Aidan Khan ‘21 and Samrat Pradhan ‘21 peruse social media online on their computers during their free blocks in the Senior Lounge.

the Chicago PD to emphasize that the shooting never actually happened, the violence, sparked by the accounts of a shooting, had already commenced.

In this case, social media spread a story so quickly that the factuality of the incident was never challenged, leading people to act on that incorrect information. While such an incident is certainly rare, it illustrates the danger our consumption of news on social media poses.

The response to social media information and news in both these scenarios demonstrates a tendency to react upon information that resonates with previously held beliefs and personal experiences. It is critical, however, that such beliefs don’t hinder the ability to differentiate between pieces of informa-

misleading data. Most just assume that information is correct or incorrect on whether it fits their personal narrative on that matter.

With the election, political campaigns are in full swing and the news cycle is focused on the election 24/7. All over social media, different influencers and accounts are attempting to influence you vote, and it’s important to understand that not all of that influence is 100% truthful.

It can be easy to assume that a piece of information is factual if it supports your candidate, but it’s much harder to scrutinize all aspects of a claim.

Biases and accuracy, however, are important considerations that should be taken into account when engaging with information and news reaching your social media feed daily.

s the world has come together in the wake of social injustices, people have been using social media to amplify their voices. Social media has been integral in giving people a platform to speak about important issues and stay updated on current events.

According to a Pew Research Center report, 55% of United S t a t e s’ adults now get their news from social media. As the Pew Research’s reporters noted, “social media is now a part of the news diet of an increasingly large share of the U.S. population.”

In addition to spread-

ing awareness, social media can be a quick resource for news. The accessibility of social media provides many engaging perspectives on current issues. Amanda Lee Molina ‘21 says, “It is super accessible. Just because how the news is structured, it is a little bit more work to open a separate news app. It is bite-sized pieces of information that you can digest really quickly.

For maybe for some people w h o don’t feel like taking time to read the news, they can still be informed to some extent.”

Molina goes on to explain that the way in which news is presented on social media can be easier to understand. With brightly colored images and text that has been broken up into smaller sections, reading the news via social media is far less overwhelming.

As a result, speaking out about important issues and starting conversations with people has become easier. You no longer need a large platform to create change.

Molina says, “I think it is giving us all a soapbox on which to stand because we all have people that we can reach through the app. You can use maybe the small platform you have, to start conversations with other people.”

Although getting news through social media can be beneficial, there are some downsides. According to the Pew Research Center, 57% of Americans who consume news through social media, expect it to be inaccurate.

When consuming news through social media, it is important to take various biases into account as well as possible misinformation, which can affect the way that the news is presented.

There is limited space for reporters and journalists to give full accounts of the story. Twitter, one of the most popular avenues for spreading online news, only has 140 characters for each tweet. This can perpetuate misinformation and spread false news.

Despite this, social media remains as an obtainable resource to engage with current events, emphasizing the importance of virtual engagement during a very virtual time.

Online News Platforms Fail to Fulfill Their Advertised Mission Statements Information distorts public sentiment

cial media statistics platform owned by Facebook,

While the literal meaning of climate change isn’t

with critical race theories are unquestionably left-

recently released data on user trends on Instagram.

From Sept. 10 to Oct. 9 this year, interactions with the phrase “Make America Great Again” had 2.3 million interactions on posts from the top 50 most vocal accounts on the topic.

By the same standards, the terms “Black Lives Matter” and “climate change” had 20.3 and 14.9 million interactions respectively.

at all a partisan talking point, much of the robust debate has resulted from more radical proposals of going about it, such as those outlined in Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s (D NY14) Green New Deal.

In a similar sense, while the literal meaning of “Black Lives Matter” is barely controversial, the policy views of the organization and their association

wing talking points.

Associate professor Deen Freelon from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill led a study on 86 million tweets from 2019. He found that, among popular topics of the time – mass shootings, white nationalism, sexual harassment, hurricanes, and the Mueller Investigation – the center-left was by

Chad Woerner | Staff Writer

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witter’s main purposes, according to their website, are to “give everyone the power to create and share ideas” and not detract from a free and global conversation.”

Instagram’s mission statement claims “to capture and share the world’s moments.” But are the ideas on Twitter really coming from everyone? And how can a conversation truly be free and global if it has bias towards one direction of the political spectrum?

Both of these platforms fail to accurately reflect the political ideologies of the American public, going against their missions and potentially misleading users who have trust in those words.

CrowdTangle, a so-

Melody Lee

far the most vocal. And the fact that the alt-right actually drowned out the center-right most of the time is a good example of polarized discourse, albeit leaning towards Democrats.

While all such data are from selected issues and time frames, core demographics among Instagram and Twitter users make the same point – that their platforms are not truly “global conversations,” nor all of the “world’s moments.”

According to Pew Research, a mere 35% of twitter users are Reublican or lean Republican, compared to 60% being Democratic or leaning Democrat. When asked if they were “very conservative,” only 14% of respondents said that they were. That’s compared to 25% in the general public.

As Kevin Roose and Keith Collins pointed out in The New York Times, Instagram “is most popular with users between ages 18 and 29, who tend to vote for Democrats.” The reasons are numerous, but

generational politics seems to account for a large part of bias on both social media networks.

The betrayal of their mission statements by Instagram and Twitter is not just a disservice to their brands but potentially to their users. Trusting the stated goals of big tech companies would likely exacerbate the ideological trends on the apps, for it would be acting that the distorted version of the “global conversation” is the real thing. And the increasing amount of users throughout the 2010s is a testament to the damage that could be done in the next decade.

In the meantime, considering the control that big tech companies have amassed, students need to recognize these biases and realize that when they are logging on to some of the most popular apps for Gen Z, they are not immersed in a fair picture of the American political spectrum.

GAMES AND ADS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 13

1. The things a president stands by 5. Who a president can appoint 8. A way voters can submit their vote 10. When a voter doesn’t vote in person 12. The outcome of the election is called the 13. Republican nominee VP 15. These make up the Electoral College 16. How citizens get their voices heard 17. What a voter casts 19. What voters receive after voting 20. Certain things that every voter is entitled to

Down 1. How citizens learn about candidates 3. What a nominee can become 4. What the opposing parties view eachother as 6. The system that describes our voting process 7. The political enviroment 9. Refers to how many people show up to vote 11. The 2020 Democratic nominee 14. When a voter votes before the election day 15. What voters sometimes feel when they are puzzled about the election 18. The 2020 Republican nominee 21. Democratic nominee VP

WUZZLES This word puzzle describes a popular phrase in a visual format. Try to guess what it means!

Mallika Malaviya & Sophia Vezmar | Contributing Writers

Answers 4. Broken heart 3.Falling temperature 2. Head in the sand 1. Fat chance

Jack Prince | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Across

5. Two under par

CROSSWORD

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 14

Allyson Jay | Contributing Writer

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pple has recently released a new and major iOS update, iOS 14. This current update allows everyone to customize and redesign their home screen for the first time, along with many other additional features.

It has gone viral since it’s been introduced, creating a customization craze that sparks users’ creativity, and allowing users to create endless possibilities of looks and aesthetics for Apple home screens. iPhone users are able to change the appearance of their home screen by using the new widget feature to add and display small, visual modules that provide information such as the date and time, the weather, battery percentage, and even photos as well on their home screen.

One can do this by downloading the apps Widgetsmith, Color Widgets, or Photo Widgets to design widgets and then add them to the home screen.

Apple also has a “shortcuts” app that users can utilize to completely customize their screen even further by renaming apps and changing their icons.

Lucky Lillygreen ‘23, who has a customized home screen, says, “I was hesitant at first because I knew it was a big change

from how the phones normally are and I just didn’t know if I was going to like it, but I was up for a change from the normal home screen, and so I just decided to customize it.”

Sophia Vezmar ‘22, who does not have a customized home screen, explains, “I didn’t customize mine yet because it takes a lot of time to do it, and I also heard that it goes to shortcuts first when you customize apps, which was another reason why I didn’t do it.”

Even though the iOS 14 enables users to run shortcuts through customized apps, once one opens an app that has been customized through shortcuts, it will automatically open to shortcuts first and then proceed to the actual app, which has been a downfall for some users.

It also takes time to go through each app and customize them, choose an aesthetic or specific photos, and put it all together on the home screen, which has been another issue.

Despite the minor problems of this update, it still is extremely popular and has created inspiration for Apple users, as Lillygreen describes, “I just started to customize my apps and widgets, and I realized that my screen had become way more simple and customized to how I like it, and it looked a lot better than it did without the update.”

New software generates mixed feelings among younger users about new features

Lucky Lillygreen ‘23 uses Widgetsmith as well as uses a beige and white color scheme to customize her homescreen.

Ellie Nixon | Contributing Editor

Brooke Lee | Contributing Writer

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n Sept. 16, Apple released the new iOS 14 update on their mobile phones. This update allowed all customers to further enhance their usage of their phone with the new features iOS 14 has to offer.

A large majority of those with the new update have been significantly happy with the capabilities of their phone and its new functions, including multiple students in our Blake community.

While the update includes multiple new concepts previously foreign to the functionality of iPhones, the one most significantly noted is the introduction of the widgets.

These widgets allow you to add photos of various sizes so portions of your home screen.

Darian Mehra ‘23 notes that “the widgets

Jackson Haug ‘22 replaces the icons of applications on his phone with pictures from his camera role and labels each to know which is which.

are the best part of the update, for they allow you to customize your home screens to look nicer and add multiple pictures or displays of the dates and your personal calendar.”

Nikki Stabno ‘21 states that “the update and widgets allow you to make your home screen very aesthetically pleasing with the time and patience to add the widgets to your screen.”

The idea of adding widgets is completely new to the display of the iPhones’ home screens, and is a key aspect of the new update that’s enjoyed by many students and users of the update.

The iOS 14 update also allows for the viewing of certain apps while not being on the app itself.

Stabno also states, “I like that you can see Netflix in the corner and FaceTime when you go off the app.” The ability to be on other apps while still viewing FaceTime calls or Netflix shows allows for users to do multiple things at the same time for increased productivity.

Andrew Starkman ‘23 ultimately says that “it makes my life better every day because there isn’t a single function the update includes that I don’t use daily.”

lthough many people really enjoy the new iOS14 update, many also see its flaws. The new iOS14 update requires a person to rely on their technological abilities and their creative side.

For those who struggle with their creativity or don’t know much about technology, it is very difficult to create a personalized home screen.

Even if a person does know how to customize their apps, it is a very inefficient process and is incredibly time consuming.

Between looking up YouTube tutorials and doing the actual customizations, it can take multiple hours.

Julia Blum ‘22 attests to this and although she now has a very cohesive and pretty home page, it took her about “about a day on and off to make.”

Furthermore, after updating their phones, many people

Julia Blum ‘22 uses inspiration from Harry Styles’ song “Golden” to decorate her homescreen using a gold color scheme.

have noticed a reduction in function--or that their phones were much more glitchy.

Ella Deignan ‘22, says “my phone is a lot glitchier, texting is glitchy, and all of my friends are all having these same issues.”

However, while some were excited about customizing their screen, others don’t find the need to waste their time doing that.

Eliot Mitchell ‘21

feels that the update is, “unnecessary and a waste of space on [her] phone.

[She] doesn’t find the need to have a bunch of random photos all over [her] screen.”

Updates are supposed to make a phone more efficient and smooth running, but many have found this update has created more problems than it has solved and is too confusing to make it worthwhile.

Sara Richardson ‘21 uses Widgetsmith to display a calendar on her homescreen and uses folders to organize her apps.

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 15

Athletes Forced to Quarantine, Leaving Them Unable to Compete Devastated cross country, soccer players not allowed to play Sara Richardson & Dylan Gainsley | Managing Editor & Student Life Editor

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ue to COVID-19, the boys’ cross country team and the boys’ soccer team were greatly affected by players having to quarantine. Right before sections, a group learned that they had to quarantine for two weeks following close contact. When discussing how he felt about missing the last part of his senior soccer season and high school career, Jake Shapiro ‘21 stated, “It was devastating to hear that the season was get-

ting cancelled. I described it as heartbreaking.”

Likewise, runner Shef West ‘22 explained, “I am really disappointed and sad about my season ending early. I was really looking forward to racing all the competition at the section meet.”

Many players believe that the school’s quarantine rule is unfair.

Matt Carlson ‘21 explains his view as, “It just sucks because we had to get tested no matter what and if we came back negative, we are outdoors playing soccer, so I feel like there could have been ways that the school could have brought us back for our senior season.”

The Minnesota Department of Health’s rule is that quarantine is necessary when “close contact means being less than 6 feet from some-

one for 15 minutes or more. The longer someone is close to the person who has COVID-19, and the closer they are, the greater the chance the virus can spread.” However, students are socially distancing in classrooms, so students feel as though they should be able to play after a negative test.

Carlson explains, “Blake is kinda doing their own thing, and not all schools are doing this.

Their definition of close contact is different from other places, so it kinda sucks how stiff they are about this.” West echoes this sentiment, stating, “I think that I should have been able to provide a negative covid test (which I got the next day) in order to race at sections.

I really think that they should consider changing the quarantine rules

Volleyball Team Back In Action BGV excited to begin after MSHSL reversal Noor Naseer | Managing Editor

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ccording to the most recent MSHSL guidelines, the girls’ volleyball season will take place from September 28 until December 8, with a maximum of two dual games a week. Initially, the guidelines stated that spectators would not be allowed, but one of the captains, Maya Hardy ‘21, shares that “Now, each varsity [and JV] girl gets two people, so parents or guardians, and so we’ll actually have people at our games supporting, which will help with morale and obviously create

some noise in the gym.”

Evie Doran ‘23 was also very surprised to learn that the team would be getting a season and already had other training in place: “Yeah, it was weird because I really wasn’t expecting it and I’d kind of based my schedule on playing club volleyball because I’ve been doing the fall club volleyball league. So it was just really a surprise... to get that information.”

In addition to this initial shock, players are also having to get used to the new restrictions in place due to COVID-19. One of these restrictions is the fact that varsity and JV players are not allowed to interact with each other. Doran sheds light on the effects of this saying, “it’s also

weird because the varsity and JV team[s] can’t come together at all, so it feels very separated, so I’d say that’s probably one of the bigger differences.”

Despite these changes and the late start to the season, captain Emily Carlisle ‘21, looks to the positives, sharing that, “I think that the season being moved back has made people be more...passionate about it, I feel like we are competitive because it’s a blessing that we even get to play, so I think we’re really excited and we’re really driven to win this year...I think we really are focusing on becoming a team unit and bonding with each other and then I think we just want to make the most of the season.

in some way for athletes.”

Additionally, players are confused with the rules of who has to quarantine. Shapiro is quarantined; however, his father is continuing coaching and his brother is continuing playing, even though they are all in the same house. Despite the setbacks, Shapiro describes his brother being able to play as “cool to see. It’s his chance to get the spotlight. And during the last section game, he was able to score which was really fun to see.”

The Blake Boys’ Soccer team were able to play together one last time for Sections Finals against Breck with a final score of 0-4. The Blake Boys’ Cross Country Team, losing their top two runners due to the quarantine, placed 7th out of 15 teams in the section.

Boys’ Soccer Gets Second in Section

Elena Gill

Pictured above is the boys’ soccer team following their 3-1 victory over the BSM Red Kinghts in the Section Semi-Finals. Keegan James ‘21, Benji Pomonis ‘21, and Jay Bowles ‘23 each scored to push the Bears to victory. Following their win, the Bears took on the Breck Mustangs the next day. In this game, the players forced to quaranine returned to the roster, giving the Bears their full team. Unfortunatley, that wasn’t enough, and the number one ranked Mustangs defeated Blake 4-0 in the Section Finals.

Minnesota Sports Disappoint, Leaving Fans Discouraged Professional sports teams fall short of expectation Benjamin Lim | Staff Writer

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Submitted by: Emily Carlisile

The girls’ volleyball team huddles up in preperation for a point against Brooklyn Center.

Betsy Fries

This poster was hung above the boys’ soccer team’s bench to show support for those unable to play.

020 has been just another year adding to the total of horrible sports years for Minnesota sports teams.

Professional Minnesota sports teams have combined for 104 consecutive seasons since their most recent appearance in a championship game.

Keaton Rannow ‘22, a Minnesota sports fan all his life, expresses his frustration. Regarding the 2020 sports year, he remarks, “It’s been a

lot more spread out in terms of terribleness.”

This season, the Vikings have played seven games and only won two so far. The Twins got swept out of the playoffs and extended the longest postseason losing streak in professional sports to 18 consecutive games.

But unfortunately for Minnesota fans, this is nothing new, yet loyal Minnesota sports fans return every year.

Why is that? At some point, one would think that fans would start to support other states and teams, but no. Perhaps it is because fans feel a loyalty to their state, or maybe because they are too invested in a team to back out now.

Rannow says

that despite the struggles, he keeps coming back because he doesn’t feel a connection to any other state.

Rannow is not alone in this thought. For those who have never lived in or had a connection to another state, it is hard to draw a personal connection that is far away.

Despite this consistency, there always seems to be hope. This year, the beacon of hope comes from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Minnesota Timberwolves have the first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, guaranteeing them an elite rookie with loads of potential for the future, which should hopefully turn things around for the Timberwolves.

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | NOVEMBER 4, 2020 | 16

After Months of Debate, Football Team Returns to Field Wolfpack thrives despite unprecedented season Winnie Ulland | Contributing Writer

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fter a slew of cancellations, high school football fans and players finally have a season to look forward to. The SMB Wolfpack (2-2) are back in action with more Blake players on the team this year than any team in years past.

The team, which is made up of Blake, Saint Paul Academy, and Minnehaha Academy players, began practicing on Sept. 28. The regular season will go until Nov. 28, while the postseason will end at sections this year instead of a state tournament.

The first regular game for the Wolfpack was an away game, on Oct. 9, at Fridley high school.

“We’re very excited.” Chris Goodwin, Wolfpack Head Coach, said. “There’s no question there’s a safety

concern, but for the seniors especially, it’s their last chance to play, and it’s a big deal for them.”

His statement mirrors the feelings of all the players on his team, who were crushed by the loss of the season,

but now are elated to be allowed to play again.

The restart of the football season opens up social opportunities for fans and players alike across the league.

Sam Hardy in his first season for the Wolfpack stated “It is really ex-

Fantasy Football Users Surge App allows fans to engage over shared interest James Prince | Business Manager

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ith the Vikings’ (2-5) season and with our hometown fans only cheering for our division rivals, this is the year to create a fantasy team.

With Fantasy Football, you can manage a team of actual winning players with your friends for free. Fantasy Football has been a cherished yearly tradition among many Blake friend groups, but has spread its reach even more this year.

English teacher, frequent Fantasy Football player and rabid, as he frames it, Packers fan, Patrick Barry, claimed, “It’s fun to spend an inordinate amount of time analyzing and talking about something

Submitted by: Sam Hardy

Wolfpack players finish warming up prior to their first home game against Mound-Westonka.

totally made up. When you put it that way, I suppose it’s just like teaching literature. Who needs the real world?!”

Fantasy Football is a free-to-play online system that awards points to specific offensive players from various teams and a team defense you chose to start that week.

From quarterbacks to kickers, people can trade the players amongst each other and track players’ points real-time during the games. Fantasy Football software helps create quite a new-user friendly experience, providing a way for even those who are not as football-savvy to participate.

Part of the reason it has been such a success this year is because it has been a great way to connect with friends who you may not be able to normally see in the hallways around school. In those hall-

ways, Fantasy Football is a frequent conversation starter even among those who do not have a team in the same league as you. In fact, this year has been good for many groups to expand their league to include new players Looking to get more involved, Barry said, regarding his hypothetical Blake Fantasy Faculty team, “I’d pick up Jim Mahoney early. He can do just about anything and always makes you feel like a winner.”

In a year of much uncertainty, a lot of things can go wrong.

For example, someone in a Fantasy Football league could accidentally keep an injured or sick player on their starting line up.

Whatever the situation on the “field”, connections will be made and laughs will be shared off the field.

citing to have a season.

It was postponed at first, so everyone was a little down, but now the season’s back and everyone is pumping up and getting ready.” he said. “Practices have been great, getting ready for games, learning new

stuff.”

There are two hundred and fifty tickets allocated to every game, whether it is a home game or an away game, with some tickets going to a visiting team and the rest going to parents and family members.

The home games will be live-streamed the same way that other Blake sporting events have been this year. Updates on the regular and postseason and some games can be found on the Wolfpack’s twitter and other social media sites.

October Mystery Athlete Amelia Bush | Contributing Writer

T

his month’s mystery athlete is a very accomplished. She has been playing tennis since she was 9 and has been playing in tournaments since she was 10.

She has been on varsity since she was in 7th grade, and was captain for two years while playing number one singles.

Melody Lee ‘23 said, “She is a very great leader...I feel very welcomed on the team and she is just overall a great player.”

Along with of this, her teammates really respect her. Nana Vang ‘24 said, “The coaches let me and her hit, and it was so tough…and that was just an awakening in my mind, to work harder and be better in general.”

One thing that is obvious is how hard she works and how much she cares.

Annabelle Swigert ‘22

Yi Vang

Players pose with their plaque after winning the Section with a 4-3 win over Breck.

mentioned, “She is the most dedicated person I know, and that’s both in tennis and out of tennis...when she gets on the court she is so focused and she honestly pushes me to do better on the court, and in school, she pushes me to be a better person.”

It is also apparent that her leadership skills have no match. “I couldn’t wish for a better co-captain” Swigert stated, and Vang mentioned, “Being a captain requires a lot of responsibility… I

had a tough match and she was always there for me.

She’s always cheering and very compassionate towards others.”

Lee also added, “I really trust her a lot.” Everyone on the team seems to really look up to her.

Vang said “She’s honestly just the best...if I had to pick a role model it would probably be her.”

Submit your guesses in the comments on www. blakespectrum.org.

For Soccer Sections photos, visit Elena Gill

www.blakespectrum.org