The Spectrum Newspaper October 2019

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the blakespectrum.org

“Your Voice in Print”

Monday | October 14 | 2019

The Blake School

Issue II

Students Reflect on Legacy Day Activities Legacy Day activities overshadowed by quality time between students Shira Aronow | Staff Writer his year, the service aspects of Legacy Day focused on the environment, much of which was within the proximity of the

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Blake community. While the shift in service work throughout the day was a success for some groups, it was not completely pleasant for others. As Lisa Sackreiter, who planned many of the day’s activities, stated, “I think that just the experience of being together outside is one that many groups relished, and there are challenges.

There was a group out of

Mollie Rae Miller becomes new Upper School Receptionist Sara Richardson | Arts & Culture Editor ollie Rae Miller, the new Upper School Receptionist and face of the front office, started this week. Excited to work at Blake, Miller describes mission values she admires “in the heart of the city I love.” She is a painter, working on building an art collective, and loves to bike “aggressively.” Ask her about her cat named Melon after its shape.

M Melody Lee

Freshman, fifth-graders, and first-graders bond as a group during snack and reflection time.

Chloe Lipham

Students congregate outside of the cafeteria to enjoy lunch and play games on the Aamoth field.

the woods that experienced some stings. Somebody stepped on a wasp nest in the ground.” Nonetheless, many members of the community concluded that they felt their work had a great impact, and, as Sackreiter stated, “[Legacy Day is] about coming together.

We celebrate through Convocation, and we are engaged in the community,

and then one part of that is service. It’s not primarily a day of service. It’s primarily a day of community building.”

Sophia Wagner ‘21 explained that her group was tasked with pouring gravel onto the sidewalk and planting a small part of the garden.

Continued on page 3.

Elena Gill

Miller sits at her new desk.

ALICE Training Aims to Prepare Students, Staff for Active Shooters New training drastically changes safety procedures Caroline Hardy | Co-Editor-in-Chief

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LICE Training, a method of active shooter response training, is slowly being implemented into the Blake community, spearheaded by Mike Feinburg, Director of Transportation Safety and Security. All administrators and EPIC staff are already trained, and teacher training will be happening in the 2019-2020 academic school year, with student involvement projected for the 2020-2021 academic school year.

Training consists of both learning and simulating activities, with the main goal being that in the case of an active shooter situation, students and faculty could act while “understanding what the options are and empowering you to assess what the best decisions are,” ex-

Students with a Myriad of Religioius Affiliations Reflect on their experiences, Blake’s commitment to pluralism.

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plains Upper School Director Joe Ruggerio.

EPIC Staff, a general term consisting of the admissions team and business office among other departments, were trained over the summer, while administrators underwent training this fall. All security staff are also trained.

The ALICE Training Institute was started after the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre in order to better equip students and teachers to actively address active shooter situations. In such a situation, ALICE outlines five steps to retain agency and respond to an emergency situation. These steps are Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate, forming the acronym ALICE. During training, participants are asked to think about possible differing response scenarios that would ensure the greatest chance of survival. These responses could range from fleeing, staying put and barricading the door, distraction, or direct confrontation as a last resort, among oth-

er potential options. With this variety in the ALICE protocol, “You are able to have more agency in the way that you react to a potentially dangerous situation,” explains Ruggiero.

Lead Security Officer

about what it is, so that when they are in a room with faculty and faculty are doing these things, they know why and what the context is,” explains Ruggiero. While it is rare for students to be without a

Brandon Krona echoes this sentiment, explaining that “It’s not about making the building design safer from active shooters, it’s about how to be prepared.”

The protocol will be presented to students in order to “inform students

faculty member in the lower and middle schools, Upper School Students may be trained more thoroughly in advisories in order to account for this added risk.

Specific plans for the revealment and presentation of this training for

A lert L ockdown I nform Counter E vacuate

students is currently under development. Feinburg declined to comment on the grounds of current determination of plans moving forward. However, Ruggiero explains that the security team will be partnering with the counseling team in order to manage possible anxiety or fears about confronting the possibility of an active shooter situation so bluntly. Additionally, there are plans for careful contextualization in order to present the training as agency creating, rather than panic inducing.

However, English teacher Cory Tao explains that she is unsure that “you can heighten the tensions any more….I think we are just swimming in the waters of anxiety and tension, because that’s the world we live in. Whether we are trained or not trained doesn’t necessarily assuage concerns.”

But, Ruggiero explains that, “The first thing that was decided was that not talking about it is worse than talking about it, so we know that it’s not some-

Debate over Car Culture amid climate crisis, emphasis on eco-friendly solutions.

Boys’ Basketball Whitewater Rafts in the Offseason (among other activities), to bond, prepare for the season.

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thing we want to avoid.”

The news of this training has increased awareness of this possible reality. Cole Mathews ‘20 explains that it’s “disappointing that it’s come this far and that we need to have actual active shooter drills. But, it’s cool to see that Blake is evolving their response to it.”

The implementation of the ALICE training comes in addition to increased security protocol on all three campuses including badge in cards, the closure of the East door on the Northrop Campus, and the new entrance way to the Blake Campus.

Krona sees this training as the next step in direction to creating a safe and secure environment for learning and growth.

He explains, “Blake itself is moving in the right direction to be prepared for a situation, it it were to ever arrive and the ALICE method will give our kids and our staff the power to be able to make a decision on their own and counter things that an active shooter might do.”

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | October 14, 2019 | 2

STAFF

Teachers Find Way Wayfinder training to make advisory more meaningful Emma Martinez Sutton | Managing Editor

T The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy Issue 2 October 14, 2019

Co-Editors-In-Chief: Caroline Hardy | Drew Rosenblum Managing Editors: Emma MartinezSutton | Anderson Blum Creative Director: Sage Marmet Online Editors: Daniel Lesov | Jack Prince Columnists: Anderson Blum | Lexie Dietz | Brian Brener Front Page Editor: Emma Martinez Sutton News Editors: Will Rosenblum | Noor Naseer Student Life Editor: Maggie Seidel Arts & Culture Editor: Sara Richardson Features Editor: Anderson Blum Food Editor: Sage Marmet

he week before the 2019-2020 school year began, all Upper School teachers took part in a two-day training by the Wayfinder Project.

Sophomore Grade Dean Anne Rubin says, “the Wayfinder Program is really about finding ways to help kids be more thoughtful and... develop a sense of purpose that is beyond grades and beyond applying to college.”

This programming will be implemented in advisory to build relationships between advisor and advisee as well as among advisees, “by letting kids... just have a different kind of conversation. So, advisory is going to be much less kind of sitting around do-

ing nothing... we wanna use that time in a way that’s more constructive.” Jon Dicus, Spanish teacher and senior advisor, says, “it gives us a toolbox of activities... gives us some continuity so [they] don’t feel like just single activities that don’t have any bearing or relevance to advisory or the students in general.”

Rubin, who took part in a more indepth Wayfinder training earlier this year, says it was brought to Blake to push back against a perfectionist culture “that is really disturbing because... if your metric for doing well and succeeding in life is getting an A then you develop an incredible sense of fragility for yourself.” She

also notes that the Independent School Health Check performed two years ago revealed “a lot of kids dealing with mental health issues in terms of thinking about what am I doing here, how do I meet these expectations that I have of myself and that my family has for me... and that is connecting to a lot of anxiety and depression.”

Dicus describes his senior advisory as resistant to the change because they’re “doing an organized activity that they don’t have a choice in.” However, he hopes that students will grow accustomed and become appreciative as they continue similar activities throughout their high school experience.

InDepth Editor: Caroline Hardy Opinions Editors: Jack Prince | Nora Fox Perspectives Editor: Drew Rosenblum Games Editor: Emma Martinez-Sutton Science, Technology, and Health Editor: Brian Brener Sports Editor: Catherine Barry | Zach Slavitt Business Manager: Kaitlyn Saldanha

Moderators Hopeful for Future New Assembly Moderators make a splash Lucus Schattenmann | Contributing Writer

Adviser: Anna Reid

STAFF WRITERS: Shira Aronow, Anna Johns, Jenna Thrasher, Lachen Reid, Kendall Phillips, Bernadette Whitely, Amaka Nwokocha, Christina Checkerdjieva STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Elena Gill, Betsy Fries STAFF ARTISTS: Tyler May, Ben Soong

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

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

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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.

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ssembly moderators have been involved in running and conducting assemblies for years, but this year the moderator group has implemented some changes. These modifications are meant to make assembly more engaging and interesting to the huge body of students that has to attend them twice a week. Senior assembly moderator, Mathew Krelitz ‘20, explains how the new program will work, and what to expect in the coming year.

Krelitz decided to join the assembly moderator team because it sounded fun to him, and he had some friends last year who were assembly moderators as well.

However, before this year, only one moderator was active for each assembly. “Every year they always say, ‘this year, assembly is going to be different,’ and it never is,” says Krelitz. “So this year, we decided to make more drastic changes to make it more clear.” This year, they’ve assigned two moderators to each assembly in hopes of keeping things fresh and making sure every moderator gets some time to shine. Plus, moderators are able to sign

up to announce each senior speech, so moderators can announce their friends and ease their tension going into the school-wide event.

In addition, they’ve been making some more variations to keep things fresh and add a humorous twist as well. Many are well aware of the Hard-Hitting Journalism video series filmed and presented by the moderators.

Krelitz, who originally thought of the idea and films it with moderator

Flora Yang ‘20, says he wants “to make [assemblies] more fun.” These videos, among other items, are some of the ways in which the moderator team is trying to create a new, more engaging assembly as the year progresses.

Jack Standish ‘20 respects what the Moderators have been trying to do, saying the “it’s gotten more efficient and we have been starting on time whereas it used to start five minutes late every day.”

Elena Gill

Casey Stocking ‘20 announces the next speaker during assembly. Assemblies occur every Tuesday and Thursday and are usually populated with speeches and announcements.

Students Take Action Against Climate Change Group of nine contributes to a group of thousands Anna Jonns | Staff Writer

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his is all wrong.

I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean” Greta Thunberg, an environmental activist whose unrelenting passion has brought her to the UN floor and headlines of newspapers all around the world, opened with this statement to world leaders at the 2019 U N Climate Action

you have to learn long division, like what are you doing?” Lee Molina remarked on some of the kid’s signs recalling they were along the lines of ‘I’m going to die, are you willing to sacrifice my future?’.

The three juniors’ shock makes sense; It’s odd to see elementary school kids actively participating in such immense and heavy issues when as high schoolers many of us haven’t fully formed opinions on those issues yet. Climate Change has easily become such an overwhelmi n g a n d confusing

Summit. probGreta’s l e m activism that we has ino f spired millions Kathryn Kaiser t e n of students have all around Activists approach the Capitol. t o the world to push out strike, withof our out exception to Min- minds to get through the nesota, as seen by the school day. astounding 3000 particiWhen asking Elle pants in this year’s Sep- McCarty ‘21 what incentember 20th strike. tivized her to participate Ella Johnson ‘21 com- in the climate march, mented on the diversity she reminded me of the of the speeches—ranging immensity of climate from songs performed by change, stating, “It’s our Native American youth to entire world, it isn’t even speeches from activists just an aspect.” such as Isri Hirsi (daughNo matter what side ter of Congresswoman of the political landscape Ilhan Omar)—referyou are on or ring to the what your march as opinion is a “cool, on cliunified mate move-

ment.”

B o t h change, Amanda moveLee Moments lina ‘21, Ma- Marchers made many signs and s u c h bel Chovan- posters to support thier cause. as the Aziz ‘21 and climate Nora Cornell march ‘21 (all members of the remind us of the imporgroup of 9) expressed tance of remaining entheir surprise and inspira- gaged and critical contion in seeing such young sumers of media, rather kids (ages as young as 9, than scrolling past the as Chovan-Aziz recalls) uncomfortable issues in at the march. the news. The issue of Cornell expressed Climate Change is domiher shock at seeing them, nating our world, and it’s stating, “There was a time to make a decision group of middle school- on what part we’ll play ers who were like ‘we in arguably one of the should be in school right most significant global now’ and I was like, issues in our generation. yeah, you should, like

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 3

Construction Challenges Changing Room for Student Athletes Lack of space for athletes to get ready due to distance from parking lots Nina Bush Malivaya | Writers

& Mallika Contributing

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ue to the construction at the middle school campus, parking has been an ongoing struggle for both students and faculty. The after school rush of middle school pickup and upper school students trying to get to fall sports creates chaos at the end of the day.

Emily Melin ‘20, a varsity tennis player, has found that the delays have changed in the past year depending on where

Habon Samatar

Construction at the middle school makes the Circle off limits for parking, forcing the activities bus to park by the lower tennis courts .

she parks. She says that, “there hasn’t been delays around parking at the lower lot.”

Melin used to park in the Aamoth parking lot, but shifted to parking in the lower lot due to a lack of space. She said that, “We would always

race to get a spot before everyone else who was arriving for practice. The lower lot is a lot easier to park than Aamoth.” She has also found that the larger issue with parking in the lower lot by field 4 and the lower courts is that there aren’t enough

bathrooms near the lower lot for people to use or change in.”

Due to many students shifting to the lower lot to avoid parking at the Aamoth lot, there are huge lines of people waiting to change in the two bathrooms down by the

baseball fields.

Sophia Vezmar ‘22 agrees with the bathroom issues caused by the middle school construction.

“It’s been hard to get into the bathrooms because so many people are trying to go and it takes forever, especially if you are trying to get to a sport there needs to be more bathrooms out here.”

Ishan Khurana ‘22 feels that the new construction has decreased the amount of time he has to get ready for Cross Country, “it takes super long to change and get ready.” Overall, it appears that the new issues created at the Middle School are not from the construction itself, but from the lack of accommodations for Blake student athletes who now have trouble changing in time for their sports.

Students reflect on Legacy Day activities, impact Continued from page 1

...However she said that for a large part of the day, the high school students in her group, “just hung out with the kids.” Since some of the other grades had already poured part of the gravel for them, Wagner feels as though there was a lot of down time. During this time she made connections with younger members of her group.

She stated, “Just spending time with the kids was impactful for them because I think it’s good for them to be around high school students.”

Grace ErsfeldO’Brien ‘22 recalls that “we made as much of an impact as we could pulling buckthorn… there’s so much of it, and you have to get all the roots in order to ensure that the growth doesn’t spread, so I feel like we chipped away at it.

I feel like there is still a lot to be done.” She would have preferred a

more direct service experience, but she said, “At the same time, protecting the environment of the bees is beneficial to humans.” Agreeing with Wagner, ErsfeldO’Brien explained, “We had a good time as a group working together to pull big buckthorn.”

“It was kind of tiring but it was really fun [and] a good experience for my first time,” stated Julia Zhang ‘23, a new student. Similar to Ersfeld-O’Brien, Zhang said, “Even though we didn’t make that many houses for the bees because we were a small group of people, we still affected the environment in some way.” Sackreiter noted that there was also a decrease in the number of students present this year, which is partially because of the Climate Strike that took place on the same day.

UPCOMING EVENTS 10/15 - Girls’ soccer section game at home 10/16 - Football game at home 10/18 - Quarter ends 10/22 - Blake family pride meeting Corrections: Jalen Suggs was misspelled in the subtitle. Will Bohrnsen was misspelled. Henry V. and Will V.‘s last names were omitted purposefully due to age.

Chloe Lipman Students in the white group gather in the gym.

Chloe Lipman Students gather in the gym for convocation after being bussed to the middle school campus.

Chloe Lipman Students in the white group make birdhouses.

Melody Lee Avery Schwappach ‘23 bonds with her group of first and fifth graders.

New student led Rowing Club Gains Popularity Rowing club starts workouts Carly Shoemate | Contributing Writer

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ounded this year, the Blake Rowing club represents a strong group of students striving for excellence in and out of the water. Joshua Park ‘22 founded the club because he liked rowing a lot as soon as he started last winter, and he wanted to introduce it at

Blake. Rowing is a sport in which crew members row in races up to 2000 meters long. The crew can consist of one, two, four, or eight people, with boats reaching lengths of up to 62 feet. Rowing is said to be one of the most physically demanding sports, and its origins can be traced back to Ancient Egypt.

Rowing is a sport that, at its professional level, is reserved for athletes with the highest caliber of athleticism and mental tough-

ness and is one of the oldest collegiate sports. It was one of the first sports contested in the modern Olympic Games according to USRowing.org.

The faculty advisers are CJ Eckhardt and Anne Stavney, and as of their first meeting, there are 22 members of the club. Rowing club meets weekly, practicing Wednesdays and Fridays at 7:00 a.m. before school in the Upper School gym. Right now, members are practicing on rowing machines

while Park gives them pointers. Craig Rawles supervises these Wednesday and Friday morning workouts. According to Park, the club needs supervision to prevent liability issues for Blake.

Park says what sets rowing apart from other sports is that “it is very team oriented due to the fact that while you have eight people in the boat, the only way to succeed is if eight people stay in unison throughout the whole 2000 meter race.”

Photo Submitted by Joshua Park Joshua Park ’22 guides Leon Xue ‘22 during a rowing workout in the small gym at the upper school campus while Tobin Spiller ‘22 looks on.

STUDENT LIFE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 4

Students Engage in Upcoming Election, Campaigns Age doesn’t hinder political involvement Ale Perri | Contributing Writer

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egardless of how students get involved in the election, they see importance in being knowledgeable about politics.

Rosa Gerdts ‘20 states, “The outcome of politics today truly does affect our future ... It is also our responsibility to be active global citizens.”

With the 2020 election nearing, campaign season is underway. While most upper school students will still

not be able to vote in the next election, that doesn’t stop many students from volunteering and getting involved in the political process.

One of the most common ways to get involved is student election judging, wherein students greet, register, and assist voters at the polling place. Gerdts explains why she chose to be an election judge in saying, “I personally have always loved the idea of election day. I remember my parents bringing me with them to the polls when I was younger, and truly showcasing what a special opportunity it is to vote.”

In addition to the benefits drawn from being a greater part of the political process, student election judging helps with community bonding. Gerdts says, “I don’t live in a neighborhood where it’s super common to get to know your neighbors, so being able to interact with people in my community through something as special as voting has been amazing.”

Another way that students get involved in the political process, albeit more indirectly, is through going on the Iowa caucus trip, led

by Social Studies teacher David Graham ‘85.

This trip allows

students the opportunity to witness the political process up close.

Graham finds “visiting an ‘early state’ allows us to see a range of candidates with varying views and learn what they are like.” It also allows students to directly take part in the election process.

Graham explained, “On the trip students will volunteer for one of the Presidential campaigns. Students will be able to decide which campaigns they will support.

Usually, this work includes door knocking and phone calling.

Students will also attend campaign events.”

Homecoming Frustrates New playlist receives mixed reviews Lorna Kruesel | Contributing Writer

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ya Manneh ‘21 says, “I never thought that I’d say that I wanted DJ Deets more than I wanted this [DJ].”

Walking through the doors to the dance, it was shocking to seem no theme present. There weren’t any decorations nor were there any signs.

Additionally, the music playlist included songs such as “Stacy’s Mom,” “We Will Rock You,” and “Baby.” It was an abnormal mix for teenagers solely

hoping to dance in the mosh pit.

Manneh states, “In comparison, Aditya was a lot better.” Aditya Shekhar ‘18 had a greater understanding of the genre of music students enjoy, being a former student. Although, the new DJ played music that was, more or less, appropriate and clean.

Despite the poor music and lack of theme, there was a great attendance.

Significant representation from each grade resulted in strong overall turnout.

By design, homecoming dances are events made to bond the community. And, with this mindset, the dance was a great success despite the nearly universal disdain for the music.

Tyler May

Students Prepare for Multiple Tests, Hope to Mitigate Stress Tests often land in same week Emily Rotenberg | Staff Writer

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hroughout the school year, many students experience a specific week every month where there is a test, essay, or project given in each class. This is referred to as the ‘threeweek cycle.’

The ‘three-week cycle,’ at its core, is when there are two weeks of classwork and the third week is preparing for an exam and or taking the exam. When this happens, it is hard for students to find time to study appropriately for each class. In some cases,

this can lead to a lot of stress among students.

Amanda Ward ‘21 said, “I don’t have enough time to prepare and if teachers really want me to do well, I don’t think it’s fair to have everything on the same week because I don’t have time to study.”

The lack of time is a big issue among many students.

Clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities require a significant amount of time. This leaves limited time, during busy weeks, to complete not only the large amounts of homework but also studying for big tests.

Janet Williams, science teacher, explains, “I would say, more or less, there are three weeks of every unit, meaning there are around ten classes and then I will

have a test.”

Williams continued to highlight, “The unfortu-

test until you’ve learned enough material to do it.

This means that around ev-

have a similar schedule to Williams, in particular, Habon Samatar ‘22 re-

Emily Rotenberg

Madelyn Besikof ‘22 and Bernadette Whitely ‘22 study for an upcoming science test in Janet William’s room.

nate part is that’s the way it falls for about all the classes. You can’t have a

ery third and fourth week it seems busier.”

Although many classes

marks that “the three-week cycle is particularly used in [my] science and math

[classes].” It can be more time consuming to prepare for these tests, as a result of the difficulty of their material. The amount of information forces students to spend more time studying for these two tests in particular.

Additional projects and assignments given during this period of time can be another factor that creates stress for many students.

Although it may seem that teachers don’t understand that students are very busy, in reality they try their very best to plan tests and assignments accordingly.

Teachers, such as Williams, are always open to talk and discuss ways to make any student’s schedule less busy so the three-week cycle isn’t so stressful.

Same Course Titles Provide Varying Content, Depending on Teacher Teacher, student perspectives differ Kendall Phillips | Staff Writer

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teacher’s impact upon a class can completely change the course experience for students. There are several courses that have different teachers, each providing nuanced experiences and teaching styles. However, there is a disconnect between the teachers’ positive perception of this varia-

tion and, oftentimes, opposing student response.

Considering the fairly flexible English curriculum, several of these courses are in the English Department. The courses most popularly discussed in this topic are American Literature and, additionally, Honors Precalculus in the Math Department.

American Literature is taught by several different teachers including Patrick Barry, Lester Batiste, Matt Dooley, and Kate Nichols. Each teacher has varying goals for their students

and different topics or books that they wish to teach. Barry hopes that, in taking his course, his students would “find some newfound appreciation for literature if not enjoyment of it.”

Nichols says that her goal is “to have students practice reading with a close eye towards language and writing with precision and using those things to make meaning out of what they encounter in the text.”

Though the two goals are different, Barry also says that, because he

and Kate Nichols share a classroom, their classes “look fairly identical.” This, in-turn, may be different than the American Literature class that Batiste teaches. He wants “to let [his] students know that there is no one uniform identity for an American and/or American culture.”

Amanda Ward ‘21 corroborates that different teachers include different texts for the same course in sharing, “We read different books depending on the English teacher, some

might be a lot harder than another class or in some classes we read a lot more books than another class.” Although, she recognizes this variation as negative, the respective teachers view it as positive.

In the math department, the variation between Susan Kreisle and Jonathan Osters’ Honors Precalculus classes remains apparent. Sam Deignan ‘20 says that “I just felt like I had a better grasp of the subject and my teacher made me feel more confident in my own abil-

ity.” Deignan attributes his positive math experience to his teacher, substantiating that teachers have a significant influence on a student’s attitude toward a course.

Despite this, it is essential for students to recognize that this variation stems from a positive place: the overarching goal of academic growth and development.

Every teacher is different just as every student is different. Barry concludes: “there’s something to be said for having unique experiences.”

ARTS & CULTURE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 5

Fall Fashion Focuses on Sustainability Plaid and feathers are all the rage this fall Jenna Thrasher | Staff Writer

Fall Play Cooks Up Excitement

n response to the challenges created through construction this year, the fall play will be A.R. Gurney’s The Dining Room. The play is a comedy that is made up of eighteen different scenes.

As a result, theater director Diane Landis, says that her “focus was... choos[ing] a piece that had no moving parts.”

The Dining Room combats this challenge because it all takes place in the same dining room set.

The set is simply a dining room table. In the past, Landis has focused on “all of the possible people who will audition and also trying to do different types of plays.” However, this year, Landis focused

than one character. Landis says that she will “have about eighteen actors so that every person in the play will play about three to four roles…[s]o every actor needs to be super flexible and play different types of characters which is a really wonderful acting challenge.”

Jack Tix ‘22 looks forward to tackling this challenge and “experiment[ing] with different accents or different styles of presenting yourself.” Similarly,

The scenes take place in different points in time, as different families inhabit the dining room.

The Dining Room is being held at the MPAC, the auditorium at the middle school campus.

However, because of the construction at the Middle School, the cast and crew won’t have access to the theater wings.

on finding a set that required no wing space.

Landis adds more about the decision making process saying that “I eliminated a lot of plays right away...it really did narrow my focus a lot which was kind of interesting.”

The other exciting aspect of the play is the fact that each cast member will be playing more

Thespian Officer Carter Puckett ‘20, is excited for the different costumes each actor will be wearing from the varying time periods.

The Dining Room will be performed at the MPAC on November 22 at 7:30 p.m., November 23 at 7:30 p.m., and November 24 at 2:30 p.m.

Diane Landis overcomes new challenges posed by construction Noor Naseer | News Editor

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he issue of climate change isn’t only talked about in politics this season.

During fashion month around the world, sustainability was all the rage, and both brands and shoppers are catching on.

However, unlike oversized chokers and crop tops, sustainability will stay in style. Celebrity-favorite brands such as Stella McCartney and Misha Nonoo have paved the way for a more environmentally-conscious mind and closet. Instead of going shopping every weekend and throwing away out of style clothing each season, shoppers are more inclined to buy more expensive, high quality pieces instead.

Elizabeth Bragg ‘21 has completely stopped purchasing from fast fashion retailers and has instead found sustainable alternatives. “I mostly shop at Unif and thrift stores. Value Village in Golden Valley is really good. Goodwill is very good as well,” says Bragg. “I think that sustainability is important because of how much waste is produced from fast fashion stores like Zara and H&M.” Even though we

are moving into a more environmentally conscious society, it doesn’t mean that you can’t experiment with trends. The trends this season are much more stylish and classic That being said, there is still lots of room for fun! Feathers, which have been extremely popular so far in 2019, are showing up everywhere, especially in some very unexpected places. While one would usually associate feathers with couture gowns, they are all over classic pieces such as trench coats and jeans. If feathers aren’t quite your thing, there are some other pieces that will instantly elevate your outfit. “I’m really into capes and plaid because though plaid used to [be] considered very non-chic, it can look incredible with the right color combo,” says Alana Foster-Smith ‘22.

Once you’ve decided that you’re over a piece of clothing, donate it or try to sell it. This way, someone else will get to enjoy and experiment with a new style without destroying the planet. Thus, the circle of fashion continues.

Ben Soong

Wellness Expressed through Art New Bennett Gallery exhibit hopes to bring in more students Bernadette Whitley | Staff Writer

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he Martha Bennett Art gallery is a great place to unwind, relax, and learn more about our community. Many students spend free time during the day in the art gallery for a quiet place to study or talk with friends.

The next show will be in collaboration with art teacher Jim Spector’s students surrounding the theme of wellness more specifically, mental and physical health.

The class hopes to have it open by October 14 for the community to enjoy and visit.

Cheryl Minde ‘20 describes the goal of the next gallery and states, “Like all of the exhibits, we always have the hope that the students will visit the gallery, take a look at the artwork of their peers, and learn or be impacted by the art they see. As the theme

Tyler May

is Wellness, hopefully, people will see ways of taking care of others and themselves both mentally and physically.”

Many of the galleries aim to send a positive message to the student body in order to provoke thoughts and questions.

This gallery aims to establish the importance of physical and mental health and wellness through sculptures. It is up to each student that will have art featured in the show to decide how they want to represent the theme of wellness.

Overall, the goal of the Martha Bennett Gallery team is to emphasize the importance of all-around well being.

The process of set-

ting up a gallery can be involved, detailed and requires a lot of attention to detail. The gallery team carefully selects the various art pieces and curates them to fit the message they want to convey.

Once they have chosen the art that will be displayed, the gallery team then discusses how they would like to arrange the artwork to achieve the desired environment.

Once the gallery team finalizes the environment, set up, and title, the gallery is open to the faculty, staff, and student body. In order to attract more students to the art gallery, the first Friday morning of each month, there will be coffee and donuts. in the new galleries.

Check out blakespectrum.org for pictures of the Bennett Gallery coming soon

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 6

Remembering Beloved math teacher’s legacy lives on at the Upper School Anderson Blum | Features Editor with reporting by Jonah Halper

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yan Mahoney reduced his time teaching at Blake and started his fight with cancer after being di-

Mr. Mahoney

agnosed with Follicular cell lymphoma in April of 2018.

Mahoney had taught math at Blake for just under ten years before his fight with cancer that eventually took his life on August 31 of 2019.

The classes of 2020 and 2021 were the last group of students that were taught by Mahoney before he got sick. Al-

though the younger students didn’t know him, he was a well-respected and loved teacher at the Blake Upper school.

He will be especially missed by his former students and members of the Blake staff, who knew him for years as a kind, caring person.

Mahoney had been a submarine officer in the US Navy from 1996 to

2003. Later he became an adjunct math professor at the University of Minnesota as well as Saint Thomas University.

He then started teaching math at Blake which he continued until his passing.

Former students of Mahoney share that they remember him for storytelling and presiding over a joyful classroom

Sophia Rohlfsen ‘20, a student of Mahoney in the 2016-2017 school year, says “It’s difficult to lose him. He was such a great person and teacher.”

Lily Delianedis ‘20 says of Mahoney, who was her math teacher in the 2017-2018 school year, “I was in his really fun block 7 class … He would oftentimes tell us his Navy stories … It was a great bonding class. He was a very fun and caring teacher and we will miss him

the unit circle instead of ‘soh cah toa’ and making problems about ship navigation for Precalculus. But the more impressive thing to me about Ryan was just how genuine he was as a person, how he was so kind and understanding to his students and his peers. It’s wonderful to get to be friends with a person like that, and it means we all miss having him here that much more.”

Eric Nystrom worked with Mahoney over the

very much.”

Jon Dicus bonded with Mahoney through their love of bicycling: “I remember our rides out to Middle School for faculty meetings.

He was a great conversationalist. Ryan always wore a backpack, and rode a single-speed bike.

I appreciated

years and says “I just really thought he was a great guy. I enjoyed talking to him about his military career and his life in California.

He was always upbeat and positive, even when things were not going well.”

Mahoney is survived by his two children and

Tyler May

Photo from funeral program

those details because it wasn’t about the gear for him, but rather the love of riding … Listening to Ryan’s stories about teaching himself to ski, I was again impressed. He loved the challenge of a steep learning curve.”

Fellow math teacher Alex Fisher says of Mahoney “He was a great teacher. He had exciting ideas about math teaching, of course, things like teaching trig using

his wife. Nystrom adds, “He really loved his kids, that’s the saddest thing. He was very excited to have kids and that was the saddest.”

Joe Mairs ‘20, when asked about his former teacher, says “Mr. Mahoney was one of my favorite teachers and some of my best memories from sophomore year are from class with him. We are always going to miss him.”

FOOD FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 7

Brew Change in Your Regular Coffee Sara Richardson | Arts and Culture Editor

Ingredients: ¾ cup milk (regular, almond, other) ½ cup coffee (brewed as strong as you like) 1 - 11/2 Tbsp maple syrup ¼ tsp cinnamon, plus more for garnish

cup 4. Stir in the maple syrup and cinnamon.

5. Either add ice or leave it hot 6. Top with milk, spooning the foam onto the top.

7. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve with whip cream if desired.

(Image shown below)

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Instructions 1. Pour milk into a medium-sized mason jar or cup of any kind.

2. Shake for 10-15 seconds until foam starts to form at the top.

3. Brew coffee or use espresso and pour into another

Local Coffee Shops

Gives nearby Starbucks new competition Emily Anderson | Staff Writer I had never been to Penny’s coffee before, but I did know that it had a big competition with the nextdoor Starbucks.

The food and drinks at Penny’s were truly splendid.

I tried the vanilla steamer they served, where they even asked me what type of milk I wanted instead of having to ask for a substitute. Penny’s vanilla steamer is the best vanilla steamer I have ever had, mostly because you could actually taste the vanilla.

One food highlight were the crepes. The ham and gruyére crepe that I tasted was

Tyler May

Penny’s Coffee Impresses

very filling, visually stunning, and all the flavors worked very well together. The banana Nutella crepe was also delicious. It consisted of sliced banana, organic nocciolata (a type of hazelnut spread), roasted hazelnuts and nutella. It was very filling like the ham and gruyére crepe, but it felt more like a dessert than I meal. Picking a favorite between these two crepes is impossible because they are so different and in the end your decision is really if you are wanting something sweet or savory.

Even though Penny’s coffee shop had an amazing dining experience, the vibe and the people who worked there is what made my experience so amazing. The restaurant design is clean, simple, trendy, and minimalistic. It is very clear that they are eco-friendly, hence their reusable plates and silverware, they even had free water in glasses for people to grab.

As I left I saw three teenage girls walking out with their drinks from Penny’s and all I could think was Starbucks must be getting a run for its money. I give Penny’s coffee shop a three out of three coffee cups.

Misfit Coffee Provides Urban Oasis Exploring local coffee shop Lorna Kruesel | Staff Writer

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n the corner of Lyndale and 24th street is Misfit Coffee. An abundance of cars drive by, unaware of the vibrancy that lives inside a seemingly plain building. I had been to Misfit before, but I decided to take my parents to see what they’d think. I ordered a vanilla latte with almond milk, my dad ordered a double espresso, and my mom ordered an herbal tea.

As we waited for our drinks, my mom smiled at the decorations; there were beach balls, plastic hibiscus flowers, and goggles sprawled across the walls and floor. The music playing was your signature alternative R&B coffee shop music.

My drink was fantastic; it was sweet, smooth, and creamy. My dad’s espresso was bitter, as expected, but he received a small glass of soda water on the side.

My dad informed me that this was, “very Italian and luxurious”. My mom loved her tea; it had hints of rhubarb and chamomile in it. They also steeped the tea for her, so it came fully ready to drink. The prices aren’t all that expensive; I mean almost everything today is overpriced, so

in my opinion, Misfit is more of a special place to go for coffee rather than an everyday coffee run location.

Misfit is edgy, yet casual. It’s also very urban and easy to go to. It’s about a 4 minute drive from school and right by Uptown. I would rate this as 2.5 out of 3 coffee cups.

Tyler May

Small Local Shops Compare to National Shops Exploring coffee shop culture, supporting local brands Maggie Seidel | Student Life Editor

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s you walk into a coffee shop, you are met with the warm aroma of an array of drinks and selections. However, this atmosphere of coffee shop culture can greatly depend upon the size of the company.

According to Forbes.com, “These smaller coffee shops and cafés are using alternative strategies that extend beyond the brand association and 52 ounce sug-

ary concoctions offered by the larger chains.” Smaller coffee shops distinguish themselves by their unique drink options and their personal relationships. As a result of the smaller setting, interpersonal connection remains as a main attraction for coffee-enthusiasts. Despite this, Starbucks’ website shares one of their primary goals is, “creating a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome.”

Since visiting a coffee shop is, oftentimes, a habitual activity, the chosen location has greater significance. The regularity of visits requires a more holistic decision for dedicated coffee con-

Photos from: Misfit Coffee, Penny’s Coffee, Finca Rosa Blanca, Spyhouse Coffee, Common Roots Café, Parallel Coffee

sumers. Starbucks’ values suggest they realize that interpersonal ability is essential to incorporate into their business model.

Locally, Caribou Coffee is a popular destination for coffee and bagels.

According to the Star Tribune, “[as] Caribou is expanding, the chain also is modernizing some of its stores and introducing the new coffee drinks plus menu items such as the “schmere,” a warmed bagel version of the doughnut hole filled with cream cheese.” In a highly competitive market, differentiation is crucial. Caribou’s additional coffee and menu items accomplish this

necessity, which has contributed to their company’s rapid growth.

With Minnesotan roots as well, Penny’s coffee shop has the charm that coffee enthusiasts desire, being small in size yet great in taste. Caribou expansion places the company in a neither small or large category, but Penny’s meets all the requisites for a small, local coffee shop.

The ambience and the products both impact the success and recognition of a coffee shop, small and large. In the end, it is a personal preference and opinion on whether you prefer Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte or Caribou’s hot chocolate.

Misfit Coffee - 2401 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55405 Penny’s Coffee - 750 Lake St E, Wayzata, MN 55391

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 8

CONTEXTUALIZING RELIGIOUS

P URAL LS M I c ei v e d D i s p a r it r e P g i es n i t o t R n t e n l e i g i o u s B et o m t i r f m we n C om P o l n c e e i r s u e o p f St u C e’s x r al e n E d d e k L iv e nt is m a l s B nd a COMMITMENT TO PLURALISM “The Blake School believes that a diverse society enriches all individuals and communities. Diversity of...religion... forms the fabric of our society. As a result of these beliefs, The Blake School actively seeks students, families and employees who value and contribute to the fullness of a diverse community within the context of its mission. In doing so, we recognize our responsibility to help make each person’s experience a success.”

-The Blake School Commitment to Pluralism, as listed on their website

DIVERSE STUDENT BODY JUXTAPOSES ACADEMIC CALENDAR

he Academic School year consists of two large breaks, typically with minimal homework, that occur directly after first semester during Christmas, and after the third quarter during Easter, religious holidays of the Christian religion. While this system does accommodate for a lot of the student body, the system leaves some students, those of religions other than Christianity, with no choice but to miss entire school days altogether during holi-

higher, resulting in schools reaching for a schedule that benefits the most people possible. In the case of American schools, this means a Christian-based schedule. Unfortunately, as Bowman claims, it is extremely difficult to deny the fact that it would be impossible to structure a schedule to accommodate all religions practiced. Yet amidst these difficulties, Blake’s Commitment to Pluralism recognizes the school’s responsibility to “help make each person’s experience a success.” It remains to be seen if that commitment is truly fulfilled.

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Religions teacher, admits that the Christian calendar has the most influence on American society, and asserts “we should be moving toward a calendar that allows for more flexibility, or less rigidity, surrounding how much is tied to a Christian calendar.”

Despite this, Bowman accepts that “I don’t know that will ever become a reality because it is so ingrained in everything we do in this country.” Tyneeta Canonge, Director of the Office of Equity and Community Engagement, says there are more than ten different religions practiced at Blake, making it a structural struggle to produce a schedule that works well for all. At many larger public schools, the number of practiced religions is even

dette

Will Rosenblum | News Editor

days belonging to their religion These required absences can be very difficult for students to make up, especially as many holidays fall close to each other. Sarah Yousha ‘20, who identifies as Jewish, usually misses two days every fall, one for Rosh Hashanah, and another for Yom Kippur. Yousha reflects, “It feels a lot even to miss one day.” Habon Samater ‘22, who also has to miss two days out of the year for holidays, says “it’s definitely been harder to catch up on work because of the missed holidays.”

When asked how to remedy the issue Yousha says, “If they can make homecoming homework free they can make Jewish holidays [homework] free.”

Maggie Bowman, World

Berna

Breaks align specifically with Christian Holidays

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 9

Christianity Top of “Religious Food Chain” Everett Honour ‘20 examines Christian privilege Everett Honour | Contributing Writer

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Pluralism”: the acknowledgment and practice of several different beliefs, and, more specifically, several different religions in one space.

Blake is a culmination of people, both students and faculty, from many different backgrounds and religions; in this sense, Blake is a pluralistic institution, but school-life is still different for those of different heritages.

As a student who is a practicing Christian, I can say that my school experience is inconsistent with the experience of someone who celebrates Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, or any of the other ten religions represented at Blake. I have been blessed with the ability

to have my religious holidays overlap with our breaks as well as weekends that have low amounts of homework; I have been blessed with an opportunity to be a part of a community that gives me the space to express my religion.

While I have been given this ability, those who are (namely) Muslim or Jewish have not had that same luck as me; they must take time off of school to celebrate their faith, or, in the case of standardized tests, take time away from their worship so that they can complete academic requirements. Even in just regular classes at Blake, I have been given an upper hand due to a majority of the content’s relation to Christianity. I have had to study far less than other people to understand the same curriculum due to my prior knowledge of the topic and its religious connotations; this is not the same for other religions – most content in

our classes rarely chase after religions other than Christianity, and if it does, it is very minimal.

Christianity has long been at the top of the religious food-chain – allowing me to not have many, if any, academic or social consequences from celebrating my faith. I have not been required to miss school because my holidays were not on a provided break. I have not been ostracized for being religious, moreover, I have been able to have a very lavished situation when it comes to my religious celebration.

It is difficult for a school to follow every religious calendar, but for a school to truly be considered “pluralistic” it has to do its very best to represent every religion equally; Blake does a very good job of acknowledging everyone’s religious affiliation but, even though it might be excruciatingly difficult, there is still more work that can be done.

THE TEN REPORTED RELIGIONS FOLLOWED AT BLAKE Humanist Judaism Christianity

Islam Free Thinking Hinduism Agnostic Undecided

Buddhism Quaker Spiritual

Everett Honour '20

Hinduism Finds Minimal Involvement in Classes Rishab Haldar ‘20 strategizes involvement of Hindu principles Rishab Haldar | Contributing Writer

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here isn’t an emphasis on religion at Blake and as a result, there really isn’t any interaction with Hinduism at Blake. For being a minority for the majority of my time at Blake, and with there being about two or three devout Hindu students per grade, it didn’t make sense to bring up my religion amongst my classmates and teachers or create affinity groups.

In fact, the last time I had a conversation about Hinduism with anyone at Blake was freshman year when a lot of the English curriculum revolved around the Hindu epic The Ramayana – and even then the discussion wasn’t all that mean-

ingful to me. It was more focused about the eccentricities of The Ramayana rather than the religious meaning and values behind the text. I felt discouraged from speaking up when I knew something about the text that the teacher didn’t as I felt that there wasn’t any point because no one could relate to my background knowledge.

I even felt a little ostracized for being Hindu at a school where the predominant religion is Christianity.

So, for the most part I suppressed my Hindu practices and alignment. Going forward, a Hindu affinity group or club would be good for students who are Hindu as it’ll give them a safe place to discuss their religion and even if explore it if they wanted to – and it doesn’t have to be just exclusive to Hindus. There are so many aspects of Hinduism outside of Hindu pantheon and stories, from seeking happiness to leading a fulfilling life.

Rishab Haldar '20

Sage Marmet '22

Louise Ba '20

Existing Religious Accommodations Fear of Stigma Suffocates Religious Ease Holiday Stress, Wish for More Expression Sage Marmet ‘22 acknowledges steps taken, asks for religious history Sage Marmet | Food Features Editor

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s a Jew, I observe and miss school for two major holidays: Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I really enjoy these holidays as it brings my family together and encourages reflection on the previous year. It’s challenging is to miss two days of school just ten days apart.

As Jews are a small minority at Blake, classes continue as usual. While celebrating these holidays, I often spend a large chunk of these days studying and catching up on the work that I missed.

As a Jew, this is extremely frustrating to have to devote my days of atonement and celebrations of the new year

to remaining caught up in class. By contrast, Christians’ major holidays of Christmas and Easter always fall over a planned break.

The third major holiday on the Jewish calendar is Passover. Throughout these eight days, practicing Jews do not eat anything that rises or is otherwise leavened. Attending a school like Blake is great because the lunchroom staff work hard to make meals that are deemed “Passover safe” as well as provide matzah, a traditional unleavened bread, at every lunch throughout Passover. This is a nice accommodation as finding Passover safe food options can be a challenge.

At a very young age, I learned about the Holocaust, Pogroms, and the anti-Semitism that Jews have suffered from over the last two and a half thousand years in my classes at religious school. While it may seem harsh, many religious schools and synagogues value teaching about it at a young

age in order to learn the correct facts and in order to understand our past and our lineage.

Much to my surprise was the limited teaching of the Holocaust at Blake. It seemed to me as though the only curriculum that involved teaching it or anything of Jewish history was in eighth grade, where it was centered around reading some European treaties and historical documents in Social Studies as well as reading Elie Wiesel’s memoir, Night. I was surprised at the short amount of time that we spent on it. At the end of the unit we watched a documentary about the Holocaust yet we actually skipped over the parts about the concentration camps, which came as a complete surprise to me.

Blake, a self-proclaimed school with pluralistic views on religion, is a supportive environment for people of all faiths; however, there is still room for improvement of religious empathy.

Louise Ba ‘20 reflects on how Islam and Blake interact Louise Ba | Contributing Writer

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remember sitting in a circle made of chairs during advisory my sophomore year.

Hearing about everyone’s different faith and backgrounds after Eboo Patel, founder of Youth Interfaith’s visit was intriguing, but nerve-wracking. We went around the room and shared our religious affiliation, and as the attention was drawn to me, I remember being so nervous to share. I was expecting judgement and harsh stares, yet after I uttered the words, “I am Muslim,” none came.

As a Senegalese-American Muslim teenager living in Minneapolis, I am constantly being tugged between religion, culture, life in America, and going to a

private school. I knew right away that fitting in was something I’d never be able to do, due to all the differing religions and identities I encounter daily. So I chose to embrace all of mine.

Though times have been hard, like junior year which included, fasting during my AP Government exam, whilst simultaneously having to struggle to remember Keynesian and Hayekian policies, they’ve also been really cool, like Patel’s visit.

I remember conversing with him about the struggle between dealing with culture and religion all in the setting of an independent school. It was refreshing to hear students amongst all different religions sharing experiences, and hopefully more conversations around diversity of faith can be held in the future.

A hope for Blake is accommodate Muslim students, as our population amongst the Blake student body is growing. Room such as more Muslim and people

of color speakers and activists brought in to speak in front of the school. Or, a space where we can all convene during Ramadan at lunch, to collectively share our experiences. Ramadan is a one month period where Muslims do not eat or drink anything from sunup to sun down; the religious point of Ramadan is to cleanse ourselves from sin and temptation and focus solely on God. It’s difficult because I have to focus on school and ignore how hungry I am, but through pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I find that I am able to focus a lot more than I would with a full stomach, and I’m super proud of myself by the end of the month!

As my high school years come to a close, I hope that the future generation of Muslim students is encouraged to share their perspectives, and know that sometimes, our preconceived notions of the judgements people have to offer are simply a figment of our own imagination.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 10

HOMECOMING DANCE ENTHUSIASM DECREASES WITH AGE Dance fails to live up to media reinforced norms Christina Checkerdjieva | Staff Writer

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t’s unarguable that one’s homecoming experience changes drastically from freshman to senior year.

We’ve all seen portrayals of high school dances in television and movies since we were young. Some portrayals accurately depict school dances while others romanticize the event, blowing it out of proportion.

Prior to our first highschool dance, all of us were excited to see whether it would live up to or exceed our expectations.

Freshman year, homecoming dates were planned months in advance, sometimes even starting drama between friends. “The ask” was filmed and posted on every Snapchat story.

However, As we grow older, less and less excitement builds up around homecoming season; it becomes more routine and we know what to

Community Reevaluates Legacy Day Activities Unusual projects foster a new understanding of service

Game proves a fun community builder Rachel Winkey, Kyra Reese, Robert Grace | Contributing Writers

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Submitted by Zach Slavitt

Adam Vatter prepares to rally his service team together.

Groups are comprised of students from four different grades.

put gravel down was horrible.” Personally, I too find it hard to comprehend how laying gravel helps the bees.

However, some

for improvement. Although some of the projects did not make as much of a visible impact or make me feel as though I was doing something meaningful,

“BLAKE IS A COMMUNITY. DOING THINGS THAT ARE OF BENEFIT TO THE SCHOOL ARE IMPORTANT.” for Blake, I thought that’s annoying, [...] that’s not what I want to be doing.”

Previously, building dressers for Bridging or packing food made me feel as though I was helping others and making an impact on the greater community. This year, it felt like Blake couldn’t pay for their landscaping so they enlisted the student body to do it for them. Carson Rosenblum ‘25 remarks that, “next year they’ll have us doing their taxes.”

Although, saving the bees is incredibly important to Blake’s surrounding ecosystem, some of the ‘service’ projects we did felt meaningless. Mason Charney ‘21 comments that laying gravel, “[...] didn’t feel like we were really doing anything. The reasoning behind why we

Nonetheless, the night still requires some planning including your outfit (and making sure your friends don’t show up in the same one!), your group or date, photos, dinner reservations, and where you’ll end up after the dance.

Is all of the stress worth it? And as students, do we have time to extensively plan and worry about one night? I asked

one freshman and one senior these questions to find out more about their 2019 homecoming experience.

Ayse Ozturk ‘22, said that “it felt like a big deal to me since it was my first one, and I’ve realized that it is fun but isn’t as significant as I assumed.”

Lucy McCarthy ‘20, stated that “the first one was the most fun but over time as the hype died down it stopped being such a big deal, and I even had

some friends consider not going.”

Even though I’m only a junior this year, I’m already having a similar experience. I think this holds true to many others too.

Throughout the years, the initial enthusiasm we have for the homecoming dance fades. However, the event still remains relevant because it’s an essential part of one’s high school experience.

Girls’ Flag Football Overcomes Resistance

Jackie Weyerhaeuser | Staff Writer his year, many students and faculty were disappointed. Legacy Day is a day devoted to service, and in the past, this has meant serving the community around Blake.

However, this year, Legacy Day was about doing unpaid labor for the school.

As a bona fide lover of Legacy Day, I, as well as many others, was extremely disappointed when the activities were announced. Social Studies teacher Ben Cady stated, “When I first heard we were doing [the service]

expect.

people did find meaning in the work we did. Cady says, “I did a complete 180 [...] I definitely heard people complaining [about the service projects], and I understand that. But, when you talk about community service, Blake is a community. Doing things that are of benefit to the school are important. I wish that students took a little bit more pride in the buildings and the grounds and understanding how fortunate we are to have all of this.”

Cady brings up a valid point. Although we are not helping the community surrounding Blake in the same way we have in the past, we are still making valuable contributions to our own community.

This year’s Legacy Day certainly had room

I realized that Legacy Day is about celebrating and helping the community whether it be the community at Blake or the community beyond our school.

event.”

Because of its negative connotations, the name was changed by request of the administration to a more straightforward name: the 11th and 12th grade allgirls flag football game.

However, the negative connotation of the

school boys fusion football team states that allowing girls to have their own game “[is a] good thing to do to get girls involved in the game.”

The game attracted approximately 45 girls from both the junior and senior classes along with

“THE NAME DOESN’T HAVE AN IMPACT FOR ME PERSONALLY ON HOW I AM PLAYING THE GAME.”

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he journey of bringing the girls’ flag football game back illuminated many conflicting opinions in regards to its name and the history of the event.

The previous name, “powderpuff,” and the fact that only girls would participate were two of the main concerns. “Powderpuff” objectified both genders by having each embody stereotypical roles; the males would play the role of the cheerleader on the sideline and the females would wear provocative clothing.

Social Studies teacher Deana Jaeschke Clapp contends that “powderpuff connotes something light, something frilly, and something not serious and you have to ask if you want that to stand for your

previous name and the idea that it represents something frivolous doesn’t seem to impact the players.

A senior participant, star quarterback Gabby Monahan ‘20, conveys that “the name doesn’t have an impact for me personally on how I am playing the game.”

Regardless of the name, many students were excited to participate. Cate Moe ‘21 expresses that “it’s [the girls’ football game is] a great idea and a fun way to build community between the junior and senior classes.”

However, the idea of only allowing girls to participate arose into question. Craig Rawls, the Upper School security leader and coach of the middle

a crowd of students. The large attendance revealled that many of the students, despite past controversial views towards the game, are in favor of the event and they view it as a way to bond with everyone from all grades.

Lily Delianedis ‘20, a star wide receiver on the winning senior team, articulates that “both juniors and seniors had a lot of fun and everyone was really into the game… [the game was] very competitive but with a friendly vibe.”

Despite the its name change and controversial history, many students from all grades were able to come together and share an exciting and memorable night.

Photo submitted by Maggie Seidel

Seniors pull through with a narrow victory against the juniors’ strong defensive line. Competition between juniors and seniors will continue in the future.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 11

Trump’s Vaping Ban Disastrously Misses the Mark Ban will fuel growing nicotine black market Jack Johnson | Contributing Writer

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dam Hergerender is 18 years old, but after months of vaping nicotine and THC products, he has the lungs of a 70 year old. Doctors told him that if he had waited so much as three more days before seeking treatment, he likely would have died.

Adam is one of hundreds of victims of the highly dangerous vaping-caused illnesses that are sweeping the nation as the vaping epidemic spreads among the youth.

The National Youth Tobacco Survey found

that youth usage of vaping products increased by an unprecedented 78% last year. In response to this spike in popularity, federal as well as state governments have imposed punitive legislation to reduce the accessibility of vaping products to users.

However, the most impactful piece of legislation is Trump’s imminent “vaping ban,” which will soon ban the flavored vape juice (pods) that have made brands like Juul so popular.

While significant steps must be taken to ensure our generation doesn’t become a group of nicotine-addled dependents who get lung cancer at age 30, I believe that Trump’s ban will likely worsen public health. It will lead to the formation of a wide-

spread and potentially lethal black market for flavored nicotine pods.

Doctors are in widespread agreement that THC vapes— which aren’t targeted

by Trump’s ban—are largely to blame for the current wave of lung diseases.

Specifically, since only a minority of the country has legalized THC products, the juice in these vapes is usually purchased from black market manufacturers who illegally make it themselves.

To cut costs, these dealers have started adding the dangerous compound known as vitamin E acetate to their products, which doctors say has caused the lion’s share of vaping-related lung diseases.

However, if Trump bans legal manufac-

turers from producing flavored nicotine vape pods, the only players left in the game will be the illegal sellers on the black market— the same group of individuals that cut their products with cheap, dangerous substances to raise their profit margins.

Ultimately, Trump’s ban will magnify the exact same black market problem that is affecting users in the smaller market of THC vapes within the even-larger market of flavored nicotine vapes, the immediate result being millions more Americans than before suffering serious vaping-related illnesses.

Vaping is pointless, cringey, expensive, and will become more dangerous than ever in the coming weeks as the ban comes into effect.

Thankfully, resources

exist that can help you quit. If you suffer from a vaping product dependency, text DITCHJUUL to 88709 to receive

professional advice on what the best strategies are to kick the habit for good.

Julia Zhang

Anderson’s Input: Iranian conflict on verge of war

Anderson Blum | Columnist

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he recent escalation of tensions between the governments of Iran and the United States is worrisome, considering Iran’s nuclear potential and Donald Trump’s unpredictability.

It is in the best interests of the United States to avoid direct conflict with Iran and instead focus on stabilizing the rest of the Middle East in

VOICE OF THE STAFF

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ntended to be fun, c o m m u n i t y- i n d u c i n g events, school dances have become sources of contention between students and administrators. Increased security, restrictions on the music played, and increased chaperone supervision leaves students feeling guilty—but of what, they aren’t sure.

Increased transparency behind dance policies is paramount to restoring the community-wide excitement about dances.

Moreover, dance policies should be consistent with other already stand-

order to put the Iranian threat in the past. Iran’s attacks on foreign oil infrastructure, while appearing menacing, are just signs that the nation is desperate and is looking for a quick resolution to its economic chaos.

Their recent actions are clearly trying to provoke a war, which is strange considering that they aren’t expected to have the military nor geopolitical standing to defeat the United States. However, Iran’s situation is expected to worsen with every month that passes due to sanctions and falling oil prices, so they want to put up a fight while they still can.

Also worth noting

is the possibility that Iran has already secretly developed nuclear weapons, or has made an agreement with a stronger nation like Russia, that would give them the upper hand in

ing a war when they don’t have to. Instead of fighting another war in the Middle East, the U.S. can accelerate Iran’s decline by developing Iran’s neighbors.

“This war would be far more devastating to the global economy” a conflict with the United States. America must recognize these things and not be tricked into fight-

If the other Middle Eastern countries stabilize and gain regional power, not only will Iran

cease to be a real military threat, but the Islamic republic could be convinced to liberalize and ally with the United States, and contribute much more to the global economy. This stabilization process could go down a number of different ways, but will probably need to involve a strong Middle Eastern union of nations dedicated to stopping conflicts and lots of investment from the United States.

It will not be easy, but it is far preferable to a war. This also doesn’t mean the United States would ignore Iran’s unacceptable attacks on oil infrastructure. If the United States dedicates investment to stabilizing the Middle

East, Iran’s rebel allies like the Houthis in Yemen will be destroyed. These Houthis are the group that Iran used to attack Saudi oil sites in September 2019. As Iran repeatedly begs for a war that they shouldn’t be able to win, American politicians may be tempted to react and give Iran the war they want.

This war would be far more devastating to the global economy than any of Iran’s provocations so far. Before an actual war starts, the United States should make clear that it will not give in, and do everything possible to help other Middle Eastern countries and put the Iran threat to rest.

School Dances Continue to Lack Enjoyment, Transparency ing athletic and academic policies and norms.

The added security is understandable in some ways.

Administrators and students both want to feel safe at dances, and having police officers on site is even just a visual reminder to students that laws still apply. However, having officers roaming around continuously during the dance and watching students is aggressive, and can give students the feeling that the officer is waiting for them to do something wrong. This constant fear is not conducive to a communitybonding event. The presence of already familiar Upper School security

officers could accomplish the same goal of making sure students were following the rules in a much more comfortable way. Having on-site officers is a good idea, but they do not need to be as consistently visual as they are now.

At Homecoming, teacher chaperones stood in between students and the DJ. Teachers would have to physically move students back when they became “too close” to the DJ. While this may have been a policy put in place by the DJ, it was extremely uncomfortable for students and teachers alike, leading to increased unease on the dance floor.

In addition to this new partitioning, explicit music was not permitted to be played. A new policy since Prom last year, students were frustrated, as much of the popular dance music of today includes expletives and misogynistic tones. During our academic day, there are many times where expletives are used, even by a teacher during class.

This culture is not fought against during the school day, making it inconsistent to be banned at school dances, places where students are supposed to be able to have fun and relax. Additionally, explicit songs are not banned at Blake-sponsored sporting events.

The rule for the boys’ soccer team, and most other teams, is that as long as swear-words are bleeped out, the song is fine. Adopting this policy at dances would allow for consistency between Blake events, and allow students to listen to music that they want to hear.

Finally, there is minimal transparency behind why these new policies are put in place, and it is extremely unclear who is in charge of making these policies.

Administrators have even expressed their uncertainty as to who is truly “in charge.” This power vacuum cannot continue. Policies cannot come and go as easily as

they currently do, leaving students confused without a place to find answers or express discomfort.

School dances no longer feel like a place where students can relax and have fun. Instead, we feel constantly watched, as if we are expected to be doing something wrong. It’s highly unlikely that anyone wants dances to be as inflammatory as they currently are. Transparency, consistent policies, and familiar faces enforcing security measures will make dances, and the process that surrounds dance planning, much less contentious for students, teachers, and administrators alike.

PERSPECTIVES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 12

CONSIDERING

Car Culture Hits an Intersection Climate Change Sparks Debate Around Cars Daniel Lesov | Online Editor

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s the environment continues to deteriorate, especially from air pollution, there is a growing debate to the necessity and practicality of car culture.

Cars and trucks

currently account for around 20% of the total US air pollution, and around every 24 pounds of carbon dioxide enter the earth’s atmosphere for every gallon of gas consumed. Because of this, the culture surrounding gas guzzling cars has come square into the crosshair of environmental advocates.

However, car culture also has its benefits, as many enjoy the community the machines generate and driving

CAR

CULTURE Transportation Industry Facilitates Progress

in general. The electric car is continuing to gain prominence in the car industry as a more environmentally friendly and (in the long term) cheaper solution to these machines. In the end we can only wait to see the result of car culture and the automobile industry as a whole in the future world.

Engineering advancements, inclusive community prove car culture to be beneficial Morgan Swigert | Contributing Writer

Automotive Advertisers Reinforce Materialism, Masculinity Environmental cost dangerous for society Anderson Blum | Managing Editor

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roblems arise when people prioritize materialistic objects over their personal interests and the interests of their society.

The pervasive car culture in the United States is a classic example of irrational consumerism that has completely unnecessary economic, environmental, and social costs.

Car culture has caused the automobile to be an ever-present part of American life, so common that we usually don’t even notice it. It has also turned the loud, heavy-duty vehicle into a symbol of masculinity: advertisers have con-

vinced a large portion of the American population that buying an overpowered vehicle will somehow make them appear stronger.

One thing that some people don’t understand is that no one is impressed by those who have fallen into the advertisers’ trap: if you think that your car is cool because it sounds like gunshots and is harmful to the environment, I have bad news for you.

People who succumb to the advertising and invest in transportation

with car culture ideas in mind end up paying more for fuel, both at the gas pump and through climate deterioration, along with appearing very foolish to outside observers who would much rather be able to walk around outside without hearing explosions from car engines.

The obvious alternative is to buy economical electric cars, but car culture makes people mock these cars. It is very unfortunate.

Electric cars depend on cheap, consistent electricity rather than expensive and rapidly changing gas prices, and there is far less maintenance required for electric cars.

Drawbacks include an expensive purchasing price, however this is quickly cancelled by the cheaper price of use. The limited range of electric cars is n o problem for the vast majority

o f trips, and as public charging stations pop up around the country, this limited range starts to decrease in significance.

Along with the issues car culture causes at the individual level, America’s love for the automobile has led to uniquely spread-out cities that are commonly criticized for harming both culture and the environment. These arguments do present some interesting points. Cities in

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ver since its invention, engineering and driving enthusiasts have come to-

Europe, developed before automobiles, are compact, walkable, and less harmful to the environment.

While this means that the advantages of individual transportation are limited, I would be excited to see an American city with such intimacy between inhabitants.

Sometimes, driving Minneapolis highways feels a bit lonely, as if the driver i s sep-

arate from t h e c i t y i n which they live. The alternative, an automobile-free society, would mean walking through and truly experiencing a city instead of speeding down a concrete road.

It is definitely not feasible to transform American cities into walkable ones, but this is just another aspect of society that people fail to consider when discussing car culture. Americans should learn to ignore the gaspowered advertisers and invest in modes of transportation that are cheaper, greener, and happier.

Melody Lee

Melody Lee

gether to form a rich community that celebrates the complexity, beauty, innovation, and power of cars.

Car culture provides an opportunity for those who share the same interests to congregate and celebrate this wonder of engineering, creating friendships and inspiring innovative mindsets that ultimately help our society move forward.

Everyone needs a way to express themselves, and for those that choose to do it with cars, there is a thriving community that is here to support them. “It’s about more than just cars. It’s a way to bring people together that would never have met otherwise” says Casey Shoemate ‘20 as he reflects on how close he has become with fellow members of the car community.

Cars bring people together on large and small scales. TV, video games, and a thriving community on social media demonstrate just how large the community is, spanning all over the world. We can also see, on a smaller scale, local get-togethers of car enthusiasts. For example, right here in Minnesota, Mystic Lake

Casino hosts MN Cars and Coffee, a monthly car show that provides an opportunity for all Minnesotan car enthusiasts to come together to appreciate what the local community has to offer.

As with any large and thriving community, car culture has its criticisms, the main one being the assertion that car culture promotes the use of gasg u z zling e n -

gines that destroy the environment. The car community encompasses much more than just those that prefer loud and powerful engines, as it also celebrates innovation.

Enthusiasts are constantly trying to find ways to make their cars faster, quicker, louder, prettier, or more energy efficient.

For this reason, a large faction within the community celebrates electric cars such as Tesla.

Green innovation can also intersect with the interests of those that prefer to maximize performance. For example, the efficiency of electric cars allows for quicker acceleration. Arthur Sprainer ‘20 echoes this, saying, “The [Tesla] Model S is one of the quickest cars off the line and it’s better for the environment.

That’s why I love it.”

At the end of the day, car culture is a result of people coming together and building relationships around a common interest. Through something as simple as cars, anyone can find friends, get creative, discover a love for something wild unusual, or become inspired to pursue potential groundbreaking innovation.

That should always be celebrated, no matter what that interest is, because at its core, that is what every community is about.

GAMES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 13

CROSSWORD Maia Schifman | Contributing Artist

Across: 4. Red fruit that has seeds on the outside 5. Overly concerned with correctness and detail 7. Movie about detention 9. To soak up a liquid 11. 6CO2 + 6H2O = C6H12O6 16. Dog command 18. Missing, lacking 20. Hairy, poisonous spider 21. Number that is a homophone 22. Northern lights 23. Food commonly confused with sweet potatoes 25. An error in judgement 26. Teacher of the Torah 27. ____ monster: character on Sesame Street 28. Submit your art and writing to this Blake magazine

Down: 1. Oceana, Michigan is the self-proclaimed capital of this vegetable 2.Trash, waste, rubbish 3. Puzzler’s direction 6. Day of the week you would wear crocs 8. Fleeting styles 10. Gotham’s superhero 12. Genre of movies 13. ____ submarine 14. Do you remember the 21st night of ____?

15. Not scary season, but ____ season 17. Begin a fight 19. Exclamation of pain 20. ___ door 22. Copycat

WORD SEARCH Tyler May | Staff Artist

Academics Excellence Homecoming Quizzes Tests

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SCI-TECH & HEALTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 14

Students React to Changing Environmental Future Classes head to Gustavus Nobel Conference Lexie Dietz | Columnist

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n Wednesday, September 25, Blake’s Geology, International Relations, Global Local, and Environmental Studies classes had the opportunity to travel to Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota, to attend Climate Changed: Facing our Future Nobel Conference 55. The conference featured seven speakers, but Blake students heard Sheila Watt-Cloutier and Gabriele Hegerl speak about how their experiences inform their work to combat climate change.

The first speaker was Sheila Watt-Cloutier. An Inuit activist and a political representative on the International Chair for Inuit Circumpolar Council, Watt-Cloutier explained the inseparable link between climate change and human rights within the Arctic. Typically when we discuss the Arctic in climate change discussions, we picture starving polar

bears and seals. Watt-Cloutier urges us to remember the people of the Arctic as well. In her speech, she states that the climate crisis is “not about the ice and the polar bears; it is about our children.” Throughout the address, Watt-Cloutier advocated for the Inuit people, recognizing their lack of political power to voice out how environmental struggles affect their everyday life. She reiterated several times that “ice is our university,” so without this critical part of the Inuit tradition, the culture would suffer. Near the end of her speech, Watt-Cloutier also wisely stated that “We can’t think ourselves out of this problem. We have to feel ourselves out.” The scientific evidence is readily available. What’s necessary now is to get angry about these injustices and advocate for climate change solutions.

Second, we heard Gabriele Hegerl share about anthropomorphic or humancaused, climate change.

Hegerl is a professor of climate systems science at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and was a coordinating lead author for

Caroline Hardy

Blake Students visit Nobel Conference at Gustavus to learn about the future of our environment.

the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth and Fifth Assessment Report. Hegerl guided the audience through different temperature recording models to understand the contributors to climate change. Though part of the earth’s warming is due to natural reasons, she explained that human greenhouse gases make a much more significant impact on the heating up of the planet.

At the end of her presentation, Hergerl also left us with a call to action. She

advocated for a global solution that kept economics in mind. Although we want to fix the climate as quickly as possible, it is necessary to do so in a way that creates new, environmentally sustainable jobs and lays out plans for future growth.

The final event was a panel including all seven speakers at the conference, two of which Blake students heard speak. The panel answered questions the crowd sent in through text. All the speakers would chime in their perspectives and layer

their understandings to give an in-depth response to every question. The most enlightening question they answered was, “What can we do to help?” There were two main ideas presented.

First of all, it is critical to be politically active.

Whether this is through voting, protesting, or any form of speaking out, make your voice heard. Let politicians know you care about climate change. Tell them that you want to see policies that take the environment into account. Explain

Drone Cons Outweighs Pros

Juul Takes a Hit

Government drone usage leads to unethical effects

Students concerned by recent health issues Tyler Holmes | Contributing Writer

Jack Prince | Opinions Editor

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orld War One produced technology that has increased international tensions over 100 years later.

In WWI, the United States began developing technology that allowed them to operate crewless aerial vehicles.

This was a revolutionary idea, and as has time passed, that idea has evolved. UAVs (Unmanned aerial vehicles), began with aerial torpedoes and have since transitioned to include a variety of different vehicles.

Many drone lovers use drones to record their surrounding environment in the air, but many do not consider the harm that drones bring to international relations. Over the past few decades, drones have gotten increasingly precise and technologically capable of causing pinpoint destruction. Starting in 2002, the CIA began using drones to kill targets in Afghanistan.

The typical “drone experience” is using a recreational drone that

Creative Commons

can be controlled with a remote control or with a phone. The government has recently developed drones that fly to heights of 10,000 feet, shoot bullets at face-identified targets, and unleash a wall of fire similar to a flamethrower. These drones are capable of destruction at any point, and they are dangerous for several reasons.

First of all, drones increase international tensions because they are not able to be tracked. There is a difference from a person in uniform attacking an unidentified drone flying through the air at high speed and flying off before anyone can tell what happened. This issue is a severe threat to international peace because any country or group can use drones undetected.

Furthermore, in recent years, drones have been banned for recreational use near airports or at heights above 400

feet. These rules were put in place because drones can get caught in plane engines or hit the planes themselves, putting the safety of those inside the aircraft in jeopardy. Whether or not they are being used for military usage or just for fun, drones present a threat to other living and non-living beings in the sky.

It is unknown whether or not drones will be banned or will continue to be produced.

One thing that can be certain is that military technology will continue to improve. Soon, there will be objects that will carry out the same results as a drone, but smaller and not as noticeable. This presents, even more, privacy and safety issues to the international community.

It is a conversation to be had among foreign nations if these unidentified head-sized objects capable of causing destruction should be allowed to fly freely.

he vaping epidemic.

It has been something that has been discussed at a national level for some time now. In recent years, the amount of teenagers vaping in the US has skyrocketed as companies like Juul market themselves with fun flavors and appeal to younger and younger audiences.

“Juul” and companies like it market themselves as “healthier” alternatives to traditional cigarettes without having the scientific support to back it up.

Recently, the government has begun to try and crackdown on the epidemic, which has spread to every corner of the United States. The government has been putting restrictions on Juul by banning flavors that attract teens. Also, Juul had to change their marketing to prove they are not trying to appeal to teens. Record high percentages of high schoolers now vape in the US, and that number is predicted to only rise in the coming years unless a significant change is made.

Recently, a wave of panic has been sent across the United States due to many cases reported of people

becoming gravely ill from the use of vapes. People of all ages have been hospitalized because of vaping. In fact, as of October 7, 2019, 18 people have died in the United States.

As more and more cases arise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have begun to try and find the root cause of this sudden wave of illness. In a recent report, the CDC suspected that vaping Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is tied to the outbreak.

However, it has not been proven yet as interviewed patients continue to complicate the story, with some stating that they only used nicotine products.

Furthermore, the CDC has not been able to directly tie the outbreak to a single company like Juul as the results are still inconclu-

to politicians that they can earn your vote by prioritizing the earth, and we will begin to see real change in environmental policies.

Second, it is essential to be a conscious consumer, even when it is hard to make the right choice. For example, if you want a cheeseburger, but you know that it would be much better for the environment to get buttered noodles, make the small sacrifice. It is crucial to make the small sacrifices, even if they aren’t as exciting as speaking at a climate rally or conversing with politicians.

Overall, the conference was very eye-opening to see the different perspectives of climate change. From a human rights context, a science context, an economics context, and more, there are so many angles from which to look at this climate crisis. However, the main takeaway was that if we work together and take action, we can enforce impactful solutions. We need to set clear goals and plans to reduce our carbon footprint, encourage legislative change, and stay engaged in future discussions.

sive. The biggest thing that doctors have found is that people’s lungs can be severely damaged, and early symptoms include, but are not limited to, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, coughing, fever, and shortness of breath. Minnesota is now one of the states that have been affected by the sickness, and many students are concerned.

Henry Ericson ‘20 commented how “Well, things in the news are usually not so close to home, so that makes it even more alarming.” As the CDC continues to try to find the root cause of the vaping sickness, they urge that everyone stop using vapes immediately. Furthermore, the government continues to take steps to try and solve the epidemic that has genuinely spread across the entire United States.

Tyler May

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 16

Combined Swim and Dive Team Collaborates Brian’s Mystery Athlete Team seeks unity

Mystery athlete helps lead Wolfpack’s lethal defense

Maggie Seidel | Student Life Editor

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s the Blake Girls’ Swimming and Diving team dives into the water, Providence and Blake swimmers both sport the same swimcap. Despite their separation during their days at school, the team is incredibly unified in the pool.

Grace ErsfeldO’Brien ‘22, Blake student and team member of two years, says, “Just with the amount of time, commitment, and energy that we put into swimming; [my teammates] are still a part of my day to day life, so it definitely feels like we are operating under the same team.”

Swimming requires great discipline, aided by a strong team.

Ersfeld-Obrien shares, “Supporting each other through those [hard training sessions], you forget very easily that you’re not going to the same school.”

Blake Captain Alice Jin ‘20 agrees, “Just being in the swimming environment allows people to bond because... we get to bond over how hard the sets are.”

And being from a different institution yet similar school structure allows teammates to “[sympathize],” according to Jin. The geographi-

Brian Brener | Columnist

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Submitted by Noor Naseer

Sara Richardson ‘21 finishes swimming a 100 fly. Richardson came straight from taking the ACT that morning and dove into the pool without a warm up. Since then, the swim and dive coach has coined the term the “Sara” in reference to swimming a 100 fly without a warm up.

cal separation produces some dificulties, as, “Providence [students] are more likely to drop out of swimming than Blake [students] because it is not directly at Providence,” says Jin. Providence Captain Angelina Hartley ‘20 shares that although “Blake/Providence swimmers have differ-

ent experiences from school, instead of this separating us, we all share and relate to each other.”

A perceived problem results in a positive outcome as, “people from different schools [add] a new energy to the team. They are constantly cheering and saying good job to oth-

er swimmers.”

This season, Ersfeld-O’Brien shares they hope that their, “400 Free relay to finish in the Top 8 at State. We also want to send all of our Varsity swimming to state [individually].”

Going forward, the team hopes to go to State as a team.

Athlete Spotlight: Ali Fine Shoots for Success University of Wisconsin commit continues to shine Lilian Anderson | Contributing Writer

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his month’s spotlight athlete Ali Fine ‘20 plays for the Blake Girls Varsity Soccer team, acting as a key member of the team both in spirit and in skill as one of their captains.

She’s been playing soccer since she was 3 years old, and had always dreamed of being on a Division I team.

She started off high school strong, in her freshman year

leading the team’s goals with 16 during the season.

At the close of the year, however, this dream was nearly crushed— in May, Fine was illegally tackled and taken down from behind and tore her ACLMeniscus, an injury with a low chance of recovery, but she persevered. After recovering from her injury, Fine continues to play for Blake.

Additionally, this summer she played for the Minnesota Thunder Academy, scoring the winning goal in her team’s championship game of the Gothia Cup in Sweden, the largest and most international youth soccer tour-

nament in the world, with a total of 1700 teams from 80 different nations participating.

Fine is also committed to the University of WisconsinMadison Division I Soccer program, and Fine aspires to “Win a Big 10 championship” in her future on the team.

As for her goals for her last season at Blake, she hopes that the team gets to head to state.

In her soccer career so far she’s most proud of “coming back and committing after [her] injury”, and she’s excited to take her soccer skills to the next level at UW Madison.

his month’s mystery athlete is a reigning State Champion from the SMB Wolfpack. The Wolfpack is currently undefeated and hopes to continue their high level of play as sections near. The mystery athlete is a key member of the defense this season and has been a big part of the defense’s success by getting everyone on defense organized and ready for every play.

In fact, when asked about their role on the team, the mystery athlete said, “I am part of both the passing and run defense… I am basically the Quarterback on the defense just making sure everyone knows what they are doing.”

In addition to being vital in keeping his teammates in line, the mystery athlete has also been putting up some impressive statistics of his own. As a matter of fact, the mystery athlete is second on the team in tackles, but he is not satisfied with second as he confidently exclaimed, “I am trying to get to first.”

What separates this month’s mystery athlete from many other topnotch athletes at Blake is that the mystery ath-

Tyler May

The mystery athlete has taken tremendous strides over his years on the team.

lete was not always seeing the field as much as they would have liked as an underclassman.

When asked how he put himself in the position to become a starter, he said, “A lot of it has to do with effort… it is really a mindset to be able to come out of the locker room and be able to hit people and get back up and do it all over again.”

For this season, the mystery athlete seeks to continue to solidify his role on the team. He also hopes for the team to once again win state and he believes that his success will play a major role in that happening.

To vote on who you think the mystery athlete of the month is, go to www.blakespectrum.org. The first person to guess the athlete will win a special prize and be recognized on Spectrum’s social media. Feel free to leave suggestions on who you think the next mystery athlete should be.

Submitted by Ali Fine

Fine looks to score. She hopes to continue her success into college next year.

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | OCTOBER 14, 2019 | 15

Single Versus Multi-Sport Athletes Weigh Benefits Basketball Unites by Training Multi-sport athletes are less injury prone and can be more versatile athletically and socially Bailey Abraham & Georgia Pettygrove | Contributing Writers onia Baig ‘21, varsity tennis player for five years, says that the benefits of being a specialized athlete are that “you are able to invest all of your time and energy into one specific sport, allowing for more time to practice skills which will improve one specialized area of play.”

A d d i t i o n a l l y, within the Blake community, there is a vast range of athletes who specialize in a single sport as well as ones who play multiple.

As many students come into the Upper School, it has recently become popular for people to stop playing as many sports and to focus on only one.

Most people specialize in a sport if they want to play in college, similar to Baig, by putting in the time and effort it takes to excel in the specific sport.

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However, Morgan Ramsey ‘21 who plays volleyball, lacrosse, and basketball says that “multi-sport athletes are less prone to injury because they work different muscle and bone groups and there is less of a chance for overuse injuries.”

Unlike playing only one sport, being a

makes you a lot more athletic and more explosive.” Before he played multiple sports, Woerner only played hockey for a few years. Since he’s started playing multiple sports, Woerner says “it’s been easier to stay in shape year-round.”

Not only does playing multiple sports help produce more well-

Because she is on multiple sports teams, she experiences a multitude of coaching styles, various types of players, and different social settings, which helps her meet new people.

Ultimately multisport athletes feel less pressure to be the best at their sport and have a lower burnout risk.

Photos submitted by Catherine Barry

(Left) Morgan Ramsey ‘21 in the midst of a cheer after a basketball game last season; basketball being one of the three sports she plays including volleyball and lacrosse. (Right) Sonia Baig ‘21 hits a backhand while she plays tennis, her main and only sport.

non-specialized athlete allows you to develop a diverse athletic skill set and a lower chance of becoming injured.

Sean Woerner ‘20 plays hockey, football and also runs track.

He says that “playing more than one [sport]

rounded athletes, but it also affects the social aspects of life.

Ramsey states that “participating on different teams leaves room for more special connections with teammates, rather than just one group of people.”

Young athletes who focus on just one sport too early on risk losing their love of the sport by the time high school or college rolls around, which hence shows that an intense focus on a sport isn’t always beneficial.

Together Outside of Season Captains hope offseason activities will lead to success Noor Naseer | News Editor

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he Blake Boys’ Basketball Team has been working hard in preparation for their upcoming season. According to captain David Bix ‘20, the team works out at Training House at the Twin Cities Orthopedic Center in Eden Prairie every Tuesday and Thursday “to build team chemistry and to [get the team] in shape for the season.”

Furthermore, the team holds open gyms, which are open to anyone, on Saturday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., the primary focus being “to get playing basketball [and] have some fun.”

Bix also adds that a fall league is starting up soon, during which the team practices once or twice a week and plays against other teams every Sunday. The fall league provides an opportunity for the team to run through in-game scenarios and run plays to get back into the mentality of the

basketball season.

Aside from getting the team in shape, off season training aids the team in bonding. For example, Theo Liu ‘22 says that the open gyms help with team bonding because ‘it’s not just the varsity team, it’s the younger kids too.” The team also took a trip to Duluth a couple of months ago where they went white water rafting as a fun way for the team to bond while doing an activity that is not related to basketball.

By doing activities outside of the season with the larger basketball community, the players hope this will bring the team closer together and create a familiarity between the older and younger athletes.

Additionally, the captains believe that these training sessions will help people stay fit and strong, so when the season comes around, they will be able to hit the ground running and pick up where they left off from last season.

They hope that this new tight-knit community will lead to the team’s success this season.

Student Athletes Struggle to Stay Motivated in Their Off-Season Many find working out with friends and altering study spaces keep them focused Nora Fox | Opinions Editor

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lthough the off-season provides a great time for student athletes to strengthen their minds and bodies and rest before the upcoming season, it does carry some unforeseen challenges that many have to overcome in order to have a successful season.

With added free time in the off-season, student athletes have more leisure time for homework. This can be challenging without the strict schedule sports

provide.

Brooke Lee ‘21 speaks to this: “I have worse time management because I don’t have that pressure.” The pressure she is referring to is that of her busy lacrosse schedule.

With a two hour practice or game every night, she has little free time. This lack of free time forces many student athletes to be efficient with their homework.

Lee explains, “[d]uring the season if I have a game I know I have to get my homework done. It pushes me to actually do my homework, versus right now I’m watching Netflix.”

Contrary to Lee,

“I WON’T WORKOUT AS MUCH OUT OF THE SEASON. [IT’S] GOOD TO HAVE A BREAK.” Andrew Chang ‘21 enjoys the abundance of free time the offseason yields; “My favorite part [about the offseason] is that I’ll have more time to do homework and just more free time in general. I have the freedom to just watch television, hang out with friends or play with my dogs.”

However, like Lee, he acknowledges the correlation between additional free time and procrastination. To stay motivated, Chang likes to work in coffee shops where he isn’t easily distracted by his bed or phone.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, during the off season,

it’s challenging for student athletes to find the motivation to workout.

Lee attends a lacrosse practice every Sunday to develop her skills and stay in shape; however, sometimes it is hard for her to find the motivation to attend.

She explains, “[i]t’s not an official team, so it’s definitely hard not to just cancel because there isn’t a punishment for not going. This is why I like going with my friends because if I say I don’t want to go, they’ll make me go”.

Similar to Lee, Chang and Hannah Sweet ‘21 agrees that working out with friends is the best way to stay

motivated. All three of these athletes attend group training classes at their gym.

However, Sweet also says that “I won’t workout as much out of the season. [It’s] good to have a break.”

When they do train, many find that training with others is simply more fun. Lee explains, “I always have my sister with me, so that makes it better.”

Sweet agrees stating, “I love training with others”.

Working out with friends and switching up your homework environment are two effective ways student athletes find help them focus in the off-season.

Yoga Classes Are Offered as an Easy Way to Fill Sports Requirement Teacher hopes to entice students with low commitment yoga classes Emma Martinez Sutton | Managing Editor

Y

oga at Blake provides a relaxing, fun, and different way for students to earn their required sports credit.

This winter sport lasts

from about November to February and meets twice a week after school in the Cherne; it will most likely take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays this year.

Shenelle Haines, Upper School Interactive Technologies and Support Services Technician, and leader of Blake’s yoga classes for four year now, says, “We use essential oils and have

candles... we play really great music... it’s a lot of fun even if you don’t know how to do yoga.”

Maia Chavez ‘21, who participated in yoga last year, notes the music as well, describing it as “really chill... it’s not what people would expect and it’s more about relaxing and taking a break from school.”

While Chavez

Tyler May

had little experience with yoga and mostly joined to fulfill her sports credit, she “ended up really liking it and kept doing it.”

Although Haines

had about twelve people sign-up for yoga last year, just as many ended up joining later or just dropping in occasionally when it didn’t conflict with other sports or ex-

tracurricular activities.

She reminds people that “it’s a great environment to learn and we don’t take it too seriously... everyone should try yoga once.”