The Spectrum Newspaper September 2021

spectrum

the blakespectrum.org

“Your Voice in Print”

Issue I

Wednesday | September 29 | 2021

The Blake School

Retreats Return in Full Force, Receive Positive Response Retreats exceed low expectations, build community Emily Rotenberg | News Section Editor

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fter a year of hybrid and online learning, our community is back and ready to revive the numerous traditions lost throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. In a typical school year, students participate in grade retreats with their classmates, advisors, and deans. Each retreat is different but all have the same goal of building community within the class.

This year the freshmen stayed at school and participated in a variety of teambuilding activities to help their grade grow closer together. Vivien Pihlstrom ‘25 said, “We started off with an assembly where we talked about working together.”

Molly Anderson ‘25 elaborates, “We [also] did ice-

breaker questions with new students and other advisories to get to know more people in our grade.” Anderson states that the grade retreat “Was good for getting to know other classmates and [she’s] not going to lie, it wasn’t the most entertaining day but overall it was a good bonding experience.”

On the other hand, sophomores had the classic experience of exploring areas adjacent to our school within the city of Minneapolis. This specific grade retreat has been consistent for many years whereas other grade retreats change yearly. They had the opportunity to visit locations such as the Stone Arch Bridge, the Guthrie Theater, and local restaurants or food trucks downtown.

Jonah Yousha ‘24 explains, “The first place we went to was US Bank Stadium and we took a lot of photos by the statues… later in the day we had to head

back to US Bank Stadium because someone left their bag there but their bag ended up getting stolen. It was a funny moment for my advisory when we realized we had to head back and it brought us closer together.”

The juniors went to the Como Zoo for a day filled with sightseeing and socialization.

Additionally, each advisory participated in a photo scavenger hunt that received very positive feedback. Ivy Besikof ‘23 describes, “it was a lot of fun, we had to work together to complete the scavenger hunt and then we got to go back for lunch and hang out with our friends. It was a good bonding experience.”

Lastly, the senior retreat is typically a two-day, onenight camping experience at Camp St. Croix however, due to COVID-19, it turned into a day trip for the Class of 2022.

Hanna Jessop ‘22 ex-

plains, “The senior retreat was pretty good, I felt like it was a little unplanned and unorganized but that is what bonded us together.”

Habon Samatar ‘22 explains, “We had an excessive amount of free time which I think was intentional to spend time with our friends but also at the same time it felt like there was just nothing else to do.” The day consisted of a scavenger hunt, bonding activities, free time, as well as advisory skits, and a bonfire.

Samatar reflects, “I don’t understand why we didn’t do [the senior olympics] because we had all of that free time but also our whole grade wasn’t there so I don’t know how it would have went. Maybe it was intentional.” Despite this, the retreat was overall successful, and as Jessop said, “it brought my advisory closer together for sure... I had a lot of fun.”

Sofia Perlman

Over Sept. 11-13, all four grades went on retreats. Freshmen did team-building activities at school, sophmores walked downtown Minneapolis, juniors went to the Como Zoo, and seniors drove out to YMCA Camp St.Croix.

Ben Lim

New Schedule Update Lower School Vaccine Rates Delay Legacy Day Schedule changes prompt student responses Ben Lim | Opinions Editor

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ince COVID-19 began, Blake has had countless new schedules to try and accommodate both students’ and teachers’ needs. With the numerous changes of schedules, it was no surprise that this year brought another new schedule.

Some of the largest changes include all classes meeting for 70 minutes, and Monday and Friday no longer having all seven blocks meeting.

These new changes were all decided by a committee, spearheaded by Joe Ruggiero. When trying to tackle problems the old schedules had, committee member Paul Menge shares, “There were some things we couldn’t change… we still needed seven blocks. We still needed to operate on a five-day schedule” Another big factor that he talks about is the stress levels of students and how the schedule could affect that. He says, “is it really important that all seven classes meet on one day?

And the answer was no” . . .

Continued On Page 2

When I think of fall food, I usually imagine anything pumpkin flavored and baked goods. However, fall isn’t just about the sweets.

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Betsy Fries

Annual event will return in spring Charlotte Opp | News Editor fter not having Legacy Day for the last two years due to COVID-19, students and faculty were ready to get the community back together.

As Sarah Hsia ‘25 says, “I was really looking forward to Legacy Day so I was kind of sad when they postponed it.” Blake has had to sacrifice some important traditions and community building activities to keep students and faculty safe.

As the Delta variant levels have been rising,

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the three separate campuses have installed different restrictions corresponding to the age groups in the building. Lisa Sackreiter, who is a part of organizing Legacy Day, explains some of the concerns of parents and faculty, “We were hearing from teachers and families that they were pretty concerned about us being together across age groups and across campuses.” Without younger kids having access to the COVID-19 vaccine, it is difficult to bring younger and older kids together.

Not only was Sackreiter and the school considering the safety concerns expressed, but they also

Will Rosenblum

In lieu of Legacy Day, bins have been placed at the West and East door to collect supplies.

wanted to ensure that the goals of Legacy Day were met, “It’s meant to be a celebration of community, but if you’re feeling anxious or fearful or uncomfortable then it doesn’t feel like a celebratory

Maddie Hsia ‘23 has taken the initiative and participated in an extensive amount of service work throughout her time at Blake.

The summer of 2021 was no ordinary one for senior Habon Samatar. She flew from Minneapolis to Chicago to Doha and finally reaching the destination of Nairobi, Kenya.

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day.” These were some of the main reasons why the school decided it would be best to push Legacy Day back to the spring. Sackreiter sees the time delay as a “gift of time” . . . see more at blakespectrum.org

STAFF

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 2

Introducing Ten New Teachers to Upper School Getting to know the newest additions to community Mallika Malaviya, Nina Bush, Amelia Bush | Staff Writers & Kaylee Chen | Contributing Writer

The Blake School 511 Kenwood Pkwy Issue 1 September 29, 2021

Editors-In-Chief: Sage Marmet | Noor Naseer Managing Editors: Maggie Seidel | Will Rosenblum Creative Director: Betsy Fries

News Section Editor: Emily Rotenberg

Features Section Editor: Bernadette Whiteley Multimedia Editor: Drew Shapiro News Editors: Allyson Jay | Kate Rekas | Rowan Wallin | Evan Vezmar | Charlotte Opp Photo Editors: Karsten Farris | Oscar Walsh Online Editor: James Prince Opinions Editors: Sofia Perlman | Ben Lim Business Manager: Maggie Seidel Adviser: Anna Reid

Oscar Walsh

Karsten Farris

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ust starting at the Upper School, Nat Gilsdorf previously worked at the Highcroft Campus. With his formal title as Instructional Technology Coach, he helps teachers implement new technology into the classroom. Additionally, Gilsdorf is in charge of setting up and running the new Maker Space. His position is the perfect medium of the two things Gilsdorf loves: working with young people and technology. One thing he advocates for is passion.

He suggests to students to "never stop looking for ways to put things you're excited about into the things you have to do.”

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acqui Niederschulte, who is teaching Honors Chemistry and Introductory Biology, is “excited about working with the students in [the] lab.

You all are crazy smart.

Very capable, so it is really cool to see you at work.” Niederschulte, who is from Hawaii, is also excited “to learn...more about the whole Blake culture. I am excited...to collaborate with the other teachers.

There is so much to look forward to.” One of these things she is looking forward to is the possibility of starting an eskrimadora club because as Niederschulte explains, “I am an eskrimadora, so I am a Filipino martial artist.”

Karsten Farris

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aitie O'Bryan is returning to Blake this year to teach Intro to Computer Science and AP Computer Science. She is “just really excited to be back in the classroom... I find that students just ask really strong questions in class, they are very engaged. I found everyone I worked with, like other teachers and other people in the building, were just... very positive, very helpful, so I had nothing but a positive experience.” She is “most happy when I am trying new things” which is part of the reason she is here. In addition to teaching, O’Bryan also works for Code.org and enjoys rock climbing despite her fear of heights.

Karsten Farris

Karsten Farris

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evin Flynn is the newest member of the social studies department.

After teaching social studies courses at 5 different schools, Flynn is looking forward to teaching his AP Government class how to read critically and analyze news and documents.

He believes that, “social studies teaches a lot of relevant skills that everyone needs in the world today...it’s important to have a background in history or social sciences to understand what's going on."

Flynn advises students to, “challenge yourself to take courses that you don't immediately gravitate towards because you might find something you really love."

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manda Minoff is both a new English teacher as well as a College Counseling Liaison.

Minoff says she is excited about, “the books we are going to be discussing in Literature of Reconciliation,” and for “the [Memoir] class I am teaching in the spring.” Minoff joined because she was impressed with her work with Blake students during ACT counseling. She explains, “I think it was that moment just being in front of Blake students and having them engage with my lesson plan, and being so patient with a new teacher coming in... I think... it just really set me at ease, and I could really see myself being here.”

STAFF WRITERS: Christopher Chen, Mackenzie Higgins, Mallika Malaviya, Zoey Ueland, Keaton Rannow, Nina Bush, Amelia Bush, Cleo Kilpatrick STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Elena Gill STAFF ARTISTS: Melody Lee, Mallika Malaviya

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

JOIN SPECTRUM: Spectrum meets in room 351 and on Zoom during clubs & community time every Wednesday/Thursday.

Please come if you are interested in writing, drawing, designing, or taking pictures for the newspaper.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Disagree with something that’s in the paper? Have an opinion you want to share? Like to draw editorial cartoons? Take a stand and speak out. E-mail letters or editorial cartoons to spectrum@blakeschool.org or deliver them anonymously in room 351. Please limit letters to 400 words.

MISSION STATEMENT: The primary purpose of the Blake School Spectrum is to report news and to explain its meaning and significance to our readers and the community.

We hope to inform, entertain and provide a school forum for the unrestricted exchange of ideas and opinions.

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

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ana Specht, who is a new teacher for APUSH and World History, has been teaching for 20 years and is excited for the traditions that Blake has.

Specht commented, “All of this stuff that is special to the culture of this place…. it's going to be so much fun to experience it for the first time.” Specht also has a son named River and has won competitive eating competitions.

Karsten Farris

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irstin Holm is the new science teacher, teaching AP and Honors Chemistry.

Holm says, “I love how everyone is really motivated here when they come into class and really personable, so… it creates a really good community in the school.”

Holm joined because she “ was coming from a big school and wanted to have that smaller community... and a really awesome school for academics, for extracurriculars, and well-roundedness.”

Karsten Farris

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ew Algebra II teacher and Girls JV soccer coach, Maggie Molter, is eager to work here and says, “It’s awesome that Blake is excited about students that love to learn, students that are curious. Molter used to teach physics and chemistry at the Branson School in California.

Ms. Molter is “excited to get to know a new community and we’re all coming out of Covid in a time where we were all isolated...I’m just excited to get to know students and... colleagues.”

Karsten Farris

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manda Pomerleau, a new World History teacher, is most excited for the traditions Blake has and stated “Seeing all of those different traditions and school spirit type things are just really fun to see.”

Pomerleau taught at White Bear Lake before coming here and has 3 dogs and a cat. She also has been playing roller derby since 2013.

Betsy Fries

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mut Gürsel is a new addition to the Math Department. She shares, “[I choose to work at Blake because it is a] great school academically. It is a really rigorous school and has a focus on just becoming a good global citizen.” Gursel is teaching students from grades nine to twelve, and she has enjoyed, “getting to know my students, learning what they like, and how they like to learn.”

Schedule continued from front ...it’s really not. We learned that last year… one of the reasons we changed [from 7 classes on one day] was because that really put an onus on students.

Like Thursday night, you’ve got five or six things due the next day and that’s stressful. We wanted to alleviate that.” And with the introduction of the new schedule these goals have been achieved. Students no longer have to worry about Thursday or Sunday nights and the committee

has made a schedule that is balanced enough when school is 5 days or less.

Menge also describes trying to make the new schedule like putting together a puzzle. If some pieces have to go here then others have to move to try and make everything fit. One of the pieces that had to move to fit the requirements Menge mentioned above was the length of classes. The classes became longer and more uniform in order for Fridays and Mondays to become

less stressful.

Another goal that Menge mentioned was having a later start time and ending earlier and the committee believed that by having these longer class periods, those Oscar Walsh goals could Juniors eating lunch, where the two lunch blocks remains a constant from last be achieved. year’s schedules, even though other aspects of lunch have changed

NEWS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 3

Seniors’ Last First Day Generates Mixed Emotions Mixed feelings about highschool and beyond Cleo Kilpatrick | Staff Writer nti Climatic” is how Frederick Loew ‘22 described his last first day of school.

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“With COVID I still feel like a Sophomore.” Carly Shoemate ‘22 admitted.

Catherine Zhang ‘22 said the day was, “Sorta bittersweet.” There were many mixed emotions on the last first day of school for seniors. After being split into two different groups last year the

seniors are just excited to be all together. Loew says, “I felt a little bit excited and a little bit sad.”

Zhang said, “there was a lot of sense of community among the class” The seniors are entering their last year of school.

It is the end of an era for them. Loew continues

Karsten Farris

People meet before school for the first day. SIAC organized music and pancakes were being served. It was a lovely day for students to mingle with friends outside.

to say, “I’m excited because it’s the start of a new chapter like the beginning of the end.” The class of 2022 hasn’t had a normal year since they were freshmen. Shoemate says, “There’s more effort from my grade to try and make school fun and try and make the most of it.” If COVID taught us anything it was to take advantage of the time you have because it could all change at any minute.

Zhang says, “I’m looking forward to all the school traditions like prom and homecoming.” Everyone is hoping to have a “normal” school year with regular school traditions.

Loew says, “I’m looking forward to be-

ing done with my senior speech, being into college and senior sliding.”

The class of 2022’s highschool experience has had its ups and downs, but they’ve made it through.

Zhang says, “I’m also looking forward to getting to know everyone before we all part ways.”

This is the last year the class of 2022 will all be in the same place at the same time. After graduation they will all disperse into the world using their special talents to make it a better place! Loew’s ending piece of advice for highschool is to appreciate it while it lasts, “Time really flies so take advantage of every opportunity!”

UPCOMING EVENTS 10/2 - Homecoming Dance 10/4 - Girls’ Tennis Match 10/8 - Professional Development Day

Summer Activities Allow for Relaxation, Rest, Revisiting Old Bonds Time off from school enables new connections Bernadette Whitely | Features Section Editor fter a year and a half of schedule changes, social unrest, and fear, students and teachers alike are searching for relaxation.

Summer 2021 offered time to step away from school, take a break, and focus on mental health, all of which have been extremely important throughout the pandemic.

For many community members, summer was slower and less structured than previous breaks. Ben Cady, Social Studies teacher, shares the necessity of emotional recovery time, stating, “This past summer was really hard. Last year for me and I am sure for many students, was the hardest I have ever worked as a teacher.

I was

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so emotionally drained ...

[T]hat this summer I needed to separate from school.

I did far less prep than I normally would do. I didn’t check my Blake email for like six or seven weeks ...

I needed to step away for my own mental health. It was a traumatic year and I felt that I needed to really recover from that.”

Both students and teachers

have been feeling a similar level of stress from the pandemic and longing for a reprieve. Olivia Sackor ‘24, speaks to a similar point, “I am very much a people person so I kind of needed that social interaction that I wasn’t able to get [during summer 2020].

So this summer definitely helped me a lot more so I could come back to school

Submitted by: Olivia Sackor

Olivia Sackor back on the mat getting to play the sport she loves, wrestling. Wrestling serves as a mental, physical and social outlet.

with that refreshed feeling versus being stressed all summer and then going to school.”

As more people got vaccinated this summer, traveling became a safer option as well. Cady shares his travels to Los Angeles, “I used to live there but my husbands’ sister and her husband and kids live there ...

We had that brief little reprieve to go and do something.” He explains, “Being able to travel and see family was really nice. It was great to just catch up with some old friends from LA.” After almost two years of being stuck at home, many people were able to visit extended family members.

Sackor shares her trip, “We went to California to visit my great grandma. She has lived there forever. Usually we go there every summer but we didn’t get to go [over COVID-19]. She is 95

Submitted by: Ben Cady

Ben Cady says,“My husband and I at the Dodgers game with my former middle school students, from when I taught in LA.” Cady enjoys a lovely summer day at the baseball field.

and still doing great but there was a lot of anxiety wondering if we should see her now that we can because she is very atrisk.” She shares that seeing her great grandmother was the highlight of her summer, especially after a long time separated from one another.

Previous activities also began to resume over the summer. Sackor was finally able to return to her sport, stating, “I wrestle so I have been able to travel

a lot more and being vaccinated helps because a lot of these tournaments just want vaccinated people.”

Sackor expressed her excitement about being back on the mat after over a year. Many students share the same joy of returning to sports that have been extremely limited over the pandemic. Summer 2020 offered a variety of refreshing activities and time to take a break from our chaotic daily lives during the school year.

Model UN Offers Life Skills, Travel Conferences, Valuable Academics Clubs provide public speaking practice for all Kate Rekas | News Editor

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ith only a small amount of outside work required, and many opportunities offered in

return, Model UN is one of the least work heavy academic focused clubs at Blake. As the name suggests, Model UN is a club where students participate in a mock United Nations conference. In preparation for the conferences, each student is assigned a country and a

world issue, and that student will act as the mock UN delegate of their assigned country. A student will then research their country’s position/policies on the issue assigned, and write a one page position paper to present at a conference.

The Blake Model

People from all grades gather in the courtyard for Club Fair. Exceptional turn out with many club options.

Rowan Wallin

UN club is led by faculty advisors Jon Dicus and Dana Specht, as well as a few student leaders.

Members of Model UN learn a lot about world issues, as well as some important life skills. Dicus is very passionate about the club, speaking to the skills that club members learn and improve while participating. He says, “[Model UN] allows students to improve their public speaking skills, it gives them a much greater awareness of geopolitical issues around the world, and an in-depth awareness and understanding of those issues. It also allows them to debate as well as reach consensus and compromise with other delegates.”

Each of these skills are not only valuable in an

academic setting, but a real world setting as well, yet another reason to consider joining Model UN. In past years, a major attraction of the club to prospective members was its travel conferences. Before the pandemic, students participating in Model UN were able to travel with the school nationally and internationally. Dicus details this travel, mentioning places the club has visited in the past, “We have traveled to Chicago, New York, Washington DC, and Montreal to attend conferences in person.” Student leader Lily Anderson ‘23 details her experience being a part of the club before COVID-19, stating, “It’s a lot of fun, we get to travel, it’s one of the

only clubs at Blake that lets you travel.” While this semester conferences will still be held virtually, hopefully in the near future the club can get back to travel conferences.

Always looking for new members, Model UN invites anyone interested to attend a club meeting. Anderson describes a typical meeting saying, “We usually have Dicus talk and then the leaders talk and we break off in groups and discuss our topics and we just have a lot of fun!”

Dicus adds, “We welcome all students, experienced and inexperienced, you can join the club and try a conference to see if you like it and there’s no commitment beyond that.”

ARTS & CULTURE | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 4

Concerts During COVID-19: How Artists Gather Fans Safely, Maintain Spirit Phoebe Bridgers fans prevail after a venue change Bernadette Whitely | Features Section Editor

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s summer festivals and concert venues are slowly returning, concern grew surrounding COVID-19 safety, especially as the new Delta variant worsens. Although

many people are longing to return to a semblance of normal, we are still forced to adjust our daily lives and expectations in order to ensure everyone’s safety.

The policies at different concerts vary greatly; some events require both vaccinations and masks while others have little to no restrictions.

The Basilica Block Party on Sept. 10 and 11,

Kate Rekas

Opening for Bridgers at the Surly Festival Brewing Field was the Alternative Rock Indie band Muna. Some people attended the concert just to see Muna’s opener.

for example, required full COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours of the event.

Masks, however, were not mandatory to attend the concert.

On the other hand, the Rolling Loud Miami festival crammed over 75,000 people into the Hard Rock Stadium in late July, according to Complex magazine. The safety precautions for the event were ambiguous as masks were rare and vaccination status was generally unknown.

Rebekah Johnson, science teacher, shares her thoughts surrounding events and COVID-19 policies, stating, “For me, venues that aren’t doing [COVID-19 safety restrictions] are a little bit tone deaf right now because no mention of it I get suspect... Everyone has a COVID-19 policy and some sort of plan so if you don’t have a plan I am like ‘what the heck.’”

She goes on and explains that she prefers venues that have a clearly stated mask mandate, especially if it is indoors.

Johnson states that she generally feels safer at outdoor venues as she has children that are too young to receive the vaccine.

Agreeing with Johnson, I feel more comfortable attending larger gatherings when masks and vaccinations are required.

On Sept. 11, I attended the Phoebe Bridgers concert at the Surly Brewing Festival Field. Originally at the Palace Theater, the event was moved outdoors in order to increase safety precautions. Both masks and vaccinations were required for all guests.

Upon entrance, staff examined vaccine cards while cross-checking them with IDs. Although there was a large crowd, the event felt extremely safe as people complied with the various mandates and there was room to separate yourself from the crowd.

It was refreshing to see so many people complying with safety precautions and begin to get back to normal activities we enjoyed before COVID-19.

Bernadette Whitely

Phoebe Bridgers fans were required to show ID, proof of vaccination, and wear a mask in order to be admitted to the concert. At the concert, Phoebe thanks fans for cooperating with the safety measures so that the concert could happen.

Band Class Eager to Experience Somewhat New Normal, Ways of Practicing Music returns to the hallways of the art wing as band returns to normalcy Will Rosenblum | Managing Editor

Brian Lukkason, band and orchestra teacher, says “I bought a bunch of sticks and we were just playing percussion ensemble stuff, and I was teaching them how to play latin percussion.”

When non-percussion instruments finally did

come back, they practiced heavily distanced in the JNA. “The percussion [was] on the stage, and then we had instrument covers, and woodwinds had these ridiculous bags that they were having to play in which made it difficult to make any good

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erhaps more than any class or activity in the school, band has had to change and adapt repeatedly over the past year.

When school was in-person last year, most of the instruments lay unplayed until February. In order to limit the air flow needed to play these instruments, band members relied on percussion equipment.

Kate Rekas

Lukkason also teaches orchestra. Although the orchestra wasn’t as affected by COVID-19 as the band was, they still have to abide by COVID-19 protocols.

sound” says Lukkason.

While it wasn’t the most ideal situation, it was the first time every band member got to play their instruments together in nearly a year, and they were even able to put on a concert in the JNA--the only concert last year.

This year most of the restrictions from last year are gone or relaxed with the exception of staying more spaced out than before and wearing masks when not playing.

Additionally, studies have found that brass instruments produce the greatest aerosol spread, so covers are still used for those selected instruments.

Although Blake was planning on not wear-

ing masks for most of the summer, Lukkason explains that “I just always assumed instruments were going to be different…when we play instruments they just push so much air into the room I thought for sure that we were going to be using instrument covers.”

The lessening of restrictions has made it easier to practice, and they aim to put on a normal concert.

Lukkason remarks “we are kind of just operating like normal, with covers.”

The band was even preparing to perform at Legacy Day as well. “Because it was the first time everyone had been together, we kind of wanted to pro-

vide some kind of energy with that. I had arranged two different pep tunes: “Uptown Funk,” and “September” by Earth Wind & Fire.”

With the biggest restrictions overcome, band looks to continue playing music and having fun.

Lukkason says, “My biggest takeaway from last year to this year is just how much people wanted to be playing with each other and in community.

And that’s kind of the biggest focus and that is a priority that I placed. People just really value that… being in a community making music together… for me that’s why I played band and orchestra, to be with my friends.”

1990s & 2000s Staple Styles Make Comeback Among Gen Z Students Vintage basics return to mainstream style Ainsley Pflaum | Contributing Writer

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021--a year of innovation and transformation, inspired our generation to begin an embrace of low-rise jeans, sweater vests, and platform sneakers--a look that was popular in the 90s and 2000s. Additionally, oversized classic rock band tee-shirts, polos and long socks are

other articles making a comeback from earlier decades.

Why are they coming back now? And, are these neo retro styles worthy of becoming trendy again, or should they have just stayed in the 90s?

“I’d say that the 90s fashion is probably my favorite fashion of all the decades,” says Kiana Poul ‘24.

She continues, “I love mom jeans; they’ve been my favorite style of jeans. [I also like] Low-rise jeans, I’ve really been want-

Kate Rekas

Petra Ekstrom’24, Taara Verma’24, and Vivien Pihlstrom ‘25 sport mom jeans and chunky white sneakers, both a 90s fashion staple. Pihlstrom also wears a vintage Blake hoodie from the early 2000s.

ing to get a pair because I’ve noticed that they’ve definitely come back as a trend.”

Zellie Olson ‘25 similarly asserts, “I actually love low-rise jeans. I feel like the 90s is really a key decade right now for fashion.”

When prompted about why these looks might be returning, Olson states, “We really like to imitate the past. I feel like that’s kind of our culture now: referencing the 90s, referencing the 80s, that’s kind of a coveted thing.”

Like many fashion

trends, celebrities and influencers lead the charge.

Zoe Edinburgh ‘23 says, “You see Kendall Jenner with those sweater vests, or rocking the mom jeans or something like that, or biker shorts with a puffer jacket. I feel like when we see that on a celebrity we kind of think, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s fashionable-we can do it as well’” While these retro styles gain popularity in 2021, we wonder how long they will last and which decades will revive next. Shoulder pads anyone?

SCI-TECH AND HEALTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 5

Updated Laptops Spark Mixed Reactions, Variety of Technical Issues Renewal causes confusion among students Allyson Jay | News Editor

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s this new school year arrived, so did the updated laptops for the classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. These grades were required to turn in their laptops to the school before the start of summer last year in order to update and renew the laptops. This mandatory refresh has sparked many mixed reactions, as the majority of students are experiencing new issues and frequent bugs with the new laptops.

The main problem students have been experiencing is the delayed wifi connection. Maddie Hsia ‘23 details the wifi issue stating, “I think a lot of people have been experiencing this [delay], [the wifi] takes forever to work. It can take as long as five minutes for

the wifi to work so it gets pretty annoying, especially in class.”

Two more prevalent difficulties that the majority of students are encountering are the slowness and the short battery life of the computers.

Numerous students, like Sally Countryman ‘23, have expressed that their laptops seem to be slower than the previous ones.

Countryman explains, “I definitely have been

having a ton of problems with my laptop, especially how slow it is now.

My old laptop used to be faster but ever since they renewed them it’s been super slow.”

Davin Khan ‘24 adds, “The battery in my laptop dies really quickly and sometimes I can’t even make it through a whole school day without it dying or having to charge it during my last class, which never happened before we had

Emily Rotenberg

Spencer Okoronkwo ‘22 and Zoe Florida ‘22, did not need to return their laptops over the summer; however, recently all members of the Class of 2022 received the refresh and are experiencing similar issues.

Kate Rekas

Evie Doran ‘23 diligently works on her refreshed laptop. Fortunately, most laptops are still somewhat functional despite the issues students are experiencing.

to turn them in.” Many students also have been expressing that not having a personal laptop over the summer was a big inconvenience.

Nico Valiente-Wingate ‘23 describes, “For people who don’t have a laptop outside of the school one, it was really inconvenient. It was really hard to do co-curriculars over the summer without a laptop.”

The frustration over the inconvenience of being without a laptop over the summer paired

with the common technical difficulties, seems to convey that most students seem to prefer their pre-refurbished laptops.

Students like Nana Vang ‘24 think the switch caused more issues than it fixed. Vang elaborates, “I don’t really notice the difference with these laptops except for the new user interface and the wifi problems so I definitely prefer the older ones.” However, there are some positives such as the new look and

renovated software of the computers.

Valiente-Wingate states, “I actually really like the new laptops because they make everything look sleeker.”

Although the return of the laptops did present some benefits, students seem to undoubtedly agree that the issues of the new laptops outweigh the benefits. The laptop refresh unexpectedly created several major problems that hadn’t existed before, leaving students very unsatisfied.

FDA Votes Against COVID-19 Booster Shots for Anyone Under 65

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hould you get a third Covid vaccine? Well, following recent speculation, many people are questioning the need for a third shot. After the Biden administration week

targeted of

Sept.

the 20

to

push booster shots on the American public, a group of FDA advisers shot it down this Friday.

insight into their decision, finding, “We need safety data for younger populations and we need to really know what the

benefit is”.

This sentiment aligns with the concerns of other cautious medical professionals concerned about the rare reports of heart inflammation sometimes found in younger age groups. With the Delta and other variants increasing in potency and reducing the effectiven e s s of vaccines even more, others are more skeptical of t h e FDA’s decision based on existing research.

A recent study published in the New Eng-

land Journal of Medicine found 11x fewer infections and

y Lee

Keaton Rannow | Staff Writer

Despite some previous studies finding the efficacy of various Covid vaccines gradually decreasing, the FDA found that there is no conclusive evidence on the benefit of a booster shot in certain populations, especially those that are younger.

Dr. Jeremy Faust, an instructor at Harvard Medical School, gives s o m e

Melod

Reasoning behind the uncertainty of third doses

nearly 20x low- er rates of hospitalization among those with a booster shot in Israel.

This particular study appears to be the main reason why the FDA cleared vaccines for high-risk groups and the elderly.

Pfizer head of vaccine research and devel-

opment, Kathrin Jansen, furthered that, “These data, and the larger body of scientific evidence presented at the meeting, underscore our belief that boosters will be a critical tool in the ongoing effort to control the spread of this virus”.

Barring a complete 180, a final FDA decision in the following days should stop the booster shot roll out until more conclusive data is found. Even if it was approved, however, the FDA clearance isn’t even the end of the road.

The CDC also needs to weigh in and discuss who should get these shots. Despite the decreases in efficacy for the vaccine, for most Americans, there should be no reason to worry.

The CDC’s latest reports still find that 90% of hospitalizations occur from unvaccinated people and the vaccine is 88% effective against hospitalization in those ages 75 and older.

With Biden’s plans to roll out booster shots being put on hold, it may be a while before we see a push for triple Covid vaccinations.

Students Share Thoughts Surrounding Global Online Academy Courses Everything you need to know about GOA Zoey Ueland | Staff Writer

G

lobal Online Academy (GOA) is a program that enables students across America and beyond to further their understanding of a specific topic as well as complete credits crucial to graduating high school.

Lilly Anderson

‘23

who

is

taking

a

course titled “Personal Finance’’ this semester describes GOA as “An online learning platform where you can take classes that your school doesn’t offer.”

Anderson decided on Personal Finance as she felt “It would be a course that is very useful and a course that Blake doesn’t teach.”

GOA was founded by 9 schools in 2011 and as of 2021 the number of partner schools has risen to include 117 schools. Additionally, GOA offers a wide

variety of all-online courses and includes three times available to take classes.

mer courses are available to everyone able to pay a fee.

Semester one ranges Bernadette Whitely

The first two semesters as well as yearlong courses, and flex courses (short 4 day immersive courses) are only available to member schools whereas sum-

from Sept. 1 to Dec. 17, semester two is from Jan. 12 to Apr. 29, and summer courses are 7 weeks long.

Although the hours per week aren’t listed,

Ellie Schifman ‘24 who took Personal Finance last summer notes that the “workload was pretty good, [the teacher] said it would be 10 hours a week and it was really like 3 hours a week, it wasn’t that bad.”

GOA’s courses are relatively affordable; their semester-long courses charge a fee of $750 but it is the school who decides whether or not the school or the student must cover the fee. Summer courses too carry a fee but it is up

to the student’s family to pay it. As GOA is a non-profit, financial aid is not available.

Overall, Schifman’s experience this summer was a good one and while it did have a few faults such as overlapping with summer health work and navigating different time zones, she explains, “I thought it was a good experience, I did learn a lot...If you want to take a class that’s not offered at Blake I think it’s a good place to take a class.”

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 6

Boys’ Soccer Perseveres After Loss of Player to Minnesota United Jackson Lagos ‘22 lives his dream, misses high school teammates

neapolis United, and then Blake, but received an offer from a much bigger league.

Lagos explains his

turn down in terms of helping me develop as a player, and obviously it was a really tough choice to leave high school [soc-

team he would miss, but also his teammates. Lagos says, “Definitely just hanging around the guys and being part of the

year are captains Karsten Farris ‘22, Drew Shapiro ‘22, Shungu Zimbwa ‘22, and newly added Tristan Poul ‘22. Lagos

Alyssa Krig & Emma Connor | Contributing Writers

T

his season the Boys’ Varsity soccer team will be a bit different, especially with the loss of their former star player, Jackson Lagos ‘22.

This year, Lagos made the difficult decision to leave the varsity team for his senior year and instead play for Minnesota United’s U19 youth development team.

Lagos, who has played soccer since he was 4, played for Min-

Betsy Fries

Elena Gill

Lagos still tries to supports his friends even though he doesn’t play on the field with them anymore. He says, “I try to go to all the games and some practices and just be there to support the guys but definitely miss playing.”

personal reasons for switching teams, stating, “I basically got the offer to play for Minnesota United, and it’s kind of like an offer I couldn’t

cer] for senior year, and I could only do one or the other.”

Although he chose to switch, it wasn’t only playing for the Blake

group, the three years I played were really fun so I’m just gonna miss having that connection with the guys.”

Leading the team this

has faith that the team is in good hands, stating, “[the] three (sic) captains ... they’re all really great guys, really great leaders.

I’m sure they will do a

really great job.”

This year the team has needed to reorganize without Lagos. Aidan Krush ‘23 said, “It’s honestly a setback ... it’s good for him [but] ...

Jackson was probably the best player on our team, so to lose him, we definitely lost a key component to our team.”

Additionally, this would be a harder year.

Krush added, “No, I don’t think this is our last year before we have to start a building year.” Despite losing a star player, the team still has some depth within the classes of ‘24 and ‘25.

Although Lagos isn’t on the team anymore he still attends their games and a few practices to help out and support the team as a fan and friend.

Girls’ Tennis Advances to AA Division Eager to be challenged after holding state title for six years Gabi Marmet | Contributing Writer

T

Elena Gill

Co-captain Annabelle Swigert ‘22 comments, “I think it’s exciting. It’s something new, and obviously, if we were to ever win the AA state tournament, that would be something, that would be quite impressive.”

he Girls’ Tennis program has moved up to the AA Division for the 2021 year. For the past six years, the BGT teams have been in the Single-A Division and they have maintained a No. 1 state title. Now that the team is up to the AA Division, they will have to work harder to keep up their reputation.

Moving up to a new Division came as a surprise for the whole team, yet co-captain Bella Suk

‘22 explains, “I think that it’s something that like was bound to happen. We’ve performed really well in the Single-A competition and I know we’ve always been a strong team, and I know we could continue to be a strong team cause we have a lot of players and we are pretty deep.”

BGT made it to the State Tournament last year but it got canceled because of COVID-19, so the team had hoped to get a redemption year.

Despite this, they are ready to try and win the AA State Tournament.

The team has had a lot of ups and downs throughout this year of playing, but they have very high hopes for the

future. The Blake Girls Tennis team believes that they are a strong team and are ready to take on their opponents.

Blake has a record of a 0-7 loss against their biggest competitor, Minnetonka, but they are hoping for the best in their future games. The two varsity captains believe that the top three teams in state will be Minnetonka, Edina, and Blake, but they are not sure of the order it will be in.

Even as BGT has moved up to the new bracket, they still have the same dynamic and try to bond with each other as much as possible.

Suk mentions, “I think it won’t change

much cause we’re a really strong team, we’re all pretty close, we do a lot together so, I think our team dynamic will stay pretty strong.”

Both captains try really hard to make sure everyone on the team is bonded and to pump them up for their matches.

Every day before their matches, they ride the bus together and listen to their “collaborative playlist” to get excited.

They also try to get food before their practices together to develop their relationships even more.

The team believes that they have a solid chance at winning state, and they can’t wait to compete and enjoy the rest of the season.

Student Section Returns, Positively Impacts Players on Field Cheerful students empower athletes Shagun Sinha | Contributing Writer

F

ollowing a year of strict COVID-19 precautions, student sections are allowed at fall sporting events once again.

Classmates are able to come to support their friends, an essential element missing from last year’s sporting events.

This year, the stands were full of students dressed in theme along with beach balls and floaties continuously being thrown.

After talking to both athletes and student spectators, it became clear how momentous the returning student section is to the Upper

School community.

For example, football player Jackson Moon ‘23 spoke about how the student section “really motivated the Wolfpack and reminded the athletes that we’re always going to have the support of our classmates and teachers.”

Stephan Gustafson ‘24, a student who was at the first home game and is on Blake’s varsity football team, refers to the experience of having a student section as “lively and fun, it was exciting to see how the student section was connected and cheering for us as we played.”

Gustafson also mentions how “playing with a student section was thrilling and helped us stay focused and mo-

tivated throughout the game.”

Gustafson elaborates on how it felt having a student section after playing without one. He explains, “having a student section this year definitely was more exciting, it was so nice to see everyone cheer us on as we played.”

Not only has having a student section impacted athletes, it’s also affected Blake’s student body. Sarah Costa ‘23 explains how “having a period of time where we didn’t have opportunities to watch games and cheer on our athletes caused more energy and team spirit at this most recent game… the energy was high and it felt like life was normal again.”

Elena Gill

After coming from a school with no football team, Ryoya Yamada ‘23 comments, “I think it’s fun how everyone brought floaties and wore Hawaiian t-shirts. I also got to talk to students I didn’t know very well.” Spirit themes at any sporting event can make the student section more lively and exciting for both the student body and the athletes.

SPORTS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 7

SMB Wolfpack is Optimistic, Looks Forward to Exciting Season Even after losing multiple stars, Wolfpack team carries on Zach Weiner | Contributing Writer

W

ith the COVID-19 pandemic and the loss of the Wolfpack’s flashy players such as Jalen Suggs and Kaden Johnson, going to a Friday night football game seemed like the last thing on people’s minds.

However, the Wolfpack, so far this season, has already shown great improvement over last year, because they beat Fridley (15-12). Last year, the Wolfpack lost to Fridley (0-14).

Andrew Starkman ‘23, Blake’s very own Wolfpack linebacker, asserts that this year’s Fridley game “proved that the [Wolfpack’s] offense is great,” and the “defense is looking good.”

Veteran on the team, Luke Sugalski ‘22, who is a force on both the offensive and defensive line, had this to say about how the team is considering the loss of previous star players, “I feel good.

I think we have a lot of talent even after some of the big names left. There are a number of D1 recruits still on the team.”

The culture of the Wolfpack is unparalleled.

Sugalski asserts “that I feel great about the culture this year,” which is “what really breeds” the

success that makes the team “as good as the year [that they] won state.”

In regards to a game’s attendance, Max Ramsey ‘23, a starting Wolfpack Center, says, “attendance has a huge impact on us, without having that extra variable last year, at times, games felt slow.

The energy surrounding the game would waver, but going back to my freshman year, the crowd would always get us going and hype us up. So having fans back, I hope, will do the same thing as it did before, as that energy can definitely help shift the whole momentum of any game.”

The future of the Wolfpack seems bright and hopefully the games can gain some more fans soon.

Elena Gill

Ramsey preparing to snap the football for the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack went on to defeat North St. Paul 48-20 at the Gordy Aamoth Jr. Memorial Stadium.

September’s Mystery Athlete Loss of Seniors Affects Teams

ing club, h e r swing and approach increased for her p o s it i o n .

She i s very skilled and prepared this season and is a trustworthy teammate on the court.”

This athlete also loves

Emi ly R oten berg &

er favorite pregame snack is cereal, specifically Froot Loops, and her favorite sports teams are USA Volleyball and Minnesota Wild. This mystery athlete is “a dedicated player who loves her sport and her team,” as Evie Doran ‘23 describes. This mystery athlete began playing volleyball in seventh grade for Blake. This player has always been a hitter and is currently a right side hitter. She fills this position well although she believes she would be a wonderful outside hitter.

This athlete prides herself on her effective hitting and serving.

She also acknowledges her needed growth in passing and receiving serves. Recently, this athlete began playing club volleyball for Thunder Jo Volley-

Wa ls h

H

ball. This has shown an impact on her game as well as a promising future for her as a volleyball player. Mina Rossi ‘23 acknowledges this player’s tremendous growth by saying, “after play-

Osc ar

Rowan Wallin | News Editor

volleyball and the Blake team that comes along with it.

Doran explains, “She adds lots of positivity and fun to the culture of our team.” This athlete’s energy is contagious and her team benefits greatly from her presence. Her favorite part of volleyball is the team. Her favorite memory of the team is “when [Grace Barnes ‘23] passed it backwards into the basketball hoop during one of our middle school games.”

To guess who you think the mystery athlete of the month is, email rgwallin23@ blakeschool.org. The first person to guess the athlete may be recognized on Spectrum’s social media.

Feel free to leave suggestions on who you think the next mystery athlete of the month should be.

Graduating seniors force teams to rebuild Noor Naseer | Co-Editor-in-Chief

L

ast year, it seemed as though sports were integral to maintaining a sense of normalcy during the school year. This year, teams are being forced to rebuild not only after a season clouded by the pandemic, but also after

it was in the past years.

We have six freshmen and a bunch of sophomores that play a decent amount, compared to last year it was all seniors and juniors.” In order to establish a sense of team connectedness, Poul shares that, “We played a lot together during the summer to try and spend a lot of time with each other.”

Poul’s fellow player and captain Shungu Zimbwa ‘22, points to some other issues that the team has been facing, explaining, “We’re struggling in the fi-

Oscar Walsh

Seniors Gabe Mendoza ‘22, Ishan Khurana ‘22, Molly Liston ‘22, Vezmar, and Shef West ‘22 are tasked with leading the cross country team this season.

losing players from the Class of 2021.

Boys’ Soccer player Tristan Poul ‘22 explains, “It’s different in that the team’s a lot younger than

nal third, finishing the ball, scoring goals.” However, despite these challenges, Poul believes that the team is “Probably exceeding expectations a little bit be-

cause we thought we were going to be really bad.”

Girls’ soccer captain Elle Sovell ‘23 shares, “The Class of ‘21 had a really big class for our soccer team. They made up pretty much half of our team and the majority of our starting line up, so losing them was definitely a big shock for our soccer team this year, especially with a whole new set of coaches.”

Blake soccer is not the only sport experiencing a period of change, cross country captain, Sophia Vezmar ‘22, speaks to the newfound responsibility she has felt after saying goodbye to the Class of 2021: “It feels different because we are closer to them in age and so we all knew them much better, so I guess our grade has had to step and kind of take over for them.”

She describes this new role as “pretty natural... because a few of us were captains as juniors, so it was a good transition.” Though not easy, team rebuilding has presented teams with the opportunity to grow as closer teammates.

New Girls’ Soccer Head Coach Builds a Strong Program Season poses challenges, brings new goals Sage Marmet & Noor Naseer | Co-Editors-inChief Reporting by: Ava Pihlstrom

T

his season of Blake Girls’ Soccer has brought many new faces and new changes. The team started with a new head coach, Jocelyn Keller, who has since

given birth and won’t be returning to the team this year. Former assistant coach, McKenzie Arbeiter, stepped in for Keller and is the current head coach.

Both Keller and Arbeiter are sports psychologists, and as captain Carly Shoemate ‘22 puts it, “[Keller brought] a new perspective.” For the players, this entails mental skills training, reassurance after a tough loss, and perspective on the bigger picture of high school soccer.

Regarding Arbeiter,

Shoemate adds, “She’s great. She’s a sports

tal skills which is something we haven’t had be-

Currently, starter and captain Elle Sovell ‘23

Cleo Kilpatrick

Katie Libert ‘23 states ”It’s been kind of difficult because we’ve had to switch up our coaches, Keller is on maternity leave now, so our coach is Mackenzie (the former assistant coach).”

psychologist and puts a lot of emphasis on men-

fore. She connects with players really well.”

is out with an injury, and O’neill Tierney ‘22,

Katie Libert ‘23, and Sofia Wyatt ‘25 are all recovering from injuries and on limited playing time. The team’s goalie coach, John Moening is currently out as well with COVID-19.

Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Shoemate says, “We’re not really focussing on wins and losses at this point. We want to start connecting more in the final third and score some more goals and make sure we’re competitive in every game we play.”

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 8

New 2022 Grade Dean Fosters Community After departure of previous Senior Grade Dean, Class of ‘22 works to form unique, deep relationships with new class head Mackenzie Higgins | Staff Writer

M

aggie Bowman is hardly a new face to the Blake community, but this year she is taking on a new position as the Class of 2022’s Grade Dean. Bowman has been a part of the Social Studies Department for the past four years, teaching classes like Moral Issues in the Modern World, World History, and World Religions.

While at Blake, she has also been the head coach for the cross country team and an assistant coach for the track and field team.

The Class of 2022’s former Dean, Anne Rubin, announced last year that she would not be returning the following school year, kickstarting the process of finding someone to replace her. Since joining Blake, Bowman

in a good way… [That] week, for me, I think felt extra crazy.” She explained that it will just take her some time to get back in the flow of school and figure out what life as a dean looks like.

While Bowman is only teaching one section each semester, she is still coaching the cross country and track and field teams, but she’s not worried about balancing her multiple positions: “The nice thing is that the track and field and cross country practices are not new. I’ve been doing that every year since I’ve got here.” Every day, after school ends, she looks forward to “going over to the Middle School campus, getting to go for a run, and enjoy a beautiful day in the afternoon with the other coaches and the athletes.” Bowman adds that she doesn’t have a problem managing teaching and coaching because “it’s the same kind of balance that students have to strike with sports or clubs.”

Fellow grade dean CJ Eckhardt was in a similar position as Bowman when she became a grade dean for the Class of 2021 last year. She says that “coming in

“You either know Ms. Bowman or you know of ms. bowman. she has such great energy... ms. Bowman is beyond prepared and beyond ready for this gig.”

- CJ Eckhardt has always taken interest in the grade dean job, so naturally, she decided to apply last spring. She shares, “[it’s] a position that I was looking forward to hopefully having someday ... [I] was looking to continue to grow in my career and grow in my relationships with students and the Blake community.”

After going through the whole interview process, she was chosen to take over as the grade dean. Bowman is excited and optimistic about the upcoming school year and the new opportunities it will bring for her. She explains, “The kinds of conversations that I get to have with students are different than the kinds of conversations that you get to have in the classroom. I think that’s a really cool part of my new job.”

When asked about completing her first week of school as a grade dean, Bowman said, “The first week of school is always crazy I think for everybody. Crazy

as a Senior Dean is really hard.” Eckhardt continues and explains, “They already have a flow, they already have a sense of community, and you’re not trying to change it when you come in as a new dean, you’re just trying to continue to ride that wave.”

Bowman also recognized the challenge facing her and the senior class, she says, “[I’m] trying to make the transition from one dean to another as seamless as possible for a class that’s going into their last year at Blake… I thought that it would be beneficial for students to have a dean who was somebody that some of them already knew or already had a relationship with.”

Eckhardt has the utmost confidence in Bowman as she takes on this new job. She says, “You either know Ms. Bowman or you know of Ms. Bowman. She has such great energy… Ms. Bowman is beyond prepared and beyond ready for this gig, it’s not even funny.”

Senior Class of ‘22 pictured throughout various years at the Uppe dances, grade retreats, advisory time, and much more. After 18 mont last year at Blake and enjoyed a final in-person grade retreat on Sund

Bada

Class o

“She is an amazing person.

She’s always super fun and energetic and I appreciate how she doesn’t talk down to us. She talks to us like we’re peers.” - Becky Perkins ‘22

Betsy Fries

“I really like that she always has a positive attitude and she is really good to get advice from and help us with any problems that we have.”

- Madelyn Besikof ‘22

The senior class takes a full grade photo in the Carlson Commons at ning of the school year since sophomore year. With a total of 133 stud the Upper School. Now, it is an upclimb from COVID-19, and seniors school year.

INDEPTH | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 9

Seniors Offer Advice, Widsom to Underclassmen Previous time at Upper School provides shareable knowledge

Ayaan Mallick ‘22 mentions, “Focus on school…

I think there are a lot of distractions.”

Atreyus Bhavsar ‘22 adds, “Don’t procrastinate Evan Vezmar | News Editor on your work at home, be s the oldest and most efficient… have good time experienced grade at the Upper School, the Class of 2022 has faced all of the ups and downs of high school and has gained all sorts of knowledge through various successes and failures. Therefore, in an effort to help underclassmen navigate their way through high school for their first or second years, seniors offer management and be organized.” valuable advice.

Other students menOne of the more important objectives of school tioned that seeking teachers is to achieve good grades, out for help is extremely and as many seniors ex- beneficial, as teachers will plained, doing school and share feedback, construchomework accurately but tive criticism, and words efficiently is a key factor of wisdom during confor success in highschool. versations with students.

A

Shreya Mohan ‘22 explains, “Meet with your teachers and get help,” and Bhavsar emphasizes, “Meet with your teachers outside of class; 1-on-1 in office hours… to learn as much as you can on the

Take the time to figure out how to best study and take notes.”

- Sophia Sznewajs subject. Just with talking with them, you can learn life morals.”

However, in order to learn the best methods for success, introspection is sometimes necessary.

Sophia Sznewajs ‘22 articulates, “Take the time to figure out how to best

study and take notes.”

By discovering how you learn and retain information best, studying and doing well on homework and exams becomes much easier. Success will come if you have a plan, so by spending time at the beginning of the school year to figure out what strategies and methods work best for your personal learning, when the work begins to pile up, it will be much more manageable. Finally, having connections with teachers is important, but just as important are friendships with classmates. Forging relationships will help students navigate the difficulties and novelties of highschool, and the time spent in the Upper School will be much more enjoyable.

As Mallick states, “Keep your friends close because they’ll last forever.”

Submitted by: Class of 2022

er School, featuring academic successes, athletic successes, school ths of irregularity, the Class of ‘22 returns to a “new normal” for their day, September 12.

a22:

of 2022

Betsy Fries

Then juniors Rabi Michael-Crushshon ‘22, Habon Samatar Submitted by: Anisa Thompson ‘22, and Spencer Okoronkwo ‘22 led an all-school walkout in Anisa Thompson ‘22 and Shef West ‘22 competed in the the wake of Derek Chauvin’s trial and Daunte Wright’s murder, New Balance Nationals track and field meet in 2019 at North partnering with a state-wide high school effort to show supCarolina A&T State University. Thompson competed in long port for the BLM movement on Apr. 21. jump and West in the mile, both qualified as freshman.

‘22 Reminisces, Shares Upper School Memories Four high school years amount to funny stories, absurd experiences Ahan Devgun | Contributing Writer

Oscar Walsh

the Upper School, marking their first time all together at the begindents in the grade, the Class of 2022 is currently the largest grade in s look forward to a stronger sense of community for the 2021-2022

“My funniest senior memory was when Somil spoke from the heart in the CJB speech, I think that it was funny. If you know you know” - Ibrahim Khan ‘22

“Freshman year, I had a lot of mistakes. The most memorable one was when I broke my wrist on the ice of the street, and then later that day I fell again off the bus on the same wrist. Another memorable experience was when I was in freshman year, my parents couldn’t drive me so I used to ride the city bus. We used to have a teacher named [Alex] Fisher, and he was my freshman year geometry teacher and I didn’t know him that well, but then I saw him on the city bus and he sat next to me, and then we rode the bus every day from there on out.” - Spencer Okoronkwo ‘22

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 10

New Schedule Brings Regularity, Flexibility to All In-person Learning Schedule has benefits and drawbacks, but overall steadiness Mina Rossi | Contributing Writer

L

ast year’s constant schedule changes have made me more appreciative of the consistency in this year’s schedule. Although there are certain aspects of the schedule that I believe still need to be adjusted, overall I think this year’s schedule has been flexible and well structured. The inconsistent start dates have thrown me off a bit, and I’d be

lying if I said I haven’t come to school an hour earlier than I need to because I thought class started at 8:15 rather than 8:45. However, like any other schedule, with some time, students will adjust to it.

The eighty minute classes during the four-day week can oftentimes drag on for a long time. I know I’m not the only student who thinks that shorter classes would help our brains stay focused and more alert. Some teachers have allotted time for breaks and made sure to keep the class active with activities to try and adapt to these longer class periods. On

Julia Everett

the other hand, some of my other classes are lecture based and teachers leave little time to get up and move around.

These classes get dreary and seem to last forever, regardless of how interesting the lecture may be.

Being able to have more than one night to complete homework for a class is definitely an advantage. Although having this extra time between classes in the week leaves more room for procrastination and requires more self discipline, I’ve found that I am a lot less overwhelmed with my workload in comparison to past years.

Kanye West’s Recent Album ‘Donda’ Receives Largely Mixed Reactions Rapper’s new album contains both amazing and weak songs Naomi Solan | Contributing Writer

A

s you all know, “Donda” is Kanye West’s newest studio LP, in tribute to his mother. Kanye is already extremely well-known, and almost everyone has formed their own opinions on him. The lead up to this album was dramatic; from the random announcement, to the postponement because of his divorce, and the conflict with Drake which began in 2018 over some obscure misunderstandings. This led to him not only deleting the album art but also turning every profile picture to black, which is speculated to be to prove that he could outsell Drake with no art.

But in general, the long wait gave everyone extremely high expecta-

tions for this album, I think some of the pieces meet them, while plenty others don’t.

First, there are a few tracks which I think were elongated.

Like the ending of “God Breathed’’ turned into a repetitive filler. Then there’s Baby Keems’ feature in “Praise God” that ruined the entire track. There was zero cohesion not just to the whole song but as a verse alone. I wouldn’t go as far to call these pieces overstuffed, but they have been much better without those annoying additions.

Another song that did not like up to my expectations, was “Junya”. It had the energy of a Carti or Trippie Redd song, but I don’t think it was executed well since it’s not Kanye’s original style. Then, “Off the Grid” takes that exact problem and adds more repetitiveness. Though it is a well produced track, I don’t think songs like “Off the Grid’’ or “Ju-

nya” were in Kanye’s best taste, even if they were mediocre tracks.

My least favorite, “Remote Control,” is a repetitive piece of bad lyricism. The production

Zoe Florida was a disaster because there wasn’t enough cohesiveness. I did enjoy Thugger’s verse, but it was not near enough to pull that song out of the deep dark hole it

dwells in. Furthermore, the Pop Smoke tribute was not very necessary either. I am happy that Kanye decided to tribute a very influential voice in hip-hop, but that did not seem like the way to do it.

The instrumental was awkward and the swear edits with Pop Smokes voice were not that great. It just seemed like a long way to tribute such an influential person.

Yet, tracks like “Hurricane” and “Moon” have blown my mind. “Hurricane” is just absolutely beautiful with The Weeknd’s multiple verse and distorted bridge. “Moon” was an amazing tribute to Kid Cudi’s album trilogy that felt incredibly calm and smooth. The more I listen to these tracks and sounds like those that are scattered in this album, the more other-worldly the sound feels, reminding you of the genuine talent that Kanye has. Just like the verses on “Jesus Lord,” which is an extremely

long, almost sickeningly, praise song, but his lyricism is so well written that even as an atheist, it resonates.

The good angles on this album are extremely impressive since there were a lot of things that happened in the past year that could have definitely shifted his focus.

Going back to multiple songs in which Kanye has featured people who are in their early twenties, and are very new and fresh in the rap game, yet he is still able to maintain that same eccentricness which is also impressive. Again, tracks like “Moon,” “Heaven and Hell,” “Hurricane,” and “Believe What I Say’’ truly make the album.

Donda is for sure a good album, and some of Kanye’s best work in years, but it’s definitely not his best piece However, in a way it’s a beautiful, euphoric, and a staggeringly godly piece of art.

Shang-Chi Leaves Viewers Content With Well-Done Plot, Characters Despite concerns, the new Marvel movie met with praise Eshaan Ambrose | Contributing Writer

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here are very few movies without mistakes and room for improvement, but ShangChi may very well be one of them. Like other one-off films such as Antman or Black Panther, this is easy for people new to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to watch with a small amount of background knowledge needed.

Starting the movie, there were concerns that it

Eshaan Ambrose Shang-Chi plays in theaters, pictured here at Landmark’s Lagoon Cinema in Minneapolis. would be a very Western- plenty of time for character Contrary to the advertis- tatly surprising. ized version of East Asian development and conversa- ing, Awkwanfina’s characThe movie was a bit culture, however it was tion. They spent a perfect ter ‘Katy’ wasn’t just there over two hours long, yet very true to its lore. As amount of time with char- for a standard comic-relief nothing feels rushed or with most Marvel movies, acter dialogues and created character but had rather skimmed over. Even for there was quite a bit of meaningful, important rela- delightful interactions with people who haven’t read action but there was also tions between characters. Shang, which was pleasen- Shang-Chi comics, the

movie did a great job of thoroughly explaining his past as well as his father’s.

Another important thing, the soundtrack for the movie was also very well put together. It pays excellent homage to the Eastern Asian origin of the characters and storyline.

The visual aspect was also amazing, with stunning sets and CGI. Overall, Shang-Chi was a very worthwhile movie to see. It might not be to everyone’s liking, but for people who enjoy Eastern entertainment for its focus on character interactions, recurrent story-telling, and often its focus on pleasantly complex solutions, Shang-Chi was very in line with that.

OPINIONS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 11

Autumn Aesthetic Brings Comfort, Coziness Are Masks Needed?

As fall approaches, familiar autumn aesthetic returns to social media Kyra Sharma & Ruhi Kurdikar | Contributing Writers

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ed, orange, and yellow. The gorgeous colors we see as fall approaches. The blissful idea of sitting in a

Chuseok, Navaratri and Mawlid. No matter who you are, fall is a time to celebrate and prepare for the coming winter.

There is no doubt that fall is a very popular season. Associated with the fiery, warm toned colors and that slight morning chill you feel when you step outside, fall has a certain coziness about it that you never want to leave.

Fall isn’t just crunching leaves and warm

and images of fall surround you. This overload on the senses is the fall aesthetic.

“When I think of fall, I think of going outside in a warm flannel and then crunching the leaves that are on the sidewalk,” Sophie Pederson ‘25 says.

The popularity of the fall aesthetic isn’t a shock as the happiness and positivity of the season is immense. There are so many activities

Melody Lee

warm blanket, drinking a latte, and watching the leaves change colors. All the holidays fall brings: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Yom Kippur, Diwali,

coats, its feeling surrounds you. From warm sweaters to pumpkin spice lattes and cinnamon scented candles, the scents, sounds, feelings,

to experience during this time of the year, such as going to Sever’s Corn Maze, watching “Friday the 13th,” and adding fall decorations to your

room.

“I love the idea of sitting in my bed and drinking hot apple cider and looking at the trees outside,” Taara Verma ‘24 says.

A major contributor to the fall aesthetic is TikTok. It has been very prominent in promoting the fall aesthetic. Seeing video clips of hot cinnamon candles, warm, cozy sweaters, and crimson leaves slowly falling from their trees, makes others want to recreate the experience for themselves. Why watch videos of sweet scented candles when you can smell them yourself? We recommend the Bath and Body Works Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin candle.

The creation and recreation of fall aesthetic videos is how the fall aesthetic hashtag has gained so much popularity on tiktok.

Whether it’s going to the pumpkin patch, taking pictures of the colorful leaves, or simply enjoying the season, everyone we talked to wants to be a part of the fall festivity. The fall aesthetic is a beautiful way to precede the harsh winters of Minnesota.

Vaccination rate and past data leads against mandate Chad Woerner | Staff Writer n light of the spread of the delta variant throughout the US in recent weeks, on Jul. 27, the CDC recommended that masks, regardless of vaccinated status, be worn in indoor spaces in counties with high rates of COVID-19 transmission.

However, the Upper School should suspend its mask mandate immediately: vaccination rates at Blake’s Upper School far exceed the national average, high case counts aren’t translating to high hospitalization/death rates, and masks take away from a complete educational experience.

A slew of evidence suggests that vaccination rates in the Blake community are markedly higher than the general population and likely hover around 90% of the Upper School Community.

98% of faculty and staff indicated that they were fully vaccinated in a spring 2021 survey; in July, Head of School Anne Stavney wrote that “we… know nearly every Blake employee has

I

received the vaccination.”

Student turnouts at vaccination events held at Blake’s Middle School campus in the spring were strong, with hundreds of inoculations occurring amongst students aged 12-16.

Hospitalization data from earlier flu outbreaks in the 2010s show worse outcomes than the current covid outbreaks and yet masks were scarcely worn at those times.

Risk of death after hospitalization does appear to be slightly higher with covid than with the flu, but the low risk of hospitalization in the first place for fully vaccinated individuals outweighs that difference. Sure, the flu vaccine is much less effective than the covid vaccines, but that’s besides the point. Minnesota flu vaccination rates in recent years have failed to reach as high a percentage as covid vaccines this year, but that’s besides the point. But what explains why masks weren’t mandated in 2017, 2018 – and even more moderate flu years – by Blake?

My point isn’t that we shouldn’t be making a small sacrifice for the greater good. But the current preventive measures aside from masks in the Blake community outweigh the troubles caused by them.

Freshman Experience Positive, Productive First Week of Upper School “Honestly, being new has been really good; everyone’s been super nice. I’ve gotten lost multiple times though--the second floor is the worst place to be lost in.”

- Drew Dillon ‘25

Adjustment from middle school easier than expected Winnie Ulland | Staff Writer

“My first week back at school has been relieving... everybody was very nice to me, and it felt like a very warm welcome... [being clapped in] was interesting because that’s never happened to me before.”

- Meri Harkins ‘25

Betsy Fries

The upperclassmen welcome freshmen with the traditional pre-COVID-19 clap-in at the first assembly of the school year.

“I think it’s been going well... the homework can be done in school, so if you manage your time well you don’t have to worry about homework outside of school.”

- Alvin Liu ‘25

Students desire more communication about school masking policies, COVID protocols !"#$%&"'& ()%&*(+''

A

s Oct. 1 approaches, Blake continues to reevaluate their mask policies and mandates in order to keep the community safe. Both vaccinations and masks have been controversial topics, with high levels of debate surrounding them.

Frustration among the student body grows as COVID-19 policies and safety measures are highly contradictory. According to Blake’s protocols, they do not require proof of vac-

cination for employees, students, or families. This policy, however, is complicated as those who are vaccinated are not required to quarantine. Without checking vaccination cards and not requiring fully vaccinated people to quarantine, we are operating on the honor system. It becomes dangerous to leave safety precaution to the discretion of the student body. Furthermore, many students are confused as lunch periods have returned to a preCOVID-19 fashion without plastic dividers and no separated tables or desks.

Students are still not allowed to serve their own

food, which makes the waiting time in line longer, increasing COVID-19 exposure risk as people are extremely close together.

Vaccination status, however, is extremely high among the student body.

Out of 276 responses in an anonymous survey sent to Upper School students, 97.1% of people reported they are fully vaccinated.

Some said that they are in the process of getting vaccinated, can’t receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, and chose not to be vaccinated. As most students are vaccinated, this data is highly encouraging as it restores

hope and eases anxiety within the community.

When asked about Blake’s mask mandate, 56.6% of students agreed that the mask mandate is not only helpful, but they also want it to continue.

32% of people thought that Blake’s mask policy was not beneficial and it should not continue. Many other respondents agreed that if everyone is vaccinated, with the exception of medical or religious exemptions, masks should be optional. Students also agreed that they appreciate that masks are required, but proper mask-wearing is not enforced enough. When

asked what students would do if the mask mandate was lifted, 32% of people said they wouldn’t wear a mask, 29.4% of people said that they would bring a mask with them and assess how many people are wearing them, 22.7% of people shared they would wear a mask. The remaining 16% of respondents answered that they would wear a mask for the first few weeks to track COVID-19 numbers, then reassess. Finally, when asked if vaccinations should be required if the mask mandate was lifted, 72.9% responded in agreement, and 14.3% of people said no.

The rest of the respondents shared that if an individual is vaccinated, masks should be optional, but those who aren’t vaccinated should be required to wear masks.

Overall, it is crucial to do everything we can to ensure safety for ourselves and the broader community. Protecting those around us, including individuals at a higher risk and unable to be vaccinated, is extremely important. Following Blake’s guidelines and safety recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will be our best chance at returning to a sense of normalcy.

FOOD FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 12

Local Restaurant, The Grocers Table, Recreating Fall Features Seasonal, Farm to Table Fare Classics: Pumpkin Fall menu additions embrace weather changes Emily Rotenberg | Niche News Editor

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mages of pumpkin flavored and baked goods usually come to mind when I think about fall. However, fall isn’t just about the sweets, it also includes a wide variety of harvest foods. Because of this, I decided to venture out to The Grocers Table, a relatively new restaurant located in Wayzata, Minnesota. All of their food is extremely healthy and uses fresh and local produce and ingredients. They offer entrées ranging from pizza to sandwiches and even charcuterie boards.

Although they didn’t have a specific fall menu, I decided to try their Seasonal Soup, Seasonal Pizza, and Veggie Harvest Sandwich.

Out of the three items I ordered, the Seasonal Pizza was by far my favorite. The pizza consisted of a sweet pepper puree, a

layer of cheese, chicken, and love most vegetables and I spicy hot honey drizzled on normaltop. I don’t have a particularly high tolerance for spice so after I took my first bite I thought it was way too spicy.

However I still ended up eating most of the pizza because the spice made it almost addicting. Additionally, the sweet pepper puree helped to balance out the pizza as a whole. Emily Rotenberg The next wouldn’t dish I tried was the Veggie ly Harvest Sandwich. Unlike have chosen this the pizza, the sandwich was sandwich but overall super sweet from the wide I would definitely get it variety of vegetables. It had again.

Lastly, I ate the a red beet hummus spread on the bottom and avocado minestrone soup, which spread on the top with car- I had never tried before. rots, mushrooms, sprouts, My mom always orders it cheese, and onions in be- as an appetizer at different tween both slices of honey restaurants but it was never wheat bread. Eating the pizza something that piqued my and sandwich together was interest. The Grocers Table perfect because the sweet makes a classic minestrone soup consisting of tomatoes, sandwich really compliment ed the spice of the pizza. celery, onions, beans, carrots, I’m not going to lie, I don’t and pasta. When I tried the

soup, it totally reminded me of fall with the numerous vegetables and warm broth.

I can’t wait to go back and get it again.

Seasonal food from a local restaurant is so different from a chain restau-

Cream Cold Brew Homemade, chai tea version of Starbucks’ renowned drink Sage Marmet | Co-Editor-In-Chief

W rant.

I n stead of eating the unhealthy, sweet foods you might associate with fall such as pumpkin bread, apple pie, or candied popcorn, local restaurants offer a wide variety of fresh, homemade cuisines. Although a spicy chicken pizza, minestrone soup, and veggie sandwich might not have been what people typically associate with fall, I contend that harvest produce is a key ingredient to a true fall meal.

hen I think of fall’s approach, a warm (or cold) cup of chai tea comes to my mind. While I do love coffee, something about the blend of spices making my taste buds dance makes me opt for chai tea.

Sage Marmet

For the Chai One to two scoops of Blue Lotus Chai powder One tablespoon of hot water One to two cups of milk of choice warmed (I like almond or oat but anything works) Sweetener of choice (I like to use agave nectar) Dash of cinnamon Dash of pumpkin pie spice Dash of nutmeg

For the Pumpkin Cold Foam ½ cup heavy whipping cream 1-3 spoonfuls of Pumpkin puree Dash of cinnamon Dash of pumpkin pie spice Dash of nutmeg See blakeschool.org for directions on how to make this original recipe.

EXPERIENCE AUTUMN HARVEST

Melody Lee Noor Naseer Noor Naseer ‘22 visits Marshalls Farm Market which sells produce from the farm of Carrie and Greg, who are fourth generation farmers, located in Eden Prairie. The market is open from July through November on Monday-Friday 10 a.m. -7 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. at 9100 Eden Prairie Rd #2308, Eden Prairie, MN 55347.

Farmers’ Market Produce Meets Popular Autumn Recipes Homemade salad 1 tablespoon fig preserves Salad recipe made with 1 tablespoon fresh thyme local ingredients Noor Naseer | Co-Editor-in-Chief

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adapted the Fall Harvest Apple and Kale Salad from Tieghan Gerard’s blog– “Half Baked Harvest.” I omitted the pomegranate seeds, prosciutto, and pepitas, and added husk cherries.

When going grocery shopping for this recipe, I wanted to do as much as

possible at my local farmers’ market, Marshall’s Farmers’ Market in Eden Prairie.

I ended up buying the apples, Zestar to be exact, and the husk cherries. I had never heard of husk cherries before, but when I was asking one of the vendors for something that she thought was especially “fall-y,” she im-

ads. If I hadn’t visited the farmers’ market, I never would have tried husk cherries, which I believe are going to be one of my new favorite ingredients to cook with. Find my adapted recipe below:

Noor Naseer

mediately brought me to the husk cherries. Husk cherries have a very tropical flavor and can go in anything from pies to sal-

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 heads kale, shredded 2 zestar apples, thinly sliced 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 cup Husk cherries

Cider Vinaigrette

leaves kosher salt and pepper 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Directions Chop the kale, slice

apples, and peel husk cherries Combine all salad ingredients 1/3 cup extra virgin Combine all vinaigrette olive oil ingredients 1 shallot, thinly sliced Pour dressing over sal2 tablespoons apple cider ad and enjoy! vinegar

GAMES & ADS | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 13

Karsten & Oscar’s Photo Collage

Wuzzles!

Mallika Malaviya | Staff Artist

Hint: Known as the last frontier.

Hint: The land of fire and ice.

Hint: The state motto is “Industry.”

Hint: Neutral country bordering the Alps.

Check out www. blakespectrum.org for the answer to all the games and puzzles!

Back to School Wordsearch Words

Follow us on Instagram

@Blakespectrum

PERSPECTIVES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 14

Cursive developed out of necessity Jason Gelb | Contributing Writer

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he history behind cursive begins in ancient Greece and Rome, where early versions of it were most likely used to hasten writing practices and prevent damage to the writing tool. During these times a quill and ink was

used to write, creating two difficulties when it came to writing: the ink would dry out fast, and the quill was easy to break. By keeping the quill on the page longer, the ink on the tip wouldn’t dry out as fast, and the quill was less susceptible to breakage as the writer could better manage the pressure placed on it while writing.

Cursive has been

present in the English language since before the 11th century, however, it wasn’t until the 17th and 18th centuries that cursive became standardized. Edward Cocker introduced the French ronde style followed by John Ayers and William Banson’s round hand style. These styles were very flamboyant and, in order to improve efficiency clerks in the 18th and 19th century,

simplified them down to a style called fair hand, which is quite similar to cursive today.

The development of cursive remained relatively stagnant until the 1960s when some pushed to write cursive in italics to aid learning, but the movement largely fell through. The downfall of cursive has occurred quite quickly relative to the length of its total exis-

tence.

The first step in cursive’s decline was the invention of the ballpoint pen in 1888. The pen used quick drying ink, preventing smears and reducing the need for careful penmanship. After World War Two, ballpoint pens were mass produced, expediting cursive’s decline. This already rapid decline was made even worse once computers

and other technologies were introduced to the market, reducing the need for writing as a whole, but especially a style as intricate as cursive. Today the debate around whether cursive is useful still lives on. To some, advancements technology has removed the need for cursive, but many still argue that cursive is a useful tool to expedite and enhance writing.

Julia Everett

Cursive Taught in School Augments Communication Skills for Life Cursive elevates cognative functionaility Maggie Seidel | Managing Editor

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am still drawn to the timeless art of a written card or message.

Whether it be for a noteworthy occasion or simply a message of gratitude, there is something intangibly personable about a handwritten note.

I vividly recall learning how to write low-

ercase letters in first grade, graduating to uppercase in second grade, and then moving towards cursive writing in third grade. The skill of placing pen to paper and creating legible markings has been instilled in me since I was young. I feel significant gratitude for my penmanship mentors, as this skill will reep lifelong dividends.

According to a New York Times article written by occupational therapist Suzanne Baruch Asher-

son, “cursive is shown to improve brain development in the areas of thinking, language and working memory. Cursive handwriting stimulates brain synapses and synchronicity between the left and right hemispheres, something absent from printing and typing.” Not only do handwritten notes provide a thoughtful and considerate message but there is also scientific evidence to support the developmental importance of learning how

to write in cursive and obtain proper penmanship. The artful qualities of cursive have tangible effects on cognitive development.

Furthermore, according to a Scholastic article presenting a study conducted by the University of Montreal, the process of visualizing letters and writing words on paper can lead to stronger spelling habits.

This ability will enable children to be more confident writers and more effective communicators.

Although our society becomes ever more reliant upon virtual communication, I concur that the art of the written word and letters will remain. Stories, ideas, and emotion can be conveyed through written messages and passed along for generations, framing traditions and cultures. The gift of writing and penmanship is vital to this continuation of these stories and must be prioritized in schools.

Students rely upon their education systems

to value one of the oldest forms of communication. Writing offers an oasis from the bombarding reality of electronic communication and presents an opportunity for the writer to interact with their emotions and ideas sans distraction. In doing so, we contribute to a legacy of thinkers and preservers of history.

And, we simultaneously become less dependent on texting and auto-corrections that alter and, in many situations, misconstrue our messages.

Julia Everett

Pretentious, Unneccesary Writing Form Provides Limited Usefulness Out-dated, antiquated, cursive no longer serves Lucio Bollettieri | Contributing Writer

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ursive’s relevance has shrunk significantly over the last several decades, which is a trend that I believe should be embraced and not resisted. In my mind, cursive writing is the handwritten equivalent of the typewriter: an outdated system that has widely been replaced with a newer, more efficient, and more practical successor. I’m all for the recognition of traditional practices — such as cursive — in a historical context, but the notion that cursive needs to

be taught in addition to modern print is redundant. In short, the idea that cursive should be revived and taught instead of print writing is simply absurd. We aren’t taught to use a rotary phone, so why are we taught to use cursive?

I can recall a small cursive unit near the end of my third grade year at the Blake lower school that spanned a few weeks, but outside of this unit I had no other instruction on how to write or read cursive.

I was taught cursive letters and practiced writing and reading them, but not to the extent that I retained a longterm ability to read or write fluidly in cursive.

I can passably accom-

plish both tasks, but have certainly not mastered either. I believe

say that I do not encounter cursive commonly in my day to day life out-

“A writing form taught in school that is no longer used outside of school is clearly an antiquated and vestigial technique.” this short exposure to cursive was more than enough knowledge an elementary school student needs to be successful in school. I can certainly

side of school, and the only times I can recall being required to use it were all in a school setting. Children are taught cursive so they can use

it in the classroom, and cursive is used in the classroom because children are taught to employ it. This is circular logic. A writing form taught in school that is no longer used outside of school is clearly an antiquated and vestigial technique.

These views on cursive are shared amongst the student body. “Cursive is outdated. It’s unnecessary because of the technological advancements we have today like printers and computers,” says Frida Illescas ‘22, who learned cursive at the elementary charter school she attended. “I don’t see the point in using the limited time we have in classrooms to teach

children to write in a certain way when they should be encouraged to express themselves in their writing style however they want.”

There are obviously situations in which familiarity with cursive would be beneficial (if not essential), such as reading original texts of historical documents, but these scenarios are few and far between. Of course, if a student is interested in cursive they should be able to learn it through instruction.

Instead of requiring cursive instruction through, it should be offered as a separate class, much like those for foreign languages. After all, it certainly looks like one to many.

FEATURES | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 15

Summer Volunteers Make Extensive Impact Maddie Hsia ‘23, Kate McDonald ‘23 dedicates summer to service Zoey Ueland | Staff Writer

“B

lake has a long history of community service” notes Lisa Sackreiter, the head of Service Learning and Community Engagement.

A mission Blake actively commits themselves to involves

Actions,” Blake is able to get students as well as their families involved in various service opportunities throughout the school year.

Sackreiter states, “I have a list of things I try to keep updated with current and ongoing opportunities so I like to share that list with folks, you know if I can learn what are the things that a student feels interested in that works with their schedules you know I can make suggestions about different organiza-

ed in an extensive amount of service work throughout her time at Blake. Hsia’s participation in Service Path Recognition, awarded to students who complete 100 hours of service in one year, allows her to parse out her service hours and participate in multiple organizations throughout the summer. She explains, “100 hours is a lot of hours, and so I try to get the majority of it done in the summer, but I think I do have 20 hours left.”

“COVID WAS SUCH A BIG ISSUE IT REALLY IMPACTED FOOD INSECURITY IN MINNESOTA, AND I ALREADY KNEW THAT, BUT I GOT TO SEE IT FIRST HAND.” - MADDIE HSIA ‘23 helping students partake in service opportunities while actively participating in their community and helping people in need.

Through the Community Service Board (CSB) and its committees as well as service opportunities offered through school and suggested on Google Documents such as “Summer Volunteer Opportunities” and “Blake Good Neighbor

tions that might be a good fit for them.

Despite the overwhelming number of students who participate in service opportunities at various points throughout the school year, some students take the extra step and broaden their horizons outside the clubs they attend. Maddie Hsia ‘23 is one student who has taken the initiative and participat-

In order to complete the remaining service hours, Hsia will utilize school breaks. Her strategy of lighter service work in the school year allows for a balance of both staying involved in her community as well as staying on top of school work.

Last year, Hsia coran the Hunger Committee, a club that falls under Blake’s Community

Submitted by: Lisa Sackreiter

Top: Sarah Hsia ‘25, Maddie Hsia ‘24, and their mother volunteer with Learning in Style School to help adult immigrants learn English. Bottom: Through the Hunger Committee that Maddie Hsia ‘23 (right) co-ran last year, she and Sarah Hsia ‘25 (left) packaged food and meals for families in need.

Submitted by: Kate McDonald

Kate McDonald ‘23 partners with ResourceWest, a non-profit organization in the Twin Cities, to provide families in need with backpacks and school supplies. McDonald is the link between the organization and Blake families who donate items.

Service Board. Her love of service work combined with her passion for solving the food-related crisis allows for work in and out of school. This summer, Hsia “[D]id a bunch of food packing events like Feed my Starving Children and EveryMeal.” Each organization she has been involved in has been for varying amounts of time” “EveryMeal I just learned about last year ... Feed My Starving Children was since sixth grade.” Along with food packing Hsia also participated in two other big service projects this past summer. “I did this research project with the U of M. It was with the psychology department; it was really interesting to see what a lab looks like at a university.” Despite COVID-19 restrictions and volunteering virtually, Hsia still was able to participate in the research project and collect data as a volunteer.

Aside from volunteering at food shelters and participating in the University’s research project, Hsia also works with a school for new immigrants: “A lot of my work that I did this summer was with Learning in Style School ... Learning in Style School is a school for adult immigrants, and so they teach them English and they try to help them kind of transition to American life.” While volunteering at Learning in Style, Hsia has taken on different roles as a volunteer saying, “I’ve worked at their food pantry giving out food to their students and

then tutoring in the classrooms. Normally I’ll do a little bit of the summer school because their school year overlaps with ours, so it’s a little hard for me, and then I’ll help organize books or clean down the classrooms.” Hsia’s affinity for Learning in Style has taken her beyond summer volunteering. While talking about Learning in Style, Hsia referenced Legacy Day, Blake’s day of service. “The Legacy Day food drive last year went to Learning in Style. For Legacy Day this year, actually a lot of the stuff is going to Learning in Style, so we’re going to make little care packages for them” Hsia isn’t the only student taking summer volunteering to the next level.

In the past year, Kate McDonald ‘23, has taken over the backpack collection for students in need, something her brother, Will McDonald ‘21, started and ran in the past. She says, “When [Will] graduated this past year, he was looking for someone to take over the program because obviously it’s a really impactful program and wanted it to continue, and so I asked if I could take it over for him, and so that’s how I got involved.” She volunteers for an organization called Resource West, a non-profit helping stabilize people in need in the Twin Cities and provide them with resources. The resources provided include back to school supplies, winter gear to fight the cold, and childcare and academic as-

sistance among a plethora of other programs. While explaining exactly how she participates in the program, McDonald states, “I am sort of like the connection between the organization and the Blake families … [Blake families] buy a backpack and fill it with school supplies ... [T]hen they drop them off at one of the Blake campuses, and I come by and collect all of them and deliver them to Resource West.”

Her involvement with Resource West has taught her new perspectives about the community we live in. “I think what was the thing that struck me was how many students in the communities we live in are in such need that their parents can’t even afford to buy their backpack and I think it gave me a lot of perspective about how we sort of live in a bubble of privilege and people in our own neighborhoods are struggling so much.”

Service remains a crucial component of Blake’s education, whether through clubs, Legacy Day, or the service opportunities offered throughout the year.

Students that take service outside school may find new meaning in what it means to give back. Hsia noted about her work over the summer, “COVID was such a big issue it really impacted food insecurity in Minnesota, and I already knew that, but I got to see it first hand. Helping people at the food pantry made me realize how big the need was.”

Habon Samatar STUDENT SPOTLIGHT | THE SPECTRUM NEWSPAPER | SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 | 16

Sofia Perlman | Opinions Editor Reporting by: Christopher Chen

summer of travels T

ing the conclusion of the vacation, Habon visited Mombasa, another large city along the East coast of Africa.

Reflecting on her summer, Samatar comments on how much she learned about the world: “There’s so many more identities and stories than what I originally thought.

Because I always knew that there were a lot of people, but I never realized how much of a vast difference there is of identities and cultures that I never really acknowledged... I also didn’t realize that culture is such a big aspect, and even though in America there are a lot of cultures, when I went to other places there’s more of one culbm ture or a it t ed couple. I think by: Hab it was just super o n Sa matar cool to experience that.”

Top photo: Samatar went four wheeling in the sand dunes in Dubai.

Bottom left: A waterfall in Antalya, Turkey. To access the waterfall, Samatar had to take an hour long boat through the sweltering heat. The ride itself was really bumpy and wavy, according to Samatar.

Bottom right: A view of Istanbul. The weather was much more agreeable than Antalya, and this view was at the top of a rooftop cafe where Samatar and her family ate.

:

New York in that sense-it’s more of a major city...

I felt like I learned a lot there because I learned how to ride the train and how to speak Turkish and use their money and call taxis. I think that whole experience was super memorable because all those things that I learned over there I can take and use here. When I continue to travel, hopefully, I can use it in other ways.”

Samatar’s second stop in Turkey, and her favorite place she traveled to, was “Antalya, Turkey. It was right next to the Mediterranean Sea... it was such a nice place and right next to the beach, just super relaxing. I think that was just a super nice trip.”

The sun-kissed beaches and the summer weather complemented each other as Samatar relaxed with her family.

In the final few weeks of her travels, Habon returned to Kenya where she embarked on a safari.

She observed lions, buffaloes, and giraffes. Following the safari and near-

Su

his summer, Habon Samatar ‘22 spent two months traveling, visiting Kenya, Dubai, and Turkey. She spent two weeks in Nairobi, Kenya visiting her brother, and from there her family went to Dubai.

While there, she visited the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, and jet skied with her family.

Their next stop was Turkey where they landed in Istanbul to visit and spend important family time with her aunts. She also visited one of the oldest and most famous markets in the world: the Grand Bazaar.

Despite the distance between the two, Samatar was able to connect her experiences in Istanbul to her life in America. She mentioned that the skills she learned in Istanbul she would definitely use in her future.

Seeing Istanbul was also one of her favorite experiences of her summer travels. “I think that just the aspect of Istanbul--it’s very similar to

Looking Ahead W

Betsy Fries

Samatar speaks to the importance she places on positivity saying, “I also feel like I am so privileged for what I have and who I am, I think that I have to appreciate it while I can, because you never know what’s going to happen.

hen she came home, Samatar experienced a huge culture shock after spending so much time abroad. It was something she had never experienced before: “I learned so many different cultures and so many different things. I wasn’t used to the American culture [upon returning], or the way that people interact.”

The biggest shock was hanging out with her friends after returning, and how unusual their interactions seemed to her.

“I’m super close with my friends, but those two months away and learning other cultures and not interacting with American culture was so weird. I almost felt like I was watching myself interact with other people instead of being in my body, almost an out-of-body experience,” says Samatar.

For Samatar, this culture shock emphasized just how different cultures are, just two months away

had a large effect on her.

“I didn’t even realize what it was until I talked to my mom’s friend, who was saying that when you travel a lot and then come back, it’s like a whole other experience, I mean, right now I’m used to it, but when I first hung out with my friends it was really weird,” she adds.

As Samatar walks through the halls, she radiates a glow of positivity that seems to be passed on to everyone.

Samatar strives to stay positive and motivated through the year. She views positivity as a way to be grateful, and find light in a world of many struggles and issues. “I am so privileged for what I have and who I am, I think that I have to appreciate it while I can, because you never know what’s going to happen... positivity is a great way to look at places even when there’s so many

people struggling and going through stuff, if you are positive and you look at that aspect in school and everything, I think that can rub off on other people,” she says.

Regarding senior year, and her future, Samatar says “I definitely want to go to college in America, but I really want to go to medical school outside of America... I want to do at least a semester or a year abroad, especially in Turkey.” She hopes to go to medical school in Istanbul, and then return to America afterwards.

Samatar notes that she wants to keep an open mind about her future and the world, and that traveling for school, as well as for fun, will allow her to do that. “I think that there’s a lot more out there than we know, and if I say that I just want to do one thing, then I’m just going to focus on that one thing and not see everything.”