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www.edinazephyrus.com
In-Depth p. 6-7
Culture p. 10
Back Page p. 12
Carpe Diem: All about everyone’s favorite way of seizing the day!
Eyes on the Future: Read about new tech innovations!
Meet the Staff: Can you match each member with their bio?
Volume 34 Issue 2
November 15, 2013
6754 Valley View Rd. Edina, MN 55439
EHS Senior Brings Tech Startup to NYC Edina High School senior Chris Enriquez is in the process of bringing his tech startup company, Kicks Closet, to New York City. “We want to go to New York City because it is the key business city in the largest economy in the world,” said Enriquez. With a $20,000 investment to cover half of the startup cost, Enriquez is busy working as an entrepreneur. Kicks Closet started in the winter of 2013 when Enriquez was buying and selling shoes on eBay. “eBay took ten percent of every sale. That is a lot of money when you sell shoes at two hundred dollars apiece,” said Enriquez. Because of the high costs of buying and selling on eBay, Enriquez came up with the idea of an app where individuals can buy, sell, and trade shoes at a lower cost. He went on to hire a developer in India, paying him one thousand dollars to develop a cheap app called Kicks Closet, which debuted on the App Store on Feb. 18, 2013. “The app was okay. It was nothing special,” said Enriquez. That March, Enriquez received an email about his app. A man named Shawn McCarthy wanted to rebuild Kicks Closet to make it even better. “I
never called him until June, when I finally decided startup cost,” said Enriquez. Their plans for the that I would hear him out and see what he had to company are to promote their app through Amerisay,” said Enriquez. Ever since the phone call, can rapper French Montana and professional basthe two ketball player of them Josh Smith, have with whom been talkMcCarthy has ing every connections. other day They are also about relooking to building travel to difthe app ferent shoe and makconventions ing it into to promote a comtheir compapany. In ny. “We want the begin[Kicks Closphoto by Bridgit Loeffelholz ning of et] to become August, a world-wide Enriquez name,” stated and McCarthy talked with three different American Enriquez. developers. Finally, in mid-October, they picked Enriquez has a strong past with entrepreneurone.“Shawn and I are going to own the company ship, stretching all the way back to sixth grade fifty-fifty. We are investing $20,000 apiece as a where he went to Costco and spent twenty dollars
on gum, selling it from his locker and doubling his money. “By tenth grade, I had my first real entrepreneurial company. I created CE Custom Kicks, where I took authentic shoes, stripped them down, and custom painted them. I was not making any money from it, so I sold the idea to somebody else,” admitted Enriquez. Then, his junior year, Enriquez saw the need for high end clothing for hockey players. He started Celly Hockey, but it failed within a few months because the high quality clothing was too expensive to make any profits. Finally, Enriquez got into making apps and eBooks. “My first eBook was a smoothie guide. I paid a freelance writer fifty dollars to write it. I then expanded to video game guides. I made tens of thousands of dollars in profit,” claimed Enriquez. Although many of Enriquez’s ideas have failed in the past, he believes that Kicks Closet is his best idea yet. “The amount of times I had to fail to become successful was all part of the process,” said Enriquez. Jack Hultstrand, print editor in chief
eLearning2 Update Having started at the end of this past school year, the eLearning2 program is putting a new perspective on how students use technology in Edina. eLearning2 is a program meant to get the latest in resourceful technology into the hands of every Edina student by providing them with personal devices. Bloomington’s tech powerhouse Best Buy teamed up with Edina Public Schools to provide students with technologies optimized for them at great discounts. Edina “[is] the only school district that has this,” said Instructional Technology Specialist Mr. Tim Berndt. The game changing program is starting to gain national attention with over two hundred school districts nationwide contacting Best Buy about the opportunity. The program started out last year for the freshmen class. This year, it has expanded to sixth graders and is projected to expand to grades six through twelve within the next three years. So far it is still not mandatory for students to have a device, rather the program “is about learning and we feel that a device like this is just another tool in the toolbox for students,” said Berndt. The process started about a year and a half ago. As many school districts began a so-called “One to One Initiative” (programs that result in every student getting a device), Edina set out to find a practical way to get technology to students. eLearning2 offers roughly twenty-five percent off laptops, sixty percent off Chromebooks, and nearly eighty five percent off the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2. All this technology is great, but if students don’t know how to use the devices, then what’s the point? The other leg of the eLearning2 program is the Geek Squad technical support provided
multiple days a week at no cost to students. Kids are most likely jumping out of their desks at the idea of such a deal on a tablet, but unexpectedly, so are parents. At a parent feedback forum held on Mar. 12, 2013 (meeting notes available at http://edinaschools.org/Page/582), parents were, overall, pleased with the program’s outcome. “My son is more interested in school because of his access to information,” said one parent, while another commented on the resourcefulness her daughter had gained, noting that “[The] tablet allows my daughter to do homework during [after school activities].” The natural concern of being able to get students away from the games” arose, and that will be a struggle for the program moving forward, but the district has already taken a stand against it. The Police Liaison came to school to tutor kids on the legality of being online, and the district is partnering with parents to ensure appropriate device use within the school. Matt Woolsey, culture editor
art by Genevieve Anderegg
art by Alex Riddle
Paying for Activities:
Where Does the Money Go? While many athletes are heading to our activity office each year to register for sports and clubs, students on Zephyrus are doing the same. The process is the same for everyone - signing a participation pass and paying a $40 fee. During the 2008-2009 school year, Edina Public Schools decided to go through a budget reduction process. The Edina athletics and activity fees were approved by the school board shortly after. The fees have stayed steady over the past few years. Many other classes, including Windigo, DECA, band, and choir also have an installed fee. According to EHS Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Troy Stein, the total expense per school year at Edina is estimated to be about $130,000 for all activities, sports, and fine arts. “I think any time we have to ask students to pay an extra fee to participate, whether it be
The official newspaper of Edina High School
a sport or activity, it can be a burden to some families,” said Stein. The activities fee has gotten mixed responses overall. “The activity fee is beneficial because once it is payed you are fully eligible and allowed to participate in that sport or activity,” said DECA member Claire Butwinick. “I do not see the need for an activity fee. The total cost spent on the sport/club adds up because you already have to pay for apparel and extra items,” said Windigo member Lauren Christensen. How exactly does the district use these fees? Overall, the money is used to offset the stipend that the advisors receive annually. Even though some of the fees are for classes, there are more responsibilities for the advisor to tend to outside of school hours. Mia Hilali, staff writer