Being Muslim in Edina p. 7-9
March 20, 2015 | 35:7
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Beyond the Labels
TABLE OF CONTENTS
NEWS
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C U LT U R E
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“DECA is a passion...”
OPINION
SPORTS 2
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes Reflecting on Our Final Days
Online
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coming years are purely based on what my family, teachers, and movies have told me. But, I can speak a bit about the here and now. Enjoy it. Even if you dread high school, find a way to make something out of it. If you love it, get involved, and hug your friends a little tighter. This period of your life only happens once, and you don’t want your diploma to come with a side of regret.
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On The Cover
doubt and I’m grateful for the time I’ve spent here, but I’m ready for something different. Besides, that’s what high school is ideally supposed to do - prepare you for what comes next. However, it’s inherently bittersweet. There is a level of comfort that will simply disappear when I move out of my house and away from my parents. Don’t get me wrong, I have zero wisdom to share regarding the future. My ideas about the
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I will graduate from Edina High School in less than three months. In double that time, I will begin my first year of college. That rolls off the tongue all well and good, but for now it’s fairly conceptual. It becomes more difficult to fathom when put into practice, such as the fact that I’ll never live with my brother again or see my dog when I come home from school
every day. As seniors, we represent a broad spectrum of viewpoints regarding this imminent transition. Some are counting the seconds until they can leave high school behind and start a fresh chapter, while others are holding on to childhood for dear life, terrified by the uncertainties ahead. And a good majority likely fall somewhere in the middle. Personally, I’m thrilled for college. My years in Edina have been informative without a
by Au dre yS hee
Hannah Kloos online copy editor
Katie Manderfeld (Cover Art) Katie Manderfeld (Header)
Zephyrus Staff Editorial Board Matt Woolsey, print editor in chief Drew Davis, online editor in chief Jackson Van Dyke, managing editor Tanner Sparrow, print copy editor
Hannah Kloos, online copy editor Patricia Leach, art editor Page Editors Chiara Kohlmayr Sophie Cannon Noah Chestler Megan Hussey Erik Lindquist
John Osler Farhia Osman Audrey Sheehy Madeline Marker Ellie Bender Staff Writers Ansel Smolund Josie Fay Nichole Schultz
Ellie Kohner Austin Buyse Hugh Cashman Daniela Garcia Anna Gratzer Jessica Mixon Megan Talghader Colette Bruder Lillie Westbrook
Nikki Lund Ella Romanelli Becca Edgington Julia Tollefson Isabel Thompson Molly Sparrow Photographers Annika Kieper Zoe Gunderson
Artist Gage Aulik Advisor Elizabeth Barniskis
Zephyrus is a monthly publication produced by students of Edina High School; 6754 Valley View Road; Edina, MN 55439; (952) 848-3800 x3087. Zephyrus is an open forum for student expression that recognizes the First Amendment guarentee of freedom of the press, and abides by Tinker standard. Opinions published in Zephyrus do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff, advisor, administration, or entire student body. Submissions and letters are printed based on space available. Anonymous letters may be printed only if a Zephyrus advisor or editor knows the author’s identity. Letters should be mailed to the school or given to the advisor or a staff member. Zephyrus reserves the right to edit any letters for clarity and length.
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NEWS
Pre-AP 10 Returns to Fort Snelling Following last year’s successful Fort Snelling seminar, the Pre-AP English 10 program is returning this spring on March 19th and 20th. This trip gives students an opportunity to learn about Minnesota Dakota history, language, and culture. The students are taught mainly by Glenn Wasicuna, one of the few remaining native Dakota speakers in the world and Dr. Gwen Westerman, an author and the current Director of Humanities as well as a professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. This year, students will also be creating films, with Lakota filmmaker Tiana LaPointe. Students were given an opportunity last year that has never been offered before and learned much from the experience, according to Pre-AP 10 English teacher Jackie Roehl. “The students were able to
create a piece of visual art and write three poems,” said Roehl. Students also learned about the importance of Dakota language. “They learned how to count to ten in Dakota, recite the Dakota alphabet, and say a few other words,” she said. Several students who went last year were invited back this year to help mentor the sophomores. “This year there will be families with junior and senior mentors serving as big brothers and sisters,” said Roehl. The teachers are excited to return this year and see how enriching the experience is for the students. Roehl remembers how emotional the last day was last year, and how everyone had gathered for closing thoughts. “This was such an emotional experience for the teachers and artists to hear how in-depth, integrated learning can really make a difference in a student’s life- a few tears were even shed.”
photo courtesy of the Edina High School English Department
Megan Hussey culture editor
The 2013-2014 Fort Snelling group last April.
Wikipedia Edit War Reveals Edina’s Past John Osler news editor
Ella Romanelli staff writer After almost 30 years of teaching, Edina teacher Diane Daniels has decided to retire. Daniels started teaching at Edina High School in 2005 after teaching at Valley View and has enjoyed her years here. “There have been so many highlights to being a teacher, but the one that stands out the most to me are the smiles of the kids that have entered my classroom each and every day,” said the social studies teacher. Although she is excited for retirement, she wishes that she could celebrate her
accomplishments with her belated parents. Daniels feels that they would give the same advice as her to her colleagues and students. “Always follow your truth and live a balanced life,” said Ms. Daniels. Also retiring this year is English teacher Martha Cosgrove, who began teaching in Edina fifteen years ago. Working at the EHS writing center, she has had the opportunity of working with students to improve their writing skills. “One of my highlights of teaching has been helping students become more powerful thinkers and writers,” said Cosgrove.
photo by Nate Saunders
art courtesy of Arkyan
Early Edina’s racist housing policy, a long-avoided topic of conversation, has become the subject of a Wikipedia edit war. A recent Star Tribune article revealed how Amarin Young, a University of Illinois junior, tried multiple times to write about Edina’s history of racial exclusion on Wikipedia. Each time the changes were reversed by a user by the screen name Juno. The City of Edina’s administration has claimed not to be connected to the edit war, and has even honed up to the controversial past by acknowledging it on the Country Club Neighborhood’s web page. In fact, the the Edina Wikipedia page now boasts a 311 word section on its history as a sundown town (meaning a city with a history of racially discriminatory housing). However, this controversy has brought up questions of how we remember Edina’s past. “The past doesn’t define who we are,” said sophomore Amir Haji, on Edina’s past of racial exclusion. “That was in the past, it doesn’t matter now as long as we recognize it,” said junior Drew Elliot, echoing Haji’s opinion on the subject. But do we recognize it? When the story
broke of the edit war on the Star Tribune broke, English teacher Kristin Benson led a discussion with her students on Edina’s racial history and how it pertains to the struggles with power they study in her class, Pre-AP English 10. However, Benson said that recognizing that aspect of Edina’s past is not part of the established currirculum. “By not talking about it, we’re doing a disservice to Edina,” said Benson. “If we erase the past, or if we just dance around it, it makes it harder for students to process inequity or racism.”
Cosgrove and Daniels Retiring
Veteran English teacher Martha Cosgrove is retiring at the end of the year.
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Anti-Extremist Initiative in U.S. Madeline Marker staff writer
the initiative. “Somali-American service providers are underfunded,” said Hussein during an interview with Minnesota Public Radio News. Hussein believes the fundraising and social work should be someone else’s responsibility. Luger, on the other hand, disagrees. “My role is overstated,” said Luger in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio News. “I worked with the community to build this initiative.” The initiative may hold more clout with the recent threat on the Mall of America (MOA). Al-Shabaab, a group in Somalia affiliated with Al-Qaeda and currently fighting the Somali Federal Government, released a video calling for an attack on Western Malls, listing MOA as a target. “Calls to action are a way a terrorist group like Al-Shabaab can project itself without expending resources,” according to an NBC news source. “It’s a way to awaken and embolden those who may not be in contact with the group but share their values. And unless there’s some other information out there … they are in our blind spot.”
photo Annika Kieper
A new initiative has been proposed in Minnesota advocating to create programs that combat extremist ideology. The initiative will be presented in Washington D.C. as President Barack Obama is offering fifteen million dollars to people fighting radicalization. If Washington approves, millions of dollars will be used to expand after-school programs, youth sports, the number of Somali police officers, mentoring programs, and job fairs. “I think that’s amazing. More people should try and help and understand how dangerous it is. People should also understand that the extremist groups want to attack Minnesota because it has a big population of Somalis that they consider traitors,” said junior Ofir Brizinov. Brizinov has had experience with terrorist attacks. “I lived in Gan Yavne, adjacent to the city of Ashdod, which is 35km from the Gaza Strip. I moved there in 2005, and we experienced rockets once in a while
up until 2008. In 2008, Operation Cast Lead commenced and after that we had rockets constantly. The next big operation was Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012. We lived under rockets, the sound of the alarm still makes me scared. It’s crazy to say, but I got use to it, and you know what to do when the alarm goes off,” said Briznov. In addition, Brizinov sees the initiative as an educational lesson for Edina High School students. “I think it will make people understand what is going on. I feel like sometimes we live in a bubble; we don’t know what is going on in the rest of world and when it close to home we are more interested in it,” said Brizinov. On the other hand, the initiative is receiving mixed reactions from local Muslim leaders due to its close ties with U.S. Attorney Andy Luger, who is also involved in prosecuting terrorism cases in Syria. Luger will be helping to present the initiative in D.C. along with fifteen other Minnesotans. The Minnesota Chapter of the of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Jaylani Hussein supports
NEWS
Junior Ofir Brizinov
Edina Sends Record Number of Students to DECA Nationals
photos courtesy of Mrs. Halker
Seniors Jake Edmundson, George Thomas, and Ben Bogart at the awards ceremony.
Sophomores Maxine McCormick, Hannah Gronseth, Mia Palazza and Rachel Schwarz at the awards ceremony.
DECA is a class, a club, and as most students know, it’s a cafe with magical tasting cookies. But DECA is more than just it cookies, it’s a class that builds confidence, leadership skills, and connects students and the two teachers in charge, Mr. Gallagher and Ms. Halker. Students work on personalized projects either eleven or thirty pages long, make posters and practice scripts to present to judges at the state tournament. Students can also chose to participate in individual role play, putting their creativity and quick thinking skills to the test. This year eighteen students from Edina that participated in the state tournament did well enough to qualify for nationals in Orlando. The state tournament is simply a stepping stone to be able to qualify for nationals. Ms. Halker is one of the advisers for the DECA students; this is her third year at Edina and she also advised DECA one year prior for Rosemont High School. At state, her job is to take charge of running events, getting students to events on time, and making sure they’re prepared and ready to go. “DECA is a passion. I think it’s
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something that adds to my career to interact with students at a different level versus working at a classroom level,” said Halker. Most students consider DECA an extra-curricular, something they do for fun, not just more schoolwork.
“It’s a great place to discover a career.” Seniors Annie Engen, Magen Purzer, and Katelyn Linton competed together to create a fashion merchandising promotion plan. The name of their project is Your 3 Hangers, and it’s a personal shopping business in New York City. “Being on a team, you feel a lot more responsibility, and I also think that since ours was a written event, we did so much more preparation than we would have done with a single event,” said Linton. The girls spent most of their free time between the district tournament and state working on their presentation.
Their hard work paid off as they will be going to Orlando for Nationals. “We were just excited to be in DECA with all of our friends. I think it was just a really fun experience,” said Purzer. One thing many people don’t realize about DECA is that it’s a great place to discover a career. Many students that take DECA throughout high school end up going to college to study business as it can influence your future in many ways. One of the wonderful things about DECA is that it’s not all about business; it can also coincide with other life paths. “I always really liked environmental science. By doing DECA, it led me to my dream job, which would be marketing and creating awareness about environmental issues in our society today,” said Engen. At the end of the day it’s a terrific opportunity giving you confidence, leadership skills and newfound friendships.
FEATURES
EHS Theater Performs at the Guthrie Acting Out A Midsummer Night’s Dream Isabel Thompson staff writer
come in contact with, and it’s a really great learning process for them,” said director Tony Matthes. “They get to perform on stage at the Guthrie, and watch other people’s pieces and then they give feedback to them,” says Matthes. It’s a rare opportunity to perform on such a well-known stage, and it’s cool to branch out and meet different actors their age. Best of all, at the end of the night they can see the professionals perform a MND. The students piece is only performed for the Guthrie, and no separate students are allowed to come watch it. But because of that, the play will be prepared for Listen to the Images which any high school students are welcome to attend.
photo by Patricia Jackson
Edina High School students have been selected to participate in the Guthrie Theater’s Schools on Stage Project. This project is based off of a “Midsummer Night’s Dream” (MND) that allows any students to audition for and participate in it. Students who are selected to be a part of this project write and act out a ten to twelve minute play. They rehearse for a few months and then show their play to other schools who are also participating in it. This is a huge honor as Edina has not been chosen for the past three years. There are twenty-four students that have been chosen to take place in it. There are five writers who are chosen and help create the show. “It’s mostly a romance; the scenes are all about love stories,” said junior Ella Williams, one of the five writers. So
far, the students have collaborated their ideas to create a forty page script. Now they have the long process of cutting and pasting it, editing it to fulfill their time limit. Students meet two to three times a week in order to perfect their play. The kids get writing prompts to help further and inspire the script. They also play fun theatre games to prepare them to perform in front of a live audience. They have two teaching artists to help create a play that is sensible and ties back to a MND. Mark Rosenwinkel and Dario Tangelson, two professional Guthrie members, have been chosen and work tirelessly with the students to create the play. Rosenwinkel and Tangelson are both experienced in writing and acting and love helping out with the students. “We know that the world doesn’t begin and end with Edina theatre. There are other really professional people that our kids should
EHS Theater Director Tony Matthes.
Let’s Get Down to Business New Club for Extra Business Experience for Students
photo by Annika Kieper
Molly Sparrow staff writer
Junior Will Battel is the founder of the EHS Entrepreneurship Club.
Edina High School is well known for their outstanding academics and opportunities. One of these opportunities is the Entrepreneurship Club. The Entrepreneurship Club was created this year in order to expand the knowledge of how the business world works beyond what Edina’s economics and business classes can offer. The club focuses on exposing students to the entrepreneurial process which includes many aspects of the business world, ranging from intellectual property to the stock market to the process of starting your own business. It is helpful to any Edina student who is interested in learning how to start and manage a business. The club is in an early stage and under
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heavy development but hopes to do great things. As the club progresses, they hope to bring in guest speakers such as successful CEOs and presidents of popular businesses to support their work. They intend to prepare students for the entrepreneurial field by arming them with tools that can set their business ventures up for success. The club is equipped to turn any idea into a commercial reality and encourages students to start building their own businesses. “My best experience has been the feedback I’ve gotten from friends. After this pilot year in which we figure out entirely how the club will function, I expect it to become a very successful ongoing organization in the following years,” said EHS junior and co-founder of the club, Will Battel.
IN-DEPTH
“In recent years, Muslims have often been the center of frequent political and cultural conversations...Kalmoi is just one of many Muslim students who attend Edina High School.� Drew Davis online editor in chief
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FEATURES
What Teachers Do Over Spring Break Have you ever wondered what teachers do over Spring Break? Do they really have a life outside of the Edina High School? Zephyrus spoke with many EHS teachers to find out how they plan to spend their week away from school. Colette Bruder staff writer
Mr. VanSomeren (Chemistry Teacher) He and his wife are expecting their first child in early May and plan to use the week off to decorate and furnish the upcoming babies bedroom. They will hang artwork, paint and finish any last minute details before the babies arrival.
Mrs. Flooding (Orchestra Long Term Substitute) “I plan to spend spring break getting to know my husband again after spending the last six weeks with the best students at EHS,” said Flooding. In addition she hopes to spend spring break sleeping in and cleaning her house in preparation for Easter.
photos by Zoe Gunderson and Annika Kieper
Mrs. Drew (Latin Teacher) She wants to spend her time away from Edina going swing dancing and listening to band performances. She will also enjoy the week playing with her sick cat and spend time reading Cicero’s letters.
Mrs. Smaka (Chemistry Teacher) She described spending her week away from Edina High School remodeling her kitchen. Furthermore she will use the time to play with her two year old son and five year old daughter. Mrs. Duncan (Deaf and Hard of Hearing Teacher) (Not Pictured) She is taking time away from Edina High school and traveling. She plans to go to Chicago with friends and hopes that there is not any snow.
A Day in the Life of a Windi Anna Gratzer staff writer
their direction. Also, Grace Boyle compassionately cracks the whip and Anna Harris keeps the yearbook from going down in flames. Creative energy comes from Skye Larson and grammar control comes from Claire Kramer who cries every time someone misplaces a comma. There is speculation of a war between Zephyrus and Windigo. Senior Claire Kramer denies this said war. However, you will have to decide for yourself after looking at Zephyrus’s vandalized posters and previous Windigo coverage by Zephyrus.
photo by Zoe Gunderson
Most people may assume that Windigo is just picture taking and a little formatting. However, in reality, there are student experts who deal with budgeting, social media, and the small details that go into the yearbook. Editors are hard at work reading each yearbook page at least four times. This work is all supervised by Ms. Guerin, Windigo’s new advisor for this school year. Every day is wonderful in Windigo, according to staff. Friday is unanimously the best day. It is official treat day in
Windigo: the number one treat is Goldfish but typically Capri Sun, Gushers, and Boom ChickA-Pop are also chowed down. Also, Windies, particularly Jack Wolfe and Ellen Lintwin, stay comfortable on the couches courtesy of Ann Magne’s neighbors. The next favorite day after Friday is Monday. Monday in Windigo is not the usual lame Monday the rest of Edina High School feels. Instead, Monday is time to eat leftover snacks from Friday and every other Monday is brainstorming day. On a typical day, Claire Little and Ms. Guerin have total control over Windigo so be sure to smile
Senior Claire Kramer is a third year Windi
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OPINION
Why Feminism Is a Good Thing Becca Edgington staff writer
assaulted. Carry pepper spray, don’t go out at night by yourself, don’t walk down dark alleys, don’t leave your drink alone at a party, don’t wear revealing clothing, etcetera. Health teachers and responsible adults in your life need to be teaching that sexual assault and rape is a choice, and the choice is 100% made by the rapist. Rape is never the victims fault. What about women who choose to have sex? So now not only are women blamed for being sexually assaulted, but sex you choose? That is the ultimate disgrace because how dare a woman exercise her own free will and make a choice about her own body and her own life? Girls are constantly branded as “easy” for having sex in the media. 90210, Glee, Jane the Virgin, The Carrie Diaries, Switched at Birth, The Lying Game, and countless other shows feature teenage girls who are slut-shamed and disowned by their friends and family for choosing to have sex. Girls are taught in public schools that once she has sex she will have “lost a part
of herself.” Women who choose to have premarital sex are promiscuous while men are patted on the back for scoring. But women who say no to sex aren’t thinking straight and are playing hard to get. And even after hearing all of this, there are still both men and women who call themselves anti-feminist. When the fact of the matter is, feminists fight for gender equality. So if you are an anti-feminist you are saying you do not want equality. You should support feminism because it affects you and all of the women and the men in your life. Sexism will continue to affect you for the rest of your life.
photo by Patricia Leach
Feminism is the reason women in American and all over the world have the right to vote, can own property, and can choose to join the workforce. As a child, women’s rights was a no-brainer. I didn’t even know that antifeminism existed until I got to high school. There shouldn’t be such a negative connotation with feminism because contrary to common belief, feminists do not want to take anything away from men, whether that be their rights, their privileges, or their masculinity. Feminists want the same rights and privileges as men to be given to women. Feminists recognize that sexism doesn’t only affect women, it most definitely affects men too, which is why they welcome supporters or any gender and sexual orientation. Feminists hope for equality between men and women. The reason they brand themselves with the word “feminist” using the root word female, and not “equalist” with the root word equal is because feminists recognize that currently there is an imbalance between men and women with men having many more privileges than women. For example, women will only earn seventy-eight cents for every dollar a man makes, and by the time the average woman is sixty she will have made $450,000 less than a man in the same position. Catalyst states that over 80% of the political body is male. So this
means that if you are female, the majority of people making decisions about your body are men. Men dominate the population of every industry in the world. Degrading women through sexual objectification in the media is one of the most common forms of sexism. Women’s bodies are used to sell anything from beer to cars, and meat to shampoo. Breasts are plastered across shopping centers to sell Victoria’s Secret lingerie but it is often considered inappropriate to breastfeed in public. At school or work, women are judged primarily on what they wear. Skirts and shorts need to be a certain length, spaghetti strings and strapless tops are taboo, and excessive holes in jeans can get you sent home. Teachers can pull a girl aside and tell her how her outfit is distracting and inappropriate but why must the “distraction” be a woman’s fault? Why is it completely acceptable to tell a woman she looks like a slut but not to tell a man to keep it in his pants? One in five women will be raped in their lifetime, but only one out of every thirty-three men has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in his lifetime. Only 10% of all rape victims are male. Discovery News did a study asking men if they would sexually assault, rape, or try to force sex in any way from a woman if there wouldn’t be any consequences. One third of them said yes. But it’s still the female’s fault if she gets raped, right? In public schools across the country girls are taught how to prevent being sexually
Why Feminism Is Not Gender Equality Matt Woolsey print editor in chief
photo by Drew Davis
Yes, I am aware that being anti-feminist makes me sexist because feminism is defined by Merriam-Webster as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities,” but I would argue that words change, and that feminism has become so lost in its meaning that it is possible for me to say that I am anti-feminist, but like all rational humans, am also pro-gender equality. Feminism has a negative connotation because, as a movement, it is headed in a negative direction, what it needs is to be rebranded to focus on a complete culture change where all genders are raised as complete equals.
The ideal gender equality movement has its origin in a strange place, a Super Bowl ad. You probably remember the tagline: #LikeAGirl. The idea was that doing something like a girl should be an obsolete phrase. More importantly than that, it focused on younger girls whose idea of doing something like a girl meant doing it well. That is the culture change, not treating young children differently based on gender. As an example, girls should be encouraged to play sports, and guys should be encouraged to do ballet. I know those are two big stereotypes, but I don’t mean girls play softball and guys play baseball, I mean they do all these things together. If you think that it would be unfair for the girls, then what faith can you possibly have in any gender equality movement? The reason girls are perceived as less athletic (or less anything) than boys is because we raise them that way. If we want them to be equal, we need to raise them as equals, with equal expectations, so that no one needs a feminist handicap later on to correct a problem in our culture. That brings us to what feminism is now, a series of issues that are either impossible to solve, or even if solved, would
do nothing for equality. Cat calling, for those who don’t know, is when men make an inappropriate remark to a passing woman they don’t know. It’s terrible. Nonetheless, focusing on this issue isn’t going to provide any sort of equality. While some people dismiss it, like Fox News correspondent Dr. Keith Ablow who said “I don’t know if we can restrain boys from being boys,” while others like The Daily Show’s Jessica Williams are more than willing to point out comments made by people like Dr. Ablow as ridiculous, but offered no solutions other than “act like a psycho.” The real solution comes from a culture change where we raise boys to treat girls the same as the treat guys, with respect. Not only would that provide a potential future without cat calling, but also would allow women who were raised in an environment of respective men to confront them as equals. Women, like men, should wear what they want. Either what makes them comfortable, look good, or both (yes that equilibrium exists). Trying to move in this direction has brought another meaningless issue to the center of attention, slut-shaming. In short, it is criticizing someone for being too immodest. In an infamous article by Kim Hall on her blog givenbreath.com, this American mom writes an open letter to teenage girls, begging them to stop it with the “sexy selfie.”
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This article became the poster child for slut-shaming. Many quickly responded in rage. “The real issue here is sexist perception and the fact that we’ve culturally deemed a young girl in pajamas as innately salacious, but young men in bathing suits showing off their bods is just a wholesome PG time for all,” said mommyish.com deputy editor Koa Beck. This article had nothing to do with boys, and nowhere did it say that douche-y mirror selfies from guys were ok. Complaining on either side of the slutshamming argument isn’t going to get us anywhere closer to equality. What will is encouraging young girls and boys to wear what they want, and not worry about promoting the sexuality of their bodies. Ms. Hall made a good point in her article, “You don’t want the world to see you primarily in this sexual way, do you? Neither do we: we’re all more than that.” I think that goes for guys and girls. There are plenty more issues of feminism and equality to go over, but in reality only one matters. We need to raise the next generation of boys and girls to see each other as equals in every situation so that we don’t get bogged down by petty issues. One day #LikeAGirl will hopefully lose its meaning in a way that makes men and women strive to do everything #LikeAHuman.
OPINION
America: Are We Really #1? Audrey Sheehy in depth editor
Chiara Kohlmayr in depth editor It seems as if our culture has arrived at a paradoxical crossroad. While our temperament has greatly relaxed, and general modesty increased in casualness, our speech has found itself under severe scrutinizing. In a civilization where we love to boast our support for free speech, it seems that the society itself has become too strung together, so much so that flexibility, humor, and irony have been sacrificed for absolute political correctness. I would like to make clear that I do not intend to criticize the turn our society has taken. It is very true that on a global scale, people in general gave become much more open and tolerant to others than just a mere decade ago. However, we have to realize how easy it is to abuse such freedoms, and twist the new flexibility of our culture to match our
personal opinions. It has dawned upon me that we currently live within an “I’m offended” culture, where every phrase, word, or conversation has a high risk of being over analyzed for demeaning content. People actively look to be offended, and I among many cannot say anything without fear that it’s considered offensive to someone. We, as a culture, have become too sensitive, and the notion of political correctness now dominates conversation. A simple misused vocabulary word is enough to spark verbal attack, forcing many of us to watch our language in order to prevent people from concluding we’re biased toward a certain race, religion, sexual orientation, or other characteristic. A typical example of this in action is the dilemma of greetings around holiday season. It is unarguable that the phrase “Merry Christmas”, due its extensive use across decades, has become a standard greeting for
their own private health insurance plans. We on the other hand have a health care system that is in shambles and is increasing instability and debt. With sound health insurance and education, Germany’s progressive tax system ranges from 0% to 45%, compared to America’s 10% to 39.6%. They are able to provide their people much more than we are currently. In addition to a slightly higher tax system, Germany has a rising trade surplus that increased 11.3% to 217 billion euros in 2014. They have a national debt at right around three trillion dollars. The US has a debt of eighteen trillion dollars and a trade deficit of $505 billion dollars from 2014, which are direct reflections of our lack of self-sufficiency, our unnecessary military spending for wars we shouldn’t be getting involved in, and our unproductive social welfare programs. We need to look to Germany who is able to provide effective social aid without increasing their debt. So my question is, what are we doing?
the winter holidays. However, it has been concluded that this expression is not secular enough within its context. While respecting the abundance of religions that coexist beside Christianity, the use of “Merry Christmas” is not intended to convert anyone or prove the power of this religion. Due to its extensive use in the past, it has become a natural habit for many to say, with the intention simply to wish one a good holiday season. If one is uncomfortable with this saying, feel free to remind someone that you do not celebrate this religion, and that the term “Happy Holidays” is more appropriate. However, it is not an excuse to get angry and blame people for being ignorant and uncaring towards other religions. Gender and job titles offer another common example where political correctness goes overboard. People have become overly
sensitive to the words policeMEN or fireMEN. Similar to the previous example, the terms for such job titles are simply common nouns that have been integrated into our language; by no means do they imply that it is only a man’s job. Ultimately, it seems that society in general would benefit a bit more from lightening up, and people need to get comfortable with moderation. Nothing good will ever come from excess. As we continue to fight for free speech, we need to be aware that we don’t continue into a culture dominated by the principle “Your rights end where my feelings begin”. Or else, we might come to a point every conversation will have to include a mandatory “trigger warning”?
art by Katie Manderfeld
Society is way too...
pay for the cost of living and books, and there are laws in place that guarantee financially disadvantaged students can receive loans up to 650 euros per month and some of it is interest free. Germany has a universal health care system that provides its citizens with two options for health insurance: salutary health insurance (a.k.a. Sickness Funds) and private health insurance. All citizens that are below the high-income threshold are automatically placed in a non-profit sickness fund that is able to provide similar rates to everyone and is paid for by both the employee and the employer. Only about 11% of the population opts out for photo by Patricia Jackson
The culture we are brought up in teaches us that America is flawless, although our politics have usually been fiercely divided, we as a people have always bonded over patriotism and the love of our country. We are the ones that successfully broke away from tyranny to create the first nation founded on “unalienable rights” and freedom. However, is America really the best country in the world? Sure we have democracy, a decently functioning governmental system, a high standard of living, the largest GDP in the world, and an educated population, but as a nation we are struggling. Our economy is the problem. We need a plan that can reduce our debt, provide jobs, increase the wealth of the poor, give our students affordable education, and increase our self sufficiency. That is why we should take after the German system, the Social Market Economy, a form of market capitalism that is paired with a social conscience that brings social insurance to everyone.
The government doesn’t get directly involved in heavily regulating the marketplace, however they influence the economy through credit, taxes, investments, social policies and other mechanisms to increase the welfare of the nation. Students in Germany pay roughly sixty Euros a semester to go to university, which is about sixty-seven U.S. dollars compared to American students who are leaving with an average of $28,400 in debt according to US News. At the end of 2014, this fee for college in Germany was waived, making the education free at the universities. Students can receive scholarships that will help
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OPINION
Who’s in Your Backyard? Jada Lee guest writer
Hovland reminded the city council that successful developments like the Westin Edina Galleria violated the city’s building guidelines but ended up becoming an asset (Groessel, 2015). Eight year Edina City Council member Joni Bennett added that this was the most residential support for Edina’s building guidelines she had ever seen (Hankey, 2014). In addition, there was no objection from Edina residents to similar developments in the Southdale area. Just across the street from the Boisclair proposal, Byerly’s Corporation is constructing the 71 France apartments, a trio of six and seven story buildings with 234 housing units - 42 more units than the Boisclair proposal - which would also bring more traffic to France Avenue (City of Edina, 2015). Although the proposal surpassed Edina’s four story height limit, there was no official opposition, so the apartment was approved for construction (Hankey, 2014). The main difference between the Boisclair proposal and the Byerly’s project is that one offers affordable housing while the other does not. In my opinion, these Edina residents exhausted all possible arguments in order to avoid pointing out the elephant in the room: they do not want low-income housing in Edina, especially in their backyard. I believe the majority of the protests do not give enough meaningful reason to deny the proposal. For instance, the value of increasing affordable housing in Edina is much greater than the cost of having a five-story building rather than a four story building or having more cars on France Avenue. As of March 4th, the 7200 France proposal decision was extended to April 7th. I believe the city council has been intimidated by the requests of angry residents though and may not evaluate the proposal as objectively as possible. Since 1996, Edina has only approved 11 units of affordable housing (Miller, 2015). We have room to improve. We can start by educating ourselves and our neighbors about the importance of affordable housing and demystifying the false notions associated with low-income families. This will help us overcome residential exclusion in Edina and accept people who are different from us. It would be a lie to say that I am not proud to be from Edina. I am always impressed
by our prime education and my talented classmates, let alone our safe neighborhoods and burgeoning shopping centers. But we need to pop this perfect bubble we live in to face the fact that change is inevitable, and we need to embrace it. Together, we can create a community that uplifts all people - no matter how rich or poor. My hope is that affordable housing opportunities in Edina will be more accessible because low-income households need the education and employment available to us everyday. It is only right for the privileged to share what they have with the underserved.
photo by Annika Kieper
Edina’s reputation for being wealthy and educated is well-known throughout the Twin Cities. But while this reputation boosts our egos, its reality harbors classism, xenophobia, and a lack of diversity. Progressive society has offered its hands to the underserved so that they may receive opportunities similar to those better-off. For example, affordable housing is meant to give underserved families the chance to live in excellent school districts, become skilled workers, and break away from poverty. But how far has Edina come to integrate lowincome families into its exceptional schools and neighborhoods? Adults as well as teenagers need to have increased awareness about the lack of affordable housing in Edina and its impact. Segregation in Edina is rooted in history. From 1924 to 1948, the Country Club neighborhood ordained a “racially exclusive deed covenant” (Reinan, 2015), in which non-Caucasians were legally barred from buying a house or living in the Country Club neighborhood, unless they were a domestic servant (Reinan, 2015). These exclusive covenants were nationally outlawed in 1948, but Edina seemingly continues to practice income and race-based segregation today. In the summer of 2014, the Boisclair Corporation proposed a mixed-use development on 7200 France, featuring 32 affordable housing apartments in addition to 160 luxury apartments and retail space (Kaczke, 2014). Immediately, the proposal met strong disapproval from Edina residents living near the proposed development, expressed in over 200 emails to the Edina City Council and the presence of indignant residents at council meetings. Did income and race have anything to do with it? The strong reaction from the Edina residents may very well be grounded in elitist views and racial stereotypes. While there are an abundance of protests, including unwanted density, increased traffic, and excess building height (Hankey, 2014), there are stronger arguments as to why these are just technical
excuses to prevent affordable housing in Edina. First, although the project’s proposed density is higher than allowed by Edina building codes, the recently approved Aurora on France development is double the maximum allowed density (Groessel, 2015). Also, a traffic study by Boisclair Corporation showed that France Avenue has “the capacity to add more cars” (Kaczke, 2014), so there would not be drastically increased traffic. Furthermore, there are many luxury apartments being built in the Southdale area that are well above the maximum height allowed (Kaczke, 2014). Regardless, the ongoing urbanization of the Southdale district provides evidence for its appeal to potential residents where they can live, work, and play - something that all cities should welcome. Among the neighbors who spoke at public city meetings, Julie Chamberlain said, “For the sake of 32 affordable housing units, are you really going to pass [the proposal] that sacrifices the integrity of the neighborhood and impacts 100 or more people that are sitting here today and hundreds more that couldn’t make it here this evening. For 32 units, you’re going to do that?” (Hankey, 2014). She also asked for a proposal that “better fits Edina” (Hankey, 2014). When I first read this, I was honestly offended. It is not right for Chamberlain to speak for “hundreds” of people she does not know, and she completely objectifies lowincome households as “units.” Her use of the word “sacrifices” portrays affordable housing as something bothersome to other families, when in actuality, low-income households are in need of the most help. It seems to me that Chamberlain does not understand that affordable housing can empower lowincome families and lift them up to a quality life. Furthermore, perhaps her comment that affordable housing does not fit Edina is because low-income families may be nonCaucasian. If this were true, her disapproval of affordable housing stems from anti-poverty and anti-minority sentiment. Other residents accused the city council of not following Edina’s own building guidelines when they should. One resident asked, “What’s wrong with you guys?” (Hankey, 2014). In response to the residents’ complaints, Mayor
Guest writer Jada Lee
Collab Wednesday Border Control Too Much Jackson Van Dyke managing editor The implementation of collaborative Wednesday in the last two years has been, for students at least, an undeniable improvement. Our schedules get so gridlocked and busy in high school any extra time is worth it. But when you take two hours out of your school day it only makes sense to allow for your students to get as much done as possible in that time, and take advantage of their opportunities. Collab Wednesday is essentially a two hour
long lunch. There’s a reason we don’t have all of our regular lunches at the same time. The hallways of the school don’t come close to accommodating the student body, even with the use of Fick, the Media Center and several other spaces at our disposal the hallways are ridiculously packed. It’s nearly impossible to even eat your lunch, much less get anything done. However, senior year changed all this. Once allowed to leave campus, we can go home to get things done that we could never do in the high school, go to a coffee shop to study
with your friends, or at least have enough space available to eat lunch and hopefully get something done. Plus this takes a good chunk of the student body out of the building, freeing up space for the juniors and sophomores. It only makes sense to allow more people to access the resources of the outside world, so why not allow juniors off campus. That might not necessarily be a popular opinion among seniors, but there really isn’t much of a reason to not allow juniors off campus. There’s certainly a reason to concern oneself over students getting into trouble during collab, but
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that trouble realistically won’t increase when letting juniors off campus, and the gains that would result from letting responsible members of the student body take advantage of the outside world would definitely outweigh that. Collaborative Wednesday has been an undeniable improvement, but it is a loss from the school day and a good way to make up for that is allowing for more people to get out of the ridiculously crowded halls and get things done in the outside world.
CULTURE
Spring Showcase
photo courtesy of The Huffington Post
Read More About the New Show the Edina Theater Department will be Putting on this Spring
Sam Smith’s Sudden Stardom
Julia Tollefson staff writer Edina High School Thespians will be presenting a Spring Showcase, a three night event featuring different performances each night. The Spring Showcase will take place from April 16 to April 18. The showcase begins with a presentation from the Literature of the Theater class, a Language Arts elective available at EHS. This presentation includes scenes and monologues from their class study and will take place on Friday April 16 at 7:00 p.m. This night will focus on “script analysis and choices made while studying plays in the classroom,” said EHS’s Theatre Artistic Director Anthony Matthes. The second night is the Thespian Club Cabaret, taking place on April 17 at 7:00 p.m. The Thespian Club Cabaret will include songs from popular musicals. This presentation allows students to “select songs from musical theater, and tell their stories musically,” said Matthes. The final night will be the First Annual twenty- four hour Play Festival which takes place Saturday April 18 at 7:00p.m. In it, up to ten teams consisting of one director, one playwright and actors will be writing, staging, rehearsing and then performing a play all within the 24 hour time period. The play will include a theme announced during Friday’s Cabaret. Each team will have one hour to meet before the writers return home to write a play eight to ten minutes in length. The play must also include specific props and lines. “The reason it was selected was so that more people could be involved with the spring play.” said Matthes on why they decided to do a Spring Showcase. The Spring Showcase will show the talent of between 30-60 people depending how many compete in the 24 hour Play Festival. This showcase allows people with busier Spring schedules to be able to participate in an event. The purchase of one ticket gets you admission to all three nights of the Spring Showcase. “It will be fun in so many ways,” said Matthes.
Lillie Westbrook staff writer At 22-years-old, British singer-songwriter Sam Smith has hit it big. With four Grammys and two BRIT awards under his belt, he is en route to his place in the sun. But what is most surprising about Smith’s rise to fame is the speed with which he grew to be so well-known. His only album, “In the Lonely Hour”, dropped in May of 2014, and grew to be the #2 album in the U.S. just six months later. He’s won seventeen of the thirty-one awards that he’s been nominated for since 2013, because he was virtually undiscovered before then. But it’s not just his undeniable fame and incredible falsetto that makes him so well-liked, but also his humanity and humility off-stage. I was lucky enough to see Sam Smith when he came to the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in January. Between songs, he opened up about his struggle to accept himself and become comfortable in his own body by sharing stories of unrequited love and and heartbreak. His ability to perform with the confidence of someone who’s never known adversity one minute and then make it seem like you’re having a chat over coffee the next is one of the main reasons for his strong fanbase. It’s obvious: Sam Smith is already one of today’s great performers. Given enough time, he will too find his own place among the plethora of legendary musicians in this century.
Counter Culture, Bro
The New Man Bun Trend Makes an Appearance at Edina High School Hugh Cashman culture editor
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photo by Annika Kieper
Men who have hair past their shoulders are seldom seen outside of Uptown, Portland, and the likes. Long hair has been associated with grunge, coffee houses, and tattoos since the 90s, before that men with long hair were either hippies, surfers, or stoners, or all of the above. Although coffee shops are on every corner and acoustic guitar is as popular as ever, men with buns are showing up everywhere. Times change, so do hair styles; man buns are taking over. People like to poke fun at guys with buns. “What Starbucks do you work at?” is a common question. If not a barista, every guy with long hair “must” play guitar. That stereotyping needs to stop. “I don’t see people stop teasing me anytime soon, as long as the trend continues,” said bun clad Edina High School junior Mark Hussian. In reality, guys who have the audacity to grow long hair are eclectic people in the first place. Mark is an avid outdoorsman and biker. Ironically, bun wearing EHS Andrew Young is actually an amazing guitar player and songbird; but he is no hypebeast, he wears a bun because he lost a bet and had to grow the flow out for a year. Next time you see a guy with a righteous head of hair, give him a high five and appreciate all the time and effort that was put into that hair. “I started growing my hair out in 9th grade, I let it slowly grow longer and longer,” said Hussian. It takes about
a year to get your hair in a bun if you’re lucky, and that’s only half the battle. “Sometimes my hair gets stuck in the shower drain and stuff, but it’s totally worth it,” said Young. Guys aren’t taught how to properly attain and care for a voluptuous head of hair; knowledge is gained for experiments and failures. Long hair receives a lot more scrutiny. Personally, no one has ever commented on my short hair, but my longhair is a pressing matter of public opinion. Yes, I know I have an afro, and I’m not the only who recieves unwanted attention. “People comment on it daily. Some people are more supportive… others tell me they want to cut it off in my sleep,” said Young. The man bun is the perfect remedy when hair becomes too long to style. “I usually wear it in a bun because it’s easier to deal with,” said Hussian. Not only does it take confidence and patience to rock the man bun, it takes balls to work with it before its long enough to throw it in a bun. Hair is one of the main identifying traits for people, it can make someone more attractive, and it can be a way to express yourself. There are buzz cuts, purple mohawks and everything in between. In the end, the man bun isn’t about how other people perceive it, but how much the owner likes it. “Grow your hair out and go all out… just do you, your hair is yours, make it your own,” said senior Andrew Young.
Junior Mark Hussian pictured above showing off his man bun.
CULTURE
Spring Has Sprung Sing Along Nikki Lund staff writer With this Minnesota winter finally coming to an end and spring just around the corner, you need to be in the know as to what songs/albums you should be blaring out of your windows while driving around town. Here are what tunes are going to be streaming out of every aux cord this spring.
to make its peak right about now. With the classic song “Chandelier” headlining it, this album is full of poppy, get-upand-dance type of songs, like “Hostage”, as well as heartfelt songs like “Elastic Heart” and “Free the Animal”. These songs will have you dancing all around for one moment, and then
American Beauty/American Psycho - Fall Out Boy
This new album that released on January 20, 2015 was much anticipated by loyal Fall Out Boy fans and also people who had heard two of their songs, “Immortals” and “Centuries” from the movie Big Hero 6. This album is filled with the classic sounds of the band, like “Centuries” which was a great follow up from their previous record “Save Rock and Roll”. It also has some songs in which they experimented with new sounds like “American Beauty/American Psycho” and “The Kids Aren’t Alright”. This is definitely going to be a great album to be blasting as the snow melts.
1000 Forms of Fear- Sia
Even though this album was released in 2014, it is starting
sound that makes you feel like you’re at a rave.
Oh Wonder
This UK duo just shared another track from their untitled upcoming debut album. They have been releasing a new song each month and just released their newest one “Technicolor Beat” on March 1, 2015. At the heart of the track is a softlyspoken melody, which is perfectly enjoyable on one level. But the deeper you dig into the track, each new listen reveals an extra layer of the painstakingly elaborate production that went into the making of the song. One of their more popular songs “All We Do” has a beautiful piano melody and meaningful lyrics, making it one of their slower songs. Yet some of their songs like “Body Gold” and “Dazzle” are more of their dance songs with enchanting beats and more repetitive lyrics that make it fun to sing along to. So turn up your volume and roll down your windows, and get ready to blast these awesome songs while you’re cruising out of the parking lot.
contemplating life in the next. With her beautiful vocals and meaningful songwriting, this album is absolutely wonderful from start to finish.
Room 93-Halsey
This up and coming artist is unknown, but with her airy vocals and haunting tune, it’s hard to stop listening to this New York based artist’s first album. With sounds similar to bands like The 1975 and singer Ellie Goulding, this performer is soon to be on top of the charts. There’s only five songs on this album, but somehow Halsey managed to have all of the songs sound completely different, yet still have the album flow smoothly. Her song “Ghost” is described as having a church-y, scary, shimmery sound, but her song “Hurricane” has that bass
Beyond the Bubble: Uptown & Dinkytown Ansel Smolund staff writer
delicious chicken entrees that will leave you wanting more. Entertainment in these two districts are far from limited, and if you get aroused by unique, independent films like me, the Uptown theatre will satisfy all your needs. There is also the Landmark Lagoon Cinema located across the street from
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Cheapo Records if you ever want to catch a quick foreign film. The Varsity Theater in Dinkytown is world-renowned for offering the best of live entertainment. You should know that Bob Dylan got his start by performing in local clubs across Dinkytown in the ‘60s during his time at the University of Minnesota. If you’re ever in need of a quick getaway from the slow paced lifestyle of Edina, then I highly recommend taking the short commute to Uptown for some good pizza and good people. If you’re really feeling like going on an adventure, head to Dinkytown for a live concert or just walk around and soak in the distinct culture it has to offer.
photos by Drew Davis
There are a multitude of different stories for the origin of the name Dinkytown, whether it came from the Dinky’s which were trollies that used to give public transit to the area at the turn of the twentieth century, or the theatre that sits in the heart of Dinkytown that used to only have 4 rows of seats so it was regarded to as “the dinky theatre.” There’s one thing for sure though, the river is not the only thing dividing Dinkytown and Uptown. There is a clear distinction between the more edgy Uptown, and rather conventional Dinkytown. The onslaught of coffee shops in uptown is one of the few distinguishing features that separates itself from the likes of Dinkytown. If there is one thing that many people know about Uptown is that they’re famous for two things, Tea Garden and the abundance of rustic coffee shops. “I like to go to Tea Garden, Uncommon Grounds or one of the many restaurants that are there. Also I just like the area and there’s a lot to do around the lakes,” said Edina senior Maren Schuveiller. You could walk down Hennepin Avenue for two blocks and run into half a dozen places to get coffee. There are places to get a good meal in Uptown, such as Mesa Pizza, Jimmy John’s and Chino Latino. “The only real reason I go to Uptown is for a late night slice of Mesa Pizza, because it’s one of the only places open past midnight,” said senior Colin Dowda.
There are plenty of nice sit down restaurants in the Uptown area, but if you’re living paycheck to paycheck like me, then Dinkytown is a goldmine for quick and affordable food. There are about fifteen different places you can choose from all costing you under ten bucks within walking distance. But if there’s one place you could choose from in Dinkytown, I would go to Raising Cane’s. When it comes to food Cane’s is the best bang for your buck in the city, it offers a wide range of
SPORTS
Girls’ Rugby Rucks I n the New S eason Jessica Mixon staff writer
Intramural Basketball
Pixie Rock gets lifted into the air.
Edina Boys’ Hockey Recap
photo by Annika Kieper
Watching the game was hard, but I knew it was better than playing ineffectively,” said Malmquist. Although the Hornets scored first off the stick of senior Patrick Haug, it would prove to For the ninth year in a row, the small town be their only goal of the game, as the Duluth on the west side with a dream, otherwise known East Greyhounds came back and won 3-1. They as Edina, made the trip to the Xcel Energy greyhounds called a timeout with 3.7 seconds center for the Minnesota Boys’ Hockey State left to gloat in their victory, and the Xcel energy Championship. Defending back-to-back to state center had championships, never been the stakes this louder. year could Everyone not have been not from higher. Edina was A preseason on their feet favorite, talk hollering. of a three-peat This started as soon “shows as the second how much championship success our trophy was program has hoisted. The had, and it’s Hornets’ onea reassuring loss regular feeling season just knowing boosted the Edina Boys Hockey takes third in state. that there’s a hype, and reason everyone wants us to lose,” said Haug. many across the state expected to see an EdinaAlthough disappointed, the hornets rallied Lakeville North rematch in the state title game. the next day in the third place game, and beat The Hornets and Panthers had met last year in the Eagles of Eden Prairie 4-2, while Malmquist the championship, and the Hornets made it look watched from the bench. easy with an 8-2 victory. This year however, the “It obviously wasn’t how we wanted the end Panthers barely outlasted the Hornets, and handed of our season to go, but the state tournament is a them their only loss of the regular season. The very special experience, and you just have to take whole state was poised to watch them battle it out it all in, because it is something you will never on the ice again. forget,” said Haug. Unfortunately, some bad luck for Edina saw Regardless of not winning their third state senior Dylan Malmquist, Minnesota Hockey championship in a row, the Hornets two-loss Player of the Year, get hit with a devastating shot season is a very impressive feat, that keeps to the back of the knee in the quarterfinal game Edina’s legacy of excellence in hockey great, and against Bemidji. Although the Hornets won 6-4 sets the tone for next year. When asked if he had against the Lumberjacks, it came with a price. Malmquist tried skating in warmups the following any regrets about the season, senior captain Matt Masterman only had one. “I should have been Mr. day in the semifinal against Duluth East, but he Hockey,” he said. was unable to go. “I wanted nothing more than to play, but I knew it was better for the team that I sat out. Tanner Sparrow print copy editor
photo courtesy of Chuck Wait
throws and does 50 pull-ups claiming, “it makes [him] feel like Kobe.” His go-to move is to “hit ‘em with the euro step and then show ‘em the nasty,” “Mr. Kaliq! Mr. Kaliq! Could I get an while his senior interview for brother’s gothe school to move is the newspaper? “flop”. Do you drive Toward the for the hoop or back of the shoot for the pack is Team three?” Inspiration with “Neither. junior and allDunk on ‘em,” around player said senior Cole Harris. and intramural Currently basketball competing for legend worst player on Abdikaliq the team, his goSahal in an to move includes exclusive the fade away Zephyrus three with a short interview. airball. Shooting Team guard for Inspiration’s Dynasty* uniform mostly (*the original), consists of Abdi’s hopes button down for the team shirts and khaki include just pants because wanting all the players senior George tend to forget Thomas to get their basketball a point in the Cole Harris gives intramural basketball a thumbs-up. clothes. championship Cole’s hopes for the season is to make a and not to travel so much. Dynasty* (*the original)’s winning streak wildcard run at the playoffs and be the dark horse team that takes it all. was recently brought to an end by another undefeated team also called Dynasty and sophomore point guard Abdihafid Sahal. Before every game Abdi shoots 100 free Austin Buyse staff writer
player up by the shorts, to learning to squat, I love when a player goes from ‘I can’t do that’ to ‘I actually can do that!’” said coach Al Kunau. Rugby has gotten a reputation for being a fairly dangerous sport, however, many girls on the team don’t see it that way. “Sometimes rugby gets a bad reputation for being full contact with no protection other than a mouth guard, but girls’ rugby actually gets less concussions than college ultimate,” said Rock. There are projected to be fifteen other schools that have girls rugby teams this season. Although Kunau isn’t exactly sure how the team will do this year, but with over twenty-six players on the team, she is “sure the team will do awesome.”
photo courtesy of Pixie Rock
Girls’ rugby is a sport at Edina that is quickly gaining popularity. For those who aren’t familiar with how the game works, it is similar to soccer in that the ball consistently moves unless a team scores, the ball goes out of bounds, or a penalty is given. Unlike football though, tackling in rugby does not stop play, and every player on the team can carry the ball, tackle, and score. Girls’ rugby is played exactly like boys’ rugby. The same rules, or “laws” in rugby, apply for both boys and girls teams. “A lot of people are skeptical that girls can play
such a hardcore sport. We like to prove them wrong. We have exactly the same rules as the boys and we play just as hard,” said senior Pixie Rock. Most players on the team were introduced to rugby when coach Al Kunau had a rugby day in Girls Only P.E. Junior Bethany Aydinalp originally wanted to start a girls’ tackle football team but joined rugby instead when she realized there would be no other teams to play against. I enjoy hitting people in a controlled environment and being on a cool team of girls,” she said. Almost all of the girls on the team had never played rugby before they joined, but through an amazing team atmosphere and great coaching, they learned the aspects of the game. “From tackling, to lifting another
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