Issue 1 - October, 2018

T h u r s d a y, O c t o b e r 4 , 2 0 1 8

Vo l u m e 3 9 , I s s u e 1

6 7 5 4 Va l l e y V i e w R d . E d i n a , M N , 5 5 4 3 9

w w w. e d i n a z e p h y r u s . c o m photo by Cecilia Orth

Youth for Social Justice page 5

In-depth: social media pages 6-7

Vandalism: Graffiti on the wall outside door 5.

EHS entrances covered with graffiti School walls vandalized with written insults

Hamilton’s legacy page 8

Cecilia Orth visual editor

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tudents walking in through the main office doors at 6:30 AM on Sept. 10 were met with a display of graffiti.

Only a handful of students witnessed the graffiti, but most were discussing it as the day went on. Sophomore Chloe Swanson is a swimmer who came in early for dryland practice and subsequently viewed the original graffiti writing. “I was angry because it was very disrespectful to the school and the custodial staff,” Swanson said.

A message was written in blue paint on the pavement in front of door five. The

Athlete of the Month: Andrea Janson page 12

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How can we improve?

Zephyrus wants your feedback.

Go to the Contact Us tab on edinazephyrus.com and fill out the survey titled ‘How Can Zephyrus Improve.’

For more, visit edinazephyrus.com

But someone decided to air their grievances on our building,” Principal Andy Beaton said.

By 7:00 am, the custodians were erasing the graffiti on the doors and windows.

However, when students began arriving for school, the brick wall graffiti remained.

By approximately 8:20 AM, the custodians were cleaning the wall off. “It was erased quickly to give a sense of normalcy because the graffiti had nothing to do with the 2000+ students that are just going to school here everyday, it doesn’t give an audience to the person that vandalized your building so it’s important to try and remove it,” Beaton said.

Uncovering the mystery behind Activities Director Troy Stein’s tweet Senior Women apparel goes viral (Senior Cougars Raise Enthusiasm Brooke Sheehy administration beat lead

Lime Bike takeover page 3

comment was illegible due to it being mostly covered by a sheet, but was signed by “-someone.” Across door five, “MN NICE” was spray painted, continuing around the left corner to the windows which were emblazoned with “OR MN PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE -SOMEONE.” On the brick wall nearby the doors and steps, there was a final statement: “Raised to be Sheep,” signed by “-someone.”

Currently, the crime is under investigation by the Edina police and the nature of the graffiti remains unknown.

There are no perceived events or tensions that may have led to the vandalism. “We had a really good first week and we were really surprised about why that happened.

ost Edina High School students are aware of the senior women’s traditional sweatshirts and spirit wear that are sported by many senior girls a few times a month. However, most students are not aware of when or how the tradition started.

Like many traditions, the origins of Senior Women apparel are hazy.

According to Arlene DesJardins, class of 1956, the tradition had not yet been introduced when she attended EHS. “Wasn’t around when we were in school 1951-1956. We were only allowed to wear slacks, not jeans, on Fridays.

Nobody complained, it just was expected for us to comply,” DesJardins said.

In a two week long investigation, connecting with Edina graduates from between 10 and 60 years ago, Zephyrus concluded that the unofficial start of the Senior Women tradition was in the late 70’s, with its first traceable acronym: SWATS (Senior Women Add Team Spirit) from class of 1978.

In the following five years, it appears that exclusively using senior “women” in the acronym disappeared. The class of 1980 acronym was SCREAM

and Motivation) and class of 1983 was SAVAGES (Seniors Advocate Various Activities Generating Enthusiastic Spirit).

It appears the only similarity between the three acronyms is that they are all associated with enthusiasm and team spirit. It wasn’t until the class of 1986 that the “Senior Women” exclusivity resurfaced with the acronym SWILL, and the message that this acronym and each one to follow changed from a message of school pride to a message of highly classified information, creating an ‘I’d tell you but then I would have to kill you’ code between the senior women and the rest of the school.

In an article from the yearbook titled “The Reign of Swill,” the senior women of 1987 were classified as a women only organization that performed an annual skit at the pep fests, acclaimed for their tie-dyed shirts and distressed jeans.

As the sophomores wondered what the senior women group was, juniors and seniors were more interested in finding out the secret meaning behind the SWILL acronym. There were a variety of ideas floating around the school, but it remained a secret amongst the senior women as to what was correct.

(Continued on page 9)

EHS vs. Juul: On Sept. 11, EHS activities director Troy Stein tweeted a picture of a Juul, an e-cigarette device, accompanied by a warning against student vaping. It was reposted by popular Instagram account “5thyear” and recieved nearly 70,000 likes.

NEWS

“I think it’s a good idea for people to be able to use a bike, and just not have to buy one, they can just drop it off wherever.” Griffin Larson, junior

Thursday, October 4, 2018

3 photo ny Mimi Beringer

Let’s ride Lime!

Lime Bikes provide alternative transportation to Edina residents, but is there a hidden cost?

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home from school, they need to be left on public property.

“Lime is helping Edina move towards a more active and healthy environment,” said the Edina Transportation Department.

“Getting more people on bikes will reduce pollution and create healthier individuals.”

All in all, Edina is looking to become more environmentally friendly, as well as a safe place for people living active lifestyles.

With the help of Lime Bikes Edina is striving for everyone to get active.

“It’s a plan that strives to create streets in places that are better for people who aren’t in their cars instead of just focusing on people who drive. Streets are places for people as well, and that’s walkers and bikers and people who live in their neighborhoods...and so the cities over the past few years have put in a lot of bike lanes and bike trails and paths. It’s just a way to provide another easy mode of transportation for people.”

Michael Crater staff writer

caution while you ride Lime Bikes.

Enjoying the outdoors: citizens of Edina enjoy the third annual Open Streets on 50th.

Open Streets Edina: a community bonding experience

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photo by Brennen Marriam

t’s only $1 per 30 minutes to ride a Lime Bike, the new trendy way to go from place to place. Just show up to any green and yellow Lime Bike, scan the QR Code on their app, and begin your ride. The bike is outfitted with three gears, a basket, lights, and a kickstand to make your ride as enjoyable as possible. When tested, the ride quality was very rough, which may cause comfort issues, but it’s worth it for the easy access and low chance of a breakdown. It’s a solid bike for short distances.

The bikes are tracked and maintained

by Lime workers throughout the metro area. The target audience is people who don’t already have their own bike, or who are somewhere and need a last minute ride.

Specifically, the bikes are “for people who maybe don’t live in Edina, but work in Edina and want to take a quick trip over to lunch hour,” Transport Planner Mark Nolan said. As Edina is moving towards a more active and healthy environment, both for the planet and its citizens, the city is working on a “Living Streets” plan. “The cities over the past few years have put in a lot of bike lanes, bike trails, and paths.

It’s just a way to provide another easy mode of transportation for people,” Nolan said. The city wants to promote active lifestyles while offering more modes of transportation, and Lime Bikes deliver on both of those goals.

Lime Bikes cannot be left on private property, like a driveway, so for kids who want to take them Don’t forget your helmet: remember to practice

Alex Stenman page editor

n Sept. 23, the city of Edina hosted the third annual Open Streets event.

The event, held on 50th Street in downtown Edina, closed off the roads to vehicles and opened them up for pedestrians and activities. The event was a breath of fresh air and fun after torrential downpours engulfed Edina for many of the preceding days, and it seemed like destiny when the event was on a clear 75 degree day.

The Open Streets on 50th event in Edina became an annual occurrence in 2015 after the first year of the event was an enormous success. Every year, businesses gather at Open Streets to show off and sell interesting food and merchandise, including mittens, dresses, gelato, hula hoops, babysitting services, bowties for dogs, and more!

At the event, a variety of people walked among the booths and enjoyed the resurgence of heat and nice weather. Among the three bounce houses, there were booths for pet toys, the Edina High School robotics and wrestling teams, kids karaoke with Heart’s Performing Arts, remote controlled battlebots, and test drives in full-sized electric cars. Local food was being sold

by vendors all across the event, and there were more dogs plodding along than you could count. There were funny sights, like a booth detailing how to recover from a spinal injury being placed directly across from a booth promoting a martial arts studio.

Speakers pumped out popular hits while children threw a football around in the sun.

The event ran for four hours, between 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM, and attracted hundreds of visitors.

“I think [Open Streets] is so successful every year because it was organized with the community in mind,” junior Bryn Osborne, an event volunteer, said. “Unlike the Art Fair, which is a lot more profit driven, [Open Streets] is a more community oriented activity. It’s just a fun way for everyone to gather outside and have fun for a few hours.” Osborne also said that she wished the event was a bit longer, as that would give even more people a chance to get out and go to the event rather than whoever could make it in the current four hours.

While there is not yet any formal indication whether the event will continue next year, it’s safe to assume that if it does we can expect a fun community gathering for all ages.

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Mihika Sathe staff writer

elections this November,” Qian said.

Opportunities to get involved in the midterm elections aren’t only limited to election day. Students can volunteer on several Minnesota campaigns in the weeks leading up to Nov. 6. On the state house level election, students can make phone calls to voters for incumbent Dario Anselmo (GOP or DFL-endorsed challenger Heather Edelson. On the national house level election, students can phone bank or door knock for Erik Paulsen (GOP), Dean Phillips (DFL), Ilhan Omar (DFL), or Jennifer Zielinski (GOP). No matter your skill sets or previous experience, there are opportunities for every EHS student to get involved in the midterm elections.

October 10th 2018 Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualify fy f ing Test (PSAT/NMSQT) Testing for Juniors. This PSAT opportunity gives Juniors the chance to qualify fy f to become National Merit Scholars.

November 3rd 2018 SAT off fffered at EHS on Saturday, Nov. 3rd from 8am-1pm.

December 1st 2018 SAT off f ered at EHS on ff Saturday, Dec. 1st from 8am1pm.

January 14th-17th 2019

December 8th 2018 ACT is off f ered at EHS from 8am-1pm. The ff ACT is a standardized test used primarily for college admissions and is typically taken by Juniors and Seniors. The ACT is off fffered 7 times a year.

Semester 1 finals. Specific dates depend on student's class schedules.

March 9th 2019 SAT off f ered at EHS on Saturday, ff Mar. 9th from 8am-1pm.

April 2nd 2019 PSAT 10 Testing for Sophomores. Unlike the PSAT, the PSAT 10 is not used by the National Merit Scholarship program to find eligible students.

art by Gillian Mousseau

n Monday, Sept. 17 at 7:00 pm, the League of Women Voters held a forum at City Hall to discuss the views of the current Edina City Council candidates. The six candidates are vying for two open seats for the position, and elections will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 6. The candidates are incumbents Kevin Staunton and Bob Stewart, and challengers Ron Anderson, Stan Davis, Janet Kitui, and Ray Meifert. Turnout for the event was high, with around 100 people in the audience. Some of the issues the candidates discussed over the course of the evening were traffic issues in Edina, the increasing population density in Edina, the proposed highway complex over Highway 100, and how to increase accountability in the city council.

The Edina City Council is made up of five members, including the mayor and four council members who each serve four-year terms and have staggered elections during evennumbered years. The position of City Council member is a nonpartisan office, meaning that council members are not endorsed by any particular political party. The Edina City Council meets on the first and third

Tuesday of each month at City Hall, and these meetings are open to the public.

Although the importance of the City Council may not always be evident, the City Council has a major impact on the city of Edina. The responsibilities of the City Council include taxation, creating policy that will benefit Edina, budgeting, looking at the city’s goals and plans for the future, and managing property in Edina. With the key role of City Council Members in our community, it’s no surprise that there are so many contenders for the position.

Although most students at Edina High School won’t be able to vote this November, there are still plenty of ways for EHS students to get involved in the midterm elections.

Junior Tiffany Qian is working on election day as a student election judge. Election judges are responsible for making sure that the voting system at a polling place is fair. “I heard about the opportunity in my APUSH class.

I decided to apply because I thought it would be a good way to get involved in the

October 6th 2018 Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) off f ered ff at EHS on Saturday Oct. 6th, 8am-1pm.

The SAT is a standardized test used primarily for college admissions and is typically taken by Juniors and Seniors. The SAT is off f ered 7 times a year. ff

May 6th-17th 2019 AP Testing starts on May 6th and ends on May 17th. Test dates and schedules can be found at ap.collegeboard.org.

June 8th 2019

April 16th-19th 2019 MCA Testing off f ered for ff Sophomores and Junior. Test subject depends on student's grade level.

May 30th-J --June 4th 2019 Semester 2 finals. Specific dates depend on student's class schedules.

SAT off f ered at EHS on Jun. ff 8th from 8am-1pm. *All test dates correspond to tests happening on the EHS campus only.

infographic by Syd Pierre

Council candidates open doors to student participation in local elections

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FEATURES

Thursday, October 4, 2018

“I think it's an interesting way to learn because in his class you can only communicate through ASL. I think it's a good way to learn because there is no way around it.” Jack Erickson, senior

From law school to the classroom: three teachers’ journeys art by Hanna Faris

Matthew Hovelsrud staff writer

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t Edina High School, there are social studies teachers that have educational backgrounds unique for a high school setting: Ms. Nimmo, who teaches AP World History and AP Comparative Government, Ms. Guerin, who teaches U.S. Government and is the advisor for Whigrean, and Mr. Dalki, who teaches Sociology and Criminal Law. All have a law degree in common, but their career paths are different.

When Ms. Nimmo graduated from college in 1981 with a history degree, she wanted to be a college professor, but there were no available jobs. Ms. Nimmo decided to take a year off and work in a law firm, and eventually attended Northwestern Law School. After graduating, she worked at numerous corporate law firms including Leonard Street and Deinard- one of the largest corporate law firms in Minneapolis. “It was just a lot of research and writing. And I am kind of a people person,” Nimmo said. However, it was the lack of ability to balance family and work that pushed Ms. Nimmo to quit her job at Leonard Street and Deinard. Ms. Nimmo found her way to EHS at a teachers’ fair where she landed an interview and eventually a job. Ms. Nimmo’s law career influences her teaching in a positive way, “It gives her real-life experience about what she is talking about, especially within AP Comparative Government and understanding how our legal system works. It helps her draw those connections from within the United States

and around the world,” Ms. Nimmo’s teaching assistant, senior Kathleen Scoggin said.

Ms. Guerin was a chemistry major her junior year of college planning to go to medical school. After taking a physical chemistry class she didn’t enjoy, she changed her major to history. “My parents had always accused me of being good at arguing,” Guerin said. Family motivation and a high score on the LSAT brought Ms. Guerin to Michigan Law School where she graduated to later practice bankruptcy, environmental, and immigration law. “When you work for a law firm, your clients are there because they want you to save them money. A lot of the people at private firms represent chemical companies, pharmaceutical companies, and people in

trouble with the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency],” Guerin said. Representing a side that did not align with her morals pushed Ms. Guerin to pursue another career. She was accepted for the Paul Douglas Scholarship which paid for her schooling to become a teacher. However, Ms. Guerin had a unique transition that differed from the other teachers. She had an important realization: “I think teachers need to be treated with more respect. Teachers work as hard as lawyers do, but they get paid a lot less and are not nearly as respected by other adults,” Ms. Guerin said.

Since he was a kid, Mr. Dalki was inspired by his uncle who was a criminal defense lawyer in Chicago and his mom, a legal administrator. Following in their footsteps, Mr. Dalki graduated from DePaul Law School and worked as an attorney focused on insurance, product liability, environmental insurance, and commercial transactions. “We represented the defense side of corporations against claims by plaintiffs,” Mr. Dalki said. This meant 60 to 70 hour work weeks that took away time with his family. Mr. Dalki decided to change careers after meeting with a marketing executive who became a teacher.

All three of these former lawyers are happy with their transitions from lawyer to teacher. Their past careers in law allow them to apply a different perspective and knowledge to the subjects they teach, that without their past law careers would not be possible. Although, not all the teachers miss practicing law, they all agree it helps them be better teachers.

EHS Students serve on prestigious Minnesota Youth Council

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Alexis Yi staff writer

American sign language class at EHS taught by new Deaf teacher

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Dedeepya Guthikonda staff writer

ucked away in a corner on the first floor of Edina High School is a classroom unlike any other. ASL (American Sign Language) is the newest world language class that is offered at EHS. Teaching the class is Mr. Knapp, a Deaf ASL teacher new to EHS this year. When asked what makes ASL different from other world languages, Mr. Knapp said, “It’s a visual language.”

“In a typical world language class we still use English as a main form of communication, but in ASL we don’t use English,” Freshman Zoe Haise, Mr. Knapp’s student, said. “I like using the no English rule. It’s fun to be able to learn a language and use it realistically in class,” In addition, ASL is a major step in bridging the gap between the Deaf community and the speaking one. Without a communication barrier, the possibility to interact with and meet a whole new group of people opens up. When an ASL student encounters a Deaf

person, they are able to communicate and have a conversation with them, which they could not have done as easily before.

“When you take ASL at EHS, you can sign with someone at the grocery store, while you’re out shopping, even at the airport,” Mr. Knapp said. “In ASL 1 this is our first time using sign language, so it’s hard to communicate with the students. At the beginning I have an interpreter, and we also use powerpoints or gestures,” Mr. Knapp said about potential learning barriers.

“Whenever you think of a foreign language, you always think of a speaking one,” Haise said. “It’s important to realize that there are different ways to communicate.

When you go out into the real world, you will know how to communicate with the Deaf community,” Haise added.

Offering ASL at EHS is one of the first steps to merging communities together and giving students the opportunity to be part of a more inclusive and diverse world, where they are able to communicate and build relationships with more people regardless of their disabilities, race, gender, or religion.

Aside from the council, Thorat does debate and speech and serves on various Edina commissions. Arjun does debate too, band, and also serves on some Edina commissions. Both agree that public policy is an option for them in the future, though nothing is for sure.

On serving on the council as a whole, Thorat said, “You need to have an initiative, or something you’re passionate about, a change that you would like to see in Minnesota, because the Youth Council really is a place for you to actually try to see through that change.” These students plan to do exactly that. photo by Madeline Brandel

o most high school students, the U.S. system of government might seem intimidating and complicated. This isn’t the case for junior Anushka Thorat and sophomore Arjun Maheshwari. Thorat and Maheshwari serve as members of the Minnesota Youth Council, a youth organization mandated by state law and the only council of its kind in the country.

Thorat and Maheshwari represent the at-large district of Minnesota, and serve on the policy committee. Meetings occur every other Sunday from 5:30 to 7:00 PM, and there are 4 weekend-long retreats throughout the year. “We essentially work to amplify youth voices, so if there are bills that specifically target youth across Minnesota, we give advice to politicians who are drafting and legislating that bill,” Thorat said.

“We are also involved in the debate process for those bills; we give feedback letters about almost all bills. We decide which issues that we want to tackle, as in like mental health, or youth education, or gun legislation, and then we specifically tackle those issues and what politicians are doing to address them.”

Members work closely with state legislators and members of the Minnesota Department of Education.

Maheshwari is passionate about gun control and Thorat is interested in the education achievement gap. “My main [goal] is gun violence prevention, and I’ve done a lot of different things with that. I’ve met with Senator Smith. It’s such a contentious issue . . . I think that there are bipartisan solutions for sure.” Maheshwari said. Gun control has remained at the fore-

front of national politics thanks to efforts by the #NeverAgain movement, and because of several shootings across the nation since Parkland. “My main one is actually education disparities because it’s ridiculous, Minnesota has among the highest disparities in the nation. It’s really surprising because we’re from Edina and we have a really good school and a good education system for us, but it’s not awarded to everyone else,” Thorat said. She hopes to help less privileged youth in Minnesota by raising her voice for them on the council.

Membership on this council is extremely selective. Maheshwari learned about it at Youth Day at the Capitol last year; Thorat also attended the event, but she knew about it before.

Applications come out in May, and applicants submit essays answering various prompts and go through an intensive interview. “There are only a few slots every year . . . you need to have something really unique,” Maheshwari said. Members of the council serve two year terms, after which they must reapply.

Yash Mangalick, a friend of both and fellow debater, can attest to their work ethics. About Thorat, Mangalick said “She’s really hard working, and she applies what she knows to everything . . . She has a lot of good knowledge about how politics works and she has a voice that needs to be heard.” As for Maheshwari, Mangalick said, “He’s very driven. If he sees an opportunity he goes for it. Arjun lives and breathes politics, he reads all about it, and he has a lot of opinions that are well formulated.” A great aspect of being on the council so far is having access to lots of resources. “We’re literally paired with a think tank in Washington D.C to do research for us,” Maheshwari said.

Going above and beyond: Thorat (left) and Maheshwari (right) aim to reform gun control and edcuation policies.

Edina High School teacher selected as representative for Fulbright Fellowship

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Morgan Sheehy managing editor

indsey Smaka, a Chemistry and Forensics teacher here at Edina High School, was exclusively selected to participate in the prestigious Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms program. Out of thousands of applicants, Smaka was one of 76 Americans chosen to journey abroad through the Fulbright Fellowship–Teachers for Global Classrooms (TGC), a program supported by the U.S Department of State through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

The government-sponsored program was established to champion global educational exchange programs that work to create and sustain relationships that solve worldwide problems between foreign countries and the United States. Teachers from around the country are immersed in the year-long professional development course to develop the necessary teaching skills to properly prepare students for the competitive global economy. Through training, travel, and international collaboration, TGC Fulbright graduates are able to bring an international learning perspective to their

schools, co-workers, and students.

Smaka will work with other Fulbrighters to combat the challenges that come with teaching in a diverse academic country by first completing a rigorous, semester-long online course focused on the best practices in global education. At the beginning of next year, she will meet other Fulbrighters in Washington, D.C, for an in-person professional development workshop to build networks, collaborate, and develop strategies to enhance world learning.

Fulbrighters are then assigned to live abroad in a foreign country for two weeks to become immersed in another country’s culture and education system to promote a mutual understanding. Smaka’s abroad destination has yet to be determined.

Ultimately, Fulbrighters are expected to take their whole experience and create an educational guide that serves not only as a model for their classroom but for their school, to work towards building global educational awareness within Edina Public Schools. Smaka is the community’s bridge towards understanding international education, and will serve as our mentor while we continue to work and remain globally competitive.

ACTIVITIES

“I think it’s cool just to have a different type of dance in the school, you know, they have the traditional dance team and I think hip hop brings a new energy to the school.” school.

Siting Zhang, senior

Thursday, October 4, 2018

photo by Brennen Merriam

EHS Hip-Hop team preps for upcoming season

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A look into how they’re preparing to face their busy schedule

lthough the Edina High School Hip-Hop Dance Team has been in existence since 2006, the team still manages to bring new material in each performance. While the team is well known for performing at EHS pep fests, they also perform at many other events throughout the year. The team manager, senior Arleth Ulloa, told Zephyrus where they will be performing this season: “We have an Eden Prairie Showcase, the homecoming parade and halftime, other pre games and the EHS multicultural show.”

When the team was first established its goal was to be a “fun and super diverse group compared to other teams, but we wanted it to be really relaxed and a super fun environment to be in,” Ulloa said.“I coordinate practice spaces, and make sure all applications for performances are in,” Ulloa added about her duties as manager.

The team is taught choreography by their coach Ariel Enriquez. Enriquez was one

of the first students to establish the team in 2006. She graduated in 2009 and is a 2011 World Champion hip-hop dancer. Since the team has become more prominent, they have 3-4 practices a week for about two hours.

During those practices the team will stretch and run through all their choreography. If they have extra time they will then do a teambuilding activity or learn new dances for football games.

Sophomore Ingrid Anderson is a new member this year and has had a great experience so far. “When I first started the team I had no knowledge of dancing whatsoever and throughout the time I’ve developed more as a dancer. I’ve also learned how to associate moves with counts and beats. The team helped me listen to music more attentively,” Anderson said. Anderson elaborated on the stress of having to dance in front of the rest of the team: “I was scared that everyone would judge me because everyone else was more experienced.” The team is very inclusive and tries to develop good teamwork skills. Anderson also expressed her desire to continue being on the team in upcoming years.

Youth for Social Justice Club plans for the future amidst political polarization Ready to lead: Amrutha Garimella (left) and Kayla Yang (right) are looking forward to facilitating group discussions that are open to everyone.

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photo by Sophie Charnell

Practice makes perfect: the hip-hop teams practices anywhere from 6 to 8 hours a week to perfect their routines.

Edina Debate’s success due in part to plenty of preparation

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Art Boettge staff writer

lthough the season has just begun, the Edina Debate Team already has two major tournaments in the bag.

On Sept. 7, the team traveled to the National Speech and Debate Season Opener hosted by the University of Kentucky, and they walked away with one bid toward the Tournament of Champions. “At bigger tournaments, if you go far enough, you get a bid, if you get two bids, you get to go to the Tournament of Champions,” junior Matthew Nissen said. One of the most influential reasons for Edina’s success comes from their devotion and thorough preparation. The team is full of “hard workers who all enjoy and are devoted to the sport,” junior Yash Shah said. In fact, many team members spend two weeks of their summer at debate camp. Nissen specifically pointed to the debate camp for giving his team an edge at Kentucky.

“My debate partner’s [and my] experience at camp gave us a lot of extra practice on the topic and debate generally,” Nissen said.

While the University of Kentucky tournament was a large success, the Edina Debate Team’s second outing at Greenhill School in Dallas, Texas proved to be a more challenging experience. Shah described it as one of the toughest tournaments. “It was way harder than we expected,” he said. At Greenhill, “only the top two teams go, so all teams are the very best,” senior Josh Ding said. The Edina Debate team ended up going 2-4, meaning they lost four matches and won two matches. “There was a surprising amount of competence and good

debate happening throughout the Greenhill tournament,” Ding said. Shah and Ding both commented that more preparation could have made a difference in the team’s performance at Greenhill, however, the matches were close and the debaters still feel Edina gave full effort. In fact, due to the large size of the team, one of the Edina Debate Team’s strengths is their ability to do a lot of preparation and obtain lots of evidence. “This is just a benefit of being a bigger school,” Nissen said.

The new Edina Debate Team head coach, Hayden Uihlein, is no stranger to preparation.

Nissen and Ding both point out that Uihlein does a great job of handling all of the administrative tasks for the debate team. Although this is Uihlein’s first season as the head debate coach, it is not his first time working for the team, as he was the former Policy Coach. This season, he stepped up to take the responsibility of the Head Coach after the former coach left abruptly. Uihlein’s attention to detail allows the team to concentrate and stay focused under stressful conditions like the ones the team experiences during tournaments. Just like many other competitive sports, stress is an intense presence at debate tournaments. “You are either in a round or preparing for the next round and even more so for big tournaments,” Nissen said. Despite this, debaters thrive in this type of environment.

The debate team is excited and looking forward to yet another successful season with their new Head Coach. For this team, hard work and preparation is the one thing that is not up for debate.

Julia Nicholson page editor

ne of the ever-growing and everchanging clubs that was featured in the activities fair this month is the Youth for Social Justice Club, led this year by juniors Amrutha Garimella and Kayla Yang.

Following the end of last year, when the club’s previous leaders graduated, an application was distributed amongst potential applicants for the role to see who would take on the job. Having both been active members in the club last year and very passionate on the topic of social justice, Garimella and Yang were chosen to run the group.

With the activities fair over, the leaders are in quick preparation to get together a final schedule for the club among other details. “We’re planning on having meetings once a week, where we will talk about actual social justice issues and see what we can do to make our school and the community a better place,” Yang said.

What sets this club apart is its aim to bring students together regardless of their personal or political beliefs.

“[The Youth for Social Justice Club is] a non-political club. We welcome everyone’s opinions and respect them because we don’t want people to feel like they’re not wanted [in the group]. We hope to facilitate group discussions where people feel welcome to share their opinions so that other people can understand different perspectives,” Garimella said.

As for what the rest of the school year holds for the club, both Garimella and Yang hope to incorporate more hands-on activities into the meetings. “This year, we’re hoping to do more than just have discussions- maybe get out and see the community and [have] fundraisers for other charities that help whatever issues our club wants to collectively,” Garimella said.

Although their schedule will ultimately be influenced by the group’s overall interests, the leaders have already begun brainstorming different possibilities. “So far, we’re thinking about what kind of volunteering and different trips we can do if people are interested. Like visiting a jail and discussing incarceration rights and the discrepancies on that,” Yang said. “It’s one thing to talk about and it’s another thing to take action.”

Botany club returns to its roots

art by Tiffany Qian

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Sadie Johnson Sieben staff writer

EHS students explore different forms of gardening

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Reagan Stanchfield staff writer

t the end of last year, two students created the Botany Club for any of their peers interested in plants and different ways to grow them. Seniors Caroline Westholder and Caroline Sundal started the club out of their love for plants and gardens. Westholder noticed a garden at Edina High School and was inspired to revive it.

Although they haven’t been a club long, they are already working with science teacher Mr. McLean to explore and study his hydroponic garden, which is a method of gardening that grows plants in water and a nutritional solution instead of soil. The club is experimenting with different costs of gardening and what it can produce. The Botany Club also has more plans for the future. “We want to try to open a garden that’s outside like…some of the elementary schools,” Westholder said. Their main objective right now is to educate and recruit more students.

The Botany Club allows members to explore their interests in botany or simply

learn more about it. The club is exploring sustainable ways to grow food through personal gardens and hydroponic gardens.

“I also think it's interesting how there is a major food crisis in how it's hard for lowerincome families to buy healthy foods because the price of produce can be so high,” senior Jordan Runice said. Runice wants to see how these growing methods can save money for consumers.

The Botany Club has had to overcome some obstacles in its development. Because it was created near the end of the school year, it has not reached a wide audience yet, and there are around fifteen members.

“We’re hoping to be at the activities fair and gain more members because it is an interesting topic, and I think a lot of people would be into helping out,” Westholder said.

The club is also not listed on the EHS website under Activities, but Westholder hopes it will be this year. The plan to start an outdoor garden has also been delayed due to construction at EHS, but Westholder plans to begin planting the garden this spring.

“In general there is sexism in sports, like in the WNBA, where the women make maybe $100,000 a year and in the NBA where they make $40-50 million a year.” Ryne Reger, junior

It’s time for America to wake up and use our resourses effectively

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Confronting sexism in professional sports art by Hanna Faris

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psychology resources for serving soldiers and veterans.

According to the 2014 Veterans Health Administration Report, 20% of national suicides are comprised of U.S Veterans, meaning twenty-two veterans commit suicide every day. In 2017, 100 patients at the Los Angeles VA hospital died waiting for healthcare, and more than 300,000 veterans in total have died in the same position over the past few decades. The officials in charge of Veterans Affairs have historically made harmful spending decisions with the VA budget, including changing a short-term construction plan for a VA hospital in Aurora, Colorado to incorporate a 1.7 billion dollar “shopping mall design” that extended the wait time for veterans in need of care upwards of two years, spending 20 million dollars on art from 2004 to 2014, and giving out 117 million in bonuses to employees. This money needs to go towards the rehabilitation of the men and women who have fought for our country. Expanding the VA budget and implementing policies to regulate areas of expenditure for VA funds with a primary focus on healthcare and psychological resources would greatly impact U.S veterans for the better.

Countries function like businesses in more ways than one, particularly involving the fiscal aspect of government. Cutting costs where they’re not necessary and increasing funds and regulations where they’re needed helps any organized system perform best. Young men and women enlisting need to be supported far past their service, specifically in readjusting to civilian life with problems their combatoriented careers have created. By making these changes, the U.S military will function more efficiently and be able to support the soldiers it creates.

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Kyra Bergerud page editor

ince inception, sports and sexism have gone hand and hand. Even at the highest level, male athletes see much more privileges with the rules, and, in particular, to what extent they can break them. However, tennis has seen a new era of power, strength, and diversity, with Serena Williams being the main contributor. Williams has been a resonating voice for the fight against racism, sexism, societal roles, and has created a new path for female athletes everywhere.

Despite these notable achievements, time seems to be reverting back to old stereotypes and procedures during the events that may have cost Serena Williams the Women’s US Open on Sept.

8. During the widely anticipated match between Williams and Naomi Osaka, Umpire Carlos Ramos proceeded to give three code violations: one for the interference of coaching, one for breaking her racket, and finally, calling the umpire a “thief” lost her the game. The instance was a clear message of sexism, not just costing her the match, but further demonstrating the inequality of athletics.

“I’ve seen other men call other umpires several things,” she said. “I’m here fighting for women’s rights and for women’s equality and for all kinds of stuff. For me to say ‘thief’ and for him to take a game, it made me feel like it was a sexist remark. He’s never taken a game from a man because they said ‘thief,’” Williams said.

As a campaigner for women’s equality, Williams and the entire sports

community were appalled by the match.

Following the accusation of sexism, the media blew up. While some say Ramos was consistent with the rules, others defended Williams saying the event showed a clear demonstration of inequality.

However controversial, it is clear that this is not the first time and will not be the last that sexism finds its way into tennis. Earlier this year, Alize Cornet was punished for readjusting the shirt she was wearing, and dress code enforcement was changed after Serena wore an “inappropriate” black catsuit to the French Open.

All of these have been instances where the actions taken by women were heavily scrutinized, if not for the sexism inherent in sports, for the excusable behavior that it justifies. “When a woman is emotional, she’s ‘hysterical’ and she’s penalized for it. When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ and there are no repercussions,” Billie Jean King said in regards to the match. The support of tennis legend King brought even more attention to the calls of sexism, causing many to acknowledge that the calls of sexism were important.

The match does not just represent an important loss for Williams, but echoes the serious and urgent problems of tennis and sports as a whole. We must always call out instances of sexism, even when it cannot be proven. The only way to move towards equal and diverse representation is to hold the actions of everyone accountable and set a standard that cannot be broken, especially when it comes to women. art by Mallika Srinivas

n 2017, the United States spent 783.1 billion dollars on military defense operations, not including the cost of warfare. The Balance, an economic newsletter, reports by the end of 2018 that amount is expected to jump by 22.3 billion, reaching an all-time high at 805.4 billion with 69 billion going to overseas affairs.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, this amount is greater than the military budgets for China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, the U.K, India, France, Japan, Germany, and South Korea combined.

However, while military funds skyrocket, less than ten percent of 2018’s expenditures are set to go to Veterans Affairs, the area in which additional funding is needed most. In an age of economic growth in America, the federal government should be rebudgeting its enormous military costs, cutting down on the overall spending range to incentivize efficiency and putting money towards the mental and physical health of the brave men and women who have served.

Many minds jump to headlines about ISIS and other terrorist groups operating in the Middle East and Africa when thinking about the U.S Military budget in the modern age. However, most of the funds for foreign anti-terrorist efforts are contained within the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) budget, which is separate from the base budget, Veterans Affairs, intelligence, and security funds entirely. The OCO’s budget of 69 billion for 2018 is only around nine percent of the total expenditure, leaving 805.4 billion for domestic affairs. Benjamin H. Friedman, a research fellow in defense and homeland security studies at the CATO Research Institute, argues that the domestic allowance is far too large, and focuses primarily on improbable fears of invasion in a technologically advanced and geographically secure nature. Manufactured lies and scare tactics surrounding mass-scale invasion from our southern border have fueled the political scene in America, specifically during President Trump’s 2016 campaign and victory. However, they are unfounded, paranoid, and an example of funds going to waste. In America, “the land of plenty,” wealth is often seen as a resource that should grow dramatically with time, but money doesn’t always fix problems. Cutting down on enormous spending costs funding extreme border control measures would both promote efficiency within our military, and allow money to be put towards healthcare and

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Fighting for a higher standard

Military spending should be rebudgeted Greyson Mize sports beat lead

OPINION

Was Mollie Tibbetts used as a political pawn?

Looking into objectification, border policy, and political sway following Tibbetts’ death

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Leo Hickey staff writer

n late August, the ongoing investigation involving the murder of 20-year-old Mollie Tibbetts ended tragically with a discovery of the college student’s body in her hometown of Brooklyn, Iowa. Soon after, police identified a suspect, 24-year-old Cristhian Rivera, a Mexican immigrant who confessed to the murder. However, the tragedy soon took a political turn.

“The timing, as far as Mr. Trump and his allies were concerned,” The New York Times wrote in an article on Aug. 23, “could not have been better.” The outcry began when it was revealed that Mr. Rivera was undocumented and apparently came into the country illegally. Soon after the arrest, on Aug. 22, President Trump shared a video to Twitter, saying that “a person came in from Mexico illegally and killed [Mollie]. We need the wall, we need our immigration laws changed.”Many other members of the Republican party followed suit, and soon

Mollie’s murder was a rallying point for strengthening border control.

The political sway towards the tragedy upset Tibbetts’ family, who protested against Mollie being used as a means to an end for conservative politicians. Tibbetts’ father told the Des Moines Register in an interview on Aug. 27 that conservatives have “chosen to callously distort and corrupt Mollie’s tragic death to advance a cause she vehemently opposed. I encourage the debate on immigration… but do not appropriate Mollie’s soul in advancing views she believed were profoundly racist… the person who is accused of taking Mollie’s life is no more a reflection of the Hispanic community as white supremacists are of all white people.”

Using someone who can’t fight back as an object to forward an agenda is wrong. As Mr. Tibbetts explains, one murder by a Mexican immigrant doesn’t justify a crusade against a whole group of people.

Whenever oppression exists in a society, generalizations made about marginalized groups such as Mexican immigrants are extremely harmful, as these generalizations can lead to

an even more skewed perspective and systemic prejudice.

It is impossible to deny the racially charged motives behind these accusations; conservative groups would never call for action against all white Americans if the situation was flipped.

Cries to strengthen border policy because of this incident are dangerous, not because counties shouldn’t have border protection, but because of the way that the agenda is being forwarded. Regardless of stance on border security laws, the problem, explains Simon Rosenberg, founder of the New Democrat Network Think Tank and Advocacy Organization, is that many contemporary concerns for border security are based on xenophobia.

Nonetheless, the most important issue here is that Tibbetts is being objectified to further political action that even she didn’t agree with. Use of citizens, especially ones that can’t defend themselves, as pawns by politicians reduces people to nothing more than data and creates pain for families of the people that have been burned as fuel in a bonfire of conflict and hatred.

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HEAD TO HEAD

Thursday, October 4, 2018

Anonymity is still valid

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Jack Marker page editor

he New York Times opinion section has been recently overshadowed with real-world news being too inflammatory to ignore. However, this trend reversed earlier this month when their own opinion page became front page news. A senior official within the Trump administration wrote an anonymous op-ed describing their resistance to the President’s agenda from within the White House, making major waves across the American news cycle.

But beyond the momentary fervor, the anonymous opinion editorial raises some interesting ethical questions. First and foremost, should a media source be able to publish incendiary material anonymously, and if so, does it discredit the validity?

The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of speech and press; this alone should be enough in protecting the author’s choice of writing an anonymous opinion article. If the government made an exception, forcing the New York Times to reveal the author, then these actions would set a precedent, weakening the power of the First Amendment, and thus the Constitution.

Beyond the First Amendment, most people who are in a similar situation to that of the author, providing inside information to the world, are uncomfortable giving their names as it will immediately have adverse effects. If an anonymous whistleblower, or a person who exposes any kind of information or activity that is deemed illegal or incorrect within an organization, were exposed, they would be instantly fired and blacklisted. Just because certain information was obtained from an anonymous source

does not invalidate the legitimacy of the article.

For example, Mark Felt, the associate director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, provided anonymous, yet groundbreaking information to the Washington Post.

This information blew open the Watergate Scandal and ultimately led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Similarly, Robert McCarthy, a field solicitor for the United States Department of the Interior, disclosed the Department of Interior’s misuse of three and a half billion dollars.

“Just because certain intelligence was obtained from an anonymous source does not invalidate the information presented in the article” Publicizing an anonymous article or accusation may be an integral part of gaining retribution for someone who has gone through a traumatic experience. The “Me Too” movement has progressively grown since its inception in October 2017. Vox reports, “over the past year, more than 200 powerful people - celebrities, politicians, CEOs, and others - have been the subject of sexual harassment or assault allegations.” The majority of these allegations were put forth anonymously, yet despite challenges, have been proven true. Anonymity helped provide victims the courage to step forward without the potential backlash from their persecutor. This allowed for more people to tell their valid story, which made the movement more powerful. The sheer number of allegations brought attention to the situation.

Few people initially believed that the beloved television and comedian star Bill Cosby would have drugged and sexually assaulted innocent and unsuspecting women had it not been for approximately sixty women who came forward. Many of those initial victims came forward anonymously due to fear of the stigma, potential repercussions, and not being believed. This movement recently lead to Bill Cosby’s conviction in a federal court, proving that the anonymous accounts of many women were true.

Additionally, many people are afraid to speak out against venerated institutions unless they can do so anonymously. For many years, the Catholic Church has been covering up its history of indiscretions. The victims felt conflicted about coming forward and wished to remain anonymous. Many priests were relocated to other parishes instead of being punished for their crimes, ultimately leading to the Catholic Church setting aside over three billion dollars for future settlements according to several news sources. This story was enabled by undisclosed sources.

The New York Times, as big as it is, had already vetted the author of the article before they decided to publish it. There is no incentive for them to publish a false article as the repercussions of doing so are severe in the long run. The Times’ reputation would gravely suffer if the stories were proved untrue. Furthermore, there are laws protecting against libel and slander, so even if an outlet did want to publish something particularly scandalous, they would be limited by the law. Therefore, publishing an op-ed article anonymously should not jeopardize its validity in any way.

Anonymous sources: noble or cowardly?

In September, the New York Times controversially published an anomymous editorial detailing a “resistance” within the Trump administration. People have raised questions about the validity of the article due to its anonymous nature, while others have commended it and said that we should trust the claims the author makes.

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art

y Qi iffan T y b

“I think that anonymous sources are a good thing because [the reporters] can still get a source, and if the person doesn’t want to reveal their identity, they can protect themselves while the reporter gets the information they need.” Jack Pierre, junior

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Isha Konety news beat lead

recent New York Times op-ed written by a senior White House official in President Trump’s cabinet has divided Americans due to its anonymous authorship. The writer stated that he or she was a part of a resistance against President Trump, covertly making decisions and controlling the president’s impact, citing examples of the president’s reprehensible behavior.

The article has brought to light some issues that the public had been previously unaware of. The article’s contents were shocking, which led experts to question whether or not a prestigious newspaper such as The New York Times should publish such a volatile piece of anonymous writing.

Some believe that the article maintains its validity despite the author’s anonymity. Many cite that the senior White House official was wise in protecting his job and himself from retaliation by choosing to remain anonymous.

On the other hand, some politicians, both Republicans and Democrats, criticize the article, calling it cowardly and untrustworthy.

Due to the fact that it is anonymous, readers cannot hold the writer accountable for any incorrect information that is published, either intentionally or unintentionally.

Additionally, due to shield laws, policies that prevent publications from revealing confidential sources, and the first amendment, these sources are protected from being

“I do think that there are some problems with anonymous sources and anonymous written articles and their credibility. I don’t think it’s the best thing to be anonymous.” Grace Wolf, senior

revealed. The blame falls on the publication instead, which sets a precedent that risks endangering public trust in news sources.

Anonymous sourcing requires great amounts of trust from both the news organization and readers. Readers are required to trust that the publication has adequately vetted the source and that the source has disclosed factual information. At the same time, the publication is required to trust the information that is provided by the anonymous writer. Despite the fact that news sources may use background checks to vet their sources, there is no method to examine the author’s motives. In settings such as the White House, where there is little inside information made public, journalists have little opportunity to verify their source’s claims. The New York Times stated that they relied on a trusted middleman to connect them with the op-ed writer. This is hardly enough evidence to support the notion that the public must trust the words of this writer. On one hand, readers are told to blindly trust the information that they are given. On the other hand, readers are told that they should be cautious when choosing to trust these types of articles due to the fact that they are anonymous opinion pieces. Such advice puts the validity of a news publication in jeopardy. It is important that the public trust its news sources to provide them with factual content, so it is imperative that we are able to hold our providers accountable in the event that the information is incorrect.

More importantly, anonymous sourcing sets a dangerous

precedent and leads the journalism community down a very slippery slope. If we should be able to trust anonymous sources just as much as we trust named sources, when do we draw the line? Much of what experts and named sources say can be deemed as incendiary, controversial, or polarizing. If named sources feel that they can be seen as valid as unnamed sources, there is no incentive for them to provide their names. This lack of accountability will put publications’ legitimacy into question.

Such freedom allows for any individual to pen incendiary content. Furthermore, the op-ed paves the way for any whistleblower or opposition member to publish their opinions on a large scale without providing journalists a method of checking the motives. It is impossible to discern what the writer’s motives were behind his article despite the research and vetting that the New York Times has conducted.

Anonymous sourcing has its place in journalism. It has played a key role in bringing to light many controversies and scandals; however, it also has its drawbacks. It deprives readers of the ability to evaluate an article’s accuracy and the writer’s credibility, forcing them to rely on the opinions of a publication’s editor. If unchecked, such methods can very well lead to the discrediting of key media sources especially in the case of anonymous op-eds. Newspapers are not a vehicle for raging protesters, and thus should not be used as such.

Anonymity puts the truth in question

SPORTS

“I was on [swimming] for four years, we’re really good.

We won state last year and the year before, for two years in a row. I’m pretty sure we’re expected to win this year too”. Vivienne Kupiecki, senior

Thursday, October 4, 2018

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Girls swim and dive Andrea Janson speeds to the top

Athlete of the month

Intense practice leads to notable success

Janson discusses Varsity tennis and overcoming an injury Kerui Yang page editor

Ellen Mi staff writer

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enior Andrea Janson of Edina High School has been ranked fourth in girls section 2A tennis. Steven Paulsen, Janson’s coach, noted that “Andrea is a very aggressive player with the ability to be very offensive with her groundstrokes.” Additionally, Janson was voted as one of the team’s captains and has shown amazing leadership abilities.

While Janson has been only been on the EHS Girls Varsity Team since last year, her journey with tennis started more than a decade ago. Before moving to the United States last year, Janson lived in Sweden with her family and a father who is an active tennis player, and is the one who Janson cites as the person who inspired her to start playing tennis when she was around five years old. In Sweden, Janson played at a small tennis club with a “team” that consisted of her and four younger boys. Although it was fun, “I prefer having a team a lot more [with the girls],” Janson said.

When her father received a job in the United States, Janson was motivated to try out for EHS’s tennis team. After making it to varsity, the team has become very important to Janson as the girls have been very supportive and helpful, and Janson considers them to be her close friends. Additionally, Janson has found the coaches to be very attentive and caring, “the coaches are really nice, and they care a lot about us in tennis and outside of tennis as well,” Janson said.

However, like any other athlete, Janson is not a stranger to injuries. Ever since she was young, Janson’s knee has been prone to dislocating. Janson got surgery when she was thirteen, but she is still forced to take time to recuperate as it sometimes acts up again. Nevertheless, Janson is motivated to adapt to her knee situation and push forward on her tennis journey well into college because she loves “getting better, getting stronger, missing less, and winning matches.”

uring the school year, homework and extracurriculars fill up the nights of most Edina High School students; however, for EHS Varsity Girls’ Swim and Dive (ESAD), swimmers’ dryland practices run from 6:30 AM to 7:30 AM, twice a week on top of their nightly practices, making it difficult for swimmers and divers to balance school, practices, and life. Nevertheless, these intense and lengthy practices are likely to be the reason why ESAD has won the State Championship two years in a row.

It seems as though their past successes are leaving swimmers and divers hungry for another state trophy. In order to continue improving, the athletes set personal goals, like “making it to state every year and becoming a mentor for some of the younger girls on the team,” sophomore Claudia Chang said. Having started as an eighth grade swimmer in her first year, Chang says that she had older swimmers help her throughout the years, and wishes to do the same for the younger girls on the team. Even though she says there’s less time for homework. “Swimming has taught me time management - everybody’s learned that - and prioritization which is important to learn now,” Chang said.

Although most of the girls on the team already know each other from swimming for clubs during the off-season, Captain and senior Emma Berdelman plans to continue emphasizing support within the team.“At the end of the year, we’ll try to get more people to come cheer for girls at JV conference or cheer for people at sections because I think that that does help a lot to see a group of people in the stands rooting for you,” Berdelman said. Berdelman made it clear that ESAD isn’t placing competitive emphasis on “defending the state title” but rather focusing on improvements within the entire team. On the bright side, “morning practices allow us to have more time for Soaring to the top: Girls swimming trains hard for a suchomework compared to past cessful season. years,” Berdelman said.

photo by Sophie Charnell

photo by Madeline Brandel Tennis star: Senior Andrea Janson sees great accomplishments after just a year at EHS.

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Although diving and swimming practices run separately from each other, junior Megan Phillip says that if the team wants to win state again, they will have to “work harder than before because many amazing seniors left.” Phillip herself has been diving for around seven years and developed her interest primarily through the diving legacy within her family. However, with success comes hard work and perseverance. “I sprained my ankle really really badly, like it was crazy how I didn’t break my ankle - and this was a couple days before sections - but I still really wanted to go to state and help the team, so I had to put a lot of extra work to help strengthen my ankle,” Phillip said. At sections, Phillip continued diving and ended up breaking her personal record which later reflected in her performance at state as well.

ESAD’s success doesn’t go unnoticed outside of Edina. EHS swimmers and divers have been recruited by many reputable colleges and universities, including UCLA, University of Texas, and Yale. Phillip, like many other upperclassmen swimmers and divers, has already begun the recruitment process. And, as a long-term goal, Phillip hopes to make it to the Olympics one day to further her career as a diver. So, it seems as though ESAD’s legacy will last even after senior swimmers and divers say goodbye to EHS, as many will pursue the sport through college and beyond.

Edina skiers accomplish great feats on the national level Mia DiLorenzo staff writer

expressed how the stress was worth it in the end. “Sometimes when I get back I’ll just be like ‘I have seven tests tomorrow’ and it’s hard. But it’s all worth it, you know - what you get to be doing, where you get to go, and who you get to be with,” Higgins said. art by Tiffany Qian

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dina High School freshmen Virginia Higgins and Will Utendorfer are described by coaches and peers as relentless when it comes to pursuing their goals. It isn’t surprising that both of these EHS alpine skiers qualified for the prestigious Canadian American Challenge Cup race in Sugarloaf, Maine last spring. The skiers compete for Team Gilboa, a Bloomington-based club team that practices 8 hours a week at Hyland Hills.

Prior to the Canadian American Challenge Cup (referred to as Can Ams), Higgins and Utendorfer had never experienced an international race. To qualify for Can Ams, one must first qualify for the U14 Junior Championships in Steamboat Springs, Colorado where the Rocky region competes against the Central region. Rocky is comprised of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, and Wyoming, with Central encompassing both of the Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Michigan.

At the Rocky/Central Junior Championships, one must be consistent in all the events, finishing in the top 5 overall to qualify for Can Ams. Typically, the Rocky division and the Central division are competitors vying for the highest amount of points at the race. However, at Can Ams, the two regions

combine as one. “When you go out to Junior Championships you feel like you’re continuously going against them. They don’t really feel like your teammates and you feel like you need to beat them. But when you go out to Can Ams, you really do get to know each other and you are all on the same team. You come together as Rocky/Central,” Higgins said.

While the ski world does seem glamorous at first glance, it doesn’t come without difficulty. “In the winter, I don’t really hang out with friends unless they’re ski friends because you’re skiing 4-5 nights a week and then on the weekends you have races. With academics, you just have to grind when you get home from school,” Utendorfer said. The pair explained that with camps and out-of-state races, the school you miss catches up to you fast. “It is really tough, especially with traveling. It was a lot easier in middle school but with the [EHS] attendance policy it’ll be tough. For some of the bigger trips I even start homework a month in advance,” Higgins said.

Utendorfer and Higgins are members of the Federation International de Ski or FIS Prep Program at Team Gilboa. The FIS Prep Program is designed to train racers to compete at the national level, preparing them for the highly competitive FIS program. FIS Prep racers will train in Colorado two times a month during the season, and consequently, they miss a lot of school. Both athletes explained that the stress of schoolwork and skiing can be overwhelming. However, they both