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www.edinazephyrus.com
In-Depth p. 6-7
Culture p. 10
Features p. 3
Twin Cities Weekends : All about everyone’s favorite metropolitan combined statistical area.
Matt vs. Food: Staff writer Matt Woolsey takes on the Twin Cities’ gastronomic challenges.
Junior year abroad: Two EHS juniors go across the world.
Volume 33 Issue 6
April 12, 2013
6754 Valley View Rd. Edina, MN 55439
Papal celebrations Edinans have high hopes for new Pope Francis I “I was excited to find out that Jorge Bergoglio was elected by the conclave,” said senior Jay Dienst. “I think a non-European Pope could really help the church move into a modern direction.” On March thirteenth, the cardinals selected Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. Bergoglio decided to take the papal
name of Francis, making him the first to take the name. Pope Francis could quite possibly be what the Catholic Church is looking for to help reestablish itself in the modern era. As the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, he was a firm believer that the Church should promote the Catholic faith more than regulate it. Due to the number of Catholics
Photo credit Wikipedia user Fczarnowski
Catholics in St. Peter ’s Square celebrate Pope Francis I right after his election on March 13.
that have left the Church, it is likely that his support for missionary work will continue in Vatican City. Within a year, Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis’ predecessor, joined millions of other users on Twitter and became the first Pope to step down in over 600 years. Although rumors circled claiming that his resignation was due to ailing health, he has stated that his decision to step down was a spiritual one and is due to his lack of strength to live up to his papal duties. One of the most common observations of Pope Francis is how simple and humble he acts in public. Instead of wearing flamboyant traditional robes and giving a very long message from his balcony, Pope Francis focused on interacting with the people gathered below in Vatican Square. “The fact that Pope Francis is setting an example for the rest of the church is inspiring and nice to see after such a long time,” said senior Kevin Franze. Edina is home to two Catholic churches, Our Lady of Grace and Church of St. Patrick, both are places where quite a number of EHS students frequent on Sunday mornings and nights. Perhaps Pope Francis’ motivation for expanding Catholic Church membership will be felt in Edina and around the world. Alex Van Gorp, online news editor
Edina’s music programs hit the world stage There are over 600 students involved in music programs at Edina High School. “Music is not so much a class at EHS but more a family, as cheesy as that sounds,” said senior Cassie Clarke, “There’s a ton of talent that gets to be showcased.” And showcase they do. Not only do students participate in music on school grounds, but their experience extends beyond the classroom. The EHS orchestra, choir, and band all take trips to travel outside the bubble and share their music with the world. Orchestra travelled to Chicago over the weekend of March 7th. “We did a school exchange,” said Clarke. “We played for them, they played for us, and then we performed a piece together.”
The orchestra also performed at Northwestern University, but there was more than just music planned on the itinerary. “We visited the Hancock Tower, the Field Museum, an aquarium, Millennium Park, and went to Michigan Avenue to shop,” said Clarke. “What I most enjoyed was the Picasso exhibit at the art institute. It was so amazing to see his pieces and collections in real life.” One week later, Concert Choir traveled to Chicago. Just like the orchestra, they did two school exchanges and took cues from a guest director. “We did a lot more on the trip than just sing,” said senior Meghan Herring. “My favorite part was walking around Chicago on St. Patrick’s day.” With a green-dyed Chicago River to guide
their way, the choir went to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s show and saw Blue Man Group perform. “We also ate dinner at Dick’s Last Resort,” added Herring with a laugh, “The waiter made me a hat that said ‘Easily Forgettable’ and senior Talia Edelheit one that said ‘Born a Boy’.” Unlike the orchestra and choir, EHS’s band has yet to leave for their 2013 trip. “We are going to Singapore over spring break,” said senior Rory Bade. “I’m most excited to go to the beach and perform at the Esplanade, a famous concert hall in Asia,” said senior Erin Savre, “We will also perform with an all-girls school from Singapore which should be a cool experience.” Vivian Engen, online sports editor
Passion Project a success, teachers say According to sophomore English teacher Fred Cheng, the Pre-A.P. English 10 Passion Project is “intended to be a full-year research project [and] came from a need to fulfill new national and state standards for Language Arts.” The assignment, which is a new addition to the sophomore curriculum this year, also has an encouraged service component. Mr. Cheng said, “We wanted to incorporate service learning because school work that encourages students to take action also forces deeper learning.” In a nutshell, the project is a yearlong assignment that was introduced to students at the beginning of the school year. It is broken down into a research paper, due the week of April 11th, as well as a project and presentation. A Passion Project Fair is set to occur on May 23rd and 24th. All tenth graders are required to complete the assignment, but topics vary from student to student. English teacher Beth Mohs noted, “Some students explored more historical topics, some chose topics related to their extracurriculars, and some based their choice on current social issues.” For instance, sophomore Grace Boyle is researching the rights of families with gay parents, while sophomore Sidonie Gindre chose the subject of bilingualism. So how do students get started? The process can be quite complicated. Gindre described a common setback as “finding topics to research on.” However, Media Specialist Sara Swenson, who plays a large role in assisting students with their research, designed several resources that sophomores could utilize, such as a help forum, lists of reliable databases, and access to NoodleTools, a site that assists with organization. Student feedback on the project has been mixed. Mr. Cheng described, “It’s very intimidating to be told they’re writing a ten page paper. Being a yearlong project is also very daunting. It’s not something you can rush off the night before it’s due.” So will the assignment stay for next year? Mr. Cheng weighed in, saying, “I don’t see it going away.” Clare Ling, in-depth editor
Top: Orchestra poses in front of the Chicago skyline on Lake Michigan... Bottom:...and underneath the Bean in Millenium Park. Photos credit HAnnah Sommerville
The official newspaper of Edina High School