Issue 6 - March, 2019

T h u r s d a y, M a r c h 2 8 , 2 0 1 9

Vo l u m e 3 9 , I s s u e 6

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 Madeline Brandel

Concert Band’s POPS show soars to new heights page 3

Franske plans to teach in Vietnam page 4

In-Depth: Importance of sleep pages 6-7

School cancellations affect EHS students and classes Losing prep time: AP students have lost valuable AP test preparation time due to this year’s numerous snow days.

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Head to Head: political sensitivity page 10

Seniors say goodbye to synchro page 12

n the night of Feb. 19, the students of Edina High School anxiously waited for the call that would announce a snow day. Meanwhile, many teachers were scrambling to prepare for a massive schedule change because of the numerous cancellations. While a snow day may be one of the most exciting parts of living in the Midwest, the consequences of missing the equivalent of one school week over the last two months created a burden on both the teachers and the students.

Due to the surprisingly large number of snow days this year, some teachers have had to adjust their schedules accordingly. AP U.S. History and AP U.S. Government teacher Mr. Anderson had to cancel a unit test and a class review. Despite that, he was able to utilize Schoology to send an at-home assignment over one of the severe weather days. “[Sending home a take-home FRQ] definitely helped with the snow days because we’ve reached a point where we just need to move on from [older material],” Anderson said.

In order to combat the loss of instructional time, Edina is exploring a new option that

Submit an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor online by going to the ‘Contact Us’ tab and clicking ‘Send Us A Letter’ For more, visit edinazephyrus.com

would allow students to participate in class without attending school through the E-Learning program. “[E-Learning] allows students to access Schoology and complete schoolwork that their teachers would have assigned on that day,” Edina Public Schools superintendent Dr. John Schultz said. The program would enable teachers to give their regularly scheduled lesson through the use of technology, minimizing the effect that the snow days would have on students’ workload.

However, some teachers are not able to assign certain material over snow days, creating a preparation burden on both the students and teachers. Some teachers lost a number of test prep days due to the inclement weather and have needed to push back unit tests to acclimate to the adjusted schedule.

Moreover, some AP students have lost preparation time for the AP exams in May. “We are fortunate that [AP Statistics] has a built-in review, but I know that some teachers are very worried about [the loss of time].

If you are teaching a class where the time happens to be tight and you don’t have builtin review time, you could be in trouble,” AP Statistics teacher Mr. Lenz said.

In addition to the lost test preparation time, students have become less accustomed

to having a full five-day week. The new normal has become a four-day school week with little work to do. “[Students focusing in class] has definitely been an issue. It’s something that has been difficult to adjust to,” Lenz said.

This behavior may have some long term ramifications and impacts on grades. “Though I haven’t run a statistical analysis on [the impact of the days off on grades], there probably are some students in the population that are affected,” Lenz joked.

Whenever there are school cancellations due to inclement weather, there is always a possibility that the district will add on days to the end of the school year to meet the state requirements. While Edina does exceed the number of school days necessary, there is still a chance that days may be added toward the end of the year in the event of more cancellations. “If we have other snow days, then we would have to have the discussion [of adding more days]. But right now, we are within the state requirement,” Dr. Schultz said.

While the snow days do have some long-term effects on grades and classroom behavior, the break was welcomed by students and teachers alike.

EHS responds to Klobuchar’s candidacy

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Want to have your voice heard?

Mia DiLorenzo staff writer

Ellen Mi staff writer

familiar name and even a family friend of students at Edina High School, US Senator Amy Klobuchar has made national headlines following the announcement of her presidential candidacy.

On Feb. 10, Amy Klobuchar announced her bid for the 2020 presidential election at Boom Island Park to thousands of Minnesotans gathered in the snowy weather. Elected as the first woman to represent Minnesota in the United States Senate in 2006, Klobuchar has since served as a Democratic Senator and won reelection in the 2012 and 2018 midterm elections.

Klobuchar’s slogan is “Amy for America,”

because she claims to be “tired of divisive politics.” At EHS, students and teachers have begun weighing in on her campaign.“[Her claim] could help because she can capture the ideological middle, and in those states that have open primaries, you could consider it to be an appeal for moderate Republicans to come across the line and vote in the Democratic primaries,” AP United States Government and Politics teacher Jason Dockter said.

In light of the upcoming election, students at EHS have already started to form their own opinions about the upcoming presidential race. “I think that the qualities that make a good president is being able to represent the people of the United States while also pushing for ideas as opposed to maintaining

the status quo,” sophomore Matt KumarMontei said. “I think that the [president] has to be someone who is able to make decisions with the right intentions while also being able to handle situations in a way that is fair,” junior Zach Shumway said.

For Klobuchar, people are beginning to think about the factors that may contribute to her chances of the winning or losing the Democratic nomination. “Essentially, Senator Klobuchar has a pretty good chance at capturing the ideological middle of the Democratic party, but we all know that that’s not who votes in the Democratic caucuses and primaries,” Dockter said. ...continued on page 3

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COMMENTARY Thursday, March 28, 2019

Zephyrus staff Editorial Board Lily Jones, editor-in-chief Simone Vaillancourt, print editor Emma Bailey, online editor Morgan Sheehy, managing editor Matthew Egger, copy editor Eva Hadjiyanis, copy editor Cecilia Orth, visual editor Margaret Sullivan, visual editor Anjali Aralikar, student life beat lead Isha Konety, news beat lead Greyson Mize, sports beat lead Brooke Sheehy, administration beat lead Staff Writers Art Boettge Michael Crater Mia DiLorenzo Dedeepya Guthikonda Matt Hovelsrud Sadie Johnson Sieben Ellen Mi Mihika Sathe Reagan Stanchfield Alexis Yi

Page Editors Kyra Bergerud Hans Janovy Meyer Jack Marker Julia Nicholson Syd Pierre Alex Stenman Theo Teske Kerui Yang Photographers Mimi Beringer Madeline Brandel Sophie Charnell Brennan Merriam Cecilia Orth Margaret Sullivan Artists Gillian Mousseau Mallika Srinivas Tiffany Qian Adviser Sarah Burgess

Letters to the Editor To share an opinon or voice a concern over issues in Edina or an article Zephyrus has published, submit a letter to the editor online by clicking ‘Contact Us’ and then clicking ‘Send Us A Letter.’

Policies 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 a designated forum for student expression that recognizes the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press, and abides by Tinker standard. Opinions published in Zephyrus do not necessarily reflect the views of the entire staff, adviser, administration, or entire student body. Submissions and letters are printed based on space available. Letters should be mailed to the school or given to the adviser or a staff member.

Follow us online @edinazephyrus

Letter to the Editor: Water pressure at EHS

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Ryan Lowe originally published online on Feb. 28

would like to express my concern over an EHS issue that I feel has been overlooked: the water pressure of sinks in the bathrooms. Washing your hands should be a rudimentary task, however, with the firehose-like faucets in EHS bathrooms, it becomes a challenge. According to science and statistics, the average American sink delivers water at a pressure of roughly ~50 psi. This is a great number, and it has worked perfectly for many people for many years.

For whatever reason, at some point during the redesign of EHS, the architects decided that adding a bunch of hexagons to the walls wasn’t radical enough of a change, and, in order to push the bounds of highschool design, they found the best course of action was to replace the sink faucets in the bathrooms with industrial pressure washers.

Additionally, I think that the administration has made poor choices allocating so much of the school’s funds for various glass structures over water related installations. The average price for tempered glass is $12-14 per square foot. We’ll just go with $13 dollars to be safe. Each fishbowl is composed of roughly 300 square feet of tempered glass. The math puts the price of each fishbowl at just under $4,000. Imagine the quality of sinks that we could afford with even just one or two less fishbowls. I just want to wash my hands without getting my sleeves wet.

Letter to the Editor: With regards to the senior activity during the March 14th Extended Advisory Andrew Hou originally published online on March 26

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he events that transpired during the March 14 advisory were absolutely unacceptable.

You compromised the class schedule, taking away from students’ academic time, in order to do what: have someone stand and deliver an infomercial?

Advisory was extended, and for what reason?

Not to deliver important information about Senior May Term, but instead to have a representative from Jostens try to sell us a vast catalogue of useless garbage. I understand that the reason for the advisory extension was for the juniors and sophomores. That doesn’t excuse what you have done. You could have chosen any number of filler activities, or simply no filler activity, but instead you chose this.

I am confident that you could ask any teacher about how attentive the students were during your

invited shill’s presentation and you will find the answer is nil.

The Administration has forced students to sit in an auditorium and listen to a wholly irrelevant sales pitch. It wasn’t even optional! There’s definitely something to be said about integrity against profit here…

I could go on about why today’s events were absolutely unacceptable and disrespectful to the students, but I think that my point has come across very clearly.

I hope that a poor decision of this caliber is not made again. I hope that those in the High School’s Administration hear my concerns and choose appropriately when the opportunity comes again for a similar event.

Letters from the Editors: Looking towards next year From the 2018-2019 Editor-in-Chief

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Lily Jones 2018-2019 editor-in-chief

y three years on the Zephyrus staff have been marked by change and growth.

This year, for the first time in our paper’s recent history we won multiple state level awards, beating out some of the most well-established publications in Minnesota. We have also had to overcome challenges including censorship, cost-cutting measures and a variety of ethical dilemmas.

Above all, these years have taught me how powerful the dissemination of truth can be. Rumors and chaos, whether about dress codes, protests or budget cuts, can cause divisiness and confusion in a community like ours. But when truth is introduced, conflict can be effectively mitigated. And in some cases, it is what is not being said that is most harmful, but thoughtful investigation can bring light to injustices and wrongdoing. The fight for truth is an

important one, inside and out of this high school.

Thank you to everyone on past and present Zephyrus staffs for fostering such a supportive intellectual community. Thank you to our outstanding advisor Mrs. Burgess for dealing with our frequent bouts of stress and occasional dysfunction. Thank you to my fellow editors, Emma Bailey and Simone Vaillancourt, as well as the entire editorial-board for putting all their effort and heart into improving this paper for the past year.

I will remember fondly our far too frequent Zonding sessions, listening to the “Lagaan” soundtrack during Saturday layouts and Emma spilling my coffee nearly every morning. Journalism, and student-run journalism remains something extremely close to my heart. It is my hope and expectation for the future members of this staff to continue to strive for excellence in serving the Edina High School community.

From the 2019-2020 Editor-in-Chief

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Kerui Yang 2019-2020 editor-in-chief

n the 2018-2019 school year, Zephyrus has aspired to truthfully report news relevant to Edina High School, holding the students’ and staff’s best interest at heart. From the school’s vandalism to the McDonald’s racism controversy, we have covered it all.

Although the student body only sees Zephyrus’ work once every month after distribution, the staff has been constantly posting online articles and social media updates, and working to complete the print paper. One aspect of the paper that is often overlooked, however, is the relationship between the staff members. Behind the doors of the publication room, Zephyrus is like a family, each motivating the other to do the best that they can. Friendships are created and laughter can be heard everyday during

class. Without the people who make up Zephyrus, the paper would not be the way it is today. This year, the hard work of the entire staff has allowed Zephyrus to grow as both a newspaper organization and a team, exemplifying how collaboration is the key to success.

But Zephyrus is comprised of more than just the staff: you are a part of Zephyrus as well.

Without our audience, Zephyrus would merely be a faint memory of the past. Only through the active readership and feedback that we receive do we find the motivation to continue improving ourselves and work diligently.

So, thank you readers for giving Zephyrus a purpose and trusting us to be your newspaper organization. As this school year comes to an end and the next one approaches, please continue supporting Zephyrus and look forward to our future publications!

“I’ve gone to POPS lots of other years, and this year was especially good, because of the song selection and the theme allowed for lots of different types of music.”

Olivia Blumenthal, sophomore

NEWS

Thursday, March 28, 2019

EHS responds to Klobuchar’s candidacy

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...continued from the front cover

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Ellen Mi staff writer

fter embarking on her campaign trail across the US following her candidacy announcement, Klobuchar has since campaigned in states like Iowa and New Hampshire. “She kind of has a very narrow road and she needs to come out of the gates well in Iowa and New Hampshire and then head into South Carolina, but that would be a test for her because she doesn’t really have much name recognition outside [of] the midwest,” Dockter said.

Despite only recently announcing her presidential candidacy, Klobuchar has faced multiple controversies.

Reports from documents and emails have surfaced, as reported in numerous news outlets, accusing Klobuchar of allegedly mistreating her staff. “She was constantly lighting new fires,” a former staffer of Klobuchar’s said in an interview

conducted by the Huffington Post. Vox has also reported on ex-staffers who have shared stories of Klobuchar throwing a binder onto a chair, consequently hitting a bystander.

Nonetheless, Klobuchar’s candidacy has drawn national attention to Minnesota since former governor Tim Pawlenty’s presidential campaign in 2012 for the Republican nomination. “[Klobuchar’s candidacy] could bring more media attention to Minnesota, and more media attention could mean more revenue as far as people coming to visit the state,” Dockter said.

For students in Minnesota, Klobuchar’s candidacy runs very close to home. As a Minnesota native, Klobuchar attended Wayzata High School, Yale University, and the University of Chicago Law School.

In an Instagram poll conducted by Zephyrus, 77% of respondents said that they support Amy Klobuchar’s 2020

presidential run, while 23% said that they do not. “She’s gotten a lot done in Minnesota which is impressive and good. If she were given the nomination, I would definitely lean my vote towards her over the Republican candidate,” KumarMontei said.

“In my opinion, it doesn’t really matter that she’s from Minnesota. Even though she has been a senator for a long time, I think that that would help her in Minnesota but elsewhere it would probably hurt her,” Shumway said.

At EHS, the 2020 presidential election presents an opportunity for students to become politically engaged. “[Students can learn] how party politics affect the Constitution: all the informal ways we go about nominating candidates, electing presidents as a result of party practices.

Of course, they can get excited about the issues and going out and seeing what candidates are doing to try to appeal and get their message out,” Dockter said.

infographic by Ellen Mi

Concert Band’s POPS performance soars to new heights

Let’s go fly a kite: Concert Band plays excerpts from the classic Mary Poppins.

We are the champions: To welcome the audience back from intermission, Concert Band plays a medley of songs from Queen.

photos by Sophie Charnell

A smoky finish to the first half: Concert Band gathers at the front of the stage to play a song from The Greatest Showman.

Play Wii-th Mii: The oboes and bassoon sections play an arrangement of the Wii theme.

Edina Public Schools awarded for environmental leadership

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Sadie Johnson Sieben staff writer

n Feb. 7, Edina Public Schools was awarded the 2019 Environmental Leadership Award at the 2019 Road Salt Symposium. The award acknowledged the school district’s advanced techniques for managing ice and snow on the campuses and it led Edina to be nominated into the Freshwater Society. The Freshwater Society is a nonprofit built on the goal to “inspire and empower people to value and conserve freshwater resources,” according to their website.

Road salt can be considered dangerous for the environment.

Salt is made of sodium chloride like table salt, but it is a much more firm type of salt. Road salt is purified, but the chemical break up of the compound is the start of the problem for our

planet. The salt lowers the freezing point of water, which then melts the ice and snow that covers the streets.

In 2012, the district used up to 84 paletes of salt stated Edina Public Schools. In 2014, the district decided that their tactics for salting needed to change. Buildings and grounds managers attended the Smart Salt training, which was offered through the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The purpose of the training was to teach workers how to use new equipment the district invested in, compact utility machines, a Toolcat and a Ventrac.

The district-wide grounds supervisor, Brent Kaley, discussed the techniques they use, “We saw the city using a salt brine on the ground, which led my former supervisor and me to create a tank and our own system for applying salt brine. Initially, we used a spray painting tank to contain the salt brine, but

now we have to use bigger tanks because we are expanding the use of salt brine to all district sites,” Kaley told the Edina Sun Current. Now the district uses a four-step process, which includes: applying the salt brine overnight, clearing the snow by blowing it, brooming the surfaces of sidewalks and parking lots, and finally, using drop spreaders to evenly distribute the salt. By using this process, the district only uses an average of 14 palettes of salt annually.

With the help of the school district to reduce salt use in Edina, it will help water contamination in nearby waterways.

Remember an easy way to reduce water contamination in Edina can be using less salt on your own driveways and entrances such as the district did. To learn more about how to be more environmentally friendly and decrease water contamination you can visit on the Freshwater’s Society website.

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FEATURES

“I am excited to be able to learn about different types of plants and animal life in different countries. Also, how to be able to research them on my own in the real world.”

Oliver Parmekar, junior

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Math teacher Noah Franske EHS students embark to Ecuador plans to teach in Vietnam

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Dedeepya Guthikonda freshman apprentice

Activities Director Troy Stein: A day in the life

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Simone Vaillancourt print editor

he EHS sports teams are some of the best in the state. It’s no doubt that lots of preparation goes into readying the teams for success, but seldom do we really think about who is behind all the hours of organization that go into coordinating athletic activities.

That’s where Athletics Director and Assistant Principal Troy Stein comes in: he works with several other staff members to put together athletics schedules and events.

Stein’s typical day includes touching base with activities coordinators to discuss upcoming game times, transportation, early release times, and site logistics. He is also responsible for figuring out plans for tournaments after

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Brooke Sheehy administrative beat lead

hen Pre-Calculus and A.P BC Calculus teacher Mr. Noah Franske first started teaching during the 2012-2013 school year, he knew in the back of his mind that after teaching for five years he was going to take a leave of absence to have one more “crazy” adventure.

Never did he realize that his adventure would bring him to teach in Vietnam.

In the EHS teaching contract there is a policy where if you work at EHS for five years, you can take a leave of absence of up to five years. “I kind of told myself if in five years I haven’t put down roots here–like I don’t feel like I have a reason to stay– that I am going to go do something wild,” Franske said.

As a hobby for the past two years, Franske has been a blackjack dealer at Mystic Lake Casino and initially thought about taking a leave of absence to work on a cruise ship dealing blackjack. “This is something that is still on my bucket list bephoto by Mimi Beringer

Will we ever even have to know this after high-school?” is a thought that has probably occurred to many of us while experiencing a confusing lesson or working through hours of homework. Luckily, a team of science teachers and students at Edina High School has been working to bring a new light to learning and broaden the horizons of EHS students through science. This unique approach ditches the textbooks and focuses on hands-on, science-based learning.

Mrs. Smaka, who teaches Enriched Chemistry and Physics, Mr. Burfeind, who teaches AP Environmental Science and Biology, and Mrs. Longley, who teaches Human Anatomy and Biology will lead a trip for 24 EHS students -- all of whom are rising seniors--to Ecuador this summer. Whether students have a previous interest in science or not, the trip provides a unique opportunity for students to develop their passion in science, the environment, and global issues.

“It’s a really cool opportunity for doing actually biology research and getting a little field experience. In combination with really cool traveling it’s also testing out a field, so I can see if it is something I would be interested in,” junior member of the Ecuador team Chloe Maynor said.

In Ecuador, students will embark on a completely new life experience, far from a typical trip.

During the first week in the country,

students will trek through the Amazon Rainforest, visiting a local village along the way. The village is hoping to set up an eco-tourism business, and EHS students will be pioneering the experience.

The second week, they will fly out to the Galapagos Islands in order to explore the different islands, scuba dive, visit the lava tube caves and see the iconic flora and fauna. In addition, students will be making new discoveries and contributing to the community and environment around them. In the Amazon Rainforest, they will be surveying different plants and animals in the habitat.

This is the third year an international science-based learning trip from EHS will take place. The first year, the destination was South Africa, and last summer was Fiji. “I found this company that takes in all of my personal passions, traveling, teaching, conservation, science and I organized that first one. It was a really great experience and I decided to continue and expand it. It’s slowly become a more meaningful experience each time,” Mrs. Smaka said Prior to and post-trip, students will also take a semester-long class to prepare for and reflect on the trip. “I hope to expose [students] to science out of the classroom, and, get them out into nature...this is the best way for them to see their personal impact on the environment,” Smaka said. If you’re interested in science expeditions such as these, make sure to look out for upcoming trips- like the one to Indonesia- in coming years!

Verve for Vietnam: Franske looks forward to a new experience.

a team qualifies. “For example, when boys’ hockey won on Wednesday night we met on Thursday for an hour to start planning for the week,” Stein said. That planning typically includes ticket sale plans, bus information, and communication for the game day.

Stein also works with the student athletes themselves to address concerns about “grades and chemical abuse.” He hosts pre-season meetings with coaches and parents to talk about concerns, fundraising, improvements, and other issues.

After six years at EHS, Stein says he has “grown to appreciate the lifelong sports” like cross country, swimming, and Nordic and Alpine skiing.

When asked about his favorite part of watching EHS sports, Stein said “the teamwork, networking, and passion for growth is truly remarkable to watch.”

Sophomore takes on advanced French horn solos

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Alexis Yi staff writer

rench horn extraordinaire and sophomore Katy Meffert has been playing the instrument since the fifth grade. Right now, she plays in the Brass Choir and Varsity Band at EHS, and she frequently subs in for players in the Concert Band. She’s also a member of Symphony, the premier orchestra of the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS). In Symphony, she is third chair French horn.

Meffert’s musical history started with the violin when she was four years old. She made the permanent switch to French horn when she entered middle school. Her grandfather, a band director, taught her first horn lessons, although she now has a private teacher. She has no regrets for switching to french horn. “I like playing the horn specifically because of the sound, and it’s just so pretty,” Meffert said.

Right now, Meffert is working on a solo piece by composer Richard Strauss—Concerto for French Horn and Orchestra No. 1. The piece is nearly twenty minutes long, and it’s part of her preparation for college auditions. “It’s just the best. It’s so big and the beginning is like, it’s not a cadenza, but it’s cadenza-y. The whole thing, it’s just so show-offy for horn,” Meffert said.

Sophomore Libby Heitzmann is a fellow member of the EHS band program and is one of Meffert’s good friends.“She is very focused . . . she puts a lot of effort into what she does,” Heitzmann said. “I really admire her outlook towards everything: she’s a very positive person.”

Meffert practices 45 minutes to an hour a day. During her practice sessions, she warms up, does etudes (which are shorter pieces focused on technique) and then moves onto her solo pieces.

Like anyone else, there are times when she suffers from a lack of motivation or insecurity about her playing, but she pushes through because, ulti-

mately, music is what she wants to do. “You can express yourself in such a cool way, and it’s just, I don’t know, the culture of music is so cool and the history of a piece is just so cool,” Meffert said.

The first year she auditioned for GTCYS, which was for the last season, Meffert was placed in the highest orchestra: Symphony. In Symphony she plays a handful of soloistic passages in a variety of ensemble pieces, including Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6. “A piece like Tchaikovsky or something like that, I listen to it over and over again; it’s my favorite symphony. Being able to play that so well, I get goosebumps,” Meffert said.

Outside of music, Meffert plays basketball and ultimate frisbee, but music is her top priority. Even now, she’s already starting to prepare for college auditions. She plans to continue in college and outside of college as well, and she hopes to turn French horn into a career. photo by Sophie Charnell

photo by Madeline Brandel Always attentive: Stein never misses a beat when watching Edina athletics.

cause I am still hoping to do it at some point, but they weren’t hiring at the beginning of this year,” Franske said.

During winter break, Franske applied to over 75 different schools all over the world through the company Search Associates, a website similar to The Common Application for teachers who want to teach abroad. “I had a bunch of interviews over Skype, and it’s nice because you have all of these schools kind of fighting for you. I had opportunities on the table from South Korea, from Milan, from Switzerland, from Hawaii, and of course from Vietnam,” Franske said.

Franske will be stationed in Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, where he will be teaching in an Australian school under a two year contract. “I’m going to be teaching a very large population of Vietnamese students–it’s like 40 percent Vietnamese–and everyone else are people that are looking for an international experience, so people that are moving from place to place because of their parents’ jobs,” Franske said.

The week that Franske made his decision, he remembers closing his door and talking to his calculus students about where he should choose to go next year. Senior Will Hager was shocked to hear that Franske wouldn’t be teaching at EHS when he comes back next year to visit all of his favorite teachers during winter break. “I was really sad. I didn’t believe it at first, and you know I was just like how are the kids gonna learn BC now that he’s gone because he is the reason that I did well in that class,” Hager said.

Franske’s plan is to come back to EHS somewhere between two and five years after the end of the 2018-2019 school year. “After those two years I might come back right away, but I may choose to chase those dreams of teaching in Japan, or maybe I’ll go deal blackjack on a cruise ship, or maybe I’ll do a combination of both, but I do hope to come back eventually,” Franske said.

Eager to excel: Meffert practices the French horn.

ACTIVITIES

“I participate in volleyball, and I make sure to utilize my student prep” Jazmine Edmond, junior

Thursday, March 28, 2019

EHS robotics team continues a proud legacy and heads to worlds

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WorldQuest fosters students’ passions for international issues

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Lily Jones editor-in-chief

f the many academic clubs at Edina High School, WorldQuest is the only one that combines a trivia style competition with a study of international issues. EHS has two teams this year, both of which competed at the State Tournament on March 6. For State, the stakes were high, “If we get first place, we will get a free trip to DC for nationals,” senior captain Sadie Uri said before the competition.

Members have to be knowledgeable on a range of issues, “The topics we’ve had ranged from global climate change, to ASEAN, to North Korea,” Uri said.

In October, each team from high schools around Minnesota is given a study that outlines each of the topics. The guide also gives them resources such as articles and videos to help them prepare. “These questions all come from the study guide so there’s not much outside research,” Uri said.

In competition, timing is everything.

Teams have only a minute to choose an answer after talking amongst the team.

Each question you get right gives you one point, and the team with the most points in the end moves onto nationals.

Even if you don’t get first place, they still had prizes for second and third, and they even did random raffle giveaways throughout the competition.

The senior team got 25 points, the junior team got 26 points and the sophomore team got 25 points out of 50.

However, even the winning team missed several questions. While the team didn’t qualify to nationals, they finished in the top half of teams, with the junior team even winning free tickets Conquer Ninja Gyms.

“The team’s long term goal is to learn as much as we can about geopolitics and to grow in our knowledge of the world,” junior first-time team member Adam Schwinghammer said. Uri echoes this mindset, “Ultimately, we just want people to actually discuss world issues and get them out of the Edina bubble.”

Overall, the laid-back nature of the activity makes it a welcoming place.

“The people in WorldQuest are also very chill and motivated, and the discussions we have are always very enriching and allow people to debate issues and speak their minds,” Uri said. “It’s a fun environment and it’s a chance to hang out with likeminded people who have similar interests,” Schwinghammer agreed.

photo by Mimi Beringer

photo by Michael Crater

for potential robots. After deciding on a concept, The Green Machine used wood to create initial prototypes and then moved onto creating the real robot while the control system programming team ast year, Edina High School’s robotwould start coding. ics team, 1816 The Green Machine, To help them make their building process attended the World Championships and more efficient and precise, the team was able to was awarded with the Chairman’s Finalists Award. obtain two new pieces of technology: a milling maThe Chairman’s Finalists Award is given to the chine and a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) top six teams world wide who “best [embody] the machine. For example, the CNC machine would values of STEM and F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration allow the team to quickly create new machine parts and Recognition of Science and Technology), the with the corrected dimensions after discovering organization that runs [the robotics competitions],” that a previously designed piece was incorrect. senior Captain Aiden Swann said. Because they The robotics team needed a large sum of earned this award last year, The Green Machine money to buy these two pieces of equipment. This automatically qualified to compete at this year’s is where the business team stepped in. “It is imposWorld Championships.

Every year, there is a new challenge for robot- sible to build a robot without money and funding, and the business team is in charge of [that aspect of ics teams across the world. This year, the topic is robotics],” Swann said. The business team planned named Destination: Deep Space. In teams of three, events such as restaurant fundraisers and coordieach alliance needs their robots to place hatch panels on simulated rocket ships and cargo ships, place nated sponsorships in order to help the team have sufficient funding. valuable cargo for transport off the planet in the Additionally, there is an outreach team that rocket ships and cargo ships, and return back into is responsible for making sure that there is a the safety habitat before the sandstorm hits. strong robotics program in Edina. On Feb. 25, the The team has just finished building their new outreach team visited the Minnesota State Capitol robot that can complete all aspects of the chalfor STEM advocacy day. They discussed the lenge and are excited to compete with it.“We have importance of STEM education with State Senator a really nice robot this year and things are looking good,” junior Assistant Safety Captain Grace Bowe Melisa Franzen and other legislators while demonstrating their robot. said.

1816 recently attended a regional tournament The process to create the robot involved an where they made it quarterfinals and became fifth intense six-week building process in which team members had to attend practice from 3 PM to 9 PM seed alliance captains, won the Chairman’s Finalist Award (double qualifying them for the World on Mondays through Fridays and 9 AM to 3 PM on Saturday. During these six weeks, the team took Championships), and won the Woodie Flowers Finalist Award for their faculty advisor Alyson a few days to generate ideas and create prototypes Purdy.

Looking forward, 1816 will be attending another regional tournament and the World Championships. They hope to win a regional tournament and also to qualify for the State Tournament.

In the summer, they will be conducting many off-season events, such as traveling to Washington D.C. for the F.I.R.S.T. National Advocacy Conference to meet with Congress members to talk High-powered machinery: robotics team member Jonah Rosenthal about STEM initiatives. adjusts the router.

Kerui Yang page editor

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Looking up: Jack Hatzung assesses the next question for his team.

Edina Speech Team ready to talk their way to a State Championship Michael Crater staff writer

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photo by Michael Crater

peaking has always had one purpose: to convey information between individuals. Whether that information is in the form of an argument or a drama, the speech team at Edina High School covers it all. A key to the success of the speech team is the environment. “The atmosphere is very supportive and we’re all really fun to get along with,” junior Allie Russell said.

Most of the students do speech to become better at it, and they’re willing to help their fellow teammates. “When we’re not practicing speech, we’re joking around and helping each other improve our speech. Doing well is important to many people on the team, but we have the right balance of being serious and having fun,” sophomore Adam Soukup said.

The team is motivated to have a successful season, so when they pair it with an aspect of fun, it creates an enjoyable environment where students can feel supported while they improve their speeches.

The 2019 season marks the start of Hayden Uihlein as the new head coach of both speech and debate teams at Edina.

With his new presence comes a more determined team. “I feel that the presence of Hayden has been a lot better for the team because we’ve been more efficient… and more motivated to get stuff done,” Russell said.

The team is using this boost in efficiency to improve the experience of the members. “We’re trying to travel more and be more lenient on the workload because a lot of kids get stressed due to schoolwork, so we want to take other factors into consideration to make the activity even more enjoyable,” freshman Ananth Veluvali said.

really work hard to do well,” Veluvali said.

The improvement all takes place at the practices, which happen on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 6:00 pm His preparation involves a lot of time spent learning to 8:00 pm. “We show up and practice our speeches with our about current events. “I would say I spend a solid chunk of coaches and hone in on specific pieces to work on,” Veluvali every day reading the news on what is happening here and said. abroad on topics. In doing so, you’ll notice that the content of any speech you give can improve significantly given one’s vast The speeches they work on are based on a few different and expensive background knowledge that can’t be gained in categories; Soukup competes in one called creative expres30 minutes of preparation.” sion. “Creative expression is all about making improvements to your writing, but when your piece revolves around already All in all, the team shows that they enjoy seeing their existing writing, you make changes in the story,” Soukup said. peers succeed, so this should be one of the most successful seasons yet. “Getting to look at your teammate’s speeches and There are other categories that compete in more of a see them start from something that was just okay, and then debate style competition, where participants have to research topics for their speech. For example, extemporaneous speaking really coming into their own and getting confidence with it, it’s is a competition that involves little preparation, but it is what Edina is best at. “[We’ll] hopefully get at least one person to go to nationals like we did last year. Tanner Jones was one of the ones who went to nationals last year for speech. He got second at nationals,” Russell said, who goes on to mention her personal goal was “to at least get to the final round of nationals qualification.”

The speech team requires a large degree of preparation.

“You have to read extensively to do well in extemp speaking. As a general rule, it is an activity where what you put in is what you get out, and so you have to Mentor to many: Joe Schmitt passes on his knowledge from years of extemporaneous speech.

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“I want a summer job because I feel like getting job experience is important and being able to work with other people is also super important. I also want extra money and the freedom that comes with having that money,” Eliza Price, sophomore

STUDENT LIFE

Thursday, March 28, 2019

The top eight summer jobs:

How can you make some extra money this summer?

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Jack Marker page editor

ow many times have your parents asked you to get a job before summer started? The summer job application process for high schoolers can be stressful, and it has already begun. These are a few of the popular jobs among Edina High School students:

1. Barista - You drink it, why not learn how to make it like a professional? Caribou and Starbucks are constantly hiring students with no qualifications necessary. There is always a coffee shop near you.

2. Caddying - Many EHS students caddy at either Interlachen Country Club or Minikahda Country Club golf courses. You better enjoy spending time in the outdoors, as you will be spending four hours carrying members’ clubs around the course.

3. Landscaping - This requires a certain degree of physical strength. Landscaping companies are always looking for employees to help with manual labor. Ask your neighbors if they need help gardening or check out landscaping companies websites.

4. Lifeguarding - The Edina Pool, Interlachen Country Club, Edina Country Club, and Minikahda Country Club are all looking to hire lifeguards. Before you apply, be sure to have a current American Red Cross certificate for lifeguarding.

5. Mowing Lawns - Do you have a lawnmower sitting in your garage, taking up space? If so, ask your neighbors if they need any help mowing their lawn. Remember to bring headphones.

6. Nanny/Manny - The best way to get a nanny gig is by word of mouth. Let your family and friends know that you want to be nanny, and let them spread the word of how responsible you truly are. Another way to get the job would be using nannying platforms, such as Neighborhood Nextdoor.

7. Park Program - Get paid to play sports and games with kids. The park program provides daycare for children at local parks in Edina. They are currently accepting applications on the City of Edina website.

8. State Fair - You’re going to be there anyway, so why not make some money? The State Fair runs from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2. Be prepared to work long hours. Check out the State Fair website to determine which booth you want to work in.

photo by Brennen Merriam How to make some bang for your (Star)buck: Starbucks is hiring and always looking for more students who want to take on some extra shifts during the hot summer months. infographic by Syd Pierre

Sparking joy in your own life with Marie Kondo Cecilia Orth

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visual editor

Organizing consultant Kondo has a simple system which involves throwing out what you don’t want and keeping the items that spark joy. The decluttering checklist has five categories: clothing, books, papers, miscellaneous, and sentimental items.

To begin, gather all your clothes into a pile on your bed.

Many are often surprised by the amount of clothes they own.

Divide your clothing into subcategories: tops, bottoms, socks, underwear, bags, accessories, and shoes. Pick up each clothing piece individually and decide if it stays based on whether it sparks joy.

I’m not alone in trying Kondo’s methods, other Edina High School students are also integrating her techniques into their closet. “When I applied her methods it felt nice because I defi-

The same methods are also applied to books, papers, miscellaneous, and sentimental items. Kondo has specific tips about how to store items such as using clear bins and labels. “It was hard to get rid of things because I feel an attachment to [my sentimental items]. But knowing whether the items still bring me joy, really helped me say, even though I’ve enjoyed these in the past, it’s time to get rid of them so I can create space for the present,” senior Ava Chow said.

If you are struggling to start or properly apply Kondo’s methods, ask a friend to help ask the question: does this item spark joy? “Clean with a friend because it really helps when there’s someone else there because you can really think about [if the item sparks joy],” Chow said.

The students found that the organizing process also helped their mental state. Many have described Kondo both as a cleaning guru and a self-help guru for their improved well-being post declutter. “I used to hate being in my room because it was so messy and I couldn’t do homework. You’d look around and feel confined. It’s so much better to be in [my room] and feel almost relieved and less stressed,” Zantek said.

After deep cleaning my room, my stress levels about packing up for college dissipated. No longer did I have to worry about the old notebooks and unused clothing lying around in my room. I’m proud to say that now I’m able to walk into college on a fresh page. Out of everything, this is the feeling that truly sparks joy in my life. art by Tiffany Qian

ven when I can see my bedroom’s carpet, my room is a mess. Like most teens, I have junk hidden in closets, under my bed, and stuffed in boxes. But recently, my bedroom went through a transformation when I threw out, recycled, and donated everything that doesn’t “spark joy” in my life. After watching the Netflix show “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo”, I was inspired to join the decluttering movement and reclaim my space.

nitely held on to clothes that I didn’t wear because I might wear these [clothes] to Nordic practice or when I go outside. But I never wore them,” senior Andrea Zantek said.

STUDENT LIFE

"The cold days are terrible, and the second semester is now harder than the first because I don't really understand everything," Celsabeil Shariff, sophomore

Thursday, March 28, 2019

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Four ways to beat second semester slump Anjali Aralikar student life beat lead

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School doesn’t come easily to anyone. In order to get the grades you want, you need to work really hard. But don’t let the stress burn you out. At Zephyrus, we have full faith in you and we believe that you can pull through and end the year strong. Don’t let the grind get you down! Remember, it’s almost summer!

art by Gillian Mousseau

ummer is in the air...okay, maybe not. Spring Break has just ended but most of us can feel the warm air and lack of structured schedules in the distance already. Before you break out your swimsuits and sunglasses, you need to defeat the demon that is the second-semester slump. As a senior, I know a thing or two about completely giving up and wanting to coast through the last weeks of my high school experience.

But with a full class load, checking out completely isn’t an option. I’d assume the majority of students at EHS are in the same boat. Fortunately, as a seasoned student, I have a few tricks up my sleeve which have helped pull me through past second semester slumps: 1) Envision the future: Although goal-setting is typically a good way to start, what helps me the most is daydreaming.

Specifically, daydreaming about the summertime, the days when I don’t feel trapped inside a stuffy building. This really helps me conceptualize the time between the present and freedom. It also helps create a vision that you can strive towards.

I visualize how my school year will end and the fact that there are only two months left (the glass is always half full here).

After I have an end vision in sight, I can focus on smaller, immediate tasks with increased clarity. Think positive thoughts!

2) To complete smaller tasks, set rewards: If you’re one of those people who gets distracted every 10 minutes by Instagram, Twitter, or Netflix, you are not alone! We all do this (even the diligent students who deny it). Rather than bingewatch or endlessly scroll through your feed for two hours, maximize that time! For example, you should complete one Economics packet and then reward yourself with ten minutes on Instagram or a single Netflix episode and repeat.

3) Make to-do lists: Another brilliant and innovative way to motivate yourself into actually being productive is to make to-do lists. This can range from a basic list of everything you need to complete complex and aesthetic Pinterest masterpieces. Personally, I prefer both daily and weekly spreads.

This way, I always know what I’m doing after school (clubs, sports, etc.) and I know what I have for homework which is due in the upcoming days. Three cheers for organization!

4) Brute force: Sometimes, you just need to force yourself to work. To do this, get rid of any distractions (turn your phone off, you’ll thank yourself later) and focus on the task at hand. The biggest misconception about brute force is that you’re starting your task from scratch. Make sure you prep yourself before applying forceful focus. For example, complete some easier homework before starting the task. If it’s an essay that’s due in an hour, make sure to go in with a basic outline, ideas for evidence, and a thesis. This way, you don’t burn out halfway through your task.

Egger's book of the FAFSA and student aid month: Never Eat Alone How can you make your dream more affordable?

Matthew Egger copy editor

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he word “networking” can have somewhat negative connotations.

Many individuals may view networking as an activity reserved for power-hungry businesspeople. When I began reading Never Eat Alone, I had some qualms about the idea of attempting to establish countless seemingly unauthentic relationships with random people; however, as I continued to read, I realized that Ferrazzi’s idea of a network is simply just a group of people who care for each other.

Ferrazzi is a businessman with an undergraduate degree from Yale and an MBA from Harvard. This book instructs readers on how to connect with their peers and create widespread, intertwined relationships among them.

The principal insight that I took away from Never Eat Alone is that networks are essential in every aspect of life. It doesn’t matter whether one is hoping to be more successful at work or in “play;” relationships are necessary for humans who want to not only create a network but also find happiness.

Ferrazzi finds that through networking, his “work life” and “play life” are actually a single entity. He writes, “Dividing my life between professional and personal spheres no longer made sense. I realized what made you successful in both worlds were other people and the way you related to them.”

The more of Never Eat Alone that I read, the more I realized that networking is something that everyone should do because it helps the individual, but it also allows one to show compassion and to do good deeds. An instance that demonstrates the author’s genuine kindness is when he calls an acquaintance to sing him happy birthday–Ferrazzi does this for everyone in his contacts–only to be answered by the sound of his friend crying. His friend tells Ferrazzi that he is the only person to have wished him a happy birthday.

This anecdote truly embodies what it means to be a connector. It’s not about advancing one’s personal agenda. It’s about maximizing our ability to do good by reaching out to as many people as possible with genuine kindness and benevolence.

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Hans Janovy Meyer page editor

mong the many options for life after high school (military service, trade school, going straight into the workforce, etc.), one has been steadily increasing in price for years: a college education. The College Board reported in their annual report Trends in College Pricing 2018 that the median cost of tuition and fees to attend full time for one year sits at $10,230 for a public four year university with in state tuition, $26,290 for the same schools with out of state tuition, and $35,830 to attend a private non-profit university.

With such high costs associated with attending college, paying out of pocket for your education is only a reality for a select few, but for the majority, financial aid, scholarships, and other grants are likely to play a big role in paying for higher education.

The first step for most students looking for any sort of student aid is to fill out their FAFSA form. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the device used to determine how much financial aid a student is eligible for based on their family’s financial situation. Both current and prospective college students will submit their FAFSA forms to the US Department of Education. Shortly after submitting their forms, students will receive a Student Aid Report which summarizes the information they submitted.

From this point on, students are at the discretion of the colleges and universities they are applying to, which ultimately determine the financial aid to award to each student. Finally, when the school has made their decision for how much financial aid to award, you will

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Syd Pierre page editor

he latest musical adaptation of Roald Dahl's novels is ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Based off of the childhood classic, as well as two film adaptations of the same name, the musical premiered on the West End in London beginning in 2013. After closing in 2017 and then playing on Broadway for a year, the show began its North American tour in the fall of 2018. It recently played at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis from March 8th to 11th.

Altered for Broadway and American audiences, the show follows the same plot as the book and movies, but relies heavily on humor to fill any remaining gaps. The decisions to cast adults as the rest of the golden ticket winners, instead of children, garnered negative reviews both on the

West End and on Broadway. The adult actors were able to add more embellishments to their characters, like the hyper yet brooding Mike Teavee (Daniel Quadrino), the aggressively spoiled Veruca Salt (Jessie Cohen), over-the-top German stereotyping from Augustus Gloop (Matt Wood), and a more modern take on kid-pop star, Violet Beauregarde (Brynn Williams).

However, the additions and acting choices seemed over the top at times.

Ecentric German accents made it hard to understand the Gloop family, and some of the theme matter seemed too macabre for the intended audience.

Fans of the book and movie know the ways that the amount of golden ticket winner slowly dwindle down in the factory, due to poor decisions making and overall greediness, but the musical unintentionally adds more violence than necessary.

photo by Syd Pierre

Step into a world of pure imagination with ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’

receive an award letter. Inside that award letter will be all of the information you need about your financial aid package.

Some students may elect to pursue different scholarships that are not included in their aid package. While some colleges and universities may automatically award scholarships to students inside of their aid package, there are many other scholarships available. These may be through the school that you are applying to but require a separate application, or they may be awarded by other organizations.

Different scholarships may be awarded for many different reasons. There are academic scholarships, scholarships based on sports, activities, community service, or even scholarships based on your religion or ethnic background are all available.

Because each scholarship opportunity is unique, reference Naviance to find scholarships and specific information about the process for each.

Don’t be dismayed if you dream of attending a small private liberal arts school but are fearing the enormous sticker price.

While there are schools that are by no means affordable, there is infrastructure in place to help every student follow their post-secondary education dreams wherever art by Malika Srinivs their dreams can take them.

Nevertheless, the show still had its high points. Rueby Wood, one of the three young boys who plays Charlie Bucket, shined on stage. Unlike the rest of the adult-influenced golden ticket winners, he brought just the right amount of humor, softness and curiosity to the role. His voice was well-suited for the role and worked well for songs like “Willy Wonka! Willy Wonka!” and “Pure Imagination.” Wood also had good onstage chemistry with Willy Wonka (Benjamin Howes), as the candymaker became a father-like figure for him.

Overall, ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ brings some of the same childlike wonder and fun to the stage as the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory shines: The Orpheum book and movie adaptations do, but it hosts a fun filled show with classic humor and iconic struggles to balance it’s the humor with characters. the storytelling of a childhood classic.

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“You have to get your exercise in, but I also don’t think [gym is] necessary because if you’re not pursuing a career in like, physical therapy or whatever, you don’t need it.”

Maya Kallas, senior

OPINION

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Anti-vax is dangerous to society’s safety

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Matt Hovelsrud staff writer

accines have become a vital part of modern life in the United States for their role in eradicating diseases. According to the CDC, before vaccines it was not uncommon to hear that someone had polio, tetanus, hepatitis B, rubella, or chickenpox. However, it is now uncommon to hear of someone getting many of these diseases. This is directly correlated to the introduction to vaccines and how they have removed many of these diseases. Because of the health benefits vaccines bring to our society as a whole, the implementation of punishments for those that unjustifiably refuse vaccinations may be necessary to ensure everyone’s safety.

According to the CDC, 95% of kindergartners in the United States were vaccinated in 2014. The other 5% that were not vaccinated were comprised of children who require an exemption for religious and medical reasons, along with the parents who believe vaccines are dangerous and cause more harm than good.

For example, vaccines have proven to have benefits that far outweigh the risk. According to the CDC, vaccines are also tested and proven to be safe and effective (not including extremely rare and unexpected allergic reactions). Getting vaccinated protects those around you from being introduced to harmful diseases. They save you money by providing a second layer of defense from diseases that are accompanied by mountains of medical bills. Above all, they protect future generations by diminishing and destroying diseases that used to kill thousands a few generations ago.

Since vaccines have halted most of the deaths caused by diseases, not getting vaccinated is similar to allowing

many diseases to continue to spread. In order to ensure these diseases are no longer infecting people and stoping many disease related deaths, legal punishments should be put into place for those who unjustifiably refuse vaccines.

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In 48 out of the 50 U.S. states, exemption for religious and medical reasons are accepted and people that require an exemption are granted one. Although, West Virginia and Alabama do not allow any exemptions for receiving vaccines. According to The National Conference of State Legislatures, medical and religious exemptions are rare; in Florida only 400 medical exemptions and 4,000 religious exemptions were made each year. Shown by the previous statistics, very few people receive vaccine exemptions.

That is to say that the 5% of kindergartners previously noted to have not received vaccines are not all represented in the exemption category. According to the CDC, a majority of the 5% of kindergartners that do not receive

vaccines do so without a religious or medical reason.

According to CNN, some adults choose not to vaccinate their kids because few believe a number of things which are all unsubstantiated by reliable scientific evidence: vaccines may cause autism, vaccines do not help their children and may cause suffering, and medical professionals do not have their children’s best interest at heart. Additionally a small portion of the population believes it is their right to be able to refuse a vaccine and uphold their liberty. Although, this is not a matter of someone wanting to hold onto a right that guarantees them a fair and free life, vaccines have provided a degree of safety that invalidates the liberty argument for refused vaccinations.

Over time it has become unacceptable by most of society to refuse vaccines for invalid reasons. It is reasonable and responsible as a society to have laws put into place to ensure parents are legally required to provide vaccines for their underage children. A solution to the problem could involve implementing a system where adults over 18 are still allowed to choose whether to get vaccines or not. But children, will be legally required to do so, to ensure their safety and the larger societies safety.

In order to ensure all children under the age of 18 receive vaccines, punishments, such as, large fines and possibly forced vaccinations should be considered for those who continue to disobey without a religious or medical reason.

It is unrealistic to expect every person in America to receive a vaccination and an adult should have the freedom to choose. But children who are under the opinion of their parents, must have a requirement, because their parents’ beliefs might cause them to receive a deadly disease against their will.

Trump’s national emergency The physical education requirement should not declaration is dangerous be necessary for and will only backfire graduation

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Theo Teske page editor

n the middle of February, President Trump issued a National Emergency on the southern border, labeling illegal immigration a national security threat. A politically calculated move, the declaration allowed Trump officials to secure funding for the construction of a wall along the border. The immediate backlash was overwhelming. For example, 58 former national security officials in the federal government signed an open letter opposing the declaration.

Trump is deriving the power to declare a national emergency from the aptly named National Emergencies Act of 1976, which allows the president to use existing powers already granted to him by Congress in various other laws to justify his reallocation of funds. However, it’s unlikely the Trump administration would be able to do this in a politically favorable manner.

While Trump has options, none of them are appealing. The Brennan Center for Justice identifies 123 statutory powers Trump could draw on, but only a handful actually apply to immigration, with nearly all of these requiring funds to be drawn from money allocated to the military. The plan advanced by the administration thus far takes $600 million from a Treasury forfeiture fund, $2.5 billion from Department of Defense counter-drug operations, and another $3 billion from military construction projects.

The fact that the vast majority of this money comes from the military will be unpopular among Republicans. To make matters worse, the most recent iteration of Trump’s wall is estimated to cost around $59.8 billion, but the current plan gives him a grand total of just over $6 billion. Furthermore, Trump can only draw so much funding from each law he isolates to grant himself funding, so to get more money he has to justify the use of more laws.

There are two possible ways the fight over the national emergency could play out, neither of which benefits the Trump administration. In the first scenario, Trump’s national emergency

declaration survives all legal challenges and Trump secures funding for his wall. At best, Trump will have achieved a pyrrhic victory, as Republican politicians and voters will resent his use of defense funds and he won’t have nearly enough money to buy a wall that will satisfy his base.

At worst, Trump will have forever expanded executive power, undermining Congress and the power of the people that the legislative branch represents. For Trump’s declaration to hold up in court, a broad interpretation of the National Emergencies Act will have to be established as the new precedent.

Politically, this harms Trump and the Republican Party because any future Democratic president could use that precedent to pass national emergencies on issues such as gun control or climate change, running directly counter to Trump’s agenda. However, it also harms American democracy when a president can bypass Congress to essentially write legislation, severely compromising the system of checks and balances between the three branches that keeps the government accountable.

The other scenario involves the national emergency being struck down in the courts.

If this comes to pass, Trump will have gifted Democrats a line of attack for the 2020 presidential election. Trump has already gotten into legal trouble over his executive order banning immigration into the United States from certain Muslim-majority nations, which was finally upheld by the Supreme Court on its third iteration after being struck down twice.

Shrewd Democratic candidates can use this to flip the script on Trump, portraying him as having become the very kind of power-seeking and corrupt politician that he railed against on the campaign trail in 2016. Such a message could play well to moderate voters who were swayed by Trump’s anti-establishment diatribes in the last election cycle.

No matter how the saga of Trump’s national emergency declaration ends, in the long run, it will be harmful to Trump politically and potentially destructive to America’s democracy.

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Michael Crater staff writer

ccording to the National Federation of State High School Associations, 7,980,886 high school students participate in a sport; that’s more than half of the students nationwide.

With all of the students participating in some form of physical activity, physical education isn’t a necessary class because a large majority of students are already receiving the physical activity they need, so they shouldn’t waste the time in school.

The time could be better spent taking classes to prepare them for their future.

In a city like Edina, staying active and being healthy is a concept that is integrated into many aspects of our community and promoted by all schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade. Events such as Bike to School Day and school or city sanctioned activities like park programs give students the opportunities to be active.

Since there are plenty of parks, bike paths, and a pool at the disposal of

art by Gillian Mousseau

many students, they should be able to partake in plenty of activities to stay healthy during the summer.

The Southdale YMCA also offers a set amount of free memberships for high school students for the summer as well, so that allows students to workout using equipment. During the school year, the weight room at EHS is open to any students who want to use it, so there are options for all seasons. All of this concludes to one thing: whether students play sports or not, there is plenty of opportunities for them to exercise.

As well as limiting the classes students can take, gym class can cause insecurities among students. Social media creates a body image standard, one that can make students feel self conscious when they have to change in the same room. The problem occurs when the people they may compare themselves to are their peers, which could cause the aspect of changing to be difficult when they’re sharing the same space.

The hardest part for these students is their repercussions: “If we don’t change each class, we lose part of our daily participation points,” junior Matt Spanhake said. Participation points add up to a large portion of someone’s grade, so losing them can be detrimental. They’re faced with a choice: feel self-conscious about their body, or have a bad grade.

You should not have to do activities that could cause emotional stress if if you already exercise on your own or play a sport, for the purpose of filling some requirement that the school is forcing. It’s time that the school changes the requirements.

HEAD TO HEAD

Thursday, March 28, 2019 Insensitivity is the least of America’s problems

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Greyson Mize sports and activities beat lead

merican politics saw an enormous controversy last month when freshman Congresswoman Ilhan Omar released a string of tweets that were dubbed antiSemitic by Democratic and Republican leaders alike. The tweets in question speculated that the influx of pro-Israel policies in the U.S. is the result of large sums of money donated by lobbyist groups, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in particular.

The AIPAC spends millions of dollars a year advocating for pro-Israel political action. The Center for Responsible Politics, a nonpartisan research group tracking money in the U.S, reported that the AIPAC spent more than three million dollars on lobbying in 2018, a number that has been climbing in the past 10 years. The AIPAC isn’t the only group that has been accused of buying Congress. According to the Pew Research Center, a social and demographic statistic resource, nearly half of all white men in America (48%) own guns. However, stating that the National Rifle Association has an enormous amount of influence on politicians through generous contributions is neither antiwhite man or anti-gun; it’s a simple fact.

There is much to be said about the incredible swaying power of lobbyist money on American lawmakers and the way they impact the policies we all live under. Omar did not claim that all Jewish people are lobbying for pro-Israel measures. Condemning her because the fact she stated

wasn’t politically correct reflects a greater problem with the extreme sensitivity in America’s current culture.

This outcry against Omar is not only misplaced, it’s also largely hypocritical. While President Trump personally called for the freshman Congresswoman to resign, according to the Washington Post, CNN, and the Weekly Standard, he has a steady history of anti-Semitism himself. These actions include tweeting a photo of Hillary Clinton during the 2016 election featuring a six-pointed star, a bag of money and the words “most corrupt candidate ever” and blaming “both sides” after a woman protesting anti-Semitism was killed during neo-nazi riots in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017. Both of these instances demonstrated outright racist implications, yet neither of these remarks prompted Republican officials to condemn President Trump or call for his resignation.

Similarly, Iowa state representative Steve King’s antisemitic statements were ignored by Republican officials for years, even after he used a congressional trip funded by a Holocaust memorial group in 2018 to meet with the Freedom Party of Austria, a far-right organization with Nazi ties. It wasn’t until King said, “White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization– how did that language become offensive?” in a New York Times interview that he was criticized sparingly by members of his own party and stripped of House Committee responsibilities. However, President Trump did not comment on King’s statements or call for his resignation.

The value placed on political correctness over facts is a powerful and dangerous driving force that is used

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as a weapon in American society. As a result of Omar’s condemnation, influential lobbying superpowers have been ignored, and politicians with long histories of insensitivity and racism have been lauded as heroes for speaking out against a legitimate talking point. This dialogue reveals a frightening double standard in the U.S. that jumps to censor controversial conversation while genuine bigotry is permitted.

This influence is not limited to politics. College professors have reported difficulty and outright inability to teach the curriculum required of them in the past decade due to complaints about trigger warnings. Jeannie Suk, a professor of law at Harvard Law School, discussed her struggles with teaching rape law in a New Yorker essay.

According to Suk, some students insist that their professors avoid the topic altogether in order to be sensitive towards students with past trauma. Regardless of the subject’s political correctness, rape law is a vital component of the judicial system. Suggesting that students shouldn’t get a full education in order to evade uncomfortability is ludicrous.

Instead of policing the insensitivity of politicians and educators, more energy should be used by both the Democratic and the Republican parties to stamp out lies and hatred in America. If as much effort was put into calling for powerful figures that wield hateful rhetoric to resign as the valiant attempts to punish Omar for stating a truth, American politics would benefit greatly. Until perpetrators of blatant racism are removed from office, it is hypocritical and unreasonable to reprimand the insensitivity of honest political concerns.

Is political sensitivity advantageous or detrimental to social progress?

"I think political sensitivity is good, we shouldn't allow the people responsible for our lives say whatever they want to without consideration for others.” Tenzin Kunga, sophomore

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Kyra Bergerud page editor

olitical correctness has been deemed a dirty phrase in modern day politics. During the 2016 election, President Trump specifically positioned himself as an anti-politically correct candidate. We can see what has come out of that, language calling the Me Too movement “gentle,” telling police to put “thugs” harshly in the backseat of a car, and most recently according to the Cohen testimony, “He once asked me if I could name a country run by a black person that wasn’t a ‘shithole.’ This was when Barack Obama was president of the United States.” That’s just the tip of the iceberg. Trump’s degradation of political correctness is justification for saying whatever he wants to, which usually means language promoting white supremacy and violence. Competing against this type of language is political correctness and sensitivity is critical to respect and civility in our language.

Sensitivity has come into the spotlight recently when House Representative for Minnesota’s 5th district, Ilhan Omar, was criticized because of her anti-Semitic language, saying it’s “all about the benjamins baby.” This led Democrats such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other leaders to denounce her actions and call for apology, which she did.

Opposers have stated that the country has become too sensitive, calling out language before realizing the actuality of what has been said. And while calling for censure of Omar seems far too extreme, actions should have consequences and sensitivity around potentially exclusionary language is essential to preserve inclusion.

Now this isn’t to say that thoughts expressed by Omar

"I think political sensitivity can sometimes be good, but other times, it can hide reality.” Zach Shumway, junior art by Tiffany Qian are completely wrong. After all the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, known as AIPAC, is a powerful organization, and although it doesn’t directly contribute money, it certainly has lobbying power to influence policy making. That’s not the problem with Omar’s language, the controversy was about her assumption that “dirty” money contributed by Jewish organizations is the only reason for investment in Israel, a historically anti-Semitic conclusion that has been used to justify violence. There is a difference in saying influence of PACs in democracy is bad, and saying the only reason for investment in Jewish interests is because of money.

What’s emerged out of the event? Frustrating partisan politics accusing Omar of being an anti-Semite. While the far-right slanders Omar, they blatantly ignore neo-nazism and anti-Semitic language being thrown out by President Trump and congresspeople. This administration should be a demonstration of what arises out of anti-politically correct culture. Apologies are good, but acknowledgement of exclusionary language in the first place is better.

Political correctness gets a bad rap for being a double standard, but that’s taken out of context. Maybe in the current administration it’s been tainted with calling out the other side; however, in reality it’s a culture that promotes equality and basic respect for human values. Even if it is overly sensitive, that shouldn’t be considered a bad thing.

This type of sensitivity limits out microaggressions, which are a sad commonality in our current society and people deflate their influence in shaping value to life.

Politically correct language addresses this and acknowledges words as vehicles of oppression that can be altered.

Microaggressions involve anything from misgendering someone, saying you don’t act like a certain race, telling

someone they don’t look like they are gay, or even not talking about something at all, etc. This type of language is something that has a detrimental impact on people’s lives, not just impacting them on a day to day basis, but building up as a collective of violence.

Even if people underestimate microaggressions, they do translate into policy making. One example of this is that in 20 states and one federal statute, discussion of non-cisheteronormative identities is prevented from school curricula by law. This doesn’t just prevent LGBT students from learning and talking about their identity, but it notso-subtly tells students that their identity is wrong without directly saying that.

It’s absolutely essential that sensitivity exists around these “small” forms of violence. Every day, certain forms of human life are devalued because they aren’t considered normal enough. Allowing intolerance towards this is being a bystander to ignorance. Why is this violence considered any less potent than violence from the political? The truth is that people justify small scale forms of violence as not having an impact, when they do.

Although political correctness attempts to limit out violence, there is a critical distinction between censorship and political correctness. Whereas censorship is created specifically to limit out free market speech, being politically correct doesn’t mean that certain speech is silenced, instead it calls for consideration of connotations of words and how they impact the subjects of them.

All this isn’t to say that people should jump on every single word used by the other side, as much of what politics is doing right now, but instead that the general public should be educated on the implications of language. Asking for that isn’t extreme, it’s basic human dignity.

Why being politically correct is a symbol of basic human respect

SPORTS

“I’m most excited to attend track meets and cheer

Thursday, March 28, 2019

my teammates on.” Linnea Shively, sophomore

EHS club allows soccer fans to practice in the winter

AOM: Junior Kelsey Neff excels in gymnastics Reagan Stanchfield staff writer photo by Mimi Beringer

Art Boettge staff writer

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hile most EHS students are probably still sleeping after busy weekends, the field house is typically filled with lively soccer fans enjoying one of their favorite sports on Monday mornings.

Even though the outdoor soccer season has ended, some players continued the game with Futsal.

“Futsal is a Latin American type of soccer, Early bird gets the worm : junior Sophie Boman gets a pass it’s indoors, and for us, it’s on a basketball court. You play four opportunity I had to do it at the high on four with a goalie, we use a different school,” Rose said. ball that’s smaller and heavier, and it’s Every good club has a great advisor, really fast paced. Lots of skills are used and for the Futsal team, EHS principal and it’s a really fast game,” junior Will Andrew Beaton is happy to support the Swanda said. club. “I’m a soccer junkie, I love it, and For many of the players on the team, I’ve been a player since I was five years Futsal is a great opportunity to play old. I was a coach for over 20 years, I soccer, even when it might not be posreally love it, and being the advisor was sible in Minnesota’s sub-zero winters. “I a chance for kids to get together in a really like soccer, so I thought it would low-stakes environment,” Beaton said. be fun to try just to get extra chances to The Futsal Club is always looking touch the ball,” sophomore Henry Rose for more members, and are very acceptsaid. Additionally, Rose has a very long ing and excited to get more people in history of playing Futsal. “I’ve played on teams that have been part of different their games. “There is no requirement to join. You have to have shoes, you have leagues and different tournaments with to enjoy playing, and I would love to Futsal for about five years so I played see the group get much bigger,” Beaton for a while, and this was just the first said.

Zephyrus: How long have you been involved with gymnastics and what team are you on?

Kelsey Neff: I have been doing gymnastics since I was three years old, so 13 years. I was originally on TAGS gymnastics but now I’m on the Edina High School [varsity] team.

Zephyrus: What accomplishments have you achieved while being on the team?

KN: My biggest [accomplishment] is probably that I was number one at sectionals, which is really cool. Then I went to state for all-around and I did pretty well there, which was fun.

Zephyrus: What is your favorite memory of being on the team so far?

KN: I would definitely say [my favorite memory] is going to the meets all together, waking up early in the morning, and then riding the bus to the competition and all of us cheering for each other and getting to support each other the entire way.

Zephyrus: What have you learned from being a part of the gymnastics team that may help or encourage other athletes?

KN: I’ve learned a lot about teammates and friendships just because when you’re in the gym with each other every single day you become really close with them. Especially in gymnastics— even though it is an individual sport—your teammates are what get you through it, so I think that’s really important to know. photo courtesy of Kelsey Neff

Seniors say goodbye to synchro photo by Brennan Merriam

Edina badminton hits the courts Senior captains adjust to new coaching changes Mihika Sathe staff writer

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irls’ Badminton has long been an enjoyable sport at Edina High School that combines athletic talent with a fun team environment. The team, whose eighth season began on March 4, is going through a lot of changes this year, including new captains and an entirely new coaching staff. “I think the biggest change is that the coaches that started Edina Badminton aren’t here anymore, and we have a new coach this year,” senior captain Ayesha Chowdhury said.

The team’s new coach, Evelyn Christianto, has a lot of previous experience playing badminton. “I grew up in Indonesia and started playing badminton when I was eight years old. I used to be one of the best when I was younger,” Christianto said.

Christianto also received extensive training in the sport.

“I played competitively and joined [the prestigious badminton club] PB Djarum Kudus on a full badminton scholarship when I was 13 years old. We practiced badminton six hours a day Monday to Saturday,” Christianto said.

In addition to rigorous training in playing badminton, Christianto is also trained in coaching the sport. “I am a USA Badminton Certified Coach and SafeSport Certified,” Christianto said.

Despite having a highly qualified coach, the team is still facing several challenges. “Last year our varsity lineup was all seniors and this year we don’t know what the lineup is going to look like. We’re working hard to train JV [members] from last year to get them ready for varsity,” Chowdhury said.

The captains are also work-

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ing on making the team more united as a whole. “Badminton has singles and doubles teams, so it’s hard to define it as one single team, but this year we’re going to work really hard to get the girls bonded,” Chowdhury said.

Both Chowdhury and Chris tianto agree on the team’s main goal for this season. “[Our main goal is to] do better at the state tournament,” Christianto said.

Chowdhury added, “we’re going to try to get in the top ten at state. We’re usually in the teens.”

Although the team is changing a lot this season, they are still striving to create a positive atmosphere on their team in order to set their team up for success. “The girls on the team are very nice and social and we’re really excited for this season,” Chowdhury said.

photo by Mimi Beringer Coaching changes: Margo Henke, Steve Henke, & Evelyn Christianto prep for the season

Making a splash: senior captains Bridget Werner, Emily Olsen. and Claire Carlson Julia Nicholson

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page editor

you’ve ever watched synchronized swimming and wondered if it is as hard as it looks, the captains of the Edina Girls Synchro Team can assure you that it is. With six years under each of their belts, senior captains Claire Carlson, Kiki Miller, Emily Olson and Bridget Werner will explain that the sport constantly presents a challenge when it’s time to get back into the swing of things and learn a new routine.

Although the sport isn’t as widely known as other sports at Edina High School, it features a strong and consistent roster of around 60 girls. This can be attributed to the fun environment which keeps athletes coming back to the program. “I think if [a student] starts synchronized swimming in seventh grade and they like it, they’ll continue through senior year. It’s such a cool sport and the community is so strong,” Werner said.

Having been a part of the program for so long, the captains are excited for their role

in leading the team this season. “It’s really cool to have girls kind of look up to you, since you’re older and a captain,” Carlson said.

On top of the usual pressures captains of a high school team would face, the synchro captains are in charge of planning a successful 60th season for the team. At this year’s annual show–a showcase of the team’s talent that occurs in May and is typically considered the highlight of the team’s season–the captains plan to celebrate the team’s 60th anniversary by incorporating alumni into the event.

Although none of the captains will be able to continue with synchro after graduating due to the limited number of schools that offer it as a sport, they will all look back on their synchro career fondly. “It’s a little sad but I have so many good memories from it that I’ll just look back at all of the fun we had.” Werner said.

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