February 29th, 2008 - MVHS Viewer

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Friday, February 29, 2008

INBRIEF

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O U N D S

Volume 54

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C H O O L

Issue 8

<mvviewer@yahoo.com>

Local intersection in dispute: Families face losing homes as result of proposed expansion

By Sean Moore staff writer

photo courtesy of Cara Morphew

Custodian Day, held on Friday, Feb. 15, was a part of Student Council’s traditional effort to show appreciation for the school’s custodians. Kristen Anderson, 12, above, helps out on one of the custodians’ shifts. Student Council members took turns cleaning the lunchroom and working shifts.

photo by David Derong

Finishing third out of eight teams at the Section AA tournament last Friday, Feb. 22, the MV Swim Team will send five swimmers to the state finals on March 1. Pictured from right to left are finalists Zach Nachtsheim, 12, Sam Olson-Anstett, 10, Joe S. Carlson, 12, Roman Becicka, 12, and Greg Stacy, 10.

John Van Buren can barely hear himself think over the sound of the rushing cars.

“If this proposal goes through, we won’t be able to barbecue in our backyard anymore,” said Van Buren, a homeowner living near the Highway 10 and County Road 96 intersection.

Van Buren was angry when Arden Hills Mayor Stan Harpstead called an emergency city council meeting on Feb. 13 to discuss a proposal to change the intersection. He and other residents were excluded from the meeting. To him, this was a slap in the face.

Sentiments were similar for dozens of families living around the intersection. Arden Hills’ proposed expansion of the two roads will force many residents out of the area.

Some city leaders say a change needs to occur as Arden Hills prepares to take control of, and ultimately develop, 585 acres of the Twin Cities Army Ammunitions Plant (TCAAP). If nothing is done, an already drastic rate of accidents at the intersection may increase further.

The current $29 million proposal, which includes a possible six- to eight-lane bridge carrying Highway 10 over County Road 96, was discussed Jan. 28. The council voted 4-1 against the construction plan in its current form. The only vote in favor of the plan was Harpstead’s.

Harpstead has been attempting to push the referendum through city council, according to Van Buren and other council meeting participants.

The 585 acres of land the city is reclaiming from the

photo by Nate Grann

Arden Hills’ proposed expansion of Hwy 10 and County Rd 96 (above) will result in the displacement of many homes in the Arden Manor mobile park. Residents strongly oppose the expansion; a result of developing the TCAAP property into commercial and residential areas and a greater influx of traffic.

TCAAP is the largest parcel of developable land within 30 miles of the metro area. According to the city, the development plan includes 160 acres for homes, 160 for business and retail, and the rest for parks.

City council member Fran Holmes said, “[There are] plans for retail stores, a corporate campus and a hotel. The commercial area will provide jobs for individuals living throughout the Twin Cities area as well as an area for companies to grow and relocate.”

And, according to Harpstead, “The development will bring in key amenities that the city of Arden Hills has been lacking,” If development continues as planned, the already-congested highways could come to a com-

plete standstill.

The city estimates that the TCAAP property could create a 100-200 percent increase in cars passing through the area; up to an additional 40,000-80,000 cars daily. This massive influx of vehicles could create havoc for an already accident-plagued intersection.

“I always feel as if I’m going to get t-boned in that intersection,” said Kelsey Wise, 10.

Ryan Meyer, 12, knows this situation all too well. In the summer of 2005, Meyer and his mom were passing through the intersection when an accident occurred.

“A police officer ran a red light responding to a call. He came through the intersection and hit us head-on,” said Meyer.

Meyer, knocked unconscious as a result of the crash, and his mother both came out with broken bones.

“I still have a plate in my jaw from the accident,” said Meyer.

He believes that if Hwy 10 passed over the intersection, as is currently proposed by the city council, “My accident probably wouldn’t have happened.”

Harpstead is of the same sentiment: “It’s a dangerous intersection already, and a lot of Mounds View students go through there every day.

Sometimes sacrifices must be made now to make the future safer.”

Could such “sacrifices” benefit the nearby community? Van Buren, who says the noise and traffic of Highway 10 is already intolerable, thinks not.

“If the stoplight is removed at the intersection,” he said, “the noise will become unbearable.”

Worse are the possible eviction notices Arden Manor residents could face. By Minnesota law, mobile home residents forced to move are to be relocated within 50 miles of their current dwellings, or be fairly compensated with a similarly valued home. Yet Arden Manor residents claim this isn’t good enough, citing rent at other mobile parks as too high.

Harpstead has maintained that he only has the best interests of the city in mind. “In terms of myself benefiting from [the TCAAP property]? No—there’s none of that,” he said.

Still, his handling of the matter has left some residents bitter.

“If I was a sheep, I sure as hell wouldn’t be following him,” said one anonymous resident in an email to Van Buren.

CLEP testing offers alternative college credit

By Marysa Meyer staff writer

Students at Mounds View have always been pressured to take demanding classes.

Now, not only do students need to participate in rigorous courses, but they are also expected to gain college credits in the process.

Advanced Placement and College in the Schools are both college-level courses that allow students to earn college credit during high school.

However, in 2001, the College Board came up with yet another way for students to earn college credit. The College Level Examination Program, known as CLEP, is an exam given to high school or college students to test their knowledge of college-level curriculum.

The concept of a CLEP test is fairly similar to that of an Advanced Placement exam.

A student can test on a specific subject, and depending on their score, earn credit for college. The tests can be taken at colleges like the University of Minnesota and St. Paul College,

but are not offered directly through Mounds View.

As of 2006, the state of Minnesota has been pushing participation by paying the $65 testing fee for interested students.

Yet few know what the tests are, and therefore only a select few have taken the exams. It was originally estimated that 5,000 to 7,500 students would be taking these exams over the past year. However, since 2006, only about 900 CLEP exams have been taken in Minnesota.

Similar to many others throughout the state, students and teachers at Mounds View have heard little or no information about this testing opportunity.

“What the heck is a CLEP test?” said Jared CarlsonStevermer, 11.

The goal of the CLEP exams is to provide students with an opportunity to gain college credit for non-AP classes. For example, “College Algebra” and “Principles of Marketing” are topics on two of the exams.

However, the program still offers tests on calculus, United States history, and psychology,

which are also AP exams.

Despite the similar concept of the AP and CLEP tests, there are important differences students may want to consider before taking a CLEP exam.

“Well, you don’t take a class to prepare for it,” said Dean Scott Wiens. “And selective colleges won’t even consider it for credit.”

All schools in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system accept the CLEP test.

However some schools, like the University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, only accept high scores on select tests. The U usually doesn’t give out more than two or possibly three credits. Many out-of-state private colleges do not accept the tests as credit at all.

Knowing that certain colleges don’t accept the tests for full or even any credit greatly reduces many students’ interest in taking the exams at all.

“I wouldn’t be interested in it just because it would feel like a waste of time. I’d be working for nothing if the college didn’t accept it,” said Taylor Martin, 10.

While students are wary about the sparse acceptance of the test, teachers are forming their own concerns about the program.

“You wouldn’t go through the beneficial process of taking a class,” said science teacher Mark Johnson. “You don’t get the experience of learning a subject with labs, question and answer, or with other people in a structured setting.”

The lack of an accompanying class for the test not only causes students to miss out on fully learning the subject, but can leave them unprepared for this college level exam.

“If you haven’t already taken a class to prepare you for it, [the test] could be difficult to pass,” said Wiens.

However, some teachers at Mounds View believe that the CLEP exam would be helpful for students.

According to social studies teacher Scott Oberg, “If it’s free and you could potentially earn college credit, why not take it?”

photo by Debbie Li

The College Level Examination Program, CLEP, offers high school students the opportunity to earn college credit by passing a test in one of 35 subject areas. However, the catch is that few out-of-state schools accept the credit. Since 2006, only about 900 CLEP exams have been taken in Minnesota.

2editorials Music to whose ears?

op T 10

February 29, 2008

Music snobs split the student body

Painful to put up with

By Cassie Ahiers

Best parts of a leap year

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Children born on February 29th finally get birthdays!

Another day with Jae

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Dude, remember that sweet Leap Year’s Day party last time?

There’s only one left...

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Since its an ‘extra’ day we have no obligations... right?

Wait, it’s a leap year?

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Each year as more and more people are introduced to new music, and better technology makes it easier to share tunes, a terrible beast is growing.

A monster so terrible and annoying, that it would put Carrot Top himself to shame. This condescending new breed is worse than any clique known to man; they are Music Snobs.

As Urban Dictionary defines it, a music snob is “A person who believes s/he has a more refined taste in music and has much more knowledge in the field of music in general.

Music snobs feel obligated to enlighten everyone with unwelcome critiques and irrelevant musical

One more day alone...

February winters just aren’t long enough

8 6

staff writer

3

...seriously. The Mayan calendar ends in 2012.

We’re all dead, man.

Astronomical miscalculation rocks!

2007-2008 Viewer Editors

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Editor-in-Chief Anna Brockway Managing Editor Alice Liu News Belle Lin Editorials Andrew Larkin Commentary Sam Louwagie Features Abby House Kathleen Gormley Spread Lauren Peake Vicky Kelberer Variety Alicia Hilgers Reviews TT Phan Sports Chelsy Mateer Andy Madsen Gallery Ashley Aram Business Manager Elizabeth Steele Photographers/Artists Nate Grann David Derong Debbie Li Advisor

Martha Rush Assistant Advisor David Weinberg

Staff - Cassie Ahiers, Colin Anderson, Karly Bergmann, Anna Blaske, Sean Delahunt, Divya Gupta, Dan Heaney, Alex Hoffman, John Liu, Marysa Meyer, Sean Moore, Collin Nisler, Brandon Osero, Shaked Peleg, Ross Peterson, Brooke Roberts, Maddy Stephens, Emily Storms, Sam Toninato, Kristen Vanderburg, Sarah Wang, Christina Xia, Kirstin Yanisch, Sabrina Zappa

The Viewer is published by the student editors at: Mounds View High School 1900 Lake Valentine Road Arden Hills, Minnesota The Viewer is printed by: ECM Publishers, Inc.

trivia.”

The music snob can often be found in musty basements listening to demo tapes of their newest find, or at concerts not having a good time.

Studies show that 90% of music snobs are on anti-depressants; this is most likely due to the fact that they can never find anything good in music.

Although the music snob occasionally helps the “common man” find new artists, moments later he will condemn that man for listening to them.

Music snobs hate anything that is famous even if it is good.

Take the Beatles. The Beatles have affected the music world

By Karly Bergmann

Quintessential to quality

staff writer

in many numerous ways and if you single out any The job of a music snob is a music snob and take a trip thankless one indeed. Day after back to his past, chances are day, the “snob” struggles to at one point he was obsessed save the quality of the thing with the band. they love most, only to be But because the Beatles are seen as pretentious, judgmenso well-known and loved, tal, or conceited. And though almost every music snob will they often make one feel horcall them “overrated” and ribly about one’s music taste “hyped-up.” The music snob and feel the need to point out has lost all sense of meaning in the flaws in every popular song, music, forgotten what he once it is important that we begin to loved and decided to condemn look past this and shine some something just because he’s light on the services they do for not the only one to apprecisociety as well. ate it.

Music snobs are the garbage The biggest mistake men of the musical world. They you can make is to let a work their hardest to make sure snob ride shotgun in your that the radio station streets are car. You will have less not filled with mundane, mindthan a second before they less, trashy songs. If not for the have whipped out their fear of these music snobs’ critiown iPod and started playcism, music artists and producing some seizure-inducing ers would be allowed to put out “indie” track. whatever’s easiest for On the rare them: cheap, easy, and chance that they unoriginal crap. art by Nate Grann have forgotten to Music snobs act as charge their MP3 filters and provide us and are forced to with a higher standard use yours, you are of musical quality. in for a far worse They also help us experience. They discover bands and will spend the rest artists we may never of the car ride have heard otherwise. belittling your Because of their phoalbum list and bia of “mainstream” suggesting bands music and constant that you should search for “the next “definitely check best thing,” snobs proout.” vide us with interestMusic snobs ing, and sometimes often offer to even good, discoveries make you a CD. that we never would This apparently nice gesture is have been exposed to otheronly a trap. Soon they will hate wise. you for making their music popTake Nirvana, for instance. ular. And in the off chance that They were an obnoxiously loud they can decide on an “OK” and hardcore grungy garage song to play, you won’t be able band playing local gigs until to listen to any of it without their loyal fan base of music being interrupted by useless snobs started distributing their information about the musician. demos to friends and strangers So the next time a music alike. snob approaches you in public, Next thing you know, be sure to be equipped with the Nirvana became one of the latest Nickelback CD, which, most well-known bands of the like holy water on vampires, century and almost everyone will send this animal back to can mumble along to the where he came from: his dank anthemic lyrics of “Smells like bedroom to listen to the latest, Teen Spirit.” literally painful, “groundbreakIt has been said that those ing” indie release. who do not know their history

are doomed to repeat it. As painful as it is to listen to the average snob rattle off a random fact about every song they hear, consider where we would be today if no one took the time to learn or care about these things.

If the snob/music history buff didn’t remember to continue to remind us that Bob Dylan’s real name was Robert Zimmerman and that he came from the humble town of Hibbing, Minnesota, then people may still be under the impression that only those hailing from cultural hot-spots have a chance at making it big.

Some may argue that music snobs “hate the Beatles.” This is another misunderstanding. No self-respecting music snob hates the Beatles; they’re just able to appreciate their greatness without obsessing over them. They use a background of classic music knowledge to better understand contemporary artists.

So the next time a music snob judges you while scrolling through your iPod, try not to take offense. Instead, think of all the ways the music snob actually benefits you and improves the overall quality of music in the world today.

Fishing out the frauds

By Shaked Peleg staff writer

Changing in the locker room after swim practice one day, I heard a voice exclaiming, “I am so fat!”

I turned around and, rather than a morbidly obese person, I saw a girl I hadn’t even known contained an ounce of fat on her entire body.

Immediately, a chorus rang out, saying, “You’re not fat, what are you talking about?”

I was completely baffled as to why this person would say such a thing, until I realized I often do the same myself. I’ll come out of a test I probably performed well enough on, telling everyone that I must have failed it.

It’s reassuring to hear everyone tell me how smart I am, or how pretty, or nice. Whenever I hear similar self-deprecating comments from other people, however, I realize how absolutely annoying it is.

Different media have recently focused on this issue and its connection to self-esteem. The March issue of Seventeen ran an article by body image expert Jess Weiner, telling girls to “change their inner soundtracks.”

Girls in particular will often tell themselves that they’re not pretty enough or they’re unworthy of any success.

The New York Times recently highlighted a psychological phenomenon called Impostor Syndrome where one feels that

they are not as capable as others think. People susceptible to Impostor Syndrome are often “less confident, more moody and rattled by performance anxieties.”

Perhaps I had no real reason to be annoyed with the way people were constantly putting themselves down. It could, after all, be a psychological disease.

As I continued reading, however, I learned that many supposed impostors were actually only pretending to be impostors. Thus, people’s expectations of them were lowered, and they got credit for being humble as well. In effect, the act became a self-presentation strategy, rather than a personality trait.

I think it’s understandable that I would be slightly bothered

by this negativity. People are using it to better themselves in other people’s eyes, but often it’s just bringing down their own self-esteem.

This self-deprecation is all too present at Mounds View.

Merit Stewart, 11, is one Mounds View student fed up with people fishing for compliments.

“Whenever someone insults themselves, I agree. I am unfishable,” he said.

Stewart’s strategy may seem a little harsh, but ultimately, it is better than giving in to others’ negativity. So next time someone is fishing for compliments, just say no to negativity, and refuse to be fished.

February 29, 2008

commentary3

Wishing upon a star: Not all teachers Star Lab could still have value lean to the left

By Dan Heaney staff writer

gating our stars and pondering the tales of our most ancient ancestors?

Graham Wright, MV’s Accelerated Chemistry teacher, has long held interest in teaching an astronomy class and likes the idea of a Mounds View Star lab.

Walking towards the library, my anticipation was difficult to hide. I found it hard to stand still and my Velcro shoes darted from side to side, lighting up on every bounce.

Hands held restless by my side, I jumped up and down for a look. Peering over the top of the countless bookshelves, I was just able to make out the grey bubble that symbolized history’s greatest stories, culture, and science.

Star Lab was, to put it quite simply, the peak of all my childhood memories. Mr. Briggs, my elementary science teacher, had introduced my peers and I to our greatest frontier with his seemingly infinite knowledge of stars.

“The star lab is a great way for students to see and learn about the constellations. We also learn about light and shadows in there, too,” said Gina Wills, the current science teacher at Turtle Lake photo by David Derong Elementary.

Mike Truso, 12, gazes up at the night “All students benefit because they have the opportu- sky, wishing for the Star Lab’s return. nity to visit the Star Lab every year,” she added.

“It’s a basic planetarium.

But our district decided that The benefits are that, ultimateproviding students entering middle school with such stories ly, you get to project the night sky without having to go outwas no longer necessary. And, side or wait for the weather to unfortunately, high school be just right,” he said. would be the same. Apparently And the interest isn’t only there was nothing left to be from the staff; students who gained. But isn't there still fondly remember their Star Lab something to learn from navidays like the idea of a Star Lab

at Mounds View.

“I loved the Star Lab. I really liked all the stories that Mr. Briggs had about all the constellations and stars,” said Michael Chalmers, 11.

Chalmers isn’t alone.

“Some of my best memories of elementary school were of the Star Lab. I wish we could still have it,” said Mike Truso, 12.

Yet, even with evident interest in the subject, our school hasn’t found a way to integrate astronomy and the Star Lab into its current curriculum. Star Lab’s exclusion could be because it may not provide enough reallife information to serve as an alternative to the actual sky.

“The value of the Star Lab, academically, isn’t going to really help demonstrate concepts,” said Wright.

“Astronomy is very mathematically intense. It is very difficult to do the labs at any time other than night.”

The Star Lab is, and perhaps always will be, my favorite memory of science.

Taking off my shoes and crawling into the tiny, chilled bubble, nothing matched the sense of anticipation and enjoyment provided by the Star Lab. Losing the privilege of it in my later years only really adds to its legacy. After all, it was the Star Lab that introduced me to the magnificent world of storytelling, even more than my English classes. So, in a way, Star Lab has already given me all it has to offer.

Environmentally friendly Indian car laps America

By Sean Moore staff writer

A high schooler’s dream recently became a reality in India when Tata Motors released a car that retails at $2500, a price affordable for millions of India’s 1.136 billion people. The People’s Car is likely to help make India a post-industrial megalith.

But perhaps the more exciting development in the Indian auto industry is Tata Motors’ development of a compressedair-powered car, to be released within the year. These two new cars exemplify the great lengths India has gone to in order to become a greener and more entrepreneurial nation.

They also highlight America’s empty promises hidden behind our brazen chest-beating.

The People’s Car, affectionately called the Nano by some due to its small price and stature, has signaled a new era for India’s castes. No longer will an automobile be a symbol of status for wealthy Indians, as millions of India’s dawning middle class take to the streets.

Tata Motors has attempted to offset the enormous surge of cars onto Indian streets by engineering the Nano to emit

as little as possible. The car gets 56 miles to the gallon, excellent both economically and environmentally. In addition, the car is designed to burn fuel cleaner, releasing a smidgeon of the pollution the average American-sized monstrosity would.

Tata has gone one step further though. Its compressed-air powered car, created in a joint venture with Moteur Development International (DMI), seeks to take Indian drivers into the zero emissions realm. Though technically not a Zero Emissions Vehicle due to the electricity required to compress the air, the car is impressive, filling up for $2 at “air” stations, or in about four hours plugged into the wall socket at home.

All this effort on the part of Indian industry to mitigate and relieve their enormous amount of polluters serves as a stark contrast to America’s efforts.

Or rather, lack thereof.

Our current ‘efforts’ include inspiring speeches, expensive research, and impractical ethanol use.

Yet at the same time, America is the first to criticize India for their attempts at making the world a better place.

Yale Environmental Law Professor Daniel Esty joined the chorus of people criticizing the car when he recently told Newsweek, “This car promises to be an environmental disaster of substantial proportions.”

India has seen the massive problems we’ve created because of our industrialization, and now America wants to limit India’s attempts at following in our footsteps. But we don’t actually care about the environment; if we did we would be employing some practical reform on our home soil. Instead, we hide America’s racist tendencies, a racism that has been imbedded into our culture with catchphrases like “Manifest Destiny” and “White Man’s Burden,” under the thinly veiled guise of concern for the environment.

India will continue to make leaps and bounds towards industrialization. America should be proud that India is taking steps towards a cleaner world. We should be taking a page out of India’s book, instead, we’re holding a bookburning party and inviting the rest of the western world to join.

By John Liu staff writer

When social studies teacher Scott Oberg walked into his classroom on the morning of Feb. 6, the day after Super Tuesday, he found that the caucusing Democrats who had used his room the previous night had left a couple of souvenirs.

On the whiteboard, the tallies of the caucus remained: Barack Obama had defeated Hillary Clinton by about 30 votes.

Someone was also resourceful enough to grab a piece of purple Post-It note and partially cover the image of Ronald Reagan, which is used to notify his tenth grade students to bring books.

The Democrats also left a personal note to him: Thank you, Mr. Oberg, for the use of your room. Your fellow Democrats.

However, Oberg had attended the Republican caucuses the previous night.

“I thought [what they did] was humorous, clever, didn’t really offend me. But it was a bit presumptuous to assume that because you are a public schoolteacher, you automatically are a Democrat,” he said.

The common assumption that high school faculty are Democrats surprises no one. The statewide teachers’ union has endorsed Hillary Clinton and is adamantly Democratic.

Democrats provide more social benefits, which might attract teachers with modest pay, and Bush’s and the Congress’s horrendous approval ratings are swinging many undecided and conservative voters to the Democrat side.

It might seem that there’s no reason for a teacher not to vote for either Hillary or Obama, yet that would be the wrong assumption.

There is no question that schools as well as teachers benefit from a Democratic federal

government. Once in power, it tends to increase federal spending, including school funding, which directly ties into benefits for teachers.

However, this is in no way indicative of the political views of the Mounds View staff and students. Not all teachers let a single incentive determine their vote. They may very well consider larger issues such as taxes, the economy, the war in Iraq, the healthcare system, and alternative energy, which may be on some levels more important than funding the education system.

And sometimes, these issues can swing voters over to the Republican side.

“I would say that although education is an important issue to me because it deals with my career, there are other issues that are more important to me, and [they align] more closely with conservative, or Republican thought,” Oberg explained. “I’m a strong proponent of small government and lower taxes, [and] less government spending.”

The Viewer attempted to survey 20 teachers to find out which caucus, if any, they attended. Only half returned the survey, and half of those attended no caucus. There was no clear preference for Democrats.

It’s wrong to assume that since Democrats emphasize school district funding, the Republicans must want to eliminate it. Despite the now-widespread notion that the No Child Left Behind Act was a disaster, Republicans drew it up. And no, its intentions were not destructive. In fact, as senator, Barack Obama supported the bill. He still admires the intentions behind it, but opposes it for its horrible execution.

It’s just as wrong to assume that because a person is associated with Mounds View, they are Democratic-leaning. While public education is important to public school teachers, there are other issues at work, too.

photo by Sean Delahunt

Social studies teacher Scott Oberg disagrees with the notion that all teachers have Democratic views: “It [is] a bit presumptuous to assume that because you are a schoolteacher...you are a Democrat.”

4features

February 29, 2008

A n i m e C l u b : Bringi ng a bit of Ja pa n to M V

By Kirstin Yanisch staff writer

Stepping into Room 226 on a Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon is like walking into a stadium of jazzed sports fans… but instead of the face-painted, screaming enthusiasts of a sports game, one is bombarded with enthusiastic fans of another subject: Anime.

Anime Club, one of Mounds View’s newest groups, focuses on more than just the cartoons.

The goal is to “celebrate Japanese culture, animation, and art,” said club member Rachael Schumann, 10.

The club was started this year by Tatiana Davenport, 10.

Her inspiration came from a club at her former school.

“I went to Centennial last year. They had an Anime Club and I kind of missed it and wanted to bring it here,” she said.

While many clubs devote only one day a week to a particular subject, anime is a full-time passion for its members, and they are always looking for new people who are interested. The club’s interest goes to all facets

or manga characof Japanese culters. They also ture including read many tales of Japanese clothes, anime characters. food, writing and Anime Club’s music. interests also Tena Rausch, include unique 9, said, “Anime is accessories that the ultimate antirepresent their drug because you devotion to the art. put so much time One of the more into it.” unusual pieces of The club’s clothing that some activities vary Anime Club memfrom week to bers wear is a tail. week, but are Anderson said always centered that the tails are on the arts and actually another entertainment of way the group anime.

“We do anyphoto by Sean Delahunt incorporates Japanese culture thing that fits into Members of Anime Club await their meeting. Tatiana Davenport, 10, into their lives. anime. We talk “In anime, created the club as an outlet for her passion for anime. about comics, and sometimes people that’s short for ‘animation.’” she we have DVDs of the shows that have animal traits.

[Wearing said.

“It [applies to] shows and we watch,” said Hannah Frey, 9. tails] is called Cosplay. Cosplay feature-length movies. ‘Manga’ The club members have also is short for ‘Costume Play.’ It’s is what the books are called, and learned many Japanese words dressing up as an anime charac‘Otaku’ is like, a major fan of that are associated with the ter. Kind of like Halloween, anime or manga.”

Japanese art form. Tessa whenever you feel like it,” she Many of the members are Anderson, 9, described a few said. artists with notebooks full of terms that anyone interested in Dressing like this has caused anime drawings of people and anime should know. some members to have issues animals.

Others write fan-fiction “‘Anime’ is a French word stories using their favorite anime with other students. There have

been multiple cases of others pulling off their tails. The club feels that this is because of a lack of understanding about anime in general.

Anderson said, “There are people who know what anime is but are a little biased against it because they think of it as American animation [for little kids].”

While some of these misconceptions have affected how Anime Club is viewed around the school, the club continues to devote time to their passion. The group already has plans for the future. In the spring they plan to attend the “Anime Detour” convention in Minneapolis running from April 4 to 6.

Most of all, Mounds View’s Anime Club hopes to continue to incorporate what they’ve learned together into their lives and further their understanding of Japanese culture.

As Rausch said, “We’ve gotten very into [Anime]. For most of us, it’s our dream to go to Japan.”

Hungry for science?

Disciplinary records

Have a ‘Bite with Wright’

Do previous punishments harm students’ futures? MV Deans exlplain how much those detentions really affect college admissions

By Christina Xia staff writer

After school on Dec. 12, a curious group of 20 upperclassmen dashed through the hallways under the tutelage of Accelerated Chemistry teacher Graham Wright. Wright wasn’t trying to foster mischief; the students were only trying to raise their heart rate enough to be able to see their veins under Wright’s infrared camera.

Then, with the students fascinated and the doors locked, Wright started his first gathering of something called, ‘A Bite with Wright.’

After being awarded with the “2007 Outstanding Science Teacher Award” by the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota, MV Accelerated Chemistry teacher, Graham Wright learned about an event called ‘Caffeine with the Dean’ at the U. After thinking about it, he decided to start the new monthly event in his room.

This event takes place once a month after school depending on Wright’s schedule. The students attending eat Wright’s homemade snacks as they discuss current science topics. At the last two meetings, topics have ranged from bioengineering to cloning.

“The reason I started this was to promote students to think more about the current science issues. During the two hours, I cook for them, chat, and create a relaxing atmosphere to talk about science,” said Wright.

The discussion at the meetings, though led by Wright, is much more relaxed than it is during classroom lectures.

“At the last meeting, we got off my planned topic right away, and that was alright. Instead, we talked about U.S. energy policies and what alternative energies we will use in the future.

We also talked a lot about bio-

engineering,” said Wright.

Although mostly upperclassmen have attended past meetings, students don’t have to be juniors or in Accelerated Chemistry to participate. Wright does, however, limit each sessions to only 20 kids.

“There is a separate sign-up each time so different kids can come, but you have to sign up in advance. Just see me personally to sign up,” Wright said.

After only two meetings, the students that attended have enjoyed it greatly.

“I think it’s a lot of fun! It’s really great to talk to a teacher outside of class that knows a lot about science. It’s also interesting to keep up with the current science topics,” said Irene Saunders, 12. “At the last meeting, we discussed issues like ways to preserve energy and the different types of energy we can use to replace fossil fuels. That was really cool.”

James Shablow, 11, has attended both of the meetings so far and has found it remarkable.

“I love it! It’s awesome!” said Shablow. “We usually start off by chatting with each other, and Mr. Wright would cook us some homemade food that is really good. Then, we usually discussed things like new and current science issues or events.”

With around 20 students attending the last session, Wright is enthusiastic about the great start and eagerly looking forward to future meetings of ‘A Bite with Wright.’

“I really enjoy it! It’s a great time. I will definitely continue it in the future. I might even plan some field trips, like to go off campus and go to the U,” said Wright. “At the next meeting on February 27, I think we will talk about space.”

By Karly Bergmann staff writer

College student Karl Helge Hampus Svensson, 31, was expelled from the prestigious Karolinska Institute of Medicine in Sweden on Jan. 24 after breaking no rules. He had also received top grades in all of his online high school courses. The problem was that he had taken those courses from a prison cell.

In 2000, Svensson shot a coworker seven times after the worker complained about Svensson’s sympathy for the Nazis. Svensson was put into a maximum-security prison with a sentence of 11 years. No one at the college knew about Svensson’s past, and, after taking a life, he began learning how to save one until the day he was expelled.

Though an extreme case of expulsion, this story does raise the question of what can follow a student from high school to college and what past disciplinary actions could keep a college from accepting a student.

Few at Mounds View have a criminal record, though many have received some form of punishment.

“I got a detention because I was truant. I was so worried that colleges would see it, I was freaking out!” said Katie Volhaber, 10.

While many share Volhaber’s fear of even the slightest blemish on their record, be it from high school or middle school, some don’t even know what to be worried

photo illustration by Nate Grann

Drew Laughlin, 10, said detention isn’t that serious of a punishment.

Fortunately for him, many colleges don’t see that way either. about.

According to Dean Dave “I have no idea [what colNotaro, “Only big-time colleges see on your records], I leges…like MIT, Harvard, or don’t think anyone really does.” Carleton…will ask if a student said Anthony Tallarico, 12. “I has ever been suspended or think people just assume [colhave any other felonies.” leges only see] grades or whatSince a detention is nowhere ever they want to pry into.” near as extreme a disciplinary Many students are left in the action as a felony, colleges dark about what diciplinary won’t judge an applicant based actions actually appear on colon how many they’ve received. leges’ records. Others could not Instead, colleges will be more care less. focused on trying to find out Laughing, a group of freshwhat kind of a person the applimen boys recalled the story of cant is. how they stole plastic signs “They [the colleges] will from outside classrooms, broke ask us to rate a student’s moral ceiling tiles, light bulbs, a character… Generally it’s based floodlight, and stole three on a percent scale going from clocks one day in eighth grade. the top student I have ever met Their reason? They “were to the top 3 percent of students bored” and it was “just for fun.” I have ever met, to the top 5 The boys received severe percent and so on. They will punishments of three-day to ask about moral character and weeklong suspensions and fines activities, but this is also the ranging from $96 to $206. place where I have to be very However, none of them seem honest if they do have a shady too worried about what their past,” said Notaro. future colleges will think.

Dean Scott Wiens agreed, “[I’m not worried] because “Sometimes colleges ask [if it’s eighth grade. Nothing goes you’ve had disciplinary probon your record until, like, high lems in the past]. Typically we school,” said Vinay Pai, 9. say ‘no’ unless there is some“Colleges only look at your thing severe… like long suspenGPA. And I don’t want to go to sions or multiple chemical a college that would care about abuses.” that little thing,” said Andy However, Notaro advises to Lapham, 9. behave while in high school, as Contrary to students’ popu“Colleges are not only looking lar view, there is more than a for academic potential, but grain of truth to this opinion. some character too.”

5 features

‘Mustang Mocha delivery!’

February 29, 2008

Special Education students prepare, deliver coffee to staff

By Emily Storms staff writer

“Mustang Mocha Delivery!”

Adriana Roberts, 11, stood outside the computer lab dressed in a green apron, a Styrofoam cup of Caribou Coffee in hand.

Her voice broke the muffled silence of Mounds View’s halls during second hour, as most students sat in class.

With a smile and a “thank you,” health teacher Gretchen Zahn received her coffee.

Roberts, accompanied by Tony Bourgoin, 11, and Sarah Levinski, the program advisor, continued down the hall to make more deliveries.

They are part of a new room service program for Mounds View staff and faculty called Mustang Mocha. Students from Levinski’s Vocational Skills

class, as well as other special education students, make and serve coffee, tea, and breakfast treats. These goodies are then delivered right to the room of the teacher or staff member on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during second hour.

Their base of operations is in the concessions area, which they take over with their gourmet coffee machine and well-supplied carts. The scent of tea and coffee mix in the air and each cup is carefully made and secured in a wicker basket for delivery. The shining black gourmet coffee machine has multiple cups ready in minutes, and Tony Bourgoin, 11, shoots the empty containers into the garbage can with perfect form.

Based off a similar program at Irondale called “Knight’s Delight,” the start-up costs of

Mustang Mocha were covered by a District 621 grant. With this grant, the Special Education department was able to buy the gourmet and easy-to-use coffee maker, as well as other supplies.

Mustang Mocha is intended to help special education students practice work skills in a comfortable and somewhat realistic situation.

Levinski, who started the Mounds View branch of the program, said, “We’re hoping this program will enhance students’ work readiness skills, especially their food preparation and customer service skills.”

Not only are students preparing for the future but Mounds View staff are benefiting from this program as well. The first week of Mustang Mocha all orders were complimentary and so many poured in that an extra

day had to be added to accommodate all the orders. Now, even with the nominal $1 charge per coffee, or a special punch card deal with 10 drinks for $9, orders have still been coming in regularly.

It looks like it won’t be very difficult for teachers and staff to continue orders.

Zahn, a regular customer, said, “I love the coffee, and it’s great to see someone starting a program like this in our school.”

Some students are a bit jealous of the teachers’ new privileges.

“Caribou Coffee at Mounds View?” Emily Duddleston, 11, exclaimed. “Where can I get some?”

Unfortunately, Mustang Mocha doesn’t have the materials required to serve the students.

Left: Anthony Bourgoin, 11, prepares a staff member’s order. Center: Bourgoin, Adriana Roberts, 11, and Chris Rowe, 11, make a delivery to dean Scott Wiens. Right: FACS teacher Julie Coopet delights over her ‘Mocha’ delivery on Thursday, Feb. 21 during second hour.

“We just don’t have the supplies necessary to handle the volume of orders that would come from students,” Levinski explained.

Perhaps someday Mustang Mocha will expand to serve students, but for now the staff are counting their blessings. So if you walk by the concessions area on a Tuesday or Thursday morning, and think you smell wafts of Caribou, know that it’s not just wishful thinking. At least for the staff, a new kind of room service has come to Mounds View.

And staff are loving Mustang Mocha for more than just the coffee. Dean Kendra Eckman said, “I enjoy seeing their smiling faces delivering my coffee.”

photos by David Derong

Family matters: 21 minutes a day to a stronger bond

By Divya Gupta staff writer

With the end of the quarter rapidly approaching, spring sports just around the bend, and no break from stress in sight, it is no wonder families are hardpressed to find time to spend together. Combine this with sleep deprivation, and you have a recipe for family feuds.

Conflicting schedules and long hours can make it difficult for many families to connect.

“The only time I spend with my family is in the car driving places,” said Jenny Kaczynski, 10.

Statements such as these have led worried parent volunteers in the Burnsville School District to start a new program: the 21-Day Challenge. It urges students to spend 21 minutes of quality time with their families for 21 days. The logic behind the number 21 is that it takes at least three weeks to form a habit, and in order for there to be any lasting effect, a habit must be formed.

The initiative is just a part of a larger effort by the city of Burnsville to improve its citizens’ standards of living.

In response to students like Kaczynski, Barbara Carlson, cofounder of the program, said at a recent seminar, “Take back car

time. If you only have ten minutes in the car, you have to find a way to make it count…you can have some great conversations in the car.”

The program has gained much support, both in Burnsville and in surrounding areas.

Mounds View students have found that spending time together can be as simple as watching television, going for a walk, or playing a board game.

Sophie Kem, 11, has turned TV shows into a family affair.

“We always watch Deal or No Deal together,” she said.

At recent auditions, her family even tried out for the show.

Others take a more classic approach to the matter. Abby Marolt, 9, and her family go bowling together regularly.

“It’s a chance to get away from our house and it’s not awkward. There’s always something to talk about,” she said.

Matt Miles, 11, agreed with Marolt. His family also plans bowling trips, as well as playing board games or watching movies together.

“I like spending time with my family on weekends,” he said.

Some students say that the easiest and most widely supported way to fit family time into busy schedules is at dinner.

“We eat together almost

every night,” said Nicki Budnicki, 12.

The Burnsville City Council cited research showing that eating dinner with a family regularly decreases the likelihood of teen drug and alcohol use.

Additionally, it can greatly reduce stress levels and the chance of eating disorders, especially among girls.

At MV, many students are applauding the effort.

“I think it’s going to help people who don’t spend any time with their families a lot, but it probably won’t do anything for people who already do,” said Greg Northrop, 10.

Others question the future of projects like these. Frank Li, 11, doesn’t think it would benefit

him to spend more of his already busy time with his family.

“Families are just more stress, and we all already have so much stress coming from schoolwork and other responsibilities,” he said.

While opinions vary now, the full scope of the Burnsville project will only be clear when it is finished.

Diver Q A

Difficult past sparks change at

&

By Kirstin Yanisch staff writer

...with Wonkemi

By Sabrina Zappa staff writer

Q: What was your motivation to become a community liaison?

A: During high school I was the vice president of my school’s diversity club. There weren’t a lot of people of color, and I honestly felt there was a need for change. I talked to my principal about this issue, [and] I brought up the possibility of shutting down the school and holding a panel. I thought it would never happen, but lo’ and behold my principal called me down and said it needed to be done. That is what really motivated me to find a career involving human services and social work, particularly with youth.

Q: How has your job changed over the years?

A: I came to MV right after the bomb threats of the late ‘90s.

Many people stereotyped me as being the “black people’s counselor,” and thus would not approach me if they needed any guidance. But times have definitely changed, and as the stereotype began to fade students began to realize that I can help them with advice and direction—and not only just those students of different ethnicities or races.

A small group of school administrators knocks on the door of your classroom. After a few moments of hushed conference with your teacher, the teacher announces that the school is being evacuated. Suddenly, everyone realizes there’s been another bomb threat.

Some seniors at Mounds View still remember hearing about the winter of the ’03-‘04 school year, when Mounds View received a series of race-related bomb threats. School was evacuated once and there was one early dismissal after three threats were found around the school.

Since 2004, Mounds View has taken a stance to promote diversity at school and create better understanding to prevent this from occurring again.

Principal Julie Wikelius, who became principal in 1999, said the threats were a very real sign that Mounds View needed a change.

“Even more upsetting than the threats [themselves] was the hate language. You can check for explosives and add building safety procedures but as for the values behind them… It became clear that we needed to do some work. It was our job to switch from a reactive to a proactive stance,” said Wikelius of the goal to change community attitudes.

One of the first measures taken to promote cultural understanding was the creation of the Community Liaison position filled by Wonkemi Gongar. His job is to promote community ideals. Though he was not on hand during the year of the threats, he felt their effects on a diverse student body.

Slicing up the pie...

Q: What is the biggest problem you see in the attitudes of students towards diversity?

A: I think [the problem is] with the whole concept of the term “diversity.” Many people think that it only applies to those of color, but it most certainly does not. We don’t want to leave Caucasians out of the spectrum because they have a long and unique history, too. People need to get sparked about their family’s ancestry and where their families come from... minority races today and the Caucasian ancestors of many years ago have more things in common than people would think.

Q: Do you feel MV students are pressured into forming cliques based on race?

A: That is really an excellent question. This concept is really embedded into white students’ lives. In all reality, despite what people may say, Caucasians are still the ones in power. With this fact in mind, what is there to challenge you to change? But on the other hand, many people think whites are never looked down upon, and that is hardly true. White students and other minority students call certain groups “white trash”... I feel there needs to be a change in viewpoints, and it may as well be the kids at MV who make it. If there was ever a point I could get across it would be this: race is just an excuse to continue to be arrogant.

photo by Debbie Li

“I talked with nearly 300-400 students one on one [about the bomb threats]. A lot of them felt that it was a horrible situation, others called it stupid or extremely immature, and then there were some who simply tried to ignore it,” Wonkemi said. “Then there were the students who thought that it would never go away, in their minds the person or persons who committed this crime are still a part of them and will stay with them until the day they die,” One theory about the reason these threats occurred was the lack of diversity at Mounds View. Over the last five years, however, the school has seen an upward trend in its racial diversity. In 2001, the percentage of the majority (Caucasian) students was 89.7%, but this year the number has changed to 84.9%.

Administrators believe the population will become more diverse over the next five years.

Wikelius said, “I think the trends indicate that metro-wide and at Mounds View there will be increased numbers of people of color and those not born in the United States.”

This appears to be the case, as evidenced by Chippewa’s current demographics. The percentage of Caucasian students at the middle school is 81% this school year.

Even with this upward trend, the Mounds View experience is still seen as less than diverse. Unlike many of their peers in the metro area, Mounds View students are unaccustomed to hearing languages other than English spoken at school. Biology teacher Amy Alvarez, who in the past has taught in schools that had a majority of Hispanic students, was

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photos by Sean Delahunt

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prised to find the Mounds View comnity contained so few multi-lingual mbers.

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The issues that arise from this lack of osure vary from large issues such as threats Mounds View has experienced ff-hand remarks in the hallways. dents at Mounds View have noticed w unintentional remarks can affect the ent body.

Jeremy Scheiner, 11, said, “There is nitely subtle stereotyping... There’s Asian-American stigma at Mounds w. The idea that ‘Asian-Americans always more intelligent.’”

Mai Lubega, 10, has experienced miserstandings about her religion at other ools she has attended. She said, “I w up assuming people knew what a slim was, because I knew what a holic and a Jewish person were. It n’t even occur to me that people didknow why I was wearing a scarf on head.”

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Michael Duncombe, ‘07

In response to the bomb threats: “[The threats] didn’t make me want to run because I knew that was what they wanted me to do.

People took it lightly at first, as something some kid did to get out of school. But to me, it doesn’t make sense to go out of your way to [make it racially motivated] unless there’s something else going on there. I decided to keep my focus on what I had to do.”

The administration’s handling of the threats: “As soon as we had all these threats, we hired Mr. Wonkemi. Before that, I don’t remember seeing any minority faculty members. Club Unity was also formed. They handed out letters to meet at a certain time to talk about some of the threats. I never went to one of these meetings because doesn’t this add to the problem? When you [single out one group] it’s more segregated.”

Kealy Randle, ‘07

In response to the administration’s handing of the threats: “I disagree [with Michael]. I think the [Unity meeting] was more to say ‘We’re not ignoring you.’

But, [other than that] all that was done was sending a letter home. They should have had an assembly to say that we are not this community of hate, and tried to change attitudes.”

Marcus Charles, ‘06

In response to the bomb threats: “[The threats] bothered me really bad. I didn’t think it would happen here [at Mounds View]. I was hurt and I was hoping the school would do more about it. I wanted to get out of the school because I didn’t feel safe.”

Advice to current students: “I want [Mounds View students] to treat all diverse people equally. The point I’m trying to get across is to be yourself. If people belittle you, you have to be the bigger person. You can’t make someone like you, but you have to try and gain respect and show them all that you’re equal.”

photos by Nate Grann information compiled by Kirstin Yanisch

Separate but equal?

Cultural clubs consider unification

By Sabrina Zappa staff writer

Students at Mounds View see traces of the school's cultural clubs on a daily basis. There are often announcements in the morning bulletin about upcoming meetings, many students participate in the events hosted by the groups, and who could forget Unity's grand opening for the '07 Homecoming PepFest? Yet many people at Mounds View are still confused about why two different cultural groups exist in the first place and what makes them unique.

Members of the clubs feel that the difference between the groups lies in the way the meetings are held.

“Diversity Council is more organized and goal-oriented. You go to a meeting and it’s very well planned,” said Unity member and PR George Sakkal, 12. “I feel that when you go to a Unity meeting, you go there not knowing what to expect. We never have a set schedule and we just do what feel will be the most fun.”

After the bomb threats of the ‘03‘04 school year, Unity formed as support group for those who felt attacked by these threats. Diversity Council was a pre-existing group whose mission was to enlighten Mounds View students about different cultures around the world.

"I understand why they [were separate] at first, but now I think it goes against what we both stand for,” said Unity President Reyna Sawtell, 12.

“We’re not a unified front, and I think we should come together in the near future as one diverse group."

Some students feel that having separate clubs with similar missions has had negative consequences, such as the apparent division of clubs along racial

lines. They point to the fact that 60 percent of Diversity Council is Asian and 80 percent of Unity is black.

Nate Chan, 11, said, “The demographics of the two clubs are different.

Most in Diversity Council, particularly the leaders, are Asian, while most of the people that I know that are strongly affiliated with Unity are African American.”

Others felt this racial gap could be bridged if the two groups became one.

“I'm not sure what the point of having groups promoting diversity is if the groups themselves are not diverse,” said Paige Lindley, 12. “If they came together, I think it would show people that they are willing to cooperate to make Mounds View a more accepting place.”

Students who don't belong to the groups sometimes perceive them as only being for members of the minority, perhaps explaining why the groups lack many Caucasian participants.

"I was pretty sure that white kids weren't supposed to join, just go to the events they put on," said Alex Jacobs, 12.

Sakkal said, “Unity is not just for African Americans. I’m a part of the club, and my sister and her friends enjoy it as well. It’s about your individual personality and having that as the decision factor.”

Many members, including Sawtell, speak of a future combination of the groups. But for now, the idea remains just that: an idea.

Diversity Council President Debbie Li, 12, said, “We did do an event together The Funk art gala... [We may both work at the] the World Fair towards the end of the year. There is potential for us coming together on that.”

Former members of the club also

hope to see a bridge between the two groups in the future. Mounds View ’07 alumnus and last year's Diversity Council President Himadhari Sharma hoped the two would be able to unite in the future.

“I really wished that they were one, I see no reason that they should be divided. With how globalized the world is becoming, we all need to be understanding [of] and educated [about] the different people who live in it,” she said.

Sawtell said, “There will always be Diversity Council along with Unity. But now it’s more focused around being more accepting of other people’s differences and trying to expose students to the world around them.”

Sakkal also said, “I have no problem with them being connected. In fact I think in the near future it will happen.

With Mr. Wonkemi holding the two groups together it would be a perfect fit.

It could be called ‘University!’”

While Unity and Diversity Council may not exist as one group, both hold fundraisers and events that aid the community. Unity annually holds an event called African American Perspectives, a celebration of Black History Month that spotlights African American members of the community, and in the past has highlighted talents of its members with musical performances.

Diversity Council also holds many events, including an Iron Chef multicultural cook-off at Chippewa Middle School, an upcoming Salsa dance with the Spanish Club, and a diversity festival at the Shoreview Community Center. This festival is hosted with Irondale High School’s Diversity Council, and is an intricate night of cultural dancing, singing, food tasting, and much more.

8variety

February 29, 2008

One person’s junk...

is another’s thrift score Unique Thrift Store 1657 Rice Street, St. Paul Hours: Mon-Sun 7:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Goodwill 1627 W County Rd. B, Roseville Hours: Mon-Fri 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

My Sister’s Closet 1136 Grand Ave, St. Paul Hours: Mon, Tues, Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Wed, Thurs 10 a.m.-8 p.m., closed Sunday

$10 classy men’s waistcoat

Ragstock Rosedale Mall Hours: Mon-Sat 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m.-6 a.m.

Via’s 2408 Hennepin Ave S, St. Paul Hours: Mon-Sat 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

Lula

$4.95

1587 Selby Ave, St. Paul Hours: Mon, Fri 12 p.m.-6 p.m., TuesThurs 12 p.m.-7 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

old-style men’s shoes

Up Six+

photo by Nate Grann

$15 trendy knock-off coach purse

Unique Thrift Store makes ‘thrifting’ easy with a convenient location and tidy store.

By Karly Bergmann staff writer

$15 indie rocker shirt

$25 quality telescope

$1/each vintage records

photos by Nate Grann

Items found at Unique Thrift.

157 Snelling Ave. N., St. Paul Hours: Tues-Sat 12-6, Sunday 12-4, closed Monday

“A little worn/ a little torn/ check the rack/ what went out is coming back/ what wear is what we are/ and what we wear is vintage clothes!” Paul McCartney, “Vintage Clothes.”

One may wonder how anyone could ever have enough passion about vintage clothes to write a song about them. But as it turns out, vintage clothes, and the shopping of thrift stores it takes to find them, haven’t just inspired music in recent years.

They have also inspired countless students at Mounds View to start practicing their own art of “thrifting.”

Thrift stores have been around since the 1940s when they were used to aid families during the shortages of WWII. Later, they became popular again amongst flower-children of the ’60s, during the punk movement in the ’70s and ’80s, and, it seems that in recent years students at Mounds View who have braved the disorganized racks of clothes have brought back the trend once again.

Fortunately, thrift stores in the area are easier to find than the merchandise in them. For those constantly on the lookout for vintage finds ranging from clothes to records, Unique Thrift is the place to go. Most of the vast floor space is filled with racks and racks of children’s, men’s and women’s clothing with a specific section for vintage wear. The rest of the store is dedicated to furniture, books, electronics, and a plethora of other trinkets and jewelry.

Unique is also a haven for music enthusiasts and has a wide range of records, cassette tapes, and CDs. “Unique’s selection has something for everyone, whether you want crazy or casual,” said

avid thrifter, Sigourney Couture, 10. “I like their plaid shirts...[but] I never go to the random knick-knack section because it scares me.”

“I once found a DARE shirt there,” said Laurel Carlson, 10, “and they always have really cool jewelry; I’ve found a lot of cool rings.”

Goodwill is another popular thrift store among the students at Mounds View. Goodwill is a Christian organized charity store that not only takes clothing donations and sells them at reasonable prices, but offers jobs to disadvantaged people in the area.

Not necessarily known for its vintage finds, Goodwill specializes in carrying gently used or surplus clothing from brandname stores such as Old Navy, Hollister, Abercrombie, Express and more. With its better-thanaverage cleanliness and colororganized racks, Goodwill is less about the adventure of finding the clothes and more about the treasure at the end. “[I like it] because it’s super cheap for the high-quality clothes you can buy there. I got a pair of shoes for $2 that have kept me going for the past year,” said Mahyar Sorour, 11.

But students aren’t the only ones “thrifting” at Mounds View, teachers have also joined in on the fun and economically-beneficial trend. Ross Fleming, gym and health teacher, has been a dedicated thrifter since his college days.

“When I was in college, my favorite place would have been Ragstock. It was the place,” he said.

Ragstock stores, the closest being located in the Rosedale mall, no longer necessarily qualifies as “thrift stores.” Most of the clothing now carried is brand-new and brand name. The small selection of clothes that are not brand-new are either

“recycled” clothes with styles ranging from the ’80s to today or outlandish costume pieces, such as a 1920s flapper dress or a full-body chicken suit, that are perfect for themed parties or Halloween.

While thrift stores are the most commonly searched places when looking for vintage wear or costumes, there are stores in the Twin Cities area that provide shoppers specifically with authentic vintage wear.

Via’s Vintage in Uptown and Lula’s Vintage Wear and Up Six, both off Snelling, offer a wide range of 1800s-1980s dresses, men’s wear, hats, purses, shoes, jewelry, and furniture. Though many unique and bona fide retro items can be found, they do not come with the benefit of a thrift store price tag. Because of this, many only browse these types of stores for special occasions such as Prom or a wedding.

“When my wife and I were getting married, we decided to have the ceremony in a little wooden church from the 1850s,” said Flemming. “We also tinkered with the idea of dressing

in 1850s attire, but it was too much of a challenge trying to find anything.”

But if one is up to the challenge of searching through racks upon racks of previously owned clothes, there are many treasures to be found.

“This Christmas I did find authentic Star Wars action figures and other collectors’ items STILL IN THE BOX for my grandchildren… it has to be one of my greatest finds,” said Fleming.

“I found a lime-green jumpsuit [at a thrift store] once and bought it for my friend for her birthday,” said Mara Rogers, 11.

Whether you’re searching for a gift, costume, authentic vintage wear and goods, gently-used brand name clothing, or even a completely unique dress or suit for Prom this year, stay within your budget and your local area by hitting up the thrift store nearest you.

February 29, 2008

The Oscars:

By Brandon Osero staff writer

9 reviews

Basically a lot of montages jokes were well timed and actually funny.

“Oscar is 80 this year, which makes him automatically the front runner for the Republican nomination,” said Stewart.

The Democrats weren’t spared either when he mentioned Away from Her: “A woman who forgets her husband: Hillary Clinton called it the feelgood movie of the year.”

The first Oscar was for costume design and was awarded to Elizabeth: The Golden Age. Following the first award, the show introduced the first of its many montages: a recap of the Oscar’s first 79 years.

If the writers’ strike hadn’t ended, the Oscars would have most

Ah, the Oscars. A time for Hollywood to congratulate one and destroy the hopes of four others, a time for stars to meet and sit for three tedious hours. This year’s 80th Academy Awards was no exception; it continued the tradition of long, drawn-out presentations that went nowhere.

For the past 30 years, every Oscar show has had a red carpet segment. This year’s was hosted by Regis Philbin, who pretended to care. Of course, there were plenty of Regisims. “…Everyone wanted to be Cary Grant, but now they want to be George Clooney,” and, “I just saw Jon Stewart, he looks as cool as a cucumber,” were just a few of the inane things that he spat out.

With the arbitrary red carpet borefest out of the way, the show began with host Jon Stewart’s line, “You’re here—I can’t believe it, you’re actually here.”

Similar writers’ strike jokes followed. To Stewart’s credit, his monologue this year was better than the last time he hosted.

Living up to his name, Stewart fit in some politics as well. For the most part the courtesy of solarnavigator.net

likely been a 30-minute press conference with montages.

Instead, the audience had to down a prolonged three-hour version of the same thing—one montage was shown before each award.

To be fair, the show was at least willing to poke fun at this with two fake montages: one to binoculars and another to bad dreams. Nonetheless, the montages were boring and ran like an entry from Wikipedia.

Another big part of the show was five musical numbers from the best original song category. Enchanted received three nominations in the category, and all three songs induced sleep. It wasn’t surprising the film didn’t win.

While the “entertaining” parts of the show were important, it really was about the awards. Javier Bardem surprised no one when he won Best Supporting Actor for his dark and disturbing portrayal as Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. Best Actor went to Daniel-Day Lewis for his work in There Will Be Blood—a brilliant film where his use of method acting helped him win.

The Best Actress and Supporting Actress awards were more surprising.

Marion Cotillard from La Vie en Rose, a film most Americans probably haven’t seen, and Tilda Swanton, from Michael Clayton, won respectively. Truthfully, the

award should have gone to Ellen Page for Juno, but she’ll probably win an Oscar eventually.

It was difficult to pay attention during Cotillard’s speech because of her dress; apparently dressing in fish scales is popular now. Swanton’s win was surprising, but then again the category wasn’t filled with strong performances. At least Michael Clayton won one award.

With the actor and actress awards finished, the last two awards were announced. Best Director and Best Picture went to Ethan and Joel Cohen for No Country for Old Men. By the end of the night, the film had won four awards.

The academy chose wisely. No Country for Old Men was beautifully directed by the Cohen brothers, and the acting of Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, and Javier Bardem pushed it to Oscar Glory.

It is good to award the hard work of people in the film industry. However, there has got to be some other way to present it so the show isn’t depressing for the audience. If it weren’t for the shoddy montages and lax musical numbers, the Academy Awards this year could have been great... provided a little more effort would be put in. Hopefully it will be better next year, because this year’s show was a boring mess.

Hot Chip works with no light

By Sam Toninato staff writer

Halfway through the new Hot Chip song “Shake a Fist” the music stops, and a mysterious voice begins.

“Before we go any further, I’d like to show you all a game I made up. This game is called ‘Sounds of the Studio’… You may be surprised… Now, if you have a pair of headphones, you better get ’em out, and get ’em cranked up, cause they’re really gonna help.”

An explosion of sound follows this brief interlude, with electronic buzzes pulsating over pounding drumbeats.

Hot Chip’s new record, Made in the Dark, is filled with these bizarre and jolting moments. The band attempts a lot of different techniques, with upbeat rock songs next to slow, techno-tinged ballads, and, for the most part, it works. Most of the strange sounds are endearing and fun to listen to, while others are annoying and do not work at all. Overall, the album is nice, but a little more focus would have served it well.

The album opens with a light pop song, “Out at the Pictures.” The bright, poppy tone yields partly a dance song, yet partly a rock song. Guitars mix over funky electronic beats, creating a sound that is immensely catchy and very unique.

Hot Chip keeps up the energy for the first half of the album, writing songs that range from straight up techno to light rock. “Ready for the Floor” is one of the highlights of the album, a sweet, semi-love song that calls the listener to join the dance floor.

“Bendable Poseable” mixes crunchy guitars with bizarre filtered vocals. It starts as a somewhat traditional rock song, before transforming into a mysterious techno dance

song. It is a strange mix that attempts to defy genres but ultimately ends up sounding mashed together.

From here, Hot Chip completely changes.

After four straight songs of energetic technorock mayhem, they throw in a slow, soulinfused ballad. Unfortunately, this throws the flow of the whole album. The song is by no means bad; it’s just poorly placed.

After that, the group transforms again; this time delivering an upbeat, pulsing masterpiece with the song “Touch Too Much.”

The booming chorus and pounding percussion make this a song a must-hear.

Hot Chip continues this shape-shifting act for the rest of the album; alternating between slow, smoky ballads, and fast-paced techno rock songs. Some of the tracks, such as the delightfully slowed-down and stripped-back title track, work. Other songs, such as the ridiculous “Wrestlers,” crash and burn with an over-reaching mix of musical styles and are, simply put, a little boring and repetitive.

Hot Chip is known for being eclectic, and on Made in the Dark, they reach from all kinds of genres and styles. While some songs hit the mark, others fail miserably. Some songs deserve to be listened to again and again, while others should never have even made it on the album in the first place. The release is spotty, but it pulls through these weak spots, and ends up being a somewhat enjoyable album, if not a very strange one.

Sounds like: Short-circuited pop with a minimalist techno influence. Has LCD System and Cut Copy’s feel... a little !!! (Chk Chk Chk) but much less grimy and a lot more color.

6.5 / 10

courtesy of last.fm

courtesy of rottentomatoes.com

Atonement induces swoons

By Sabrina Zappa staff writer

Throughout the film Atonement, you hear the clanking of an age-old typewriter. It serves as not only a musical piece for the picture but also represents the main characters’ desires for control and lust.

Atonement stars Keira Knightley and James McAvoy as two passionate lovers whose affair gets out of hand when Knightley’s younger sister Briony (played by Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan) accuses McAvoy’s character Robbie of a crime he did not commit. He is sent to prison for four years and must serve in the army during WWII. With the combination of the war at hand and Briony growing up and realizing what she has done, the family is ruined.

A very interesting aspect about Atonement is the film’s use of music.

The typewriter serves as Briony’s safe haven and also as a doomsday device when McAvoy’s character Robbie writes a fatal note that lands into Briony’s tiny hands.

What does the letter mean? How can she explain this to her family and, most importantly, her sister?

While her mind races with these thoughts, the clunking of the typewriter musters its eerie cries, keeping in time with Briony’s heartbeat. It represents a certain nervousness for the characters, as well as a calming device in uncomfortable situations.

The movie also uses striking silence as a contrast to its music — effective particularly with the love scene between Robbie and Cecilia.

All you could hear throughout the theatre was the heavy breathing of the passionate lovers and quiet tiptoe-

ing of Briony’s feet into the lovers’ library room.

Atonement had one of the best casts for this year’s Oscar race.

Audiences were pleasantly surprised

by Keira Knightley’s strong performance. Many of her other feature films tend to dwell more on her bony physique and perfect features rather than her acting abilities, but this film showed her truly gifted range.

Her eyes show the sorrow and heartache she must face, which boils down to if she’ll ever get to be with her lover again. She doesn’t simply try to act heartbroken or weak, she knows how to get to that inner psyche and lets it free. She has the makings of a truly remarkable actress, and with this film she gets one step closer to this achievement.

The Last King of Scotland’s James McAvoy was fantastic as the victimized Robbie. Robbie’s character is very quiet and naïve; he didn’t realize that a simple slip of the tongue—or in his case a very vulgar word—could change the course of his entire existence.

All of this sorrow and regret is put upon his handsome shoulders, and he is the one who truly carries the film. Robbie makes you believe in true love and pulls in his audience on how much tragedy he has seen, displaying that one little girl’s skewed understanding can forever ruin lives.

Atonement is a truly magnificent film that will be talked about for generations to come. Whether it is a result of the music, the actors, or the story in general, this tragic tale hits a deep chord.

8.5 / 10

10sports

February 29, 2008

Those uniforms are so hot right now As the spring season approaches, fans will wait anxiously on the sidelines, straining their necks to see the players’…uniforms? With a new season of sports comes a new season of fashion, and since our athletes will be training too hard to model these under-appreciated fashion statements on the catwalk, the season’s highlights are featured here.

Viewettes Though other sports have managed to cover all of the trendiest and mainstream fashions, the Viewettes have established themselves as the most avant-garde activity at Mounds View by far.

With glitzy outfits ranging from classic black to neon green and blue, designed everywhere from a ’60s to space-age style, the outfits are higher fashion than the Viewettes’ high kicks.

Notice how I said “outfits.”

These girls have more costume changes than a Cher concert, but manage to make each one better than the last and often accessorize with matching headbands; a hot hair trend this year.

And if the rhinestone-embellished costumes don’t blow your mind, this will: Viewette moms hand-applied each of those rhinestones for that perfect sparkle accent. How couture is that?!

Natalie Evanson, 12, sports her stylish warm-up. At the time of this photo, costumes had to be turned in.

Track

Rugby Whoever said men can’t appreciate fashion was as mistaken as the person who thought leg warmers would never come back. Mounds View’s rugby team proves this with its fashionable uniform that is anything but girly.

By simply wearing a rugby uniform, you look manlier, even if you’re clad in shortshorts. Despite their lack of fabric, the shorts do their job and show the world the bod these rugby players have been working for in pre-season training.

“I like the short-shorts, they show off my nice legs,” said Nate Gelbmann, 10.

However, the shorts may be too much, or rather, too little, which is why the players have the courtesy and fashion sense to pair them with trendy spandex leggings.

If you’re still not convinced that rugby uniforms are fierce, consider how “rugby stripes” have managed to infiltrate popular fashion in the form of scarves, sweaters and polos that can be found at your local Gap, American Eagle, and Hollister.

Spandex isn’t only for volleyball players anymore. Rugby player, George Tremann, 10, shows off his spandex.

Softball As most have noticed, skinny jeans have almost replaced yogurt parfaits as the next big thing at Mounds View.

And just like the new treats, they’ve managed to make themselves enjoyed by girls and boys alike. This season, girls softball and boys baseball will utilize this fashion trend to draw fans to their fashion-forward games.

“The tight pants are hot, they’re the reason people come to the games!” said Bekah Roth, 10, softball player.

And what self-respecting fashionista wouldn’t want to see these sporty, skinny-jeans in action? The tight fit at the bottom fashionably paired with the voluminous, mesh jerseys on top is out of this world, or, at least out of the ballpark.

Not since Sporty Spice told us what she wants—what she really, really wants—has anyone made wind pants babely. That is, until this season, when Mounds View track will be strutting their stuff on the catwalk... I mean, track. But the warm-up sweats are just that, warmups, when compared to the hot sleeveless top and shorts underneath.

“They [the uniforms] are nice and breezy. And the colors are pretty cute,” said Athena Apikelis, 10.

But the best part for the spectators and teammates alike is that the shortshorts allow for as much shameless ogling as a real runway show.

“I don’t like watching girls run around in short-shorts for 20 hours, but guys I don’t mind so much,” said Alyssa Leyendecker, 10.

Skinny jeans have traveled from fashion runway into softball must-haves. Softball players Michelle Brunn, 12, and Katie Kruse, 12, display their outfits.

Kevin Bradley, 12 sports his short-shorts on the runway track.

story by Karly Bergmann, staff writer

photos by Nate Grann and softball picture by Debbie Li

New baseball fields just a hit away

By Colin Anderson staff writer

The snow that now covers Kohler Meadows Park in White Bear Lake will soon give way to the unyielding advance of spring, and the Mounds View baseball team will once again make the trek to their practice diamond.

For about 10 years, these distant fields have been the only place that the team could prac-

tice or play home games.

On Feb. 5, the school board changed that, when the board decided to put a field in on Mounds View High School grounds in time for the ’09 baseball season.

“It’ll be sweet,” said Nate Iliff, 10. “Closer fields mean we’ll get more time to improve.”

As revealed by last year’s levy controversy, there is concern in the community about how district money is being

spent. Even now, some may wonder why the school is putting in a new baseball field instead of spending that money to help shrink class sizes or pay teachers more.

Bob Madison, MV athletic director, responded to these qualms: “When we redid the schools the leftover money was put into a building bond. This money can’t be used for things like hiring teachers, just for various construction costs.”

Now, instead of about

$140,000 staying in a bank account, it is going towards an improvement on Mounds View’s grounds.

The exodus from the old Kohler fields will hopefully breathe new life into the Mounds View baseball program, as the distance to the old fields in Vadnais Heights proved to be too much for some fans.

Dave Bothwell, 12, baseball captain, said, “The problems with the old field at Kohler was that it wasn’t on school grounds,

not a lot of fans knew how to get there. The city owned the field, so we couldn’t decorate or change it in any permanent way.

We really didn’t have anything that had a home field appeal to it.”

Principal Julie Wikelius agreed, “I think it’s great that baseball is finally back on campus. The closeness of the field will definitely benefit the student body.”

February 29, 2008

11

sports

Athletes out of the spotlight These student-athletes are finding ways to shine on their respective teams even without the publicity some of their teammates enjoy

By Shaked Peleg staff writer

Andrew Dinndorf, 12, has been swimming since the second grade. When swim season comes around, he immediately drops everything else in his life, including Jazz Band and Boy Scouts, to focus on the sport.

Yet, he hasn’t broken any records,

photo by Debbie Li

Jesse Cronquist, 12, may not get the same hype as some teammates, but he is still viewed as a key player to the team.

and he’s never appeared in sports news as the star of the team.

Dinndorf contributes to his team in a different, but equally important, way. He leads by example, encourages younger athletes to stick with a sport, and enjoys the friendship and cohesiveness that being on a team provides.

“He has a positive attitude all the time… which creates an entire team positive atmosphere,” said swim coach Stephen Bauer.

“There are a lot more important things than just performing well,” Dinndorf said.

Many people at Mounds View participate in some kind of sport, but few students are recognized for their commitment: after all, a team can have only so many stars. Just sticking with a sport for four years merits recognition.

Jesse Cronquist, 12, is another athlete who has devoted his entire high school career to one sport: basketball. He plays mostly on the junior varsity team, but does get varsity playing time.

Mike Kauls, social studies teacher and assistant basketball coach, commended Cronquist for his “effort on a daily basis, even without getting all the glory.”

Few people stay on the basketball team all through high school. This year, the team only has six seniors.

“Anyone who finishes all the way through is an example,” said Kauls.

The loyalty Cronquist shows to the

team encourages younger players to stick with it, he said.

Cronquist listed “learning how to work together with other people” and “meeting new people I might not have otherwise” as some of the greatest benefits of playing basketball.

These athletes continue putting in this effort because of the benefits they get from being on the team. Other than the obvious benefits of staying in shape and learning about a sport, the teams become very close.

Dinndorf describes the swim team as a family.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on being one of the closest teams,” he said.

It is almost difficult not to form strong bonds with teammates who spend so much time together. The friendships and leadership qualities the athletes gain from being a part of the team are very meaningful to them.

As much as the athletes gain from being on the team, they also contribute their years of experience and leadership.

Bauer said that Dinndorf leads by his example of a strong work ethic and gains respect with his presence. He has gained so much respect, in fact, that last year the team voted him captain.

As seniors, this season marks the end of their high school careers on these sports teams. Dinndorf does not plan on being on a college team, but he does want to continue swimming recreational-

photo by Shaked Peleg

Andrew Dinndorf, 12, brings a positive attitude and leadership to his team.

ly, participating in triathlons.

Cronquist is undecided about his college plans, so he is unsure if he will continue playing, but he hopes to join the basketball team as a walk-on wherever he goes. Whether they continue pursuing their sport or not, these athletes have gained something immeasurable from participating on their high school team. “[Joining the swim team] was the best decision of my life,” Dinndorf said.

Mounds View cheers to the next level

By Anna Blaske staff writer

photo by Debbie Li

Captains Michelle Brunn, 12, and Stacy Grosinger, 12, are ready to lead the cheerleading squad in their first cheerleading competition.

Excitement resonates in cheerleading captain Sarah Imhoff’s voice when she talks about the upcoming competition; a first for Mounds View cheerleaders.

“Spending time with the girls will be a great end to my senior season,” said Imhoff, 12.

The team will be traveling to Wisconsin Dells for a two-day contest March 8-9. Stillwater and White Bear Lake, perennial competitors, will also be participating, but the competition is not only local.

This is the first time MV cheerleaders will participate in a competition.

In the past, Head Coach Jackie Best wanted the team’s main focus to be on cheering, not competing.

“Mr. Madison okayed the competition this year, but we mainly focus on cheering at games,” said Best.

In an effort to prepare, cheerleaders’ practices have become a lot more intense and focused on more difficult things like stunting; tricks where cheerleaders are thrown into the air.

“In practice we work a lot more on stunting, before we would spend most of our time practicing cheers,” said Kerri Haider, 12.

“We have always been more focused on cheering, and it’s really fun now that we actually get to compete,” said Imhoff.

At the actual competition the cheerleaders will perform a mixture of dancing, cheering, and stunting. The cheerleaders have a 40-feet by 40-feet area in which to compete and receive approximately three minutes to complete their routine.

According to the National Cheerleading Rules, the competing teams are judged based on the overall appeal of the routine, perfection of the routine, difficulty, dance ability, spirit, technique, stunts/pyramids, tumbling, jumps, projections, and formations.

“There’s a lot more pressure with competition since we’re all used to cheering in front of Mounds View people,” said Chandler Vandersteen, 9.

Mounds View does not sponsor the competition since cheering is not recognized as a high school sport.

“Although it is not sponsored by Mounds View, we still hope they do well. When they make themselves better, it has a positive effect on all our sports teams,” said Bob Madison, activities director.

The cheerleaders have come up with their own money to pay for their participation, not having the privilege of school-sponsored sports whose fees are paid by the school.

“The money [for the competition] came from funds our coach had and we’re all paying a fee to contribute to the cost of the competition,” said Imhoff.

Currently, the team is still unsure if they will compete next year. This depends on a couple of factors which include how the team performs this year and what the coaching staff decides is best for the team.

Cheering has yet

to receive much recognition at Mounds View as a sport. If the squad does well, they could change the attitudes of students towards cheering and receive more recognition for what they do.

“I think students will think about the cheerleaders differently,” said Kristin Thompson, 11. “I also think it’s good for them to compete because maybe they’ll gain more respect.”

“It’s a lot of work, but I’m super excited for [the competition], even if it means more working out,” said Vandersteen.

The cheerleaders have responded well to the changes. Competing requires a stronger team connection because teammates rely on each other for their success, and it consequently brings a team together.

“We have already bonded a lot over the competition, and a reason we did the competition was to bring us closer,” said Imhoff.

12gallery

February 29, 2008

musical minds

the composition of

Jack Humphrey

Spencer Mann

Merit Stewart

By Cassie Ahiers

By Sam Toninato

By Divya Gupta

Everyone can admit to belting out the lyrics to their favorite pop songs in the shower at least once in their life. But how many of those people can say that they’ve crooned to their own music?

Jack Humphrey, 12, has been composing music since 8th grade and has always found it more rewarding to sing to his own tunes.

“It always seemed more gratifying to me to play my own stuff, rather than play somebody else’s,” said Humphrey.

Humphrey, who writes music both for himself and for his band, Deus Ex Machina, uses a computer program called Guitar Pro to compose the different parts of his pieces.

“It works well for Deus, because I can write the music out in either tabs or sheet music and the program can easily switch between the two for different instruments,” he said.

He started writing music with some of his band members, but over time he began to personally take more interest in its theory and composition. Although Deus is a progressive death metal band, Humphrey’s own music has a much different sound.

“It really depends on my mood, but my music features a slower feel with acoustic guitar and piano,” said Humphrey.

Humphrey often uses poetry that he has written and formats it into lyrics in order to get a more personal gain from his music.

“The best thing about writing music is it’s a way to express myself, and to change negative emotions into a positive product,” said Humphrey.

The next time you begin to belt out the words to Bohemian Rhapsody in the shower, you can take a hint from Jack and sing to the beat of your own drum. You might just gain more from it than you expect.

“My music provides a way to better understand myself, and allows me to see clearer how everyday events affect my emotions,” said Humphrey.

Spencer Mann, 11, quietly concentrates on the music stand in front of him. Without a word, Mann slowly scratches a few notes onto a sheet of paper, picks up his worn viola bow, and begins playing a lush, mysterious melody. But this is no ordinary song. This is a viola concerto that Mann is in the middle of composing.

While some may be intimidated by the composition of classical music, Mann has discovered an uncanny talent for composing music, starting last winter. Several months later, he finished his first string trio. Since then, Mann has created an immense amount of music; including several sonatas, a string quartet, a French horn and bassoon duet, and an entire movement of a symphony.

“Last year, I just started writing music,” he said. “I was just listening to a lot of classical music, and I decided to try and write some of my own.”

Mann got together with several other students and performed his string trio at a piano recital.

Ross Hoppe, 11, was one of the students who performed Mann’s piece. According to Hoppe, he was blown away by its depth.

“It was very complex, with a lot of minor keys. It was sort of dark and mysterious, but also melodious and nice to listen to,” said Hoppe.

According to Mann, his main influence is Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich.

“Shostakovich is great. I find his works to be emotionally intense. It is really harmonically interesting, and there is so much going on in the music,” said Mann.

Spencer was a casual fan of classical music his entire life, but when he began to play the viola in fifth grade, he began to really take an interest in this type of music. His love of classical music has only grown since then.

Spencer said that he plans on pursuing a future in music. He would like to take composition courses in college, and continue to play the viola throughout his life.

“I have ideas that I want to share with people,” he said. “I love music, and will keep playing and writing for as long as I can.”

It’s Friday night and Merit Stewart, 11, is not planning on sleeping. He’s not going to be partying or interacting with his friends at all.

Stewart will spend the next ten or so hours alone, his headphones carefully wrapped around his ears.

He will listen to every style of music he can get his hands on. Come morning, he’ll head to his kitchen to make a much-needed pot of coffee. As the machine whirrs, the mish-mash of music from the night before will begin to organize itself into Stewart’s new preoccupation: techno.

“Usually, I’ll go down to my computer, and I’ll take the music – Latin, funk, blues, all kinds of things – and put it all together,” he said. “I’ll write without editing myself, and then after 16 bars or so I’ll go back and pick out the good parts.”

Stewart has been composing music this way since middle school. He began with folk and rock, influenced by musicians such as the Rolling Stones and Jessie Cook. Later he moved on to techno duo Daft Punk and George Clinton, a member of the famous funk group Parliament.

“Out of everything blues music in general has inspired me the most,” he said.

Although he is not part of any groups currently, he plans on starting a band with Ron Towne, 11, this summer. Towne, who has played informally with Stewart since middle school, has recently begun dabbling in composing himself.

“I’m kind of am amateur compared to Merit. His music just makes me want to dance,” he said. “You can’t not bop your head to it.”

Stewart intends to release a CD of his techno music in late February.

However, when asked about a future beyond that, he said, “I don’t really have any plans, but I would love to keep doing this, it would be awesome.”

staff writer

staff writer

staff writer

Jack Humphrey photo by Nate Grann Spencer Mann photo by David Derong Merit Stewart photo by Sean Delahunt