iewer V
9/11 and the entertainment industry Editorials p. 2 All-girl gym class Features p. 5
THE MOUNDS VIEW HIGH SCHOOL
Friday, September 29, 2006
Volume 53
“Ordinary Culture” at the Walker Reviews p. 9
Special thanks to Millie Walsh for the new Mustang graphic
Issue 1
<mvviewer@yahoo.com>
Students to be screened for alcohol before dances staff writer
Drinking has always been prohibited at Mounds View events, but school officials have become concerned recently by the ever-increasing number of reports from students and staff of alcohol consumption at school dances. Thus, it was decided that an alcohol test would be given to each student before each dance. “It’s not only the violation that’s occurring but the comments from concerned chaperones that caused us to take action,” said Principal Julie Wikelius. Though rumors of random testing have circulated, Wikelius explained why the procedure would be applied to every student. “If you think of doing some-
thing like this randomly, the question is always asked, ‘Are we really doing it randomly, or are we being biased?’” she said. That is why every student will take the test upon entering the dance. The testing device, called the AlcoBlow, works similarly to a breathalyzer: the student blows into the machine, which detects any alcohol in their system. The device has three lights: one red, one yellow, and one green. If the light turns green, the student is alcohol free and allowed into the event. If it is yellow or red, the student may be asked to go see the deputy for an actual breathalyzer, and if alcohol is detected, then the regular procedure for a drinking violation is carried out. "I think it's good for students because it's starting to crack down on teen drinking. It's better
photo by Nick Cairl
By Ashley Aram
MSHSL decision splits Viewettes season
By Abby House staff writer
This year, the Viewettes Dance Team tradition of performing at football and basketball games almost came to an end when the Minnesota State High School League voted to eliminate the fall performance season. “No school may engage in any meet or meets, practice, training or other activities between the end of the season and the opening of the next season,” as stated in the 2006-2007 MSHSL Athletic Rules and Policies Manual. The stated reason for this rule was to level the perceived inequity of the schools. Under this new rule, the fall performances the Viewettes had done in the past were considered “extra practice” and could not continue unless the fall season became a school-sponsored club, rather than a state-sponsored
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sport. “Schools could choose if they wanted to have a fall team not associated with the Minnesota State High School League. Due to interest from the girls, Mounds View elected to form a club so the Viewettes could perform at games,” said Melissa Nicholas, coach of the Viewettes Competition Season Team. The girls tried out for the performance team last April, and practiced throughout the summer. Katie Larson, 10, said, “Tryouts were the same as last year. Later, we will have tryouts again to see who is on junior varsity and varsity for the competitive season.” Practices are still every day after school, but the Performance Club and Competition Team are led by different coaches, as is required by the rules. For more on the Viewettes and other sports, see pages 10-11.
School Board report September 11, 2006 meeting
• For the last five years, Minnesota has ranked first in the U. S. for ACT performance, and the Mounds View district has performed above the Minnesota average during this time, reported Rick Spicuzza, Coordinator of Assessment/Evaluation. • Because the district receives state funding on a per-pupil basis, declining enrollment within the district has been accompanied by decreased general revenues, as explained by Scott Croonquist, Executive Director of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts. The revenue lost, he said, cannot be offset simply by cutting staff. • Enrollment at Mounds View High School exceeded projections by about 100 students, according to Dan Hoverman, Deputy Superintendent. This helped offset the revenue lost to declining enrollment, and MVHS used the funds to hire more teachers and decrease class sizes. MVHS enrollment is still declining overall, however. As a new feature this year, each issue of the Viewer will report on policies and matters addressed at School Board meetings. See the School Board report for the latest district developments.
Under the new policy, all students will be screened before each school dance by the AlcoBlow device.
to be known as a school that tries to prevent teen drinking,” said Gerald Legarde, 11. “Also, it's working to keep athletes eligible for their sports.” Other students involved in
sports agree. "Being an athlete, I think that there shouldn't be any of that stuff going on at the dances, and that if you choose to do that, you shouldn't go," said Rustin Thompson, 12. The staff at Mounds View who will be running the alcohol testing at the dances feel the same. "I think that it's sad that we have to do this, but until the students who don't drink can stand up to those that do and tell them to stop wrecking their school events, certain measures have to be taken," said English teacher Liv Rosin. While many are thinking positively or even indifferently about the new alcohol testing, some students are appalled that yet another form of administrative restriction has been made. "Our school isn't like
Minneapolis or Spring Lake Park or anything,” said Sohail Punjani, 12. “We are a fairly good school, and the administration is being too uptight and won't allow us to do anything anymore. We've stopped all former traditions like streaking, senior pranks, and now we have closed lunches. We can't do anything without being afraid of some outrageous punishment.” These new devices will be officially introduced at Homecoming. While no decisions have been made about the regularity of these tests, the staff is discreet about its use at future events. “If it would prove to be effective, we could look at it two ways; we could decide to stop giving them because of the improvement, or we would continue to give them because they work so well,” said Wikelius.
Teachers contented, students concerned by closed lunch By Alice Liu staff writer
Due to problems posed by open lunch, the Operations Committee decided at the end of last school year to implement a six-week closed lunch policy. “It’s not just the garbage that’s the problem; some students make a lot of noise in front of teachers’ classrooms,” said Mike Coty, Student Council Advisor. “It’s actually really simple: if they just move away from teachers’ classrooms, then this wouldn’t be a problem.” The Operations Committee, which includes one representative from each department, initially settled on making closed lunches permanent this entire school year. But at the end of last year, a group of concerned students called the Lunch Room Task Force worked for about a month and a half to come up with an alternative. “We had to work hard to come up with a proposal the Operations Committee would approve of,” said Nicole Swanson, 12, a member of the Lunch Room Task Force. Instead of closed lunches for the whole year, an experiment is underway. The students will have closed lunches for six weeks, during which students are prohibited from being anywhere but classrooms and the cafeteria. This policy has caused problems for students needing to do work outside of class. “It’s inconvenient,” said Lisa Barnes, 12, “because you might need to go do something before lunch, like talk to a teacher.” Also affected by closed lunch is the students’ use of the library. “Usually we have about 50 students a day during the lunches,” said Becky Stouten, Library Media Specialist. “Now we have none. We’re checking out fewer books as well.” This has caused an inconvenience for those who previously used lunchtime to do research. “Students can’t always come before and after school due to
photo by Lauren Thornton
Staff members Matt Goldsmith, Tammy Berkich, and John Duffy enforce closed lunches during the six-week trial period. activities,” said Stouten. “I know lunches. students need the resources, and “Right now we don’t know lunchtime was a good time to enough because lunches are come here.” closed so there’s nothing to see. After the six-week period, The real test is when lunches are students will be allowed to have open again,” said Coty. “I think open lunches for another six- the majority of students are very week period. During this time, good about the use of their time; the Task Force will be pushing it’s the minority of students who students to clean up garbage and are causing the problem. It comes make less noise in hallways. down to whether or not the “We’ve started campaigns majority can control the minoriwith signs and announcements to ty." inform students why the lunches Many are tentative as to are closed and to promote stu- which way the results will turn dents to change the outcome,” out. said Reyna Sawtell, 11, a mem“So far, having closed lunchber of the Lunch Room Task es has worked,” said Sawtell. “I Force. want to be optimistic and say that Said Swanson, “Hopefully lunches will be open forever, but the results of it are that A) stu- if students don’t become respondents are more courteous in the sible, lunches will end up being halls, B) students are willing to closed.” stand up when they see it hapMatt Hudson, 12, said, “I pening in the future, C) we can think it’ll go right back because show the Operations Committee we’re just reverting to human that we are conscientious indi- nature.” viduals, not just some bum-headUntil school lunches are open ed, narcissist teens.” again, students are encouraged to How well the experiment be on their best behavior in order goes will be judged based on to revoke closed lunches for the feedback from teachers. rest of the school year. “It’s quiet now with closed “Even right now, you have to lunches, so you don’t have to talk get into the habit of not bringing to students in the hallways who food into the hallways, keeping are making noise, and the hall- each other accountable and not ways are much cleaner now,” being loud. Upperclassmen said math teacher Dan Butler. should also realize that they According to Coty, their feed- should help keep the underclassback will decide whether the men controlled,” said Sawtell. school will return to closed
2editorials
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
Locked lunch forgets librarian By Andrew Larkin staff writer
Worst things to hear at the pepfest Cheerleaders let the chess club plan it this year The Viewettes have opted for full Amish garb
What’s that smell?
Get ready for the musical stylings of... some kid with an acoustic guitar!
If you’re in the first three rows, you will get wet.
I’ll do it, I swear to God I will!
We’ve located the source of the smell.
Freshmen, freshmen, freshmen rock! Look out, somebody freed Willy!
Someone gave Mr. Wright a cowbell again
2006-2007 Viewer Editors Editor-in-Chief
Emilie Wei Managing Editor Eddy Kwon News Michael Bonin Editorials Graham Clark Commentary Ryan McGrath Features Anna Brockway Ben Messerly Spread Laura Linder-Scholer Lauren Thornton Variety Christina Florey Reviews Megan Wang Sports Lauren Bennett Alex Bonemeyer Gallery Liz Roemer Business Manager Kaitlin Ostlie Photographers/Artists Nick Cairl Emma Turnquist Advisor Martha Rush Assistant Advisor David Weinberg Staff - Ashley Aram, Alice Liu,
Kathleen Gormley, Josh Bornstein, Stu Batten, Zach Bell, Audrey Benkemoun, Patrick Burt, Nikhil Gupta, Erin Hagen, Joe Hennen, Alicia Hilgers, Abby House, Sarah Hupperts, Alex Johnson, Victoria Kelberer, Andrew Larkin, Belle Lin, Sam Louwagie, Andrew Madsen, Cara Morphew, Amelia Narigon, Lauren Peake, Mark Petersen, TT Phan, Julia Renner, Chris Rykken, Anton Safonov, Jordan Salo, Jackie Schwerm, Katelyn Schwieters, Max Arndt, +++
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: Crow Wing Press
When the first news to welcome Mounds View students back to school was the new closed lunch policy, they were rather upset. "I don't want to have to sit in the lunchroom my entire senior year," said Callie Hubbard, 12. But very few looked past the effect it had on themselves. This is to say, the devastation the closed lunches are causing extends further than the lunchroom. No one, it seems, has thought of the effect of this new policy on the lonely hall monitors or librarians now deprived of social interaction. "I didn't know they had a social life," said Hubbard, voicing the school body's apathy towards this silent crisis. Becky Stouten, the Library Media Specialist, noted how last year, "a lot of people were looking for a quiet place to go during lunch… this was a haven for them." It appears their haven has been lost. Now many of the students who used to occupy this vast cavern of knowledge are imprisoned behind the walls of the lunchroom. What, in better years, was a place of learning, has now become a place of desolation or of last resort. If someone were to enter the library during any given C Lunch they would probably see only one or two students, forced out of the halls they used to roam, like buffalo shot down on the open prairie. Amy Mammen, one of the librarians now starved for social attention in the barren library, tried to take a positive look at the situation. "I get a lot more done," she said when asked about life with-
An empty library begets an empty heart. out students. Yet despite the cover a librarian eager to help steady stream of a keyboard her, believing that a class was clacking coming out from her on its way. When Dyer office at the side of the large explained that she had just gone room we all know and love, to the library by herself, the open rows of computers for stu- librarian was devastated, and dent use lay idle, and as ghastly described being lonely when silent as the library has become classes didn't come. since this new policy. "I didn't know what to say," "I know that there's people said Dyer, "…so I left." that need resources and its hard Students simply do not for them to get here," Stouten come any more. Instead, all we described. can find during the lunches of "I get nervous when its not Mounds View are deserted busy." Stouten's anxiety is halls, and equally deserted understandable; the library's libraries. eerie silence has gone, replaced Little has been done at this by an eerier silence and even point. You can see in the librarifewer students than before. ans' eyes the brutality of their Crystal Dyer, 12, visited the isolation. They cannot complain deserted library recently, to disthat students want to eat, but as
photo by Nick Cairl we feast on greasy pizza and "healthy" cookies, they are being silently starved for attention. "My day goes faster when its busy up here," said Stouten. The tick of the clock, the only thing breaking the library's silence, feels slower than a corpse's pulse. The feigned ignorance of students and staff is only intensifying the situation. Take this article to heart, students of Mounds View. Remember, librarians need friends just as much as the rest of us. We must never overlook the social needs of one of Mounds View's most undeniably noble groups. We must look out for the librarians.
9-11 documentation trades truth for cash
By Zach Bell staff writer
When discussing a historic event, factual information has always been an absolute necessity. However, the events of September 11 seem to have transgressed into works of fiction. With the recent works of United 93 and World Trade Center, we have created a realm of entertainment around a serious historical disaster. Major events in our history have always been fair game for commercial production. In 1970, the Pearl Harbor story was performed in Tora! Tora! Tora! to critical acclaim. In the spirit of good taste, Tora! Tora! Tora! was released 29 years after our nation was attacked— whereas United 93, World Trade Center, and The Path to 9/11 are all being put out only five years later. Adding insult to injury, these new dramatizations rely on questionable evidence. When films based on historical events portray factual inaccuracies, the damage to public perception can be permanent. According to Bill Clinton, “[The writers of The Path to 9/11] shouldn’t have scenes which are directly contradicted by the factual findings of the 9/11 commission.”
Factual necessities are often omitted when an event as influential and complex as 9/11 is compressed into a two-hour movie. If this was just another story in a history book, technical inaccuracies would be of no consequence—but September 11 has been a delicate and relevant topic for five years running. Unfortunately for all Americans, our overwhelming emotions are being manipulated for financial gain. We are now able to spend our cash on multiple 9/11 films, posters, bumper stickers, t-shirts, coffee mugs, stationery, and even snow globes. Perhaps most disturbing, we’ve seen this great tragedy used to push political agenda. President Bush seems to have a tendency of mentioning 9/11 when talking about Iraq, though in September of 2003 the White House released a statement saying “there is no evidence that the deposed Iraqi leader had a hand in those attacks.” Needless to say, this has led to public confusion over who was behind the attacks. In a poll taken in 2006, 43 percent believed that Saddam Hussein was personally involved with the 9/11 attacks — a vast difference from the 3 percent that
even mentioned Iraq immediately after the attacks in 2001. September 11 was a day that changed all of America and had a profound effect on the world we live in today. It’s a travesty that society has been too quick to capitalize on—ironic because
art by Graham Clark
of the fact that there will not be a proper, permanent memorial until late 2009. We can only hope that we can rise above the money and politics, and remember this tragedy as proud, strong citizens.
commentary3 Dance fever infects MV SEPTEMBER 29TH, 2006
By Nikhil Gupta staff writer
In the past weeks, our school has been consumed by the upcoming Homecoming dance and game, getting worked up into a frenzy of anticipation. Girls have spent hours shopping for the perfect dress; guys have fretted about whether a certain special someone will say yes or no. But everyone will spend inordinate amounts of time planning this single evening to the exclusion of all else. The special night will come and go, making no more of a lasting impression on our lives than any other day (largely because most of the student body will have little recollection of the night’s festivities). When the weekend is over, each couple will have spent anywhere between two and four hundred dollars on one night, and will come away convinced that they enjoyed themselves because of this. I am as firm a proponent of having a good time as anyone else, but I can’t help but ask myself if this is ethical. The United Nations estimates that half of the world’s population, or 3 billion people lives below the poverty line (set at $2 a day, less than the price of the average Caribou drink). This poverty kills 30,000 children every day, amounting to 11 million children under the age of 5 each year.
Americans spent around $8 billion on cosmetic products last year for no other purpose than superficial beauty, making our society even shallower. This was more money than what was needed to provide basic education for all children in the world. In light of these statistics, can I justify spending $30 on Homecoming tickets, $30 on a new shirt, and $50 on dinner? Can my date justify spending money on a new dress? I tell myself I care about the world’s poor. If I truly did, would I spend hundreds of dollars on an evening I won’t even remember in ten years? Four hundred dollars is enough money to support a child in Africa or Asia for an entire year, providing them with a basic education and adequate nutrition. This one small sacrifice will improve a child’s life immeasurably. As we look back upon our high school memories, we will not even remember whether or not we went to Homecoming in 2006. But that child, whose life was forever changed, will never forget that someone helped her out of the miseries of poverty. To her, this one decision that we made meant the entire world. Too often, people in our school are either unaware of current affairs or dismiss them as all negative. They make the argument that there is nothing
we can do to change things; the world will always have problems. Anyways, it takes broad policy changes to impact the world. They are wrong. Broad policy shifts can help to change the world, but ultimately change is internal, in the attitudes of people. Thousands of people doing little things can move the world. I know this is true because if it weren’t, we would still be in the Stone Age. All change that this world has seen has been because dedicated men and women have worked actively with whatever time they had to improve people’s lives. Though they may have acted for the wrong reasons, like missionaries who sought to impose religion upon others, the fact of the matter remains that they accomplished things. Two men, Edward Morel and Roger Casement, a shipping clerk and British consul, brought down one of the most brutal colonial regimes in history (the Congo Free State) in a period of ten years using nothing more than the power of words. Their actions created the human rights movement, and would eventually convince Europeans that all people have the right to selfrule. It is the little people in the world that bring about true change.
Thoughts of the upcoming dance boil in Gupta’s brain This is why I am not going to go to Homecoming this year. Instead, the money I would have spent on the dance I will send to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations at the United Nations, a chronically underfunded and betrayed group of individuals with one of the hardest mandates of all time. This will amount to roughly $125, not enough to pay for the plane ticket of one of the soldiers going to a conflict zone. There are those among you that would argue this is futile,
No way out, yet:
photo by Nick Cairl
and will not accomplish anything; that since I am the only one doing it nothing is achieved. That is not the point. I will have done a small thing, a very easy thing to do, and in my own way, helped someone somewhere. There are innumerable other opportunities for amusement during the school year not requiring that an entire school engage in a colossal waste of resources. I will enjoy myself at these. What I will not do is live a lie. I hope you will not either.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Closed lunches spell close quarters By Josh Bornstein staff writer
What’s a simple definition for “lunchroom”? It’s not a cage in which one entraps small, helpless animals, nor is it an area that confines criminals and psychopaths. It is merely a place to eat lunch. Lately, however, Mounds View seems to have forgotten its meaning. With closed lunches upon us
for the first six weeks of the school year, it is apparent that the delicate social balance at Mounds View has been shattered. Many students may be (not-so) silently questioning what exactly they did to deserve this. For those who have decided to skip past the front page of this issue, a teacher-student debate this last spring discussed the possibility of a closed lunchroom, meaning no more roaming out of the lunchroom during the lunch period. The debate ended with a compromise: six weeks of a closed lunchroom followed by six weeks of an open one. The administration will then decide which option they’ll keep for the remainder of the year, and possibly for eternity. Frankly, if the school wants to
keep the sanity and morale of its students at healthy levels, I would rather they kept the lunches open. As I have sat at the lunch table each day, not one meal has gone by where someone hasn’t grumbled about the lunches being closed. One disgruntled student is David Allen, 11. “When I need to get extra work done,” Allen says, “they won’t even let us in the library.” At the end of most lunches, many students are already standing up and waiting to exit the lunchroom. You can almost hear a collective sigh of relief when the paraprofessionals finally step aside to let the tides of teenagers back into the halls of the school. “We’re like cattle in here,” said Sam Helgeson, 11. At the end of lunch, “they herd us out. ‘Time to go to the pasture!’” I wonder if this lunchroom closure will interfere with the school’s goal of improving our diets. Students have complained that because of closed lunches, they find themselves bored and antsy, and they often go back up to the lunch lines for another helping of food, on impulse. “We’re all going to be obese,” grumbles Amanda Oliverius, 12. Student conspiracy theorists may claim this indirectly enforced behavior is a way of fattening us up for some sinister plot (remember the Simpsons Halloween special where the faculty butchered students for lunch meat?), but it’s probably not the case.
Another annoyance brought on by the closed lunches is that one realizes just how crowded things can be. Something that was nice about last year was that one could gauge how much time was left for lunch by how many people had left the lunchroom, and one was able to go sit by friends at previously crowded tables. Now the lunchroom is constantly filled, and such opportunities no longer exist. In a way, I envy the freshmen. They’ve been going to middle school where lunch is always closed, so they have no idea what the feeling of freedom is like. I remember back when I was a wee freshman, the idea of being able to leave the lunchroom and not having to go to class right away was novel. Some students like David Jackson, 11, wonder, “why are they bringing us back to the days of Chippewa?” Now that we are older and in ou final year of high school, this lunchroom closure comes as a shock. The student body as a whole looks toward the end of these first 12 weeks with anxiety and anticipation. One possible future would have students roaming the halls without worrying about the privilege being taken away again, imaginary trumpets sounding victory in their minds. But the other possibility could lead to a staff meeting later in the year where a question like this is posed: “What do we want to put up next, barred windows or a barbed-wire fence?”
Dear Students, Mounds View is your school, and The Viewer wants your opinions about it! I hear people express their opinions about school every day. It is our goal at The Viewer to harness these golden nuggets of wisdom, insight, or just plain old feduppedness and put them into print. Is there something you love or hate about The Viewer? Want to shift the winds of school policy? Just have something you need to say? Write in and your own words will appear magically on this very page (next issue of course)! Please take the time to make your letter thoughtful and appropriate. Keep in mind there is a fine line between constructive criticism and complaining.
Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less. Bring letters to room 223 (see Ryan). OR e-mail your letters to mvviewer@yahoo.com
Thank you, Ryan McGrath commentary editor
4features
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
Colleges crack down: Slip ‘n sliders face consequences of senior year mishaps By Anton Safonov staff writer
With the start of the Mounds View school year come the usual suspects: freshmen ready to dive into the high school experience, sophomores eager to have freshmen to boss around, juniors making a last-ditch effort to save their GPAs…and the seniors. “Most kids, come senior year, believe that they have put in enough work already, and view their senior year as a party year,” said Scott Wiens, dean at MV. The stereotypical high school senior believes that he/she has earned the right to indulge in the act of “senior slide” — the common practice of “slacking off” second semester of the final year in high school. “I’ve sat through countless hours of necessary classes to graduate as an underclassman and didn’t really get to have any electives...I guess it’s time to do what I want,” said Brendan Leahy, 12. However, colleges are starting to catch on to this behavior. Admission offices are stepping up their expectations of college bound students, and punishing slackers more frequently. “Some colleges are putting students on academic probation, or sending out warning letters telling students to report to their advisor,” said Wiens. “In some
extreme cases, colleges may send back their letters of acceptance and revoke the student’s admission.” These types of punishments are hitting closer to home. At least three MV graduating seniors last year received some form of letter or punishment regarding their second semester performance. Sally Voyles, ‘06 MV alumni, describes her senior year experience as, “a bit of a blur… I didn’t really go to class, or take tests, or do anything. I didn’t take two of my finals, or three, I don’t remember.” Because of this, Voyles received a letter from the University of Colorado saying that she didn’t meet academic standards and her admission was revoked. “I felt like I had no future, no plans, no security,” said Voyles. Fortunately for her, the problem was resolved by writing a letter back to the university. She got accepted back in; however, this time without the aid of the $15,000 scholarship she had originally earned. Cases such as Voyles’ are becoming more common. According to Wiens, “Colleges are getting strict, and this is not a new practice, but it is getting more prevalent because of the competitiveness of the admission process nowadays.” For example, the U of M is
cracking down on senior sliders. “How a student does in high The U is planning to implement school is representative of how a a policy that will allow students student will do in college, and to get their acceptance even after a student gets acceptrevoked. ed into college, he/she Another common needs to keep after method that is now the commitments they used is “bumping” set,” said Wiens. students down in the Rachelle scheme of colleges. Hernandez, associate A student already admissions director at accepted into an honors the U of M, agrees, program could easily be “The admission decire-enrolled in the less sion between the stuchallenging liberal arts dent and a college is school. like a contract: it binds Many students and the student...on the understaff at MV support this standing that they will increase in strictness. complete their senior year “[What colleges are in a satisfactory manner.” doing] is a good thing; “The senior year is just how you perform duras, if not more important, ing your senior year than all the previous years. shows your commitIt is not the time to start ment,” said Nicole slacking off,” said Swanson, 12. Hernandez. “I’m okay with However, colleges are colleges being able not implementing these to kick students policies for the sake of out, as long as they being difficult. let them know in “I just want to advance. If you note that we as a choose to slack university are conoff senior year, cerned about each that’s your individual student’s choice, and success, our goal is photo by Nick Cairl to enroll students to you should be prepared to Maggie Heath, 12, slides into her retain and aid them face the conse- senior year. towards their gradquences,” said uation process,” Victor said Hernandez. Saunders, 12. The students’ opinion is echoed by staff members.
Senior spirit invades community
By Alicia Hilgers staff writer
Each season seems to have its own display of school spirit. Fall is represented by football jerseys and bodies painted green at games. In the winter you can’t miss the skiers proudly wearing their green and black spandex. But spring has a different twist. On the scenic route to Mounds View, plastered on near-
ly every road sign is the graduating year of the soon-to-be seniors, effectively “marking their territory.” Last year’s juniors took that tradition to heart. In May, groups of juniors set out on a mission to spray paint multiple street signs with “07,” asserting their seniority. “I have a lot of class pride, I just think it’s important to know that we’re better than everyone
else,” said one student who claimed to be involved. Many students support the spray painting and view the signs as harmless. But to the administration and community, it is becoming a big problem. A meeting occurs every year to discuss if the school should have to pay for the damage, “I don’t believe that the school should because the district shouldn’t have to expend their funds. The individuals should have to pay,” said Principal Julie Wikelius. The total damages haven’t yet been calculated for this year, but in past years they have come to $1,000 or more. The graffiti sparks a sharp difference of opinion in the school community. “It’s not bothering anyone, some traditions are okay to keep,” said Sarah Sederberg, 12. However, staff members and even some students are not supportive of the spray painting. “You have to do something more original,” said Amanda Gozel, 11. “We know that they’re the seniors and they don’t have to vandalize to prove their dominance,” said Jon Rux, 11. ”I understand their enthusiasm and I’m glad that they’re proud of their class, but it is defacing public property and it costs the community money to fix and it’s a distraction...I hope that they find better ways to display their class pride,” said Victoria Sadek, English teacher. The signs also send a message to the community about the school. While some may be proud of that image, others don’t
photo by Nick Cairl
Along with roadsigns, this Port-aPotty in Valentine Park was painted. like it. Amy Glasow, 12, said, “I think it’s ridiculous. I don’t want my class to be known for that, I think it would be cool if they did a more appropriate [prank].” Many students did not want to comment about the people who did the spray painting. “[At the senior meeting] they told us that we need to be more respectful, people who are doing it are tarnishing [the] class image, and if you know anyone who’s doing it, tell them to stop,” said Lisa Barnes, 12. However, a few students who claimed to have participated were willing to give information about why they chose to spray paint road signs. “I was drunk, and I feel like it’s been a tradition,” said one student. Another said they did it “to make sure everyone knows my graduating class is more important than the law.”
High School 101: Staff plans ‘customized’ retreat for this year’s freshman class By Pat Burt staff writer
On Oct. 13, all ninth grade students will be attending the annual freshmen retreat. As in previous years, the goals of the event are to help individual students learn respect, find where they belong inside Mounds View, create class unity, and introduce the school’s mission. “We want to facilitate the transition from middle school to high school, so that the freshmen can decide what is important to them as a class, and what they will be doing individually for the next four years,” said Paul Anderson, student dean. In past years, students participated in ice-breaking games and discussed topics in small groups. However, this year there will be changes to how things will be done. “The freshmen retreat has really been an evolution over the years, but the one this year will be significantly different,” said Anderson. Mark Tateosian, assistant principal, said, “[in the past,] we had people from Youth Frontiers leading the retreat’s activities, who did a good job, but this time we wanted to make a more customized experience for the students. Now, our own staff along with student mentors will be leading the activities.” Another benefit of this plan is, “the additional costs for hiring substitutes for the teachers won’t come close to what it cost to hire Youth Frontiers,” said Michael Coty, student council administrator. It was decided by the administration to give student mentors a bigger role, because it was thought they could relate better to freshmen. However, at this time, the student mentors seem unsure as to what they will be doing. “I’m not sure what we’re going to be talking about,” said Zach Bell, 12, student mentor. “There are so many student mentors that it’s hard to plan something, and then have everyone filled in.” The outlook of the staff involved is slightly more keen. “At a meeting, the idea was just thrown out there [to volunteer], and I remembered a few years ago, doing one of the retreats, and thinking that the other guys were so corny,” said Ted Bennett, English teacher, “I thought that we could do so much more than just put on a show, like incorporate the mission statement, and that’s why I volunteered.” However, only the freshmen’s reactions afterwards will tell the outcome of this year’s retreat.
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
features5
100 new
Not just yourspace
By Erin Hagen
staff writer
By Joe Hennen
What to do?
staff writer
This year Mounds View students opened their schedules with eager faces to see what classes they would be enjoying and what classes they would be dreading. Some expressions, however, quickly became puzzled when they realized their schedules were filled with errors. Along with the scheduling mistakes were some overcrowded classrooms, and it became clear that both students and teachers would be affected. The source of these scheduling problems occured during the Aug. 22 School Board meeting. Cabinet members presented status reports that included an update on 2006-07 enrollment estimates, and it became clear that MV had 100 more students than expected. The School Board authorized funding to hire 10.9 additional classroom teachers. Mounds View further alleviated the problem by paying several staff member to teach during their prep hour, helping lower class sizes. Most of the teachers added were assigned to the freshman class. Not only did the freshmen not receive their schedules until the first day of school, they also had changes that were made continuing into the school year. “A few kids moved out of my Algebra 1 class because a new math teacher was added,” said Amber Tellefson, 9. More teachers were also added to the English department.
“Another teacher was added, but it only reduced the size of my first hour class,” said English teacher Shawn Burback. “My fourth and fifth hour classes are so large that I don’t have enough desks. Some students have to sit at my desk.” The number of students that enrolled was higher than the budget’s original assumptions and more teachers were hired to match the new numbers “Mounds View High School was estimated to have 1,859 students over the spring and summer, however currently there are about 1,960 enrolled,” said Principal Julie Wikelius. Teachers and students alike were eager to voice the repercussions they were seeing. Dr. Kay Schaffer saw especially sizable numbers in her AP Psychology class. “The College Board would prefer only 20 students per class, but my largest class is 36,” said Dr. Kay Schaffer. “Students who have trouble don’t get enough
photographic by Ben Messerly
attention in a class this size.” Although there were some negative consequences, like the schedule errors, some see the positives of more students enrolling outweighing the negatives. “It does create some mixed feelings as well since we had a limited time to change schedules,” said Julie Wikelius. “But it speaks very highly of Mounds View and is a compliment to our schools.”
We can do it! Gym class structured specifically for girls
By Amelia Narigon staff writer
In previous years, elective physical education classes such as Weight Training and Competitive Sports had on average only two girls per class. This year, the physical education department tried to address this problem by offering a new class for girls, Advanced Fitness. “I had a lot of highly athletic female students ask about having a female oriented advanced gym class because they just didn’t want to take classes that were basically all boys,” said Ross Fleming, physical education teacher and boys cross country and track coach. In an all girl gym class many find it easier to enjoy the sports they’re learning. “It’s a lot easier to relax and just get to know each other without photo by Nick Cairl boys around,” said Kelsey The new all-girl class generates a unique atmosphere in the gym. Kilander, 11. In order to take Advanced girls don’t have to, as LaFleur, 12, said, “get Fitness you must have already taken the stuck doing an activity you don’t like for a prerequisite, Fitness for Life. And though whole week.” boys are allowed to take the class, its aim is Alli Hammerly, 12, said, “Had I know to pique senior and junior girls’ interests in about this class, I would have definitely staying healthy for a lifetime. signed up for it.” “I wanted this class to be interesting, Advanced Fitness has even encouraged have variety so that there’s no chance for female staff members to participate. In an the girls to get bored,” said Fleming I also upcoming razzle-dazzle football game, each wanted it to be relevant so that the girls can team is required to have one female staff apply it to life after high school. It’s a novel member. experience; there is no other class like this Tess Koepcke, Girls Cross Country at Mounds View.” coach, dean, and razzle-dazzle football playOne student of Advanced Fitness, Alexis er said, “This class is a good idea because it LaFleur, 12, said, “It’s different everyday; aims at getting people interested in being fit we get to do Pilates, yoga, exercises that throughout the rest of their life; through you’re actually going to use in life.” activities they enjoy.” With various activities everyday like dance, yoga, and razzle-dazzle football, the
Kids view the blog world as a haven, a place they can go to gripe about parents, homework, friends and life in general. But with no consequences, what’s to stop teenagers from posting inappropriate photos or comments involving drugs or alcohol on their Myspace account? Well... one of the very thing teens complain about: school. According to the Chicago Tribune, Community High School District 128 of Chicago recently decided to discipline students participating in extracurricular activities for any and all “illegal and inappropriate” behavior seen on a blog/social networking site. District 128’s view of illegal or inappropriate behavior includes, but is not limited to, theft, fighting, vandalism, lying to school officials, falsifying signatures on permission forms, or bullying. If a student posts pictures or comments involving any of these things on their Myspace, Friendster, Xanga, or other accounts, they will face the consequences just as if the act had occurred directly on school grounds. Mounds View’s stance on this issue is less intense. “Mounds View High School personnel don’t intend to monitor myspace.com pages,” said Principal Julie Wikelius. “However, things have come to our attention from other individu-
als as a result of things that have been posted. Once that happens, we are obligated to investigate.” Particularly concerned are MV’s sports coaches. At the Boys Soccer drug awareness meeting, Head Coach Gavin Pugh cautioned players to watch what they put on their social networking sites. “Coaches are concerned that their teams and team members represent Mounds View High School well,” said Wikelius. Students’ response to Myspace checking is mixed. Many believe schools should not be able to enforce their rules outside of school grounds. “What you do with your time is your own business and right,” said Ryan Mulvaney, 9. Others remarked on how personal freedoms were being jeopardized. “It’s your freedom to say whatever you want,” says Raleigh Morgan, 9. Still, some are not so sympathetic. “Anything you wouldn’t want your parents knowing, don’t put it on your site,” says Nicole Swanson, 12. Although Mounds View’s stance on the issue is less severe than that of District 128’s, the topic may be addressed more seriously in the future. “Pictures of parties and harassing remarks and comments clearly don’t reflect well on individuals and/or a team or our school,” said Wikelius.
Once upon a time...
All the royal princes and princesses of MV desired to be King and Queen, but the crown was being ferociously guarded by M a x A r n d t and A m y L e h , the fearless Master and Mistress of Homecoming Ceremonies. Though they were all fighting for the same crown, they took many different approaches to attain it. E r i k A n d e r s o n and J a c k i e P a l e r m o followed their breadcrumb trail, while E r i c E l g i n and K r i s s y R e i n k e rolled down the hill. As B e n M e s s e r l y tried to pull the sword from the stone, he noticed C a t i e M c N e i l enjoying her ruby red apple. J a s o n W e l l s was admiring Pocahontas s Land, when he spotted M e g a n W e i d t , a helpful dwarf. Closer to the castle, M i c h a e l D u n c o m b e and L i z R o e m e r fought the green dragon. B r a d R e i n e n tried to climb up K e l s e y Skildum s long golden hair. N a t e L o u w a g i e and K e a l y R a n d l e dropped in from their magic carpet, and B r y a n L a r s o n and A l e x S m i t h scaled the beanstalk. Although only two wear the crown, all the royalty will live happily ever after. As for their strategies... “With a few trips down the hill, I could make a moat around the castle to stop the rest of the competition.”
“I’ll drop in on the crown off my stalk.”
“I’m going for the sympathy votes.”
“I will pick up Hansel’s breadcrumbs to confuse the competition.”
“Use my cleats to change direction and sprint to the castle, scaling the wall with one hop.”
“Um... I don’t know... blitzkreig... reverse psychology?”
“I’m going to hypnotize them with my ruby red apple.”
“Run up the mountain and push the rest down.”
“It’s very clear to me that building an inclusive community of responsible, respectful, resourceful citizens who value learning would be the second best option provided that I don’t have an army of Michael Duncombes.”
“I will share the beanstalk with everyone.” “I’m flying in on my magic carpet, dropping Abu on the guards to distract them, and stealing the crown.” “I’m going to hide the crown in my really baggy pants.”
“The best defense is a good offense. HOO-RA!”
“I will lasso the competitors with my long hair.”
“I’ll slay the dragon and race to the top of the castle.”
“I will use Suave conditioner so everyone else slips down.”
“I don’t need a strategy, she’s already waiting for me.”
“I’m going to maneuver and stab him in the tail, then run around him using my speed and agility to avoid the fireballs. Then I will fly up the castle.”
8variety
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
Feasts fit for a formal Do you want to get away from the traditional Homecoming dinners at Applebee’s, Olive Garden, and Panino’s? If so, try some of these
Do: wear stripes in
unique restaurants located in the Twin Cities.
neutral colors
By Katelyn Schweiters and Jackie Schwerm staff writers
$Loring Pasta Bar
14th Av. and Southeast Fourth St, Dinkytown The Loring Pasta Bar is a contemporary and affordable restaurant, specializing in various pasta dishes as well as traditional menu items such as New York Strip Steak, Grilled Salmon, and Chicken Oscar. It has a romantic ambience making it a good location for dates. The average price for an entrée is about $18.00, and their dessert specialties include cheesecake, peach cobbler, and crème brulee.
Do: wear bubble skirts and dresses
$$Fuji Ya
Seventh and Wabasha St, St. Paul From the bamboo trim on the walls and the paper lanterns hanging on the ceiling to the traditional seating on the floor, the moment you walk into Fuji Ya you will feel like you are in Japan. This restaurant has a romantic environment but it is also great for groups. Fuji Ya has over 50 different types of sushi and teriyaki with an average entrée price of $25.00. Fuji Ya’s dessert specials change quite frequently; currently the special is White Chocolate Crème Brulee.
$$Matty B’s
Fourth and Wabasha St, St. Paul This supper club takes you back to the 1920s with its dark wood interior and its leather upholstery. It is known for its traditional menu items including steaks and seafood. On weekends, they often have live jazz music. If you’re lucky you might even get to see the popular athlete during your delicious experience- Viking Matt Birk owns the restaurant.
Do: wear heels, a black pair is a fashion staple
Cara Morphew, 11, models New York styles at Mounds View, bringing fashion week a little closer to home.
photo by Nick Cairl
$$$Carousel
Crowne plaza hotel, 11 E Kellogg Blvd, St. Paul The Carousel is unlike any other dinner you will ever experience. The center of the restaurant actually moves in circles, providing the guests with an extraordinary view of the beautiful Riverfront, which is 22 stories below them. If the guest prefers, there are stationary locations in the restaurant too. Also there is a private room, which can seat up to 22 people, making it great for groups. The Carousel is perfect for romantic evenings out and there is a large variety of food. The average cost of a meal is $26.00. The dessert specialties are raspberry torte cake and a chocolate chocolate cake with cream cheese filling.
Average Entrée Price $ =$15-20 $$ =$21-25 $$$ =$26-30+
NYC creates fashion trends
By Cara Morphew staff writer
Fashion Week hit the streets of New York, modeling the new 2007 spring collections, on Sept. 9-15. Each day was dedicated to several different designers who displayed their new lines. All kinds of fashion shows were presented to the rich and famous, everyday fans, and the press as designers got their distinct styles into the public eye. The competition is fierce, but the ride along is anything but boring. Fashion Week displayed the new fashion “dos” for the upcoming spring season. On this year’s style lookout, the popular colors revealed were simply black and white with accents of bright colors, instead of the usual pastels. Designers got the chance to prove their styles were unique during the numerous runway shows occurring throughout the week. This year’s hottest trends flaunted on stage were baby doll and bubble dresses, colorful trench coats, and striped tops. Designers such as Tracy Reese, Brian Reyes, Diane Von Furstenberg, BCBG Max Azria,
Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Lacoste paraded their spring line. One well-known and loved designer, Tracy Reese, donated her new designs to an event on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The show was extravagant, the rhythm was intense, the climate was spicy, and the show started and ended with an unusual but appealing tango dance. Reese’s collection consisted of abstract floral prints, Bermuda shorts, 1970s knickers, billowy back shirts with a 1980s touch, and an attractive set of bubble dresses. The atmosphere and new styles combined to make an overall flirty, fun, yet sophisticated show. Also contributing to the event was designer Brian Reyes. Reyes displayed a variety of light, feminine, yet modern looks. Some eye-catching outfits presented in this show were skinny jeans, strapless dresses, old school running shorts, and obi belts. Light and neutral colors such as heather, black, and navy were posed throughout the show. The fashion vibe coming from his styles gave the easy modish look and a parallel to O.C. star
Rachel Bilson’s irresistible style. Diane Von Furstenberg, another fancied designer, joined the parade of shows with her new line of bright bubble dresses and cotton shirt dresses. Meanwhile, BCBG Max Azria presented the traditional light and neutral colors with an occasional bright yellow added to the collection of laser cut dresses, cardigans, and belted waists. Bridget Michels, 12, said, “I really like BCBG! I actually bought one of my favorite formal dresses from there.” Adding to the cherished week of fashion heaven was Lacoste. This show flaunted the trendy Bermuda shorts; belt shirt dresses with bold rainbow colors, and treasured polo’s. “Lacoste is my favorite designer. I love the bright colors of the traditional polo’s,” said Chrissy Kubitschek, 11. Fashion Week ultimately previewed an excellent selection of spring trends for the upcoming year as designers informed viewers on what’s hot in 2007 fashion.
Ordinary Culture
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
reviews9
Extraordinary art By TT Phan staff writer
“
Rodney McMillian of presents Untitled at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.
In a gallery at the Walker Art Center, a strange collection of objects — seemingly abandoned speakers, black basement stairs, and a cast-iron pan — are arranged. In the exhibit, three artists display their interpretation of “common” culture, defying modern labels. It is entitled “Ordinary Culture.” The exhibition features individual pieces from artists Rodney McMillan, 37, of Los Angeles, Jay Heikes, 30, of Minneapolis and New York, and Adam Helms, 32, of New York. Although created entirely separately, each work of art fits together not only visually, but psychologically as well. “I didn’t want the exhibition to be dictated by my own theme, but I’m really happy that these formal elements came together to make echoes on the walls,” curator Doryun Chong told the Star Tribune. The artists’ pieces fit together seamlessly. Suburbanized kitchen linoleum presented by McMillian hangs on a wall, and Heikes’ work creates a space filled with black props. Helms’ covers a wall with 48 paintings of heads shrouded in disguise, creating a sort of backdrop. The gallery is balanced; no partition outweighs another. McMillian, operating as a historian, uses overlooked objects to create a reading of history and its function in the present. The result is a sense of absence, almost as if the objects are trapped in time. The extraordinary simplicity adds to the effect. A huge piece of linoleum, literally ripped up from a kitchen floor, hangs like a painting opposite a forest of slate gray columns wrapped in canvas cloth. McMillian uses the linoleum as a memoir to the bodies that were once on its surface, complimenting the columns that resemble a crowd of abstracted torsos. “I see them as ruins, as bodies, as forests, as symbols – metaphors,” McMillian said in an interview with Chong. Tying it all together, McMillian deploys himself to deliver President Lyndon Johnson’s 1964 “Great Society” speech. The speech itself proposes domestic programs, a sort of “war on
poverty.” The bodies on the linoleum floor, now missing, suggest the lives affected by the grand vision for society in the speech while the gray columns have an eerie resemblance to a ghostly crowd of people watching it take place. In turn, McMillian’s installation becomes a direct reminder of the present in which we now exist. Heikes’ installation features his ongoing project, which originated from a video where he tells his joke: “So there’s this pirate.” It conveys an artist and his work through the duo of the parrot and the pirate. This installation, being more personal than the others, becomes familiar and relatable. Taking stills from his videos, Heikes’ reworks his joke through cutouts and doodles, giving each grid a life on its own. Sculptures dubbed “roadgear” are scattered, consisting of a set of basement stairs, a frying pan, and a magician’s sawing table. This imaginary stage and its props create a show where Heikes’, who admits of being terrified of performing for large crowds, can present his joke to an imaginary audience. “In my dreams,” said Heikes in his artist brochure, “I want to tell the worst jokes to the biggest crowds.” Helms’ work conveys his interest of the ethos of violence and the romanticization of extremist ideology. In his exhibition, he presents 48 portraits depicting hooded figures reminiscent to those seen in grainy videos of insurgent kidnappers in Iraq. The figures represent a force beneath culture and its ideology, complimenting society’s current climate of paranoia or even guilt. There is little that is considered simply “ordinary” about these installations. McMillian’s take on history’s role today, Heikes’ symbolic installation of culture as an ongoing project, and Helms’ examination of it, turns out to be all too familiar in our modern society. There is no such thing as “common culture” but a collective of different narratives creating it. The term “Ordinary Culture” proves to be wildly underestimated but completely appropriate. The exhibit runs through Nov. 19. Admission is $5 for students and free on Thursdays for all visitors.
In my dreams, I want to tell the worst jokes to the biggest crowds. - Jay Heikes, Artist
Dylan dominates with Modern Times By Alex Johnson staff writer
Bob Dylan may be old, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with. Modern Times, his first album in five years and 36th studio release ovel, deserves its highly publicized status. He began his career as a rock and roll legend playing in musty bars with his high school band around his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota. From there he moved to New York City and was quickly picked up by Columbia Records at the age of 21. Dylan slowly grew to stardom with his politically infused, anti-war lyrics. Over forty years later, he is still going strong. The first thing to notice in Modern Times is the surprising variance in the songwriting. They move between slow acoustic folk songs, the sort of material he has been hesitant to write since his foray into the rock and roll world, and the embittered and furious bluesrock that divided his fans in the late ‘60s. “Spirit on the Water” shows Dylan’s variation from his old folk days. A slow jazz beat, sounding grossly like cheap elevator music, urges you to skip the track. Then, his voice cuts through, masterfully crooning of both love and heartache found in a relationship. The album progresses on to “The Levee’s Gonna Break,” a song conjuring images of post-Katrina New Orleans. It seems to be a subtle reproach to the Bush administration for
their questionable response in the face of disaster. It creates a sense of empathy for the victims as they pick up the pieces of their lives: “ Some people on the road carryin’ everything they own/ Some people got barely enough skin to cover their bones.” All in all, Dylan’s latest work is nothing short of a masterpiece. Although there have been some major changes since his classic works, Modern Times easily holds itsground in comparison. If you are already a fan or even a first timer, Modern Times is sure to be one of your top picks.
”
10sports
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
Mustang Football
Girls Soccer By Stu Batten staff writer
"Our expectation is to win the section final and go to state," said Girls Soccer captain Teresa Gazich, 12. Captain Bergen Butala, 11, had similar expectations saying, "Coaches, and the whole team have agreed to do our best and get to the section final game and then take it from there." Although the team lost many key players from last year, they still want to win, expecting nothing less of the team this year. A repeat appearance and finish at state would be ideal. "Becky Rowe, now playing at the U of M was obviously a big loss, as well as Katie Moret and Anne Kuduk because Katie was such a inspirational leader and Anne was our most physical player," said Butala.
Boys
By Chris Rykken staff writer
However, the team is full of returning members, and many girls are expected to step up this year. "Watch for our sophomore midfield, including Allie Phillips, 10, Kelsey Flaherty, 10, and Paige Simonsen, 10, to step up this year. Butala should also have a good year as well," said Gazich. "Despite all the losses from last year, I think that the team chemistry is good. There are a bunch of girls that have fun when we hang out on and off the field," said Phillips. Captain Gazich agreed saying "We lost a chunk of the team last year, but some of the new girls fit with our team really well." The Mustangs hope to build on their experience at state last year and make another run at it this year.
By Alex Bonemeyer Sports Editor
Last year a football team full of talented seniors, including three Division I players, led the Mustangs to the state tournament. This season the team returns with only six starters, and is working to fill the holes left by last years departed seniors. Replacing All-State quarterback Adam Weber, who had started since his freshman year, is no small task. That role is for now being left up to Turner Tracy, 12. “Turner is doing a great job taking Adam’s place,” said defensive tackle Nate Louwagie, 12. After not playing for a year Tracy came back to help the team to victory.
Cross Country
Although the boys cross country team finished third in the section last year they are hoping to come out this season to be one of the top three teams in the state. “Our goal of going to state looks probable because there are only a few top runners from other teams returning in the section,” said Alex Wrobel,12. Theo Hoerr and Eric Nancekivell, who were both State competitors, graduated last spring. But the team expects it can fill those spots with Captain Wrobel, Wade Hassel, 12, and Raleigh Morgan, 11, who are all expected to run under 16:30 on a 5K. The team participated in summer training at Whitewater State Park, in St.Charles near Rochester, for a 5day workout and bonding event. “The main purpose of
summer training is to build a base for the season,” said Anders Lundberg, 11. While there, 2-a-days were held, and during these practices they ran a combined 50 miles for the week and did a combined 1055 push ups - setting a record at the camp for the most done in one week. In between the practices the team got a chance to bond, playing games like softball, speedball, volleyball and stickball. The training deemed effective because the season started well with two-second place finishes at the Menomonie and Rosemount invitationals.
Volleyball
By Mark Peterson staff writer
The girls volleyball team is looking to improve on last year’s 179 record and push for a conference and section championship. State-ranked Cretin-Derham Hall, however, is in the Suburban East Conference for the second year, and they will certainly pose a threat for the conference title. This year’s team is young, talented, and full of chemistry, especially for this early in the year. “I think we have a lot of potential and we could go far and even to state,” said varsity outside hitter Katie Johnson, 12. Players went to camps, and played in clubs in the off season, and it seems to have paid off with victories against Elk River and Coon Rapids, two teams in the non-conference schedule. The team lost three key seniors from last year, two of which are now playing for Division I schools. Co-captains Katie and Maddie Johnson, 12, return from last year’s squad.
Joining them this year include a strong group of seniors and juniors. The loss of strong 2005 senior players such as Diane Kieger and Jolene Slagter means that this year’s team will need to rely on depth heavily, which is exactly what they have. “We don’t really have any standout players this year, so a lot more people are getting more play time,” said Heidi Carlson, 12. Another big loss for the team from last year was Katlyn Merrill, 12, a would- be senior captain, who moved to Kansas. “It was hard losing her because she was a captain, a good player, and a good friend, but we‘re working hard to fill her shoes,” said Kate Smith, 11. The team is going to have to work hard to fill the voids left by some of last years players, but the girls insist they are up to the challenge.
Also lost from last year were starts Brandon Hoey and Maurice Turner. Without the dangerous combination of Weber and Turner, the team is revising its offense. “We’re depending more on our running game,” said defensive end Colton Stedman, 12. “It’s more of a team effort as opposed to a few key players.” The team, which has also switched up its defensive scheme, is excited about its new look, and captains Jason Wells, 12, Erik Anderson, 12, and Michael Duncombe, 12, are looking to lead the Mustangs to another state tournament.
Girls Tennis By Sam Louwagie Staff Writer
Captained by seniors Sarah Hupperts, Sarah Sparby, and Melissa Arnfelt, the Mounds View Girls tennis team looks to be more inexperienced and unpredictable than it has been in years. The team returned ten varsity starters last year, but brings back just six for this season. “We lost our No. 1 and 2 singles players, and our No. 1 and 2 doubles pairs, so those are big holes to fill,” said Hupperts. Juniors Erin Gudul and Christine Muller, who took the No. 3 and 4 on last season’s state runner-up team, take over the top two single spots. And while the three captains can provide veteran leadership, the Mustangs varsity line-up includes Jodi Vanderiet, 10, Kelly Humphrey, 9, and Melanie Yates, 7.
Head coach Mike Cartwright, however, seems to have little doubt about the season ahead of him. “We lost our top six players from last year, but we have a lot of talented players in our program,” Cartwright said. “It’s just a matter of everybody learning on the fly, gaining confidence, and building team unity.” The Mustangs played well early on, winning all 24 of the team’s individual matches at the Irondale tournament and putting up a fight in losing 3-4 to a top-10 ranked team in Eastview. But despite the team’s early success, they aren’t getting too far ahead of themselves. “We would like to try to get better each week. Our primary goal is improvement,” said Cartwright. Despite Mounds View’s youth, the players don’t see this year as just a rebuilding one. “By the time Sections roll around,” said Hupperts, “we want to be ready to win.”
6 0 Fall 0 2
SEPTEMBER 29, 2006
sports11
Boys Soccer Girls Cross Country
By Andy Madsen staff writer
The face of the 2006 Mounds View Boys Soccer team is an experienced one, and the team’s hopes for its first conference title in six years couldn’t be higher. Nine of last year’s starting 11 return from a team that finished the 2005 season with a 143-2 record, good for second place in the Suburban East Conference. This year’s motto is “intensity,” and it’s shown by the players’ actions on the field. “Last year was a building year for the team,” said Dan Urzberger, 12. “This is the year we are expected to step up and make a run at the state title.” Many of this year’s starting seniors have been playing on varsity since their sophomore year. Leading the pack of green will most likely be returning All-State Honorable Mention Quinn Evans. “Quinn has one of the best touches on the
By Sarah Hupperts
team,” said Tanner Bowell, 11. James Guy and Billy Kane, 12, two of many returning players from last year, hope to lead their team on to a state title in their last year playing at Mounds View. Guy and Kane were out last year due to injury but are expected to help lead the team’s quest for a championship. Also returning is Austin Savat, 12, who is expected to continue leading the conference in points, and Jamie Splett, 12, this year’s highly touted goal-keeper. “Splett is the best goalie I’ve ever played with,” said Max Bowell, 11. The key losses from last year are Bijan Jalali, who brought hard work and aggressive play and is expected to be replaced by Guy, as well as Ben Kuban, who’s replacement will probably be Tommy McNamara, 12. The boys are looking forward to a great season and a hopeful run at the state title.
staff writer
Hoping to better their finish from last year, the Girls Cross Country team has been working hard. “This year we are having no frontrunners and are running in packs. We are holding each other accountable for the team,” said coach Tess Koepcke. The team bonds outside of running as well. “We have this thing called Fupa Fridays. It’s where we dress up in crazy clothes that we find, wear them to practice, and run in them. Fupa Fridays are a blast,” said Kellie Larsen, 10. Many of the team members use cross country to train for other sports; track, Nordic skiing, or hockey. Brianna Pensini, 12, said, “Cross country is sweet because I get in shape for my next season, Nordic skiing!” This year the team is more experienced and hoping that it shows. “Last year was a really young team,” said Koepcke. “This year we still have a lot of sophomores and juniors, but they have a lot of experience.” The team is looking for Amy Glasow, 12, Taylor Warness, 10, Lindsey Helm, 10, Maddy Stephens, 11, Megan Cheney, 11, Torrey Punchochar, 9, and co-captain Lauren Thornton, 12, to step up and lead the team. “I think we’ll do well,” said Glasow. “While we may be young, we are filled with potential and will have lots of opportunities to prove ourselves in the upcoming races.”
Mounds View Performance Team Girls Swim and Dive By Jordan Salo staff writer
As a result of the Minnesota High School League's decision last year, the Viewettes now has the new title "Mounds View Performance Team" instead. Come late October, the team will once again be called The Viewettes when their winter competition season starts. The girls will also hold separate try outs for the winter season which will determine whether they make Varsity or Junior Varsity. Along with a new name, the team gained six freshmen, six new sophomores, and two new coaches, Laura Bateman and Angela Eckel. While many of the changes will take some getting used to, the team is very optimistic for their upcoming season. Returning allconference
dancers, Jackie Palermo, 12, and Lauren Anderson, 12, will be heading the team this fall along with fellow captain Chelsea Erickson, 12. This year's seniors are working on building a stronger foundation for the team. After being left without a captain last year as a result of disciplinary punishment, the girls are looking forward to seeing what the team is capable of. "This year the girls have high hopes due to strong leadership," said Kelsey Theisen, 11. The seniors are also looking forward to the opportunity to pass on their knowledge and experience to the younger team members. Despite the challenges the new team will be facing, they are expecting to over come them and enjoy the season.
By Lauren Bennett sports editor
Still looking up after a recent loss to powerhouse Stillwater, Girls Swim and Dive has six meets left and True Team sections. To drown out the competition, the team is relying on the leadership of captains Sarah Albertson, 12, Tamra Knight, 12, and Alli Beardsley, 12, as well as Caroline Hannema, 12, and Rachel Ness, 10. Next to Stillwater, Cretin seems to be the toughest competition this year. Last year the team proved to be a rival when the girls lost by only one point to the Raiders, and this year defeating Cretin is one of their top goals. “The coaches have a lot more energy this year,” said Catie McNeal, 12. The coaches are new this year, and the team seems more excited about the practice routines that they have set up. The girls do yoga once a week with an instructor as well as Pilates. Overall the main goal of the season is to beat their rivals, Stillwater being the toughest, and make it as far as they can. With the help of their leaders and captains as well as many strong middle school students on varsity, the team dives in with a big splash for the 2006 season.
Preview
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SEPTEMBER
29, 2006
Foreign places, different faces Name: Larissa Nanni, 12 Status: Brazilian foreign exchange student What do you think of school in America compared to school in Brazil? “I think the teachers and classes are about the same, not harder than in Brazil. But I don’t like school or the classes here, I prefer Brazil.”
Name: Friedrich Schwager, 11 Status: German foreign exchange student Are there any differences between German and American students you see? “I see more nice-looking people here, well more than in Germany. But maybe because the school is bigger.”
Name: Heidi Merkler, 12 Status: Swedish transfer student Compared to Sweden, how are American teachers different? “I think it’s weird students here call teachers ‘Mr.’ and ‘Mrs.’ In Sweden we call them by their first names. Besides a teacherstudent relationship, there is also more of a friendship.”
Name: Audrey Benkemoun, 12 Status: French foreign exchange student What is a difference you’ve noticed in the lifestyles of French and American teens? “The life is more stressful in America. There is not enough time spent with family. Teenagers are too busy with sports and after school activities, their lives are too full.”
Name: Benedict Dagudag, 12 Status: Filipino transfer student What do you miss most about the Philippines? “I really miss food from the Philippines, it’s really different here that [Americans] don’t eat geese often.”
By Belle Lin staff writer
By accepting foreign exchange students from around the globe, Mounds View High School has quietly set foot onto the international stage. Crossing continental borders, these exchange students have the courage and desire to share a piece of their birth country with our student body. Larissa Nanni, 12, Friedrich Schwager, 11, and Audrey Benkemoun, 12 are three of MV’s international students. “I’d like to get to know them,” said Kiley Wolff, 11, “to see what they think, why they’re here, and what they think is different.” However, many remain ignorant of these overseas additions to Mounds View. “I didn’t even know there were foreign exchange students here,” said Kari Nielsen, 9. “I met one yesterday, but I don’t know her very well.”
The exchange students say they have learned a lot in the United States already – from working to master English to finding out about fashion and fast food. Nanni attends daily ESL classes, saying English is one of the problems she must overcome. On the other hand, French exchange student Audrey Benkemoun believes the language barrier is not too great a difficulty for her to surmount. “Spanish is hard for me because I have to translate into English and then into French. Besides the special vocabulary in my other classes, I can speak English to other students,” Benkemoun said. Schwager, a German exchange student, said he has adapted well to his temporary life in the United States. “I really like the school lunch. Germans say American food is greasy
and fat, and I gained 12 pounds. I’ve been here for just two weeks!” said Schwager. The exchange students all said they found clear differences between life back home and life in the U.S. Schwager said, “I wear American clothes, but not jeans with holes. I don’t like those kind of pants,” he said. “I think [Americans] are very polite, they say ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ I like the way they treat themselves. It is a different way in Germany. Americans are proud of their country, but in Germany there is no patriotism.” “In Brazil we show a lot of our belly and wear short skirts. The music is the same as in America, but we also listen to funk music,” said Nanni. “We kiss and hug everybody. I think the people here are cold.” Nanni said she wishes MV students
would do more to get to know the exchange students in their midst. “Not a lot of people know I am from Brazil. If they knew it would be easier to get to know people,” she said. Benedict Dagudag, 12, who moved from the Philippines this year but is not involved in an exchange program, agrees with Nanni. “It is hard to make friends. I don’t know anyone, but they’re nice,” he said. Why isn’t the student body more aware there are foreign exchange students amongst them? The answer may lie in the reality that exchange students appear to blur in the sea of faces. “The foreign exchange students blend in with the MV students, so I can’t really tell them apart,” said Debbie Li, 11.
Perdu dans la traduction: Lost in Translation By Audrey Benkemoun staff writer
My name is Audrey and I am a French exchange student. The Rotary Club is the association that enables me to spend one year in Mounds View High School. I arrived in your country August 24, at the airport of Philadelphia. My first thought was, “How am I going to find my next plane to Minnesota, when this place is the size of my village?” A few days later in New Brighton, some people brought me to the State Fair. The amount of food “on a stick” was simply unbe-
lievable! Besides that, I’ve discovered the Art Museum, which was very exciting. The first day at Mounds View was quite hard. I was surrounded by many “freshmen”, who came for the Orientation. During this day, I tried to find my classes in photo by Emma order, more than five Turnquist times! Audrey Benkemoun, 12, Then, some probFrench foreign exchange lems happened with my locker. We don’t student
have lockers in France, so this was a new concept to me. The code was wrong and after I changed it, someone’s books were in it! The second day of school was similar to the first. I felt very stressed, and missed my hour of Journalism because I was so confused about my schedule. I’ve been surprised by some differences between French and American education. For instance, lunch here is a half an hour. In France, we have one to three hours. Another difference is French students usually finish school around 5, but in America, school ends at 2. A difference I enjoy is the choice to
participate in social activities. I’ve tried choir and theatre. I’ve also gone to dances and some football games (even if I understand nothing!). I think this is a good thing because it lets me unite with students because during classes everybody seems very stressed. Thanks to the many students and teachers who help me and good luck to all exchange students of this year!