The Eyrie - December 2013

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EYRIE

Eden Prairie High School

Vol.53, No.2 // December 2013

THE

cOVER sTORY: SHEDDING LIGHt ON STUDENT RIGHTS

INSIDE:

Stereotypes / Superfans / Spotlight on Sienna Ramos


Staff

December letter from the editors

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Editors-in-chief Audrey Altmann Maddie Chicoine Laurie Linscott

appy Holidays Eagles! This issue is our gift to you. It’s full of fun and interesting stories, perfect for curling up by the fire over break to read. And if you want to share it with all those crazy visiting relatives, we wouldn’t mind. In fact, share it with anyone you please, and when you finish and begin having withdrawal for lack of our wonderful publication, check out theeyrie.org for even more stories and photos. We recently redid our website, so it’s much more modern and simple. You’ll love it; trust us. Also, on a similar note, follow @The_Eyrie on Twitter! Now enough shameless self promotion on our part, read and enjoy!

Adviser Jodie Flolid Managing editor Kendal Jacobus

Yours Truly,

A&E editors Kendal Jacobus Elizabeth Kenyon Cover story editor Maddie Chicoine Feature editor Hannah Brandser

Laurie Linscott, Audrey Altmann and Maddie Chicoine

News editor Laurie Linscott Opinion editor Audrey Altmann Profiles editor Veera Vasandani Sports editors Hannah Jeter Jean-Pierre Tossa Chief of photography Vivien Yue Graphics manager Kameron Boike Website manager Laurie Linscott Circulation manager Elizabeth Kenyon Business managers Luci Bessinger Owen Desai Elizabeth Kenyon Staff Hannah Belongie Vanna Bollier Max Chao Zoe Glenn Megan Hartle Gillian Holte Claire Jamar Harry Pajor Nick Reiss Thomas Richter Sam Schnirring Sheridan Swee

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Policies

Mission Statement The Eyrie strives to be an accurate, informative and entertaining publication for the students and faculty of EPHS. Letters The Eyrie encourages all students and faculty to share their views with the school. All letters must be signed; however, names may be withheld in certain situations. Once received, the Eyrie reserves the right to edit letters for length or content. Editorials Staff Editorials are staff-written and approved by a two-thirds majority of the staff. All other opinion pieces reflect the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication, student body, faculty or administration.

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Contact us We welcome your feedback, suggestions and letters. To submit letters or comments, stop by room 253 during third hour or email comments to theeyrie.ep@ gmail.com. Multi-media To follow the Eyrie on Twitter, use the Twitter handle the_eyrie. To find us on Facebook, search for the Eyrie. For daily content and school updates, visit theeyrie.org Printer The Eyrie is printed by the Eden Prairie Schools Printing Services, partnered with Loffler Companies-Shana Finnegan. 17185 Valley View Road, Eden Prairie, MN, 55346


EYRIE THE

VOL. 53, NO.2 // DECEMBER 2013

A&E

6 // EPHS alumn returns to compose 7 // New buisness profile: Nothing Bundt Cakes

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News

10 // Unconventional clubs gather before dawn 13 // New trans fat regulations

Sports

14 // Unusual superfans 15 // Diving team makes a splash

Cover Story

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20 // Shedding light on student rights

Opinion

25 // Oversharing through social media 28 // High school stereotypes

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Profile

30 // A Modern-Day Renaissance Woman

Features

34 // Borrowed items 37 // Favorite study places

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COVER IILLUSTRATION BY VIVIEN YUE

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A&E

Familiar faces appearin

Kaylee Simonson, senior, glancing towards costar in the finals scenes of their officiial music video, Light You Up.

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ng on center stage BY OWEN DESAI

After hours, during the summer months, pre-high school, post-high school and during breaks: these are times of semisecrecy. Not everyone knows what the kid sitting next to them in math class is doing outside of school. While watching TV, seeing someone recognizable is unexpected. Maybe certain celebrities because of movies they’ve been in or past TV appearances, but not someone from Eden Prairie. Even scrolling through the internet, seeing fellow senior Kaylee Simonson in a music video is surprising. This past summer EPHS graduates Eric Swan and Mark Miller were filming a music video for their friend, Christian Wheeler, and were searching for a girl to play a ‘femme fatale.’ Kaylee was their first choice. “I’ve done student films in the past but this was the first time I’ve done a music video,” Simonson said. Though typically seen on stage, she would consider doing productions like this again in the future. “They were super well organized. It was much different than theater because if I messed up, we could always go back and do it again.” Simonson is currently planning on pursuing an education and career in performing. This online video has received a good amount of attention from her peers, with over 1000 views and growing. While spending time on the computer can offer endless hours of entertainment, another form of entertainment is becoming extremely popular: reality television. When first thinking of reality TV, trashy shows like “Jersey Shore” or “Real Housewives of Eden Prairie” typically come to mind. Reality TV is actually any programming that documents unscripted situations and real life occurrences. Shows like Wipeout, Biggest Loser and SciGirls are other examples. In the Summer of 2009 sophomore Allie Wilke auditioned to be in an episode of SciGirls on PBS, a show focused on helping the environment and involving kids. Starring in an episode called Go Green, Wilke helped the main cartoon character Izzie find new ways to recycle and throw away trash. “This was just a fun, one time thing for me. I’m not thinking of doing this in the future, just for fun.” Wilke said. Being on TV was a new experience as she is used to seeing real celebrities acting in her favorite show, “Revenge.” Eden Prairie Alumni have been on TV as well. Adam Voreis,

Principal McCartan’s son, Ryan, playing the jock in the hit Disney show, Liv & Maddie

PHOTOS SUBMITTED

Kaylee Simonson and Christian Wheeler sharing a moment in the “Light You Up” music video the school’s Performing Arts Facilities Manager was on House Warriors, a show about “flipping houses” and remodeling homeowners living space. Again, another new experience for an everyday member of the community. Experiences like these actually are not too uncommon. Through just a quick Google search, pages and pages of reality show requests are out there online. Most of them need applicants to be 18 or older, but any can try out. Most people wouldn’t know that the

high school Principal, Conn McCartan, has a connection to the film industry. Ryan McCartan, Mr. McCartan’s 20 year old son, appears regularly on a tv show. From a young age Ryan McCartan has pursued acting. McCartan has put all of his effort into this, from being a member of the University of Minnesota BFA Guthrie acting. McCartan has put all of his effort into this, from being a member of the FACES continued on pg. 6>>

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A&E <<FACES from pg. 5 University of Minnesota BFA Guthrie Program to doing agency work in Los Angeles, and even submitting multiple audition tapes to various TV channels. Constantly in contact with his LA Agent and Disney ABC Television Group, McCartan left college to go after his “big break.” After a call from his agent, he is now costarring in Disney Channel’s new series “Liv & Maddie.” McCartan plays the character Diggie, a soft-hearted, funny and quirky captain of the boys’ basketball team. So far a success, this may be just what his career needed. His future looks bright and the line of 11-year-old fan girls neverending. Whether starring in a music video online or a show on television, all kinds of people are pursuing careers in entertainment. Especially at Eden Prairie High School, you may be connected to more people than you know in this field. Who knows, a few years from now when you come back for your

high school reunion, you may be partying with a future celebrity or movie star, and possibly, that star could be you.

The McCartan talent continues. Alison McCartan, sister of Ryan McCartan, attended Boston Conservatory and recently got back from touring with Shrek! The Musical. McCartan is currently nd performing in 42 Street in Boca Raton, Florida. Kaylee Simonson, senior, laughing in her video

Composer returns to his roots

Tim Takach is a successful alumnus from EPHS, now pursuing his dream of becoming a composer. BY SHERIDAN SWEE “It’s everyone’s dream to find something they love doing and to make a career out of it” Eden Prairie alum Tim Takach said. Takach, who is now an applauded composer,

was commissioned last spring to create a piece, “I Thread the Stars”, for Eden Prairie’s choir department, a program that he himself participated in less than two decades ago.

After he studied music composition at St. Olaf College, he founded the male vocal ensemble, Cantus, which gives over 80 concerts a year. His music has received many awards and has been played on NPR.

When asked how he felt about returning to his old high school, he responded with three words: “I love it!” Students have displayed strong emotions about the piece as well. “I think

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PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

Tim Takach, EPHS alum, playing his professional compositions for the EPHS concer and women’s choir

it’s a great composition for our entire district,” said junior Calvin Boyles, “It has elements to it that can appeal to various individuals.” Choir teacher Ellen Meier wrote a

grant to the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools and presented the idea to their committee last spring. “We made it known that this music will be made available for other students or schools to purchase,”

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she said, “and that this will reach many of our own students for years to come.” Takach began writing the song last June and finished it this August. “The text is the most important thing,” he said. “I spend a lot of time researching poets and poetry trying to find the right fit.” The 8th through 12th grade choirs will be performing “I Thread the Stars” on January 13 in the main gym.


Serving a tasty tradition

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BY KENDAL JACOBUS 17-year-old recipe has made Nothing Bundt Cakes one of the most popular cake shops in the nation. Sold in four different sizes and many flavors, these delicious cakes are in high demand. Thanks to Eden Prairie native, Jill Tullemans and her business partner Patty Balster, these rich desserts are now available in Eden Prairie. Before managing this bakery, Balster worked in the dental field and Tullemans was involved in business. Tullemans and Balster were craving change when they came across Nothing Bundt Cakes. “We knew it was now or never,” Balster said. The process of becoming part of Nothing Bundt Cakes started with a phoneinterview. The interview was positive so the twosome then spent six months finding a suitable space for the bakery. “Eden Prairie was a perfect fit for Nothing Bundt Cakes, because it does not have any bakeries in the area and is attractive to our target audience of 25-60- year- old women,” said Balster. Once they secured the Eden Prairie location, they attended a three-week training course in Plano, Texas. During this time, they practices the baking techniques of the franchise and worked hard to pass the required baking tests in order to graduate from the course. Now they have returned to Eden Prairie with knowledge and motivation to make the bakery a success. The managers day normally starts around 8 a.m., an hour before opening. Then, they turn off their cell phones and check online orders and their email. Next, they start the ovens and begin to bake their delivery orders and pick up order requests. “I have always loved baking,” said Balster, but she has not

PHOTO BY SHERIDAN SWEE

always enjoyed the business and marketing required for the new bakery. At first, it was difficult to find staff members. Each employee is expected to hone a different role, such as baking, ringing up customers or marketing. Specific skills sets are required for each job and it was important to find the right fit. “We were lucky to find great employees,” said Bolster. In fact, many of them are from EPHS, including Beth Harlos and Sydney Sarel. Now that the business has been

up and running for, phone orders and walkins have proven to be the most popular way of buying cakes by the public. However, the bakery expects lots of catering business throughout the holidays. In fact, the bakery sells a plethora of flavors of cakes, including a monthly special. They also make “get well,” “congratulations,” and other packaged cakes. Whether it’s delivering, phone orders or walk- ins, the main goal of the bakery right now is, “getting cake in mouth,” as Balster would say.

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A&E

Frozen stays on top

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Disney’s new animated movie, Frozen, recently edged out big name release, Catching Fire, for number one box seller in the country. This animated delight has something special that could keep it frozen at the top in weeks to come. Movie Review

BY ELIZABETH KENYON I had high expectations for the newest Disney animation film “Frozen” and I can say without doubt that the studio has met those expectations once again. Made by the creators of “Tangled,” one of my favorite movies of all time, “Frozen” is another wonderfully animated instant classic that is sure to be appreciated by a wide audience, not just 5-year-old girls. “Frozen” takes place in the fictional kingdom of Arendelle and the forested mountains surrounding it. The main character, Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), was constantly trying to close the distance her older sister, Elsa, created between them for no reason when they were younger. However, unbeknownst to Anna, there is a good reason for it. Elsa was born with the power to control anything involving winter

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and has been trying to hide them ever since an accident involving Anna when they were children. Soon, though, it comes time for Elsa to be coronated into the throne. She manages to control her abilities at first, but things go wrong later that evening and she flees the kingdom, leaving it in an eternal winter. Anna sets off to find her, not only to mend things between them, but also to bring back summer. This movie was, in short, amazing. The animation, of course, was perfect. The songs, while not entirely traditional, were fantastic, and what I mean by that is that they aren’t exactly the sing-along songs you’d expect from a Disney animation film, but in this case, even more powerful because of it. The two main males in this story are Hans, who Anna falls for within mere

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hours on the day of her sister’s coronation to the surprise of them both, and Kristoff, a mountain man in the unfortunate ice business who is good friends with his trustee reindeer, Sven. On her quest to find Elsa, Anna enlists the help of Kristoff, his reindeer and his sleigh. I wouldn’t say there was a love triangle, but during the movie I definitely questioned how things would turn out romantically. The fact that it wasn’t painstakingly obvious who the protagonist would end up with only made “Frozen” so much better, even if it was easy for me to guess. Oh, and this Disney film included a plot twist that even I didn’t see coming. When “Frozen” comes out on DVD, it will end up in many a movie collection, including mine. I loved everything about this movie. I can’t say I was surprised when the movie met my expectations.


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NEWS

Unconventional clubs gather before dawn BY AUDREY ALTMANN

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t 7 a.m. the hallways are silent except the occasional student rushing to get to the library for a last-minute studying cram. However, there are loud sounds of upbeat music and pounding of feet coming from the dance studio. The recently established Swing Dance Club gathers every Monday at 7 a.m. to practice. The Swing Dance Club is very different from many others because “it started as just something to do for fun with friends,” senior and club member Tony Vejar said. “Then we wanted to spread the dancing to people who haven’t done it before.” Unlike other clubs, which require the official advisor or leaders to run meetings, Swing Dance Club could be run by any member. “Anyone can teach moves. The meetings don’t have an exact schedule. They are to hang out, have fun and just dance,” Vejar said. Just as early, in another room across the school, students gather every Friday to share ideas and pieces of writing. A warmup is projected onto the screen in an English classroom and the sound of frantic scribbling in notebooks is heard. “I took Creative Writing and really enjoyed the class. I also knew that lots of people at school enjoy writing and there wasn’t a place for these people to share,” junior and club co-president Maya Submaranian said. Over the summer Submaranian contacted the activities office and English teacher Stephanie Steen in order to establish the club as well as secure an advisor. “It’s a great group of students with lots of juniors,” Steen said. Each week during club meetings, members are given a genre with a writing prompt and given time to work on their ideas before sharing with the rest of the group. Any member can also share additional stories they have written outside of the club. “My favorite part of the club is being able to see everyone’s creative juices flowing and hear new, cool ideas” junior copresident Anna Metfessel said. These students come to school and participate in activities they are passionate enough about to wake up before the sun rises. Above: Juniors Zach Gordon and Erin Anderson show off their moves to other members including senior club founders Katie Sir and Tony Vejar. Left: Juniors and Writing Club leaders Anna Metfessel and Maya Submaranian direct their meeting in the early hours of the morning. Right: Seniors Lisa Chao and Austin Sparkman at Swing Dancing Club with junior Kyle Peterson looking on. The students practice different styles of swing dancing and hang out on Monday mornings. PHOTOS BY SHERIDAN SWEE

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NEWS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

NCL members volunteered for the Starkey Foundation over the summer and met the Vikings mascot during their visit. The foundation is just one organization that benefits from their charity work.

‘Believing there is good in the world’ The newly founded Minnesota chapter of National Charity League features mothers and daughters from Eden Prairie. The oraganization strives to learn and give back to the community in creative ways. BY CLAIRE JAMAR The National Charity League is a new way to get involved and give back to the community for girls around the country. “I love being in NCL because it is a fun way to spend time with my mom while giving back to our community. I am so thankful for the experiences and relationships that NCL has created for me,” said sophomore Lindsay Weliver, a member of National Charity League. This “league” is really more of a club that is made for mothers and daughters around the country. It teaches leadership, community service, good manners and allows girls to spend time with their mothers. There are many unique experiences that the girls in this club get to participate in, and learn valuable life lessons. The club is broken up into age groups, one for each grade, and they meet as a grade about once each month. There are also full group meetings with all of the members from every age group where they do activities or have speakers. Recently, for instance, they had a speaker that spoke to the group about college-readiness and how to prepare for college starting at a young age. Junior Haley Nixon said, “I like the club because we get to volunteer at really interesting events like galas for the Bel13ve foundation and the Ronald McDonald house.” These are some opportunities that girls would not otherwise be able to participate

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in if they were not a part of this club. Another member, junior Maddie Klein, says “I love NCL because it’s a great opportunity to volunteer with my mom and friends.” This national organization is present in 22 states in the U.S., and the West Lakes chapter in Minnesota was started in 2012 is the 175th and newest chapter of the National Charity League. According to the members, this club is a great experience for many girls in the area because of all the fun activities and unique opportunities.

I am the exso thankf relati periencesul for has c onships th and -Lind reated for at NCL say W m eliver e.


Eyrie Explains: Obamacare BY MAX CHAO The Patient Protection or Affordable Care Act, also known as “Obamacare”, has been the source of a lot of political controversy since President Obama came into office. Although it is widely discussed and debated, many people don’t know what exactly Obamacare does or how it affects them. The first important thing to understand about Obamacare is the individual mandate of healthcare. This means that all U.S citizens will be required to purchase health care or pay a penalty tax, if they refuse. Obamacare also plans to expand the availability of healthcare. One way this is done is by forcing insurance companies to accept anyone who wants health insurance. Regardless of their previous illness or condition, health insurance companies must accept

GRAPHIC BY KAMERON BOIKE

everyone. Also, the age of children allowed to be covered under their parents’ health insurance has been increased from 19 and under to 26 and under. Availability will be further expanded through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Americans without health insurance will be able to go online and compare various plans to find one that covers their needs and financial situation. However, those who already have health insurance will not be allowed to keep their current plan. Obamacare will be paid for through increased income taxes on all single households that make $200,000 or more per year, or married couples that make $250,000 or more per year. These are only some of the basic provisions within the 906-page Affordable Care Act. With all of the changes Obamacare is making to America’s healthcare system, it is not difficult to see why it has become one of the most controversial political topics of the last decade.

Trans fats changes not to affect district BY LAURIE LINSCOTT Eaten french fries, ice cream, pancakes and waffles, cake mixes or frosting lately? Then chances are a dangerous chemical was consumed. Trans fats are in many favorite foods, but that all could change in the coming months. Trans fats are making a transition in the U.S. With evidence showing that partially hydrogenated oils, the main source of trans fats, are neither safe nor healthy for people, there is a possibility they would no longer be allowed in foods. According to the Food and Drug Administration, trans fats greatly increase the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. The FDA has recently put out a Federal Register notice saying that partially hydrogenated oils are not “generally recognized as safe.” If this notice becomes final, it would mean that artificial trans fats would be banned in foods. While none of this research is new, action is just recently being taken and made public. The Eden Prairie School District began having this conversation about ten years ago and took action, according to food service staff member Roxan Roushar. Because the school makes a lot of its own food such as sauces and bread,

PHOTO BY SAM SCHNIRRING

These products are some foods that could be affected by the FDA trans fats changes. The district has already taken steps to rid trans fats from the food served to students. they had some control over the trans fats content within those items. The manufacturers the district uses for other items also realized that trans fats were an issue and began ridding their products of it. In 2010, the government passed new nutritional requirements for

school that required zero trans fats in the food served to students. “We’ve already attacked this problem,” said Roushar about the trans fats issues currently taking place. “Now, it’s up to the manufacturers to fix any new products they come out with.”

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SPORTS

PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

Quiz bowl superfans Yanna Gong, Claire Guinta, and Hannah Truempi, all seniors, show off their camo shirts used to encourage team members to excel.

Superfans Support Eccentric Sports BY MADDIE CHICOINE

The idea to superfan Quizbowl started as a joke between friends on the drive home from an orchestra concert this October, but soon developed into much more. Superfanning has become more and more popular for clubs and sports that traditionally lack fans. From gathering to cheer on activities like Quizbowl or figure skating, students this year are rallying in support. After the initial suggestion, fanning Quizbowl became a reality. “I made a design that weekend and then we were coming up with slogans,” said senior Hannah Truempi. Soon after, Truempi and fellow seniors Jazz Vig and Susane Cho began selling the T-shirts they had designed. The words across the front read “Wang and the gang,” after James Wang, Quizbowl’s captain and only senior. “I’m thankful that they decided to put my name on the t-shirt,” said Wang. “We’re excited to go to the meets,” said Truempi. “They’ll probably go to nationals. We’re thinking about taking a road trip to Chicago.” If Quizbowl makes it to nationals, this will be its third year in a row. The group considers themselves “positive reinforcement” for the Quizbowl team. Figure skating is another activity that lacked student fans until this school year. Senior Maddie Hoy and friends gather in the bleachers to cheer on Megan Hartle and Rachel Larson as

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PHOTO BY TOM RICHTER

Figure skating superfans strike a pose with members of the team. they glide across the ice rink. Superfanning “shows support for the teams. The players can feel more confident because they know they have the support of the school,” said Hoy. Although Hoy has only attended two competitions, she plans to continue cheering her friends on throughout the year. As a superfan, Hoy’s role is not only to watch Hartle and Larson skate, but also to make them food and show encouragement to the team. The most rewarding part of the experience so far has been “seeing them perform,” said Hoy. “I’m just really proud of them.”


Diving team makes a splash BY SAM SCHNIRRING AND HANNAH JETER Tommy Heil, freshman, starts by walking to the end of the diving board. He takes a deep breath, looks down at the green textured surface of the board, and leaps into the air. His arms make make a quick circle and end by his sides as he descends feet first into the deep end. This exercise helps improve form, a crucial step to garner points in diving competitions.

PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

Tommy Heil, freshman, shows off his diving style.

This is Heil’s second year on the team after competing for the high school as an eighth grader. “My dad used to do it,” he said on why he had chosen the sport. “I thought it looked cool.” Heil has big goals this year, including placing first in a meet. While the diving team is small, numbering only five students, it is an activity that requires much commitment. Practices run Mondays and Wednesdays after school and typically last three hours. Diving is not a painless sport, with injuries happening “a lot” according to Heil. “I smack like every day— I hit my foot on the end of the board once, it got all bloody and stuff,” he said. “It makes me more cautious for the next dive.” In Minnesota, the only judged dive in high school competition is the one meter dive. Competitors are evaluated on minimizing splash, pointed toes, and form. There are five types of dives: forward, backward, inward, reverse, and twist. The event typically takes place in the middle of a swim meet, neatly dividing the meet between the 50 free and 100 butterfly events. In the “bigger” meets such as sections, state or large invitationals, divers perform eleven dives, while in the less important meets like dual meets they execute only six dives. When diving 11 times, the competitor is scored out of seven possible points; six dives are scored out of five. Last year, Jordan Greenberg, an eighth grader at the time, was the only Eden Prairie diver to compete in the state meet. He advanced to the finals, where he placed seventh. “In finals, with the whole crowd, everybody is just watching you and it’s all in silence, and it’s just something else,” he

Upcoming Diving Meets

For more dates and locations visit eteamz.com/EPHSswimdive/ 12/23 5:30 pm at Eden Prairie Community Center 1/3 at U of M Aquatics Center 1/10 at Hopkins Junior High School North 1/17 5 pm at Eden Prairie Community Center 1/18 True Team Sections at Southview Middle School

said. This year, however, Greenberg is leaving the diving team to pursue swimming like his older brother, Aaron Greenberg, a 2013 graduate. His decision was based on his desire to score more points for the team and the subjective nature of the sport of diving. “My decision was: do I want to dive, which I like to do but it only counts as one event; or do I want to swim which is four events which also means four times as many points for the team. So I chose swimming because it’s more points for the team,” he said. Greenberg also mentioned the possible prejudice of the judges factoring into his decision. “It’s more subjective than swimming, which is also why I went over to swimming, because the other coaches that are judging may be more biased towards certain people than other coaches are.” One aspect of diving he may miss, though, is “the adrenaline rush from doing more difficult dives— it’s a lot of fun.” Meanwhile, Heil has three more years on the team to perfect his technique and improve his performance. Despite the injuries and competitiveness, he says his favorite part about diving is “the people on my team, even the swimmers.”

Spotlight Athletes J.T. Dedeaux Josie Olson

The winter sports season is starting fresh, and these two star athletes seem to have a bright future ahead of them. They spoke on their pre-game rituals for this interview.

BY JEAN-PIERRE TOSSA Senior J.T. Dedeaux is a valuable member of the varsity wrestling team. He has been wrestling for 6 years. “I warm up with short sprints, jump roping, and stretching. I don’t eat anything before the meet, but I always eat right after,” said Dedeaux.

BY JEAN-PIERRE TOSSA Senior Josie Olson is a captain of the girls varsity hockey team. She plays center and has been playing for 10 years. “I always put my left skate on first and I run with Anna Johnson before each game, who I have been playing with for years,” said Olson. PHOTO BY SHERIDAN SWEE

PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

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SPORTS

Winter Snapshots

Eyrie photographers took on winter sports; the best of the best are exhibited below with a quote from the pictured athlete. Visit theeyrie.org for more sports coverage.

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4 5 PHOTO BY THOMAS RICHTER

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1. Angie Heppelman, junior. “My favorite thing about hockey is the bonds you make with your teammates. We have each other’s backs through good and bad times.” PHOTO BY MEGAN HARTLE

2. Jacob Young, senior. “I enjoy swimming because it works different muscles and the team is really cool.” PHOTO BY KAMERON BOIKE

3. Michael Graham, sophomore. “We have a lot of good guys on the team and I think we all enjoy playing with each other.” PHOTO BY TOM RICHTER

4. Jenna Wagner, sophomore. “It’s been a great experience. My favorite part is being with my friends.” PHOTO BY SAM SCHNIRRING

PHOTO BY THOMAS RICHTER

5. Kirsten Boettcher, freshman. “I love the flies...You can be unique and do your own routines.” PHOTO BY CLAIRE JAMAR

6. Jessica Rislove, junior. “My favorite memory is getting first at our last kick meet. But what I really enjoy about dance team is that we’re like a family.” PHOTO BY MEGAN HARTLE

7. Rachel Platt, junior. “We want to win as many games as we can.” PHOTO BY CLAIRE JAMAR

Quotes collected by Sam Schnirring, Harry Pajor, Nick Reiss, and Claire Jamar

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SPORTS

Sports Rants

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BY CLAIRE JAMAR

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Multi-participation impossible

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I hate how all coaches claim to support their athletes to be involved in multiple activities and sports at the school, yet all coaches think that their sport is the most important and deserves to be put above all other activities. It is so hard to be involved in multiple things because training is non-stop and year-round for most sports, and it is unofficially required for all kids to participate in their sport all year because if they don’t, then they are looked down upon by their coaches and teammates. It is a shame that kids as young as seventh grade are being forced to choose between their two favorite sports because they have year-round training for both and it gets extremely busy and expensive.

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Quidditch: Sport and lifestyle BY GILLIAN HOLTE Quidditch has been played for thousands of years by wizards and athletes of all ages and species. Some may categorize it as a sport and some may not, but to me it is one hundred percent a sport. Players develop coordination and strength. The game takes determination and mental stability, which is more skill than some sports take. Quidditch uses four balls: the Snitch, the Quaffle, and two Bludgers. Most sports take only one ball; Quidditch is much more advanced with four balls flying around the field. Many may not think of Quidditch as a sport, but to many others it is a lifestyle.

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Inequity in distance running BY HANNAH JETER

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December 2013

One of the most glaring and ridiculous examples of sexism today exists in Minnesota high school cross country. Girls run a 4k (2.5 miles) while boys run a 5k (3.1 miles), because apparently girls cannot handle the extra .6 miles in races, even though we regularly run ten in training and more women than men now participate in marathons. This discrimination also serves to make Minnesota runners less competitive in national meets— the standard distance for Nike Cross Nationals and the Foot Locker championships, the biggest events in high school running, are 5ks, which girls never get the chance to run in the regular season. Only ten states continue to have shorter race distances for girls than for boys, evidence of exactly how behind the system is. It is clearly time for Minnesota to purge itself of this archaic piece of inequity, and move into a more enlightened future.


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December 2013

The Eyrie

19


COVER STORY

KNOW

I

YOUR

RIGHTS 20

The Eyrie

December 2013

PHOTO BY KAMERON BOIKE

WHERE THE SCHOOL DRAWS THE LINE, WHEN THE AUTHORITIES GET INVOLVED, WHAT YOU’RE ENTITLED TO AND HOW WELL YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. BY JEAN-PIERRE TOSSA

f asked, 28% of Americans would not be able to name more than one of the freedoms granted by the First Amendment, according to a survey by McCormick Tribune Foundation. Only 53.4 % of students know under what circumstances school officials are allowed to search phones according to a poll by The Eyrie. These low numbers are startling given that many people are complaining about violations of their rights by the school and the government. Most of the rights EPHS students have can be found in the student handbook. In addition, the i-Learn agreement outlines students’ rights and responsibilities in regards to the MacBook Airs. While this is obvious, many students didn’t take the time to actually read it; only 54.6% of those interviewed said they read the i-Learn agreement. There have been controversies and rumors in regards to what rights students actually have. This includes the amount of power the school has, staff accessibility to student property, how the police fit in, and how much freedom of speech students have. The Eyrie decided to get to the bottom of this by interviewing staff members and students and conducting a survey to test student knowledge of these issues. School officials did not comment on specific cases because of students’ right to privacy. The school has considerable authority on school property. “This is because of the reasonable suspicion clause,” said Principal Conn McCartan. This clause establishes that school officials can search phones and other personal items if they have enough suspicion that they will find evidence of prohibited activity or items. While this may sound like school staff can search whatever they want on a whim, they are barred from doing so by scope of search. “Evidence found outside the scope

of search cannot be admissible in court,” said McCartan. Staff members are not justified in searching a student’s belongings without reasonable suspicion. According to the Eyrie survey, 70.1% of students believe the school can punish them for behavior deemed inappropriate on social media. Contrary to popular belief, this is not true. Social media is outside of the school’s jurisdiction. The school only gets involved if the social media activity, such as a feud, spills over onto the school grounds. The only reason school officials find out about fights in social media is if someone reports it to them. “We don’t monitor students’ social media activity. We would rather not know what you do in your spare time,” said McCartan. “If somebody thinks that a Twitter fight can spill into the hallways, they come and tell us.” The police, however, will intervene if the social media activity is considered illegal for minors. “Anytime someone breaks the law, we get involved,” said police liaison Patti Vansickle. The school and Eden Prairie police work together to protect student rights and monitor violations. “The school’s coordination with police is excellent; we work so well with the deans, principal, and staff,” said Vansickle. “I couldn’t ask for it to be better.” While students are allowed their First Amendment rights to free speech, they are prohibited from some aspects of this right. According to the handbook: “Students have the right to free speech so long as such speech does not violate the rights of others.” In other words, the school cannot punish students for anything besides disruptive speech. This includes discriminatory talk, actions, writings, and other various forms of hate speech. Students need to know their rights as both citizens and members of the school. A lack of knowledge means lack of power.

December 2013

The Eyrie

21


COVER STORY

KNOW

I

YOUR

RIGHTS 20

The Eyrie

December 2013

PHOTO BY KAMERON BOIKE

WHERE THE SCHOOL DRAWS THE LINE, WHEN THE AUTHORITIES GET INVOLVED, WHAT YOU’RE ENTITLED TO AND HOW WELL YOU KNOW YOUR RIGHTS. BY JEAN-PIERRE TOSSA

f asked, 28% of Americans would not be able to name more than one of the freedoms granted by the First Amendment, according to a survey by McCormick Tribune Foundation. Only 53.4 % of students know under what circumstances school officials are allowed to search phones according to a poll by The Eyrie. These low numbers are startling given that many people are complaining about violations of their rights by the school and the government. Most of the rights EPHS students have can be found in the student handbook. In addition, the i-Learn agreement outlines students’ rights and responsibilities in regards to the MacBook Airs. While this is obvious, many students didn’t take the time to actually read it; only 54.6% of those interviewed said they read the i-Learn agreement. There have been controversies and rumors in regards to what rights students actually have. This includes the amount of power the school has, staff accessibility to student property, how the police fit in, and how much freedom of speech students have. The Eyrie decided to get to the bottom of this by interviewing staff members and students and conducting a survey to test student knowledge of these issues. School officials did not comment on specific cases because of students’ right to privacy. The school has considerable authority on school property. “This is because of the reasonable suspicion clause,” said Principal Conn McCartan. This clause establishes that school officials can search phones and other personal items if they have enough suspicion that they will find evidence of prohibited activity or items. While this may sound like school staff can search whatever they want on a whim, they are barred from doing so by scope of search. “Evidence found outside the scope

of search cannot be admissible in court,” said McCartan. Staff members are not justified in searching a student’s belongings without reasonable suspicion. According to the Eyrie survey, 70.1% of students believe the school can punish them for behavior deemed inappropriate on social media. Contrary to popular belief, this is not true. Social media is outside of the school’s jurisdiction. The school only gets involved if the social media activity, such as a feud, spills over onto the school grounds. The only reason school officials find out about fights in social media is if someone reports it to them. “We don’t monitor students’ social media activity. We would rather not know what you do in your spare time,” said McCartan. “If somebody thinks that a Twitter fight can spill into the hallways, they come and tell us.” The police, however, will intervene if the social media activity is considered illegal for minors. “Anytime someone breaks the law, we get involved,” said police liaison Patti Vansickle. The school and Eden Prairie police work together to protect student rights and monitor violations. “The school’s coordination with police is excellent; we work so well with the deans, principal, and staff,” said Vansickle. “I couldn’t ask for it to be better.” While students are allowed their First Amendment rights to free speech, they are prohibited from some aspects of this right. According to the handbook: “Students have the right to free speech so long as such speech does not violate the rights of others.” In other words, the school cannot punish students for anything besides disruptive speech. This includes discriminatory talk, actions, writings, and other various forms of hate speech. Students need to know their rights as both citizens and members of the school. A lack of knowledge means lack of power.

December 2013

The Eyrie

21


COVER STORY

Students react to school policies and procedures BY THOMAS RICHTER

Relating to Lost, Stolen or Damaged Laptops

Since the start of the school year, there have been 178 reported lost, stolen or damaged laptops to the lakeside lab in the media center. An additional 31 power cables or laptop cases have also been reported as lost. “People need to learn how to take better care of their stuff,” said an anonymous commenter. Senior Aaron Kerber also shared his thoughts, “Really, I think that was to be expected.” But perhaps the most surprising fact is that 16 of those Macbooks have been replaced at no cost to the student. Yet it says specifically in the i-Learn agreement, the contract that all current owners of school laptops were required to read and sign, that if the laptop is lost or damaged, the student is responsible for covering the replacement or repair cost. These instances are dealt with on a case to case basis said Dean Carla McCarty said that the replacement policy is nondiscriminatory, and the only laptops that have been replaced have been because of accidental damage.

Hacking and all Affiliated Activities Therein

In addition to the 178 lost, stolen, or damaged laptops, another 89 laptops have been confiscated from students, all because of a policy break, and most because of an issue related to network or software hacking. However, after a full hard drive wipe, all of these laptops have been returned to their student owners. It takes a double violation for the laptop to be permanently confiscated, and that hasn’t happened at all yet this year. This number confused senior Kyle Quillin. “I have no idea how you would even go about doing something like that, and people have done it 89 times? That’s a really high number.” However, this number wasn’t at all surprising to junior Josh Larson, who said, “Only 89? All that means is they haven’t found everybody yet. I haven’t done anything wrong, it’s just that I easily could if I really wanted to.” A junior student who admits that he has and still is hacking and breaking school policy surrounding the laptops was very upset with the way the staff has handled the release of the Macbooks. His friends at the lunch table shared his discontent, and it appeared that they all had some experience, or at least some knowledge about how to bypass security systems and how easily the school’s network or software could be hacked. The members of this cyber-savvy round table offered their thoughts, but this one junior gave the most impassioned quote; “They can’t stop us, if we want to do something with the laptops, we’re going to do it. And why do I do it? Because I can, it’s a challenge and if it works, I can do whatever I want with the computer. It’s just so laughably easy to get around anything they put up.”

Concerning Personal Devices

So many personal devices have been confiscated so far this year that an accurate number could not be given. McCarty said, “We resolve at least one or two personal device confiscations a day, and with four deans, you can get a pretty good idea.”

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December 2013

Senior Sam Jore said, “It seems like they aren’t really preventing any problem. They’re just taking phones.” That problem being that students don’t always pay attention during class. Senior Ben Williams also commented about personal devices. “You just get it back at the end of the day anyway, so what’s the point of even taking it?” “Honestly, I think they’re wasting their time,” said freshman Amir Adan. “If they did something really wrong, then it should be confiscated, but it really depends on what the person did.” The rules are all there in the handbook. Teachers themselves have their own personal policies when it comes to cellphones in class. Some don’t mind if you take it out and pop a text during class, but others will tell you absolutely not. Generally, confiscated personal devices cannot be searched unless a school official has reasonable suspicion that a piece of the school’s policy has been broken. “Yes I think that they should be able to take away your stuff if they have suspicion, but if something is majorly wrong going on, I still think they should get the police involved first,” said a student who did not wish to be identified. Principal Conn McCartan had this to say about reasonable suspicion: “We never look without a reason, if we’re looking, it’s because something took us there.” Controversial actions of school officials are often discussed by students at school. For example, a few months back, it was rumored that a student was caught dealing drugs in school after his phone was confiscated. And last year, after the “Harlem Shake” deal, the gossip mill went wild with stories of students having their phones confiscated and videos deleted. The videos are all still available to watch on youtube, however. But with a policy like reasonable suspicion, there is potential for a gray area surrounding the policy. Adan said, “If a responsible person has witnessed another person doing something illegal, I think they should have the right to search them. But at the same time, reasonable suspicion itself is kind of flawed. It has a potential to be biased because it’s based on the witness and their testimony.” Williams said, “Reasonable suspicion could be anything. You could be sitting alone in the computer lab with your laptop and a water bottle and they could call that reasonable suspicion.” This is where case law comes in; with case law, each event is dealt with separately, said McCarty. Laws and school policies are applied to determine whether or not the action was illegal or policy breaking, and whether or not the steps taken to get the evidence were lawful and adherent to school policy. The outcomes of these cases are used to tweak the rules to make them more effective at dealing with and preventing further issues, she said. “It’s people just not being smart,” said senior Alex Burnett, “If you take it out when your teacher tells you not to, and it gets taken away, it’s your own fault.” Through it all, there is one good thing about school policy and rules: Nothing is hidden. Compared to many other legal documents, the student handbook is clear and easy to follow. Reading the handbook and the i-learn agreement, and not just acknowledge it’s existence, could save you a whole lot of trouble in the grand scheme of things.


School poll

Q:

“I think when it comes to Twitter and social media networks I don’t think the school has the right to use that against students because that goes against freedom of speech because Twitter is directly connected to the school and they have no right to use that.” -Alex Bausch, senior

BY MAX CHAO

When it comes to issues or debates of any importance, people usually disregard the opinions of teenagers. This issue, however, affects the students most of all. Some students share their opinion on students rights; does the school do too much, too little or just enough?

“I think that the school shouldn’t be stalking students, but they should monitor some stuff to make sure they’re not cyber-bullying or anything. I think that the school is doing a good job of just monitoring and not stalking.” -Maya Zimmerman, freshman

“I think they monitor us too much because they shouldn’t be able to know what we’re saying outside of school. Well, I don’t care if they know I just don’t think it should have any repercussions in school because if it doesn’t happen in school it’s not really their jurisdiction as far as I’m concerned. If I say something in school, even if it’s on the Internet and I’m not saying it to someone else’s face, then I think it’s within their power but if I say something on my own time, that’s not the school’s business.” -Isaiah Baker, senior

“I think that the school strikes a pretty good balance. I think that because we are interested in student safety, we have to acknowledge that we need to monitor certain aspects of student activity. However, we also don’t want to create a nanny state. You have to look at that balance, but I think the school does a pretty good job on that.” -Josh Axtman, teacher “I think they do a good enough amount, what they’re doing right now is just fine. I think they strike a good balance on social media as well.” -Amir Mashad, sophomore

“I think that they watch us more closely than they used to because of more technology. They are trying to give us more freedom by giving us laptops, but they are taking away our responsibility by monitoring us closer.” -Joe Hines, sophomore

What you know: The Eyrie created a quiz about school rights that was taken by a random selection of students who answered true or false to the following questions. The percentage shown on the left represents the number of students who answered correctly. 1. The school is allowed to monitor students’ activity on the Macbook Airs. True: 119 False: 25

82%

correct answer: True

2. School officials are allowed to search students’ phones with reasonable suspicion. True: 77 False: 62 rue: 82% False:

53%

correct answer: True

3. Students can be punished for inappropriate or aggressive behavior on social media. True: 122 False: 50

70%

correct answer: True

4. The school has the right to monitor files and internet activity on the school network and internet. True: 125 False: 29

81%

correct answer: True

99%

5. The school district has the right to monitor students’ cellular activity with no reason. True: 10 False: 108

correct answer: False

38%

6. The school is allowed to search lockers with no reason or warrant. True: 56 False: 88

correct answer: True

December 2013

The Eyrie

23


OPINION

Staff Editorial: Budget changes could hurt school, students

T

he results of this year’s election voiced the approval of the technology levy. While the operating levy was rejected, signifying that budget cuts will be made. These decisions will modify the high school regarding downsizing and the use of technology. Eden Prairie students have gone to school with the block schedule for dozens of years. It has been stated by the district that budget cuts at the high school would include the elimination of the schedule. This would drastically change the environment of the building during the 20152016 school year. Administrators should be cautious of making long-term decisions that could hinder students’ learning later on. A unique quality of the block schedule is that students have the opportunity to take a larger amount of electives than students in surrounding districts. Having 16 credits a year allows students to take required classes as well as maintain a balance with fun, interesting electives. If the school day were changed to a six or seven period day, four would be filled with required core classes, for example, english and math. Due to the fact that nearly every student takes some type of foreign language class, another period is filled for the entire school year. Popular classes such as band, choir and orchestra would be reduced in size as a result of less students having room in their schedules for year-long electives. The shorter period will allow less time for members of these classes to effectively use their time in practice. While these types of electives are purely diminished in size, others may be discarded by the district completely. Various classes that are not deemed “necessary” could be excluded from registration or turned into extracurricular activities. The Eyrie has concluded that its class

24

The Eyrie

could not function properly during a six period day and all work would have to be done outside of school hours. Similarly, The Eagle yearbook staff as well as members of the Eagle Vision News class would be presented with the identical conflict. Finding and maintaining a balance between vital, education classes and interesting, entertaining electives is important for students to understand. Some “nonessential” classes are purely for amusement; the few mentioned above can teach valuable skills that can’t be obtained

and most classrooms. Integrating more technology this year has been a transition throughout the school. However, the most frustrating part hasn’t been about the laptops themselves. This generation has been exposed to vastly more technology than any others previous. But, this doesn’t mean that every child is completely proficient in all aspects of cyberspace. Many teachers expect his or her students to know exactly how certain software or websites work, without any

ARTWORK BY VEERA VASANDANI

in a conventional classroom setting. Student-run classes teaches students responsibility, leadership and teamwork. The opportunity to learn these characteristics declines in classes that are based off of textbooks and note taking. Unique classes such as these are another example of how Eden Prairie is different, and successful in that deviation from the norm. It is advisable that the district finds a different way to reduce the budget of the high school in order to keep valuable assets that accompany the block schedule. The operating levy currently in place will expire after the 2014-2015 school year. Although one levy of the referendum was rejected, the other, relating to technology, was voted in favor of. The distribution this year of MacBook Airs to every student has been a generally successful addition to the curriculum

December 2013

proper instruction. Not all blame can be placed on teachers; Multiple teachers struggle the same way students do. They also were not given complete instruction on how every part of the new technology operates. The technology levy has been approved to produce $5.7 million each year. One of the best ways to spend this money, as well as a large amount of time, would be to completely and thoroughly train all teachers how to use the certain programs for their subject matter and curriculum. Improvements can change how this school currently operates. Other changes can disregard what students want and what would allow them to thrive. Changes in scheduling and technology can shift how this school functions. Adjusting to new technology is for the best, but extensively throwing out the old ways is not.


I’m Just Sayin’: Oversharing through social media Madness hidden in the method BY VEERA VASANDANI Spreadsheets? Yes. Color-coding? Yep. Constant cleaning? Check. Incessant list making? You bet. In a few simple weeks, my life went from being a dull, haphazard disarray to a series of brightly-colored notes and color-coded categories. Truth be told, it all started with a pack of green and purple pens. After realizing how nice my notes looked after adding only a little bit of color, I decided to buy a few highlighters. The box of highlighters somehow led to the purchase of assorted sticky notes, a king-sized box of colored pencils and piles upon piles of dividers and folders. However, I became so enthralled in planning and organizing my work that I never actually got any of it done. My homework became something like a teenage pop star: all charming panache and pretty looks, but no real substance. Soon, color-coding my notes turned into color-coding my closet, and that somehow escalated to color-coding the mini-fridge in a friend’s basement. Once I realized how much easier life could be with order to it, I was sent into a cleaning, color-coding and categorizing frenzy. Organizing things, whether it be my closet, my hair or my friend’s mini-fridge, seemed like the only thing I had control over in my life. I fear, however, I may have taken it too far. Instead of going to Uptown with my friends last Friday,I stayed at home to finish up a spreadsheet (for fun!). It never occurred to me that being organized could be a serious problem, until that fateful day when I stayed in my room for hours alphabetizing my bookshelf and placing my shampoo bottles on the bathroom shelf in order of height. When I finally looked at the clock, it was three in the morning; I had spent seven hours in some sort of clutterinduced fugue state. I fear I may be spiraling down into a dark path involving late nights and college spreadsheets. Somebody please help me bring disorder back into my life. This is a rotating column written by a different, opinionated staff member each issue.

“Babe, I love you so much @girlfriend.” No one cares. Some couples are so caught up in their relationship that they don't even realize how much they are affecting others' lives. To be clear, there is zero need to excessively tweet at “that one person.” To begin, two types of social media couples exist: the Romeos and Juliets and the Attention Seekers. The Romeos and Juliets are the ones who overuse the word “baby.” Let’s face the truth, that word has the power to make a whole sentence creepy. They are also the ones to update their followers with a picture of their boyfriend or girlfriend everyday of the week. Even if the pictures are cute, all of your followers will be thinking, “Wow thank you for tweeting that #SaidNoOneEver.” On the the other hand, there are the Attention Seekers. These couples are worse. These are the couples who strive to be in the spotlight 24/7. They also are the ones who immediately think when they break up, “Let's go start a fight on Twitter.” What better way is there to get pity and favorites at the same time? #ManyOtherWays. I wonder if these couples realize they are breaking up simply because their whole relationship is social media. “You were the worst thing that had ever happened to me;” actually, your tweets are the worst things that have ever happened to me. Twitter was not made for you to gain popularity on your breakup tweets. Diaries exist for a reason and are sold at any Target if needed. Don't be one of these couples. Save us all from the annoyance and keep your personal life, personal.

Recognize visionaries in their lifetime BY MADDIE CHICOINE

Humans continue to remain skeptics of their world. This doubt causes a slowing Fame may be fleeting, but it seems that in the evolution of society. People refuse the best way any artist, writer or musician to acknowledge the beauty in something can gain publicity is to die. Perhaps this different, or the brilliance in a revolutionary can be accredited to human's perpetual idea. fascination with death. Perhaps, after With an open mind, many things in the hearing of world have, and the deceased, will continue people take an to change. interest and All citizens a moment to of the world type the newly must keep an discovered open mind, name into allowing new Google’s search perspectives to bar. creep into their It is consciences. important to If society question why throughout these nowhistory had famous artists subscribed were discovered to this policy, too late. SCREENSHOT artists like Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night For many, Vincent Van it was society's rejection of new ideas. The Gogh and authors like Jane Austen would closed-minded publishers that declined have been rewarded and recognized. printing a great book. The critics who Perhaps with an open mind, the visionaries disliked artistic changes in style and of today will be given the acknowledgement subject. they deserve during their lifetime, not after.

December 2013

The Eyrie

25


OPINION

Point/Counterpoint: Nuclear po Viable energy BY VEERA VASANDANI The shift to nuclear energy is the most efficient stepping stone to a cleaner world. Nuclear power is far safer than any of the other practical contemporary alternatives. Human-caused climate change and air pollution remain major global-scale problems and are both due mostly to fossil fuel burning. An effort and direction toward change must be made in order to reduce such problems. The shift to cleaner air and efficient energy can be accomplished largely with currently available low-carbon and carbonfree alternative energy sources like nuclear power and renewables, as well as energy efficiency improvements. However, it is proven that nuclear power prevents more deaths than it causes. According to a recent study conducted by NASA, nuclear power prevented an average of over 1.8 million deaths between 1971 and 2009, and potentially millions more within the next few decades. Fossil fuels currently supply 71% of US power. These plants are dangerous, they spew permanent toxins into the air and water, are a major contributor to climate change, and cause thousands of deaths each year. On the other hand, nuclear waste is one of the few kinds of waste that gets less toxic over time, unlike wastes from other power sources, like arsenic and mercury. In one-person’s lifetime, nuclear power produces about a soda can's worth

Toxic hazard of waste. In that same amount of time, the use of coal produces 68 tons of solid waste, and 77 tons of CO2. Nuclear reactors also take up a tiny amount of geographical space. A nuclear plant producing one gigawatt takes up less than 1/3 of a square mile, whereas a wind farm generating equivalent power would have to cover more than 200 square miles and a solar array would have to cover 50 square miles. It is safe to say that nuclear energy is not only less harmful and more practical, but it also serves as a viable source of environmentallyfriendly energy. The International Atomic Energy Agency did a study in 2000 on total emissions of various power sources. Nuclear energy is on par with wind and hydraulic power, about twice as clean as solar, six times as clean as coal, ten times as clean as natural gas, and twenty-seven times cleaner than coal as we burn it presently. All in all, nuclear power is a practical, green source of energy that should be utilized in modern times.

Student poll

BY SAM SCHNIRRING Despite its supporters claiming that nuclear power provides a cheap and safe alternative to fossil fuels, nuclear power presents a multitude of problems in its own right and should not be lauded as some sort of miracle energy source. The most obvious problem is the matter of the nuclear waste that this energy source produces. The radioactive waste is stored in large concrete basins, which remain radioactive for thousands of years and are not biodegradable. Space to store this byproduct is quickly running out, and in 2009 the Kewaunee plant reported storing waste dangerously close to Lake Michigan. In addition, the toxic byproducts created means that the land these plants and containers are built on can never be reused. Nuclear power’s status as a ‘clean’ source of energy is also questionable. The uranium that is used in the plants must

The Eyrie asked students “Do you think that Nuclear Power is a safe, alternative energy source?

GRAPHIC BY KAMERON BOIKE

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December 2013


ower usage College tuition costs need to get under control BY LAURIE LINSCOTT be mined, and the mining waste contains radium. Radium is highly radioactive and releases radon gas when it decays, exposing the people in nearby communities to lung cancer and lymphoma. There is also not an infinite supply of uranium, meaning that eventually it will run out and a new energy source will need to be found. Nuclear power only prolongs the energy problem the world is currently facing. Supporters of nuclear power also say that it is cheaper than other energy sources, but this fact is usually based on the affordability of uranium itself and does not take into account the expense of building and maintaining the plants, the long-term storage of waste and the hiring and keeping of skilled labor. Adding in these factors brings the cost much closer to that of wind and solar energy, which are safer and more environmentally-friendly options. Also, when dealing with nuclear power, accidents can and do happen. Meltdowns have occurred, and contaminated water has reached drinking wells. Over 20 of the reactors in the U.S are built in the aging style of the Fukushima plant, and four plants are built on seismic fault lines in California. While this situation is asking for trouble, a disaster does not even have to occur to render nuclear power unsafe. The Energy Justice Network found that cases of breast cancer and childhood leukemia were 10 times above the national average in counties within a 50-mile radius of nuclear reactors. And the “riskiest” plant in the U.S., according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission? The nuclear reactor on New York’s Indian Point, a mere 35 miles from the largest city in the nation. Nuclear power harms the environment, produces tons of waste and poses health and safety risks to people all over the world. While it is celebrated as the next best thing in renewable energy, it’s just not worth the risk.

College, college, college. As a senior, that’s practically all I hear about. Where are you going? Where did you apply? What do you want to study? The questions people have about college are seemingly endless. And the one big question is how does somebody pay for college? Most seniors can relate to the shock of discovering just how much going to college costs. First, there’s the application fees and the fee for sending in your scores and transcripts. Once you’re admitted, the New Student Fee. Then, the big bills roll in: the tuition, the housing, the dining and the books. Plus, the costs of any furniture, technology and everyday things. It adds up. I knew it would be expensive, but not as expensive as it actually is. The hard truth is, college is too expensive. There are a wide range of prices for a college education. These can range from practically nothing, which is rare, to well over $60,000 per year. For public fouryear schools, students pay an average of approximately $20,000 in the US. At

private schools, that average is about $35,000. Now multiply those numbers by four. Or if you don’t finish in four years, as many students do not, multiply them by five or even six. It’s a ridiculous amount of money that students will be paying for the rest of their lives. Is it necessary for students to pay all those fees and that amount of money for an education? The cost of college has got to get under control, especially in this economy because many people cannot currently afford college. If the US wants more educated citizens, there needs to be more affordable education so people can actually get the schooling necessary for today’s workforce. Plus, as tuition rises each year, it gets more and more expensive and leaves more students with a load of debt. At what point does it end? Will costs rise until there’s so many issues with it that the government creates a program to cover education costs as was done for health care? It’s something to think about. As this issue becomes more prominent, there needs to be some nationwide solutions happening.

The goal of making money overwhelms idea of happiness BY ELIZABETH KENYON We graduate, we go to college and we get a high paying job. This path is implied for almost every high school student. It’s just what we do, right? Whatever career you choose, the goal is to make as much money as you can so that you will never be without, so you can have everything you could possibly want, isn’t it? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with making money; we need it to live. There is just a difference between what we need and going overboard with the things we want. However, believe me when I say I’m not encouraging ditching college for a parttime job. I’m simply pointing out that there are things to think about in regards to striving to make as much money as you want. For instance, let me throw this question out there: Can money really make someone happy? Yes, I know everyone has heard that before, but think it through. We

should realize by now that with money comes the ability to buy what we want and when more and more new and updated products come out, we will only be able to chase that satisfaction of having the newest, the greatest. ThIS is called materialism. It doesn’t make anyone happy. In fact, it does the exact opposite because people will never be satisfied with what they have. Instead of making as much money as you can, why not just make as much as you need? If people did that, then not only would they be able to actually enjoy life, not working all the time, but they also wouldn’t be in danger of getting caught up in the trap of always wanting more. I completely understand why people would want to make an abundance of money. I mean, who wouldn’t want the opportunity to get what they want, when they want it, no matter the price? There’s nothing wrong with that, just when people think they’re life will be complete from it.

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OPINION

High school stereotypes

The misconceptions of different social groups are proven false BY CLAIRE JAMAR

“Wall Kids,” “Vendies, “Nerds.” These are all different groups that high school students are all familiar with. These groups are created based on stereotypes that exist in all high schools, because it is human nature to want to judge one another, especially during the adolescent years of high school. This has been a problem for generations passed, and will continue to be a problem for generations to come. The actual groups may vary slightly between different schools, but they all have a commonality of people unfairly judging their peers. “Wall kids” have a bad reputation of being sporty, stuck up and popular kids who take up too much room in the hallway. “The Vendies” have the reputation to be scary and alternative kids who are really artistic. And “the nerds” are known as the kids who only care about school and never have any fun. I am currently a junior, and if I have learned anything so far at EPHS that I know I will take with me after high school, is that these stereotypes could not be more incorrect. I know nice and smart “Vendie” kids who aren't in the slightest bit scary if you take the

She Said

She said

BY MEGAN HARTLE AND VANNA BOLLIER Megan Hartle: Hey, what did you do over Thanksgiving break? Vanna Bollier: I went to the Mall of America with my family. How about you? MH: I had a nice Thanksgiving dinner with my family and went to the championship football game! VB: Cool! There wasn’t very much time though. MH: Yeah I guess, but I think it was the perfect length for a little break from school. VB: Well I didn’t really have enough time to do much. I only got to spend four days with my sisters. MH: True, but you will get to spend a lot more time with them during our extended winter break. VB: Oh and the winter break is huge! It’s

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We are all complex beings with many sides and interests, and the truth is, we are all a little bit of a ‘wall kid,’ a ‘vendie’ and a ‘nerd.’

time to get to know them. I know “wall kids” who actually donate a lot of time to volunteer organizations, and also get straight A’s. I know “nerds” who enjoy extra curricular activities, plus are some of the most fun and active kids at our school. I think high-schoolers group their peers this way because they think it makes everyone more predictable and easy to understand, but nobody is that simple. We are all complex beings with many sides and interests, and the truth is, we are all a little bit of a “wall kid,” a “vendie” and a “nerd.” Everyone in this high school is prejudged based on superficial and shallow reasoning, and all of us are both a victim and a culprit of this judgement weather we admit it or not, we all need to stop judging our peers based on the physical characteristics that they posses, or the reputation given to them, because you are only limiting yourself from meeting interesting and special people. I think if all of us gave the most unexpected people a chance in our lives it would help us grow as people, and make EPHS an even more unique and interesting high school.

Grateful for the longer winter break? more than two weeks! We should have a few more days off for Thanksgiving break and a week and a half for winter break. MH: I like having a super long winter break, you can go on a vacation with your family. I think I might go to my cabin! VB: Well I mean it might be cool and all but I think that the Thanksgiving break is too short and the winter break is too long. I like the length of the winter break, but I just don’t understand why the Thanksgiving break is so short. I mean two days? Really? MH: I see where you feel like the break is really short, but I think it’s better to have a larger chunk of time off for winter break so families have time to visit relatives that live out of town for the various holidays. VB: Yeah, but what about Thanksgiving? It’s a day set aside for families to get together and watch the football game and have a big dinner.

December 2013

MH: Since Thanksgiving day is at the beginning of our break if people have family come visit they can still stay for about three days and then they can come back for longer over winter break. VB: That takes a lot of money and some people don’t have the time. MH: Also, winter break includes more than just religious holidays, New Years is towards the end of winter break. VB: Yeah, that makes sense. MH: Well, either way I know we can both agree that it doesn’t really matter when we have break as long as we get lots of school off! VB: I agree that if we get time off of school to spend with our families then everything is good. This is a rotating debate written by two Eyrie staff members.


Football doesn’t need all your love BY THOMAS RICHTER

Football, football, football. It’s always about football. Every Sunday is football day, Monday is football night, and on Thursday you get a little extra dose of football to hold you over before football day. Why am I not surprised that the top five most watched Television events in US history are all Super Bowl games. But then nobody bats an eyelash when the Blackhawks win the Stanley cup in an amazing six game series, or when the city of Boston, still recovering from the terrorist act surrounding the Boston Marathon, rallies behind their beloved baseball team who go on to win the World Series. And make no mistake, I love football. I love every single thing about it. I’m not going to deny that it’s a fun sport to watch. It’s just that I get a little worried when all my friends and I ever seem to talk about is dem Vikes’ or doze Seahawks. Or whose on track to make it to the Superbowl. I didn’t think I would enjoy watching the MLS semifinals when I happened to

Percentage out of 260 million viewers watching championship sports games

Compiled from multiple web sources

Opinionettes

GRAPHIC BY KAMERON BOIKE

stumble upon it broadcasting on ESPN3, but it was great. I love getting cheap tickets to Minnesota Wild games or Timberwolves games, or in the least tuning into them on TV. I keep up with F1 and Nascar. Even golf or tennis can be entertaining to flip to during a commercial break. Seriously, if you’re argument for not watching hockey on TV is “I can never see the puck,” it’s not time to find a new sport to watch, it’s time to find a new TV. Going to a basketball games puts you in one of the most tense and exciting atmospheres of any sport. And if Nascar doesn’t do it for you, there are a hundred other kinds of racing where the track isn’t a circle and the race doesn’t go on for hours and hours. Can’t say I’m much of a horseracing fan though. So next Monday. Football night. Grab your snacks and drinks and park yourself in front of the TV. Yes, Hank Williams Junior, I am ready for some football. Football with a little Wild Hockey on the previous channel and the Timberwolves just a few button pushes away.

Misunderstanding of pitbulls Don’t do it for the Vine BY HANNAH BELONGIE

BY LUCI BESSINGER

Do you know which breed of dogs is statistically proven to bite the most? Most people would guess pitbulls, rottweilers or German shepherds. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that dachshunds and chihuahuas were the most aggressive. Pitbulls and rottweilers scored average or below average for hostility toward strangers. And yet, in cities like Denver, pitbulls and even dogs that look like Pit bulls are outlawed. My family has a pitbull named Nolan, and he is the sweetest “lap dog” we PHOTO BY HANNAH BELONGIE have ever had, because he doesn’t have an aggressive bone in his body. We adopted him from Secondhand Hounds, a rescue organization in Edina, where hundreds of pitbulls are in need of a home. Maybe instead of buying your thousand dollar designer dog, you might consider adopting one of these wonderful family dogs. It will be a choice you won’t regret.

“Vine, a place to create and share beautiful looping videos.” This company's slogan is definitely not supporting what it is truly proclaiming. A more honest slogan would be, “Vine, an app to film yourself setting a building on fire, running over your kids with your car and even breaking your neck.” Society is so overly obsessed with the idea of “likes,” that they are willing to do brainless things to obtain them. For example, a man named Obi Nwosu tried to jump a moving car. In short, the Vine ended with him in the back of an ambulance. Society needs to regain its saneness and stop humiliating themselves over Vine. So everyone, Don't Do It For The Vine if “it” means stupidity.

Importance of securing a job in high school BY NICK REISS Everyone’s life revolves around having a good career. Even though getting a job after college is very crucial in being successful, I believe having a job during high school is almost as important. When people get a job, they tend to act more mature. Getting a job gives responsibilities, but is a sign of maturity. Getting a first job shows readiness to be on your own, and the ability to keep an organized calendar. College is where you start becoming your own person. A job will help you communicate, and learn to be on your own.

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PROFILE

A Modern-Day Renaissance Woman

Well-rounded, modest and charismatic, senior Sienna Ramos is a hopeful glimpse into future generations

H

BY MEGAN HARTLE

igh school experiences are some of the most challenging and rewarding events in our lives. These experiences lead to what students choose to pursue after college. It is great when accomplished students are honored and commended for their hard work and dedication to their studies. Senior Sienna Ramos is a great example of a dedicated student who is already working above and beyond to accomplish a lot in computer science. Ramos has recently been recognized for her accomplishments in computer science. She was involved in two programs called Mostec and Trailblazers. Since she was young, Ramos has been interested in science. “I didn’t really like math until seventh grade,” Ramos said. These interests continue to reflect in the classes she is currently taking through her PSEO program. She is taking Russian, Multivariable Calc, Asian Art History and Neuroscience and also took many AP courses at the high school, including AP Calculus. Most students would look at this schedule and wonder how she is still alive, but Ramos handles her schedule well and has time for other interests. “Sienna works hard under pressure. Things have to be due in order for her to work hard. She can work on procrastinating less,” said Julia Ramos, Sienna’s mother. While Ramos and her mother feel that she has a procrastination problem, her friends think otherwise. When her friends describe Ramos’s work ethic, they say she is organized and on top of everything. But overall she is just like any other high school student letting senior slide take over some days. Ramos isn’t strictly interested in math and science. From the age of six she played

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December 2013

piano and continues to play for fun. She attended the FAIR school for performing arts from fourth through eighth grade. She is on the board for the PSEO student association at the University of Minnesota. In addition, she is a member of the speech team and physics club at Eden Prairie. “It’s important for me to still stay involved in our school,” she said. All of Ramos’ experiences have helped her get to where she is now. Before being accepted to the Google Trailblazer program, Ramos first applied for a program called Mostec. “My mom told me about the program and suggested that I should consider applying,” Ramos said. Mostec is a free program where students can take online courses in science engineering and computer science. The application process consisted of six essays and other general questions. Test scores, such as the PSAT were also considered in order to select the most accomplished students. The top 8-10% of applicants are accepted to the Mostec program. “I applied for Mostec in January and found out shortly after that I was accepted,” said Ramos. On November 17th Ramos returned from her visit to Google Headquarters. 20 students were nominated from the Mostec program to be a part of the Google Trailblazer program. The Trailblazer program is made up of high school leaders and ambassadors in computer science education. “While we were at Google Headquarters, I was able to talk with other students from around the world about different computer science topics,” Ramos said. Ramos has been able to connect with WOMAN continued on pg. 32>>


PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

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PROFILE

The Secret Life of Sienna Ramos >> She has played piano since she was six >>Ramos won awards for Mostec and Google Trailblazers >>She got to spend a week at Google Headquarters >>Ramos is in the PSEO program >>She is on the speech team and is in physics club >>Sienna will be attending MIT in the class of 2018

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<< WOMAN continued from pg. 31 other students and other accomplished people involved in the computer science field. “I didn’t have a specific role model, but I have always wanted to find a role model that is similar to me. Through this program, I found other Hispanic people that I look up to now,” Ramos said. “The group of students was mostly made up of minorities which made the experience more interesting.” This is an ongoing program that continues on after their stay at Google. The students are encouraged to keep in touch online a few times a week where they continue to explore many aspects of computer science. “Sometimes I just go online to chat with my friends,” Ramos said. “I get to talk to other students from all over the world who have similar interests.” Although chat rooms online give the

students an opportunity to connect over long distances, Ramos was able to attend a leadership conference in the summer of 2013 at MIT. She learned about all sorts of different topics alongside other students that have the same passion as her. After the conference, Ramos was notified that she had been nominated to the Google Trailblazer program due to her success at Mostec. Ramos reflected on how the programs have impacted her: “It taught me more about what I want to do in the future. I met so many new students and I have been involved in so many new experiences throughout this program.” These experiences have impacted Ramos’ life and will shape her future after college. She is the epitome of a high school student who shows passion and dedication to her studies. Sienna Ramos recently announced she will be attending MIT next year, as a part of the class of 2018.

*

PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

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December 2013


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FEATURE

Something borrowed: BY CLAIRE JAMAR

Too hard to return

E

verybody has that one item that they absolutely adore… but doesn’t belong to them. Something you borrow from a friend or family member that you just can’t seem to give back. Juniors Katie Vollmer, Caroline Liang, Krista Kronlokken and Haley Nixon are four girls who share the love of a special borrowed item. Katie:

The necklace that Katie is wearing is a piece borrowed from her mom. This necklace is timeless and will be in style for generations to come.

Krista:

Krista rocked her favorite borrowed item at the homecoming formal dance this year. Her dress was borrowed from former EP Eagle, Brooke Schweiters. PHOTO BY MEGAN HARTLE

Caroline:

Caroline is sporting a pair of pink high-wasted shorts that she borrowed from her friend Amanda. Amanda attends Edina High School, and even though she’s a hated Hornet, she sure has cute style.

Haley:

Haley is wearing sweatpants that she borrowed from her friend, Chloe Martin. Haley has had these comfy sweats for almost a year. She describes them as “The most comfortable sweatpants she’s ever had”…. Good luck getting those back, Chloe! Photo submitted

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PHOTO BY CLAIRE JAMAR

PHOTO BY CLAIRE JAMAR


Tom Talks Tech:

Charge Your Phone In Seconds BY THOMAS RICHTER

With this amazing material, you can charge your phone in just seconds. And did I mention that charge could last you weeks, not hours? It’s a little something called graphene. It’s the same thing that’s in your average pencil, except it’s been stretched out until it’s only one atom thick. At a microscopic level, those atoms arrange themselves into thin, honeycomb-shaped sheets. That’s all well and good, but what does it mean? Well, here’s where things get really cool. Graphene is pound for pound over a hundred times stronger than steel. It’s over a million times more electrically conductive than copper, and unlike copper, graphene can store that electricity, not just transport it. When you put a thin layer of silicon on top of it, graphene becomes photovoltaic, meaning it can absorb energy from the sun like a solar panel. Because it can be spread so thin, it can be applied in layers that are nearly transparent. You could literally just lay this stuff on top of your house paint, and with a little wiring magic, your house could generate a some of it’s own electricity. Scientists have been able to synthesize small amounts of graphene using only a DVD player and liquid graphite, so it’s cheap. There’s just one big problem. Scientists have yet to figure out how to mass produce it, so right now, graphene is something that only research laboratories can produce and use. But once they figure that out, the possibilities for this stuff are endless.

How? - Graphene Supercapacitors. What?- A one atom thick superconductive hexagonal carbon lattice. When? - Large scale production of this stuff could start within the decade. How much? - It’s graphite, so it’s going to be cheaper than whatever you have now. No kidding? - No kidding. Sure there’s the cell phone thing, but that’s just a petty novelty compared to everything else. Electric cars would finally become practical. Solar cells painted on the exterior of every building. Lay some down on your glasses, and they won’t break when you drop them. Spray it on a stop sign, and graffiti would slide right off. And theoretically, that same stoplight that’s been doused in transparent graphene could also generate a little electricity. Computers could increase dramatically in processing power. Bridges and roads and buildings that are stronger and last longer. All of that being done by just one compound. Graphene is so overpowered. It’s just amazing to think of all the different ways this stuff is going to change everything once we finally figure it out.

GRAP HIC B

Y KA

MER ON B OIKE

This will be a recurring column by staff writer Thomas Richter.

15 things about

CALLEY HAGEN

BY LUCI BESSINGER

8. “Wicked” is her favorite musical

1. Runs her own cupcake business

9. Has an obsession with fuzzy socks

2. Has eaten alligator

10. Her grandpa was in World War II

3. Giraffe is her favorite exotic animal

11. Has been to the Dominican Republic

4. Sews her own clothes

12. Hates spicy food

5. Her cousin is a model

13. Wants to live in New York City

6. Has been to 15 weddings

14. Has never worn sweatpants to school

7. Blake Lively is her WCW

15. Wants to work in fashion

PHOTO BY VIVIEN YUE

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FEATURE

6

Wonderful winter workouts

These are quick, simple exercises that use no equipment and can be done almost anywhere. Do the exercises continuously, and after you’ve completed all seven take a two-minute break and then repeat two to three times. The number of reps can be easily modified to suit your fitness level. Gradually add more as you get stronger!

3

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SAM SCHNIRRING 1. Squat (15-20 reps) Stand tall with feet spread slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Hold your arms out in front of you, brace your abs, and keep your torso upright while lowering your body as far as you can by bending your knees and pushing your hips back. 2. V-sit (30 second hold) Lie on your back with arms at your sides. Lift both legs about an inch off of the floor and hold while keeping your upper body flat on the ground. 3. Incline Push-Up (12-15 reps) Assume push-up position with your hands on a stair or other raised surface to put your body at an angle. Make sure to keep your body rigid while doing the push-ups, and lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. 4. Medicine Ball Twists (45 second hold) Sit on your tailbone with your feet several inches off the ground. Twist your entire torso from side to side, touching your hands on the ground on either side. This can be done while holding a medicine ball, or it can be done without.

7

1 4

Junior Micayla Batchlar and sophomore Teagan Andis demonstrate the excersises.

5. Bridge (10 reps) Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tighten your abs and slowly raise your hips off of the ground until they form a straight line from shoulders to knees. Pause before lowering your hips.

5

6. Plank (60 second hold) Hold yourself face down off of the ground on your elbows and toes. Keep your back completely straight while holding. 7. Superman (8-12 reps) Lie facedown on the floor and slowly lift your arms and legs off the ground. Keep your arms near your ears. Slowly move up and down as you inhale and exhale.

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2


Bundle up...it’s getting cold! BY GILLIAN HOLTE

As fall rapidly turns into winter, the walk from the school lots become brutal. The wind picks up and the temperature drops too low for us to handle. We students need to stick together to survive the harsh Minnesota winter walks from the lots. Here are some tips to staying nice and warm on the cold winter days. 1. Wear mittens- Our hands freeze up and become a shade of red that tend to stay with us through the day. Make sure to wear mittens to prevent cold, dry hands. 2. Walk with friends- When walking with friends, you tend to stay close to one another. You share body heat and warmth. Just huddle as a group and stay close. 3. Carry a hot beverage- When holding a hot tea or coffee, you can feel the warmth through the mug and your hands tingle with the heat. 4. Fuzzy socks- Wearing fuzzy socks can keep your toes nice and warm. You don’t have to be a girl to enjoy the softness of a good pair of fuzzy socks.

5. Penguin Shuffle- We know the sidewalks gets icy with melting snow and Minnesota’s temperatures. The penguin shuffle is small shuffle steps to keep yourself from falling. 6. Hand warmers/Toe warmers- We wear hand warmers and toe warmers to football games and playing in the snow. Why not add walking into school to the list? 7. Wear a knit scarf - Wrapping a knit scarf around your neck and nuzzling your nose into the soft yarn can keep the wind and cold away. A bright red nose can show off your Holiday spirit by reminding everyone of their favorite reindeer, Rudolph. 8. Walk backwards- Though it might seem silly, Minnesota wind is tough to face. Walking backwards helps keep your face from freezing and icicles from forming. 9. Make your Mom drive and drop you off at the door- If it is so cold outside and you feel you would not make it walking from the lots or even from the buses, have your mom drive you. 10. Snow Pants- They might not be the best fashion statement, but they do keep you warm. The thick layers keep out the wind and the freezing cold air.

PHOTO BY VIVEN YUE

Sophomore Alaina Nyberg bundled up in her winter gear.

Where is your favorite place to study? BY SHERIDAN SWEE Relatively 200 students were asked where their favorite place to study is. Most people responded with a location in their house. “My kitchen table,” “my desk,” and “my bathroom” were some of the answers given. Others included places like Caribou, Starbucks, and Dunn Brothers. So, where is your favorite place to study? 60% Home 17% Library 14% Other* 9% Coffeeshop *Other includes: -New Commons -I do not study -In a tree -On my roof -In an apocalypse shelter -By a pond or lake

Dunn Bros is a popular study spot for a few students.

December 2013

PHOTO BY MEGAN HARTLE

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37


FEATURE

event JANUARY January 21 //

The District Jazz Festival.

January 23 & 24 //

DECEMBER

Now - December 24 //

Take a drive into the city and visit the 8th floor of Macy’s and walk through Macy’s Holiday Display. Also, enjoy a puppet show for $4.

December 14, 20 & 21 //

Get into the Holiday spirit with a trip to the city. Enjoy the Holidazzle Parade, a light-filled parade full of characters and delight.

December 20 //

Music Insights Performance will be in the auditorium located at Eden Prairie High School at 1:15 -2:30 p.m.

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January 9 - February 28 //

Attend the Omnitheater at Minnesota Science Museum, as they show five different films at their yearly Omnifest. Tickets for shows are $8.

January 11 //

K-12 Science Fair at 9 a.m.

January 13 //

District Secondary Choral Festival in the main gym at Eden Prairie High School.

January 19 //

Enjoy ice skating and old school rock n roll at Rock on Ice at Round Lake Park Ice Rinks. Sit by the fire to warm up and to enjoy some free refreshments. Make sure to bring your favorite pair of skates! (Skate rental is not available.)

December 2013

Watch another great EPHS One-Act Performance, “Boots.” The show will be in the Performing Arts Center at Eden Prairie High School.

January 24 - 26 //

If you are a fan of the Twins baseball team, head to the Target Field to enjoy Twins Fest 2014. Tickets are $20 and $10 for children under 14.

January 28th //

Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble Concert.

January 30th //

Enjoy some string filled music at the District Orchestra Festival at Woodale Church at 8 p.m.

January 30 - 31 //

Watch as the Winter Play performs the show, “John Lennon and Me.” The show will be in the auditorium at Eden Prairie High School.




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