Mounds View High School Viewer 1/20/11

VIEWER

Mounds View

http://mvviewer.org Friday, January 20, 2012

INSIDE

Volume 59

2011-2012

Issue 6

<editor@mvviewer.org>

Mustangs, welcome to The Paddock Career Center to become a student lounge

by Brian Burke staff reporter

Find out what MV musicians are doing.

The Paddock, a lounge and work area for students with open hours, will be open by second semester this school year, if all goes according to plan. At the latest, the area will be ready by the fall of 2012.

Located in the current Career Center, the room will be renovated to include some new

Viewer reviews the best films of 2011.

furniture, a cart of laptops (about 15), and even a television for student announcements and other news.

The Paddock will only be accessible to students with open periods, like Post Secondary

Enrollment Option (PSEO) and hybrid class students.

“We wanted a place for these students to connect and also use resources,” said Assistant Principal Doug Bullinger.

At this time, there are no plans to have a designated teacher watching over the area. Instead, it will be the cooperative effort of deans in the nearby Student Services office to monitor The Paddock. The administration doesn’t expect any significant problems.

“We have trust and faith in the students that things will go well,” said Bullinger.

These changes will not affect the Career Center’s current purpose.

“It’s a double win because the students will have the resources they need and also gets students inside the Career Center,” said Bullinger.

The idea of a student lounge was originally introduced

by Social Studies teacher

EmaKate Brohman, who also functions as one of Mounds View’s Instructional Strategies Facilitators (ISF), and therefore is tasked with helping teachers reach learning objectives. She pointed out that the Media Center was simply too crowded, and wanted to make another place for open period students.

Becky Stouten, a library media specialist, agreed. “The students need a space to connect and network together,” said Stouten.

The Paddock may alleviate some of the congestion in the library, but not all students and teachers think The Paddock is necessary.

“I never thought the library was very crowded in the first place, and [it] was very resourceful,” said Sony Trang, 11.

Others students agreed.

Former PSEO student Jake Loewen, 12, said, “I’d much rather just go home or go

somewhere else for homework.”

Some students are looking forward to the new space. “I would definitely use it,” said PSEO student Will Weightman, 11. “The library can get loud at times so it would be nice to have a place to study.”

Open-hour students will not be forced to use The Paddock, but the administration will be encouraging its use once it is ready.

Mounds View students react to Jabs’ injury.

ID program brings college to campus

by Peter Olson staff reporter

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he Mounds View School District has gradually increased the number of college-level courses offered at both Mounds View and Irondale High School. But what about earning an actual college degree in high school?

Next fall, Irondale will be the first school in Minnesota to offer an Early College program in a partnership with Anoka-Ramsey Community College. Early College gives students the opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree during high school.

The classes offered through Early College will be be taught by Irondale teachers who have been trained by Anoka-Ramsey staff through collaborative “faculty partnerships.”

The program targets two groups: those who make up the top

third of their class and those who are in the 30th to 70th percentile of their class. Unlike other preparatory classes, Early College will provide foundational courses that help students prepare for the rigor of post-secondary education.

“The purpose is to broaden the college experience to those below the top third of the class,” said Scott Gengler, principal of Irondale High School.

Problems with Early College emerge when transferring credits to other colleges. Currently, 31 public universities and colleges in Minnesota would accept the credits from Early College. However, some out-of-state schools will not accept them, making the program less desirable for those wishing to attend college outside of Minnesota.

Although the program limits college choices, it saves students a tremendous amount of tuition.

By transferring the credits earned through the program, approximately

$10,000 can be saved from a community college, while $14,000 may be saved from a state university.

According to Scott Gengler, Irondale was chosen to offer this program because “it was a natural continuation of the work Irondale staff have been engaged in over the past number of years.”

There are plans to launch a similar program in Mounds View High School in the fall of 2013.

“We’re more at the awareness-building stages here at Mounds View. There haven’t been any decisions,” said Principal Julie Wikelius.

Early College Classes Offered Art

Art Appreciation Foundational Reading and Writing

English

Creative Writing Interpersonal Communications

Math Music Health

Foundational Math College Algebra Music Appreciation Music Performance Personal and Community Health Biology

Science

Physics Environmental Science

World Language

American Sign Language

information compiled by Peter Olson and Megan Ruan

2editorials op T 10

January 20, 2012

Support all, not

Alternative State Mottos

10 8 6

Tennessee. The educashun state

9

California, As seen on TV

Arkansas: Litterasy ain’t evverything

7

Florida: Ask us about our Grandkids

Indiana: 2 billion years tidal wave free

4

5

Kentucky: 5 million people, 15 last names

Mississippi: Come feel better about your state

Minnesota: 10,000 lakes, 10,000,000,000,000 mosquitos

2

Georgia: We put the “fun” in fundamentalist extremism

Alabama: Yes , we have electricity

2010-2011 Viewer Editors Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editorials Features Spread Variety Reviews Sports Gallery

3 1

Ryan Slechta John Ke Max Wang Zane Muller Alyssa Belsito Tristan Gustafson Nimmy Koshy Mali Bacig John Knopf Alvin Ma Akshay Patke Camry Kelly Catie Mattson Lauren Nguyen

Business Manager/Online Editor Erika Batiz Photographers Youngjun Park Anders Nygaard Ben Kaiser Allison Hare Joy Xie Adviser Martha Rush

Staff

--- Tristan Aschittino, Anthony Blustein, Anastasia Brodsky, Brian Burke, Neal Callinan, Alexandra Fream, Aaron Hammerly, Allison Hare, Peter Ingraham, Martha Kauls, Benjamin Kramka, Paul Kroska, Selin Kurtoglu, Margaret LaMere, Zachary Laughlin, Thomas Lazorik, David Liu, Ryan Mackey, Quinn Madsen, Helena Nguyen, Nathaniel Nikoi, Peter Olson, John Petersen, Alexander Safanov, Nicholas Schmidtke, Stephanie Schuba, Alexandra Severson, Christopher Severson, Madeline Shaw, Adam Toninato, Matthew Voges, Alexander Wald, Conner Walsh, Mikaela Warner, Joy Xie, Christina Yoon

The Viewer is published by the student editors at: Mounds View High School 1900 Lake Valentine Rd Arden Hills, Minnesota Sauk Centre Publishing

Jack “Jabs” Jablonski, the Benilde-St. Margaret hockey player that was paralyzed from the waist down on December 30, 2011, has been at the center of media attention for the past three weeks. Likewise, Jenna Privette, the St. Croix hockey player that was recently injured, has received a great deal of coverage. But as some in our school have noticed, though not openly stated, no one seems to have paid attention to the other people just as worthy of our sympathies.

That is not to say Jabs and Privette don’t deserve the compassion they receive -- they need it now more than ever. But other people -- thousands, millions of people -deserve the same help and support that the public has given Jabs and Privette.

In other words, if we want to prove that we are truly charitable and caring, we need to move beyond just helping Jabs and Privette; we need to make this a movement, not a moment.

Many say that the reason Jabs’ story deserves such coverage is that we can relate. He’s a teenager; he got hurt while playing a sport he loves; he lives in almost the same community. But should our ability to relate to an issue define our support? At around the same time as Jabs’ injury, the mom of a seventh grade student that went

staff ed itorial one

to Benildes-St. Margaret died. Where’s the support for this student? Everyone has family members that have passed away, so isn’t it just as easy to relate to as Jabs? It isn’t that he’s easier to relate to than others -- Jabs has been singled out by the luck of the draw for our sympathies.

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hould our ability to relate to an issue define our support?”

”

Though Jabs’ case is serious, there are other issues that are in just as desperate financial need, if not more so. Jabs’ family likely pays the standard $6700 in tuition every year to Benilde-St. Margaret.

Though it may sound harsh, Jabs’ family can probably afford the treatment on their own. Countless families, though, live on

the brink of poverty while having to pay for treatments for serious illnesses. Worse yet, some go without care at all. These families, which are nearing collapse under the financial burdens resulting from health problems that they are suffering from, truly need the financial support of the public.

Jabs’ family has been doing work to use their moment in the spotlight to change the world for the better. Jack’s Pledge, a four part guarantee made by players and coaches to play fair and safe, has been repeated countless times by high school hockey players throughout Minnesota and beyond. A number of rules have also been implemented to enforce safe play in high school hockey.

The problem is that the changes, though positive, have not moved beyond hockey. That, too, is the challenge: Will this movement go on to do things to change the world in the same way that they have helped Jabs and hockey, or will it stop short on its journey to make the world a better place? Only Jabs’ supporters can answer that.

17 Editors Agree, 0 Editors Disagree

Respect Theatre

by Alex Fream staff reporter Chances are, you’ve been to almost, if not all, of Mounds View’s football games, but can you say the same for Mounds View’s plays? Over 100 people in our school participate in theatre each year. Although this is the case, theatre does not get respected as a legitimate endeavor as do the other activities at our school. Those in theatre dedicate as much, if not more, time than other activities; we are just as appreciated by the community; and the family atmosphere that theatre inspires grows each time a new show starts.

Being a part of theatre basically means selling your soul to Father Time. Theatre is a huge time commitment. Actors rehearse everyday after school for nearly four hours, meaning they are spending about 20 hours a week in the auditorium practicing. The time crew members spend building the set and making costumes can vary from 2-4 hours a day.

As the actual performances draw near, Saturday rehearsals - up to 9 hours in length - are added. In addition, if you are

in all three Mounds View really become connected to actors are prepared to jump in shows, including the studentpeople when you are in theatre. and cover for you. To be able run Shakespeare play in the Since you are spending so much to have so much trust in other winter, the timing overlaps. time together and are having to people is something that theatre For example, this year, when rely on one another everyday, really provides, and may not be Alice in Wonderland ended in you form a strong bond with the case in other activities.

November, the actors got one everyone.

Theatre is just as important day off before auditions for In more independent sports to our school as the more Shakespeare started. Theatre is like golf or swimming, it’s just popular activities are. Theatre is a year-long commitment. We you having to count on yourself not something that just anyone put immense amounts time and to do your best. That’s really can do. It takes a lot of time and effort into our craft, and we important, but you get more out effort and demands a unique should be respected for it. of it if you have someone you skill set. It may not be the most Just as Mounds View is can depend on when it’s your popular activity at Mounds popular in the community for shining moment. For example, View, but it deserves to be held sports such as football and track, if you were to forget a line or on the same pedestal as the the public views our theatre say something different that you others. program as a valued addition are supposed to, your fellow to the area. Some people in the area call the school asking about when our next show is, and when they can purchase tickets. Also, local businesses such as Rainbow and Caribou are very eager to allow us to hang an advertisement in their store window. The public can recognize theatre as a legitimate endeavor, so why can’t our student body?

It takes a lot of confidence, courage, and a can-do attitude for a person to get up on stage in front of 400 or more people photo by Allison Hare and perform. You have to trust Mounds View actors rehearse for a great performance of Taming of in yourself and your fellow the Shrew actors, and this is why you

Viewer Mission Statement 1. To publish news, information and opinion articles for and about student, faculty and administration activities, interests and policies.

2. To maintain high ethical standards with regard to fairness, personal and legal rights, responsibilities and accuracy.

3. To provide a forum for free and responsible expression of student opinion and present well-balanced, locally researched coverage of issues of broader student interest.

4. To strive for a high level of competency in the technical aspect of writing, including grammar, spelling, clarity, and precision.

5. To welcome diversity and increase the scope and depth of our coverage in order to heighten mutual understanding and awareness throughout our entire school community.

Articles and letters to the editor appearing on the editorials pages represent solely the opinions of the writers and do not represent in any way the viewpoint of Viewer, our advertisers, Mounds View High School or its staff.

The editors of the Viewer welcome and encourage the publication of all viewpoints.

editorials3

January 20, 2012

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as w t i ow e n k The Mayan Long Count calendar predicts that the earth will cease to exist following December 21st

by Alx Wald staff writer Fact: The world will cease to exist on Dec. 21 of this year upon completion of the Mayan Long Count Calender.

The history of the Mayan Calendar goes back more than 5000 years. It began on August 11, 3114 B.C.E. and has seen the human race develop from primitive cavemen to the modern day homo sapien.

This ancient calender was created by the Mayan shamans, widely considered to be the most successful and advanced scientists of world history.

As these bold men predicted over 5000 years ago, the sun is set to pass through the galactic equator, or center of the galaxy, on the winter solstice of this year.

Editor opinions What your Viewer editors think of various issues.

SATIRE Simultaneous to this, the Earth and ex-planet Pluto are on path to collide with each other while they pass through the galactic equator, ironically on the same day as the birthday of the popular Walt Disney cartoon character and beloved puppy, Pluto. This is all undeniable evidence that the world as we know it could not possibly continue to exist post-2012.

Is there anything we earthdwellers can do to save our destiny? Yes and no.

Without a doubt there is no way for us to save our planet; the odds are just too highly stacked against us.

However, we can take other steps to ensure the continuation “Censorship of the interwebz could possibly prevent Alyssa Belsito from viewing lolcats, and therefore should not happen.”

- Zane Muller Editorials editor

of the human race. The US government has already begun to select the most desirable humans, dubbed “superiors,” to be transported to Mars to take part in a new Utopian human society. Known humans to be transported include Kim Kardashian, Calvin (of the beloved cartoon “Calvin and Hobbes”), Tim Tebow, and Justin Bieber.

Fiction: The Mayan Calendar does not accurately predict the end of the world, it is just a bogus doomsday prophecy made up by a bunch of crazy old Mayan dudes.

The Mayan Shamans have successfully predicted all major events in world history without fail. They started before they were born when they predicted the dinosaurs would die out.

Some relatively modern

prophesies they predicted include the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of the Sith, the bubonic plague, the influenza epidemic, and the Holocaust.

The remarkable thing about all of these is that not only were the predictions precise about what would happen, they were extremely accurate. In some cases, such as the bubonic plague, they were correct right down to the second.

I cannot warn each and every one of you enough: this a very real and dire situation.

There is no doubt the majority of you will not be alive to ring in 2013. Your only hope of survival is to be selected to be one of the “superiors” to be transported to Mars, or hitch your own ride to a different planet.

“Equal rights mean equal responsibility. Enter women in the draft.”

-Ryan Slechta Editor-in-Chief

“The government needs to bail out Hostess. I think it’s the one thing Americans can agree that is too big to fail.

If we can no longer provide cake treats loaded with trans fats and a cream-filled center, then our nation will be a nation gone under” - John Knopf Spread editor

Buckle Up, Stay Alive.

by Deputy Gulden guest writer The Mounds View generation has been seat belted in the car their entire lives. It is likely that when you left the hospital as a newborn, hospital staff checked your car seat to ensure that it was installed correctly.

While most of us wear our seat belt every time we get into a vehicle, there are still some who do not make this a habit.

In a crash, odds are six times greater for injury if a motorist is not buckled up. An unbuckled motorist can crash into a windshield and slam into and injure other passengers.

Often, an unbuckled motorist is ejected from the vehicle and killed. In fact, approximately 73% of the people that leave a vehicle in a crash die.

If you wear your seat belt, your survival rate in a crash increases by a whopping 45 to 60 percent.

Buckle up to survive high school, college and the rest of your life!

Deputy Tim Gulden 651-621-7123 Tim.Gulden@ moundsviewschools.org

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“The greatest way to spend excess time is by looking at pictures of cute animals and lolcats on the interwebz. I could do it for hours.

Correction, I DO do it for hours.”

-Alyssa Belsito Editorials editor

4features

January 20, 2012

Confronting the girl in the mirror

by Martha Kauls staff reporter

art by Sophie Gorham

MV student’s video sparks discussion about eating disorders s s s W Resources T

hen Sarah Bujold, 10, posted a video about her struggle with eating disorders to Facebook on Jan. 1, she had no idea the effect it would have.

“The support I have received was so surprising, it brought me to tears. I shouldn’t have underestimated people,” she said.

The 40-plus comments, many from Mounds View students, show compassion, sympathy, and support.

One of her friends commented, “I’ve always known there was something very special about you, and posting this video proves this.

You are a strong, independent, beautiful woman inside and out :) I love you so much!”

Another student said: “I know we never really talk, but your story actually brought me to tears... I’ve had a hard time realizing what true beauty is, and your definition was amazing. Keep redefining this world :).”

Bujold’s video explains and confronts her struggles with various eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating -- disorders that began more than three years ago.

At first, she kept it under wraps. “I didn’t think I had a problem and was too embarrassed [to tell anyone].

Not even my best friends knew. I tried to get through it on my own,” she said.

However, the covers came off after her immune system showed signs of failing early in 8th grade.

“No one noticed that I lost weight, but I got sick three times because my immune system couldn’t function.

It was only then when they weighed me and I was like 87 pounds did my parents really

notice,” said Bujold.

Even after attempts at treatment and therapy, Bujold didn’t feel like she really had a problem.

Other students at Mounds View who struggle with the same disorders can relate.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much eating disorders take place inside the mind. You don’t just wake up and say, ‘I’m going to have an eating disorder today,’ ” said one junior.

Bujold’s desire to cut calories and stay thin ultimately led her to binging, vomiting and extreme diet practices. It was only during the summer of 2011 that Bujold finally confronted the fact that there was something wrong.

“I was really paranoid as to what I was eating, especially with butter and fats.

With binge and bulimia I was secretly eating a ton of junk food, and the anorexia part of it made me feel guilty, which led to the bulimia,” said Bujold.

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nfortunately, this cycle is common for many teenagers. According to the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S, but more than one-half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors like fasting, skipping meals, vomiting, and taking laxatives.

These behaviors can have devastating consequences.

“Stunting of growth and bones due to lack of calcium is a common health concern attributed to eating disorders.

better.”

for students struggling with eating disorders Park Nicollett: the Melrose Institute phone # (952) 993-6200 The Joy Project and Brittni Ingvaldson Support Group phone # (507) 363-1672

The Emily Program: the Anna Westin House phone # (651) 645-5323 Eventually, you can’t regulate body temperature or your heart rate. Death is definitely a possible outcome,” said Cheryl Hiner, school nurse.

Eating disorders are often caused by a lack of self esteem, usually concerning weight and body image. In high school, self perception is often skewed negatively.

Bujold attributes the start of her food-controlling behavior to attention, or lack thereof.

“It was really, really stupid, but I had no acknowledgement from guys,” she said. “I used to think beauty was how skinny you were, what type of clothes you wore, how pretty your hair and makeup was, how much girls liked you, and how much boys paid attention to you.”

But now, after finding the strength to confront her foodrelated issues, Bujold said she has a new outlook on beauty.

“Beauty goes beyond how someone looks. It’s how they treat others, how they act when no one is watching, and what they try to do to make this corrupt world just a little bit

he media has a huge part in the obsession with image. A study by the ANAD claims that 47% of girls in fifth to twelfth grade are reported wanting to lose weight because of magazine pictures. In reality, only 5% of the world’s population actually has the body type that is glorified by the media.

However, eating disorders may not solely be blamed on the social environment in schools or exposure to unrealistic media images. Research by Michigan State University (MSU) points to the fact that genetics may be part of a risk factor that makes certain people more apt to struggle with eating disorders.

“There is a significant biological and psychological component to eating disorders that needs to be further examined,” said Kelly Klump, a lead researcher with MSU, on www.news.msu.edu.

Recovery from anorexia and bulimia can be difficult.

Therapy is usually necessary, and hospitalization is required for extreme cases.

“The path to recovery from any type of eating disorder is often not an easy one. It not only involves treatment at a physical level but changes at an emotional level as well,” according to www.eatingdisordersonline. com.

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hat can be done about prevention?

At Mounds View, health classes do a brief look at eating disorders and body image in the Health and Wellness unit.

“We do a journal on body issues, and play a song that starts a discussion. I don’t

think we spend enough time on it, but then, we don’t spend enough time on a lot of things in health,” said Ross Fleming, health and physical education teacher.

Others agree that the subject merits more attention.

“I feel like eating disorders are kind of a taboo at Mounds View. No one really talks about it,” said Ali Zimmerman, 12.

“There are so many people who have told me that they had [eating disorders] or have them now. It’s a huge issue at our school and I want it addressed.

I struggled with it for so long, but now I’m trying to turn it into a positive experience and help others get through it sooner than I did,” said Bujold.

Prevention of eating disorders is difficult, but not impossible. Fleming said there is no easy answer: “It starts with your self image. We get a lot of our perception from others. So really, the question is, where else does our self image come from and when do we talk about it?”

For Bujold, strategies of prevention are a bit more tangible. Even though eating disorders are possible for both genders, she focuses on girls.

“Girls need to really support each other if they aren’t feeling good about themselves and need to let one another know that they appreciate each other for their personalities. Guys in general need to let girls know that they don’t need them to be skinny in order for guys to like and accept them. Beauty is what you feel inside. So you shouldn’t ask someone else what they think, you should tell yourself that you ARE beautiful.”

January 20, 2012

5 features

Mixing theatre and school on too little sleep

by Alex Fream staff reporter ‘To be or not to be: that is the question.’

But for MVHS Senior Landis Stewart, the question is more like ‘to sleep, or not to sleep.’

Landis Avery ‘Aurora Borealis’ Stewart, age 17, is not your typical student. Stewart leads a type of double life as a hard working, dedicated student by day, and a full-on director by late afternoon.

She was one of three directors for the recent Shakespeare play The Taming of the Shrew, and definitely had her work cut out for her. She is currently taking AP United States Government, College in the Schools: University Writing, and AP Calculus 1, on top of other homework-ridden classes and all the work the show demands.

“I chose my schedule, so I can’t complain,” she jokes as she looks up from her Calculus

homework. “It’s a lot of work, but I know it’s worth it. I would feel like I was wasting my opportunities if I didn’t work as hard as I do.”

As she goes back to giving her attention to her homework, I ask her parents what their opinion is of their daughter’s workload.

“It’s definitely a heavy workload, and I’m very proud of her and impressed at how well she does,” said Todd Kurchner, Landis’ father.

“Ditto,” said her mother Laurie. “And I wish she got more sleep.”

“She goes to bed too late and for too short,” said her dad.

Landis is quick to agree, but she explains that she doesn’t have time.

“With all the stuff I have going on, I usually get home around 7 at night from rehearsal and right away begin on homework. And I’m always doing homework during school too, when I’m listening to the lessons and lectures. I just

011 2 in review

Preparing to say goodbye Basketball coach Ziggy Kauls and Principal Julie Wikelius have announced they will be leaving Mounds View at the end of this school year.

School Announcement Controversy Mounds View School Board replaces daily announcements with “E-news” but after complaints from teachers, parents and students, the daily news was reinstated.

A Free ACT for Juniors Mounds View becomes the first high school in the state to offer a free ACT to all juniors.

Mounds View goes to Nationals Mounds View’s Science Olympiad, Econ Challenge, Quiz Bowl and DECA teams all compete at national competitions, with Econ Challenge capturing 2nd place in the nation and Science Olympiad finishing 15th.

don’t know what I could cut out to get more sleep right now.

But God, do I miss it. Living on 4-5 hours isn’t that great,” she said, as her mother shook her head in the background.

Landis has been involved in theatre since 6th grade, and this is her first time playing the director along with seniors Maria Keeler and Zach Rolfs.

“You’d think with three directors it would be easier, but it doesn’t exactly lessen the work load,” she said. “We all do everything together as a team. It’s been great so far; we bounce ideas off of each other really well, and it’s nice to have other viewpoints than just my own.”

The Taming of the Shrew has a total of 56 roles, and it was no coincidence that this was the show the directors chose to do.

“Taming has a large cast, which is really important to us,” said Stewart. “We wanted to get a lot of people involved, and Shakespeare doesn’t give

out pity parts, so we knew there were a lot of roles that had lines and that each character was important in the show. We knew what play we were going to do two days after the three of us were chosen as directors, so keeping a secret for two whole months was really difficult!

And Taming really fits in with the Bollywood culture, which is what we picked for our era.”

Bollywood, students may ask? That’s right. Each year, the chosen Shakespeare play is given an era or a theme, provided by the directors.

Taming of the Shrew was set in a Bollywood theme this year, meaning it is styled after Indian cinema, making the play like nothing anyone had ever seen before at Mounds View.

“We wanted to get people excited about the play and to get them to realize that Shakespeare can be fun and exciting and funny, and not boring,” she said. “A lot of people see Shakespeare as dry and… English, but it’s poetry

and it’s beautiful and creative.

And I think that the colorful, exotic, and loud Bollywood theme definitely emphasized that.”

What sparked Stewart’s interest in literature and theatre?

“Landis has always loved poetry. She had ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost memorized at age two,” said here dad. “I think she got that from me. I’ve always loved Shakespeare and growing up, I would copy down soliloquies and sonnets in my school notebooks and recite them.

And I always have. I’m happy that Landis was able to grow up with these great poems and well written stories.”

“We’re very impressed with her artistic creativity as a director,” said her mom. “She’s great at it. But all the stuff she has on her plate would be more manageable if there were 28 hours in the day.”

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Beth Knopf

To Beth Knopf, 12, music is a lifes six, she has been practicing the violin tyle. From age day with remarkable progress. “Music every single thing,” said Knopf. “You notice whe is a very tangible and can play a piece well, and that’s n you make progress very rewarding.”

She has come a long way from the beg inner she was 12 years ago. Knopf has been in Sym Chamber Orchestra at Mounds View phony Orchestra and year, she was concert master for the for three years. Last been selected to All-State Orchestra latter. She has also for the This year, she has embraced her role past two years. as Section Leader with what she calls “First-Violin Frid ays.” Every Friday, Knopf spoils the musicians in baked goods and candy. “I also write her section with in my section just letting them know a note to the people are,” said Knopf. “I think it adds to how awesome they section unity.”

One of Knopf’s favorite parts of with others. “Some of my closest frienmusic is playing and we bond over music,” she said. ds are in orchestra all different types of music together.They enjoy playing “It’s fun to play the more traditional music, especially piec parts, but its also fun to play more modes with really epic said. In fact, Knopf and her friends arraern music,” she “Fairytale” that was played by her octe nged a pop song t this fall.

MIKE

l l a b Kim

Mound Making Sw

Many students play What compels them to spen

by Maggie LaMere staff reporter Many high school students take up the hobby of playing musical instruments.

Whether it’s a violin, a clarinet, drums or electric guitar, all of these instruments have brought students into the world of music. Interest in music could stem from the influence of contemporary music artists such as Martin Frost and Joshua Bell, or it could just be from the fun of playing.

To Beth Knopf, 12, “Violin transcends time, its still as relevant to music today as it was 400 years ago; it is an important part of music for artists from Yo-Yo Ma to Ra Ra Riot.”

Studies have consistently found that not only are students drawn to music because of the influences of contemporary musicians and parents, but also because playing and listening to music helps students fulfill emotional needs. Playing music also has many benefits, such as priming the brain for school.

In one study completed by psychology professors David Hargreaves and Adrian C. North, it was found that music serves three social functions. They determined that by playing music, it helped young adults selfidentify, manage their moods, and deal with interpersonal relationships.

A study conducted in 2000 by the Hargreaves and North with the assistance of Susan O’Neill, a well-known musical psychologist, affirmed the findings of the 1999 study.

The three determined that 13 to 14 year olds who listened to music used it as a way to fulfill their emotional needs and portray a social image to others.

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Music itself c expressing happin by using music as students can reduc and extracurricula an outlet to expre Charlotte Hel students who use stress. “Whenever ly when I’m stres sometimes just go and that usually c Alex Long, 1 relief in music. “I reliever and I swe ments to learn in a fun to mess aroun “People who take deal with stress or or any instrument blow off some ste Music has als dents a sense of a master a piece of self esteem and co Erin Melody, for the majority o “I’ve been pl really young, and with it at an early feeling of accomp tough piece and th Another reaso is due to parental pushed towards p children and have

We asked 84 students: what instrument do you play?

Number of Students

15

7

15

4

14

11

3

10

10

5

0

Cello

Guitar

Synthesizer

ds View weet Music

y musical instruments. nd hours each week practicing?

can be used as a way of ness, love, and anger. But s a way to manage moods, ce stress from school work ar activities. It gives them ess themselves. lgeson, 10, is one of many their instrument to relieve r I’m stressed out, especialssed from school and such, I o home and play my violin clears my mind,” she said.

12, said he also finds stress It (guitar) is a great stress ear one of the easiest instrua short amount of time - just nd on all together,” he said. e a lot of hard classes and r anxiety should consider it t. Music is a great way to eam.” so been found to give stuachievement. When students music it can lead to higher onfidence. , 9, has played an instrument of her life. laying the violin since I was d I guess I just fell in love y age,” she said. “I love the plishment after I master a he fulfilling reward I feel.” on that students play music influence. Some were playing an instrument as e now grown to love it.

Piano

Trombone

Image source: Wikipedia

Vocals

Violin

infromation compiled by Tom Lazorik

Taking music to the next lesson Mounds View is known for having outstanding music programs, and vital to any top quality music program are student musicians who take private lessons. There are a variety of places to take lessons, with prices ranging from $20 to $70 a lesson. Taking lessons helps good musicians become great. “Taking private lessons has really helped me improve my viola skill because there is someone right there telling me what I did wrong and how to fix it. They have really helped me improve my confidence,” says Mari Cartwright, 11.

Teachers’ Homes Connor Duffy, 11, said, “I began playing the piano when I was five. My parents initially started me on the piano, but it eventually became something that I loved to do.”

There are many benefits associated with playing an instrument. Music helps teach discipline in many different types of settings, including the classroom. Classical music is said to promote intelligence in young children. Because of the more complex musical structure of classical music, researchers believe that it primes the brain to solve certain problems in a classroom setting.

According to NaturalNews.com, Northwestern University scientists have found that musical training actually changes the brain.

The study found that actively working with musical sounds enhances neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and change.

“A musician’s brain selectively enhances information-bearing elements in sound. In a beautiful interrelationship between sensory and cognitive processes, the nervous system makes associations between complex sounds and what they mean,” said Nina Kraus, director of Northwestern’s Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, in a statement released to the media. “Music training seems to strengthen the same neural processes that often are deficient in individuals with developmental dyslexia or who have difficulty hearing speech in noise.”

With so much research proving that music is helpful in the classroom, many researchers are suggesting that it should be implemented into the classroom at an early age and continued throughout high school.

Most private teachers teach lessons from their home. Private studios are located throughout the Mounds View district, and are the main source of where student musicians take lessons.

One teacher is Yuko Heberlein, from whom many violin players at Mounds View take lessons. Haonan Liu, 12, who has taken lessons from Heberlein, said “because of her high standards, passages have to be practiced until they are almost perfect.”

MacPhail Center for Music

Located in downtown Minneapolis near the Guthrie Theathre, the majority of students who do not take lessons at teachers’ homes take lessons at MacPhail. Many of the violists at Mounds View take from Stella Anderson, who teaches at MacPhail. “Stella is pretty crazy and funny, and it motivates me to practice because I like her, and I don’t like disappointing her,” said Amanda Chen, 11.

Local College

Some students take lessons at local colleges. Tim Apolloni, 11, who takes lessons at Augsburg College with Maria Benanos, said, “Taking lessons at Augsburg really helps because it allows me to see the campus and meet the people I will be taking classes from in the future, aside from the great musical education I’m receiving.” information compiled by Peter Ingraham

8reviews

January 20, 2012

Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) once again amazes watchers with his two-steps-ahead mindset. While he’s normally the smartest man in the room, that all changes when Holmes meets Professor Moriarty (Jared Harris). Holmes and his trusted wing man, Dr. Watson (Jude Law), start on a dangerous mission to prevent Moriarty from the seemingly impossible: a mission to prevent the First World War.

Overall, this movie was genius. The plot was interesting, but the characters made the movie what it was. Robert Downey Jr. plays an amazing mad man.

Holmes’ sporadic genius stands out against Professor Moriarty’s calm and cool demeanor. Their ability to anticipate each others moves from beginning to end keeps viewers guessing what will happen next.

Although the majority of the movie is action-packed, it still manages to include Watson’s continuous sarcastic banter with Holmes. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was one of the best movies of 2011 for many reasons, the characters were dynamic and convincing, the plot line was ingenious, and kept every viewer entertained from start to finish.

Hugo Hugo is a film that will warm the hearts of those who see it and was definitely one of the best movies of the year. The movie is about an orphan named Hugo Cabret that discovers that a supposed toy-maker is actually a famous film-maker named Georges Méliès, who is coincidentally one of Hugo’s favorite film-makers.

Although the tone of the movie is somewhat sad, Sacha Cohen plays the inspector and provides the audience with comic relief. The comical small conflicts between the inspector and Hugo contrast with the conflict between Hugo and his loneliness. The roller coaster of emotions that the viewer experiences throughout the movie makes the film enticing from start to finish.

Méliès’ goddaughter, Isabelle, quickly befriends Hugo and the two develop a somewhat romantic relationship. The relationship between the two characters adds a feeling of nostalgia and joy into the movie.

The movie was among the best in a long time and will be watched again and again for years to come.

Alvin Ma

Selin Kurtoglu

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Top Mov ies of 2011

Crazy, Stupid, Love is a cute romantic comedy about a twist of fate but with a happily-ever-after-ending. It reminds the audience about the magic of love, whether it’s losing or finding the one. The plot is about Cal Weaver (Steve Carell), a suburbia-family dad, who finds himself in the worst position when his wife (Julianne Moore) tells him that she wants a divorce because she slept with her co-worker (Kevin Bacon). Cal seeks advice from Jacob (Ryan Gosling), an expert in the game of seduction, in order to move on with his life. But Cal soon learns that he can’t move on because he is still in love with his wife.

The strength of the movie lies in its realistic plot. Throughout the movie, the characters have emotions that people in reality would experience when in love such as frustration and lust.

For example, when Jacob falls in love with Cal’s daughter Hannah (Emma Stone), he finally acts like himself instead of his usual “Mr. Flirt.” The best part about the movie is that instead of being stereotypical lovey-dovey couples, the characters are mismatched, the creating awkward, comical scenes throughout the film.

Crazy, Stupid, Love was one of the best of 2011 because it was unique. It branched out from the typical style of romantic comedies, making it an original film that could very likely become a classic.

Christina Yoon

Midnight in Paris

War Horse

Midnight In Paris is a funny, romantic, meaningful Woody Allen movie in which audiences get to witness humorous depictions of many great 1920s artists and writers. Owen Wilson plays the protagonist, Gil, a talented screenwriter hoping to ascend to the world of a novelist.

At first, his relationship with the beautiful Inez (Rachel McAdams) seems strained in a charming way, but through Gil’s apparent unhappiness, and Inez’s frank “buzz-killings”, a fundamental problem is revealed. They still seem to want to marry each other despite the fact that he’s a dreamer, while she is cluelessly materialistic.

Soon, F. Scott Fitzgerald (Tom Hiddleston), author of The Great Gatsby, rolls up in an archaic motor vehicle to give Gil, out on a midnight stroll, the time of his life.

Gil is taken back to Paris of the swinging ‘20s. He parties with Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald’s troubled wife Zelda, Ernest Hemingway, and makes a date to have his book read by writer Gertrude Stein. The famous personalities are depicted playfully, and there is something for everybody. The jovial quirks include Fitzgerald’s “old sport” and every single thing that Hemingway said, such as drunkenly yelling,“Who wants to fight?”

Gil soon meets Adriana, played by Marion Cotillard. Adriana exudes sex, and a classy aloofness by which Gil is, understandably, besotted. Mutual romanticism, depth, and desire for passion bring the two together, and she becomes the vehicle for one of the film’s driving themes--that everyone has a “golden” time and place for which they hold a certain fabricated nostalgia.

The film as a whole is beautiful in the warm visuals, good acting, interesting characters, and fantastic writing. Midnight in Paris will leave any audience feeling cultured, amused, charmed, romantic, and optimistic for both the future of Gil and their own lives in the only real golden age--the present.

Matthew Voges

In 1982, Michael Morpurgo wrote a children’s novel called War Horse depicting a young horse caught in the midst of World War I. After a stage adaption of the same name, Steven Spielberg has turned the book into a full length war epic; the ending outcome was a grand and sweeping motion picture Set in England just before WWI, a young horse named Joey is raised by a boy named Albert Narracott. But once the war breaks out, Joey is sold to a British captain and taken to the battlefield.

Traveling on many beautiful sets, Joey’s journey takes him from the wide grasslands of England to the war-torn battlefields of France. Joey is taken in by several different owners; each character is memorable and has a very different back-story. One story is of a French girl living with her grandfather who tries to train Joey. The power of this story comes from her deceased parents and how she is coping with it.

Joey is later captured by the German army, which forces Joey to pull German artillery which ironically are shooting at his original owner, Albert, now in the British military. Finally Albert and Joey reunite in a cheesy but touching ending. The movie is almost two and a half hours but because of excellent pacing, the movie never feels slow or boring.

The music score drives the movies great action and war scenes which are very gritty for being a PG-13 movie.

With great acting and amazing directing style, War Horse feels like a modern day masterpiece.

This film is easily one of the best of 2011.

Brian Burke

all photos courtesy of imdb.com

January 20, 2012

50/50

When someone mentions cancer, the general reaction is one of sadness.

In that sense, it seems highly unlikely for the issue to come off as heartfelt, romantic, or funny. However, 50/50 combines all of these elements with that general sadness to create a 90-minute work of art. In the movie, Adam (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) discovers he has a 50/50 chance of living after being diagnosed with a rare spinal cancer. He begins to realize the importance in his relationships with various people - his best friend, his therapist, and his mom - and works at making the best of his situation. 50/50 is refreshingly different from the all-too-familiar romantic-comedy that has become the basis of the modern-day blockbuster.

A perfect mixture of humor and compassion, 50/50 is more than deserving of its place in the top ten movies of 2011.

Madeline Shaw

9 reviews

Mission: ImpossibleGhost Protocol

No mission is impossible for special agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). In the latest Hollywood blockbuster Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise goes on to further prove this. The movie has a knockout cast featuring Tom Cruise, supported by Hurt Locker star Jeremy Renner, bombshell Paula Patton, and allaround funny guy Simon Pegg; together these four light up the stage.

This two-hour long action blockbuster keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. During the film this crew travels everywhere from Dubai to Moscow to India and back to America. Tom Cruise doing all of his own stunts in this film truly knocked this role out of the park. If he wasn’t climbing up the outside of the Burj Khalifa bare handed, he was doing 100 meter free falls in cars.

Ghost Protocol did a good job of bringing the old elements that everyone loved from the first Mission Impossible, such as the epic fist fights and the daring stunts, but this time it was enhanced with modern action-filmelements like fancy cars and new gadgets.

Altogether, the new ideas combined with the classic idea of an impossible mission makes this movie one of the best of the year.

Adam Toninato

Source Code

Although 2011 was not the best Year for the Film Industry, There were still great movies worthy of recognition. Some excelled artistically while others excited our imaginations. these are the ten movies that the Viewer named Best of the year.

John Ke

If you had eight minutes to live, what would you do?

In Source Code, Jake Gyllenhaal plays an Army pilot sent to the past by a revolutionary computer program in order to prevent a bomb plot on a train. One twist: he has eight minutes, but he can repeat the sequence as much as possible.

During Gyllenhaal’s repeated failed attempts to find the bomb, the urgency to find the bomb grows. Which attempt will be the one that doesn’t end with a fireball?

What sets Source Code apart from the rest of the “action thrillers” of 2011 is its ability to retain a human element in the movie. It’s not a stereotypical “man with gun shoots bad guy” plot; it also focuses on the psychological impact of the mission on Gyllenhaal. Under all the tense action sequences, there is an underlying theme; the time to experience life is short. One must take all the advantages that life gives. Source Code’s ability to keep audiences hooked while bringing a vital message makes it one of the best movies of 2011.

Horrible Bosses

What makes Horrible Bosses one of the best movies of the year is not just that it is the funniest movie of 2011, but also that it manages to form a complex plot with engaging, likable characters. The film manages to be both straight forward and somewhat complex at the same time. It does what it sets out to do, telling a story of three working men getting their lives ruined by their bosses, while cleverly linking the distinct subplots.

The story plays out beautifully and the actors depict their characters to perfection. The three heroes work at different jobs with, of course, horrible bosses. Each boss needs to be done away with in order for the heroes to live happy lives. The movie does a great job making the bosses detestable and the three central characters lovable.

Jennifer Aniston almost steals the show, playing the rather seductive boss of a dental assistant. But a very large part of what makes this movie so enjoyable is the writers’ use of dark, and often times dirty, humor. The situations in which the characters find themselves can be tragic or terrible, but with a little help from some great directing, all the audience can do is laugh.

Over the past few years, movies have been taking a nose-dive. Creativity has been at an all time low, and as a result, many films have either been remakes, or of the low-brow variety. Horrible Bosses, though, is a different case. It is not just a great comedy by 2011 standards, but all around a great movie. There is no doubt that it will be a classic someday and could easily be remembered as one of the year’s best movies.

Disclaimer: This film is rated R (Under 17 requires a parental guardian) for crude and sexual content, pervasive language and some drug material.

Tom Lazorik

Super 8 What happens when J.J. Abrams, the man behind Star Trek (2009), Lost, and Fringe, comes together with Steven Spielberg, Hollywood’s most famous director and producer, to work on a film?

You get a fantastic retro movie that keeps you on the edge of your seat and fills you with all kinds of emotions; this is Super 8 and without a doubt, it deserves to be one of the best movies of 2011.

Set in Ohio in the seventies, the movie follows a group of adventurous 12-year-old boys as they film a zombie movie for a film festival. Only 10 minutes into the movie and the thrills begin; while filming a scene for their movie, the boys witness their biology teacher driving onto train tracks in his pick up truck and colliding with a train.

After this, the boys and their town become unexpectedly becomes involved with an alien invader.

Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), the protagonist, knows that the alien must be connected to the train crash so with the help of the heroine of their zombie film, Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning), he tries to find out what exactly was on that train. Sparks fly across the screen as the special effects and audio from this crash scene amaze and excite the audience. This brilliance continues throughout the whole film as the audience uncovers the mystery of the alien.

Super 8 is not an all-out sci-fi flick -- it is about youth. Through the impressive performance of the young actors the movie reminds the audience of what it is like to be an awkward tween with an unstoppable imagination and new found interest in the opposite gender. Although the movie is not perfect and can be somewhat cliche, the way in which the plot, characters, visuals, and sound effects come together is why Super 8 is one of the best movies of 2011.

Akshay Patke

10sports

One check puts rules in check

December 21, 2011

by Tristan Aschittino staff reporter Sixteen-yearold Jack Jablonski, a sophomore at BenildeSt. Margaret’s School, sustained a serious spinal chord injury after he was checked headfirst into the boards from behind during a tournament game against Wayzata. Jablonski has miraculously been able to move both his arms even though his surgeon at Hennepin County Medical Center said it was “very unlikely” that he would ever be able to regain use of them.

Although injuries of such severity are a rarity, hockey-related injuries are common.

According to the Children’s Hospital at Stanford University, there were more than 18,000 ice-hockey related injuries in people under the age of 18 that needed to be treated in hospital emergency departments in 20012002.

Jablonski’s injuries

have sparked a possible change in the rules of hockey and generated a multitude of reactions from students across the country. The Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) has attempted to abolish checking from behind for more than ten years, but this case has caused them to resort to more drastic measures.

According to the Associated Press, the League sent letter to all officials, coaches, and athletic administrators, recommending that coaches remind athletes not to check from behind and to “hit the brakes” when they see the back of another player’s jersey. Youth hockey players have already been wearing “Stop” signs on the backs of their jerseys to discourage a potentially dangerous check from behind since before Jablonski’s injury.

The head coach of Mounds View’s boys varsity hockey team, Rick Thomas, wrote

about preventing such a terrible event at Mounds View and how the team has changed because of the injury sustained by Jablonski.

“As a team we talked about being more aware of players’ safety and making sure you’re keeping your head when playing the body,” said Thomas, “The one thing is that physical play is part of the game, but we just need to know that when a player has his back to us, we should not hit him.”

According to Thomas, player emotions can be dangerous in hockey. “As a coach I’m trying to be more tuned into when I think one of our players might be a bit out of control and making sure he is not hitting the ice until he has his emotions in check.”

Jablonski’s father advocated for a rule change, to reform boarding and checkingfrom-behind penalties.

On Jan. 14, the MSHSL imposed tougher

penalties that will go into effect on Jan. 16. In the new rules, checking from behind, boarding or head contact will result in a five minute major penalty as opposed to a two minute minor penalty.

Jablonski’s injury has definitely affected not only the rules, but the mindset of hockey players. Mounds View athletes have felt the impact of Jablonski’s injury on the sport and it has affected the way they play to some extent.

“You’re more cautious,” said Mounds View JV hockey player Ryan Bergquist, 11. The event seems to have been significant enough to get rid of the “this won’t happen to our team or people I know” or “this won’t happen to me” feeling that is so commonly attributed to serious injury.

“It’s kind of a wakeup call,” said JV hockey player Brandon Johnson, 11.

#movementnotamoment

by Helena Nguyen staff reporter On Dec. 30, a JV hockey game between BenildeSt. Margaret and Wayzata turned into a nightmare when sophomore Jack Jablonski from Benilde-St. Margaret was seriously injured after being checked from behind, resulting in a broken vertebrae and severed spinal cord.

Jablonski was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), and on Jan. 4, he went in for a successful surgery to fuse damaged vertebrae.

That night, his parents confirmed on his Caring Bridge site, caringbridge.org/ visit/jackjablonski,, that he would never walk or skate again. Fortunately, on Jan. 7,

Jablonski started moving his arms again.

Since then, users of social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter have started a firestorm of support for Jablonski, and the media has kept constant coverage on his condition.

Yet some are wondering whether all the coverage is warranted, saying that while Jablonski’s case is devastating, there are other causes that deserve the same amount of attention.

Through a Facebook status, Nick Helgeson, 12, started a dialogue in Mounds View, saying that “all this support for Jabs is truly incredible. Keep supporting him and his family but also realize that this unified support

needs to be sustained not only for Jabs, but also for the pressing issues in the world that we have collectively become desensitized to such as cancer, poverty in America, war, and so much more.”

Rachel Phillippi, 12, agreed, saying, “It is good we could all rally for something, but we should also rally for other, larger, issues.”

Helgeson went on to say that he wasn’t downplaying the situation, but instead alerting people that there are other pressing concerns that must be supported.

He ended the status with a Twitter hashtag, #movementnotamoment.

Support for Jablonski has remained strong. Students at schools nationwide, including

Benilde-St. Margaret’s student body, wore white to school on Jan. 5, in honor of Jablonski.

The Minneapolis Storm hockey association created “Jack’s Pledge” stickers that players wore on Jan. 14 at a pond hockey tournament on Lake Minnetonka, to commit to safer play. Mounds View also supported him on Jan. 5, with members of the student body wearing white to school and writing #13 on their wrists.

Some students felt that the attention was inevitable, given the severity of the accident.

Jaime Bartels, 11, said, “It was bound to happen to some hockey player in high school. it just happened to be him, and if it was anyone else they

would probably get the same amount of attention. It just wasn’t fair what happened.”

“It was freak accident.

People get into cars knowing they are taking a risk of death or serious injury, but I don’t think high school hockey players go into a game expecting to come out not walking again,” said Rachel Holle, 11. “I think a lot of high school athletes can relate to Jack and that is why we are so sympathetic.”

Jablonski’s accident, while horrific, has also started productive discussion about other issues facing society.

Whether or not this amount of attention is warranted, Mounds View students are fully behind Jablonski, hoping for the best recovery possible.

D

January 20, 2012

sports11

Br ownhill Skiing High temperatures and lack of snow put a damper on the winter sports season

photo courtesy of Afton Alps

by Allison Hare

staff reporter

Snow: Indisputably, it is one of the most important components for a successful ski season. After a seemingly unending, snow-less December and lukewarm January, Mounds View’s Alpine and Nordic ski teams have been struggling to keep up with their normal schedule.

Alpine, for example, was set back one week from the lack of snowfall. The use of snow makers helped, of course, but the team still suffered from poor conditions on the slopes.

“Without snow, there is no Alpine,” said skier Jan Waszczuk, 11. “Thankfully, there are snow makers, but

especially this year, the snow quality of snow makers is lesser than that of natural snow. And on top of that, the alternate thawing and freezing temperatures have made the slopes into a slushy, unstable nightmare.”

Despite the less than stellar conditions, the Alpine Ski Team has regular practices every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at the Wild Mountain ski slopes in Taylor’s Falls, Minnesota.

Similarly, Mounds View’s Nordic team has been having several weather-related difficulties this season. The team usually practices at Como Park Ski Center, Irondale’s trails, or the Lee Bolstad Golf Course at the University of

Jacky Volkert freshman Athlete of the Issue

Minnesota, all relatively short drives from Mounds View.

However, due to the lack of snow, they now practice by cross-training at Mounds View or taking a further drive to ski at Green Acres Recreation, Elm Creek Park Reserve, or Trollhaugen.

Nordic skiers have definitely been feeling the impacts of the snow issue, especially younger athletes on the team. “[The lack of snow] makes it a lot harder to train younger skiers. We also have to travel a lot further to find snow and do a lot more cross-training,” said Joe Morey, 10.

“It has certainly made it a challenge, considering we can’t ski on grass,” said

Jacky Volkert, 9, brought her talent to the varsity basketball team as a mere freshman. After coming off two stress fractures in her back, sitting out all spring and fall to heal them, and still recovering, she’s still made a big impact and great contributions to the team.

Q: What was your reaction to being able to play varsity?

A: I was amazed and super excited! I was also a little intimidated to begin with, but all the girls were very

William Spector, 11. “We usually end up running, and when we do ski, we generally have to commute a distance to man-made snow. The lack of snow also impacts the newer skiers negatively because it prevents them from getting the experience on snow that they ought to have.”

Despite all of the drawbacks affecting the team, Nordic’s coach, Ann Gentry, had a positive outlook on the situation.

“Even though the lack of snow is sno’ fun, we’ve had a great season,” said Gentry.

“With one exception, we have competed in all of our meets, but have had to move to locations that have man-made snow... We continue to train at

welcoming and nice.

Q: Do you get a lot of playing time with varsity? Do you play any JV? A: I play maybe 8-10 minutes in each half for varsity and I also play the first half of JV games.

Q: What is your training schedule like?

A: For practice, I’m in the gym six days a week.

Q: What are practices like?

What do you do on a regular basis?

A: We do a lot of “5 on 6”

the same intensity and we have the same goals.”

Although both Alpine and Nordic have been facing difficulties this season, they are each performing successfully in meets. Both the boys and girls Nordic teams have recently placed fifth and fourth at their last two respective meets. The girls Alpine team placed second at the Wild Invite on Dec. 16, superior to Minnetonka, last year’s state champs. Even with the recordbreaking low snow levels this season, Mounds View’s ski teams will not let the weather stop them.

or scrimmaging, two minute drill, shooting drills, ball handling, and weight lifting.

Q: Do you practice at all outside of team or regular practices?

A: Not too much during the season, but in between seasons I go to the gym.

Q: What other sports do you play?

A: I play for the Minnesota Fury basketball in photo by Allison Hare the off-season, softball in the spring, and volleyball in the fall. photo by Joy Xie information compiled by Allie Severson

12gallery “So we hit the boulevard.”

January 20, 2012

...was a busy one for Mounds View.

Four major school events occurred on Friday the 13th.

Mounds View’s student run Shakespeare production put on four fantastic showings of The Taming of the Shrew. The production, starring Alex Fream, Sam Keillor, and Nick Helgeson among others was directed by seniors Zach Rolfs, Landis Stewart, and Maria Keeler.

“Think we kissed but I forgot.”

“Yeah we danced on tabletops.”

Synergy held a teacher milk drinking competition in honor of its annual Heifer Fundraiser to purchase livestock for third world countries. Mr. Nuss, the champion, received a singing and dancing cow and a gallon of chocolate milk.

“Glitter all over the room”

“T.G.I.F.”

Y.E.A. (Youth Encouraging Awareness) sponsored a Somali Famine Benefit Gala complete with dinner and a silent auction, donating all proceeds to the American Refugee Committee.

“Don’t know what to tell my boss.”

In recognition of Ziggy Kauls’ 45 years of coaching Mounds View boys’ basketball, the court was dedicated and renamed after him at Friday’s game against East Ridge.

“Yes, I did dump a cup of milk on my head. But

I’m pretty sure it ruled.”

photos by Youngjun Park, Ben Kaiser, Anders Nygaard, Joy Xie, and Allison Hare

“Do it all again...”