Mounds View High School Viewer 3/14/12

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VIEWER

Mounds View

http://mvviewer.org Wednesday, March 14, 2012

INSIDE

Inside

Features 3

MV student Blake Anderson passes away

Caught in the MV Bubble

Google overhauls its privacy policy

Volume 59

2011-2012 Issue 9

<editor@mvviewer.org>

It’s not what you think!

Parents believe teen behavior is worse than it actually is

by Nathaniel Nikoi staff reporter Parents often worry about their children’s behavior, or more often, their misbehavior.

“They always ask me what I’m doing, where I’m going and who I’m with,” said Alex Goetzke, 11.

An article from the New York Times suggests that teenagers are making better choices today than their parents made themselves. This article cites decreases in smoking rates, marijuana use, and teenage pregnancy rates, among others, in the past three decades.

For example, surveys conducted by Monitoring the Future (MTF) show that 60 percent of high-school seniors had tried marijuana in 1980, compared with just 45.5 percent now. Ramsey County is doing slightly better than the national average.

According to a survey conducted by the Minnesota Department of Health, 42 percent of senior boys and 44 percent of senior girls have tried marijuana.

There are some areas where Ramsey County students are doing worse than the nation as a whole. In 1980, 72 percent of high-school seniors had tried alcohol nationwide, which dropped to 40 percent in 2011. In Ramsey County, though, 51 percent of males and 53 percent of females had consumed alcohol in 2010.

Students say they are making better decisions and are also learning from their parents’ mistakes.

“My mom used to smoke cigarettes. I don’t think I’ll be smoking anything for that matter, learning from her mistakes,” said Christina Nelson, 10.

Mounds View administrators seem to agree.

“I think they [cases of drug use or misbehavior] are decreasing, and students

are having a better handle on what they put in their bodies and how they handle conflicts,” said Doug Bullinger, assistant principal. “Sure, there will always be more opportunities for making bad choices, but I think a lot of the students are navigating through it better than when their parents were in their teenage years.”

Nationwide Marijuana Rates 60% 50%

40%

‘80

‘90

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Source: Monitoring the Future

Students frustrated by Hiner’s departure

by Peter Olson staff reporter On March 2, Health Office Assistant Cheryl Hiner lost her job, frustrating students who relied on her to help them through difficult days.

“No one really knows why,” said Sarah Stark, 12, who is trying to gain student and parent support for Hiner’s return.

When asked about Hiner, Principal Julie Wikelius said, “There was a staff change that came

“

S

he cared for us not because she had to, but because she wanted to.”

-Sarah Stark, 12

”

into effect Monday.”

Wikelius was not able to give the reason for the loss of Hiner’s position because of district personnel policies.

Hiner herself said she doesn’t know the reason why she lost her job. She said that Wikelius only told her that “you don’t fit in.”

Many Mounds View students believe that Hiner was an effective nurse and deserves her position.

“Cheryl [Hiner] has helped four people go to a mental hospital to get better. She cares about people,” said Stark, 12.

Stark posted a picture on the wall of the Facebook group “Mounds View Memes” that said, “Mounds View...Y U Fire Only One Who Cares?”

Many students voiced their support for Hiner’s return on Facebook.

Online, students are suggesting that Hiner may have lost her job because she allowed too many students to come to the nurse’s office to talk. Students claim that she was just helping students handle their problems.

“She cared for us not because she had to, but because she wanted to,” Stark said.

Hiner, who was new this year and still in a probationary period, said, “I really believe in taking care of the physical and emotional health of the kids.”

In order to protest the staff change, students

are planning a sit-in sometime in the future.

Hiner is hoping this is not the end of the road for her at Mounds View.

“I’d love to be back so I can help take care of the kids,” said Hiner.

Cheryl Hiner, the Health Office Assistant, lost her job on March 2.

2editorials op T 10

March 14, 2012

Letter to the Editor:

Lamest Rapper Names

10 8

Rappy McRapperson Amateur Professionals

Flo Rida

6 4

Lil’ Scrappy

69 Boyz Kidz in the Hall Ke$hav Puff Daddy

2

Annoyin’ Mastermind HAWD GANKSTUH RAPPUH EMSEES

2011-2012 Viewer Editors Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor News Editorials Features Spread Variety Review Sports Design

9 7 5 3 1

Ryan Slechta John Ke Maximillian Wang Alyssa Belsito Nimmy Koshy Tristan Gustafson John Knopf Mali Bacig Alvin Ma Akshay Patke Camry Kelly Alx Wald

Megan Ruan Business Manager/Online Editor Erika Batiz Photographers Youngjun Stillcannot Park Adviser Martha Rush

Staff

- Tristan Aschittino, David Gonzalez, Allison Hare, Selin Kurtoglu, David Liu, Nathaniel Nikoi, Peter Olson, Alexander Safanov, Adam Toninato, Matthew Voges, Mikaela Warner, Joy Xie

Like so many other people, I have found high school to be a challenging stage of my life. The constant strain of stress and personal issues is enough to cripple even the most efficient of students, not to mention ones with more brutal circumstances. At age 15, I was diagnosed with severe depression and an anxiety disorder. As my mind became a darker, more foreign place, I forced myself to attempt to find someone to rescue me.

The concept of reaching out to a “trusted adult” is one that is hard to grasp, and I only felt myself progressing deeper into my diseases as my hesitation got the best of me. The fact that Mounds View thrives on the idea of perfection often encourages students to cover up any of

their issues; every student is pushed to reach their highest potential by neglecting their problems.

It is in this brutal chase of flawlessness that students are often overwhelmed with life, and this is where the system fails them.

Recently, Mounds View has made the decision that deans would be the ones to handle the entire student body. Like many students at Mounds View, I viewed my dean as someone who disciplined me; for so long I had associated them with such a bad light that seeking them out for emotional and mental assistance seemed impossible.

Although Mounds View continues to employ a school psychologist, Mrs. Kurtoglu, she is hidden in the basement, her office the size of a closet.

I would not be surprised if the majority of students didn’t even know the location of her office. The lack of her presence in so many students’ lives force them to deal with the stress alone, stress that is inherently apart of any high school experience. The fact that we only have one psychologist to directly assist hundreds of students and their personal problems is unacceptable.

Due to the lack of a designated professional, a person a teenager can trust will take them seriously, many students search for other outlets of support. Nurse Cheryl had the reputation of being one of the nicest and most approachable staff members at Mounds View, and was known for her support.

Her absence may force students to take the same path I did. The lack of support I received from Mounds View eventually forced me to leave the school and attempt to recover at a treatment center located in Maplewood. Firing Nurse Cheryl will eliminate support for so many students, and there will be an increase in stories that are much like my own. Students who depended on her for support are now left with no one to confide in; that is where the problem lies.

- Abbey Zerfas Editors’ Note: Cheryl Hiner was the health office assistant, not the actual school nurse.

The price is not right No one should have to pay for cheese

by Tristan Aschittino and Sasha Safonov staff writers Mounds View High School has a mission: to build an inclusive community of resourceful, respectful, and responsible individuals that value learning. Mounds View dutifully seeks to fulfill this mission, and many students at Mounds View see the true value of school. Something that they fail to see, however, is the value of their school lunches.

Many a student who has purchased a lunch at Mounds View has felt the utter regret that comes after buying an overpriced item from the a la carte line in addition to their $2.60 lunch, effectively doubling the cost.

At $2.50 per slice, pizza prices are somewhat ludicrous. A large pizza from Little Caesar’s -- with the consumer’s choice of either cheese, pepperoni or sausage -- costs approximately $5. An entire pizza, with eight slices equal in size to the pizza in the a la carte line, is two times the price. The only thing you get with school pizza is a small, grease-stained piece of cardboard. Nutrition Services

should easily be able to match the price of a restaurant; they are a school lunch provider.

One pasta bar Wednesday there was a disturbance amongst Mounds View’s students regarding a $0.65 charge for mozzarella cheese, which had been previously included with the price of lunch. The mozzarella was sold in small, plastic cups at the end of the lunch line, near the check-out. This cheese was a favorite of many to

photo by Youngjun Park

enhance the flavor of the notparticularly-tasty noodles and to complement the sauce.

Cheese is closer to a condiment than a stand-alone product.

Every subsequent Wednesday since that fateful day, there has been no extra

charge for cheese. Instead, mozzarella has been removed from the pasta bar line altogether. In its place stands the much inferior Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan shaker allows only minute quantities of the cheese to be sprinkled upon one’s lunch compared to the grab-n-go, self-served mozzarella of the past.

Of course, the amount of government money allotted to the Mounds View School District is much less than it was in previous years, so there may be a need to charge more.

But the state government is supplying District 621 with nearly $79 million, the local government supplies over $50 million, and the federal government provides another $5 million this year, according to FindTheData.

This comes to a total of over $135 million in funding, which makes the price of cheese seem trivial.

Cheese isn’t the only food with price hikes in recent years.

Some of the increases have been masked as being better for one’s health. This includes the downsizing of the brownies to mere bite-sized morsels, in order to “Get all of the yummy with less of a tummy”

as claimed by a poster in the hallway outside the cafeteria.

Cutting down the size while maintaining the price is as it sounds: a rip-off.The poster even borders on patronizing.

This is just one example.

Others include the once discounted price of buying three bundled cookies. Again, it was removed for “health reasons,” yet the price is still given in “3 cookies” on the black price board. One can only assume that it is recommended that they be bought that way.

Mounds View has an extremely high student-athlete population, so reducing the size of a brownie for a ravenous gymnast or track runner can be a great disappointment, even if the price was kept exactly the same. Students should have the choice of whether or not they want to buy a somewhat highly-caloric brownie; the decision should not be premade with a cost to students.

Taking advantage of students by exuberant markups and trickery is something you could expect from an untrustworthy pub -- not an esteemed school like Mounds View.

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

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.

Corrections from the 3/2/12 issue: The athlete of the issue was Steve Hokanson, not Bella Sutton.

March 14, 2012

3 features

Stude n t l o s es b attl e wi th cancer

by Megan Ruan design editor Mounds View senior Blake Anderson died Feb. 27, after a long and brutal struggle against blood cancer. He had suffered through numerous stem cell transplants, platelet transfusions and oral chemotherapy, but what made Blake’s battle incalculably more difficult was that he did it without a permanent home.

Back in 2008, Blake had gone to a check-up and had some blood tests done. His iron levels were reported low. Blake’s mother, Michelle, remembers, “on our way home, Blake said, ‘Mom, I hope I don’t have cancer,’ And I said, ‘Everything is going to be fine.’”

But on Oct. 31, 2008, the Andersons received a phone call informing them that Blake had acute myelogenous leukemia.

Blake and Michelle moved from place to place for a number years, staying at motels, apartments, and family members’ houses. Michelle, a single mother, supported Blake through a combination of Social Security and child support checks.

Blake’s need for her care made it almost impossible to get a steady job, something that only increased the difficulty of his treatment.

“Being homeless was kind of a hard thing for him, because he didn’t

know exactly where we were going to be when we were out of the hospital,” said Michelle.

Amanda Little, cultural liaison at Mounds View, explained that the incidence of homelessness in high schoolers is more common than many students think.

“We need to not assume that every single student in the building has a place to live,” she said. “We know from our stats that every building has at least one [homeless student], and numbers were extremely high this fall.”

Across Mounds View School District, there are 75 recorded homeless students in the 2011-2012 school year.

However, the number of students who are recorded as homeless is likely an underestimate.

“It’s easy for us to say they shouldn’t feel ashamed, but until I walk in their shoes, I’m not sure what I would do either,” said Little.

“Oftentimes, a parent will call and let us know, but other times we’ll find out from a teacher whom the student has confided in.”

Little also expressed that schools can refer students to shelters or other help centers.

Little works with local churches, such as St. Andrew’s church in White Bear Lake, to provide a “one-stop shop” center for students. She stresses the importance of collaborating to

provide significantly more resources than a school or a single church could do alone.

Although his infrequent attendance made it harder for people to get to know him, Blake made an impact on those around him.

“Blake was a very happy person.

He always had a smile on his face. He never had one bad thing to say about anybody,” said Michelle.

Blake’s positive presence went far beyond the school environment.

Even in his weakened state under treatment in the hospital, he managed to brighten the lives of nurses and doctors. Blake had the ability to make others laugh almost effortlessly, according to his mother.

“For Blake and I, it was unconditional. He did whatever he could to make me happy, make me smile. And he did,” said Michelle.

Now faced with grieving for her son, Michelle said, “I just know that now he’s better off because he’s not suffering and he’s not in any pain.”

She voices that her relationship with Blake only grew stronger through all their troubles. “He was my support and I was his. Even when I was in my downest moods, he’d say, ‘Mom, everything is going to be fine,’” said Michelle.

The Andersons had received help from Hearts and Hands, an organization founded by Ed Murphy.

The organization’s mission is to provide non-medical support services to families who have, or have had, a child with a life threatening illness.

Murphy also lost his only son to cancer in 2007, enabling him to truly empathize with Michelle.

The Hearts and Hands website elaborates on how “family members, friends, neighbors, co-workers, all want to help, but often don’t know the best way to support a family or are afraid they will say or do the wrong thing.” The staff at Hearts and Hands provides resources so that families can receive truly helpful and meaningful support.

Hearts and Hands is not the only organization devoted to helping teenagers like Blake. Nor are official organizations the only way to increase the amount of support people receive.

Among Blake’s goals were to attend a two year science college and continue to the University of Minnesota to become a veterinarian.

Michelle hopes that her son can be a model of what is it to strive for every aspiration within reach.

“I would hope that high school kids would not take things for granted.

You never know when something will happen. If something happens where times get tough, just make sure you’ve gotten what you wanted to out of life.”

Hearts & Hands “At Hearts & Hands, we know what it is like to live with a child facing a life threatening condition and we know what it is like to lose a child.

We can help.”

Ensures support and supplies for struggling families.

Collaboration with pediatric medical community enables child-friendly hospital care.

Puts families in contact with organizations that can provide adequate financial aid.

Identifies support that embraces unique cultural, spiritual, or gender identity experiences.

Assists families with organizing fundraisers to help pay expenses.

The Mounds View Bubb

It’s a scary w but we feel s

by Alx Wald sports editor Wake up, drive yourself to school, stay after for an extracurricular activity.

Drive yourself home, eat a dinner your mother has prepared for you, do your homework.

Waste some time on Facebook, play some Xbox, go to bed.

If this describes your daily life, then you live the “Mounds View” lifestyle.

Living our lives from weekend to weekend, with little to worry us besides homework and girls, rarely do we stop to ponder what has been given to us -- or what life is like for people outside our comfortable bubble.

Never does it cross our minds that we may go to bed hungry, or that we may not have a place to sleep tonight. Sure, we argue with our parents when they won’t give us what we want, but few of us have ever woken up and wondered whether our alcoholic or drug-addicted parent will abuse us today.

Not every student at Mounds View lives this lifestyle, but so many do that it’s possible to go through four years here without encountering many of society’s ills. Has this caused Mounds View students to become isolated from the “real world”?

Joelle Sakkal, 12, gained a unique perspective when she lived in Lebanon for a summer. “In Lebanon, partying and drinking is a lot more prevalent, especially among families and parents. Now I’m a lot more

thankful that my parents nered as they are,” she s Some of the blame fact that Mounds View s exposed to poverty, as o district students are on f programs. Compare that lis School District which children receiving free o actually slightly below t of 66 percent.

“Even though Moun students, our building is diverse than others in th the state,” said Amanda liaison.

David Alexander, 1 and elementary school in before moving to the Mo District.

“One big difference Park] was during winter torn-up sweatshirts to sc wore actual winter coats lot more careful not to le around. I think going to allowed me to be more a accepting of other peopl different from mine.”

In some cases, the “ rience leads kids to stere schools.

Tony Louwagie, 12 times believes rumors an about other schools. For girl from Roseville is pr one from White Bear go Zach Louwagie, 12

Reaching for new horizons Some Mounds View students have taken the opportunity to step out of the bubble and experience other lifestyles

by Peter Cole staff reporter Although many students have never ventured out of the Mounds View bubble, there are a few students who have embraced an eclectic worldview.

Jenny Mullin, 12, was uprooted midway through middle school when her dad’s job relocated her family to Germany. Initially tentative about the move, Mullin, in hindsight, would not trade it for anything.

“Being immersed in a different culture broadened my horizon because it took away everything I was comfortable with… and looking back, that was good,” said Mullin. As a result of her years in Germany, she not only developed a taste for Wienerschnitzel, but also finds herself more well-rounded, globally savvy, and willing to try new things .

Similarly, Spanish exchange student Xavi Pernas Pardo believes that his extended stay in the United States profited him greatly.

“Before come, I don’t like the America very much,” he said. “When I

[am] here, I look that it is very different than Spain and I learn much Inglés.

Now I like [it] very much.”

Part of the problem with people’s reluctance to expose themselves to new cultures, customs, people and ideas is that they have a limited mindset, an inability to see things through the eyes of others. This leads to provincialism and may promote unacceptance of cultural and racial diversity.

“People lose the sense that there is a bigger world beyond ourselves; an American-centric point of view misses out on the richness of other cultures,” said social studies teacher Kathryn Miller, who has traveled extensively in the Middle East, including living on an Israeli kibbutz.

She said once people can overcome the “cultural barrier,” they don’t perceive the world as “us and them” and, as a result, are less frightened because they see foreign cultures as more similar than different.

Undoubtedly, travel is the best way to expose oneself to new cultures. Yet, television and Internet consumption, reading literature and current events from other continents, pen pals and exchange programs can make inroads into social conscience.

Many valuable volunteering opportunities are close to home. For example, volunteers can serve the homeless just 15 minutes from Mounds View at the Dorothy Day Center -- preparing hot meals, stacking food shelves, aiding in health/medical services, and simply being someone’s companion for the day. Although this isn’t an international experience, it is stepping into a different world.

Mikaela Sosniecki, 12, former president of the MVHS Volunteer Club, noted, “For a true vision into the lives of the people you are serving, a place like the Simpson Shelter [in Minneapolis] provides an opportunity for face to face contact where you can really step outside of your comfort zone and invest yourself in them.”

Spanish teacher Laura Rivers mentions a variety of ways for healthy exposure: “Keep your eyes and mind open, expose yourself to different ideas, learn a new language, read about a culture, talk to your fellow classmates, notice new places, and be opportunistic in and outside your community.”

However, there is nothing like traveling abroad to absorb perspectives, even allowing them to mold your own. This metamorphosis occurs not

in Westernized beach resorts and Hyatt poolsides, but by true exploration of foreign thought, wrestling with language acquisition, forging friendships with people of a different background.

“Don’t get me wrong, beachside vacations are splendid but they won’t unveil a culture’s true colors,” said Miller. “You need to take the opportunity to explore past the touristy hotspots and visit un-identical, un-Americanized areas.”

At this very moment, seniors are making decisions about colleges. College and graduate school provide the optimal opportunity for venturing out into the world and getting to know different people, cities and customs. Not only can students attend college in a different region of the U.S., but many students offer study abroad as well.

Following college, language arts teacher Ingrid Kleinjan studied in Brazil.

“I had grown up in a rather sheltered area similar to Mounds View and, until being immersed in the Brazilian culture, did not fully grasp what it was like outside my community,” she said.

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is a perception that other schools are ‘bad schools’ because they aren’t like Mounds View where everyone is raised the same way. Not everyone shares what we might perceive to be the ‘ideal situation’ or ideal life goals. For some people, an expensive four-year university is just not a realistic option.”

Even Mounds View’s intra-district rival Irondale is judged condescendingly, referred to as “Iron-Jail” by some, when it is in fact ranked as one of the top high schools in America by Newsweek.

Outside of school situations, some Mounds View students tend to be uncomfortable when exposed to the real world.

Many people will be willing to volunteer at charities such as Feed My Starving Children because they don’t have to get their hands dirty and be exposed to poverty.

Few are willing to put themselves outside of their comfort zone by, say, striking up a conversation with a homeless man and eating dinner with him.

However this autumn, seniors Karl Rehfuss, Kyle McGinty and Sam VanTassel did just that. They said they gained a great insight into the life of a homeless man, named Jay-P. They learned that not six months ago he had a construction job, and he and his wife were living comfortably in their house with their newborn before their lives took a bad turn.

“We realized that this was an experience we needed to have to open ourselves up to the fact that not everyone lives like we do, people live in different situations and we need to be aware of that,” said Rehfuss.

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Work at a hospitality house

1.

To see what life is like outside of suburban Minnesota, volunteering at a home for inner-city children may be one of the best ways.

The Hospitality House Youth Development center, located in North Minneapolis, helps kids of varying ages with programs in education, athletics, performing arts, and community outreach. Children that otherwise would not be getting emotional support or the help they need with school are able to get it here. The house couldn’t be run without its volunteer base; volunteers at the house do everything from teaching kids to distributing food.

Mandy Huang, 11, spent time volunteering at the house last summer and remembered it as being a positive experience.

“I really liked hanging out with the kids and getting to know them,” she said. “I would recommend it to people at Mounds View.”

Study abroad Some people may wish to continue their studies while taking in other cultures. In this case, studying abroad may be a good option.

Will Weightman, 11, traveled to China last year through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). The program was started in 2006 to encourage students to learn less commonly taught languages in the U.S. “I would highly recommend a study abroad experience in high school,” Weightman said. “You will learn many valuable skills such as gaining independence and learning about other cultures and languages. You will make many valuable friendships cross culturally and it also looks great on a college application, but the real reason you should go is to learn.”

The Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Abroad Program, Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program, and American Youth Leadership Program are all viable options for Mounds View students looking to diversify their learning experience in high school.

2.

Volunteer at a hospital

3.

Hospital volunteer work is a wonderful way to see the community through a different perspective. Helping patients can allow students to break the Mounds View bubble through showing them what life is like for those who must spend days confined in a small hospital room.

In the Twin Cities alone, there are ample opportunities to work at hospitals. Some hospitals that offer volunteering experiences include Abbott Northwestern, North Memorial, Shriners, Bethesda, and Regions, among many others. Hospitals are always in need of help - according to North Memorial Hospital’s website, volunteers are an integral part of the health care system.

They help patients to show there are people who care, and can make life seem more normal at times.

Abby Conrad, 11, worked at Bethesda Hospital last summer and thought it was a great volunteer experience.

“I worked at the gift shop, helped with physical therapy, and transported patients to ‘safe areas’ in the hospital,” she said. “I thought it was a great opportunity, especially for those who want to go into the medical field because it’s good experience and you get to know more about medical things.”

Volunteering abroad is a great way to break through the Minnesota bubble and see what foreign countries are like outside of the well-worn tourist areas.

Cross-Cultural Solutions is one organization that helps many people experience culture in other countries through volunteering. According to its website, it “mobilizes volunteers to serve abroad and help address critical global issues in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and Latin America.”

Volunteers are able to travel to 12 countries for diverse cultures and experiences.

Megan Ruan, 11, traveled to Costa Rica through CCS last year to volunteer with children, and viewed it as an eye-opening experience.

“In addition to letting me experience a rich, new culture, [CCS] gave me the chance to see how people in vastly different countries lived,” she said. “The day care where I volunteered was a true representation of most people’s lives in Costa Rica... Many [kids] came each day without having breakfast, and some were not guaranteed a square meal for supper either.”

Ruan would definitely recommend CCS to other students.

artwork by Megan Ruan

information compiled by Allison Hare

4.

6reviews

by Matthew Voges staff reporter Sex, drugs, and rock and roll are merely the backdrop for American Idiot: The Musical’s emotional tale of three lifelong friends braving the tumultuous path of rage and love in modern young adulthood. Based upon and propelled by the landmark album American Idiot by Green Day, this rock opera deserves a spot among the best of Broadway.

The album, American Idiot, was originally intended by Green Day to be one cohesive story, segmented into different songs.

Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer made it his mission to bring the story to life on Broadway.

He worked closely with Green Day, two-time Tony Award-winner composer Tom Kitt, choreographer Steven Hoggett, and Tony Awardwinning actor John Gallagher Jr. The final product does not disappoint. p

Editor

hora let

Before the show even starts, two massive speaker columns framing the stage forewarn that it isn’t going to be your average musical.

The set itself is multifaceted and often features different characters in multiple locations at once—but the lighting negates any focal confusion. A myriad of televisions overwhelming the senses prelude the theme of society’s indoctrination; soon, all hell breaks loose.

The album’s signature song, “American Idiot,” is delivered first with all the frustration pent up in today’s youth and from that moment on, the music hardly stops. There is not even an intermission—nor should there be. As a whole, the musical is nearly devoid of dialogue with only the occasional monologue from the protagonist, Johnny (Van Hughes). With little dialogue comes little exposition and the audience is jarred immediately into the characters’ lives in a not-so-fantastic world of self-discovery.

Johnny and his friends, Tunny (Scott Campbell) and Will (Jake Epstein), each set upon different paths. Johnny and Tunny get out of the suburbs and head for the big city while Will is forced to stay behind when his girlfriend, Heather (Leslie McDonel), tearfully announces her new-found pregnancy.

Though their journey is at first hopeful, the city-goers soon part ways as well. Tunny joins the military while Johnny falls deeply in love with a girl titled Whatsername (Gabrielle

Singles

B.o.B.- “So Good” B.o.B’s relaxed style of rapping works well with the bouncy piano harmony. When combined with the fun lyrics, B.o.B. truly takes listeners on a trip around the world.

Sounds like: A rap song you can finally skip to.

-John Ke 7/10 managing editor

Fun.- “We Are Young”

Combining a Black Keys bass-loop style with a lightness like that of Foster the People, Fun. makes a song that’s free of any worldly limits, a song about youthful carelessness.

Sounds like: Skydiving in a song.

7/10

-Max Wang news editor

Jack White - “Love Interruption” Consisting of a soft acoustic guitar chord progression backed by a jazzy clarinet melody and keyboard, “Love Interruption” is a good start to Jack White’s solo career.

Sounds like: The White Stripes with a soft indie sound in place of their usual harsh rock.

-Akshay Patke reviews editor 8/10

March 14, 2012 McClinton). Their love is passionate, but she leaves him when his infatuation with drugs — provided by a rather frightening individual named St. Jimmy (Joshua Kobak) — overcomes his love for her.

All of this is portrayed through brilliant acting and the temperamentally poetic lyrics of Billie Joe Armstrong — the lead guitarist of Green Day. The crashing, frustrated, powerful rock tunes are complemented by equally powerful ballads of softer substance. “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” warrants special mention for its distinctive blend of the two power facades.

Another special mention is merited by the brash choreography of Steven Hoggett. During the song “Extraordinary Girl,” Tunny and The Extraordinary Girl (Nicci Claspell), find themselves twirling about in the throes of both love and a superbly managed fly system.

The many avenues of life, loss, rage, and love are all explored in the three situations, and resolve in a Company take of the wistful song “Whatsername.”

Despite the many pitfalls of this personal revolution, the characters and audience all leave feeling at least a little bit older and the better for it.

When you look past the sex, drugs, and growling guitar riffs, American Idiot: The Musical is as deeply profound as any Broadway production, but peerless in its raw electricity.

Scott J. Campbell (Tunny) and Nicci Caspell (The Extraordinary Girl) fly across the stage during the song “Extraordinary Girl.”

Green Day’s lead vocalist, Billie Joe Armstrong performs with the cast of American Idiot

The cast comes together and sings “Whatsername” before the play’s end.

10/10

photos courtesy of americanidiotthemusical.com

The next White Stripes

by Selin Kurtoglu staff reporter It’s safe to say that when “Patterns” played on the TV show Castle, the bluesy-rock track boosted Band of Skulls’ popularity.

Originally from Southampton, Great Britain, this trio has been making the rounds since late 2008. It’s inevitable that all bands change marginally from album to album, but from their first album, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, to Sweet Sour, Band of Skulls has managed to hold onto their guitar heavy, slightly dirty, bluesy-rock sound, while mixing in a couple darker ballads along the way.

Since the separation of the White Stripes, the rock community has been aching for a group to fill the void.

The British rock trio is definitely a favored contender to be the next White Stripes, and with their girl-guy vocals, they have a great shot at becoming the next socially accepted, versatile, yet intensely ‘rock’ band.

The album starts out with “Sweet Sour,” the album’s namesake song. Immediately, the harsh guitar strums and the deep powerful voice of Emma Richardson captivates listeners. Although the lyrics aren’t particularly creative, the repetitive lines mixed with the sweet guitar riffs seem oddly hypnotising. The next track, “Bruises,” carries on this feeling of thick drum beats and heavy guitar, while adding a little bit of pop-like energy to the track.

Led in by a great rock-pop tune, “Wanderluster” brings on the nostalgic traits of early-90s stadiumrock. Not far away in sound, “Lies” takes on the quality of a more dirty, punkier sort of stadium

rock track. Continuing their trademark thick drum and rhythm-keeping bass, “Lies” has a broken-heart-ballad intensity, but with a personal message instead of a weepy forlorn one.

Speaking of forlorn ballads, Sweet Sour was not entirely void of the weepy kind. Known for their unapologetic but pleasingly harsh sound, “Navigate,” “Close to Nowhere,” and “Hometowns” were almost the exact opposite of this band’s usual genre. The lightsounding strums of the acoustic guitar leading into each one of these ballads are easy to listen to, but the stark transition from funk-rock to slow ballad is difficult for hardcore fans to swallow.

As with a lot of rock bands, their music styles ebb and flow. While Band of Skulls will always manage to crank out a couple great mindless-rock tracks, this album was a little bit on the flimsy side and could have definitely benefited from more of the strong, punky sound that fans loved in Baby Darling Doll Face Honey.

In a way, this album was sweet and sour. At first listen the differences in genre are jarring, but the more times the tracks are played, the better they seem to fit with each other. As Band of Skulls themselves said “...sour by the minute but sweeter by the hour.”

7/10 photos courtesy of promonews.tv

sports7

March 14, 2012

Teams go to state Swimming The boys swim team won sections by an impressive 49.5 points over a tough Wayzata squad and then went on to finish seventh at the state meet. Noah Lucas, 11, came through with two state championships in the 200 freestyle and the 500 freestyle. His 200 time also set a new school record.

Gymnastics The girls gymnastics team sent three girls to state this year. Nikki Birr, 11, qualified in the allaround, floor, vault, and beam. Crystal Hanson, 9, competed on the uneven bars at the state meet after a fourth place finish at sections. Anna House, 10, qualified for the floor exercise; she competed at state for the second year in a row.

As a team, Mounds View scored a season high of 140.95, finishing second to Roseville at their section meet. Due to the terrific performance by the girls gymnastics team, coach Julie Coopet was named section coach of the year

Alpine The girls alpine team dominated the competition this year winning their section by 96 points.

They went on to race at state, achieving fourth place. Juliana Damberg, 8, led the girls team in state, getting second individually at the section meet. The boys achieved thirteenth in their section, but did not make it to state. Jan Waszczuk, 11, led the boys team at their sections meet getting fortieth overall individually.

He was also awarded as the most improved skier this year.

PIN IT TO WIN IT

Senior Richard Carlson sets multiple school records this season and is on to Nationals

by Alx Wald

staff reporter

I

f you’ve ever stepped into the wrestling room, you may recall the large banners that hang on either end of the room to commemorate some of the greatest Mustang wrestlers. Hundreds of wrestlers have walked through those doors, yet only 14 banners are hung.

Nine represent wrestlers who have notched 100 or more career wins; five represent those who have been crowned state champion. No one has ever done both. This year, Richard Carlson set out on a mission to change that.

At age six, Carlson began his quest to join this league of extraordinary gentlemen.

“I remember when I first started, my dad wouldn’t let me do any competing because he didn’t want me to lose confidence, and he didn’t want me to get beat up on or get hurt,” he said. “From my first year, I loved to wrestle, even though I didn’t compete.”

From there, it didn’t take him long to begin making a name for himself. As a fourth grader, he went to the state tournament and placed third in the state for his age group. He then went on to the Midwest tournament where he placed third, earning him a trip to the national tournament, where he placed sixth.

Since then, Carlson has at least qualified for the state tournament for his age group every year, and has been competitive nationally.

“I don’t remember how many times I’ve been to the national tournament, but twice I placed sixth.”

I

n 2007, as a mere seventh grader, Carlson was called up to the high school team, where he played an integral role in helping his team place fourth at the state tournament, the highest finish in Mustang history. That year,

he was also the first Mounds View athlete ever to qualify for the ninth grade and under state tournament.

The accolades continued to roll in when he won the state tournament for his age group in eighth grade. In ninth grade, he made the high school state tournament, and has made the high school state tournament every year since, including a fifth place finish last year in the 160-pound weight class.

He is one of two wrestlers all time to reach the state tournament four times.

What is the secret behind Carlson’s success? “Definitely my mentality,” he said, “You have to be mentally tough to be a wrestler.”

For the Minnesota Storm, an elite team of wrestlers who compete in national and international tournament, he and his teammates have practices where they focus purely on working out their mental toughness.

“It sounds cheesy, but we’d literally have practices where they’d tell us to bring a pillow and lay down on the mat and they’d talk to us about mental toughness,” he said, “Every night before a meet and before I fall asleep I picture the guys I’m wrestling against and

T

his year, Carlson arguably had the best season of any wrestler in school history. At 40-4, he now owns the crown for most wins in a season in school history, easily clearing the previous record of 37.

With 135 takedowns this season, he also shattered the school single season takedown record of 112, a mark that stood strong for 18 years before Carlson broke it. For all-time career wins, he currently sits third overall at 125, only two victories away from tying for second all-time.

Despite these countless triumphs, Carlson’s career has hardly been all fame and glory. Every year since his freshmen year he has had some sort of injury that forced him to miss matches. Without these injuries, coaches say, Carlson would have shattered the Mounds View career record for wins, seemingly the only school record he did not have a shot at breaking.

Being a varsity wrestler since seventh grade is also an amazing accomplishment

A

t the state tournament two weeks ago, Carlson whipped through the first round and quarter-finals before losing in the semi-finals, a match he feels he should have had. He eventually finished a disappointing fifth in his weight class, but has qualified for nationals in April Though his career as a Mustang came to a bitter end, it is evident Carlson has grown exponentially as a wrestler and as a person over the past six years. In fact, much of what he has been able to accomplish away from the mat he credits to wrestling.

“I learned from wrestling to always have that positive confidence and always expect to come out on top,whether that’s on the mat, in the classroom, whatever it is,” he said. “If you think you can do it, you can.”

photos courtesy of Mary Carlson

2003

Pin against Rochester Christmas Tournament

Richard’s first match information compiled by Adam Toninato

picture myself destroying them, just tearing them to pieces.” It may sound cheesy but it works like a charm.

of its own. For six years, Carlson endured the daily grind, draining all of his energy during practice to gain an edge over his opponents, and then cutting his diet in order to make weight; it’s enough to turn most athletes away from wrestling.

Even Carlson admits sometimes the thought of quitting looked attractive to him. There were times he doubted himself, saying to himself, “I can’t do this anymore,” but his mental toughness and bond with his teammates kept him going strong for six consecutive years. A lot of this credit he gives to his coaches.

“Our coaches do a great job of helping wrestlers mentally not get drained and stay mentally tough,” he said.

2001

Richard’s recent season

2011- 2012

8variety

West Side Story

March 14, 2012

This yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s musical can appeal to anyone. Like its precursor, Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is one of the most iconic tales. The mid-50s show displays the ethnic clashes of the time in New York City, and the well versed ideal: Love conquers all.

photo by Allison Hare

John Voskresensky, 12, and other theatre students participate in a warm-up before rehearsing for the West Side Story musical that debuts April.

photo by Matthew Voges

The tech crew works behind the scenes to create sets and costumes for the actors.

photo by Matthew Voges

A group of theatre students practices choreography for the dance numbers in the musical.

photos by Allison Hare

Nathaniel Aastuen, 11, Maria Keeler, 12, Luke Stone, 12, and Sam Keillor, 11, practice their expressions during theater rehearsal.