An Exploration of Mounds View High School’s Long History
amed after the rolling hills surrounding the area, Mounds View High School was established in 1954 as the first school in the Mounds View school district. The first day of school was Sept. 4, 1954, exactly 70 years before the first day of school for students this year.
Since its establishment, traditions and rules regarding a vast
spectrum of topics have shaped Mounds View into what it is today. Its building has carried years of history within its cement bricks and the thousands of students that have attended the school since its opening.
As a testament to time, the layout of Mounds View has changed quite a bit. Renovating old classrooms, removing the
smoking room, adding onto the structure of the school and repurposing the bomb shelter nestled in the basement, the modernized school leaves questions of what the building used to look like.
To learn more about old policies, building renovations and what the school looked like in the ‘50s, check out the Spread pages inside.
PHOTO Via Gary Swanson
1982: Mounds View High School before many renovations with the MV sculpture out front.
New associate principal: Dr. Staci Souhan
Dr. Staci Souhan succeeds Gretchen Zahn in the role of associate principal
| Zariyah Howell ONLINE EDITOR
Dr. Staci Souhan was hired as Mounds View High School’s new associate principal this summer, replacing Gretchen Zahn, who is now associate principal of athletics and activities at Irondale High School. Souhan was a business major at the University of St. Thomas, where she received her bachelor’s degree. She originally worked in marketing for 12 years before she became an educator. She then returned to school for her masters, doctorate and administrator’s license at Hamline University, before beginning a long-lasting career in education.
After relocating due to a market that didn’t support her career, Souhan decided to pursue education. “At the time, I was really lucky to be able to think ‘What do I want to do?’ if I [could] do anything else I wanted. I knew it was to be an educator.”
While getting her doctorate, Souhan faced challenges trying to get her dissertation passed but overall found the process very enjoyable and memorable.
In her dissertation, Souhan conducted research on efficacy and how it impacts teachers and students. She believes that efficacy — the ability to achieve an intended result, like success — is important for all parts of learning and plans to implement her studies here at Mounds View. “I would like to use my research to help make the professional
“I kind of want to know what makes Mounds View tick and what makes it the amazing place that it is and continues to be.”
Dr. Staci Souhan, associate principal
development that teachers get more personalized, like how we differentiate [learning plans] for students. We need to differentiate for adults as well and meet their needs because that is what grows efficacy.”
Before becoming an administrator, Souhan was a thirdgrade literacy teacher where she
found a passion for helping kids learn to read. “I love taking a child that can’t read, especially if they feel like they can’t read or been told they can’t read, and proving to them they are a reader. And that stems from my dad because he had a learning disability, and he grew up his whole life thinking he wasn’t smart because he couldn’t read. No one had even told him ‘This isn’t you, this is us not meeting your needs or not finding a different way for you to learn it,’” Souhan said.
Souhan also worked as an elementary principal for five years. She then moved to Irondale after being drawn in by the Mounds View school district’s equity promise. She enjoys working with high schoolers because it allows her to create more meaningful connections. This importance of creating connections comes from when Souhan was younger, where teachers made a difference in her life. “My high school teachers literally saved my life. Those teachers took time to know me, they invested in me, and they expected me to do better and to achieve. What an opportunity to be the person that gives [stu-
dents] a ‘why’ [reason] to go on and do great things and maybe see themselves better than anyone else has seen them and to believe in them — that they can do it.”
Souhan’s main goal at Mounds View is to gain and grow relationships and meet new people. “I kind of want to know what makes Mounds View tick and what makes it the
amazing place that it is and continues to be.” So far, the students and staff Souhan has met have been welcoming towards her. “I was sad to leave Irondale, but I am happy to be here. There’s a difference between not being happy to be somewhere and just being sad to leave.”
Mounds View updates cell phone management plan
| Lale Akkin SPREAD EDITOR
On Aug. 28, Mounds View High School students received an email from Principal Rob Reetz concerning the new cell phone management plan. Students are required to put their phones in a class caddy, and refusing to comply with this policy will result in a referral or meeting with administration. Further consequences involve contacting the student’s parents or guardians and holding the student’s phone for the remainder of the school day and the day afterward.
A major reason Mounds View is looking to restrict smartphone use in classrooms is because phones have been proven to present a significant distraction to students. In a study by the University of Chicago Press, it was found that cell phones distract students when nearby, even though students report not thinking about their phones. Phones limit cognitive performance in tasks, such as learning in class. “We know the research well — that these phones are impacting student achievement, their engagement in learning, their relationships with one another and the health and well-being of teenagers,” said Reetz.
Last year’s cell phone management plan, in which students
had to keep their phones in their backpacks during class, was inconsistent. Teachers would need to put a student’s phone in the caddy only if it became a repetitive problem, but the way each teacher reinforced the plan was different. “We noticed as the year went on, more and more students were able to use their phone in class and not be asked to put it in the caddy,” said Reetz. Reetz saw that the
“I think there’s been more interaction in my classes, like between students.”
Kate Milkert, math teacher
school needed a new plan that could remain consistent across all classes and the entire school year.
Teachers have seen improvements in class since students put phones in the caddies. Many believe it improves student engagement in the lessons and communication with peers.
“I think there’s been more interaction in my classes, like between students,” said math teacher Kate Milkert.
Social studies teacher Kristin Heinz is happy that students do not have their phones out
anymore. “I think students are always more engaged when they don’t have their phones… it’s nice to have students more attentive in class, so I’m pretty happy,” said Heinz.
Reetz acknowledges that the plan makes it difficult for students to reach their phones during security-related or medical emergencies, as well as natural disasters. He says that students are allowed to use their phones in those situations. Other than that, exemptions to the cell phone management plan are rarely given to students. Students with anxiety who want to listen to music are given the ability to do so through their chromebook. “To me, there’s no real reason—academic need—for students to have access to their phone during each 55-minute period,” Reetz said.
A common misconception is that Mounds View’s plan was because Governor Walz signed the Education Policy Omnibus last May, requiring all schools to create and adopt a cell phone policy by March 15, 2025. Mounds View High School’s plan has no relation to the state law and was created independently from the school board. This still leaves a possibility of the school board making minor changes to Mounds View High School’s cell phone plan next year before confirming it as the
official, district-wide policy fulfilling the law. So far, few issues have emerged because of the policy. Students and teachers are getting used to the caddy routine fairly quickly. This year is a big step toward limiting cell phone
usage in the district, and the rest of the school district may see some similar policies next year.
OPINION
The false promise of hustle culture
Chasing quick success breeds burnout and neglects balance
through hustling.
n recent media, hustle culture — the mindset that emphasizes hard work or “hustling” over balance — has gained significant visibility among teens nationwide, evident in social media trends and influencer content. Although hustle culture can inspire ambition and a strong work ethic, it ultimately promotes the idea that resting is a sign of weakness or laziness, encouraging people to focus all their time on “grinding” and “hustling” to succeed.
Social media serves as the primary breeding ground for hustle culture. I have personally seen countless Instagram Reels promising fast money and quick success and encouraging teens to start dropshipping businesses or clothing brands. These Reels depict the process of creators beginning with little to no money and struggling to succeed initially. But as time goes and they “hustle,” they achieve their first sales and rapidly succeed, receiving thousands of dollars. Teenagers see these videos and develop false hopes of what they can achieve
My own experience illustrates how viewing these videos can lead to unrealistic expectations. In 2022, I became obsessed with the idea of starting my own successful clothing brand. After seeing Reels and YouTube Shorts that made the process seem so simple, I did more research by finding videos on YouTube to begin my journey. These videos provided more detailed information about starting a brand, but slowly, I learned the harsh truth. Social media influencers often do not disclose the vast amount of behind-the-scenes work that one must put in, including marketing research, product development, supply chain management, branding, marketing and customer service — tasks impossible for 15-year-old me to handle. Starting a business also involves significant upfront costs. Social media videos often gloss over these financial barriers, leading viewers to believe that anyone can start a brand with little to no investment, despite influencers having parental support and more money as adults and significantly downplaying the amount of time and
dedication it takes.
Hustle culture damages our well-being by encouraging constant comparison to the highlights we see on social media, which conceals the frustration and fatigue behind success. This creates an addictive cycle of stress, pushing people to work harder and feeling unworthy if they do not achieve immediate results. Social media algorithms amplify this cycle by recommending more hustle content based on engagement, drowning users in hustle culture even if they do not actively seek it out. For instance, I frequently encounter hustle culture posts on my feed, even while intentionally scrolling for lighthearted content.
Many teens also get lured into hustle culture through their
idols or specific celebrities. Many tech moguls and highprofile business entrepreneurs depict painfully long hours as
“This creates an addictive cycle of stress, pushing people to work harder and feeling unworthy if they don’t achieve immediate results.”
the key to success. For example, Bill Gates, former CEO of Microsoft, described his rise to
Dopamine fasting isn’t a cure, but
EDITOR
The concept of fasting from dopamine, started by psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah, began as a way to lessen people’s constant exposure to stimuli and control compulsive behaviors. Although controversial, more and more people have latched onto the idea that cutting out social media will ‘reset their dopamine levels’ and increase dopamine’s rewarding effects after detoxing, with some people cutting out social interaction and entertainment altogether.
leting Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat off my phone and avoided television for a week starting Sept. 8. For context, my typical phone habits consist of reaching for my phone as soon as I wake up and making excuses to stay on my devices to avoid productive tasks such as walking my dog or reading. For example, I tend to watch Netflix or YouTube while I eat to avoid boredom. I constantly feel like I am tethered to my phone and cannot go anywhere without it.
To test the alleged benefits, I undertook a dopamine fast, de-
THE
Day one of the detox was a breeze — I avoided my phone for the majority of the day and found myself more motivated to complete my work because I
had less distractions. I was focused on my schoolwork and felt accomplished at the end of the day.
“The true
wasn’t
tainment.”
The next few days became difficult as I came to terms with the new changes. I constantly picked up my phone, scrolled
success as “spending a couple decades working 10 hours a day, seven days a week, no vacations.” People do not realize that Gates represents a minority, and attempting to hustle the same way overlooks crucial factors such as luck, wealthy family background and access to influential networks and information.
The appeals of hustle culture — financial independence, being your own boss and achieving early success — can be tempting. However, taking action to encourage balance leads to both happiness and success. Teenagers should adopt healthier approaches to success, develop long-term plans, prioritize downtime and mental health and seek out positive role models.
it’s a start
through it, and even found myself subconsciously watching Netflix on my laptop. Simply out of habit, I sought stimulation from technology when boredom set in.
Despite these urges, I remained motivated and productive. With little distractions, my days felt longer, which allowed me to complete more work and reduced my stress. I filled my free time by cleaning, organizing and going on walks, which felt far more rewarding than mindless scrolling.
By the end of the week, I noticed that while I missed my favorite shows, I hesitated to reinstall social media. I enjoyed the sense of productivity and focus I had gained and didn’t want to lose that momentum. However, I did end up redown-
loading the apps and felt myself ‘doomscrolling’ again, leading me to delete them again until I felt I had the self-control to utilize them instead of abuse them. Although I do not have access to social media, I still find myself on Netflix while trying to be productive because I seek stimulation from technology. Ultimately, this experiment made me more aware of my reliance on technology, with my average screen time lowering by five hours per day during the detox. Although the idea of a dopamine detox may be overhyped, it shifted my perspective. The true benefit wasn’t the fast itself but the mindset shift — recognizing social media as a distraction to use in moderation, not a source of entertainment.
| Elijah Easton OPINION EDITOR
| Elijah Mattfield
Clubs of the past
Future Home Makers of America:
Focused on preparing young women for motherhood in the 1950s and 1960s
The Ice Bunnies:
The only of its kind in the Midwest, Mounds View had a synchronous ice skating line in the 1970s
“The Nerd Herd”: A monthly gathering where the “brightest, most creative minds” came together to study for exams
Melvins:
Dressed up as Mounds View’s old mascot, Melvin, this group cheered on students and spread school spirit in costumes
German Club:
Although no longer existing, the club was one of the first at Mounds View
Mounds View officially opens as a high school
Mounds View celebrates
The birth of Mounds View
| Mara Peacock FEATURES EDITOR
Named after the rolling hills surrounding the area, Mounds View High School was established in 1954 as the first school in the Mounds View school district. The first day of school was Sept. 4, 1954, for new Mounds View students, exactly 70 years before the first day of school for students in the 2024-2025 school year. Prior, in 1951, community members had voted to merge the Mounds View school district with New Brighton and areas of the Roseville and Minneapolis districts.
When Mounds View High School first opened, students ranged from grades 7-11 with the first class graduating in 1956. Although Mounds View only had around 1,050 students when it opened, staff knew in just a few years these numbers would rise from the “baby boomer” generation. The class of 1956 had only 123 graduating students, as many students chose to graduate at their current high schools located in other areas rather than transferring to Mounds View halfway through high school. The largest graduating classes had over 700 students in 1967, 1968 and 1969, compared to current grades having around 400-500 students.
For the first few years, Mounds View’s athletics and activities were limited. Football, basketball, wrestling, hockey and baseball have been key sports at Mounds View since it first opened (all of which were only available to male students). The school used to have a cheerleading squad, but this has since changed to the fall performance team,
which focuses more on dancing than creating cheers for sports games.
Along with sports, some activities have been at Mounds View since it opened, namely the red cross club. Clubs such as future nurses, future homemakers of America and Latin are no longer available to students, though students are able to create their own clubs much more easily now. “There didn’t used to be so many clubs. [Now] if you’re trying to find something, there’s got to be something because if you can’t find it, you
teachers connecting more with students. “Sometimes either [students] were not connected to the building enough, they weren’t involved in sports, they just came here, did their classes and left, didn’t have a lot of friends, and were C students,” said Swanson. “Now, you have lots of breakout [activities]; teaching is a lot different. [...] You have more at your fingertips, and there’s more teachers and staff who are more available to help you, point you in the right direction, where before you really had to ask.”
can start it here now, which is pretty amazing,” said Spanish teacher Laura Rivers, longestserving teacher at Mounds View.
Administrative assistant Gary Swanson, who has been involved with the district since 1990, says student and staff needs are completely different from when the school was first built. For example, the uses of the College and Career Center, formally called the Guidance Office, have shifted over the past few years to focus on post-secondary student plans. There is also a greater emphasis on student mental health as the school has hired more guidance counselors and promoted
The Carreer and College Center (CCC) opens
Throughout all of the changes over the years, Mounds View at its core still holds many of its same values and challenges. “The more things change, the more they stay the same, you know what I mean? Kids are still dealing with the same issues that they dealt with decades ago; it’s still kind of the same stuff. There’s even things like testing anxiety, getting decent grades, those are all still there,” said Swanson. While high school can come with struggles for any student, Mounds View school spirit has remained strong over the years, and Mounds View continues to be a welcoming place for students.
A new front entrance built, adding the and new classrooms
1954 1987 1972 1993 2001
After the passage of Title IX, female students could participate in sports
Landline phones are added to every classroom
PHOTO VIA Gary Swanson
Aerial shot of Mounds View with new northeast classroom wing in 1962
celebrates 70 years
Building advancements
| Lillian Landberg FEATURES EDITOR
The Mounds View High School building has carried 70 years of history within its cement bricks and the thousands of students that have attended the school since its opening. Each class has added a significant point of culture to school spirit, building the passionate staff and student body that exists today.
As a testament to time, the layout of Mounds View has changed quite a bit. Renovating old classrooms, removing the smoking room, adding onto the structure of the school and repurposing the bomb shelter nestled in the basement, the modernized school leaves ques-
| Sinim Dhuguma ONLINE EIC
hroughout the years, Mounds View High School has developed administratively, socially and technologically, leading to drastic changes in school policies. Since its establishment 70 years ago, traditions and rules regarding a vast spectrum of topics have shaped Mounds View into what it is today.
Over the last couple of decades, Mounds View has shown a turn towards stricter policies. Old traditions have slowly faded away, like one where students would streak — or run across the field, partially naked — during the homecoming game. In 2004, the school took extreme measures with police officers and dogs to put a stop to the tradition, which has now disappeared altogether.
tions of what the building used to look like.
For the first few months Mounds View was open, building size was limited. The gym still had dirt floors, and the cafeteria — now health teacher Ross Fleming’s room in the basement — remained unfinished. “The school wasn’t done. The gym was still dirt. They hadn’t floored it yet. The kids up until December…had to eat their lunches in their classrooms,” said administrative assistant Gary Swanson. Once the cafeteria was finished, students squeezed down into the basement for lunch.
Not only was the cafeteria packed, but classrooms as well.
During the late ‘60s, the school was too small to house its 700
Another example of modern strictness at Mounds View has to do with students’ freedom to be on or off campus.
“We used to be tighter a long time ago, and then in the 2000s and 2010s, they kind of loosened up. There was lots of freedom to kind of roam around,” said administrative assistant Gary Swanson.
In recent years, however, the school has backtracked to tighten restrictions for students, mostly due to concerns about students’ whereabouts, especially in emergency situations.
“To me, it’s accountability. Example: you get to arrive late, leave early if you have a study hall first or sixth hour…The important [thing is] that you have to go sign-in in the forum and be in the forum. You can’t just fill up the building. Again, if we had a fire or something, we can
students per grade. The solution was portable classrooms placed at the back end of the building. “Portables would have one or two classrooms, so you had to walk out there in the back…where the MAC is, kind of in the baseball fields. [There would be] five or six portables out there,” Swanson said.
During the 1970s, with some of the largest class sizes in Mounds View’s history, the old building received large add-ons that created the building today. The school underwent its first renovations to the building in the library and cafeteria in order to house the greater number of students. Major parts of the school such as the commons, science wing and the art room didn’t exist until the third addi-
look at [records to see if a student was in the building,]” said Swanson.
When it comes to class instruction, Mounds View made a general switch from lecturebased learning to collaborative learning. For example, teachers used to use the term “sage on the stage” — meaning students would sit in a classroom while teachers output content at them, removing students from the teaching process. The switch to more hands-on learning has been beneficial as students move on to post-secondary learning environments.
“The feedback that I’ve gotten from students after they’ve gone to college is that they really need to know how to be able to work with different people in different groups,” said Spanish teacher Laura Rivers, the longest-serving teacher at Mounds
tion in 2001. The art room itself used to be the library, and the windows looking down from the art room used to be the front of the school. With these updates, the school expanded by nearly half of its original size. Just like in the past, each part of Mounds View’s building remains well-used. Even the flex spaces, built in 2019 during the fourth addition, are adored by students and staff alike. “I think that’s a big and awesome change, because there’s flexible spacing for kids to just work more quietly or to spread out a little bit,” said Spanish teacher Laura Rivers, longest serving teacher at Mounds View.
Most of the new add-ons to the building promote a happy, healthy student body and a new way to learn. Similar ap-
View. Another change that benefited students came in 1972, when Title IX, a federal law, ended sex-based discrimination in government-funded activities like sports, and all female students obtained equal opportunities to participate in any sport available at the school. Prior to the law’s passing in the ‘50s, the only athletic activities available to girls were baton and flag twirling. 1972 marked the first year of the girls gymnastics team. In 1994, girls hockey was established as a varsity sport by the Minnesota State High School League’s Representative Assembly, and shortly after, Mounds View had its own girls hockey team in 1995. Throughout Mounds View’s history, policies regarding phones have evolved just as rapidly as the phone industry it-
proaches are planned for the future of the building. “I envision a commons that has our school store with a glass front, our coffee shop and our Career and College Center, all right there visible to kids in the place that they mostly meet,” said Principal Rob Reetz. Reetz wants to turn the commons into the center of Mounds View’s student body by moving these parts of the school to a more accessible location.
While the building has changed quite a bit, each consecutive change has been aimed at making Mounds View more livable for students. With the amount of change in the last 70 years, Mounds View’s physical essence will continue to develop in expected and unexpected ways.
self. Landline telephones didn’t enter classrooms until 1993. “If we wanted to make a phone call, we had to walk down the hallway,” said Rivers. With the introduction of smartphones only a decade later, students had a new, unexpected distraction. As more students owned phones, focus in classrooms became more threatened, leading administrators to take action. This year’s phone policy is a stricter version of previous attempts to limit the distraction phones posed to learning. Whether it be through integrating girls into sports or providing new ways for students to learn, Mounds View’s fight for progress is never ending. Through several policies, Mounds View High School aims to create an accepting community for all students.
PHOTO VIA Gary Swanson
Mounds View students dress up as Melvin, Mounds View’s old mascot, to celebrate school spirit
Sue Weiskopf-Larson: the Ironwoman
| Via Yang SPORTS EDITOR
The summer of 1982 might not have been a significant year for everyone, but it was for Sue Weiskopf-Larson, a Mounds View alum who graduated in 1983. That summer, she decided that if she were able to run 10 miles, she would join the Mounds View Cross Country team. The day before her senior year started, Weiskopf-Larson reached her goal, and after joining the team, she would find her lifelong passion for endurance sports. “[Joining cross country] absolutely, absolutely changed my life,” said Weiskopf-Larson.
The October after graduating high school, she ran her first marathon. “Long distance has always intrigued me, so as soon as I had the opportunity, I thought, ‘Yeah, do a marathon,’ and as soon as I ever had the opportunity to do longer distances, I’ve done that,” Weiskopf-Larson said. Since then, she has run over 50 marathons.
Her love for marathons eventually led her to train for a triathlon — a race consisting
of cycling, running, and swimming. While she had to increase her total training volume, Weiskopf-Larson was able to avoid injuries during her triathlon training because she was not constantly pounding from running. “I really have not been injured since I started doing triathlons because I don’t run
every day,” said Weiskopf Larson. “I’ll do a short run following a three-hour bike. Mixing it up and doing that cross training has really helped me to not get injured.” She ran her first triathlon, the Buffalo Sprint, in 2003 and has not stopped since.
“[Joining cross country] absolutely, absolutely changed my life.”
Sue Weiskopf-Larson,
Mounds
View alum
The next step for Weiskopf-Larson was the Ironman race, a long distance triathlon consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile run. After being persuaded by her friend, who had competed in Ironmans in the past, she finally had the push she needed. In 2005, WeiskopfLarson competed at the Wisconsin Ironman “He was talking about it, and he planted that seed and, I couldn’t ignore that
seed. That’s all I thought about for, like, the next three months, I’m like, I have to do one,” said Weiskopf-Larson.
Now, Weiskopf-Larson’s ultimate goal is to become the oldest woman to run in an Ironman. The current record holder is Madonna Buder at 82 years old. “I saw [Buder] race in the same race that I did. And it’s something I think I can do. And most people that know me say, ‘If anyone can do it, you can do it,’” said Weiskopf-Larson. “I’m 59 but I do not feel a day older than when I was 20, honestly. People are like, ‘You do so. You have aches and pains.’
I don’t. I don’t know if it’s because of my training or I just have good genes, or I’m lucky, but I don’t feel the impact of age at all yet.”
In order to properly compete in an Ironman, WeiskopfLarson trains daily, sometimes doing two workouts a day. While she has a different plan each day, she makes sure to swim, bike or run for several hours. Her peak training consists of 400-mile bike rides and 300- to 420-mile runs combined
Artistic talent on display in new mural
| Matthew Betti GOOD QUESTION EDITOR
n the bustling corridor outside the LMC, students pass by a vibrant addition: a splash of swirling color and striking visuals. Their eyes focus on the new mural finished over the summer, created by a group of Mounds View students. The project took them around eight months to complete.
The mural was started by senior Karin Hoyt, who got the idea while in art class. “I would always see that decal of the horse logo [in the Upper Commons] from the art room and thought I could do something better there,” said Hoyt. “It would be easy and fun.” She talked to her art teacher, Jim Bias, about painting the mural and then wrote up a proposal to paint it on the wall by the
library.
Hoyt knew she wanted to involve others on this project. “I’ve worked on stuff like this before, and it’s something that I love to do, and a lot of my friends do arts and stuff like that. If you’ve never been a part of a big project like that, I feel like it’s an experience that people should have, so I just wanted people to be able to help, especially since you’ll be able to see it at your school and be like, ‘Hey, I did that part,’ or ‘This is what I helped with,’” said Hoyt.
About 30 painters contributed to the mural project. Many saw it as an opportunity to create something that could be enjoyed after they leave high school. “We wanted to make our mark on the school, and it’s cool because it’s going to be here for years to come, and we can look back on what we did for our school,” said senior
Paige Friedman. This large group of painters each brought their own style and creativity to bring the final piece together.
“If you’ve never been a part of a big project like that, I feel like it’s an experience that people should have.”
Karin Hoyt, senior
Hoyt’s biggest goal for the mural was to represent Mounds View High School’s community. The mural draws inspiration from several aspects of Mounds View, including student academics and athletics. The artists painted Mounds View alum Sam Hoyt, a soccer player, and senior Maya Francisco, a track runner. Hoyt also wanted to include symbols of Minnesota’s culture, such as monarch butterflies, a rainbow trout and snowflakes. Each element of the mural was planned to highlight all major parts of Mounds View. “She [had] students that she actually sat down with and interviewed, and they walked through her original idea and then analyzed it to see if it needed more things, and it was really cool, so I think the fact that she represented a lot of cultural differences in the school was huge,” said Jim Bias, art teacher.
The painting team overcame several challenges while in the planning process. One of the biggest was where to put the
six weeks before competition. Despite the extreme physical needs of an Ironman, Weiskopf-Larson continues to put her all into setting the record for the oldest woman to compete in an Ironman. “I have no intention of stopping. I love everything about it.”
mural. “I was advertising it to people, and I said it was going to be on the curved wall by the library. But there’s this district
Despite the obstacles during its creation, the mural has become a distinctive feature in the school. Its abstract design
policy where you can’t paint on the walls. [...] So then we had to switch it to the wall opposite, and we had to cut out 15% of the mural that we had already painted, and we had to do it on the boards,” said Hoyt. Another challenge that they faced was funding the project. “The school couldn’t support it financially. I was disappointed with that because I’d spent months trying to get it ready, and then I talked to Mr. Bias, Ms. Nelson-Rehder and Ms. Giere about it, and they said that I could use their leftover art budget at the end of the year,” said Hoyt. Without the support of the art department, Hoyt and the other painters would not have been able to create
“I think the fact that she represented a lot of cultural differences in the school was huge.”
showcases important parts of Mounds View’s identity, Minnesota’s culture and depictions of student life. Appreciated by both students and staff, the mural reinforces the school’s connection to its community.
the mural.
Weiskopf-Larson biking in the second portion of the Ironman.
PHOTO VIA Sue Weiskopf-Larson
Hoyt and other artists creating the mural in the art room.
PHOTO | Mara Peacock
PHOTO VIA Karin Hoyt
The finished mural outside of the LMC.
Jim Bias, art teacher
PHOTO VIA Sue Weiskopf-Larson Weiskopf-Larson finishing the 2022 Ironman Championships held in Kona, Hawaii.
Senior Stable’s kickin’ back
| Gloria Liu MANAGING DESIGN EDITOR & SPREAD EDITOR
et’s go Mustangs!” the student section chants. It is the first quarter of the game against White Bear Lake. Barely three minutes have passed, and the Mounds View football team has already scored the first touchdown of the game, securing six points. Senior Anna Poepard quickly scribbles the next chant on the whiteboard before raising it high in the air. With the student section abuzz with energy, they continue to shout various chants as they watch the football game.
Poepard, along with Avery Jedlenski, Liza Mushel, Nora Schmidt, Lily Ryan, Alex Kriauciunas, Caden Ayshford, Trent Habisch, Cody Loegering and Jack Bongard, make up Senior Stable, a group of seniors who engage and excite the Mounds View student section for sports games and school events to increase school spirit. Compared to previous years, this year’s Senior Stable aims to be more enthusiastic and involved.
One change Senior Stable has made this year is tailgating in the student parking lot next to the stadium before every football game. From hamburgers to hotdogs, they hand out free food
| Sidharth Sharma DEBATES EDITOR
The Youth Club Championships (YCC) is the largest youth ultimate frisbee tournament in the United States, allowing young players to show case their skills on a national level. This past summer, four Mounds View students — seniors Kyle Dolbow, Vincent Meyer and Katherine Schaberg and recent graduate Wy att Mackenthun — rep resented Minnesota’s ultimate frisbee team, Minnesota Superior, at the Under-20 YCC. There, Schaberg placed second in the mixed division and Dolbow, Meyer and Mackenthun placed 11th in the open
to students as a way to welcome them to the game. “We’re grilling out, playing cornhole, just trying to get people involved [and] excited for it. We’re getting there, like 4:30, and then we just stay in the parking lot for two hours,” said Loegering. Although sports games draw crowds, Senior Stable has noticed that many students only stay for the first half of the games and leave after half-time. In order to leave a lasting first impression and keep the crowd, especially the underclassmen, they make sure to maintain the
high energy and hype up the
“I try to at least lead the student section, create energy, cause I feel like we almost owe it to them to be loud, be present, be there.”
Cody Loegering, senior
students throughout games. Senior Stable has come up
An ultimate summer
division.
The YCC team selection process involved rigorous tryouts and multiple rounds of picks. Athletes participate in two tryout practices, and if all athletes accept their spots on the team, that forms the final roster. If some choose not to accept, the coaching staff will select replacements in subsequent rounds. The combination of high competition and the need for adaptability made the selection process intense and competitive.
Once they made the teams, the athletes had to learn how to play with new teammates.
Schaberg, who usually plays on a girls team, stated that it was especially challenging to adapt to playing on a mixed team. Girls teams are typically more structured in their plays while guys
Upcoming events
Girls Soccer game vs. East Ridge
• 5pm @ Mounds View Stadium
• October 3
Boys Soccer game vs. East Ridge
• 6pm @ Mounds View Stadium
• October 3
teams tend to improvise more.
“Mixed play is often the hardest to perfect because we [are used to] separate guys and girls teams throughout our other seasons,” said Schaberg.
“I can bring my experience from playing summer with such a high level team and help my teammates level up their game.”
Kyle Dolbow, senior
Preparing for the YCC in Colorado included several steps to adjust to the high elevation.
“I thought I’d be fine, but the elevation was much harder than expected,” said Schaberg. “You could definitely feel the air was thinner.” Leading up to the tournament, the athletes focused on
Cross Country Race
• @ Arrowwood
Resort and Conference Center
• October 5
with creative ways to engage the crowd, such as hosting a cupcake eating contest during halftime at the home game against White Bear Lake on Sept. 5. Before the football game, they chose several students to participate in the contest, who later raced to see who could eat two trays of cupcakes first.
Besides cupcakes, another half-time event Senior Stable has hosted is karaoke at the home game against Forest Lake on Sept. 13. Mushel brought her big speaker to the game and played songs from her phone.
cardio training in order to use the maximum amount of oxygen efficiently. They also arrived at the tournament three days earlier to adjust to the elevation. Despite this, a few of Dolbow’s teammates were hospitalized due to heat stroke, caused by the lack of oxygen as well as the high UV index present.
In addition to physical chal lenges in Colorado, the athletes faced both psychological and technical chal lenges due to the thinness of the air. This left athletes having to fight a mental battle of pushing through and dealing with the fatigue that came with the high altitude.
Swim Meet vs. Roseville
• 6pm @ Edgewood
Middle School
• October 10
They then picked contestants from the student section to complete the song lyrics. With more half-time activities planned, Senior Stable wants to continue growing the student section with each game.
Another improvement Senior Stable has made to the football games is using big whiteboards for chants. Since the student section is huge, the underclassmen, who tend to be unfamiliar with the chants, struggle to hear what the chant is. “What we try to do is we get our whiteboard, and we started writing out chants… so then we’ll just hold it up and alert everyone that that’s the chant we’re gonna do, just so we’re all unified,” said Ryan. This way, students in the back can join the chants too. With this addition, Senior Stable notes that they have seen a big difference in student participation. “When we have the whiteboards, we’re just way louder,” said Poepard.
Senior Stable’s dedication to leading chants and keeping students engaged throughout the season will hopefully keep the student section loud and lively, enhancing the overall game for students and athletes alike. “Our job is to bring a lot of energy, have a lot of fun, [and] encourage our classmates, in any way possible,” said Poepard.
“It was mostly a mental battle. Even though you couldn’t breathe that well, you just kind of had to push through it. You couldn’t just quit,” said Schaberg. Players also had to adjust their throwing technique, as the disc lacked air resistance in high altitudes, causing throws to go farther.
These athletes’ experiences from the YCC season can enhance the upcoming season for Mounds View’s ultimate team.
“I think my Superior season will give me more insight and knowledge into how to help improve not only the team, but myself,” said Schaberg. The athletes learned new drills, skills and techniques that they plan to bring to Mounds View’s team, helping younger players build up their skills.
Football game vs. Park High School
• 7pm @ Park High School
• October 11
Volleyball game vs. Roseville
• 5pm @ Mounds
View Kaul’s Court
• October 14
Sam Hagan
(L-R, Top-Bottom). Lily Ryan, Avery Jedlenski, Anna Poepard, Nora Schmidt, Liza Mushel, Trent Habish, Cody Loegering, Caden Ayshford and Alex Kriaucianas lead the cheers at the football game against Forest Lake. Not pictured Jack Bongard.
PHOTO | Kyle Dolbow
PHOTO | Katherine Schaberg
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION | Sam Hagen
2. Last name of the current record holder for the oldest woman to run in an Ironman
5. Last name of the female senior athlete who competed in the YCC
7. University where Souhan received her masters degree, doctorate degree and administrator’s license 8. What area Ross Fleming’s classroom used to be 1. One of the longest-running clubs at Mounds’s View, restarted four years ago 3. The half-time event Senior Stable hosted at the home game against Forest Lake 4. Social Studies teacher in favor of the phone policy 6. The space where you can find Mounds View’s newest mural
First three students in complete all puzzles and DM @mvviewer on Instagram win a free snack or drink from the Mustang Marketplace!
