The Viewer HEALTHCARE
Model UN comes to Mounds View
Mounds View unveils their
first
chapter
| Mara Peacock FEATURES EDITOR
On Jan. 16, Mounds View High School kicked off its first meeting for Model United Nations (MUN). Though some students have participated in MUN in the past, Mounds View has never had an official chapter. This year, senior Emily Ren, with the help of social studies teacher Scott Oberg, had the idea to bring the program to Mounds View every Thursday after school.
MUN is an organization open to students in grades 7-12 to participate as a delegate from a country at an annual conference acting as delegates to the United Nations. The program is run by YMCA’s Center for Youth Voice, the same program that runs Youth in Government (YIG). This year, the conference is being held from April 4-6 at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Minneapolis, and any students looking to attend can register from Jan. 29 until Feb. 9.
Prior to the conference, students can sign up for SUMMIT in March for preconference training, where they select the countries they hope to represent. During the conference, General Assembly delegates come together to discuss
committee issues and interests pertaining to their countries, acting as diplomats. “They choose a country and then they debate about global issues from the perspective of that country. So, for example, if you wanted
“I think Model UN allows you to speak from a different perspective, because your not representing your own beliefs.”
Emily Ren, senior
to go as a delegate from America, you would speak on issues like the economy [and] human rights from this perspective of America,” said Ren.
Students may also have the opportunity to join other special councils or programs, depending on their grade — such as Media, which reports on important conference events, or the Human Rights Council, which focuses on issues and policy proposals of marginalized groups. “I [am] really looking forward to joining either the international courts or the security council because these two bodies are the ones that make decisions on humanitarian crises and rule on huge trials
such as genocides or crimes against humanity,” said senior Michael Craig.
Having participated in Minnesota’s MUN last year and setting up the conference for the past two years, Ren had the idea to start a Mounds View delegation after hearing more interest from students compared to previous years. “This year we are starting just a Model UN chapter here at Mounds View because we realized that it doesn’t need to be as big as YIG is for it to be fun,” said Ren. Ren serves as the 2024-25 chair of the state steering committee for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice, and she plans to be Mounds View delegation president for MUN.
“What I’m looking forward to the most at MUN is learning more about global politics while spending time with friends.”
Michael Craig, senior
Ren, who is also Mounds View’s 2024-25 YIG delegation president, believes MUN is a great opportunity for YIG students to stay engaged in political activities year-round. Similar to MUN’s conference in April, YIG students travel every year to the Minnesota
state capitol for a weekend to act out what it is like to be a part of a government. “I’m intending for it to be an extra fun thing that you can do on the side of YIG. So YIG’s the main event but Model UN is like, ‘Hey, if you’re still interested, you just want something to do in the spring, then you can join there,’” said Ren. Already, Ren has reached out to various members of YIG in hopes they will join the new MUN delegation. Craig is excited to learn more about what being a part of MUN will be like, as it is a very interactive environment compared to most classes. “What I’m looking forward to the most at MUN is learning more about global politics while spending time with my friends because it’s way easier for me to learn information when I’m not bored
doing textbook readings and actually learning from applying the knowledge in a fun setting,” said Craig. Though the program hopes to appeal to YIG students, any student is encouraged to try out MUN and gain a new understanding of international politics. “I think Model UN allows you to speak from a different perspective, because you’re not representing your own beliefs. You’re speaking on behalf of a country. So it also allows for different engagement and practicing different public speaking skills and critical thinking skills,” said Ren. “[Join MUN to] have fun, make friends and do politics.”
MN rings in the year with new laws
| Michael Quiggle & Gabby Markegard STAFF REPORTERS
Anew year brings resolutions, promises and a fresh start for many. For Minnesota, the new year also ushers in new laws. These laws cover a wide range of topics, from healthcare and education to environmental protection and public safety. All of these laws were implemented Jan. 1.
Minimum Wage Restaurant Junk Fees
For the 22% of high school students who have a part-time job, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota’s new minimum wage law could be beneficial. Before 2025, minimum wage was set at $10.85 an hour. This year, it has gone up 2.6%, now set at $11.13. This wage is mandatory, whether employees receive tips or not. In other words, employers can-
not use tips to compensate for a lower wage. In addition, the 90day minimum training wage, which applies to employees under age 20, is now $9.08, up from $8.85 in 2024.
Students are excited about this new policy. “I think it’s a step in the right direction,” said senior Maeve Wahlberg.
Minnesota also passed a law targeting “junk fees,” banning them completely. Junk fees are extra charges added to bills at restaurants and to goods and services without clear justification. This law aims to increase transparency and fairness for consumers. The goal is to prevent unexpected costs that can surprise diners at the end of their meal or consumers when
they reach the checkout. The law requires all restaurants to post charges or fees on menus and signs, ensuring consumers know how much they are paying. Sales taxes are exempt from this law, as they are government imposed.
Ticket Fairness Act Parental Leave Employment Transparency Law
Another law banning extra fees is the Ticketing Fairness Act, which requires “all-in pricing,” meaning that ticket purchases cannot include hidden or added-at-the-end fees. It bans sellers from deceptive marketing and advertising prices that are not finalized. For students who buy tickets often, this is an exciting development. “I’ve spent over $1,500 on hidden fees just on Ticketmaster alone, and I was very excited to see
that something’s actually happening,” said sophomore Madeline Webster.
The law also aims to prevent bots from purchasing tickets in bulk — a practice that makes it more difficult for individual buyers to get concert tickets and drives up prices. Furthermore, this law hopes to protect consumers by mandating proof of purchase and refund policy details be provided within a day of the purchase.
Minnesota has instituted new laws regarding healthcare which aim to improve public health and protect consumers. One of these laws is the paid parental leave policy, which provides 20 hours of paid sick leave for pregnant women to attend physical check-ups and medical procedures.This law also covers those who plan to be pregnant, want to check if they are or want to get an abortion.
The new employment transparency law in 2025 is a game-changer for people seeking jobs, requiring employers to include salaries, overtime and benefits in job postings. “It sounds good because you can get more information from companies about what they [have to offer],” said senior Seila Mustafic. The purpose of this new law is to improve wage equality by reducing pay secrecy, identifying and reduc-
ing pay gaps and providing future employees with more job information. Overall, this new transparency law is a step in the right direction towards creating a more equitable and transparent job market.
Emily Ren gives speech at the 2024 Model UN conference.
PHOTO | Neal Gysland
Women and Earth pay the price
Climate change’s disproportionate impact on women is both concerning and unjust
| Gabrielle Skiba STAFF REPORTER
cientists from the National Centers for Environmental Information, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, have officially recognized 2024 as the hottest year on Earth in human history. When people think of global warming, trying to find the correlation between feminism and climate change feels like a pretty far stretch, but a variety of factors conclude that climate change does in fact intersect with inequalities for women and girls.
Despite climate change ultimately affecting everybody, evidence shows a gender imbalance within those fighting for change. Research provided by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication shows that men have an apparent disregard for climate change, and
women are more likely to express concerns about the problem. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 83% of women in the U.S. believe that global warming is a serious issue versus just 66% of men. Given this data, one could argue that men, on average, do not care as much about climate change.
Many men picture cancelculture, wokeness and “bluehair feminists” as modern-day activism, completely turning them away from social issues. So while most men do not pray for the downfall of ecosystems, climate change falls under the “woke” umbrella to them and therefore gives them a reason to devalue the issue. Additionally, the concept of protecting or caring about the environment, as well as its ties to “mother Earth,” are often perceived as more “feminine,” which makes some men resist adopting eco-friendly attitudes
in fear of being perceived as less masculine.
On top of these attitudes, climate change affects women the most, which could be a rea son why men are less inclined to care. According to the U.N., 80% of the people displaced by climate change globally are women. Women around the world tend to have jobs inside the house or are paid less, lead ing to a socioeconomic disparity between women and men. This results in women being more vulnerable to the issues caused by climate change including floods, droughts and hurricanes. For example, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, African American women were among the worst affected by flooding in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
Not only are the effects of climate change most experienced by women, but some of the biggest contributors to climate change — the fashion industry — also utilize the socioeconomic disadvantages women face for financial gain.
The fast fashion industry, which harms the environment by producing excessive amounts of waste and contributes 10% of global carbon emissions, disproportionately exploits women as they make up 80% of workers in garment manufacturing. Workers in this industry face cheap labor, workplace abuse and hazardous working conditions.
The environmental issues created by the fashion industry are also linked to the constant redefining of society’s expectations for women. Ranging from
makeup to clothing, fast fashion companies like SHEIN specifically target women by promoting cheap, trendy products that are meant to be discarded with every new micro-trend. The tedious beauty rituals women often feel compelled to follow largely stem from the misogynistic perspective that for a woman to deserve respect or value, they must abide by society’s beauty standards. Essentially, society pushes women to over consume, which contributes negatively to the environment.
All over the world, women receive unjust social, economic and cultural conditions leaving them at a terrible disadvantage when encountering the consequences of climate change. Not only is it important to understand the intersectionality of women and climate change, but it’s also important to use this understanding to better involve men with this issue that ultimately affects everyone.
Dressing revealing is not “sexually liberating”
| Isabella Kunc PRINT MANAGING EDITOR
024 brought with it many trends — some good, some bad and one, which while aesthetically pleasing, I was happy to see go due to the issues it brings. The “office siren” trend is marked by pleated skirts and high slits, low-cut blouses, thin, rectangular glasses and sleeveless mini dresses, all in a style that could pass for business wear if not for how revealing and close cut it is.
This trend follows a cultural movement to wear more sexually revealing clothing and makeup, especially in increasingly younger girls, by labeling it as “sexually liberating.” The problem with this sentiment is that as progressive and logical as it sounds, it is still rooted in the sexualization of women in the eyes of men — an idea that the influencers participating in this trend do not seem to understand. The outfits promoted by the trend are simply inappropriate and impractical for an actual
THE
workplace and can also give young workers a mistaken idea of what is acceptable in an office.
Furthermore, this trend devalues the years of challenges that women have faced and overcome in the workplace, including discrimination and harassment, where they had to be seen as stronger to be taken as seriously as men. According to Business Insider, critics of the trend argue that it reinforces the belief that women in the workplace dress for the male gaze.
Beyond the “office siren” trend, which, while having some real-world consequences, is more of just an online trend, the larger and more concerning movement is the increased sexualization of women, especially younger girls.
This cultural shift begins with the emergence of more revealing and tighter clothing being marketed toward young girls, including crop tops, leggings and odd cutouts. According to the American Psy-
chological Association, the sexualization of girls is a widespread problem with examples like child pageants and suggestive phrases on girls’ clothing. So, while leggings have been a staple of young girls’ wardrobes for years, they once included fun, childish colors and patterns, compared to the much more mature — and expensive — versions found today in darker colors and tighter spandex fit.
Furthermore, with the rise of “Sephora girls” and child influencers on social media, girls and preteens are being pressured to wear makeup and have elaborate skincare routines. Somehow, they are expected to have more mature makeup-caked faces, with smoother, younger, moisturized skin. These double expectations and societal pressures lead to girls growing up faster than before, believing themselves to be more mature than they are and not allowing them to experience childhood fully and go through the charming yet awkward preteen stage.
The pressure to look a certain way, along with increasing sexual dances and language,
from young girls twerking to the hidden innuendos in new slang like “gyatt” or “bop,” leaves girls in a world where they are more unguarded against untoward sexualization. These are problems that had just started to appear when I was younger, but with the much wider accessibility of social media content today, I see so much troubling content in the larger world. While this is a problem that I see discussed, there is no true solution to stop the rampant sexualization.
More than just the outward sexualization, modern feminism tells girls that dressing more revealing is empowerment and feminist, and while having the ability and choice to do so is liberating, it still results in objectification and even harassment, especially online with suggestive comments and inappropriate messages from men. Thus, this movement feels like a new way of dressing for the male gaze repackaged under “sexual liberation” and the freedom to wear what one wants. Similarly, the office siren trend is the same idea aged up for the young adults entering the workforce that inadvertently goes against years of fighting against the sexualization of women in the labor force and underprepares women entering new jobs. So while it is absolutely NOT a woman’s job to dress modestly so that men do not “feel tempted,” it is still important to have some prudence in the choices we make to limit further hurt and harassment.
Betti,
Easton, Zariyah Howell,
Landberg, Elijah Mattfield, Sidharth Sharma Henry Anthony, Carter Ballman, Julia Gronert, Jadyn Heath-Hlavacek, Aydin Kendic, Kieran Lindahl, Gabriella Markegard, Joey McVean, Alyssa Oertel, Sean Oh, Ella Opsal, Michael Quiggle, Gabrielle Skiba, Grayson Then, Ryan S. Wirrer
Illustration
FEATURES
Hospital volunteers in action
Mounds View seniors volunteer at Regions, Mercy, and United Hospital
| Joey McVean STAFF REPORTER
As volunteering during high school becomes more popular than ever, a hands-on type of volunteering is expanding the horizons of Mounds View students. Hospital volunteering allows students to learn about the medical field, gain experience and build a medical field resume.
Many students see hospital volunteering as an opportunity to explore the healthcare industry and learn about the medical field. “I decided to start doing it because I knew I wanted to look into medicine… I thought that it would be a good opportunity to familiarize myself with hospital environments,” said senior Lucas Brady. He started working
“I have had lots of stories from people really, and just the conversations that I [have], and people that you wouldn’t typically meet in downtown Minneapolis... there’s definitely a very wide variety of people, [and I like] just being able to welcome people in because you never know what they’re going through.”
Rachel Durand, senior
his sophomore year and since then has amassed over 150 hours volunteering. Other volunteers have dedicated similar or more hours, with senior Emily Luo having volunteered for over 275 hours.
Some students use it to get a headstart into their chosen profession. “I’m going to be a nursing major next year, so I kind of wanted to familiarize myself with the hospital setting and stuff like that,” said senior Rachel Durand. Volunteering at a hospital prepares students for future careers in the medical field and gives them an opportunity to discover a passion for working in a hospital setting.
Students can make a difference through the hands-on experience of volunteering in a hospital right now, especially in a career where higher education can take up to a decade. “Realistically, I could go to medical school and study to tell people what to do, but I want to have a job where I feel like I’m making a difference,” said Brady.
Students get to see the influence they can have on patients, which can be really rewarding. “I would definitely say [seeing] the impact that [volunteering] has on other people and the ways that I can connect with so many different people [has most influenced me to follow nursing].” said senior Lucy Krzmarzick. “I think the most I’ve helped [was] over 100 people within four hours. So being able to have that big of an impact at a hospital, even just as a volunteer, was very inspiring.”
At United Hospital in St. Paul, there are a few different kinds of departments students volunteer at. “[I have been] an emergency department volunteer, a main lobby volunteer or a cancer clinic volunteer,” said Luo. Other roles include escorting patients, working in the office and helping in the physical therapy department. At Regions Hospital, where Durand and Brady volunteer, students can find even more opportunities in
the medical volunteering field, like in the family birthing center, burn center and pathology lab.
The abundance of roles present in hospital volunteering makes it easier for students to specialize their volunteering experience, leading to many opportunities and new experiences. However, generally, hospital volunteers assist in tasks outside of direct patient care, like helping out in the main lobby and creating a comfortable environment for the patients and families that walk through the doors. “When the people who are actually working [there have] to focus on treating the patients, I can make sure they have all the supplies they need, make it more hospitable and make sure the environment of the waiting room is good… So it just makes a better experience for the people there,” said senior Shreeya Pavani.
“Someone got shot and they were brought in through an ambulance. It was a super busy day, a bunch of cops were there. They were talking to the person as the doctors were trying to work on them. It was really crazy.”
Shreeya Pavani, senior
More specifically, volunteers get a chance to form lasting relationships which can help patients going through a hard time. “There’s a woman I worked with for like, five months. She came in consistently every Sunday for chemo, so I was able to form a relationship with her, and be able to check up on her every Sunday, even as a volunteer, and even though my job was as simple as just bringing her up to where she needed to go, I felt like I actually could make a difference with her for treatment,” said Krzmarzick. These interactions not only enhance the patient’s treatment, but also lighten the burden of healthcare workers. While assisting healthcare workers on the floor and carrying out tasks, the hospital floor can become very hectic. “Sometimes you’ll be swamped—the only volunteer doing everything. It’s lowkey really fun, better than just waiting for something to happen,” said Luo. The hospital workplace can be exhilarating and even chaotic at times, but can be equally as supportive. “All of the healthcare staff that I’ve worked with are all super
helpful, the community uplifts you, and if I need help with anything, I can go up to any nurse, ask them, and they’ll be welcoming,” she said. Building strong relationships among staff, patients and families is an important part of a hospital’s functionality.
Being a volunteer does not exempt these students from the harrowing and high-pressure situations. “Someone got shot and they were brought in through an ambulance. It was a super busy day, a bunch of cops were there, they were talking to the person as the doctors were trying to work on them. It was really crazy,” said Pavani. The skills and background that these volunteers get is authentic to the work and situations that nurses and doctors face. Brady shared a story about a woman in labor, where he pushed her up to the maternity ward himself, proving to be a high stress situation.
Similarly, Krzmarzick has a story about a mother who gave birth in the hospital parking lot. She also has faced other stressful situations, having to act quickly. “I was helping transport a patient after he was having some sort of — I want to say — chemotherapy… He was on blood thinners, but they didn’t know. And then when he was exiting the hospital, there was blood everywhere. So that was a quick trip to the ER,” she said.
Between dealing with high pressure situations and the more everyday activities of directing patients and visitors, volunteers also give the hospital a spark of life. Durand says that she sometimes gets to deliver gifts
or flowers that people drop off for hospital patients. Brady uses his musical talents to make the sometimes dispiriting environment of the hospital more welcoming and uplifting. “Since I play the piano, whenever I have time I will play in the atrium for visitors,” said Brady. These hospitality roles are only a small part of what hospital volunteers can do to serve their community.
“Realistically, I could go to medical school and study to tell people what to do, but I want to have a job where I feel like I’m making a difference.”
Lucas Brady, senior
From building relationships and gaining experience to meeting new people and exploring the medical field, hospital volunteering offers stellar opportunities for students. With such determination and enthusiasm, the future of hospital volunteering continues to thrive.
Senior Emily Luo snapping a picture of her uniform before volunteering PHOTO | Emily Luo
Senior Lucas Brady volunteering at the front desk of Regions Hospital in St. Paul
Lucas Brady
Claire Monge: dancing queen
| Lale Akkin SPREAD EDITOR
When junior Claire Monge was in kindergarten, her mom put her in both soccer and dance lessons. Monge never had much interest in soccer, however, preferring to do cartwheels on the field rather than play during games. While she juggled dance and soccer, Monge pivoted towards dance after decidedly walking out of soccer in the middle of a game. She learned early on that she could excel in dance and has only grown as a dancer since then. “I don’t think [my mom] even knew what she was getting me into either,” said Monge.
Since age four, Monge has been dancing with Larkin Dance Studio in Maplewood. The studio competes in prestigious national competitions such as The Dance Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada, where they won Studio of the Year in 2016, 2021 and 2023. Monge’s group dance also won in 2022, and she placed top ten in the Best Dancer Competition three times, winning second place in 2021. The Best Dancer Competition involves competing with their solos, auditioning and, in the final round, participating in
an improv dance-off.
Monge works hard to perfect the various styles in competitive dance, ranging from ballet, jazz, ballroom, musical theater and more. “I really like contemporary, just because it’s always just a good class to take. And then I like an occasional jazz class, just combo-wise,” said Monge.
Her favorite performance was the opening number when her senior line danced with the junior line in LaDuca dance shoes, setting a musical tone for the show. Lines are dancing groups set apart by age, and Monge is in the senior line this year, the line for the oldest dancers apart from the adult lines. While she was on the junior line, Monge also served as a captain.
Besides competing, Monge especially enjoys choreographing her own solos. While most dancers perform solos that are choreographed by their teachers, Monge likes to branch out and choreograph her own — at least one solo per competition.
“I’m proud of [my choreography],” said Monge. “It’s helped me grow as a dancer, doing my own dances.”
She sometimes helps dancers choreograph their own solos
as well, giving 30-minute private lessons to younger students and earning some money as a result. In a podcast with YouTuber and dancer Mackenzie Couch, Monge also noted that she often observed her teachers choreograph dances at Larkin, finding their individual creative process fascinating.
Keeping and improving her talent not only takes a lot of work, but also time. Due to her dance commitment, she takes fewer classes than most students at Mounds View and leaves school during fourth hour for practice, typically practicing four to five hours every day. “It’s been really hard because it’s just such a rigorous schedule,” said Monge.
Occasionally, she is also a model and ambassador for Tiger Friday, a dancewear brand. She creates social media posts for the company around three or four times a month. Tiger Friday has even sponsored Monge, allowing her to fly to Chicago to model — all expenses paid. Along with modeling, Tiger Friday allows Monge to experiment with new hobbies. “I get to design my own top each year, and that’s been fun to design,” she said. “And then at the end of the year, they have a little run-
way thing, and we get to show off our designs.”
Passionate about her talent, Monge plans to continue dancing. She is looking for colleges in areas that have a large dance
industry, including New York or California. Her dancing journey started in kindergarten when her mom signed her up, and Monge does not plan on stopping anytime soon.
EARTHA handcrafts a sucessful business
| Mara Peacock FEATURES EDITOR
hen people are buying jewelry, they may not think about the impact of their purchase. From the initial production of the materials to when jewelry piles up in landfills, not all products created by jewelry businesses keep in mind the weight of the harmful products. After learning about the impacts of popular jewelry products, students at Mounds View had the idea to create EARTHA.
Sophomores Tingting Wang and Siri Leana-Thao created EARTHA, a startup that makes environmentally-friendly bracelets, along with Mounds View class of 2024 alum Selina Wang. Currently, Tingting Wang serves as EARTHA’s CEO, Leana-Thao as the marketing manager and sophomore Jessica Huang — who joined EARTHA this school year — as the outreach manager. “We knew since we all liked jewelry and we also had a sustainable goal, we wanted to help the environment, and so we wanted to combine that and make sustainable jewelry,” said Tingting Wang. They decided to start the business in Fall 2023 as part of Mounds View’s Startup club.
After learning about how gemstone mining poorly affects the environment, the EARTHA leaders were inspired to look into alternate resources
for creating jewelry. “Growing up as Asian-Americans, we’ve learned how our cultures praise the meaning of jade and gemstones alike. However, we learned through our friends from Myanmar, the largest producer of gemstones, about how landscapes had been destroyed because of precious gemstone mining,” said Tingting Wang. “We realized that the cost of beautiful jade [and] gemstone jewelry is much more than their price tags. Mining not only destroys massive amounts of land, it also ruins communities, pollutes the air and can even cost human lives.”
EARTHA did not want to use cheap, plastic materials that often fill up landfills and hurt the Earth. Thus, the main
focus of EARTHA is to create sustainable jewelry, which the club does in two ways: sustainable resources and sustainable impact.
When deciding on how they wanted to create their jewelry, the group landed on using hand-made, recycled glass beads from Krobo artisans in Ghana. The beads are also created to eventually break down rather than add to environmental degradation. Once they receive the beads, they create the bracelets in bulk to sell both inperson and through Etsy. “We sold around 250 [bracelets] in a year so per month it would be around 20 bracelets,” said Tingting Wang.
In addition to using sustainable resources, EARTHA
has a goal of planting one tree for every five bracelets sold. EARTHA takes a portion of the profits made from the bracelets and donates them to One Tree Planted, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to reforestation efforts. So far, EARTHA has successfully planted 42 trees and hopes to plant even more. “Our main goal is to spread awareness about the harmful impacts of jewelry and just to help the environment,” said Tingting Wang.
Outside of Mounds View, EARTHA has expanded its business into a few different Minnesota stores, including Soderberg’s Floral & Gift, Churchill St. and La Vie Est Belle, all in the Twin Cities area. In order to do this, Huang starts by calling various stores to inquire about selling their products. From there, EARTHA makes an agreement with the stores to put their products in. “When we started off, we had consignment agreements with these stores so they didn’t have to have the risk of buying our product and not being able to sell it, and once we proved our products were valued by their customers, we transitioned to wholesales,” said Tingting Wang.
The EARTHA leaders take unique steps to promote their products outside of Mounds View. “I personally really like doing the workshops that we do, cause sometimes we go into retirement centers and help peo-
ple make bracelets,” said LeanaThao. In December, EARTHA went to the Brookdale Senior Living Center for one of these workshops, and they hope to do more workshops similarly in other spaces.
EARTHA also collaborates with other clubs at Mounds View to sell their products. Back in November, EARTHA announced their first collaboration with Mounds View’s H2O For Life club. When people purchased jewelry from their Etsy shop, they had the option to select H2O For Life as a charity to donate to along with the jewelry. Shortly after, EARTHA did a similar collaboration with Mounds View’s Science Olympiad to help fundraise for the club.
EARTHA reflects the strong values of Tingting Wang, Leana-Thao and Huang as they strive for sustainability. “Our mission is to spread the idea of sustainable fashion to give conscientious consumers a choice on sustainable jewelry that doesn’t harm the environment,” said Tingting Wang. Starting at Mounds View, EARTHA has grown far past a high school organization. As they continue to grow their business, EARTHA maintains the ideas that they can create environmentallyconscious jewelry for anyone.
Junior Claire Monge poses in TIger Friday dancewear
PHOTO VIA Claire Monge
PHOTO VIA Siri Leana-Thao EARTHA’s handcrafted bracelets
Healthcare Sky-high prices
After the shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, more people started speaking up about their experiences with the United State’s healthcare system. This spread will dive into what makes the U.S.’s healthcare system different from other countries.
“Deny.
Defend. Depose.”
| Gloria Liu MANAGING DESIGN & SPREAD EDITOR
On Dec. 4, 2024, UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson was shot in front of New York Hilton Midtown by shooter Luigi Mangione. According to the Office of Public Affairs, Mangione’s crime was carefully planned out, from stalking Thompson to using a silencer on his gun. He also meticulously planned out his escape route.
According to BBC, while it is unclear what the exact motive behind Mangione’s suspected crime is, Mangione had felt resentment towards health insurance companies, calling them “parasitic.” Many people have noted how his extreme methods are morally unjustifiable, while others see him as a symbol for the fight against the injustice of the American healthcare system.
For some, the shooting incident has brought attention to the issue of healthcare accessibility in the United States, but for the wrong reasons. “I think it’s kind of unserious because people on TikTok are making edits of [Mangione] and calling him hot and finding his Spotify. It kind of deflects from what really happened, like someone actually got murdered,” said senior Eva Rodriguez.
As pointed out, a big reason for Mangione’s support, beyond just his actions, is that many people find him attractive. Things would likely be different, and in a negative way, if he was not as attractive, wealthy or if he were a person of color.
According to Michael TenEyck, assistant professor of criminology at the University of Texas, there is a lot of research exploring how attractiveness can lead to decreased arrests and shorter sentences. Essentially, Mangione’s case is a strong example of pretty privilege.
Some critics note the issue
with Mangione’s violent ideology-driven actions are distracting from more effective ways to fix issues in healthcare. In some ways, this is a continuation of the rising trends of violence regarding political and social issues, such as the Jan. 6 riots and attempted assassinations on President Donald Trump.
Other Mounds View students are relatively indifferent to the situation as a whole.
“Even though [Thompson] was corrupt with his practices, in a way it didn’t matter if he died, because in the end, they’re just going to replace him with another CEO,” said junior Emman Gabriel-Veronque. Because the issues of US healthcare are systemic, the killing of one healthcare CEO arguably has little impact in changing the larger healthcare issues as a whole.
However, although in most cases people would consider a murderer to be criminal, Mangione’s frustrations have also raised support from the public.
Forbes recognizes Mangione as a “social media folk hero,” emphasizing that the public is “rooting for the anti-hero.” Many people on social media see his fury as a symbol for their own anger at the unfairness of American healthcare costs and access.
Since Mangione’s arrest, support for his actions has grown. After his federal court appearance, a GiveSendGo donation was set up for him, where he has now received over 1,500 donations, raising more than $200,000 in defense funds.
Despite many donors sharing messages defending his violent actions, the fundraiser is not intended to “celebrate violence,” but rather to fight for “fair legal representation.”
Supporters of Mangione have also shown their support through the spread of the phrase
“Deny. Defend. Depose.” which is meant to criticize the actions of insurance companies that delay payment claims, deny claims, and defend their actions. These words were also written on the shell casings of the bullets found at the crime scene. Supporters have begun hanging signs with the phrase on buildings and roads. Graffiti of these words are prevalent worldwide too.
While UnitedHealthcare is one of America’s biggest healthcare companies — covering over 49 million Americans — the recent shooting has sparked criticism against the company for its trend of denying claims and refusing to cover the costs of medical treatments from insurance companies. Some healthcare companies have even begun to rethink their policies. Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, the second largest health insurance company in the United States, had originally planned to implement a new policy that would limit the cost coverage for anesthesia procedures if the surgery went beyond a certain time limit in February, but decided against it due to backlash from the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the CEO incident.
Whether for or against Mangione’s crime, his actions have caused a variety of responses nationwide. Violent acts such as those committed by Mangione are often unjustifiable even if they do raise awareness for issues such as the high cost of healthcare. Regardless, his actions have sparked increased conversation about the U.S.’s controversial healthcare policies, with many wanting to see significant reforms.
Rising prices
| Carter Ballman & Vincent Meyer STAFF REPORTER & SPREAD EDITOR
According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the average American paid F$14,750 every year for healthcare in 2023 — a 7.5% increase from 2022 — which is more than double that of other wealthy countries. Moreover, healthcare has gotten so expensive in America that only 55% of Americans can afford it according to a poll by Gallup. There are many factors contributing to the cost of healthcare, and their implications have broader impacts beyond just the healthcare industry.
Many factors affect the cost of healthcare, but a huge reason behind the high prices is lack of competition between healthcare companies, creating monopolylike conditions. “More competition actually lowers prices. If you have more small drug producers, they’re going to actually have to compete with each other. They’re going to end up actually charging lower prices,” said social studies teacher Aaron Oseland. The high concentration of pharmaceutical companies is evident in that America’s 25 largest pharmaceutical companies make up 70% of the industry’s revenue in 2023 according to the Innovation Technology and Innovation Foundation, a non-
profit public policy think tank. Another large factor in the cost of healthcare is the lack of price regulations. In other countries, like Germany, the government limits the price of drugs depending on their necessity or demand. “[For] insulin or epinephrine, you would set a very low price, but something like Ozempic that people are doing just because they see it online, that would have a high price,” said Oseland. However, in the United States, there are few national laws or regulations regarding drug prices. Because of this, healthcare companies can often set the price of their drugs and services as high as they want, leading to increasing prices every year. Due to rising costs of healthcare, the consequences of not having health insurance can become extreme. “I work with a lot of families who, because of lack of insurance or under insurance, they can’t access the care that they need, and the costs of accessing care out of pocket can be completely prohibitive,” said Mounds View nurse Alana Schmiesing. With the average cost of an emergency room visit at around $2,500 without insurance according to GoodRX and overnight stays exceeding $10,000, many people cannot
ILLUSTRATION | Lillian Landberg
afford to take care of their health issues without insurance.
In the long run, the high cost of healthcare can prohibit individuals from taking preventative measures, like seeing their primary care doctor, that reduce further health risks in the future. “A lot of our primary care is being done in emergency rooms because people can’t access things like primary care or preventative care,” said Schmiesing. In other words, more patients are landing in the emergency room because of a lack of access to healthcare in the first place. This in turn can lead to even higher healthcare costs for these individuals.
The high cost of healthcare can negatively influence the U.S. economy. According to CMS, health spending accounts for 17.6% of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This means almost one-fifth of all spending in the United States is spent on healthcare. Moreover, healthcare is one of the largest contributors to government spending. When government spending increases, whether from healthcare costs or other sectors, it causes inflation. Expensive healthcare also indirectly reduces economic growth because workers are less productive when they have medical issues that they cannot address.
Students at Mounds View also have strong opinions about the prices of healthcare. While
there is not a clear consensus about how the price of healthcare should be reduced, students generally hope for greater regulation that decreases the ability of companies to raise the prices of drugs. “The amount of profit that healthcare companies are getting, it’s kind of ridiculous. And I don’t necessarily think that universal healthcare is the solution, but there definitely needs to be some caps,” said senior Abby Robbins. Moreover, making healthcare available to more people is important to students. “Availability is a big one, like trying to make it so everyone in all different levels of wealth can access it,” said junior Cole Zamansky. The long term consequence of disparities between healthcare access can lead to individuals with higher income having significantly longer life spans than those in lower income brackets. With the issue of rising healthcare costs becoming seemingly more overwhelming every year, it is easy to lose hope on healthcare prices decreasing. However, just by recognizing the issues in the system leading to higher prices and their consequences, there is growing awareness and pushback against the status quo of unaffordable healthcare in the U.S.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28,
A look abroad
| Aydin Kendic & Lale Akkin STAFF REPORTER & SPREAD EDITOR
The U.S. spends about 17.6% of its GDP on healthcare, which is the most out of any developed country according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a federal agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Nevertheless, the U.S. is one of the only highly developed countries that does not provide universal healthcare for all citizens regardless of employment status or income. Instead, the U.S. uses a healthcare system involving all four of the main national models for healthcare.
Out of the four main healthcare models, the Out-ofPocket model is the only one that is not considered Universal Healthcare. People pay for their medical expenses directly, and this system is used mostly in poor or developing countries, including rural areas of Africa, India, China and South America, where many people go without ever seeing a doctor according to the National Library of Medicine. The U.S., however, uses this system combined with elements of the others. Because citizens still mostly rely on income to pay for healthcare, the U.S. is not considered a country with Universal Healthcare.
One model that uses Universal Healthcare is the Bismarck Model, named after former Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. This model requires everyone to obtain health insurance by contributing to a government fund, which is run by non-government insurers. This fund is then used to pay for people who need healthcare, even if they cannot afford it due to poverty or unemployment.
When it was established, the insurance covered all bluecollar workers with paid sick leave and abundant access to doctors and medical care. Most
importantly, Bismarck’s model helped reduce the blue-collar mortality rates in the late 1800s. Some countries that follow this model are Germany, France and Japan. In the U.S., elements of this model can be seen generally with working Americans who have insurance.
Another common healthcare model is the Beveridge Model, named after British economist William Beveridge, in which the government provides and funds healthcare through tax payments. Through this system, hospitals are owned by the government. Because this model has the government as the single-payer, it eliminates all other competition in the healthcare market and reduces costs. This system is funded mainly through income taxes; services are considered free as the patients’ taxes have already covered their hospital funds. The Beveridge Model is another example of universal healthcare, so aid by the government is provided to all citizens. Some places that follow this model are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Spain and New Zealand. Sweden’s healthcare, for example, is primarily funded by income taxes collected on both national and municipal levels. This is largely thanks to the 42.9% income tax compared to only 31.7% in the U.S., which allows the government to lower healthcare costs. The U.S. only follows this model when it comes to treating veterans.
The fourth most common system is The National Health Insurance Model. This blends the Bismarck and the Beveridge Model, where the government funds all healthcare through a government-run insurance program. One example is South Korea’s National Health Insurance (NHI), which provides universal healthcare coverage
Universal Healthcare Pros
• Access to healthcare
Access to healthcare regardless of financial situation or their medical needs. This leads to a healthier nation.
• Lower costs
The government is the only buyer and there is price regulation, lowering prices.
for all residents, including foreigners living in South Korea for longer than six months. The NHI covers most medical expenses, but many South Koreans purchase private health insurance as well. The government is able to keep the prices of medical services and pharmaceuticals relatively predictable through a standardized fee schedule, which lists predetermined fees for various medical services. This prevents providers from charging excessively and keeps healthcare costs predictable for patients.
The U.S.’s complicated healthcare system is a reason that the cost of healthcare is rising. Compared to other countries, it can be inefficient because of the combination of different models. “U.S. healthcare costs are becoming more expensive because of all the people we have to pay just to go through the paperwork, to go through the hoops and to understand the ridiculous complexity of the American healthcare system,” said social studies teacher Aaron Oseland. He thinks that a simpler system would be cheaper. “You would see these costs shrink dramatically because you wouldn’t have to hire people whose job it is just to do billing.”
Looking at these different healthcare systems, there are many changes that the U.S. could adopt to refine its own healthcare system. Many developed countries, including South Korea and Sweden, have found ways to adopt a universal healthcare system in different ways while maintaining low prices for residents. Even if the U.S. does not implement a universal healthcare system, it can take more inspiration from these models or from other countries to make healthcare more affordable for its citizens.
Cons
• Long waiting lines
More patients means a need for waiting lines, and they can get long as seen with Sweden.
•
Higher taxes
The government would get the funding from increased taxation.
DEBATES
Reevaluating Primary Care Pay
Raise the wage
| Jadyn Heath-Hlavacek STAFF REPORTER
Physicians in primary and specialized care each provide important but different roles in the medical field. However, physicians in primary care are paid significantly less than specialized physicians, and this gap has major and lasting negative effects on the healthcare system as a whole.
According to a 2022 report from Medscape, primary care physicians (PCPs) on average make $260,000, while specialists make $368,000 annually, with plastic surgeons having the highest salaries of the field at $576,000. The $100,000 disparity means that medical students and training physicians generally choose to go into a specialized field to get a higher pay than if they went into primary care, leading to a shortage of PCPs. In fact, the Milbank Memorial Fund states that the ratio of PCPs to the population declined from 68.4 to 67.2 per 100,000 people between 2012 and 2021.
The shortage of PCPs creates heavier workloads for current PCPs. A 2023 study by the Journal of the American Medical Association Health Forum found that PCPs’ workload leaves each patient with only about 19 minutes for their visits, with the lower quartile spending as little as 14 minutes per patient. Nineteen minutes is not enough time for a full and thor-
Keep the pay
ough look at a patient’s health. Because a primary physician needs to look at a patient’s general physical health, perform a general evaluation of their mental health and apply diagnosis, this lack of time leads to major mental disorders or physical problems going undiagnosed and untreated. The intense workload PCPs face without the same compensation as a specialist dissuades future physicians from the PCP path and worsens the shortage that causes this heavy workload in the first place.
Additionally, The National Institute of Health expects demand for PCPs to increase and the amount of adults over 50 with at least one chronic disease to double between 2020 and 2050. The rising number of patients needing PCPs to evaluate their symptoms and diagnose them will cause a crisis in the healthcare system. The United States has many patients needing general care from primary physicians, making the pay gap-caused shortage prove more precarious with time. With continually more patients and fewer physicians, the shortage and the issues it causes, as well as the pay gap between PCPs and specialized care physicians continues to grow. Companies running primary care cannot raise their physicians’ pay without the investment money. However, investment in
primary care from insurance companies continues to decline since 2019 according to Milbank Memorial Fund. The rising scarcity of primary care physicians with the rising demand means higher costs for patients. Costs for healthcare are already unaffordable for a significant portion of the population, and beyond the COVID spike, prices have continued to climb since before 2015.
A solution to the shortage is to close the pay gap between primary care physicians and specialized physicians, incentivizing more physicians to work in primary care. Insurance company investments in primary care would allow clinics to provide increased salaries for their primary care workers, including physicians. An influx of PCPs would raise supply for healthcare treatment, lower costs for patients and balance the workload on individual physicians.
The current pay gap between primary care and specialized physicians has caused a shortage of PCPs and has created a negative impact on the healthcare system as a whole. Keeping the status quo only worsens the issue over time. Closing the substantial pay gap remains the only realistic and effective way to fix the current crisis and ensure the general population’s health.
Imagine a surgeon preparing for a complex operation, knowing that every decision and movement could have a life-or-death consequence. Meanwhile, a primary care physician (PCP) manages a busy day of consultations, helping patients prevent illness and navigate health issues. Both are crucial in the health care system, but specialists face a unique challenge that justifies higher compensation.
An interventional cardiologist typically spends over 11 years in training after college, including medical school, residency and fellowships.
Specialists undergo years of advanced education to gain the expertise needed to treat complex conditions. According to Cleveland Clinic, a specialist like an interventional cardiologist typically spends over 11 years in training after college, including medical school, residency and fellowships. This extensive training equips them with in-depth knowledge in specific areas of medicine, allowing them to manage conditions that are often rare or require intricate treatments, like cardiac catheterization. In contrast, PCPs undergo a broader but shorter
training of seven years, preparing them to handle a wide variety of general health issues, but without the same level of specialized expertise. Specialists handle more specific and advanced cases, which require deeper understanding and precision than primary care physicians, making their expertise more valuable and deserving of higher pay.
Specific areas of medical care, like cardiology or oncology, often require significantly more time to treat than primary care. While PCPs also face long workdays, specialists often work longer hours due to performing various, and often complicated, procedures. According to the American Medical Association, specialists frequently work over 60 hours a week, while PCPs typically work around 50 hours. Moreover, specialists are often on-call for emergencies, requiring them to dedicate additional time and attention outside of regular hours. This high level of responsibility, combined with the unpredictability of their duties, underscores why specialists should be compensated more. The heightened risk and stress associated with specialist roles also justifies their higher pay. Specialists often deal with high-stakes situations where mistakes can have severe, life-altering consequences. Surgeons often perform operations that involve considerable risk, and complications
during or after surgery can significantly impact a patient’s outcome. For example, a craniotomy, a neurosurgical procedure where a part of the skull is removed to access the brain, can have large risks and can be life threatening. Furthermore, specialists often handle emergencies requiring immediate, high-pressure decisions, such as trauma cases. This level of responsibility, coupled with the emotional toll of patient outcomes, places a large burden on specialists, making their higher compensation deserving.
Specialists often deal with highstakes situations where mistakes can have severe, life-altering consequences.
Overall, the compensation disparity between specialists and PCPs is warranted by their extensive training, long work hours and heightened responsibilities. These professionals dedicate a significantly large amount of time, energy and skill to treat complex cases often under intense pressure and with serious consequences. For these reasons, specialists should continue to earn more than PCPs as a reflection of the valuable and high-risk nature of their work.
Ryan Wirrer & Sidharth Sharma | STAFF REPORTER & DEBATES EDITOR
What is a Winter Arc?
| Sean Oh STAFF REPORTER
The winter arc trend has recently gained massive traction on social media. Although the trend is a recent phenomenon, the concept has been around for a long time. Similar to new year’s resolutions, the goal of the winter arc is to improve one’s body and mind during the cold winter months and give participants a head start on setting good habits to start off the new year.
As per the TikTok trend, a winter arc typically begins on Oct. 1 and ends on Jan. 1. According to Buzzfeed, while many people tend to use winter to slow down before the new year or retreat during the cold, those who participate in a winter arc are committed to refocusing on self-development. For some, setting goals through the winter arc can motivate people to roll their healthy habits into the new year sustainably, rather than creating unrealistic new year resolutions on Jan. 1.
Much of the allure of the winter arc is its versatility. Junior Liam Sonner highlighted the wide array of aspects about oneself that one could improve such as skincare, haircuts, better hygiene and exercise. It also
allows for open-ended goals, making it easier to participate in. The threshold for entrance into the world of the winter arc is purposefully and intentionally low, and participants can focus on whatever suits their needs. This contrasts with many other fitness and self-improvement challenges, such as specific diets or workout regimes like 75 Hard, that require fixed goals.
“It’s just a way for social media [influencers or creators] to compare themselves to each other and feel bad about themselves.”
Kian Ouke, senior
Although the winter arc is meant to help people in a positive way, it can also become harmful. On TikTok, some participants are seen taking measures extremely far, cutting out all distractions, sources of “fun” and processed foods, or simply just using all-or-nothing language to describe their new
habits. Furthermore, the winter arc does not call for complete isolation, but some fall into a dangerous mindset of solitude or cutting others off as the only way to improve or remake themselves. Senior Olmasaan Ebisso has fallen into this mindset with his idea of the winter arc. “Cut[ting] out all the bad things in your life, like women, that’s the main thing,” he said.
However, this mindset of cutting others off to become better or stronger alone can not only be harmful, but has ties to incel culture and hyper-masculinity. By believing themselves better than people who do not participate in the trend, those following a winter arc can be left with an inflated sense of self or a lack of empathy. The different interpretations of what a winter arc entails has also caused a division in the community.
This division is best seen on social media and in the negative effects of the trend, namely increased comparison and sometimes lower self-esteem.
“It’s just a way for social media [influencers or creators] to compare themselves to each other and feel bad about themselves,” said senior Kian Ouke. The emphasis on self-comparison was
the greatest point of discomfort among students who participated in the trend and participants all around.
Because the trend is prevalent on TikTok, the winter arc’s implied expectation to post about it online can cause people to compare each other’s progress, often leading to feelings of inadequacy. “Self-comparison…some people say is the thief of joy… that’s not the best, comparing yourself to others,” said senior Evan Peterson.
The winter arc trend, when executed correctly, can allow for substantial self growth, new habits and a healthier life. Conversely, when executed
How are snow days decided?
| Juila Gronert STAFF REPORTER
ach stormy, rainy or icy winter day, students begin to perform amateur meteorology in order to predict a snow day. Looking at forecasts, Snow Day Calculators and the weather outside, the task of accurately foreseeing a snow day can seem impossible. However, weighing safety concerns and the need for kids to be in school can leave administrators with a lot to think about when calling a snow day.
There is no standardized way to decide snow days across the country. According to Weather Underground, a worldwide weather service, a thin dusting of snow could be enough to cancel school in Southern states, whereas most Northern schools rarely close for snow, instead closing due to extreme cold. It all comes down to if the states have the equipment or infrastructure to safely deal with dangerous weather.
For Mounds View, the primary concern has always been student safety. There is no official metric for how much snow constitutes a snow day. Instead, the administration bases their decision solely on three essential factors: if the buses are not able to run or start reliably, local road conditions are dangerous or there is a sustained wind chill of 40-45 degrees
below zero according to Colin Sokolowski, Executive Director of Public Relations for the district. Though a few people are consulted, the final decision is made by Chris Lennox, the superintendent of the Mounds View district. The district always gets its weather information from the same place. “Like neighboring districts, Mounds View relies solely on forecasts provided by the National Weather Service,” said Sokolowski. He also stated that Mounds View serves seven different cities with a variety of possible weather issues, and school can be cancelled if conditions are dangerous in any of
these areas. There is always the pos-
“Like neighboring districts, Mounds View relies solely on forecasts provided by the National Weather Service.”
Colin Sokolowski, Executive Director of Public Relations
sibility that the wrong decision is made. “Every now and then,
they get one wrong, and you’re like, ‘Why are we at school?’” said math teacher Jodie Bias.
However, even the fear of making the wrong decision would not scare district officials into an untimely snow day.
“The threat of snow days is just a fact of life for schools in the Midwest. The Mounds View philosophy has always been that it’s best to have school in session unless weather conditions make it unsafe,” said Sokolowski.
In response to the COVID pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Education approved up to five E-learning days, allowing students to continue
incorrectly, it may lead to a downward spiral of vain selfcomparison and harmful communities like the incel community. Regardless of the positives and negatives, the term winter arc has gained prevalence and fame in online circles, and led to many having a different outlook on the last few months of the year.
school on days with bad weather. This is not the default for the district. “Unless otherwise notified, families should not expect instruction to occur on a school day cancelled for severe weather,” said Sokolowski. However, they are still a possibility. “Elearning days are a possibility if our district has several school cancellations within the same school year,” said Sokolowski. E-learning has proven to be a bit of a controversial topic. “I think a snow day should be a snow day. Let everyone just be outside and have fun,” said Bias.
“Every now and then, they get one wrong, and you’re like, ‘Why are we at school?’”
Jodie
Bias, math teacher
In the end, the decision of a snow day is never taken lightly, multiple factors are taken into account in order to make the right decision. So, to all the students frantically checking the forecast in hopes of a potential school cancellation, remember these are the main guidelines the school follows.
Lillian Landberg
REVIEWS
Reversing the roles of iconic Nintendo characters
| Via Yang SPORTS EDITOR
Verdict: 3.84/5
egend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom” is the newest addition to the “Legend of Zelda” franchise. Released early Sept. 2024, the game was highly anticipated after the release of “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom,” the games that helped revolutionize openworld games.
The game introduced a new concept to Nintendo’s iconic series, making Princess Zelda the main character rather than the hero Link. Yet it also brought back the nostalgic linear dungeon crawling and key item-styling progression from the older games in the series. Combined with the freeform problem solving mechanics that were well-liked in these games, I had high expectations for this game.
With the mawkish cartoonish character designs, a solid 180 from the cel-shaded art style of “Tears of the Kingdom,” it is a direct call back to the stylized pixel art from the original top-down Zelda games like “A Link to the Past,” “The
Minish Cap” and “Link’s Awakening (2019).” In my opinion, even the enemies and bosses look very cute in this simpler style. The bright colors are captivating, especially after seeing Nintendo’s release of the official artwork of Zelda over the summer. It was great to see the unusual vibrancy of characters that pop out of the screen.
Rather than just focusing on attacking, I had to focus on creating a battle strategy as well, and the overall dungeonesque style of many of the battles in the game piqued my interest.
Via Yang senior
The overall story of the game starts after “Link’s Awakening,” where the characters are back in Hyrule as Link comes to save Princess Zelda from Ganon, soon after Link is swallowed by a purple rift but manages to free the Princess before he is fully consumed. This is the first game where the player is able to properly control Princess Zelda and play as her, even though it has been several decades since the first release of the series. While she, in other games, is a very prominent side character, it was hon-
estly cool to see her finally as the main character of the series named after her. I wished that the first game revolving around her had a stronger storyline than “Echoes of Wisdom,” but it is still a good debut.
After this incident, Zelda is imprisoned in the castle, as she has been framed for causing the rifts that have been swallowing up people throughout the Kingdom of Hyrule. She is thrown into the castle’s dungeon, and with the help of a fairy named Tri, she is able to escape. Zelda is then put on an adventure to eliminate the origin of Hyrule’s mysterious rifts. It was interesting to see a reintroduction of a fairy-like creature that helps the main character traverse the world. It really reminded me of the fairy Navi, who was first introduced in “Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,” as Link’s navigator.
The whole premise of the game consists of players using echoes to solve puzzles and quests and to navigate the world. A new mechanic brought to the game is copying monsters and being able to conjure them in battle — reminiscent of realtime strategy games. I personally really enjoyed this aspect of problem solving. Rather than just focusing on attacking, I had to focus on creating a battle strategy as well, and the overall dungeon-esque style of many of the battles in the game piqued my interest.
However, with this style of combat, I was really disappointed to see that Zelda is so passive when in battle, only relying on using echoes to conjure rather than having a skill to directly hit the monsters. Plus, the only way for Zelda to attack is when she is in the form of Link. I wish that this game had fully just been a story about Zelda, rather than still including such a big factor of transforming into Link. The pacing of the game is very smooth sailing. All of the side quests blended well with the main story, and the exploration and world limitations made sense. One issue I found with exploration though, was that temples cannot be completed in any order, like how they are in the more recent games. Despite
this factor resembling older games in the series, I was disappointed with how structured the exploration is with temples, especially since the game was released after “Breath of the Wild” and “Tears of the Kingdom.”
Overall I was really excited to finally see a game about Princess Zelda. While I wished that the game could have been in the same art style of the previous games, with the lackluster storyline, the simpler artstyle seems to fit better. I enjoyed the overall playthrough, yet the story more forgettable compared to other games in the series. Despite all of my complaints, I give the game a genuine 3.84/5.
Speed into the theater: Sonic the Hedgehog 3
| Kieran Lindahl STAFF REPORTER
Verdict:
4/5
n Dec. 20, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” was released in theaters. I attended the film’s opening day and did not have high expectations. I had only seen the first film in the series and remembered it containing long and uninteresting scenes. I heard that the second film had slightly better pacing. Supposedly, although it contained less drawnout scenes like the first movie, some important scenes ended up being cut a little too short, making some parts feeling incomplete.
The third movie also had a few issues with pacing, but overall, its pacing improved
dramatically, with a lot of the most important parts being given an appropriate length. The biggest problem was an unnecessary scene near the end that went on for a little too long. Overall, “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” broke my expectations and was such a fun and actionpacked film. It is definitely the best movie out of the two I have seen. The film introduces two new characters to the series — both from “Sonic Adventure 2,” the game on which the film is loosely based on. The first new character is Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic’s rival, played by Keanu Reeves. His story is one of the film’s highlights, making the viewer feel empathetic for his character and understand why he felt betrayed by the world. The movie also introduces Gerald Robotnik, Dr. Eggman’s long-lost grandfather. Gerald and Eggman are both played by Jim Carrey, and they shine in every scene they appear in.
While the entire film is great, the comedy by Jim Carrey and Shadow’s story are definitely the highlights of the film. Not only is the story funny, however, it also contains serious scenes that complement the story and make the movie more interesting to watch.
This film also drastically cut down the amount of screen time for human characters — besides Dr. Robotnik and his long lost grandfather Gerald Robotnik — one of my least favorite parts of the previous films. The previous movies spend too much time on the humans rather than the main character, a common flaw in many live-action hybrid films. It was nice to see “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” perfect this blend of human versus cartoony main characters.
The ending of this film is both satisfying and unexpected. The final battle is action-packed and fun to watch. Afterward, Sonic and Shadow decide to
team up, just like in the game that the film draws inspiration from, and the theater even erupted into cheers.
Overall, this film is a significant improvement compared to the previous installments. It retains aspects that made the past two enjoyable, while also cutting down on negative aspects of the previous films, such as revolving the story around
the human characters. I can’t wait to see how the next film picks up, and overall, I appreciate that each film in the franchise seamlessly connects to the others. Due to the story and improved pacing in this film, I give it a solid four out of five.
National curler: Violet Bartels
| Vincent Meyer SPREAD EDITOR & ONLINE ME
hen people think of sports on ice, hockey and figure skating often come to mind first. However, another lesser-known growing ice sport is curling, which is also featured in the Olympics. While Mounds View has many athletes competing on the ice, junior Violet Bartels has excelled in curling through participation in multiple youth national competitions and as a member of a United States under 18 (U18) nationals team.
Bartels initially started the sport as a freshman after playing basketball for around eight years. Even though she chose not to participate in basketball as a freshman, her dad, a recreational curler himself, encouraged her to still participate in a sport. “He does curling, and he’d only been playing [for] two years. So he asked if I wanted to try it out,” said Bartels.
As a result, she joined the St. Paul Curling Club and started playing competitively four months later. Bartels says that she was able to learn basic skills quickly because the sport is relatively easy to learn, but honing more advanced techniques, like weight — which is the amount
of force applied to the object that is thrown — takes more time.
Currently, Bartels curls four to five times a week to train for curling competitions called bonspiels. “We’ll go into different drills, practicing our weight, like how fast we throw the stone, we’ll work on line, like making sure that we’re aiming correctly, and then we’ll focus on certain shots where we’ll guard [aiming the stone to prevent the other team from getting a clear shot at the house],” she said. Bartels also notes that doing workouts outside of curling and working on her mental health is something she focuses on every week.
When it comes to competing, Bartels has played on several teams, finding success in competitions throughout the country. As a sophomore, she came close to gaining a spot in the Youth Olympic Games, narrowly missing out with a third place finish in the qualifying competition. “We ended up being the only team to get within two points of the team[s] that actually ended up qualifying,” said Bartels.
Currently, she plays on both a U18 and under 21 (U21) girls team. This January, Bartels
competed at the U18 national tournament, where her team had a winning record and beat the winning team but was unable to make it out of pool play — the initial round of competition.
With her U21 team, she is hoping to have similar success by competing at a qualifying tournament for nationals in March. “For U21 they have a series of competitions where, if you win, you get a spot at Nationals, but if you get in the top three, or depending on your placement in the bonspiel, you can earn points to hopefully end up qualifying for nationals.” said Bartels.
Surprisingly, Bartels is the only member from Minnesota on her U21 team, with the rest of her team coming from California. This means that Bartels represents the Mountain Ocean Pacific region rather than the Minnesota region, which makes training difficult because she cannot practice regularly with her teammates. The first time they all met was this October, and she had only seen them either individually or at competitions before. Because of this, the time they have together is crucial to developing a strong bond in order to play well. “We text constantly, and when we do
see each other, [we] make sure we’re spending a bunch of time, just either connecting or playing. But I like them so much, and I’m so excited I’m playing with them,” said Bartels. With much success already in curling, Bartels hopes to continue being part of an effort to grow the sport. In addition to qualifying for the U21 nationals, Bartels wants to create a Mounds View team for the Minnesota state championship. “It [will be] meant for literally just high school students that maybe
want to try it. They come out and they can try, like, a bonspiel for the first time,” said Bartels.
“
I hope to get other people into the sport because it is so much fun... and it’s not super well known.
”
Mounds View fencing gets to the point
After its short inaugural season in 2024, the Mounds View Fencing Club (MVFC) started its second year strong, with several members securing wins at competitions this fall — both through MVFC and their own fencing clubs. As one of many studentfounded activities available at Mounds View High School, members hope this success carries over into the upcoming winter season and brings more recognition to the sport of fencing.
Senior Allex Tran founded the club last year after noticing that the district only offered community education fencing
clubs in elementary and middle schools, not at Mounds View. Tran, who participated in those clubs prior to attending high school, saw an opportunity to bring something new to the fold. “My mission was to bring Mounds View Fencing Club to Mounds View itself so that high schoolers can enjoy it,” he said.
The club focuses on helping their athletes improve their skills and fencing forms and decreasing their risk of injuries through conditioning. This helps them improve their technique, whether it is foil — striking the opponent’s torso with the tip of the blade — or saber — slashing the opponent’s body with a shorter blade.
As the club’s founder, Tran oversaw most aspects of organi-
zation in its first year. This year, however, they formed a more efficient leadership structure, with a board of experienced fencers to help operate the club, including sophomore Victor Kwan. “When it comes to instructing, teaching and practice, that [is usually] me and Victor, mostly Victor. He’s very good at conditioning and the athletic portion of fencing,” said freshman Jackson Toews Johnson.
“If we have drills or something a little more technical, then I take the [lead] on that. But behind the scenes, the whole mastermind — it’s all Allex Tran. He’s the one setting everything up.”
This year, they also wanted to make the club more accommodating by participating in all seasons, with the fall season being more casual for anyone to give fencing a try and the winter and spring seasons being more competitive. “This year, we tried to approach it in a holistic approach where we go through all seasons, right? We wanna be really out there. We wanna be really accommodating towards anyone’s schedules…We’re really here to have fun, first and foremost. We really want to share our passions of fencing with everyone else” said Tran. The club meets every Thursday and Friday for the entire school year.
Since they are not sponsored by Mounds View’s ad-
ministration, the club has had difficulty finding a place to practice, as the gyms are reserved for sanctioned activities. This led them to reach out to band teacher Bill Sucha, who agreed to be their advisor and allowed them to use the music suite as a makeshift gym rather than the MAC gyms or Kauls Court.
“What’s most frustrating for us is that we want to use those amazing spaces. We want to have somewhere that we can practice in and really get into the mood of sports.”
Allex Tran, senior
Another issue the team has faced is funding their equipment. Although they have access to a rental gear system, which lowers the cost of the gear, they still have to worry about the cost of their practice equipment such as scoring boxes.
Despite these challenges, multiple Mounds View fencers found success at tournaments within their own clubs outside of school during the fall. In November, Kwan placed first in
the UMFC Gopher Open, earning a D national ranking. This December, junior Eli Bauer placed first at the Blake Novice Tournament at The Blake School, and earlier this month, Johnson placed sixth at the SPA Invitational at Macalester College.
The club also participates in the many tournaments around the Twin Cities. “We often go to tournaments every week. The fencing season itself usually kicks up around winter and spring seasons. Even though we practice throughout the year, we mostly make our winters and spring seasons really competitive. Each week, there are boundless opportunities for tournaments,” Tran said. “The Minnesota High School Fencing League [has] a state championship where schools from all over the state compete with each other in individual and team events, and we have a really fun and grand championship around February.”
Looking at the future of the club, Tran wishes to keep going to tournaments and qualifying for championships. “What I’m hoping is that MVFC will do really well at the Minnesota high school [fencing] championships. I hope to at least be around the top four for the teams event where we’ll face off against other schools,” said Tran.
PHOTO VIA Violet Bartels
| Grayson Then STAFF REPORTER
PHOTO VIA Allex Tran
Violet Bartels practicing for bonspiels
Violet Bartels, junior
(L-R). Elijah Bauer, Dorjee Wangdu, Jackson Toews, Tom Chi, and Rhythm Wailba at Mounds View Fencing Club
PUZZLES
Across
4. Last name of the Mounds View senior who has amassed over 275 hours volunteering at a hospital
6. Dancewear brand that junior Claire Monge models for 9. The country where EARTHA buys their recycled glass beads for their jewelry
10. Country in Europe with one of the best healthcare systems, where one person pays around $435 annually for healthcare 12. The type of physical health a primary care physician looks at 13. UMFC event sophomore Victor Kwan placed first in back in November
14. Hedgehog character played by Keanu Reeves in Sonic 3
Down
1. Type of curling competition junior Violet Bartels trains for four to five times per week
2. Extra charges added to bills at restaurants/goods and services without clear explanation
3. The main character of the newest Legends of Zelda game
5. Healthcare company where CEO Brain Thompson had worked 7. The type of learning conducted during bad weather days, which can be up to five a year
8. Advisor for Mounds View’s new MUN chapter 11. Term for a phase someone may go through during this season to improve their body or mind
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