Issue 4 2013 - 2014

IN EDITORIALS 3

STUDENT VIEWS

IN VARIETY 8

IN REVIEWS 9

COMEDY GALLERIES

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LADY GAGA

Mounds View

VIEWER

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Friday, November 15, 2013

Volume 61, Issue 4

Catering to the crowd Cafeteria makes healthy changes, keeping student tastes in mind

by Sophie Jaszewski staff reporter A multitude of changes are being made in the Mounds View Food Services program, now called “Nutrition Services.” The district is trying to amp up the program to create healthy food options for students.

Mounds View, along with other schools in the district, is now on board with new national health organizations and companies to provide balanced meals in the cafeteria, as well as promote breakfast to more students with a cart in the Commons.

“I am a big believer in breakfast,” said Bridget Murphy, registered dietician and kitchen manager.

The kitchen staff has put a strong emphasis on health for breakfast and lunch.

Student feedback and input is being taken into consideration, all in high hopes that the school cafeteria can support a healthy lifestyle for students for years to come.

“I have been trying to meet with the student council to get a voice on things they like, don’t

like or would like to see more of. Hopefully we will have a suggestion box ready to go within a month or two so that all students can be heard,” said Murphy.

The lunch lines have added colorful produce, and a broader variety of fruits and vegetables that includes locally grown fruits— like apples from Pine Tree Apple Orchard in White Bear—are also being served. The a la carte line is being modified as well. Snacks are significantly smaller in size, encouraging moderation.

Students are invited to voice their opinions.

“I liked some of the changes, like getting rid of the rubbery chicken,” said David Lee, 11.

The kitchen staff always will take student feedback into consideration. They will continue in the same direction to bring forth nutritious food that meets federal nutrition standards, but is also to students’ taste standards as well.

“The staff here really do make everything possible as they work very hard day in and day out to provide the best meals and best service they can,” Murphy said.

Show your ID

New security system futhers the safety of students and staff across the district

by Sean Sabeti-Oseid staff reporter The need to keep schools secure is a growing concern throughout the country.

Mounds View has decided to implement a new security program which involves software to check in visitors to schools throughout the district.

The new system is called vSoft, made by Raptor Technologies. It is a software program which allows schools to register visitors electronically, using the visitors’ photo identification.

Once the ID is entered, it is compared with an offender database made by Raptor.

“If visitor is identified as a potential offender, school administration is notified to determine the nature of the visitor’s request to enter the building,” said Karl Brown, Director of Technology.

If an individual is a

frequent visitor, they can promptly be entered in with an ID scan, keeping their name and photo inside the system.

The district considered

“

It’s great, it’s smart and it’s easy to use.”

-Matt Goldsmith, greeter

two options for its visitor checking software, and found that Raptor’s vSoft was most appropriate. “The software checks sexual offender databases for registered sexual offenders in all 50 states, not all crime history.

The systems are a part of our comprehensive approach of having controlled access

to buildings, greeters when visitors enter our schools, the Raptor software, and a number of other measures like staff supervision, SROs, security cameras, etc.,” said Brown.

According to Matt Goldsmith, greeter at Mounds View, the software is as easy as it was before to enter visitors into the school.

“It’s great, it’s smart and it’s easy to use,” he said.

All that is needed is information from the visitor’s driver’s license, the make and model of their car, and the areas the visitor are allowed to be.

What was initially tested at five locations last spring, vSoft has spread across the district in its entirety, and will be providing Mounds View with an added layer of security.

No Shave November Students care about more than the hair way for people to escape the

by Monica Kemp social norms in an acceptable and Logan Maccani way,” said Baillie Eichenwald, news editor and staff reporter 11.

Student Council hosts a As the month of November competition for any willing continues, the scraggly stubs students to see who can of chin hair on Mounds View produce the most hair. Students students lengthen into fullwho participate take photos grown beards. The annual on the first and last day of event known as No Shave November. With the before and November challenges people to after shots posted side by side, let their body hair grow freely people are able to vote for who without any type of grooming. ended up the hairiest.

The purpose of a Although participation is seemingly silly phenomenon dwindling this year, those who has a deeper-rooted cause. The compete enjoy it. intent is to raise awareness for “I love doing it cause I patients of cancer and other love having a month to just diseases that have their lost look super gross and ‘cause hair.

I want to see what I look Participants are like with a beard,” said Nick encouraged to donate the Ovshak, 12. money not spent on razors and shaving cream to charities.

Many students remain unaware of the reason behind the shaggy legs and incoming beards. “I didn’t even know Pictured from top to bottom there was a purpose to no shave November,” said Andrew Tang, are: John Kesler, 12; Nick Ovshak, 12; Austin Heidersc11.

Others see it as just a way heid, 11, and Shihab Ahmed, of stepping out of ones comfort 10. zone. “[I] guess it could be a

photos by Anders Nygaard

2editorials TOP

10

November 15, 2013

17

Editors Agree

STAFF EDITORIAL 6

Editor Disagrees

Work is undervalued Jobs should get the same recognition as extracurriculars

ways to prepare for winter

10 Raise the thermostat when your mom isn’t watching9 8 Cats 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Post a Facebook Status about first snow

Bust out the Christmas tunes a month early

Make your desktop background a fireplace

Move to Florida

Make a quilt out of Graham Goodwiler’s clothes

Find hibernating animals and give them blankets

Cram in some last minute sunbathing Hopelessly await a snow day 2013-2014 Viewer Editors

Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor

Phoebe Ke

Sasha Safonov Manager of Design

Kyoka Millard Business Manager Nina Bertelsen News Monica Kemp Editorials Tristan Aschittino Alistair Tang Features Ryan Yoch Nicole Wahlin Spread Neha Sethi Tommy Sletten Variety Namrata Gadela Reviews

Kyoka Millard James Birr Sports Maddy Rosenow Molly Hancuh Gallery Rebecca Nara Photographers/Artists Ben Kaiser Anders Nygaard Michaela Morse Adviser

Martha Rush

Online Crew

James Birr, Kobi Endrizzi,

Joe Janey, Nathaniel Nikoi

Staff Aaron Adams, Ross Armstrong,

Michael Ban, Emma Blume, Daniel DeWitt, Sarah Dhols-Graf, Thomas Doty, Brittany Durbahn, Andy Glischinski, Eva Hoffman, Sophia Jaszewski, Ryan Kaczynski, Persis Ke, Jonathan Kim, Benjamin Kingsriter, Vicky Lee, Matthew Lubratt, Logan Maccani, Tess Martin, Brooke Olson, Jacob Reisdorfer, Katrina Renacia, Kellen Rholl, Emily Ruan, Joshua Rydberg, Sean Sabeti-Oseid, Nicholas Standridge, Tatiana Steward, Carlie Sullivan, Mikayla Toninato, Max Van de Werken, Clara Wang, Josh Yuan

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

Samuel Mastenbrook, 12, teaches swim lessons at the Shoreview Community Center.

Many children reap the benefits of education, parental support, and the other perks of dependency, but they have yet to give back to society and start to support themselves.

Independent work begins this progression, but such work has suffered a rapid decline in the past decade, dropping from more than 50 percent of teenagers in the workforce to about 35 percent today.

It is a travesty that the competition for college admissions has driven teens out of the labor force at such a high rate and in essence, out of the real world.

Colleges could change this by valuing work experience in high school, rather than emphasizing sports and activities in the admissions process.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 50 percent of teenagers age 16 to 19, from 1971 to 2001, participated in the labor force. The beginning of the 21st century experienced a rapid decline in student employment, from 50 percent in 2001 to about 35 percent in 2010.

Adolescents, through work, gain realworld experience and contribute to the economy. Student jobs also help to pay for outrageous tuition expenses and fight apathy in schools.

Too often, we seek extracurriculars to bolster resumes. Our activities and our education are structured and facilitated by the same system, getting ahead by looking good on paper. A student job may not carry the gleam of a resume outfitted with NHS, sports, volunteer club, and Econ Challenge in the eyes of a college admissions officer, but they do carry an inherent, powerful weight that should be better recognized.

Not only is employment real-world experience, it is also more accessible for high school students across a diversity of economic backgrounds than many extracurriculars. Sports are expensive.

Football with equipment fees, booster contributions, and all, costs over $200, as do other school-sanctioned sports.

The school makes an effort to offer assistance to students for whom payments

are a financial burden, but still, the time commitment of rigorous athletics also detracts from time that can be spent earning an income and living outside the dome of structured, competitive school activities.

Tuition is going to be felt Krista Barrett, 12, serves justice in the pool. across the economic spectrum when it comes time to begin our photos by Ben Kaiser college experiences, and it is only increasing. Annual tuition alone at public coupled with education for the latter half universities often tops $10,000. Private of high school to uplift dismal spirits. schools often exceed $40,000 per year.

The situation is, in a way, the inverse of Many kids with long work hours Thomas Gray’s 18th century poem, “Ode during the school year are working to offset the price of future higher education. on a Distant Prospect of Eton College.” In They can’t afford the time or commitment the poem, unaware of life’s turmoil, “the little victims play.” Students are blissfully to a club or sport when their financial ignorant of the struggles of the future and security is at stake. the toils of life (in fact, it was Thomas Most colleges see extracurriculars Gray that coined the term “ignorance is and work experience as equals. However, bliss”). some see extracurriculars as more But now, we are wise in our youth. important. For example, according to the We are aware of the struggles associated College Board website, Yale University with job acquisition and have been drilled rates them as “most important,” while to succeed since the first days of middle work is rated only “important.” school, making sure the paper record of Jobs also offer a means of combating the disillusionment that afflicts many high our achievements looks good.

Getting into college is everything. school students. There is a common sense Then getting a job. Thousands of dollars of meaninglessness when gratification is spent before security is finally attained. so long delayed. The prospect of a job We were never given the chance to be is in the distant future; everything we playful, ignorant victims. have experienced thus far can be seen as To concede, extracurricular activities conditioning for the distant prospect of have their advantages. They help to college, and college as conditioning for establish a competitive edge, expose employment. students to a variety of subjects, and keep While education is certainly them fit, both physically (athletics) and conditioning, it is far more than that; the mentally (academic clubs), but they lack distance of returns removes students from the realness and substance of a job. discovering the actual value of learning If you are an aficionado of a sport or and prevents some of the intellectual and experience-driven growth that they would club and you have a career path drawn, by all means, pursue what makes you happy. otherwise achieve.

However, high schools and colleges Getting into college, playing the alike need to realize that the credentials system, and getting good grades are the of students with high extracurricular primary objectives of the contemporary involvement can be forced, and some of teenager. There is so much work between the students boasting such credentials can the now and the tangible reward of a be unhappy, disillusioned, or bitter. salary, it can be disheartening.

So for the sake of how the world Contribution and self-sustainability works, don’t discount the high school in the form of student work should be burger flipper.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

editorials

November 15, 2013

3

The Notorious Spy Agency The NSA is infringing on our rights

by Sasha Safonov managing editor Harkening back to the Cold War, spying used to be a means of survival — be one step ahead, know what the enemy is up to.

Now not much has changed, except the monitoring of nuclear development has been switched over to examining every aspect of your personal life.

Sifting through phone calls, emails, and any other sort of electronic means of communications, the National Security Agency (NSA) is watching what you’re doing. And that simply won’t do.

On the surface, NSA spying seems like a necessary inconvenience. Who isn’t willing to give up information to save lives? However, there really isn’t any convincing evidence that this is happening.

Even NSA’s claims of stopping 50 terrorist plots is murky.

With most of these plots remaining confidential, the NSA touted a few examples, such as stopping early plans of an attack on the New York Stock Exchange. However, according to the New York Times, “none of the defendants in the particular case were charged with the stock exchange allegation.”

Outside of providing support for terrorist groups, the figure of 50 is likely greatly exaggerated.

Lives may or may not have been saved due to NSA intrusiveness, but the impact on the American public is a very grim

reality. This can be seen first with your digital safety.

According to the New York Times, the NSA used its influence to “covertly introduce weaknesses into the encryption standards followed by hardware and software developers around the world.”

These weaknesses, along with “back doors” that the NSA has coerced an untold number of companies into building, makes Americans more vulnerable than the rest of the developed world.

Online money transactions and private emails are easier to access not only for the NSA, but other third parties as well.

The NSA has given Americans much more than increased online vulnerabilities—they have had their fair share contributing to the national debt.

It costs a lot of money to listen to all of America.

According to the New York Times, The NSA has sunk billions of dollars in a “clandestine campaign to preserve its ability to eavesdrop,” which includes staffing, paying off of companies, and building of encryption networks. Not to mention Information Technology’s estimated $35 billion loss in revenue in online internet companies in the next three years.

On a larger scale, America has simply embarrassed itself. While tapping of Middle Eastern nations with active terrorists groups may be justified for our safety, it is highly unlikely that our allies,

Student Do you support the VIEWS

NSA’s recent actions?

“While it’s creepy that the NSA is spying on us, it’s also necessary because of internal threats like crime and terrorism.”

-Tae Jun Park, 11

Taken from a sample of 100 MV students such as German chancellor Angela Merkel, are terrorists. They are after all, our allies, and as the Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin said, it just shows how “America doesn’t trust its allies.”

This loss of trust is even more severe domestically. The Fourth Amendment of the constitution prohibits unreasonable search and seizure, which NSA blatantly violated. The United States was founded on the principles of equality and freedom, a notion that the NSA has shattered. It is time for Congress to put a stop to the abuses of NSA.

“I think the NSA needs to be regulated in some way to make sure no one is using the information for personal gain.

Information should only be collected on potential threats if needed” -Zaki Sabuwala, 12 photos by Ben Kaiser

Driven for rewards, not charity

by Sasha Safonov managing editor

Each and every year, the student body withstands a certain test. No, this isn’t the type of test that you can study for with a textbook or study guide. This is a test of charitable giving and class unity. And this year, almost the entire student body failed that test.

Donations to the annual food drive hit all-time lows this year, missing the projected goal of 4,000 pounds of food by 1,700 pounds, and undercutting the disappointing previous year of 2,000 pounds.

“The biggest reasons for the poor turnout are the absence of Mustang Cup and the new extra credit policies,” said Senior Class Officer Chance Carnahan, 12.

Some may even blame to district for the lack of donations—why can’t we have extra credit for our food?

But it shouldn’t matter whether you

Editor opinions What your Viewer editors think of various issues.

get extra credit. The food drive is meant to rally students towards a common goal, to make them understand how good it can feel to give, and to mold them into model citizens. Any sort of extra credit or external reward should only be seen as an additional benefit to the intrinsic qualities of donating.

Furthermore, this year’s food drive demonstrated something else: a lack of student unity. As posted in the Commons, the amount donated by grade was startling — with juniors giving much more than freshmen and seniors and absolutely crushing sophomores. This is all fine until you take the indifference towards results into consideration.

“Well, it sucks that we didn’t get any ice cream,” said Tommy Rauch, 12.

As many of us have had school together ever since kindergarten, there should be more camaraderie. Even if school spirit isn’t your thing, how does

“Merry Thanksgving, everyone! I can’t wait to decorate the Thanksgiving tree, sing some Thanksgiving carols, and open my Thanksgiving presents.”

- Ryan Yoch features editor

one not feel even a tinge of regret over being dominated by a younger grade?

Laziness? Lack of empathy? Poor

Food Drive

“The struggle of longing for a white Christmas and dreading the long Minnesota winter that comes after it.”

-Nina Bertelsen buiness manager

Extra Credit

rty

Ice Cream Pa

Charity

class unity? It doesn’t matter what the reason is, most of us are more than capable of donating to the food shelf.

We have an epidemic of selfishness on our hands—and the worst part is that it is so easy to fix.

One doesn’t need to be Mother Teresa to put a can of soup in a box.

Donating some food and encouraging other students to donate for the sake of the poor (and for the sake of the grade), takes only minimal effort, yet the results are drastic.

While rewards aren’t the key, they might be necessary to sway student motivations. “Other school districts have given things like free tickets to a football game for donating five cans, with a good amount of success,” said Senior Class Officer Chris Collins, 12.

The indifference of the student body as whole needs to be addressed, by students and staff alike.

“In the competition for money, prestige, and power, the winner takes all and the loser realizes true corruption.

He has not the resources to better his position, yet he treads onward.”

- Tristan Aschittino editorials editor

“If you could pick and choose your talents, would they be the same ones you have now?”

- Rebecca Nara gallery editor

4features

November 15, 2013

r s o of Th v a l f y a n nk a s m

Th e

photos courtesy of Replacements.com and PerfectPresentsCompany.co.uk

ing giv

by Katrina Renacia staff reporter Five months ago, Niela Lachica, 10, packed her bags and left the Philippines, moving far away from the only place she ever considered home. Since then, she has spent her time adjusting to the cultural wilderness of Minnesota, working hard to understand the foreign traditions of America.

Lachica will be one of many Mounds View students experiencing Thanksgiving for the first time this November.

Most Americans don’t think twice about celebrating this harvest-time holiday, but for Lachica and other immigrant families, it is a whole new experience.

“I just recently moved to the US, said Lachica. “I don’t really know a lot about Thanksgiving. All I know is that there’s turkey and families gather to celebrate it.”

Lachica first learned about Thanksgiving by watching an episode of the show Gossip Girl while in the Philippines.

“I learned a lot of American traditions, such as Thanksgiving, from Gossip Girl,” said Lachica. “I just wanted to experience life in the USA.” Though she doesn’t know a lot of Thanksgiving traditions, she is looking forward to learning more.

“I’m excited because I heard that it would be fun, and it’s gonna be my first time eating turkey,” said Lachica. She plans on going to California to celebrate with her family.

Along with the classic Thanksgiving turkey, Lachica is looking forward to Filipino delicacies, such as adobo and pochero. While adobo is a dish of braised chicken and pork, with seasonings composed of chilies, herbs and vinegar, pochero

is a delicious stew made from chicken, pork or beef. Both dishes are usually eaten with rice.

Bree Batiller, 10, has been in the country since the age of six, but she still celebrates Thanksgiving with a FilipinoAmerican twist.

“Since we don’t have much family here, we invite other friends,” said Batiller. “We combine Filipino food with traditional American dishes and have a feast.”

Batiller’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes are mashed potatoes with gravy, turkey, stuffing, rice and paklay, which is made out of beef innards.

Filipinos are not alone in their unique Thanksgiving traditions. Many families with Native American roots commemorate Thanksgiving in a way that’s foreign to most of us.

Lyric Mallery, 11, goes to South Dakota every year for this holiday. “I go to my reservation to have a Pow Wow,” said Mallery.

A Pow Wow is a sacred gathering of Native Americans. “There’s one drum in the center and people form a circle around it. It stands for the circle of life of the Native Americans,” said Mallery.

Pow Wows are usually started with an opening ceremony followed by a procession of people dressed up in traditional wear and an entourage of the royalties. “The royalties represent their own reservations and tribes,” said Mallery.

A national anthem is then sung before the dancing and festivities start, including a meal of both traditional and American food.

“We have traditional dances to honor the gods, like in a traditional worship,” said Mallery. “Most people call it a celebration, but that’s wrong.

It’s a lot more than that.”

Harvest Holidays Chu Suk

Harvest Moon Festival

“All the family on your father’s side get together and offer something to your anscestors.

The traffic is really bad, because everyone is trying to get home.

“You get together with your family and eat a lot of moon cakes.”

-June Park, 10

-Jack Wang, 12

Korea

China

Homowo Festival “It’s a festival of the Ga’s tribe. Priests sprinkle mashed plantains and palm oil on the streets as food for the Gods.

-Dennis Acheampong, 11

Ghana

November 15, 2013

Driving to do good

by Ross Armstrong staff reporter

Many Mounds View students are fortunate enough not to worry about where they get their next meal. But for some it can be a daily struggle.

What many students don’t realize is that these struggles are real and prevalent in the community, neighborhoods, and schools.

According to statistics from Minnesota Food Share, over three million visits to food shelves were made last year, with a 164% increase in visits in the last decade.

This is why Mounds View has made an effort to donate food every year. Each year there is at least one food drive run by Student Council, where all non-perishable food is welcome. Mounds View then donates the food to a local food shelf called Ralph Reeder Food Shelf.

Student council member Sammie Hallgren, 12, said, “[driving to the food shelf] with a truck full of food, you can really see how thankful they are and how much the food shelf needed it.”

Last year, the local food shelf served 5,357 households and gave out nearly 390,000 pounds of food.

This year, the school food drive collected about 1,700 pounds of food, with an extra 300 pounds just from the dance.

Student council member Molly Jass, 12, said, “It was nice because your extra food you had is going to people who really need it, and don’t have as much as we do.”

Ralph Reeder serves the Mounds View school district with food and basic household supplies for low income, or struggling families. The food shelf is run by Lisa Baker along with Susan Peake, a program assistant, and 80 volunteers.

Besides Mounds View High School, many local businesses and churches help supply them with food and personal hygiene items or cleaning supplies. They also accept financial donations and use the money to stock up on items that are low in supply.

The food shelf can also offer a little happiness on the holidays by providing specialized bags with holiday

No more cup

by Aaron Adams staff reporter Since 2006, the Mustang Cup has filled a unique niche in the mountain of extracurriculars Mounds View offers. Its low entry fee and diverse selection of activities have made it stand out, and is has consistently drawn players ready to fight for the Cup. That opportunity may very well be lost, however, as the Cup has been discontinued.

The Mustang Cup started when Dean Adam McDonald came to the school. His novel idea of many teams competing against each other across a variety of activities stood out, and he had it up and running his first year.

“By the time he left, he had it running like clockwork,” said Therese McKenzie, ASL teacher and one of the few former supervisors still employed here. “He had it really going strong. He and a couple of other deans [are] pretty much the people who got it going and kept it going.”

Upon McDonald’s departure in spring of 2010, the deans he had recruited during his time here continued his legacy. When those deans left the year later, the daunting task fell to the team of Colleen Junker, post-secondary preparation teacher, and McKenzie.

“It was Ms. Junker and I; we worked on co-advising it and both her and I had difficulties in keeping up with everything that needed to be done,” McKenzie said. Without foreknowledge of what problems they would face leading it, they had a rough time getting everything together.

If running the Cup two years ago was a strain, running it last year was a disaster. “Last year was a little

bit different than previous years, where people decided what events they were capable of doing and then they did it,” said McKenzie.

Students couldn’t decide which activities to do, and interest dwindled.The Cup was ended early that year due to that very lack of administrative interest. “Last year nobody wanted to do it, so Ms. Junker and I pretty much beat the bushes to get people involved,” McKenzie said. “They wanted to end it sooner... because everybody… picked up the events they wanted to work on, and nobody wanted to continue on after April.”

The lack of compensation for the advisors, combined with waning interest in the project, drove the Cup to end. “It’s not considered another after-school activity where the advisor gets paid, because they wanted to keep it affordable to everybody, so instead of having to pay the activities fee they pay like five dollars a kid,” McKenzie said. Since then, the topic of the Cup hasn’t been brought up in any meetings, and it looks as though the Cup will fade into obscurity.

What can be done? With Junker’s departure, the only person with experience in running the cup is McKenzie. The principal would have to spearhead a plan to bring back the program, including finding someone willing to serve as advisor, according to McKenzie.

Principal Ridlehoover seems to agree. “I would be open to a conversation with the students to do anything they think would be valuable for them having a great experience at the high school,” he said. “There’s no reason it couldn’t be something that could be brought back.”

items. During November, they give out a specialized Thanksgiving food bag for each family that comes in. This bag includes traditional Thanksgiving food such as stuffing, cranberries, and mashed potato supplies. They also provide a turkey or a gift card to a grocery store to buy one.

These kinds of bags are also supplied at other major holidays such as Christmas. Children in the food shelf program are also eligible for toys on birthdays and Christmas.

Ralph Reeder works with Toys For Tots to ensure that each child gets to pick out one to three toys for the special day.

This is all thanks to the help of volunteers. Most food shelves depend heavily on their volunteers and community to stay open and available to those less fortunate.

For Peake it’s about “being able to serve people in our community who are in such need and to provide immediate assistance,” she said.

Food shelves really are like a family — volunteers get to know the customers and rejoice when they start

features

5

photo by Ben Kaiser showing up less and less, because they know they’re beginning to become self-sufficient. They get to see their successes and their downfalls, and help them celebrate or mourn each one.

Rhea Bynum-Lichty, a past volunteer at her local food shelf said, “I liked trading recipes with clients of the food shelf to help stretch the dollar and still make good quality food.”

M r o e n b d y a C y

READ

Black Fri

by Michael Ban staff reporter

The Monday following the infamous “Black Friday” marks the most successful day of online sales each year. Named Cyber Monday, shoppers flock to numerous websites in search of exclusive deals available only once a year. It presents a perfect opportunity for customers to search online for products that they may have missed.

Online shopping is a less stressful way for customers to browse many different products quickly and find online deals without leaving the comfort of their house. This idea originated from marketing companies in order to persuade people to shop online. The term made its debut on Nov. 28, 2005.

Companies find that this is a great way to increase sales and customer satisfaction simultaneously. Although online sellers mark down prices on Cyber Monday, high demand helps businesses sell a variety of products quickly and easily. It also benefits businesses that sell their products exclusively online.

There are many advantages to shopping online. First, it’s easier and faster. Also, you can easily compare prices and deals from your fingertips.

“Cyber Monday is more convenient and less chaotic, and you can be more specific with what you buy,” said Alex Nelson, 10.

Transportation is no problem for shoppers looking for good deals for Christmas presents. Another advantage of shopping online is that you don’t have to wait in the treacherous black friday lines to get products at special prices.

The problems are that you have to wait for shipping and you can’t see the product that you are buying before it arrives. Shipping might be a hassle and and can be a fortune. Another reason customers might be upset is if the product isn’t what they thought it would be.

“I bought some skinny jeans last year on Cyber Monday and I couldn’t fit in them,” said Marissa Ballinger, 11. If they aren’t content with the product, returning purchases by mail can be a pain.

Overall, Cyber Monday is a good idea because it gives customers top notch deals at their fingertips. If you are looking for a relaxing day of shopping online in the warmth of your house, choose Cyber Monday. If you are an hands on shopper looking for great deals, choose Black Friday. If you are shop-a-holic, choose both.

by Persis Ke staff reporter

Black Friday - two words th good deals, waiting hours in the stores.

The term, however, was firs gold market’s collapse in 1869, disastrous day in financial marke Although holiday shopping has been a tradition since the 19 the 1960s that this was called Bl In the 1960s, Philadelphia p Thanksgiving “Black Friday” be up with large crowds and vehicl according Nancy Koehn, histori School.

“Black Friday” became wid Philadelphia area to refer to the shopping season by the mid ’70s had negative associations, as it w headaches policemen faced due

What is your favo 50 40 30 20 10

this , and s a m t 20 st Chri t leas a r o d f a h so ma cart ent, c r rand s e g h e t y vori , and or m d by aisle a’s fa dle f n e m l a d stere d c n u n a a fl a r c t y g o e ther y bu in th ady g ing the o re m l e e l’s to e h w m h o t ndle a o to K .T nt ca ted g next hem les th nt to e r t r e d s a f t e n a w f s d o a f c e “I di yw ay an d and st on e six ut a w n d lad u k o a u l j i l t o o d e r r e t ick cen er ca e had d hav her cart a inno just p ok h coul it. Sh o I I t d . n e f f i y i l n e s r le .” e she r. Th d her ly tu cand aske anted er he off th plete t y f w s m l a g e e o t n c h i thi asing hat s I pol n and a few ty ch ent t i c g r estio s n u u i c e q k my andl re se knoc the c hile w sto a a w s m r y d te wa gran t I la g my t, bu n n i e t t c s ge ed up I end

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“Last year I was sh opping with a frien d at Kohl’s on Blac were looking for so k Friday. We me sheets, and ther e was a little old la for the same sheets. dy th at was going We grabbed them at the same time, an to rip them out of d sh e just tried my hands so I coul dn’t do anything ab really good deal; w out it. They were a e were so disappoi nted.”

Olivia E

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10

Crowds gather across prepare for Black Friday in from the lack of sleep and possible, the buyers will do want. After waiting outside night, people only have on product you want, and do w

DY, SET, SHOP!

iday: headaches then and now

hat conjure up thoughts of e cold, and overcrowded

st used in describing the with “black” meaning a ets. the day after Thanksgiving 9th century, it was not until lack Friday. police called the day after ecause they were fed les crowding the streets, ian at the Harvard Business

dely used around the beginning of the holiday s. During this time, the term was connected with the to clogged streets.

However, during the ’80s, the term lost its negative connotation when ceative retailers associated “Black Friday” with turning a profit, noting that companies went from the “red ink,” in accounting books, the ink color of loss, into the “black ink” of profits, said Koehn.

Since then, Black Friday has gained increasing popularity. In 2012, Black Friday was the busiest shopping day of the year for the sixth time in a row, according to U-T San Diego.

“It’s become a thing in the last 10 years,” said Carolynne Ladd, social studies teacher. “Before that, it wasn’t even a thing… there weren’t Black Friday deals.

Although Black Friday has become more widespread, Ladd says she still does not participate because she dislikes shopping.

For others, Black Friday deals are very appealing.

“I usually go Black Friday shopping every other year, depending on the deals,” said Furqan Syed, 10. “I go to Best Buy right when they open.”

Syed said he loves saving money, but thinks stores get too crowded. He leaves as soon as possible.

Large crowds of fanatical Black Friday shoppers have

orite place to shop?

brought violent incidents in recent years. In 2008, a WalMart employee in New York was trampled to death while two men were shot dead in front of a California Toys “R” Us, according to CNN. Despite Black Friday’s large turnout, some believe it to be on the way out. In a recent Times magazine article, retail expert, Bill Tancer said, “We are seeing the eventual extinction of Black Friday.” Fewer consumers are shopping on Black Friday and those who do shop are spending less.

Black Friday has been undermined by the expansion of the holiday season, as well as better deals on other days of the holiday season, according to the Times article. Retailers have started sending holiday shopping ads earlier every year, some beginning right after Halloween. The shift from Black Friday shopping on Friday to Thanksgiving day has convinced experts that Black Friday is no longer a relevant shopping day.

The rise of Cyber Monday has also hurt Black Friday.

According to the USA Today, an American Express survey found more shoppers plan to participate in Cyber Monday, the first time this has ever happened.

What do you shop for?

70 students surveyed

100 students surveyed

r

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on compiled by Brooke Olson, staff reporter

the country at store entrances to n search of good deals. Cranky compelled to get the best deals o whatever it takes to get what they e for hours on a cold November ne goal on their mind—find the whatever it takes to get it.

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information compiled by Tess Martin, staff reporter

0

8 variety

November 15, 2013

Laugh out loud

Twin Cities comedy galleries From Comedy Central to Youtube, students enjoy a good laugh.

Comedy galleries are a wonderful way to experience humor live. Here are a couple of galleries in the Twin Cities.

Old theatre, new jokes

photo by Eva Hoffman

Holiday show, “I Saw Daddy Marry Santa Claus,” at Brave New Workshop is an irreverent look at the holidays.

Where: 824 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis When: Nov. 7-Feb. 1, 2014 Ticket prices: Range from $14-36

by Eva Hoffman staff reporter Traditionally, holiday shows and movies tell heartwarming stories of holiday cheer and joyful gift giving.

In I Saw Daddy Marry Santa Claus, A Brave New Workshop takes a much more irreverent look at the holidays, and in some ways, the holiday season they explore looks more like the one we all live through—full of stressful last minute gift giving, anxiety about snarky family members, and crazed Christmas shoppers.

The show is a funny yet outrageous act that portrays events happening in Minnesota right now, such as gay marriage or oversensitivity about cultural differences in the school system.

The theater, on Hennepin Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, is a tiny room that looks like a combination of a theater and arestaurant. A host seats guests at tables of six, amid light chatter and quiet upbeat Christmas music. The tables are tightly packed together, and so close to the

stage that the audience becomes a part of the show.

A confident emcee explains how the night will go, then steps off stage. It goes dark again, and when the lights come up, one of Santa’s elves stands in the spotlight, ready to introduce Mrs. Claus, who will sing a show tune about her life as the lesbian wife of a gay Santa Claus.

The rest of the night follows suit. There will be an exasperated schoolteacher tormented by political correctness, parodies of popular music, a mocking take on Kwanzaa, a devilpossessed suburban housewife with too many Christmas trees, and, in the final act, a very Minnesota version of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

The easily offended should stay home. Everyone else will spend the evening laughing hard.

Home of the humor

by Clara Wang staff reporter For comedy fans in the Twin Cities area, or people looking to enjoy a fun night of entertainment, Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy in the Mall of America hosts a variety of stand-up comics in a classy lounge setting. Boasting an impressive lineup of local talent with many touring headliners, the House of Comedy is a Minnesota hot spot for comedians.

The lounge itself is dimly lit with brightly colored prints on the walls and staffed by young black-clad waiters, creating a hip and slightly mod feel. Before the live comic performance, one can eat and drink in the adjacent R Burger bar, a trendy restaurant serving American diner fare with delicious smells of burgers grilling drifting in the air.

On Nov. 2 the headliner was Ben Roy. He worked with refreshingly original material and worked the crowd well, occasionally poking fun at a 19-year-old who looked 12. The featured acts were less animated and relied more on typical vulgarity, lacking the originality and body language of Roy, but were still

Where: Level 4 East, Mall of America When: Shows change each weekend. Check www.houseofcomedy.net for showtimes Ticket prices: $20 entertaining and warmed everybody up. The crowd was responsive and played along well, and everybody got their money’s worth of entertainment.

The House of Comedy hosts a solid selection of performers who have received national exposure.

Some upcoming shows are Josh Wolf (featured on Chelsea Lately) and Rhys Darby (Flight of the Concords).

The atmosphere is relaxed yet sophisticated.

Due to some vulgar language, families should exercise the same discretion in bringing children as they would in viewing an R-rated movie.

photos provided by Bert Kreishner

Above: Rick Bronson performs at the House of Comedy.

Left: House of Comedy hosted comedian Ben Roy on Nov. 2.

9

reviews

November 15, 2013

Art with a bit of pop Lady Gaga’s new album may have been two years in the making, but was it worth it?

by Jonathan Kim staff reporter With a two year absence from the entertainment scene, the conspicuous Lady Gaga has been overshadowed by Miley Cyrus’s constant media attention.

During one of her concerts in her world tour, Born This Way Ball, Gaga suffered a labral tear and had to cancel the rest of her successful tour. The injury pushed back the spring 2013 release of her third studio album ARTPOP to Nov. 11.

Due to leakage online, Gaga’s lead single “Applause” was released a week early on August 12.

The entertainment world watched “Applause” battle the charts with Katy Perry’s single “Roar,” which was

released two days earlier. Perry’s tune tripled the sales unit of Gaga’s.

Labeled as a failure, critics had low expectations of the full album. They could not have been more wrong.

As per usual in the music industry, ARTPOP was leaked fully online a week before being formally released. The album starts with “Aura” which is an electro-filled dance track—a track strange even for Gaga—but transitions nicely into a powerful chorus.

The following tracks are typical of Gaga’s infectious style, until you reach “Jewels n’ Drugs” featuring T.I., Too Short and Twista. The album is filled with electronic beats so when you listen to “Jewels n’ Drugs,” which is hip-hop and rap, the track just seems misplaced in the album.

A notable highlight of the album is the R&B

Shattered Prism

by James Birr online managing editor No one would’ve expected that the artist behind such lighthearted tunes as “California Gurls” would go on to make a small, intimate album built upon love ballads like “Unconditionally.”

However, Katy Perry’s transition from youthful top40 hits into adult contemporary came with a price: instead of all the fun juvenility of her two previous records, her latest effort, Prism, gets lost in the jumble of misplaced attempts at mature, sophisticated music.

The album appropriately begins with it’s lead single, “Roar,” a top-40 anthem with themes of confidence and encouragement. Following “Roar” is a string of ‘80s inspired songs about parties and sex, similar to Perry’s previous top-10 hits, which are easily the standouts of the album. Featuring strong vocals and a catchy chorus, this is what Perry was meant to make.

Prism takes a turn for the worst with the first of many ballads, “Unconditionally.” Even Perry’s vocals aren’t enough to hold up the dull,

hokey lyrics and cliché sound of the ballad. The only reason this song is being given a pass by both critics and general audiences is the singer’s strong, dominant vocals.

After “Unconditionally,” Prism falls into a trap of mellow pop songs with the occasional power ballad. It’s clear that Perry is straining to make a mature, adult record that so many of her peers would have made at this point in her career, but she doesn’t seem to understand that the fun, party songs that she became so popular with are her stranglehold in the Top 40 charts.

Perry does, however, end the album on a strong note with the song “Double Rainbow.” Though it may seem too similar to the works of such adult contemporaries like Lykke Li or Ellie Goulding, Perry should be trying to forge her own original voice in the midst of her Top 40 peers.

As a whole, Prism shows signs of efforts made to make a clear definition between the Perry of Teenage Dream and Perry of Prism. However, with those efforts, Perry fails to become the adult artist she longs to be.

infused track “Do What You Want” featuring R. Kelly.

The track is a different approach to Gaga’s usual dance pop songs, which shows her diversity in music styles.

With a two year absence from the entertainment business, more was expected from ARTPOP. Two years is a lot of time for new innovative development, but most songs on the tracklist are just filler electro dance songs. Gaga fans eat up all the music given without question of quality.

Gaga definitely delivered to her fans, but her album’s sound was not as mainstream as her previous albums.

It was appropriate for “Applause” to be the last song on the tracklist as it was the most mainstream and popular. All of her fans are definitely giving her their applause and a standing ovation.

Not so Bad Grandpa

by Ryan Kacynzski Jacob Reisdorfer staff reporters There’s nothing wrong with making yourself a sandwich in the grocery store and eating it on your way out without paying, is there? Not according to Johnny Knoxville.

Rude, wrong and laugh-tillyou-snort funny, Bad Grandpa not only stands as the best installment of Johnny Knoxville’s Jackass film franchise, but as one of the sharpest comedies of the year. The movie engages viewers and keeps you guessing as to what is coming next to the very last minute.

Like other films starring Knoxville, Bad Grandpa is filled with dumb, riotous humor. At one point, he goes into a bingo hall and leaves his grandson alone in the car. He then sits down at a table of old ladies and starts flirting and proceeds to drink the ink that is used to mark the bingo cards. The

scene sums up the movie nicely; an odd, crude act that is hilariously entertaining.

The movie features the classic conflict of two people hating each other at the beginning, only to be unable to leave each other at the end. However, the age-old conflict was treated very simply and could’ve included something to make it more interesting.

The movie as a whole was hysterical, but some of the jokes didn’t fit and were predictable, because it was obvious that Knoxville was going to do something stupid. However, you never knew exactly what that stupid thing would be.

Overall, the movie was an entertaining if simple film. While some of the jokes didn’t flow well, the truly funny spots were side-splittingly hilarious.

Though predictable, in the end, it was undoubtedly an impressive movie.

photos courtesy of Muumuse.com, Hereandnow.wbr.org, and Fool.com

10sports

November 15, 2013

Vaulting into the season

Girls gymnastics has high hopes for this winter

by Mikayla Toninato staff reporter In the winter season, it’s easy for many students to fall into a lull. The days are darker, the weather colder, and winter break still seems oh-so far away. By now classes are running at full speed, and the homework load never seems to end.

However, a group of determined girls do not let these dark days get to them. Gymnasts have been training for this season since last summer, and they are ready to face any tough competitors.

The girls finished in second place in their section last year, just behind perennial powerhouse Roseville. They are driven to make it even further this year.

“I’m so pumped for this season, and I can’t wait to see how well we do in our conference and sections meets,” said Gina Bovi, 11.

To add to their excitement this year, there has been a particular change to the regular gymnastics schedule. In an ironic twist of fate, Roseville has been

Elizabeth Krinkie, 12, performs on the balance beam. removed from Mounds View’s section.

“Our section was realigned; the perennial power-house, Roseville, is out of our section— Hallelujah!” said Julie Coopet, head coach.

Teams need to qualify out of sections to get to state, so with a big part of the competition out of the way in sections, the chances of getting to state are looking very optimistic for the girls.

photos courtesy of Crystal Hanson

Coach Julie Coopet cheers on Alyssa Parise, 12.

“I’m going to ‘whisper’ the word ‘state,’” said Coopet. “That’s looking really good for us.”

Last year girls gymnastics graduated a strong part of their team and state competitor, Nicole Birr. However, with a lot of girls leaving club gymnastic teams, the Mounds View team is seeing a lot of strong, new athletes come out.

“We’ll miss her as a captain and friend, but as a team we have enough people to support what we lost when we lost Nicole. A lot of people quit the Midwest team and joined Mounds View, so we’re looking a lot better for state,” said Kayla Day, 11.

On Nov. 11, the team started the season practicing off-site at Midwest gymnastics. With a recent remodeling project done by Midwest, the team will now be able to utilize much more space.

“We have an unusual situation. We practice off-site at Midwest, and they’re remodeling,” said Coopet.

Midwest shared a building with a weight training program called Final Cut. However, this company went out of business, so Midwest and another company called the Athlete Lab took over its space.

The gymnasts practice everyday after school from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Every minute of this is used to the fullest to nail down routines and technique, always leaving time for conditioning.

“We do 30 minutes of conditioning after every practice, each day is a different workout,” said

photo courtesy of Crystal Hanson

Kayla Day, 11, during her floor routine at the JV Conference meet.

Alyssa Parise, 12.

Although the team works very hard at what they do, a level of fun at practice is always established.

“Practice is always so much fun but at the end of the day we always come back and nail down everything that needs to be worked on,” said Blair Robichaud, 10.

The girls gymnastics team has been patiently waiting for the start of this winter season to prove how their hard work and dedication has paid off.

Having already undergone a fair amount of training, the girls cannot wait to see what’s in store for their season and if chances at state are really as good as they seem.

November 15, 2013

D1 prospects move to the next level

by Thomas Doty staff reporter Imagine playing the sport you have loved your entire life. In college. For free. This is what is happening to some Mounds View students as they reach the end of their high school athletic careers.

Colleges are always looking at recruiting student athletes from all over the country. They’re willing to pay their full tuition just to have them come play at their school. A few Mounds View photo by Ben Kaiser students are among those who are selected by universities to Bella Sutton, 12, has commitcompete in NCAA athletics. ted to Pennsylvania State.

Bella Sutton, 12, has where college coaches attend earned a spot on the roster of including prospects, exposure, the Nittany Lions women’s under-18 camps so Coach hockey team, a superior Brandwene most likely saw squad of the College Hockey me in one or all of these tourAmerica conference. naments,” said Sutton. “It’s a “I’m verbally committed to Penn State University,” said dream that wouldn’t have happened without all the support Sutton, “It feels like all my from my family, friends, and hard worked has paid off.” coaches along the way.”

Sutton has worked her Of course, you wonder way to earning a full ride to how colleges find out about a D1 school. “I play in many potential recruits. tournaments over the summer

11

sports

Brills verbally committed to Drake University and signed her National Letter of Intent on November 13.

Sam Hentges, 12, has been a popular recruit for college baseball teams around the nation. Schools have found him through various tournaments and showcases that he has participated in.

“I have been offered to play baseball at University of Arkansas, University of Minnesota, Creighton University, Bradley University, Morehead photo by Anders Nygaard State University, and Uniphoto by Ben Kaiser versity of Cincinnati,” said Sam Hentges, 12, has comSummer Brills, 12, has comHentges. mitted to the University of mitted to Drake University.

Hentges recently Arknansas. committed to play baseball at Summer Brills, 12, has the University of Arkansas. been tracked through the inter- fers from six schools: Iowa “Knowing that a college net and scouting of national State University, University wants you to come play competitions. of Northern Iowa, Southern for them is an unbelievable “They watched me play Illinois University, Drake feeling. It’s an honor and in various national tournaUniversity, Texas Christian privilege to be asked to play ments throughout the year and University, and University of for a program. It makes you looked me up on a website feel good because you know California, Irvine. called Tennis Recruiting that all you hard work you “It feels great that all have put in is paying off,” said where they can look at my my hard work over the years Hentges. national ranking and things has paid off and people have like that,” said Brills. interest in me playing for their Brills has received ofschools,” said Brills.

Vail invests over $10 Athlete of the Issue Q: What’s your personal goal million in Afton renovations for the season?

by Molly Hancuh sports editor Vail Resorts recently acquired Afton Alps—where Mounds View’s alpine team competes—and invested over $10 million into the facility this fall.

New guest services facilities, improved snowmaking, a tracking technology for social media, and a new terrain park and village for freestyle skiing and snowboarding will be added to the Alps. With these changes, skiers have more opportunities to challenge themselves and enjoy the slopes.

“From what I’ve seen in pictures and online it looks really great,” said Ben Anderson, 12.

The Vail Resorts are famously some of the best ski resorts in the nation. Most of them are located in Colorado, but Vail’s big plans to renovate Afton have put the Alps above others in Minnesota. Though the new renovations are state of the art, the team will continue to practice at Wild Mountain.

Renovations by Vail will continue to enhance the experience at Afton. According to travelagentcentral. org, “Vail Resorts plans to renovate to the base area and surrounding facilities to give them a more modern feel.”

Although the Alpine team considered moving from Wild Mountain

to Afton because of the possibility of a new coach, the team declined.

Instead, the team decided to stay with the assistant coach from last year who works at Wild Mountain, according to Madeline Bratager, 12.

Not only was the team conscious of the new coaching options at Afton, but also the new safety equipment.

“They’re putting up new safety nets so there will be less chances of injury during Alpine races,” said Hana Gulli, 11.

Still, the team stayed at the familiar Wild Mountain. Even though the alpine team will not be practicing at Afton, many are optimistic about the renovations and are excited to go to Afton on their own for fun.

The new terrain park, which was designed by the people who make Winter X Games courses, is a great new opportunity. In addition there will be two new rope tows for easier park access.

Beyond the hills and courses, they’re also offering a season pass to include all of Vail’s locations.

“I hope that this adds to the uniqueness of Afton. This also will be a fun thing to experience and will be a major upgrade,” said Nathaniel Johnson, 11. However, he added, “I’m worried that ticket prices might rise, and you might lose some of that home feel to it.”

A: My personal goal is to get my fill percentage up to 80 percent.

Q: What goals has the team set for the season?

A: We, as a team, want to make it to state.

Alyssa Lillehaugen Senior Bowling

Though not an official sports at Mounds View, the bowling team is very widely known by students. The program consists of one varsity team and two JV teams. This year, Alyssa Lillehaugen is the sole female bowling for the varsity team.

Q: What’s it like being the only girl on varsity?

A: I hold my own on; at first I wasn’t sure what the guys would think of it, but now we’re all friends! At first I felt extra pressure.

Q: What do you enjoy about bowling?

A: I love the team aspect of this league. We play baker style so each frame counts and each player bowls two frames of each game so when you bowl you need to make it count.

Q: When did you first start bowling competitively?

A: This is my first year bowling competitively.

Q: Did you plan to continue competitively bowling in college?

A: If I have the chance to bowl in college, I would.

Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

A: I would want to have super speed so that I wouldn’t get stuck in traffic. information compiled by Molly Hancuh

12gallery

November 15, 2013

m r eve

The caesura between concerts

N

t a e ab

It’s no secret that concerts are exciting. Part of the fun is the scarcity of when such events happen.

Every person has their own way of preparing to get the most out of their experience. A concert that interests Mounds View students is Jingle Ball, hosted by the radio station KDWB every winter.

46%

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are going this year or have been before

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Music is constantly evolving to fit the tastes of those who listen to it. Students represent the newest wave of melodic creativity, embracing and improving old and new genres. No matter how unique each style may seem, music is something everyone can relate to.

“It’s a way to get in touch with deeper emotions that you have,” said Annastasia Schwab, 11.

Music is often a solitary experience for students, but it also forms communities between musicians and fans. Lyrics as well as nonverbal elements of music can convey messages and feeling to people who have never met.

“It helps you connect with other people,” said Louis Li, 10.

Enjoying a specific kind of music can be a cohesive social element, uniting people through common interest. Country music is very popular among students for many reasons. For some, it reminds them of summer; for others, they just like the upbeat songs.

“Country is my favorite genre because it has good flow to it,” said Megan Nickel, 12.

Another genre of music that is very popular among students is rap. Students like rap because they like the beat and how fast it is.

“Rap is my favorite type of music because everything else is too slow,” said Riley Magnuson, 11.

A genre of music that is often overlooked by students is classical. Some students enjoy listening to classical because they like how calming it is.

“Classical is my favorite music because I like the soothing melody,” said Sabrina Tang, 9.

Instrumental is the only genre that trumps silence for productivity and n o ing le concentration in a working environment. This genre makes tedious work n n a g pl I’m g to Jin ort more interesting without being distracting to most people. According to n p i go to sup e, mindthesciencegap.com, other types of music also improve homework Ball favorit .” output, but only if absorbed directly before and not during the my Cyrus homework process. y 0 Mile cobs, 1 Some students listen to music for an escape from reality. a lly J Others listen to music for its emotional appeal. o H Just as visual art can communicate concepts that would be difficult to portray through another medium, music is a key part of understanding and interacting with each I lis other. m ten con usic b to th “Music ei c e all ert so fore r communicates what a -Ka the language can’t,” said wo I know yla r Da d Yipeng Wang, 11. s.” y

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50 students polled

information compiled by Brittany Durbahn

54%

have never been and aren’t going this year

Seniors Ever Martinez and Mallory Samuel enjoy some music while they wait for their next class.

Submerged in Music

by Emily Ruan staff reporter Movies are sometimes thought of as a purely visual art, mostly dependent on the acting abilities of a cast or a director’s filming techniques.

However, a focus on those traits can cause viewers to overlook a subtler but just as important element: the soundtrack.

While its role in a film is often underappreciated, a quality soundtrack can elevate a film to the next level.

“Almost 90 percent of a movie is the music,” Dalton

Souza, 11, said.

Take the iconic DADUM DA-DUM theme of Jaws, for example. In the scene where a young boy is killed by the great white shark, the rhythmic, carefully restrained buildup of strings is the only signal that danger is present.

Little more than a single shark fin is ever visible.

This development came about in part due to necessity, as Steven Spielberg’s mechanical shark suffered from technical difficulties for the majority

of filming. In spite of that, Jaws went on to win three Academy Awards and break the record for highestgrossing movie of all time (until it was surpassed in 1978 by Star Wars).

Spielberg later credited Jaws’ soundtrack with half the success of the film.

Zack Cunnien, 11, agreed with Spielberg’s opinion. “An epic movie without music would become really boring,” he said.

Music truly has the ability to make us feel. A

powerful soundtrack can catapult a film to critical and commercial success in the same way that mediocre tunes can anchor it firmly to the ground.

“Music really connects with the people watching,” said Alex Jiang, 10. “It’s what makes movies great.”

photos by freestockmusic.com thumbs.dreamstime.com and Rebecca Nara