VOLUME 66 ISSUE 6 | February 15, 2019
THE VIEWER The Fate of the Wall
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
CLASS RANK 02/ YIG 04/ WRESTLING 11
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News
Friday, February 15, 2019
Class rank: a thing of the past by Janae Lee staff reporter
Class ranks are increasingly becoming a thing of the past. A student’s class rank is determined by their overall grade point average (GPA), taking into account the difficulty of their courses and the grades they earn. Based on their GPA, they are ranked compared to their peers, meaning the higher GPA a student has, the higher ranking one will receive. In previous years, colleges admissions considered class rank to be a major factor in decisions, but the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) recently stated that over half of all US high schools no longer rank their students. Mounds View has followed this trend by gradually abolishing the class rank system that was in place, a decision stemming from various factors. Associate Principal Michael Schwartz stated that the biggest factor was a matter of equity. During the 2016-17 school year, 25 percent of Mounds View students scored a 30 or above on the ACT, when nationally, the average ACT score is around a 20. “That’s not a normal high school. Our test scores are really high, and we have high achievers,” said Schwartz. He explains that if a class rank system were in place at Mounds View, a student who has an average GPA of 3.1 with mid-twenty scores on the ACT would be barely above the 50th percentile. “This is where class rank is the biggest misnomer. You put that kid in virtually any other school, and they’d probably be in the top 20 percent,” said Schwartz. Alongside maintaining equity, Schwartz described the atmosphere of Mounds View as “highly competitive,” and students agree. Some students believe that class rankings would create even more competition, negatively impacting their studies and motivation. “It’s competitiveness, but it’s not competitiveness that gets people to want to learn more,” said Leslie Kim, 10.
“It’s just like, ‘Hurry up and memorize stuff so you can pass the next test.’” Zach Douglas, 10, shared this sentiment. With a greater focus on a student’s GPA, they would feel pressured to push themselves. “It would add to the stress people already have, it would make people take even harder classes to boost their GPA as much as possible just to achieve that number one ranking,” said Douglas. Students on the fence suggested the idea of private rankings—ranks only accessible to themselves—as a possibility for a positive motivator. “If we had private class ranks, it would motivate me
in the middle and bottom to work harder,” said Zach Hoglund, 11. He believes that a rank system has the potential to encourage all students, no matter where they are in their academics. While many students said class rankings would affect their incentives, Mark Johnson, a biology teacher at Mounds View since 1998, has not noticed any changes in motivation before or after the system. “I haven’t noticed any lack of motivation just because we don’t have [a rank system],” said Johnson. “Many kids still want to do really well no matter where they fall in their respective class.” Even though the system did not have as much effect on students as they feared, Johnson mentioned that while he did not recall students openly conversing about their class rankings, it frustrated those who were hard working but did not achieve the rank they wanted. “There are other ways to measure students against each other like their ACT and GPA, we have enough quantitative comparisons that we don’t need a class rank system.” With the class rank system disappearing across the country, students and staff point out the benefits— a possible strong motivator for kids at all levels—but also the possible drawbacks—creating too much competition within the system. In regards to Mounds View, Schwartz believes the school made the right decision. “What one person needs to succeed and what another person needs to succeed is completely different. Their route might look different, so I don’t think [class ranks] are good for kids. I think it was the right decision.”
illustration by Audrey Wu
to do better, but I wouldn’t necessarily want others to know my rank,” said Olivia Chen, 10. Others on board with the idea said this system would motivate students both at the top and bottom. “It would motivate students at the top to work hard to stay in the top and students
Controversy with Covington
by Michael Hu staff reporter
On Jan. 19, a video that showed a group of white high school students surrounding Native American Nathan Phillips beating a drum was posted on Twitter. Not only were they surrounding Phillips, they were mocking him by performing tomahawk chops and chanting along with the beat of the drum. The video spread across many media platforms using the scene of MAGA hatwearing students as fuel. Social media users were quick to condemn the students for using their white privilege to spread hatred and bigotry toward others without the same entitlement. Figures in the public eye, such as Reza Aslan, former CNN contributor, tweeted, “Honest question. Have you ever seen a more punchable face than this kid’s?” Aslan was referring to Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann, who was filmed in what initially appeared to be a confrontation with Philips, the Native American activist. However, some see this situation as an unjustified verbal assault on children. “I hate when the media vilifies kids. Because they’re kids, and even if he was doing what he was doing, he’s more of a victim of our society right now than he is the perpetrator,” said Gretchen Nesset, English teacher. Others have the opinion, however, that the students deserved the media attention due to their behavior. “I think it was disrespectful that [the students] were being obnoxious,” said Ameera Arshad, 11. In the days following the confrontation, new videos from different perspectives surfaced, revealing the full picture, including a two-hour-long tape showing all that happened. These videos made the students look innocent and Phillips in the wrong. After the incident, the media quickly published information without sufficient evidence. For example, the New York Times published the first story with the headline, “Boys in ‘Make America Great Again’ Hats Mob Native Elder at Indigenous Peoples March.” In their next headline, however, they
went softer: “Fuller Picture Emerges of Viral Video of Native American Man and Catholic Students.” This further fueled the narrative used by President Trump that fake news is rampant. Large media outlets aired this story without knowing all the facts and misled the public. “I think there needs to be some accountability within the journalism industry. When you have rogue ‘journalists’ who only show one side of the issue, it’s hard for the people to stay informed,” said Joseph Steil, 10. Due to the extensive media coverage the story initially gained, many prominent figures chose to add their own opinions to the discussion. For example, Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar showed her anger through Twitter, which led to heavy backlash from social media users. “The boys were protesting a woman’s right to choose & yelled ‘it’s not rape if you enjoy it’… They were taunting 5 black men before they surrounded Phillips and led racist chants,” tweeted Omar on the Jan. 22. After realizing she had misinterpreted the situation, Omar offered no apology and deleted her tweet the following morning. Once the full story was revealed, another group
“While I may not be a huge Trump supporter, I think it is evil how this country treats anyone who shares their support for Trump.” Joseph Steil, 10 was brought into the picture that changed the narrative quickly: the hate group, Black Hebrew Israelites, who blamed the strife on the high school students. “I certainly jumped to the conclusion that that kid was being awful as much as people on the other side jumped to
the conclusion that the Native American guy was being awful, and we realized none of us really have the whole story. I didn’t even know about the [Black Hebrew Israelites] until like two days afterwards,” said Nesset. The story of how the media treated Covington Catholic sparked disappointment from both sides of the political spectrum. On one end, those who lean right believe that the fake news media should be held accountable for lies in regards to Trump. “While I may not be a huge Trump supporter, I think it is evil how this country treats anyone who shares their support for Trump,” said Steil. “Words like racist, Nazi and other
“Even if he was being confrontational and wrong, he’s a kid and we need to learn how to work with that not turning into being an enemy” English teacher Gretchen Nesset
extremely harsh labels are put on people simply for sharing their opinion, and I think that’s wrong.” On the other side, the left-leaning believe that the media should not have treated the students so horribly, regardless of their actions. “He’s a kid. Even if he was being confrontational and wrong, he’s a kid and we need to learn how to work with that not turning into being an enemy,” said Nesset. Sandmann appeared on the Today show in the days following the original video’s posting and apologized to Phillips, but he kept his stance on how he or any of the other students did anything wrong. The Sandmann family is now suing multiple people and organizations for libel due to the rash media coverage.
News
Friday, February 15, 2019
MV hosts annual Winterfest by Angie Larson staff reporter
Winterfest is the annual dance competition held at Mounds View High School that invites over 30 AA/ AAA schools to compete, highlighting the junior varsity championship. The last Mounds View dance competition before varsity sectionals, Winterfest concludes the JV and B-squad dance seasons. Among the 30 schools that competed at Winterfest, nearly 100 dances were performed. Viewettes staff spent over 17 hours preparing for and hosting Winterfest, which started on Jan. 25. “We organized vendors like Maui Wowi and mini donuts booths who give us a percentage of their sales or a flat rate for being allowed to sell at the event, purchased all the supplies to sell at the non-foods concessions table and designed and had the T-shirts and programs made. All of this and more took many hours of planning and coordination,” said Lisa Nelson, President of the Executive Board of the Viewettes’ Booster Club. Money raised from Winterfest helps pay for costumes, competition attendance and meals. These fundamental aspects of the Viewettes’ dance season requires a lot of coordination and pre-planned set up. “I think that getting volunteers to help host it is sometimes a challenge because it is a lot of work to host two competitions back-to-back at your school, and not everyone is up for all the work and pressure,” said Marilyn Johnston, 10. Preparing for the large turnout comes with many responsibilities. It’s all about timing and having enough food, seating and merchandise to last the 14-hour day. “We were concerned about having too much food—or not enough! We had to make sure there were enough awards so that even if the biggest team won, there would be enough medals for all the participants. This list could go on and on,” said Nelson. With all the work put into planning Winterfest,
most Viewettes would agree that they loved the outcome. “I think it’s very nice that we get to end our JV season performing at Mounds View because performing for all our friends and having fun are some of the most important aspects in sports,” said Johnston. She believes that the girls obtain a sense of pride by representing their school and performing in front of their peers. The junior varsity teams from Mounds View concluded their season with third place in Jazz and sixth place in Kick in the JV championship. The varsity teams ranked third in both Kick and Jazz. Junior varsity Coach Jasmine Wachter believes the girls’ hard work has paid off and is excited to see what the teams’ futures bring.
Mounds View Varsity Jazz team dances along to a remix of Challenger I by Joeseph william Morgan photo courtesy of Vicky Li
Mounds View Varsity Kick team performs at Winterfest on Feb. 26. photo courtesy of Vicky Li
“I’m incredibly proud of our JV girls and want them to continue the hard work, so come next season, they are even stronger than when they left us,” said Wachter. “These ladies all worked so incredibly hard this season, and the dances they performed at conference champions and Winterfest showed that passion, power and confidence they have been working on all season.” As the end of the dance season draws near, the competition gets tougher. On Feb. 9, the Viewettes competed in the sectional meet at Kennedy High School where varsity Jazz punched a third place ticket to state. They will compete in the state meet among the state’s best teams on Feb. 15 and 16.
District shuts down due to cold by Emily Feng staff reporter
The week of Jan. 28, Mounds View students only had one day of school on Friday. With a forecast of 5-10 inches of snow on Monday and -40 degree wind chill on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of the week, Mounds View and other districts in the area were forced to cancel school. The process of determining whether to cancel school for snow or cold days is an intricate process. “A group of people at the district office decide when the MV school district will have a cold/snow day. There are rare occasions when the governor of MN will call a state-wide no school day because of extreme temperatures, but I think that has only happened once or twice in my entire career,” said Associate Principal Greg Martin. Principal Stephanie Bruggers added, “The decision to call a snow/cold day is up to the discretion of the superintendent. He will use our wind chill threshold guideline in terms of cold.” This threshold is typically in the -35 to -40 range, when bodies are susceptible to frostbite in just minutes. In addition, the superintendent will work with the director of transportation to ensure buses can run safely. After deciding to cancel school, the district sent out a mass alert via text message and updated the school websites so that a window popped up, telling all website visitors that school had been canceled. “After the decision [to have a snow day] is made, a notification usually goes out 10-20 minutes later,” said Brug-
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gers. Mounds View and other local school districts have not always been this lenient towards snow days. After incidents of students failing to receive notifications of snow or cold days in time and arriving at school only to get stuck outside in sub-zero temperatures, many districts, including Mounds View, have made an effort to call snow days earlier and send better alerts. “The district sends emails, phone calls, updates school websites/social media and notifies local news channels as soon as the decision [to cancel school] has been made,” said Martin. Despite the numerous snow and cold days, Mounds View has never had a late start. “Our district has never done a two hour late start—but that doesn’t mean we won’t in the future,” said Bruggers. In the case of a two hour late start, classes would start at 10:30 a.m. but still end at 3:15 p.m. Classes would be 35 minutes long each with five minute long passing times and 25 minute long lunches. Even though most students were happy to have what felt like a second winter break, a handful were worried that the snow days would cause the district to carve days out of spring break or add on an extra week in the summer. Many teachers were forced to adjust class schedules, push back tests and assign makeup assignments to accommodate for the lost time in the classroom. “Each school in Minnesota is required to have a certain number of hours of school each year. There are a few extra days built into the calendar to address
this. The only reason we add days is if we fall below the hours threshold that is acceptable by the state of Minnesota,” said Martin. So far, Mounds View has enough days in session as required by the Minnesota government, so it’s unlikely that school will extend into the summer or cut into spring break.
photo courtesy of Vicky Li
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features
Friday, February 15, 2019
Youth in Government
Model Assembly by Rebecca Li and Vicky Li staff reporters For students who are interested in government, opportunities to get involved in politics are right in the community. Youth in Government (YIG) has given hundreds of students across Minnesota first-hand experience in government, allowing them to explore the challenges and demands of the system. For the past 65 years, YIG has encouraged students to grow their leadership and debate political issues in a mock-up of the Minnesota legislature. The Mounds View Delegation includes high school and middle school students from Mounds View, Irondale, Chippewa, Highview and Edgewood. From September to January, YIG members work hard to prepare for the most significant event of the year: Model Assembly at the Minnesota Capitol. Most delegates will attend five or six delegation meetings prior to the assembly. “We work on our materials for the conference, and we practice our public speaking
and debate skills,” said speakerelect of the Sanford House Hufsa Ahmed, 11. The Sanford house is the house of representatives for 11th and 12th graders. Furthermore, YIG students participate in an annual fall training, LAUNCH, where they engage in student-led workshops to learn from veteran YIG members. All of this preparation culminates to the Model Assembly: a four day student-led conference in early January. Approximately 1,600 students are invited to stay at the Hilton in downtown Minneapolis for a mock-up of the Minnesota state government. “We have everything the state government has; we have the three branches of government and a full media program with radio, television, social media and a newspaper,” said Lieutenant Governor Michael Pak, 12. According to YIG’s official website, participants at the conference engage in a program area of Lauryn Jones, 10, and Urvi Athalye, their choosing and have the op- 10, pose in front of the Capitol. portunity to experience different photo courtesy of Lauryn Jones positions in the government.
Ahmed’s Day on Jan. 12, 2019 Sanford and Kutson House 6 am: Wake up, practice candidate spech, get ready for the day and eat breakfast 8 am: Catch bus to capitol complex 9 am: Program area candidate speeches with questions after 10 am: Attend committee hearings, gather in small committees and debate more bills 11 am: Lunch 1-5 pm: Court Hearings 5-7 pm: Program areas adjourn, dinner and Delegation Meetings 7-10 pm: Evening Activities (movies, games, crafts, socializing, etc.) 11 pm: Delegation Meetings and Reflections 11:30 pm: Curfew
Lieutenant Governor The executive branch is the program area that manages elections and congressional bills. At the 2018 Model Assembly conference, Pak ran on a ticket with Cayanne Korder, 12, from Red Wing for the Lieutenant Governor and Governor positions of the executive branch, respectively. The two met in their freshman year when they both served as appointed officials in the Ramsey Senate. During the conference, Pak and Korder participated in the town hall debates, delivered their platform to different delegations and engaged in other campaign-related activities such as handing out pins. At the conclusion of the 2018 conference, they were named the Lieutenant Governor and Governor of the 2019 Model Assembly
conference. Pak has been a part of the YIG program for the past five years. Before serving as the Lieutenant Governor this year, he has acted as the Assistant Floor Leader in the Ramsey Senate, the Floor Leader of the Ramsey Senate and the Sergeant at Arms in the Knutson Senate. “YIG has given me a chance to grow as a leader and a public speaker. It’s helped me become more knowledgeable about the important political issues in our state,” said Pak. Though Pak is still unsure of his future career, he believes that all the skills he gained through YIG will be applicable. “I’d say being able to give a presentation about a topic is a valuable skill to have. Being a leader and being able to work
effectively in a group are really important skills as well,” said Pak. As the Lieutenant Governor, Pak had a personal cabinet of 10 people. Together, they worked to develop their stance on diverse political issues and support their position on bills at the committee meetings. Pak also reviews all the bills passed in the ninth and 10th grade legislatures. After the bills have passed through committee and both the Senate and the House, they reach Pak’s desk, where he ultimately decides to pass or veto those bills. In the end, Pak signed a total of 85 bills. “Being Lieutenant Governor was a really exciting position for me to serve in; no one day was the same for me at the conference,” Youth Governor Cayanne Korder, 12, and said Pak. Youth Lieutenant Governor Michael Pak,12.
Courts and Legislature One popular program area in YIG is the legislature. The legislature debates and votes on bills written by delegation members. This happens during floor sessions: two- to four-hour periods in which various bills are discussed and either passed or rejected. Every floor session closely mirrors the procedures in the Minnesota legislature. During the 2019 Model Assembly, Ahmed served as the Floor Leader of the Sanford House where she presided over the floor and regulated debate. “My position as the Floor Leader was mostly to just spark debate on bills that weren’t getting that much debate. I make sure that people are engaged,” says Ahmed. She also recently was elected as the Speaker of the Sanford House, the highest position of her house, for the 2020 Model Assembly. As the speaker of the house, she will ensure that the entire
house runs smoothly and efficiently. For Ahmed, YIG served as a unique experience that helped build her confident and learn invaluable skills. “It’s kind of been a platform for the rest of my high school extracurriculars just because it was the first thing I ever joined. It helped me learn public speaking, confidence and debate skills that I could be using after eighth grade and into high school,” said Ahmed. As she heads into her last year of the program, Ahmed looks forward to assuming her new role and continuously building her leadership skills through YIG. Another popular program within YIG is Courts, in which students simulate court cases. Urvi Athalye, 10, serves on the Court of Appeals, a type of court in Courts, as a lawyer. She learns about the different aspects of lawyering and how to defend on both sides. According
photo courtesy of Michael Pak
to Athalye, Courts follows the procedures of a real court case as closely as possible. A case hearing begins with the appellate who asserts their side of the case and makes an extensive statement. The respondent follows with their defense, arguing the opponent’s statement. After all statements are made, the two judges will deliberate on the matter and post decisions after the hearing ends. The program allows students to become more comfortable debating controversial issues and practice public speaking. For Athalye, getting involved in the Courts program has significantly impacted her life and perspectives. “I think I’ve definitely become more social because at YIG, you’ll find different kinds of people. Everybody has their own thing, like introverts and extroverts, but you’ll find somebody that will become friends with you,” said Athalye. “I still
don’t know what I wanna be when I grow up, but being a lawyer was one of my possible options. So I’m learning about all of that and doing more things related to government now to see if I like it.” Athalye currently does not hold an appointed position, but she applied for a judge position in the district court. Regardless of her position, she looks forward to continuing to argue for others and explore her passion in government. For many years, the Model Assembly program has given Mounds View students the opportunity to participate in a simulation of the government. Although the 2019 Model Assembly conference has concluded, members will continue to work hard and carry with them the skills they gained from the YIG experience.
features
Friday, FEBRUARY 15, 2019
Relieving fear with VR by Molly Schwiff staff reporter
MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) scans can be flat-out terrifying, especially for younger children. Patients are confined in a monstrous gray tube that pounds and thuds all over. This is exactly what senior Michael Cao’s older sister Amy underwent in her first MRI scan, and it was a traumatizing experience. When Amy was only 10 years old, she was diagnosed with a life-altering brain tumor, which would ultimately take her life at age 11. “One of her first experiences in the hospital was getting an MRI, and that first experience was really, really bad. So all the subsequent scans were affected because of that. I noticed that problem right away,” said Cao. As Amy continued to get more scans, Cao noticed the fear they brought upon her. A couple years later, Cao became familiar with a new trend: virtual reality. He recognized how effective virtual reality could be by helping other young kids go through MRI scans peacefully along with reducing the same fear and anxiety that Amy had experienced. Cao became dedicated to helping other young patients. In November of 2018, Cao started working on his new creation—virtual reality goggles that sync up
with an app. The goggles help young patients be more prepared and eliminates the fear of the MRI. The patients are able to see what the MRI looks and sounds
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I want to make this application more accessible so that every child that’s having an MRI can eliminate their anxiety and their fear of it being unknown,” - Michael Cao, 12
like before they have to enter the machine. “I started teaching myself [to code] and eventually made a prototype on an app that would prepare kids, informing them of what it’s like and putting them in that MRI,” said Cao. In the background of the simulation, there is a woman’s voice that describes to the patient what goes
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on during the MRI. The voice calmly explains how the machine is not going to touch them, it will just make a lot of noise while it’s taking pictures of the patient’s body. The virtual reality goggles also have additional functionalities. For example, there is an accelerometer which tracks head movement. This aids in training young children to stay as still as they can during the scan, which ensures the best results. According to Cao, the good thing about virtual reality is that it’s very accessible and can be easily distributed to hospitals. In addition, changes can be made and uploaded to the virtual reality app’s cloud anytime. “I want to make this application more accessible so that every child that’s having an MRI can eliminate their anxiety and their fear of it being unknown,” said Cao. Cao demonstrated his prototype to hospitals, including Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare located in St. Paul. The hospital currently uses the goggles for patients before they enter an MRI. Cao’s virtual reality goggles are still a work in progress, but they are sure to change the future of technology and health.
Left: A screenshot of Cao’s virtual reality app at work. In this phase of the simulation, the user is able to experience the MRI machine and get accustomed to their surroundings. photo courtesy of Michael Cao
Making the gears go
by Nancy Koshy staff reporter
On Saturdays, most students take the opportunity to rest at home. However, Mounds View isn’t empty— in room 137, 25 students gather to work on robot design. Some students sketch initial plans while others start assembling pieces of metal to attach to the robot. This is a typical day for the Mounds View Robotics
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[It’s] the hardest fun you’ll ever have.” - Jonathan Schreifels, 11
Team, who participate in a program called FRC (FIRST Robotics Competition). FRC is one of four national robotics programs created by an organization called FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). While some of the other robotics programs cover younger grades, FRC is a high school program in which students in a team build and program a robot to accomplish tasks on a playing field. These tasks change every year and can be as simple as moving bins or hanging the robot off of a pole. The path to creating the robot can be a long, complicated process. Even though this year’s challenge and tasks were only released on Jan. 5, the MV Robotics Team has been hard at work long before that. “The season begins at the start of the year where we introduce new members to the team and get them trained and teach them the basics of FRC,” said member Ashir Gupta, 12. Once the year’s challenge and new
tasks are released in early January, the real fun begins. First, the team must understand the year’s missions. Then, they split into groups to start designing the robot. Team members spend countless hours discussing, drawing and refining their ideas before they come to life. The Mounds View Robotics Team even uses computer-aided design (CAD) to model their parts virtually and prototype the mechanisms. All this hard work is in preparation for their March tournament where they will compete against other teams from all over the state and some international teams. Called the North Star Regional, this tournament is held over the course of three days in the Minneapolis Mariucci Arena. “It’s stressful waiting for the match to come up, but then once it gets there, it’s lots of fun to compete in it and see all your hard work through the build season do something,” said CAD captain Sebastian Thompson, 12. Throughout the competition, high school teams play against one another in two-and-a -half minute matches with six robots on the field at a time. The six teams are randomly broken up into two alliances—red and blue—and each alliance tries to complete the most tasks to score the most points and win the match. Similar to other sports, like basketball, teams are ranked based on the matches they win. Near the end of the competition, the top four teams pick other teams to join their alliance and battle it out in an elimination bracket. Depending on the team’s ranking, they can also advance to the next level of competition: the state championship. Kelton O’Brien, a junior captain of the team, said that regardless of their ranking, the team’s major goal is just to improve their robot. More than actual placement, the team values learning and the sense of community they foster. Jonathan Schreifels, 11, described the program as “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.” This and the camaraderie between team members is what keeps them dedicated to the program throughout the long, demanding season.
Connor Petrich, 12, drills a piece of wood while Sebastian Thompson, 12, cuts aluminum with a band saw. photo courtesy of Nancy Koshy
Overview of the shutdown by Medha Nayak staff reporter
Under Trump, America experienced the longest government shutdown in history. This is now the third shutdown under Trump, but it’s the first to last more than several days. Experts estimate that during the shutdown, the U.S. economy lost $11 billion, more than the Trump originally asked for to fund the wall. On August 23, 2018, the U.S. Congress approved a $850 billion plan to fund the Departments of Defense, Labor, Education and Health and Human Services. After several months of negotiation, on Dec. 11, 2018, the Democrats of Congress met with President Trump. Trump threatened to shut the government down if they did not include $5.7 billion to fund the wall. The Democrats, however, said that the wall would be ineffective and offered $1.3 billion to fund border fencing and various other technologies. Trump refused to compromise and sign the spending bill, so the government shut down. The shutdown directly affected over 800,000 government employees and millions of people who require government aid. The shutdown On Dec. 22, 2018, the government directly affected shutdown officially began. Major govover 800,000 gov- ernment agencies such as the Department of Agriculture and Homeland Security ernment employwere affected as workers were sent home ees and millions of without pay and some required to work people who require without pay. The Food and Drug Administration stopped its regular routine government aid. inspections of many important projects that are essential for American welfare, like cosmetic and pesticide research. Services for Native Americans halted as the Bureau of Indian Affairs furloughed more than 50 percent of its employees. Additionally, smaller agencies have been impacted tremendously. 95 percent of NASA employees were furloughed, which caused delays in repairing the Hubble Telescope after a piece broke off. In addition, the government predicted that the Census Bureau would run out of funds as it prepared for the 2020 decennial census. Although the Census Bureau has six to eight weeks of excess funding from the previous year, multiple crucial surveys were stopped or delayed, which may lead to information gaps that could destabilize the economy. The Department of
the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency furloughed 7895 percent of employees, leading to decreased maintenance of national parks. Only the “essential” employees who clean immediate public health threats like oil spills remained on the job. As a result, this department lost $400,000 a day while citizens trashed numerous national parks. After the new year, the Smithsonian Museums and the National Zoo were closed. They lost millions of dollars in revenue during the government shutdown and now are trying to recuperate. During the shutdown, the Smithsonian secretary said, “The closure of restaurants, shops, IMAX theaters and other operations is costing the Smithsonian approximately $1 million in revenue each week.” The losses that the museums and national parks experienced are not recoverable and will leave a lasting effect. After the first two weeks of the shutdown, the Council of Economic Advisers predicted that the shutdown reduced economic growth by 0.13 percent every week. Government spending is estimated to be 18 percent of the total U.S. gross domestic product. Experts have shown analytically that the overall economy would be negatively impacted by the wall if implemented. According to The Balance, an investment and debt management website, while incomes of lower-skilled workers would be increased by $0.58 per year, the incomes of higher-skilled workers would decrease by $7.60 a year due to the cost associated per person with building an expensive wall. As a result, the U.S. economy would lose upwards of $4 billion every year. When the current wall was built, the economy decreased by $2.5 billion. According to the Conservative Heritage Foundation, the money would be better spent on technology to prevent illegal crossings. On Jan. 25, the longest government shutdown in history ended, but the damage had long been done. The reopening resumed government activities, but the public may soon relive another government shutdown on Feb. 15 if Trump and the Democrats cannot reach a consensus on the wall.
s e v i t c e p s r e p t n e Stud
Since President Donald Trump’s first day in ng a W r office, the American people have n to d Leo tures edi n a seen an increasing divide in partisan ideology. g a an fe rah T ditor and a The end of Trump’s presidential term is near, and the S y b e rfold e year 2020 brings forth an exciting opportunity for many students t n e c at Mounds View: voting for the country’s next president. As this important event draws closer, students share their opinions on the current president’s most recent issue—the government shutdown. On one side, many students are critical of the shutdown and find it to be overly authoritarian. “It’s unnecessary and sort of dictator-esque, kind of like punishing people when you don’t get what you want,” said Mayuko Watson, 12. Others disapprove of the reasons behind the shutdown. “I think our founding fathers built checks and balances for a reason, so if our president couldn’t surpass that system, that’s not a good reason to shutdown the government, especially when you’re talking about actual American citizens,” said Serena Chan, 12. “I think the whole premise of the wall was to protect American citizens… but in his effort to protect them, he’s hurting them.” Many students saw the government shutdown as harmful towards government employees. “I think that it’s really unfair to the people who were working, and I feel like the wall shouldn’t shut down the government for people to not get paid,” said Selah Williams, 10. Some students said the shutdown illustrates the downsides of political gridlock. “I think [the shutdown] really
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th in our gove cause there are really ings on both sides,” said Maya “It really just exposes the flaws in our gov Another viewpoint of some students is that the g shutdown is due to Trump’s campaign promises. “[Trump’s] a pawn to get what he wants,” said Christopher Wikstrom, 10. On the some students believe that both Congress and the president are to blame for the “A lot of people are saying it’s entirely Trump’s fault, but I feel like it’s also a of Congress’s fault because Donald Trump didn’t make the decision to shut it down. It’s a collective thing that Congress couldn’t agree,” said William Ketola, 10. There are differing opinions and perspectives on the government shutdown among MV students. While it’s not clear whether or not the government will stay open, the shutdown has certainly taken a toll on basic government services and funding. Only time will tell how the shutdown will affect Trump’s campaign for re-election in 2020.
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s e v i t c e p s r e p r e h c Tea The g o v e r n m ent es Nem e i shutdown was the latest l a at by N porter consequence of the long-running re f f sta wall debate, affecting people across the country. Many politicians attempted to reopen the government several times throughout the shutdown, with only the partial success of a final short-term spending bill. “Usually [shutdowns are] kind of a blip and they’re over, so this one is unprecedented. I’ve never experienced anything like this, nor has anyone who’s ever lived in this country, I don’t think,” said Gretchen Nesset, English teacher. The dispute over the border wall in addition to the shutdown’s extended length differentiate this shutdown from other government shutdowns. “My recollection is that normally it’s not usually surrounding one thing, like the wall. Usually it’s just on a broader scope of things that [politicians] can’t agree on,” said Jonathan Nuss, economics and U.S. history teacher. Politicians on both sides pitched ways to end the shutdown. Democrats passed multiple bills that would reopen the government, but since they didn’t include the funding President Donald Trump wanted for a bor-
der wall, the bills ultimately had no effect. On his part, Trump said he could declare a national emergency to get a border wall built. The president also suggested an immigration compromise on Jan. 19 that would lengthen the time illegal immigrants had protection under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. However, the deal included border wall funding, and Democrats rejected the compromise. On Jan. 24, the Senate held two separate votes on competing bills that would reopen the government, neither of which received the 60 votes they needed to pass, resulting in a stalemate between the two parties. Since dissent between Democrats and Republicans caused the shutdown, many hope for more agreement between the two parties in the future. Carolynne I’ve never expeLadd, AP psychology and history rienced anything teacher, said she wishes the political parties could find common like this...” ground more often so that the gridlock between the two parties -Gretchen Nesset, doesn’t go far enough to affect people’s jobs. “A lot of Ameri- English teacher cans, whether or not it should be that way, live paycheck to paycheck. Not having the paycheck but still needing to go into work would be very difficult and also really frustrating to know your job is really important, but you’re not getting paid for it,” said Ladd. Nuss said, from an economist’s outlook on the government shutdown, “the biggest thing is that it shakes people’s confidence, and I think time and time again something that leads to a downturn in the economy is when people’s confidence is shaken.” Finally, on Jan. 25, a short-term spending bill temporarily reopened the government for three weeks. However, without a final agreement between politicians, the possibility of another government shutdown still looms.
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illustrations by Jenna Stellmack
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editorials
Friday, February 15, 2019
Lunches are overpriced by Sandy Zhang staff reporter
Whether it’s for breakfast, lunch or an after-school snack, the school cafeteria is the designated source for Mounds View students to grab food, as it can be troublesome to pack all of one’s food supply for a day or to drive out and buy Raising Cane’s. However, the convenience of the cafeteria often comes at a cost. In their four years at Mounds View, most students will realize that there’s often a price gap between school food and food retailed in stores. A peanut butter-n-jelly sandwich that might cost $1.35 at school is only about $0.75 at grocery stores such as Cub Foods. This discrepancy affects students negatively in the long run as it reduces the convenience of nutrition, which is critical to students’ health. Overpriced school food choices also indirectly affect Mounds View’s closed campus policy as it gives students an incentive to leave the building. Mounds View places a lot of emphasis on ensuring that each student is able to receive the nutrients they need for the day. That being said, it would be reasonable to expect nutritious food to be provided at lower prices, especially with bulk discounts from wholesale markets. However, this really isn’t the case with Mounds View. For example, a bottle of sparkling ICE drink usually costs around fifty cents to a dollar per bottle depending on the retail store or site, but its price more than doubles when it’s sold at Mounds View for $2.25. This problem is prevalent in many other food items, ranging from cookies to juice boxes, making students question the school’s intentions in their price-marking decisions.
Editor opinions on class rank see page 2
With a significantly higher food price, Mounds View’s cafeteria faces multiple negative consequences. Firstly, higher prices lead to decreased student demand, as explained by basic economic principles, which leads to an excess supply of food in the cafeteria that must be disposed of or given out for free during school breaks. In this case, it would be more productive to just mark foods
& Reduced Lunch program to assist many families that are in financial need, students still need to pay full price for items in the snack lines since they are not covered by the program. Overpriced cafeteria food also indirectly impacts campus organization during the day. The school’s expensive food gives upperclassmen an incentive to go against the closed-campus policy
protect them from any potential threats and violence. However, Mounds View is not completely unreasonable in its food price marking—the decisions seem to be based in part on the nutrition level of the food. Relatively unhealthy items such as cookies and ice cream seem to be sold at a higher price than healthier items such as salad boxes, which is likely an attempt to get more students to make healthier diet choices. Some also say that certain food items that involve labor, such as the $2.00 sandwiches, are marked at higher prices to compensate for the school’s nutrition workers’ preparation time and effort. Nevertheless, approximately 71 percent of students surveyed think that the school cafeteria is charging too much for its food, indicating the need for a change in the system. Several attempts to improve the school’s cafeteria have been implemented, including the new Deal of the Day program that provides a different discounted snack combination every day of the week. Ultimately, it is difficult to come up with a perfect plan that can balance out students’ nutritional needs and other factors such as family financial status, price of meal ingredients and the value of nutrition workers’ labor.
illustration by Audrey Wu
at lower prices to begin with. Secondly, high prices in the school cafeteria may be unfair for economically-challenged students whose families who can’t afford to consistently purchase a lot of the food and snack items their peers can afford, making them feel outcast from everyone else. Even though our district is considerate in implementing the Free
“I feel like it’s needed because it recognizes student’s hard work.” -Alec Nelson
news editor
and leave school to search for food that outcompetes the cafeteria in both price and taste. This poses a hazard in terms of attendance and also serves as a source of potential chaos and danger. Students are not only in a hurry to get back to school on time, putting them at risk of speeding, but are also away from the campus’s reinforced security that could
“Class rank is so subjective because Mounds View ranks differently than other schools.” -Rachel Ganske
arts & entertainment editor
“It should be included so you can see where you stack up against your peers.” -Ben Steil
Diana Zhu Michelle Wang Sarah Tang Michelle Wang Leon Wang Diana Zhu Sarah Tang Alec Nelson, Michael Gennaro Sanjana Dutt, Leon Wang Ben Steil
CENTERFOLD EDITORS EDITORIALS EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR PHOTOGRAPHERS ARTIST ADVISOR PUBLISHER
-Michelle Wang
debates editor
Viewer Staff 2018-2019 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING COPY EDITOR MANAGING DESIGN EDITOR MANAGING ONLINE EDITOR MANAGING ONLINE DESIGN BUSINESS MANAGER FRONT COVER NEWS EDITORS FEATURES EDITORS DEBATES EDITOR
“It isn’t representative of a student’s academic rigor because some hard classes are unweighted.”
Sarah Tang, Jenna Stellmack Alec Weber Rachel Ganske Elliot Lee Sarah Tang, Vicky Li Audrey Wu David Ostrom Sauk Centre Publishing
managing copy editor
STAFF REPORTERS Nadeem Aqel, Bradyn Buganski, Clara Conlin, Hayden Ecker, Emily Feng, Michael Hu, Jarod Koeppl, Nancy Koshy, Angela Larson, Janae Lee, Rebecca Li, Victoria Li, Medha Nayak, Brock Nelson, Natalie Nemes, Molly Shwiff, Dayne Stone, Michelle Sung, Audrey Welter, Jacob Wolkerstorfer, Mitchell Zaic, Sandy Zhang, Alissa Zhao
Mounds View High School • 1900 Lake Valentine Rd. Arden Hills, MN 55112 • www.mvviewer.org • @mvviewer • business@mvviewer.org
DEBATES
Friday, February 15, 2019
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What to do about the wall? It’s not worth the shutdown by Michelle Sung staff reporter In January, the extremely polarized government experienced the longest shutdown in history, and 800,000 people continued to work without pay for 35 days. The shutdown stemmed from the controversy over funding for President Trump’s extravagant wall that will supposedly reduce immigration. Laws and politics surrounding the immigration problem have been debated for years, but President Trump’s proposed wall remains neither the appropriate nor efficient solution to this ongoing issue. The wall is not a foreign concept; during President George W. Bush’s term, Congress passed the Secure Fence Act, which authorized $1.2 billion to build hundreds of miles of double-layer fencing. Due to environmental concerns, private landowner objections and lawsuits, this wall did not get very far. Failure of President Bush’s wall should be a lesson, showing that a wall cannot effectively resolve the immigration problem and will create more issues instead. Although Native Americans and the federal government own a third of the land where the wall would stand, private property owners still hold the majority two-thirds. Private owners risk losing their property to the government and giving up the deep, familial connections behind their land. Much of the land has been passed down the generations as far back as the 1700s— before Texas even became a state. “I don’t think Trump understands the big picture. Are they going to cut us from our family history? We were here before the United States was the United States. We shed our blood, our tears and our sweat long before Washington, D.C. was the capital. For someone to come around and say, ‘We’re going to build a wall right here on your land,’ that’s a slap in the face,” said a farmer who owned his
land since 1750. Farmers, ranchers and the other 12 million people that live within 100 miles of the border will be directly affected by the wall. The physical border could also indicate to other nations that the U.S. is interested in isolating itself from the rest of the world. With the installment of this proposed wall, it would not only affect the community in the area but also wildlife. “If this border wall actually happens, it will be an environmental catastrophe. Essentially, what it’s doing is cutting through nature’s bridge, which connects Central America to North America and South America. Wildlife have been using this natural corridor for millions of years,” said wildlife biologist Jeff Corwin in an interview with MSNBC. A wall would effectively cut off access to the river, devastate wildlife habitats and negatively impact over 100 endangered species. Economically, there is minimal evidence to support that immigrants hurt and steal domestic jobs, a prime concern for many who support the wall. “Undocumented workers often work the unpleasant, backbreaking jobs that native-born workers are not willing to do,” said Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, in her Brookings Essay. “By cutting on immigration, the country will miss an opportunity for new inventions and ventures that could generate the jobs that the president is so committed to bring back. Thus, if the current administration wants to create jobs and ‘make America great again,’ it should consider enlisting more migrants.” Furthermore, a joint Dartmouth-Stanford economic study showed that expansion of the wall actually harms educated domestic workers by $4.35 per person and only benefits blue collar workers by 36 cents. “Rather than building walls, our study finds that a more effective way of reducing migration is to reduce the incentives to migrate. Promoting economic growth in the
sending country by reducing trade costs is a great way to do that, as it also benefits U.S. workers,” said Dartmouth economist Treb Allen. In fact, contradictory to President Trump’s belief that Mexicans are flooding into the U.S., a Pew Research Center study found that more Mexicans are actually leaving than coming. President Trump also neglects that the Obama Administration deported 2.5 million undocumented immigrants, a record for any president to date. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, border crossing rates also followed a twenty year downward trend—before the election of President Trump. This wall will not only be a physical border between the U.S. and Mexico, but it will also be a symbol of the U.S. isolation. Moreover, this border will cause unnecessary harm to wildlife and U.S. citizens in the proximity of the border, and it still will not solve the immigration problem. The U.S. needs to learn from the failed attempts of the wall in the past and look towards reforming immigration policies. Expanding the visa program in order to implement a stronger, more effective immigration policy that will pave a path towards a more vibrant community and economy.
Wall or nothing by Jarod Koeppl staff reporter Since the beginning of his election campaign in 2015, President Donald Trump has strongly advocated for a wall along the southern border between the United States and Mexico. While the promise to erect a wall of such massive proportions has not yet come to fruition, controversy has only increased over the last two months. President Trump’s request for $5.7 billion of federal funding for the border wall led to an impasse over the proposed appropriations bill, resulting in the the longest government shutdown in United States history. Although many view the wall as unnecessary, it is important to understand how the benefits of a border wall overshadow the expenses. Most people who oppose the border wall believe that such a wall would be extremely ineffective, asserting that the costly undertaking can be overcome by a 30-foot ladder. While it is true that the wall is an expensive project, its effectiveness is far greater than people would like to give it credit for. A border wall’s most prominent use is deterring illegal immigration. Constructing a massive wall across the border will not only stop people from crossing said border, but it will also stop people from making the journey in the first place. Without a wall in place, those who wish to enter the United States illegally could easily pass the border undetected. However, the probability of getting caught will increase with the wall implemented. People will be discouraged from attempting to cross knowing that they must overcome the wall in addition to avoiding border patrol. Some people wish to enter the United States with a
legitimate reason to escape violence and seek asylum. While it is important to protect these people, if they cross the border illegally, they will face repercussions that could have been otherwise avoided. Many asylum seekers can be separated from their families if they are prosecuted for illegally crossing the border. By building a wall, people will be forced to seek asylum legally and will no longer run the risk of being separated from their family members. A border wall also has the ability to do far more than deter illegal immigrants. Greater issues such as drugs, cartels and human trafficking can also be reduced by this barrier. Admittedly, with enough effort, people will likely be able to overcome the wall. However, the wall makes it impossible for vehicles to cross the border illegally. This will severely limit what smugglers, traffickers and cartel members are able to bring with them across the border while also slowing them down tremendously, giving border patrol more time to discover the breach. It can be difficult to extrapolate how a border wall will affect the long term illegal immigration and crime rates, but it is easy to see the short term effects it has on crime and violence in U.S. cities along the border. Mexico is home to some of the most violent cities in
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Simply put, walls work, and walls save lives.”
the world. Of the top 50 most violent cities in the world based on homicide ratings, 12 reside in Mexico according to Business Insider. Two of those cities, Reynosa and Ciudad Juárez, lay along the border. It is not uncommon for people to cross the border for crime before returning back to Mexico. Once again, building a wall would reduce this crime upon entry by limiting what border crossers are able to accomplish and making them easier to catch. In the case of the southern border wall, the benefits are far greater than the $5.7 billion expenditure. “I want people to come into our country in the largest numbers ever, but they have to come in legally,” said President Trump during his State of the Union Address. “Simply put, walls work, and walls save lives.” The purpose of the wall is not to alienate those who wish to immigrate to the United States but to create a safe and secure border that encourages legal immigration while reducing criminal activity in its vicinity. It is vital for our nation’s security and prosperity that we support President Trump in his desire for a barrier along the border.
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Arts & Entertainment
Half time show, whole time let down by Michael Gennaro news editor
It seemed like just yesterday when fans from across the nation came to Minneapolis to watch the Patriots and Eagles play in the 52nd Superbowl. What was not as noteworthy, however, was the generally uneventful halftime show performed by Justin Timberlake, a pop singer who made his debut with the song “Like I Love you” in 2002. A year has passed, and the world can see that Timberlake’s performance may not have been as terrible as once thought— in comparison to the catastrophe of Maroon 5’s halftime show. One can foresee trouble when the National Football League invites a band that is ten years out of its prime to lead one of the largest concerts in the world, with around 100 million in-person and on-screen viewers. While this number may seem high, it is actually the lowest it has been since 2009. The show started with three minutes of trivial singing, highlighting Maroon 5’s broad scope of music, including classics like “She Will Be Loved” and “Moves Like Jagger” as well as the band’s more recent songs such as “Sugar” and “Girls Like You.” While Adam Levine’s vocals may have been what we expected from a live performance, it is challenging to keep an entire stadium entertained. Upon scanning the crowd, it was obvious that the audience on field and in the stands were far from engaged. This comes at no surprise as this has been a common occurrence at previous Super Bowls. After the first two songs, a Spongebob reference was used to introduce the start of Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” as a tribute to the late Spongebob creator Stephen Hillenburg. Much to the Spongebob watchers’ dismay, the full “Sweet Victory” song was not used when Scott transitioned into his song. In addition, the animated fireball that supposedly carried Scott to the stage lacked creativity and appeared to be built for the viewers watching on TV rather than the people actually paying for the
experience. Scott’s singing of “Sicko Mode,” if one can call it singing, was bad enough to turn off the television. Screaming into the microphone is not what should be glorified as some of the best talent in America, and it is a shame that Scott and 21 Savage cannot switch places right now—I am sure the Brits would love him. The show then brought in Atlantanative Big Boi, who upped the pace but certainly did not make it any better. The entertainer from the hip hop duo OutKast made his grand appearance in a gassed up car and emerged wearing a full fur coat. The show then took a slight turn with the introduction of a marching band and full gospel choir gowned in blue robes. The combination of voices was unique, and the visual of the music created right in front of the audience seemed to give the show a much needed jolt of energy. This was definitely the best part of the performance and allowed all viewers, both at home and at the stadium, to feel as though they were participating. To put things short, the performance was underwhelming. Though the use of pyrotechnics was eye catching and the stage’s many catwalks attempted to keep the audience captivated, it seemed as though the NFL was trying to appeal to the people not right in front of them, but those sitting in the comfort of their own home. The three artists performing did not integrate well together, and the physical aspect of the show could have been improved greatly. If this trend of worse and worse halftime shows continues, the American people might end up listening to Cardi B at the next Super Bowl.
photo courtesy of commons. wikipedia.org (below)
Friday, February 15, 2019
The cafe to end all cafes by Clara Conlin staff reporter Cafe Latte may be the cafe of your dreams. Located on Grand Avenue in St. Paul, this urban eatery is full of colorful paintings and creatively designed upholstery. While Cafe Latte may be well known for its variety of delectable cakes, this is not all that it has to offer. Cafe Latte has a full-service menu that can be ordered from throughout the entire day. Its cafeteria-style counter on the front side of the restaurant displays many gourmet options from soups to salads to sandwiches. Cafe Latte has proven to be a great place to stop in before or after a show in St. Paul or while taking a break from shopping on Grand Avenue. The small interior may be somewhat confusing on first impression, but there is another entrance to the cafe along with more seating farther into the building. A second register solely sells cake and a variety of coffee beverages. But Cafe Latte doesn’t stop there; continuing even farther, I found a full-service bar and another menu featuring small plates and pizzas. In the morning, there are many bakery items such as scones and breads that change flavors by the day, along with a variety of fruits and coffees. At lunchtime, popular items include salads and cold and hot sandwiches. In the evening, soups, such as the African peanut soup and the black bean chicken chili, and individual pizzas are the most popular items. After the meal, I grabbed a bite of Cafe Latte’s most famous cakes. The specialty, chocolate turtle cake, was so extraordinarily dense and rich that it was too much for one person to eat alone. On the other end of the spectrum, the tres leches cake was light enough that it left a sweet taste in my mouth without making me feel a sugar rush.
The drawbacks of Cafe Latte mostly surround its popularity. The first challenge is finding parking on the busy Grand Avenue stretch. There are a couple of ramps nearby, but they come at a cost. If you are willing to gamble finding a parking spot on the street and perfectly complete a parallel park (with an audience), street parking is the way to go. During a typical weekend evening, the lines in Cafe Latte stretch out the doors. In addition, there is limited seating on the main level with some seating extended upstairs. With no wait staff to encourage people to turn over tables, customers may face challenges trying to time when they get their food to when a table is actually open. Tables with benches running on one side and chairs on the other can easily be pushed together to create seating for larger groups, but I would not recommend going with groups larger than six unless you plan to get your food to-go. Overall, Cafe Latte scores big with taste and atmosphere. They are able to cater to vegan and vegetarian eaters as well as normal diets, and combined with the ambient setting, the benefits outweigh the downfalls of limited parking and dining space. Next time you find yourself on Grand Avenue, make sure to stop by Cafe Latte for its plethora of courses and to rightfully finish it out with a famous slice of cake.
Cafe Latte’s salted carmel tres leches cake photo courtesy of Ginger Maloney
MV students ideal halftime preformance Other Old Domion Queen Kanye Ariana Grande
51 students polled information compiled by Rachel Ganske
Cafe Latte’s tres leches cake photo courtesy of Ginger Maloney
Friday, february 15, 2019
Pin it to win it by Brock Nelson staff reporter When people think of wrestling, they often think of thrilling pins, a loud sideline and gritty match ups between kids similar in weight and skill. However, many people don’t think of the work it takes to get there, which includes losing weight, lifting in the weight room and practicing every day. Wrestling athletes spend long hours perfecting their technique and strategies. In the sport of wrestling, brute strength alone won’t get athletes to the top, whereas practice and technique will. “Technique is extremely important to me as a wrestler,” said Andrew Boucher, 12. “Even though many of my opponents outweigh me, I can often use the stuff I’ve learned throughout the years to gain the upper hand.” Under head coach Dan Engebretson, a Mounds View wrestling alumni, the Mounds View wrestling team has established themselves as a force to be reckoned with each year, compiling a 14-2 team record and currently ranking ninth in the state. Their team includes four wrestlers in the top 10 individuals section, with
three of those four in the top 5. “Our team has performed really well this year,” said Brendan Dunagan, 11, one of the team captains. “The energy in practice has been contagious, and we’ve all worked really hard to get to where we are at.” There has also been a fair share of individual success among the wrestlers. Senior Nick Dunagan, ranked second in the state, became the wrestler with the most wins in Mounds View history—155 wins and 100 pins and counting. Rowan Morgan, 12, the fifth best wrestler in the state for his weight class, recently committed to the University of Minnesota to continue his wrestling career. Another example of success is the Dressel twins, Chase, 12, and Charles, 12, who both placed within the top 10 in the state in their respective weight classes. Another benefit to wrestling is its versatility and usefulness in other sports. In fact, all four of Mounds View’s top 10 state wrestlers also played football. Grady Schierts, 11, is a wrestler who is grateful for the techniques that wrestling has taught him, as he is also the starting guard for the Mounds View varsity football team. “I think I wouldn’t have performed nearly as well
Hoops! They lost again by Jake Wolkerstorfer staff reporter The Mounds View boys basketball team has had a rollercoaster season filled with both highs and lows. While the Mustangs currently hold a home record of 6-4, in part thanks to the everlasting support of the Mounds View fans, their 1-5 record on the road could be improved. The team’s struggle to win away games is hurting them in the Suburban East Conference (SEC), as they currently sit second to bottom in the standings. While the team’s standing in the conference is not where they would like it to be, they have the third best defense in the SEC, giving up just 413 points in six conference games. The Mustangs have scored 990 total points and given up just 981 points this season, a total scoring difference of +9. The team has not exactly had a season for the history books, but Josh Albers, senior guard and captain, is focused on what lies ahead. “We’re not having the season that we had hoped for yet, but there’s still time to turn it around. We have some big games coming up that can really make or break our season,” said Albers. Albers has been a part of the Mounds View basketball program since elementary school, and he is a lead-
er for the program as a whole. “I’ve had a great experience playing for this program for many years, but I’m looking forward to what’s next,” said Albers. He has
sports
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[at football] if I hadn’t wrestled,” said Schierts. “We work a lot as linemen on our footwork, and wrestling really helps you improve on your speed and skill.” While many skills are needed to be a successful wrestler, many will say that the most important one is a strong grasp on mental fortitude. “In wrestling, you have to be both physically and mentally tough to get through the long season,” said Schierts. This spirit is often what keeps wrestlers motivated and drives them to achieve their successes. Mounds View looks to start the playoff season at the home section meet on Feb. 15.
Brendan Dunagan, 11, wins his match against an opponent from Westfield. photo courtesy of Brendan Dunagan
committed to play for St. Olaf College next season and isn’t the first of his family to do so. A few years ago, his brother and Mounds View basketball graduate Nate also committed to St. Olaf, enjoying his run of success at the school. “I’m really looking forward to playing with Nate next year. I think St. Olaf will be a great fit for both my athletic and academics goals,” said Albers. The Mustangs have lost five of their last six games, but things are looking up. “We still have a great chance at making a run in the tournament if we can start winning some games again. Our guys have taken some knocks, and we’re having some issues with injuries, but we’re a strong team, and we’ll fight until the end,” said Albers. The camaraderie the team shares is prevalent on and off the court. “I really enjoy hanging out with the guys,” said Brendan Kauls, 12. “The seniors really want to go out on a good note, and we’re confident that we have what it takes to make this a good season.” Only time will tell if the Mustangs can get back to winning, but one thing is certain: They won’t go down without a fight.
John Carlson, 12, goes for a layup during a game. photo courtesy of Jake Wolkerstorfer
Pond hockey: a frozen tradition by Nadeem Aqel staff reporter The clear winter sky, the cold breeze whistling through the players’ jerseys, and the scribbles made by the skates on the lake. Listed by ESPN as one of the 101 things sports fans must experience before they die, pond hockey is a fitting way to enjoy the cold Minnesota weather. The first U.S. Pond Hockey Championship was held at Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis on January 20, 2006. A uniquely Minnesotan event, over 116 teams participated. This year marks the 13th annual championship. The last 12 tournaments have taken place at Lake Nokomis, also in Minneapolis. Since then, rivalries have developed, teams have been built, and popularity for the event has grown. The seven different divisions and 27 rinks provides enough space for the 2,000 players and over 20,000 fans over the three-day time period. In Minnesota, hockey holds a deep importance to both the athletes who play it and the fans who watch it. “Hockey is my life. I play it almost everyday, and it’s amazing,” said Jake Collier, 10, center player for the Mounds View boys hockey team.
Pond hockey is different from ice hockey because instead of being played indoors in an arena, it is played outdoors on a frozen body of water. The rules of this competition differ from those of regular ice hockey— goalies, goalie sticks and goaltending are not allowed, helmets are required but other protective equipment is optional and a wooden board with two small horizontal holes at each end serves as the goal instead of a net. “I have played pond hockey, and it’s not as competitive as regular hockey. It’s just more fun,” said Collier. Although the Championship has never left Minnesota, it still attracts hockey players from all over the U.S. and Canada who hope to win the golden shovel; it was found buried with the bones of four Viking warriors by Dr. Frank Bifflehoffer, an archaeologist from the University of Minnesota. In pond hockey lore it’s known that whoever has the shovel possesses ultimate power over the game. Although we’ve watched hockey evolve from ponds into modern arenas and seen many rule and equipment changes, the game still continues to bring huge amounts of attention from the thousands of fans that attend every year. With low temperatures and plenty of snow, the
pond hockey tradition doesn’t look like it’s going to die out anytime soon, so instead of sulking about the cold weather, take ESPN’s advice and get out and enjoy some pond hockey.
photo courtesy of Lorie Shaull
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top 10
NO’s for Valentine’s Day
10 Be basic
Take him/her to Don’s
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her family for 8 Meet the first time Complain 7 6 Go on a first date Call your ex 5 Feel bad about 4 being single Talk politics 3 up with 2 Break her Forget about it 1
O U Y V NH Y Z K A J E N C S P O B Q F R T I SNO Name: B G E B XK E G UH N L G P GD J MR N J R T NL U JM I J Search Maker ECreated J A with G ZTheTeachersCorner.net N E Y P Y I FWord DN L F TDB L SQOAPAKZUC February A H B N V D Q C B KFriday, Z P I I WW K M Q A X U15, J C2019 NO XP R D L Y R YM D ZK Z HW I F P B O K W N T V L M S O I U J J H S M U H E Q GM A V M P I T MM Y C G BA BJ T CM S KT Q O M Z D T V U U B K R B C U R K N R F L A H H R Z GCY I GPZVK J I V A VEH NK YP B ZUPX H M I S R C B J R E T X C L H N E U A U E Y L U QGT SEF R ETN IW O J R M K LNO AQ RY K KR SZWE G E G K X Q H E T C M L A V Y D T C R I E A W O U Y V NH Y Z K A J E N C S P O B Q F R T I SNO P DM X I J S R U C T H P D P T P B L WNW T J B R Q I A H B G E B XK E G UHN L G P G D J MR N J R T N L U JM I J WM E J A G Z N E Y P Y I F D N L F T D B L S Q OV AR P AI KL ZOU C L L H A WM U S P F K V W E WMU A P U S K H I R N R A H B N V D Q C B K Z P I I WW K M Q A X U J C N O X P R DP L S Z B E B S R T T T Q O K V V E W L Q X IQ C GM C XADVY W L A M H L S I W X X S D H I P C A E L Z ZW P B O KWN T V L M S O I U J J H S MUH E XHAHQRD E F A M U Y M F T R P W T U H O D Y Q B B T S TQOMZ D T V U U B K R B C U R K N R FW LA V H K B U X H M I S R C B J R E T X C L H N E U A U ET YTLAUR G S T WW E C J N A L F U I N I J X L O Q K R Z E G E G K X Q H E T C M L A V Y D T C R I EPAOWD H Q U A O R P A K V Q X H R J Y A P D M X I J S R U C T H P D P T P B L W N W T J B R Q I AKHT W P U V O E I H P H K C S M N D V R I L O WM L L H A WM U S P F K V W E WMU A P U S K D H S C O P V Z E R D H T P B K H I R N R P L S Z B E B S R T T T Q O K V V EW L Q X S B D U H T NWN P A C G T I C C X D Y W L A MH L S I W X X S D H I P C A E L TWD I L L C Z W L G Z WX A Q D E F A MU Y M F T R P W T U H OD Y Q Q X Q Y V U A UWQ T T A R G S T WW E C J N A L F U I N I J X Y K A XHGO T P O DHQU A O R P A K V Q XH R J Y A I QETPK K TWP U V O E I H P H K C S MND K DH S C O P V Z E R DH T P B WA MN S B D U H T NWN P A C G T DA TWD I L L C Z W L G Z SHUTDOWN YIG WRESTLING Q X Q Y V U A UWQ BASKETBALL FIRST WINTERFEST Y K A XHGO T I QETPK HALFTIME SUPERBOWL WALL WA MN TRUMP RANK CAFE DA LATTE
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SHUTDOWN YIG WRESTLING Viewer Mission Statement 1. To publish news, information and opinion articles for and about student, faculty and administration activities, interests and policies. BASKETBALL FIRST WINTERFEST 2. To maintain high ethical standards with regard to fairness, personal and legal rights, responsibilities and accuracy. HALFTIME SUPERBOWL 3. To provide a forum for free and responsible expression of student opinionWALL 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. TRUMP RANK CAFE 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 LATTE High School or its staff. The editors of the Viewer welcome and encourage the publication of all viewpoints.
Pet of The Issue
Name: Pickles
Age: 9 years old Gender: Male Breed: Golden Doodle Owner: Grace Pitsenbarger, 10 Favorite Toy: An empty peanut butter jar photos courtesy of Grace Pitsenbarger
Pickles facts Pickles loves taking long walks, stealing snacks, swimming, and socializing with kids by barking.
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