MV Viewer 2024-2025 Issue 7

MV makes changes in the cafeteria

This has included new food options and alterations to the lines

| Vincent Meyer ONLINE ME & SPREAD EDITOR

At the beginning of each school year, Mounds View undergoes a variety of changes. For many students, a prominent feature that grasps their attention is lunch. This year, the cafeteria has made several shifts by adding new foods and changing the organization of lunch lines.

As many students have noticed, while many of the menu options have remained the same, there have been some newly introduced foods. Some of these include beef and lentil sambusas, Woodles and chicken and chickpeas tikka masala. There are also a variety of reasons why these foods have been introduced. “We have been making updates to our menu to include more foods that are locally grown and produced, offer a variety of options to help meet more student dietary preferences and offer foods that are representative of our district com-

munity,” said Heather Schmidt, the district’s Nutrition Services Manager.

“I’ve always loved chicken tikka masala, so I’m glad that I can now eat it at school,”

Gabby Haake, senior

Some students have enjoyed the addition of new foods. “I’ve always loved chicken tikka masala, so I’m glad that I can now eat it at school,” said senior Gabby Haake. Others also noted how changing up the menu is more interesting than keeping the same dishes every week. “It just seems kind of like a new refresher to the things we’ve been getting,” said freshman Christian Yu.

More recent changes to the

cafeteria have included changing the organization of the line. The major change has been moving the milk crates to the end of the line and getting rid of the separate stations where students would normally get their sides. “An outside consultant came in and kind of analyzed the efficiency of how streamlined our lunch lines were able to go; we had the fruits and vegetables off to the side, and there was kind of congestion there. It was just to make it a little more smoother,” said Trisha Kasen, a nutrition services worker.

While changing the lines had the intention of making them quicker and more efficient, students have mixed feelings about whether they have been successful in doing so. “It holds up the line a lot. Like, if someone’s taking a long time to get every single thing, the people in the back get super cramped,” said senior Bria Mills. On the other hand, others believe that the line has become more efficient with the changes. “It’s not as traffic jammed at the front… it’s more spread out,” said junior Emery Klein.

A.I. chatbots on the rise

| Mara Peacock FEATURES EDITOR

Recently, the Chinese company DeepSeek introduced its latest artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, DeepSeek R1. This chatbot has created competition with OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, as well as various other AI programs owned by American firms. Shortly after the release of DeepSeek R1, Chinese company Alibaba announced a new version of its own chatbot, Qwen 2.5. Both DeepSeek R1 and Qwen 2.5 perform the same functions as ChatGPT and other AI chatbots but at a lower cost. This development has led to a decline in the stock prices of many American tech companies as competition in the industry and trade tensions between the U.S. and China escalate.

As AI programs continue to evolve, people are using AI more in their daily lives. A study conducted with Replika users, has revealed an emotional dependence on AI chatbots among users, indicating that prolonged usage can lead to diminished social skills. Although AI presents various potential risks, it can also offer benefits for people in certain circumstances. “I think it could be helpful for kids who have disabilities with communication and things like that. I think it could be a very helpful tool, but for anyone else, I think becoming reliant on it is going to diminish your own poten-

tial and your own ability,” said English teacher Rebecca HauthSchmid.

“I’m researching what it would [look] like to have an A.I. pathway here at Mounds View High School.”

Rob Reetz, principal

Companies and governments have increasingly adopted the usage of AI, with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk, developing an AI chatbot and using other machinelearning programs. In addition to DOGE’s actions, President Trump signed an executive order that eliminates AI safeguards, viewing the order as a means to increase AI productivity. This order removes basic guidelines for using AI, such as regular testing to ensure AI is following laws intended to protect civil liberties, making sure employees are accurately completing work and not wasting agencies’ resources. Additionally, Musk has fired federal workers and replaced them with AI, raising concerns about whether AI is able to assess and properly judge situations.

On a smaller scale, AI usage at Mounds View High School has been exceedingly prevalent. Many educators have

The Mounds View cafeteria experiments with different lunch line configurations

Looking to the future, the cafeteria’s food will continue to change as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules evolve. “We have strict rules and regulations to follow from the USDA and Minnesota Department of Education,” said Schmidt. For example, this year, new limits on the amount of added sugar in cereals, yogurts, and milk were put in place, which restricts what products can be provided to students.

With the continued changes to the cafeteria, only time will tell what effects it will have on the Mounds View students that eat school lunches every day. While most enjoy the various new foods to try, students have mixed feelings about the new organization of the lunch lines. Even with the uncertainty about the effects of the changes, what remains certain is that lunch at Mounds View will keep evolving as time passes.

shown concern about its use in students’ homework. “Unfortunately, kids will, instead of writing their own material, put it into AI, and it’s usually a dead giveaway because it uses vocabulary that they don’t even know the definition of and it just automatically sounds like a higher level of writing,” said Hauth-Schmid.

However, in other subject areas, such as science or math, some students have used AI to help them figure out how to solve problems or explain confusing steps. “I obviously don’t use [AI] to copy stuff down, but I feel like it’s really helpful to just break down math problems that you don’t know,” said senior Emily Luo.

“I think it could be helpful for kids who have disabilities with comunication and things like that. I think it could be a very helpful tool, but for anyone else, I think becoming reliant on it is going to diminish your own potentional and your own ability.”

Rebecca Hauth-Schmid, English teacher

Students often use AI chatbots like ChatGPT when working on school assignments

In addition, there is hope about integrating AI in schools’ to aid students and enhance their learning experience. “I’m researching what it would [look] like to have an AI pathway here at Mounds View High School. That would not necessarily introduce new courses, but teach the ethical and appropriate uses of AI for purposes of education and learning in a way that doesn’t put students in a position of having to be underhanded in their use of it,” said Rob Reetz, principal. For example, this would include using AI to create videos of scripts to see how it would look in real life or using it to make research for assignments more efficient. In the future, AI may have different uses or abilities. “I

like to compare it to when Google was first introduced, like how everyone said that students were just going to use Google to cheat on everything and that type of thing. But as it’s evolved, it’s just a searching tool, we learn how to use it,” said Computer Science teacher Christopher Hagel. “And I assume that that’s what’s going to happen with all these AIs right now is we’re just going to learn how to use it. We’ll be better prepared because right now it’s still new to a lot of us, and I think that people get better at prompting the ChatGPT and using it more as a tool, rather than a thing to do work.”

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Higher education fails us

Soaring tuition and crushing debt leave students behind

| Matthew Betti GOOD QUESTION EDITOR

nce a beacon of higher opportunity, the college dream has become a source of stress, debt and disillusionment for many students. With tuition costs skyrocketing, incredibly competitive acceptance rates and the need for traditional college degrees in the job market dropping, it is increasingly clear that the higher education system is failing. Many universities pride themselves on their exclusivity, often deliberately keeping acceptance rates low to create a more prestigious image. This obsession with selectivity fundamentally distorts the purpose of higher education, shifting the focus from education to a status symbol for the few who can get in. Many admission processes inadvertently favor wealthier students who can afford tutoring, test prep and impressive extracurriculars. Wealthier students can also tip the scale in their favor with the advantage

of legacy admissions and donor influence.

often negates the financial benefits of a college education.

Beyond that, one of the most glaring issues with college is the overwhelming financial burden. The average annual cost of attending a university is just under $40,000 while continuing a trend of annual tuition growth of 4.04% for the past several decades. Students are entering adulthood with crippling debt, a burden that follows them around for years after they graduate. The national student loan debt exceeds $1.7 trillion even after the enactment of former president Joe Biden’s loan forgiveness plan, which President Trump discontinued, leaving many Americans facing renewed debt.

With the high cost of attending college comes the question: Is it really worth it? While some degree holders out-earn their non-college counterparts, nearly 40% of recent college graduates work in jobs that do not require a degree at all, according to the Federal Reserve. Furthermore, student loan debt

Many students are receiving degrees in oversaturated fields, while markets like the trade and other technical markets struggle to find young workers. According to McKinsey and Company, the US skilled labor market has grown almost 20% since the first quarter of 2020. For example, jobs like electricians have surged, driven by the rapid expansion of AI data centers by leading tech companies. The rapidly aging current workforce in these sectors opens many opportunities for new workers as the only education required for many entry-level jobs is just a GED, and for more advanced roles, a two-year technical degree is usually sufficient. The average cost of a two-year degree at a technical college is around $3,800 per year, compared to nearly $40,000 per year at private four-year universities.

Several major companies are also shifting away from requiring college degrees. In 2022, companies like Google, Tesla and IBM announced they would prioritize skills and ex-

perience over formal education in hiring decisions. Google’s “Career Certificates” program offers online training in fields like IT support, data analytics and project management, allowing people to earn industry-

recognized credentials in just six months. Similar programs called Coding Bootcamps help future software engineers land six-figure jobs without a degree. Usually lasting less than a year, they offer valuable certificates in specific areas of software

engineering. Some coding boot camps have selection processes to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for the rigors of the program. These range from logical reasoning assessments to coding skills tests, depending on the program. Many programs cater to newer coders, giving valuable skills faster and cheaper than traditional college would.

The traditional college path is no longer the best option for everyone. With rising tuition, potential overwhelming debt and a shrinking job market for many degrees, students should start to explore other options for success. Whether through trade school or technical certifications, the connection between higher education and employment is changing. Rather than blindly following the outdated idea that college is the only path to success, students should evaluate their options based on cost, job prospects and most importantly their interests.

Passion meets awareness in railfanning

veryone has their “special interest,” the one subject they passionately obsess over. However, there is an unfortunate tendency for people to venerate that topic of interest to a toxic degree. I have experienced this firsthand as a railfan. Railfans are a subculture that maintains a significant interest in anything related to the railroad industry. We take photos and videos of trains, collect railroad artifacts, build scale models and even play train video games. Our love for trains cannot be understated.

Yet just like any other subculture, we railfans can lose sight of how our chosen interest is not infallible. For one, the entire concept of being a railfan revolves around celebrating a form of transportation that was instrumental in Manifest Destiny and the genocide of

Indigenous Americans. Both the historical construction and operation of American railroads have been scarred by numerous instances of racism, from the brutal living conditions and harsh treatment of Chinese laborers who helped build the transcontinental railroad to a lack of occupational mobility for Black railroaders. Today in 2025, most railfans tend to be straight white men. Diverse viewpoints are rare in this environment that is rife with toxic masculinity and petty comparisons. Women rarely, if ever, get truly welcomed into the community, which often drives them away from overtly expressing their interest in railfanning. Ditto for the railroad industry as a whole, which is still male-dominated — indeed, most railfans will make a big deal about catching a train with a female engineer or conductor, as if it is some prize to be won. Therein lies the problem with us railfans and similar sub-

cultures. Our staunch resistance to change is nearly as prominent as the objects we adore. We whine about old locomotive retirements because apparently our desires for a “rare catch” are more important than moving freight safely and efficiently. I have seen countless online comments on how railroads are becoming “woke” because they are painting some locomotives in special paint schemes to celebrate diversity. This intense backlash exists likely because the nostalgia factor in railfanning is probably one of the highest in any subculture. I have interacted with railfans who may still be in middle school but already are critiquing anything and everything. They long for a time period when they were not even alive!

“No one wants to leave behind the interests they love, so the key is to be mindful.”

So why do I still want to be a railfan? For the most part, I have kept my interest in trains a core part of my personality. No one wants to leave behind the interest they love, so the key is to be mindful. It is one thing to have an interest and refuse to learn about the less glamorous aspects of it, but it is another to actually make an effort to dig into what we might not want to hear. For example, I like learning about the intersection of railroad history with America’s racial past and sharing it with others. Encouraging and supporting railfans and railroaders of diverse backgrounds is also essential. One way I have worked on that is by subscribing and watching the YouTube channels of non-white and nonmale railfans, and calling out unnecessary bigotry when a conflict moves away from trains and toward the culture wars.

I am also a supporter of intentional preservation. One of the best ways to manage destructive nostalgia is to advocate for museums and heritage railroads that are actively trying to save

pieces of rail equipment and history for future enjoyment. Above all, I have tried my best not to be petty and just enjoy the hobby. There are still the sights, the sounds and even the smells to experience. Just like how some people like to watch anime or vintage films or take pictures of birds and nature, we railfans are still compelled to put aside disagreements for the sake of our hobby. Change does not happen overnight, so there is no point in getting in a tizzy over this paint scheme or that new battery locomotive. Every subculture has issues like this to some degree. No matter how mainstream or niche, I encourage everyone to look at their chosen interest and ask themselves: “What are the problems with my interest, and what can I do to work towards solving them?” I have heard many a railfan lament that “the only constant on the railroad is change.” In that vein, we all have to let ourselves and our hobbies change too.

ILLUSTRATION Via Yang

Mounds View’s rising TikTok fashion guru Passion for fashion

| Gloria Liu MDE & SPREAD

EDITOR

Freshman Dante Kytola is on the social media rise, garnering over 30,000 followers on TikTok. From fashion to lifestyle videos, Kytola loves sharing his hobbies with his viewers and hopping on the latest TikTok trends.

Kytola began posting on TikTok roughly two years ago. When his friends started posting on the app, Kytola saw it as an inspiration to start his own account. He did not expect his posts to go viral, but after his second post — a simple video stating his preference for baggy jeans — blew up and received around 6 million views, it sparked his motivation to continue posting about his fashion style.

At first, his content was strictly fashion-related, but as his account grew and his posts

activities and other ideas made his account more relatable to the general public and the fashion community. These videos allowed Kyolta to connect to his audience and build a larger following.

Even so, he still dedicates most of his account to sharing outfits. The overall theme of his fashion content is streetwear, which is his favorite fashion style. Growing up, he was influenced by his father, who is a fan of rap culture — commonly associated with streetwear. “When I was younger, my dad listened to rap music and was into streetwear too, so I think growing up around him, he just put me into that culture,” said Kyolta. Eventually, several streetwear brands caught his eye, including Balenciaga, Acne Studios and Our Legacy.

In addition to general fashion videos, a big part of Kytola’s TikTok is promoting his own clothing. Kytola was also

inspired by his father, a tattoo artist, to create his own clothing company, as he already had an interest in drawing and sewing. Along with his friend, Kytola started their own clothing business in January 2024, called diversity.msp, where they sold their first piece of clothing: a pair of jeans.

After getting their first order, Kytola recalls feeling disappointed. “It didn’t actually really feel good because I expected to sell way more right away, and selling only one or two pairs of jeans right away wasn’t really where I wanted to be,” said Kytola. However, after growing the business for a year now, it has slowly started gaining more attraction, with many of the pieces, such as a selection of artistic jeans and baggy jean shorts, or jorts, selling out.

“When I was younger, my dad listened to rap music and was into streetwear too, so I think growing up around him, he just put me into that culture.”

Dante Kytola, freshman

Kytola likes to come up with clothing designs based on what he feels is best. He starts off by sketching the clothing graphics by hand, coming

up with multiple versions before transferring those ideas to Adobe and making a Tech Pack before sending the designs to a manufacturer. He produces roughly 50 to 75 pieces per clothing. As of now, their business has successfully sold out multiple pieces, with more clothes to come. “I’ve had sweatpants on there. I’ve had hoodies. I’ve had jeans. I’ve had jean shorts,” said Kytola.

Kytola notes one of the coolest opportunities he has gotten since growing his TikTok account was partnering with BeReal in January 2024. Initially, BeReal had reached out to Kytola via a direct message on Instagram asking to collaborate. He created a BeReal ad in his own style and advertised it on his page.

Learning to navigate his clothing business has now given Kytola business experience,

which is something he plans to pursue in college, giving him leverage in his future plans. He has also expressed interest in modeling. His dream is to work with Balenciaga, whether it be modeling or partnerships. “I just like the way they put themselves out there, like their aes

Day-in-the-life influencer: Ethan Quehl

| Sinim Dhiguma ONLINE EIC

Senior Ethan Quehl began posting regularly on his TikTok account, @ethanquehl, in 2023. Amassing over 13.7K followers, his account consists of day-in-the-life content. Currently, Quehl has posted around 623 day-inthe-life posts along with additional videos about general life advice, racking up 479.1K likes across his TikTok.

Q: What is your account name on TikTok?

A: “@ethanquehl”

Q: What is the primary type of content you post on TikTok?

A: “I post daily life videos. I’ll post slideshows. So I

take a picture of what I do all day — like 30 pictures [total] — and I just post those to TikTok. People just like to see what I do.”

Q: What made you want to start posting on TikTok?

A: “In 2023, I started posting and I’ve taken a few breaks since then. It was just an idea that came [to me] and I was like, ‘it seems cool to do that.’ Also, I wanted to make money.”

Q: What have been some highlights since starting your TikTok account?

A: “I do have a video that has like 1.5M views and 150k likes. I don’t want to be the guy who only cares about numbers, [but] it’s still pretty cool to have a

video that’s that big.”

Q: Do you equate your TikTok account to a business?

A: “Not right now, maybe in the future if I grow a little bit bigger, but at the moment I’m still in high school, so maybe once I get into college and I have more time to focus on that stuff. I used to make money from TikTok, but since they changed the rules, you have to be 18.”

Q: Approximately how much time do you spend towards creating and editing TikToks?

A: “I’d say about like 15 to 30 minutes each day. It depends on if I post another video on top of my daily ones. So, like two to three

hours a week.”

Q: Have you faced any hardships in your TikTok journey?

A: “Last year, I posted a questionable video and I guess that kind of shows how I’m still a teenager and maybe social media shouldn’t be for all kinds of teenagers because teenagers still aren’t fully developed. So, I’ve definitely learned a lot through my journey on TikTok, but I think that it’s been worthwhile to go through hardships cause I can learn from that and in the future become better in many things in life, especially on my TikTok and [overall] social media presence.”

PHOTO | Dante Kytola

PHOTO VIA Dante Kytola

PHOTO VIA Dante Kytola

PHOTO | Dante Kytola

Kytola posing while on vacation.

Kytola’s brand, Diversity jeans.

Kytola’s brand, Diversity hoodie.

Kytola visiting Mexico.

PHOTO VIA @ethanquehl Quehl’s Tiktok account

Bouldering club climbs to the top

| Isabella Kunc PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

Bouldering, rock climbing without tools or ropes, is not only a fun new experience with friends, but it can also lead to a lifetime activity with family. Junior Aidan Beisang began bouldering in fifth grade after learning from his dad who rock climbed and bouldered. Senior Katherine Schaberg used to boulder with her sister. This is the idea that started one of Mounds View’s newest clubs, bouldering club, that meets to do nothing more than boulder and have fun.

Beisang decided to start the club in order to find new climbing buddies and teach people a new sport. “I just really like climbing, and it’s fun to go climbing with people, and it’s always hard. I knew so many people would be interested in trying new stuff,” he said. While he enjoys having a group to boulder with, Beisang finds it challenging sometimes when trying to teach others. “It’s weird to teach because a lot of [bouldering] is something I just automatically do, and [teaching] it makes me think about it a little more,” he said.

Most people who joined the club are new to bouldering,

yet the opportunity to learn a new skill draws them in. “I’ve always thought [bouldering] looked really fun,” said senior Shreeya Pavani. “And when I saw a post on Instagram for this, I thought it’d be really cool. I wanted to check it out.”

Pavani, who then shared the post with her friend Schaberg, got inspired to attend the introduction meeting for the club and the first practice.

The first meeting was on Feb 26. Since then, the 15-person club meets twice a month on Friday afternoons for practice. They spend two to three hours bouldering at the Minneapolis Bouldering Project, where they get a discount for going as a group, paying $16 for climbing and equipment. However, Beisang would like to move practices to weekends so that more people can make it.

The newness of the club lends itself to a less competitive atmosphere where it feels more like a hang out than a rigorous club according to Schaberg. “[Bouldering club] is very laid back in the sense that it just kind of started up, so it hasn’t been a thing for super long. I feel like what makes it standout is it’s just a group of friends or people going and doing something fun together,” she said.

Since the group is relatively new to the sport, a feature of the club is how accepting and inclusive the club is, inviting new members and teaching them how to boulder. “[I love] the environment and how inclusive it is to new people and how much everybody wants to focus on helping others get into bouldering as opposed to just working on their own things during practice,” Pavani said.

However, bouldering can also be challenging, especially to people who are unused to the movements or the muscles involved. “Bouldering is really, really hard. It was definitely harder than I expected it to be. After I did a couple of climbs, my forearms were really sore [and] my hands were sore,” said Pavani.

Beisang hopes to make it easier by teaching the specific skills and training necessary to be good at bouldering. “With bouldering, a lot of it is body positioning and very specific techniques you have to learn. So I’ll just show them that when we come across it, and body positioning just takes practice,” he said, later adding, “Conditioning for boulders is a little different. There’s a lot of hangboarding. I’m planning to [include it] in a couple sessions, but I need

to get [the club] introduced to it first.”

The club hopes to expand in the future, with more community outreach and potentially another info meeting. They would like to compete but are working up to it for now. “I’d love to get us to a point where we can compete at some point, but it’s not probably not gonna be this year,” Beisang said.

Mounds View alum writes on

TMANAGING EDITOR

wo years ago, Mounds View alum Maya Betti led the school newspaper as Editor-in-Chief, The Viewer. Since graduating in 2023, Betti has been busy continuing with journalism. Between

editing the news section of St. Olaf’s weekly newspaper, the Olaf Messenger, and collecting multiple internships over the summer, her impact has spread beyond Mounds View as she builds up her portfolio.

Although Betti spent a few years working on The Viewer,

writing for a paper in college is a lot more serious and more difficult. While The Viewer gave her monthly deadlines for each issue, college newspapers are more time demanding. “You have a tighter turn around, that’s for sure. Most colleges have weeklies or dailies. There’s not gonna be a lot of monthlies,” said Betti. “It’s competitive. We’re not guaranteed a position, especially for schools that have [journalism] schools. You oftentimes intern for the student newspaper before you’re granted a position.”

Beyond these differences, Betti still retains some important skills she learned from her high school newspaper. “I think the one thing I learned at The Viewer is how to ask a good question, and I think having that skill is super helpful in journalism, but it’s just helpful in really any other job imaginable. I think the skills of being a good writer and knowing how to posit things in a concise and clear way helped me with my [summer] internship.”

Last summer, Betti had an internship with the Park Bugle where she wrote mostly feature articles. She found it by crossreferencing internship programs with grants and newspapers and from there just reaching out. “It was a really good chance to get that on-the-ground reporting, like being at events and cov-

ering them there and getting quotes all within the event. It’s a lot different than when you’re at school, and you can email faculty members or other students, and you know you’re gonna get a response, and you know that, to some extent, most people are willing to interview with you.” Being off campus, she sometimes had trouble interviewing people at events.

Betti also had a communications internship with Governor Walz’s office last summer, where she worked on his social media presence and writing speeches. “Me and the other intern did a lot of his social. We took over his Instagram. I also attended press events. There were many, of course, and then [I] helped media set up, stuff like that. [We did] a lot of press releases just about new bills that had been passed or events that were going to be held. [I did] rankings of Minnesota, like if we ranked number one in health care for 2024, I would craft a press release, and then also talking points, which is like speeches that the governor gives at local events.”

However, she found multiple challenges when writing about the events the governor attended. “Making sure you’re aware of all the details that would go into [writing speeches], like who to thank, what to thank them about, and also what

Beisang hopes people join the club just to have fun and try something they do not usually do. “It was a lot of fun, and I really liked being able to go from not knowing how to boulder at all and then figuring out some of these more complicated walls, so I’m excited to go again,” Pavani said.

the event is itself and you gotta have it in the governor’s voice.” She traveled around Minnesota with him, going to Mankato for an event.

Out of many stories written, Betti’s favorite was one where she got to connect with her community. “My favorite story would be, last year I covered — Northfield has a really iconic slogan called ‘Cows, colleges and contentment,’ and last year they switched out the last part of it to ‘community’ — and I covered community reaction to that. And also I was able to get an interview with the mayor and some council members, and then I got this really cool interview from the grandson of the person who made the original slogan. It was just a really good community moment, and it made me feel really connected to the Northfield community specifically as a freshman,” she said.

While Betti decides whether to go into journalism after college, she does not regret her decision to get involved in news writing during high school and college. “I think it is just a really great way, even if you don’t plan on using it as your professional career, [to] just build those critical writing skills that you use in nearly any subject in any job,” she said.

PHOTO VIA Matthew Betti

PHOTO VIA @mvboulderingclub on Instagram Senior Shreeya Pavani climbing at Minneapolis Bouldering Project

Mounds View alum Maya Betti at her internship | Isabella Kunc

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When religion meets EDUCATION

Controversy splits the nation

| Lillian Landberg FEATURES EDITOR

The controversy of the separation of church and state has sprung back into relevance in the past two years. With several states passing bills related to religion in schools, the debate filters into the daily lives of students, and the question of whether bringing religion into public schools is constitutional floods the national stage.

Louisiana, Florida and Texas have changed the view on religion in education. Texas passed a law in 2024 that encouraged public schools to adopt a Bible-based curriculum. This law follows suit from a bill passed in the Louisiana legislature that required the Ten Commandments to be posted in all classrooms beginning in 2025. Florida, similar to Texas, permits the Bible to be studied in all classrooms across the state.

These states are a part of the U.S. region labeled the Bible Belt, which has some of the highest church attendance, with religion playing a large part in their culture and the laws passed in their legislatures. The belt does not have an official border but most commonly includes fractions of Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas and other Southern states according to a survey by YouGov.

Whether the laws passed

in the Bible Belt about religion are constitutional or not lies in the First Amendment. The amendment states that the nation cannot establish a national religion. Pushing a Bible-based curriculum does not establish a national religion, but some believe it is a step in that direction. “There’s so many different religions that the state shouldn’t adopt one to try and rule over everybody,” said senior Ellie Dostal Dauer.

Others believe that just posting the Ten Commandments does not necessarily promote religion, but is rather just a sign of school values. “I think schools in the South shouldn’t be forcing children to read the Ten Commandments, necessarily. But if they’re saying, ‘This is what our school’s values are based on, these [commandments],’ I think that’s one thing,” said senior Asher Compton. “Then it’s up to the individual and their parents to decide if that’s a school they want to go to.”

Some believe that states are just representing their religious population and that religion is so enshrined in U.S. history that the government cannot exist without it. “Bible verses are still inscribed on government buildings, so the separation of church and state, how could that possibly be real when Congress began sessions in prayer, the Supreme Court began sessions in prayer? So if religion isn’t sup-

posed to be a part of our public life, why is all that there?” said Health teacher Ross Fleming.

Minnesota has seen less of a push in its own legislature to have a Bible-based curriculum,

allow religious documents in classrooms or include any other strong presence of religion.

As of now, Minnesota public schools require neutrality towards religion. “I think some of the values that are in religion definitely do align with how people should be treated. But in the way of trying to force religion onto people and force them to participate in a certain religion, I don’t necessarily agree with all of those aspects,” said senior Ben Arnold.

However, the ban of school-sponsored prayers and other religious gatherings does not stop independent groups from showcasing and practicing their beliefs on school grounds.

“If you are a practicing Christian and say you need to pray at 12 o’clock exactly, then I think the school should accommodate that, but if they are accommodating you and not other religions, then I think that’s what I don’t like,” said Dostal Dauer.

Although not as prevalent, schools across the country have faced lawsuits from people accusing the school of indoctrinating students into another religion — that religion disproportionately being Islam. For example, in May 2019, a lawsuit was filed by a student against Charles County Public Schools. The student, Caleigh Wood, made the argument that the school had begun promoting Islam under the guise of teaching history. However, the Supreme Court refused to hear her case after the 4th Circuit Court

of Appeals ruled against her. Regardless of the religion, the debate over religious freedom and education will continue to take center stage in these next few years. “People should be free to practice their own religion, as said in the constitution. So when we are implementing things such as readings of the Bible in schools, while yes, that caters to one religion, there’s a ton that is being left out. It’s just not good for the students who are facing that prejudice,” said Dostal Dauer.

The progression of religion in American schools

| Sinim Dhuguma ONLINE EIC

Despite the recent increase in headlines about the incorporation of religion in public schools, this conversation goes back several decades. The topic is still filled with debates over whether the First Amendment rights of freedom of religion and free speech contradict or support the expression of religion in a classroom. The continuous fight extends not just to schools with predominantly religious student bodies, but also to the curriculums taught in schools all over the country.

Beginning when the first European settlers arrived in the United States, religious freedom has long been a core value for many Americans. “This country was founded under religious

freedom. That was the whole reason that Puritans and Pilgrims and Quakers came here. They wanted the opposite of what they were coming from, where it was a government religion,” said Ross Fleming, Health and Phy. Ed. teacher and self-proclaimed history buff. To early colonists, part of this religious freedom meant that schools had the freedom to include religion within children’s daily education. The laws around religion in schools depended on the predominant Protestant denomination in each colony with varying focuses and methods.. For instance, Puritan schools in Connecticut used Bible verses to teach students the alphabet while Virginia law required parents to regularly send their children to local church officials for religious instruction.

“I worry that in some ways, the framing of religion in schools is a way to ‘other’ kids and to center other kids as a priority.”

Justin Benolkin, social studies teacher

After the American Revolution, the laws around religion shifted. The passage of the Bill of Rights in 1791 — which established the separation of church and state in the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment — caused churches to lose a great deal of power to dictate the values of the next generations. This caused some panic

among church leaders about how children would learn to act morally. However, removing churches’ control was only a small first step to restricting religion in public schools.

In the 1800s, the Common School Movement encouraged education on religion without promotion of any singular denomination. This was done by requiring that common schools — essentially public schools — taught only direct quotations of the Bible, leaving any interpretation to instructors outside of the schools, such as parents. Despite finding great success in the Northeast — especially Connecticut — and the Midwest, the movement still received criticism from non-Protestants, such as Catholics. By the mid-1800s, common schools began to lose

their influence due to the many issues dividing Protestant society, including a desire to localize control of schools, as well as debates around slavery and immigration. Additionally, private schools began to emerge around this time, emphasizing the common schools’ decline.

During the Progressive Era in the U.S. — late 19th century to early 20th century — several reform movements spread across the nation. One of these was the Progressive Education Movement, which aimed to universalize education and limit the differences in education styles that existed prior. By shifting the primary focus of education from religion to subjects that increased students’ problem-solving skills like math and sciences, the movement indirectly led educa-

Religious expression at Mounds View

| Sidharth Sharma

DEBATES EDITOR

At Mounds View, there has been an increasing presence of religious expression among students, including more talk about religion and expression of faith. “I’ve noticed that a lot more of them are wearing religious shirts, clothing … and that’s something that’s new,” said Social Studies teacher Justin Benolkin. This trend reflects the growing openness around religious identity within the Mounds View community.

Christian clubs at Mounds View like the Breakfast Club and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) provide students with a space to discuss faith, personal growth and how to navigate school while maintaining their beliefs. “In our meetings, we often talk about how to stay grounded in our faith during the challenges

of school. It really helps me focus on what matters most,” said junior FCA member Ted Chresand. FCA meetings typically involve Bible studies and testimonies, but they also address current events and what it means to be a Christian in a public school.

Beyond faith-based discussions, FCA members aim to foster community and create a positive presence in the school.

“People who are seeking a deep relationship can come together because [it is] not very often where a group of 50 high schoolers can get together and just have a deep conversation that usually gets overlooked at school,” said Chresand.

Like the FCA’s efforts to create a space for Christianbased community, the Muslim Student Association (MSA) at Mounds View serves a similar role for Muslim students.

The MSA provides a space for

tion to become more secular.

Around this time, the Tennessee Supreme Court case Scopes v. State gained attention all over the nation, and even

the world, as people considered the importance of teaching evidence-based science as opposed to strictly religious concepts. In 1925, John Scopes was charged with violating the Butler Act, a state law that prevented the teaching of any biological theory that contradicted biblical divine

prayer, discussion and connection, while welcoming those interested in learning about Islam. “We wanted to create a space where people could pray amongst each other … and just feel more comfortable in being a Muslim,” said junior Nuha Adan, a leader of MSA. In addition to fostering this community, the group works to dispel misconceptions and answer common questions.

The MSA also advocates for accommodations like a school prayer space and alternative locations for fasting stu-

dents during Ramadan. School prayer time takes place in Kauls Court, spanning from 1:30 to 1:50 P.M. for boys and 1:55 to 2:15 P.M. for girls from Monday to Thursday every week. “Having a prayer room and certain time for students to pray feels as if they’re more included in the school,” said junior Sulema Abdi, another leader of MSA. While fostering understanding, the MSA emphasizes that the goal remains inclusivity. Leaders hope to expand outreach through collaborations and broader discussions on diversity.

Teachers at Mounds View face the challenge of navigating sensitive topics in their classrooms, especially when scientific theories or historical perspectives intersect with religious beliefs. These subjects, such as evolution or the Big Bang Theory in astronomy, often prompt questions and concerns from students who hold strong religious or spiritual

creation. Scopes was found guilty of teaching Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and fined $100. However, the verdict was later overturned as the Tennessee Supreme Court decided Scopes was excessively fined, and years later in 1967, the Butler Act was repealed.

In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. This clause prevented the federal government from declaring a national religion in the United States, designating the U.S. as a religious melting pot and limiting religious bias. “I worry that in some ways, the framing of religion in schools is a way to ‘other’ kids and to center other kids as a priority. In the same way, we pass a lot of legislation to try to open up and be more open, and I worry that sometimes when you bring faith in schools, it’s not a matter

views.

Teachers are not only responsible for conveying the material accurately, but also for dispelling misconceptions while respecting diverse perspectives. “I don’t feel the need to do any kind of disclaimer because as a public school educator, my job is to educate students about all the important aspects of biology, and that’s not to address religious conflicts, so I don’t overtly bring that up in class,” said biology teacher Mark Johnson. “However, if a student asks in the course discussion, ‘what about God?’ then I will take the time to say ‘well, we might be looking at this topic from two different perspectives,’ and my job is to help them with the scientific understanding of how life changes over time.”

Johnson believes that evolution is a crucial topic when learning about biology and that students do not need to change what they believe in to understand it. “It’s really important to understand that evolution need not contradict [students’] religious beliefs. It’s a largely American phenomenon, to pit evolution and religion against each other… There’s no reason people can’t be a very religious person, very devout, and still appreciate and understand why evolution is so important to biology,” he said.

Teachers and students alike seem to learn much from these discussions, all while keeping a civil, engaging conversation. “I always personally approach [these topics] in terms of curiosity [and in] a very open-minded way, never trying to tell someone like ‘you’re wrong.’ It’s always like, ‘here’s what I think I know and what I can interpret based on the evidence that I’ve got.’ But other people have interpreted it differently,” said

of opening things, it’s a matter of closing things,” said Justin Benolkin, social studies teacher.

Further considering the curriculum taught in schools, in Edwards v. Aguillard, a 1987 case, the Supreme Court decided that Louisiana’s Creationism Act — a law requiring any education on evolution to be taught alongside religious beliefs of creation — violated the constitution because it promoted only one religion as an alternative to scientific theory.

Since then, more restrictions have been placed on allowing overt religious practice. For example, the 2000 Supreme Court case Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe prohibited school-sponsored prayers at sports games, mainly football. Nearly two decades later, a 2019 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that only 8% of students at public schools in the U.S. have ever had a teacher lead them in prayer, and the

science teacher Jacob Hairrell. At the end of the day, Mounds View teachers have to balance the need for all students to feel comfortable with the material while maintaining their dedication to evidence-based education.

“However, if a student asks in the course discussion, ‘what about God?’ then I will take the time to say ‘well, we might be looking at this topic from two different perspectives,’ and my job is to help them with the scientific understanding of how life changes over time.”

Mark Johnson, biology teacher

As religious expression becomes more visible at Mounds View, students are finding community through religious clubs, which offer spaces for faith, discussion and support. Meanwhile, teachers navigate the intersection of belief and education, ensuring classrooms remain both inclusive and rooted in evidence-based learning. As faith and academics intertwine, Mounds View continues to shape a space where diverse beliefs are supported and academics are taught with respect and integrity.

same percent have had the Bible read to them and referred to as an example of literature, depicting the extent to which laws restrict religious bias in public schools.

Although public schools have limited actions such as prayer, there are still plenty of religious students. “When I see the current debates about it, I see it framed around the idea that kids these days are less religious or less moral. And I have a big problem with that being the case when the evidence doesn’t seem to say that. You’re making decisions not based on evidence, but based on what you feel,” said Benolkin. While there has been a decrease in religiosity between this generation of adolescents and their parents, this change is far less extreme than most people believe. According to the 2019 Pew Research Center survey mentioned earlier, 85% of adolescents reported belief in God or a universal spirit, comparable to

their parents’ 89%. However, in the same study, teens were more likely to question this, with only 40% saying they are absolutely certain of their belief, compared to 60% of their parents.

Throughout American history, religious education has been a contentious topic with both sides using the First Amendment to justify their arguments. In an attempt to embrace the country’s religious diversity, measures by the U.S. government have undeniably led to less religious partiality in educational settings. Yet, contrary to popular belief, this does not mean that students are completely doing away with religion. In fact, evidence from the survey shows that religiosity is present at nearly the same rates as earlier generations, with critical thought and consideration about these beliefs expanding.

Lale Akkin

Should we de-extinct species?

De-extinction is the process of using advanced biotechnology to revive an extinct species. Several organisms could potentially be brought back, such as the woolly mammoth, thylacine and dodo. On March 4, bioscience company Colossal announced that they had edited seven genes in mice embryos to create mice with hair similar to the mammoth, taking one step closer to resurrecting the species. Proponents believe these efforts could help restore ecological balance by reintroducing species into their original habitats. However, de-extinction raises ethical and practical concerns, with concerns surrounding the immense costs and the uncertainty about whether these animals can truly thrive in modern ecosystems.

Bring them back Leave them be

| Grayson Then STAFF REPORTER

The widespread extinction of plants and animals in the past 500 years has devastated Earth’s biodiversity. However, bioengineering companies have an unprecedented opportunity to not only fix catastrophic damage to the environment, but also significantly advance our knowledge of biology and ecology. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, at least 777 known species of animals have gone extinct since 1500. The Center for Biological Diversity claims that 99% of these extinctions resulted from human activities such as habitat loss, overhunting, climate change, pollution and introduction of invasive species, emphasizing that human practices artificially speed up the process of extinction well beyond its natural rate. Because of the widespread harm humanity has caused, correcting those mistakes with de-extinction technology has gained more importance than ever. Opponents of deextinction, as evidenced in an article from the Ecological Society of America, point out that the sudden reintroduction of a previously extinct species would throw off the balance of the current ecosystem. However, real-life examples prove that rein-

troducing a species can greatly benefit the ecosystem.

The return of gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park marked one of the most famous examples of reintroduction. By 1926, government control efforts eradicated the last gray wolves from Yellowstone, and in the decades following their removal, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem suffered. Without a main predator, the elk population skyrocketed in the park, leading to more trees and plants getting eaten, which resulted in less food and shelter for other species. Starting in 1995, park officials addressed the crisis by reintroducing gray wolves to the park from Canada. Since then, the population has grown to around 100 wolves, decreasing the elk population back to healthy numbers, stimulating plant growth and restoring balance in the ecosystem.

Bioengineers believe that the revival of Yellowstone’s wolves can be replicated with other species and ecosystems. Smithsonian Magazine claims that the reintroduction of mammoths to the Arctic tundra could help restore natural grasslands by reducing encroachment of trees and shrubs. Evidence also shows that mammoths would trample snow cover, exposing

permafrost to colder air temperatures and slowing its melting process that releases greenhouse gases. De-extinction programs have a longterm goal of reintroducing herds of mammoths to the Arctic, where they would fit the ecological niche and have a key role in the fight against climate change. If de-extinction technology successfully resurrects lost species, it could be a vital lifeline to currently endangered species like the northern white rhino, deemed functionally extinct in 2018 after the last male died, leaving only two remaining females. According to the BBC, scientists are attempting to save the species through in vitro fertilization (IVF) by using sperm collected from sincedeceased male rhinos, as well as stem cell technology to grow new embryos in labs. After a project with similar southern white rhinos led to a successful pregnancy, northern white rhinos move closer to making a comeback.

As human actions cause the extinction of species to increase rapidly around the world, new technologies can slow it down and restore what the world lost. The advances made by bioengineering companies have a chance to set things right, launch our understanding of biology to new heights and unlock scientific possibilities.

e-extinction is understandably exciting for many people. The idea of seeing a woolly mammoth for the first time or bringing back animals that have not been seen in generations sounds enticing. However, what happens to these creatures after they are reborn requires heavy consideration. There are only two ways it could go: either the animals are released back into the wild, or they are kept in captivity. Both equally represent systems of cruelty.

Reintroducing a species back into the wild can pose dangerous consequences, especially with the state of ecosystems adapted to survive or somewhat flourish without the previously extinct organism. Take for example the woolly mammoth, a commonly proposed animal to revive from extinction. The woolly mammoth went extinct an estimated 10,000 years ago, and much has changed in the snowy tundras it once inhabited. The critically endangered Siberian tiger and Amur leopard could have their delicately balanced predator-prey relationship offset if the wooly mammoth returns to the area without previous scientific work for studying the system when it included the organism. Essentially, the Siberian tiger and Amur leopard could go extinct at the slightest risky change, including bringing back an animal that has been

dead for 10,000 years. This circumstance relates to paleo-rewilding, where ecologists introduce nearrelatives of an extinct species. These once-extinct species will also take loads of funding in order to create. Colossal BioSciences announced on Jan. 15 this year that it raised $200 million to bring back the woolly mammoth, the Tasmanian tiger and the dodo bird. On the other hand, a study published in 2015 in an issue of Current Biology found that it would only take a mean of $1.55 million to save an endangered or critically endangered species, or $2.1 million today when adjusted for inflation. The $200 million spent to revive just three species could instead protect up to 95,000 animals, including all 10,787 endangered or critically endangered species on the IUCN Red List, making this spending an extravagant spectacle disguised as conservation.

The $200 million spent to revive just three species could instead protect up to 95,000 animals

If the organisms are not released into the wild, they will likely be kept in captivity. If this is done, any argument about the

Jadyn Heath-Hlavacek | STAFF REPORTER

moral obligation of humans trying to conserve and restore ecosystems is debunked. As already established, placing deextinct animals into the wild will not necessarily restore ecosystems, and neither will keeping these animals captive. Captivity has been proven harmful for multiple animals such as elephants, tigers and orcas with 180 orcas dying in captivity according to Whale and Dolphin Conservation. Lack of space, needs for socialization and mistreatment are not uncommon, and expecting something different for human reinvented species is irrational. Rather than making an effort to preserve species that are still alive, the de-extinct animals, in this case, will be nothing more than a spectacle. Reviving extinct animals may seem like a way to restore ecosystems, but it only creates more problems. Whether through captivity or disrupting ecosystems that have already adapted, de-extinction leads to suffering for the animals involved. Instead, conservation should focus on protecting the biodiversity we still have and preserving the ecosystems that are at risk.

GOOD QUESTION

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2025

Why are financial literacy courses important?

| Sean Oh STAFF REPORTER

According to a study performed by the National Endowment for Financial Education, only 24% of respondents showed basic financial literacy in the study, with just 8% showing a high level of knowledge. Yet, 69% gave themselves a high selfassessment of financial knowledge. Very few people across the world actually possess financial literacy skills, and being informed can help people improve their budgeting and improve their quality of life.

As per the S&P Rating Services global financial literacy survey, around 57% of American adults are financially literate. Also, according to a report from the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center, Gen Z participants were only able to answer an average of 37% of financial literacy questions correctly. Financial comprehension is severely lacking and a global issue.

One of the benefits of financial literacy and its widespread implementation in schools is that they can help provide a bet-

ter understanding of the economy. Without it, many students fall through the cracks and lack important skills that set them up for financial success later in life. Financial literacy also helps people avoid devastating financial consequences, such as crippling debt or bankruptcy. Many daily expenses require knowledge of budgeting and credit scores and how they impact interest rates. It also helps people prepare for long-term financial stability through investment opportunities and saving plans for retirement or emergencies.

Furthermore, financial literacy can have benefits beyond individual gains according to the Queensborough Trust Bank. Financially literate people can contribute more to economic stability and growth, weather financial downturns better, have more self-reliance and promote social equality.

In Mounds View courses like Personal Finance, which is now a requirement to graduate, teachers try to instill useful knowledge into their students to combat financial illiteracy. “There are lessons peppered throughout the [Personal Fi-

nance] course in practical knowledge and skills that can help students make changes to their own financial system on the fly while they’re taking the course,” said Personal Finance teacher Philip Schut. These classes reinforce lessons through the use of hands-on activities and in depth-discussions. “We’re laying out a framework or a blueprint of a financial plan that can help students start to put money away into savings, so that they can establish an emergency fund, so that they can start to branch out and find higher yield products beyond a basic savings account,” said Schut.

These teaching strategies and their real world applications have led to better engagement and participation from the students. “I’ve had tons and tons and tons of students tell me over the years that it was one of the more impactful classes, if not the most impactful classes they’ve ever had,” said Schut.

Some important skills that students gain in the class include wealth building, investment strategies, buying real estate, retirement options and career plans. “[We] research

different career options, the money associated with getting the education needed for that career, and then how much money they’re expected to make afterwards,” said DaNae Klimek. Students also learn about behavioral economics, which allows them to gain a deeper understanding of their financial decision-making.

Junior Thien Tran, who took personal finance in his freshman year, learned both financial literacy and career skills, like making a good first impression. “It helped me to

better understand how to do my taxes, how to budget and how to better understand money,” he said.

Financial literacy is a widespread issue, and many lack this crucial life skill. It helps build better relationships with money, understand how to grow savings and set good habits that will continue to be useful for students’ entire lives. As long as money, currency and jobs exist, the need for financial literacy will also exist.

Why are national exams going digital?

| Lale Akkin SPREAD EDITOR

Starting this May, students will take most Advanced Placement (AP) exams through Bluebook — a digital testing application — and leave behind paper booklets. Most of the exams are experiencing full or partial changes, and this switch leaves students, teachers and graders across the nation with questions.

According to CollegeBoard, 28 of the 38 exams will shift toward a computer platform. Sixteen of those 28 are fully digital, and they are mostly subjects that have an extensive written portion, such as the history-based or English exams. Another 12 will be hybrid, which generally include Free Response Questions that require the test taker to show their work with pen and paper, such as in mathematics.

The remaining exams not given through Bluebook will vary, with eight of them staying unchanged this year. However, those eight, including AP Music Theory and language exams, have plans to switch in the future.

Switching to digitized exams helps the CollegeBoard administer and track exams more easily. According to a CollegeBoard article, the main reason that they chose to make the switch was the rise in cheating and academic dishonesty, since paper exams were more vulnerable to theft. For ex-

ample, many Reddit users sold leaked questions last year or posted about group chats that exchanged those leaked questions.

The change to digital exams also requires fewer proctors and printed exams, which normally cost the CollegeBoard a lot of money and effort to keep track of all physical copies. “When they used to do it, it was boxes upon boxes upon boxes upon boxes. And they would hire lots of [temporary aids] to physically bring them to all the different table locations. And then by the end of the reading, they would still be getting them in the mail,” said math teacher Leah Higginbotham.

For many students, taking digital exams will not be a big adjustment, and some students even think aspects of the exam will be easier. Their experience depends on their writing preference, with some students preferring handwriting and others preferring to type. “I think [digital is] nice for essay questions, but I kind of like it when you can write on multiple choice,” said junior Jessica Zhang.

Digital exams are also easier to grade, since most graders will not need to travel anymore. Normally, the exam graders travel to a large convention every year, but grading can now be done virtually. Because of the virtual grading during the COVID-19 pandemic, graders already have an idea of what this will look like. For example, according to Higginbotham, the Free Response Question portion of the Calculus exams could be scanned and sent digitally. Although these portions will still be administered on paper, the students will see the questions displayed on a screen and have the response sheets on paper. These response sheets will be scanned to send to the graders.

The AP exams are only one example of national exams transitioning to a digital format. The American College Testing (ACT), one of the biggest standardized tests in the United States, is also paving a way to digitization. Since 2023, students have been given a choice between taking it digitally or on paper, but it is un-

clear whether or not they will remove paper tests anytime soon. According to the ACT, they are working on improving the digital formatting of the test and creating more flexibility regarding the science portion. While the ACT still has paper options, the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) became fully digital in the U.S. in March of 2024. While this change streamlined the testing and grading process, some technical difficulties came along with it. For example, 1,400 students in the East Bay could not take their exam last June because the Wi-Fi of the testing site was not working according to NBCBayArea. Additionally, many test takers had their SAT automatically submitted before the end of their testing time on March 8 according to the CollegeBoard.

The ACT provides devices for test takers and does not accept personal computers, but for the SAT and AP exams, students must bring their own device. This creates concerns over device accessibility and requirements. Some schools still do not provide school-issued devices to their students, and digital test taking could be subject to internet issues. “I think the chromebooks are going to hinder our AP testing abilities because ours are aging, and they don’t work very well, especially the keyboards,” said senior Griffin Boldt.

Despite these concerns, new alternatives to test taking and test security will continue

to appear as the digital world grows and technology improves. “Companies are trying to change with the times, and so everybody’s got to change with the times,” said Higginbotham.

Online exams

These 16 exams will be taken entirely on a computer, with multiple-choice and free-response questions submitted digitally: African American Studies, Art History, Comparative Government and Politics, Computer Science A, Computer Science Principles, English Language and Composition, English Literature, Composition Environmental Science, European History, Human Geography, Latin, Psychology, Seminar, U.S. Government and Politics, U.S. History, World History: Modern

These 12 will be Hybrid Digital Exams: Biology, Calculus AB & BC, Chemistry, Macroeconomics & Microeconomics, Physics 1 & 2, Physics C: Mechanics & Electricity/Magnetism, Precalculus and Statistics.

ILLUSTRATION | Lillian Landberg

REVIEWS

Vying to prove the perfect pizza of MN

Punch Pizza

Verdict:

4/5

| Julia Gronert STAFF REPORTER

ood-fired pizza has become more popular in recent years, providing a more high-end and authentic alternative to fast food pizza. Known for their fresh ingredients and thin crust, Punch Pizza was created in 1996. After opening their first location in St. Paul, they have expanded to 12 locations across the metro. Punch specializes in authentic

Neapolitan pizza cooked in a 900 degree woodfired oven. The pizzas are portioned for one person with a variety of fresh toppings to choose from. Punch has won several awards for their food and service, and Meryl Streep called it her favorite pizza place when she was filming “A Prairie Home Companion” in 2006.

Comparatively, OG ZAZA is the newcomer, opening their first location in the Rosedale food court in 2024. They have two other locations in Saint Paul and Shakopee, as well as a mobile pizza trailer in Minneapolis. They make New Haven style pizza, a style of Neapolitan pizza with a thinner, more charred and crunchy crust. The chef behind the restaurant is Joshua Hedquist, who has been featured on several Food Network shows, including Chopped and Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. He also owns another Italian restaurant called Joey’s Meatballs. Both of the restaurants are located less than one mile from each other in Roseville, and

both sell similar style pizzas. I ordered a margherita pizza for direct comparison between the two, as well as a specialty pizza. At Punch, I chose the Toto, which came with prosciutto, arugula, goat cheese and red pepper. At OG ZAZA I ordered the Sicilian, which had mozzarella, sausage and shishito peppers. I ate a slice of both of the pizzas fresh out of the oven and brought the rest home for my family to review.

“One margherita pizza from Punch is only around $9.55, whereas OG ZAZA is priced at $17 per pie.”

The most obvious difference between the two was price. One margherita pizza from Punch is only around $9.55, whereas OG ZAZA is priced at $17 per pie. Though Punch has smaller portions sizes (Punch Pizza serves 10.5 inch pizzas while OG ZAZA competes at 12), the price at OG ZAZA is almost double.

Another noticeable difference between the pizzas was the crust. OG ZAZA boasts a five day fermentation process

for their dough, which contributes to its chewy crust. Punch Pizza had a saltier and softer crust, but in the 10 minutes it took for the pizza to get back to my home, the crust became incredibly soggy, losing the crunch it had before. Punch does acknowledge this on their website, stating that Neapolitan pizza tends to be wetter than the average pizza, and is meant to be eaten with a fork and knife. They offer a version with less sauce called “Punch Dry” to solve this.

Speaking of sauce, the Punch pizzas both had very simple sauces, with just sweet crushed tomatoes, giving the pizzas a much lighter taste. OG ZAZA had a different but equally delicious sauce, and it did not compromise the crunchiness of the crust. The OG ZAZA specialty pizza was lacking slightly on toppings flavor, however, with the shishito pepper varying greatly in taste between bites and being few and far between on the pizza. Overall, I would give

Punch Pizza a 4/5, with its sweeter sauce and lighter ingredients. However, Punch is not the pizza I would choose for a sharing pizza, given the soggy tendencies of the crust. I believe that OG ZAZA was also a 4/5. This one I would much prefer if I were looking to eat this pizza with others, but beware that the toppings are not as high quality as Punch’s.

Verdict:

An essential visit to Minne‘Sota’

| Mara Peacock FEATURES EDITOR

n Utah, “dirty sodas” began to rise in popularity a little over a decade ago. The name “dirty soda” might sound negative, but it generally refers to a mixture of a soda or fountain drink, coffee creamer and additional flavor syrups. With a large Mormon population in Utah who do not drink coffee or other “hot drinks” for religious reasons, dirty soda shops provide an alternative op-

Verdict:

3/5

tion for a fun drink and a coffee shop-like experience. Now, social media is credited with connecting people across the United States with this unique drink combination, as chain restaurants such as Swig and Sonic provide people outside of Utah a chance to try it for themselves.

The dirty soda trend has now reached Minnesota, with the first dirty soda shop, Sota, opening in December 2024. Sota is a family-run business in Maple Grove and claims to be “Minnesota’s First & Only ‘Dirty Pop.’” The menu includes various dirty soda options — all endearingly named after ‘90s songs — and a new flavor of the week. The drinks have three sizes: a small 24-ounce cup for $3, a medium 32-ounce cup for $4 and a large

44-ounce cup for $5.

Driving up to Sota, I could see the line for the store before I saw the store itself. The website had prefaced about an hour-long wait on weekends, so this was not too surprising. As I made my way through the line and into the store, I immediately noticed how cramped it was. Many people squished themselves into the line, waiting to reach the single register. The kitchen space was pretty small, taking up a small corner of the room.

“The staff members were very friendly and after I ordered my drinks, they were made very quickly. However, I believe the process could have been more seamless; having more than one cashier could have helped.”

The staff members were very friendly and after I ordered my drinks, they were made very quickly. However, I believe the process could have been more seamless; having more than one cashier could have helped alleviate the wait time, as several employees in the kitchen space

were not occupied while each order was made one at a time. I decided to try seven different drinks from the menu; “Raspberry Beret,” “Regulator,” “Where It’s At,” “Summertime,” “Satellite,” “California Love” and “Jump Around” — the flavor of the week. With all of the seven drinks being size smalls, my total was $21, including tax. This pricing felt very fair to me, and the amount of soda you get is definitely worth what you pay for.

As an avid Dr. Pepper fan, “Where It’s At” was easily my favorite soda I tried. With a Dr. Pepper base, mango puree and peach and passionfruit syrups, this drink was refreshing and citrusy, perfect for the summertime. On the other hand, ironically, “Summertime” was definitely my least favorite one I tried, with a sparkling water base, creamer, mango puree, vanilla syrup and mango addins. Compared to the other sodas, it had a very creamy texture and felt more like I was drinking a slightly-carbonated mango smoothie. I found that,

in general, I prefer the sodas I bought without the creamer add-in. Although I know many people enjoy the unique combination, it is just not for me. If it was a long time or a long wait, I could understand Sota being worth the hype. However, as a student from Mounds View, the 25-minute drive to Sota in addition to the 45-minute wait ultimately made the experience not very worth it. But if you are in the area or just looking to try something new, I can understand the appeal. Overall, I give Sota a 3/5. Whether you are looking to try dirty soda at Sota or make it at home, I think it is a drink worth trying, and I am excited to see the next social media food trend.

PHOTO VIA Mara Peacock

PHOTO VIA OG ZAZA

PHOTO | David Ostrom

PHOTO VIA Mara Peacock

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2025 •

MV wrestling wrestles with change

| Joey McVean STAFF REPORTER

The Mounds View wrestling team reached amazing heights this season. The team broke multiple school records — including more wrestlers placing at state than ever before and a new career win leader — and produced a state champion. For the athletes and coaches, there were many factors including determination and teamwork that played into their stellar season.

Feeding off the 2023-24 season’s success, many athletes felt overconfident in their abilities this year. “We were so good last year, but we couldn’t worry about that anymore. We just had to be our own team this year,” said Senior Captain Joey Muhlstein. “We had [thought] we were just going to beat everybody because of last year, but it was hard to get that back in people’s heads [that] this year we’re still a team that was hungry or wanted to do good.”

Though this mindset may have held them back at the start, the current seniors primed the team for their record breaking season. “We had a lot of guys that weren’t on varsity last year that came in and then produced and did what they were supposed to do… last year’s team gave them the blueprint and then they followed it,” said

Head Coach Dan Engebreston. The new senior captains stepped up to fill the gap the past captains left.

Between Feb. 27 and March 1, the wrestling team broke the Mounds View record for most people placing at state, with seven wrestlers total. The original record was held by the 2023-2024 team with six athletes. These placements allowed the team to place second in state this season. However, the team was not pressured to succeed even after their successful previous season. “I don’t think [they felt] pressured... They came in with the same expectations we had last year,” said Engebreston.

There were major individual wins this season as well. Senior Captain Brett Swenson defended his title as a 127-pound state champion for the second year in a row. “It felt good to end my career on a good note and see my hard work had paid off in a way. If I were to give advice to [future] kids who wrestle, it would be [aim] to get better rather than just focusing on winning and losing,” said Brett Swenson.

The school record for the highest career wins, originally 184, was also broken this season by Senior Captain Colton Loween, with 193 wins. “It’s a huge accomplishment. I’ve been wrestling in that wrestling room for 15 years. When

you’re young, you see the state championship banners, you see the 100 win banners… you’re like that’s a lot,” said Loween. “Then you hit 100, and that’s really cool. [It is] a big milestone, and then to keep on going and finish with 193 and break the school record, it’s really cool.”

Many of the athletes can attribute their success this season to their coaches as well. With multiple staff with a background in wrestling, they have laid the foundation for the team to grow since athletes were

young. “Our coaches have been coaching us since we started 15 years ago. They’ve been with us all the way. They have a good balance and good teamwork, all to make us the best we can be,” said Senior Captain Ethan Swenson.

Looking towards the future of the program, many wrestlers on the JV team will have to step up and fill in the gap the senior captains are leaving. “Probably four or five kids are going to have to step up, and fill the spots,” said Engebretson. “But

Fifteen and on the national team

| Via Yang SPORTS EDITOR

peeding over the hill in small town Gjovik, Norway, sophomore Linnea Ousdigian raced for the first time on international snow. Escorted by the sounds of cowbells ringing and people cheering, Ousdigian crossed the finish line in under three minutes, finishing sixth overall as the youngest person on the under 18 six-woman squad.

Before qualifying for this international meet, Ousdigian raced at the 2025 U18 Senior Nationals, a skiing competition for athletes age 18 and under in the United States on Jan 2-5. This year, the event was held in Anchorage, Alaska. At only 15 years old, Ousdigian was the youngest person on the U18 national team, meeting the age requirement cutoff exactly. She placed third in the 10k mass start classic race, seventh in the 10k individual start skate and 10th in the 1.4k sprint, scoring 92 points.

At the international meet one month later, Ousdigian skied against multiple Norwegian, Swedish and European junior skiers. The first five days in Norway were designated for

athletes to adjust to a different time zone, while the last three were reserved for races. Although Ousdigian became sick shortly after arriving in Norway, she was still able to compete in the sprint event. “[Being sick] was definitely a huge bummer because I was so excited to race and had put so much work into skiing that it sucks anytime I can’t race,” said Ousdigian. Despite this, she ended up placing sixth in her single overall event.

Two weeks prior, Ousdigian also defended her title as the MSHSL Nordic Ski State Champion. Mounds View Nordic skiing head coach Ian O’Neil emphasized not putting pressure or setting expectations for Ousdigian to win again.

“We had a conversation at the beginning of the year that the team didn’t have any expectations for her to repeat as state champion. If she has that goal for herself because she knows she’s capable of it, that’s awesome, but she shouldn’t feel any pressure from us that [winning] is what we expect of [her],” said O’Neil. Even after this talk, Ousdigian herself still wanted to win.

Even though she has already had a lot of success so far, Ousdigian is still eager to keep

improving as an athlete by continuing to ski and train consistently. “[I want to] continue to train hard and especially work on improving the areas I’m not as good at. I think that being consistent is one of the most important parts of training and improving so I just try to be as consistent as I can,” she said.

“I definitely felt pressured, not just because I won state last year, but also because of my performance in other races. [So] it was definitely a relief to win,”

Linnea Ousdigian, sophmore

Some of Ousdigian’s success this season can also be attributed to being a dual athlete. In the fall, she runs cross country, and in the winter, she does nordic skiing. These two sports go hand-in-hand, as they both require good endurance. “My cross country helps my nordic, and my nordic helps my cross country… the more racing you

there’s some good kids that are ready to do it too.” Despite this, the captains hope the team will continue to grow and develop into their own team next season rather than dwindling in the glory of the past. “I just hope they’re happy with what they are able to do. We were worried about last year’s accomplishments bleeding over into this one, so we wrestled a little bit differently. I just hope [the future teams] are satisfied with what they want to do,” said Muhlstein.

do, the more experience you get from it and the more your system gets used to it,” she said. She trains yearly, often training every day except for Sundays, usually skiing, strength training, running or doing a combination of the three.

After such a successful season, Ousdigian’s next one will mark a new beginning as a leader, as she was voted by her peers to become a captain for the Mounds View Nordic season. Her strong leadership roles

and her willingness to help underclassmen allowed her to hold a reliable position on the team.

“Usually we have all senior captains, so [Ousdigian] being a junior captain is impressive and shows that when she’s around the team she’s displaying leadership,” said O’Neil. “She’ll be alongside some middle schoolers, helping them learn how to ski.”

PHOTO | Sam Hagen

PHOTO VIA Linnea Ousdigian

(L-R). Joey Muhlstein, Owen LaRose, Ethan Swenson, Brett Swenson, Colton Loween, Caden Grenier, Will Schnieder at state.

Linnea Ousdigian at national team trials in Anchorage, Alaska.

PUZZLES

Across

2. Meryl Streep’s favorite pizza place according to a 2006 interview

7. Last name of the wrestler who broke the school record for highest career wins

10. Process where ecologists introduce near-relatives of an extinct species

12. Role sophomore Linnea Ousdigian is taking on for next year’s Mounds View Nordic team

13. Standardized test that went fully digital in March 2024

15. The city where senior Joseph Steffes’ favorite antique store is located

Crossword Down

1. Last name of Mounds View’s personal finance teacher

3. Ingredient in dirty sodas, along with soda and a flavor

4. Governor Mounds View alum Maya Betti interned for

5. Last name of the Gallery 96 board president

6. The 1962 Supreme Court case that ruled school-sponsored prayer violated the Establishment Clause

8. Machines that process patterns in data to generate A.I. chatbot responses, abbreviated

9. Day of the week Bouldering Club meets twice a month

11. Place at Mounds View designated as a prayer space 1:30 to 1:50 P.M and 1:55 to 2:15 P.M. Monday through Thursday

14. The chicken meal added to the cafeteria menu that senior Gabby Haake enjoys

Sudoku