February Issue

Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 Volume 29 Issue 6

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2400 Lindbergh Drive Minnetonka, MN 55305

The Royal Page discusses diversity through the lense of staff and students.

Hopkins Legislative Action Committee meets with representatives Pg. 3

Henrich pursues music career Pg. 6

Students attend Peggy Orenstein’s book signing Pg. 13

Franke trains swimmers for paralympics Pg. 14

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Royal shorts Course registration deadline dates

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fter having several weeks to look over the 2011-2012 course book, HHS students will take part in official registration on Feb. 18. On March 1, faculty will begin entering students’ course requests into Infinite Campus.

In mid-April, audit sheets will be distributed to the students. These audit sheets tell students what they are registered for to make sure they have signed up for the classes that they wanted.

College planning night planned for Feb. 24

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ed by HHS counselors, this special night, during conferences on Feb. 24, will be aimed towards sophomores and juniors who want to look further into the college exploration. “This night is primarily for juniors who are beginning the college process,” said Mr. Brad Burnham, Guidance Counselor.

“We [counselors] will do a short presentation about creating a college list, narrowing it down, and offer a question-answer time.”

The college software, Family Connection, will be introduced to parents this night, as well.

Vote for ‘Baker for a Day’ for senior party

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elp get a “Baker for a Day” for the senior party. Go to the Minnetonka Blvd..

Great Harvest Bread Co. and vote for Hopkins Senior Class Party. Voting is open until Feb. 25. Students must be 18 or older to vote.

Price for senior party about to go up

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n Monday, Feb. 28, the price of the senior party will increase from $40 to $50. To qualify for the $40 price, students must turn their registration into the main office by 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 25.

NHS carnival planned for Saturday, Feb. 26

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HS’ first National Honor Society carnival in 20 years will be held on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 1-5 p.m. Carnival favorites such as popcorn, hotdogs, assorted types of candy will be served. Activities will include moon bounce, dunk tank, Velcro wall, cakewalk, and minnow races. Proceeds from the carnival will go to Hopkins Resource West which provides weather appropriate clothing, back to school supplies, and holiday gifts to families in the Hopkins and Minnetonka School Districts and the City of Hopkins.

Visit the all-new, redesigned royalpage.org for more HHS news including videos of HHS Heart-o-Grams.

Students donate jeans, help out Maddie Johnson and Austin Lute Staff Reporters

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he earthquake in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010 was a wake up call for Ms. Sheila Getz, Hopkins Alternative Program. She knew the people of Haiti would be in desperate need and she had to do something to help. Besides a simple monetary donation, she wanted to know what she could do to make a difference.

Getz decided to reach higher. She knew clothing would be in great demand, so she contacted Aéropostale, a clothing retail store for teens and young adults. Aéropostale, who along with partner organization Do Something, runs a nonprofit program that collects and distributes jeans to people in need.

Their Teens for Jeans program is nationwide and encourages schools to collect old jeans from students. Aéropostale then matches the donations and provides the jeans to local homeless shelters.

Because of the special circumstances in Haiti last year, the Teens for Jeans program decided to donate the jeans to the people of Haiti. In January 2010, Getz’s effort at HHS collected 400 jeans. Then Aéropostale matched this number, so 800 jeans were delivered to the people of Haiti as a result of HHS donations.

In working with Aéropostale, Getz realized the huge need for durable clothing, and wanted to make the jeans collection drive more than a one-time event. This year Getz, along with Genesis Orozco and Devante Boyd, juniors, and Muna Nor, sophomore, are looking for students to rise to the challenge to help local homeless teens. “If everyone could give one pair of jeans, we could

Photo by Austin Lute

Muna Nor, sophomore, Genesis Orozco and Devante Boyd, juniors, show off three of the pairs of jeans donated to Teens for Jeans. Teens for Jeans provides jeans for those in need. get 2000 pairs,” Orozco said.

The group has worked hard to make this donation campaign easy for students by putting up posters in the hallways and placing a collection box labeled “Teens for Jeans” in the main office.

The official end date for collection was Feb. 14 but has been extended to Feb. 21 During this drive, HHS competed with other

Lettering highlights student commitment and dedication Emmy Koppe Staff Reporter

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or many students, lettering is the ultimate reward for being successful and working hard at athletics or activities.

“It’s an honor to wear a letter jacket and support your school,” said Will Chizek, sophomore. “It’s a way to show pride for your academic and athletic abilities.”

Letters are earned by being successful or showing dedication to a sport or activity. However, the emphasis is not placed on the individual, but rather the team. “At Hopkins, we letter the program, not the individual,” said Mr. Dan Johnson, Athletic Director.

Requirements vary between activities. “It differs from program-to-program,” said Johnson. “An athlete may have to play ‘x’ amount of minutes, score so many points or be on the section roster.”

Students may earn a letter for many different activities other than athletics.

Destination Imagination, Figure Skating, LMPM, and Math League, are just a few of the 39 non-varsity athletic programs where a letter may be obtained. “I think it’s important that you can letter in things other than athletics, such as

debate,” said Jackson Dunitz, junior.

Some believe that every student should have to earn their letter, rather than being given one for partaking in the activity. “I believe earning a varsity letter for sports is a great way to recognize the dedication, the talent and the contributions made by athletes to their sport,” said Ms. Allison Bridges, Royelles varsity coach. “I think letters should be earned, not given out. They should be something athletes strive to achieve during their high school sports career.”

Sometimes, letters are given to those participants that have met all the requirements but are not able to keep up with the high-level of athletic intensity.

“A student may not have the chance, based on the competitiveness of the program to letter,” said Johnson. “There are participation letters for those that meet all the requirements, and have attended all practices and games, but may not have the athletic ability.”

Whatever the activity, earning a letter, and wearing a letter jacket often shows a high-level of commitment and passion. “I think receiving a letter is an honor,” said Mr. Nick Lovas, girls varsity track coach. “People who wear [letter] jackets show that they are involved in extracurricular activities.”

high schools throughout the United States as part of Aéropostale’s challenge. The challenge was to promote donations and reward the high school that donated the most jeans. If HHS collects the most jeans, it would win $5,000 and a pizza party for the entire school from Aéropostale.

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Legislators meet with Hopkins residents Hopkins community members and state legislators met to hear the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition present their 2011 state platform on Jan. 27. Special contributor to the Royal Page, Hannah Borowsky, filed this report.

Hannah Borowsky Guest Writer

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he monumental importance of education was a recurring theme in President Barack Obama’s 2011 State of the Union Address.

“If we want to win the future, if we want innovation to produce jobs in America and not overseas, then we also have to win the race to educate our kids,” said Obama.

As Minnesota faces an estimated $6.2 billion budget deficit this year, Hopkins legislators, school board members, parents, teachers, and students alike are worried about the future of education in Minnesota.

On Jan. 27, Minnesota State Senate and House Representatives met with members of the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition (HLAC), a volunteer group that develops, proposes, and advocates for legislation that will improve education in the Hopkins School District.

At the meeting, the coalition presented their 2011 State Platform on education. Representatives in attendance included Terri Bonoff, David Hann, Ryan Winkler, John Benson, Lyndon Carlson, and Steve Simon, all of whom represent portions of the Hopkins School District. It is the hope of the HLAC that the platform will help influence decision-making regarding education at the capital in St. Paul.

A sense of scarcity overwhelmingly prevailed throughout the meeting. In 1970, Minnesota ranked fifth in the nation for student funding.

Today, the state has fallen to 36. The affects of under-funding in Minnesota’s schools are evident through the ever-growing achievement gap,

Photos by Danielle Fink

Top left: Hopkins parents sit and listen to presentation of the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition (HLAC). Bottom left: State legislators (from left to right) Steve Simon (D), Lyndon Carlson (D), John Benson (D), Ryan Winkler (D), David Hann (R), and Terri Bonoff (D) take in the HLAC presentation. Right: State Representatives Simon and Carlson wait for the HLAC presentation to begin. sub-par performance on No Child Left Behind testing, and continual cutting of programs in schools.

The HLAC is even concerned Minnesota’s lack of educational funding may raise constitutional issues. According to Article 13 of the Minnesota State Constitution, the state is required to fund public education, and in 1993, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that every student has a fundamental right to equal education. However, with dwindling funds, Minnesota students are not getting what they deserve.

According to the HLAC, their platform this year is a “bold vision.” They hope to encourage integration of science and math with the arts; support individual student learning; fully fund spe-

cial education, preschool programs, and all day kindergarten; and research ways to begin closing the achievement gap.

The representatives responded well to the platform, but a subtle tone of desperation was apparent. Senator Hann (R) praised the HLAC for their ideas, but ultimately said he was “not sure we can get to all these programs because of a lack of funds.” When asked to share her thoughts on the future of education in Minnesota, Senator Terri Bonoff (D) also mentioned the limited resources available, but encouraged “using our resources to give scholarships to low income families.”

As the conversation turned to how we should measure academic success in schools, Representative Benson (D) adamantly argued against the

No Child Left Behind policies and said, “punish schools that are failing instead of helping them.”

In response to a question about where funds for schools will come from, Representative Steve Simon (D), a 1988 HHS graduate, explained the answer is in establishing the right balance between cutting programs and increasing taxes.

Another hot topic for debate at the meeting was the potential wage freeze for Minnesota school employees.

Even though the economic realities in Minnesota seem bleak, and the need for high quality public education is as important as ever, Bonoff still has hope for the future. “We can have a bold vision, and we can do this,” Bonoff said.

Backpacks and bags banned from Art Department after thefts Laptops and other electronics were among the items stolen.

Other departments are also refocusing on keeping their equipment secure and safe from theft.

Derek Brueske Staff Reporter

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heft has become a bigger issue at HHS this year with staff and student laptops being stolen and personal electronics disappearing from people’s backpacks.

The school is beginning to take stronger measures to discourage these thefts. Backpacks and bags have recently been banned from the art and FACS rooms.

The reinstated policy is a result of reported thefts from within the Art and FACS Departments. “The new policy is just a test to reduce theft from both departments and from students themselves,” said Ms. Anne Campbell, assistant principal.

There have not just been thefts of the art and cooking supplies, but electronics and even laptops. “Recently, there was a computer stolen in the art department which was the deciding point of rein-

stating the backpack policy,” Campbell said.

Campbell said this does not mean students will face the same restrictions in other areas of the school. “I’m sure there is discussion, but it is not very likely. This is only a test run of the new policy,” Campbell said.

The laptop carts teachers check out from the media center for classroom use are also under strict security after two were stolen.

“We use padlocks on every laptop cart which have combinations that are given to teachers only. The teachers must check if any laptops are missing at the beginning and end of the block before returning the cart. We do the same things in the media center as well,” said Ms. Terri Osland, Media Specialist.

The media center and the school use different technology to track a laptop after it has been stolen.

“If a laptop is stolen, we pursue it right away. Each laptop is digitally monitored so we can see when the computer is being used, and we can use the IP address on the laptop to give information on the location. We also use video from the cameras and witnesses of the theft.” Osland said.

This is not the first time that backpacks have been banned in the Art Department. In the past, the students that go into the Art Department were not allowed to bring backpacks with them because the Health and Safety Department explained that the backpacks

were causing students to carry clay dust around on their backpacks.

However, within a few years the policy stopped being enforced.

There has been some complaining from students that they can’t get to class on time because they have to put their backpack in their locker during passing time, which is on the other side of the school. “A student came up with idea to allow students in the art department to have the choice of having a locker next to the art department to reduce tardies. We also have an eight minute long passing time,” Campbell said.

Hayley Nybo and Morgan Walgamuth, seniors, showed mixed emotions by the new policy cutting down their social time because they have to take their backpacks to their lockers. Although, they did like the fact that the new policy is cutting down thefts in the Art Department.

Dustin Stenglein, Detective and School Resource Officer, had an interesting view on students having backpacks in classrooms.

“Backpacks are not just causing items to be stolen but are a safety hazard, too,” said Stenglein. “Backpacks can get in the way and even be used as a weapon.”

Student will face serious consequences from stealing a laptop or computer depending on the value of the item. A student who steals a laptop will result in a gross misdemeanor or a felony which could be jail time and or a fine.

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The Royal Page 2010-2011

Editor in Chief Danielle Fink

Managing Editor Lissa Martinez

News Editor Ryan Levi

Opinion Editors Bill Gregg Connor Hinck

Feature Editor Lissa Martinez

Variety Editor

Jasmine Geschwind

Sports Editors Saxon Dorshow Michael Frey

Business Manager Sonja Muus

Back Page Editor Marlee Gotlieb

Staff Reporters Quinn Anderson Joel Benjamin Derek Brueske Sam Bumsted Will Burnton Katie Cera Percy Chism Michael Fields Cydney Froehlich Betsy Gans Tarina Gartner Jacob Gredvig Corbin Gyswyt Maddie Johnson Michael Larson Kelly Lovelock Austin Lute Mike Newcomer Mona Omar Maddie Rauma Nora Reed Megan Roessler Megan Shaw Sarah Ungerman

Adviser

Mr. Kocur The editorial represtents the opinion of the newspaper staff. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the administration, the student body or the advisor. Signed viewpoints represent the view of the writer. The Royal Page operates as an open forum student publication, and student editors make editorial decisions regarding content.

Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone Annual Subscriptions are available for $20.

The Royal Page encourages letters to the editor. Letters are not guaranteed publication, are subject to editing for content and length, must be signed and meet deadlines. Compliments and suggestions are also welcome.

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Getting a little taste of Asia at home Katie Cera

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Staff Reporter

sia is on the opposite side of the world, but Noah Hurth, senior and Lily Marcelius, sophomore, are bringing the continent closer to home.

The two have started going to Asian restaurants and participating in activities relating to the culture of Asia. Asian Culture Club particularly likes to show their fascination for this continent’s cuisine.

In Oct. Hurth and Marcelius started Asian Culture Club, one of the only clubs that focuses on the culture of a particular region of the world. “Me and a few friends like Chinese food and our parents did not, so we decided to go on our own,” Marcelius said. Hurth and Marcelius dragged more friends with them to join the Asian Culture Club after getting the club approved and finding an advisor.

Currently, the club has reached up to 30 members at a dinner, and is growing.

Meeting every other Monday evening, the club explores a different Asian restaurant varying styles between traditional Asian and American cuisine. The club compares the difference between the two types of cuisine. They compare some of the resturants they have gone to, such as Curry ‘N’ Noodles, Lee Ann Chin, Star Wok, and Big Bowl.

Members from the club have even

made their own Asian food. One of their favorites includes homemade wontons.

“I enjoy being able to taste the different cuisines,” said Sarah Boisjolie, senior.

Wherever the club meets, members agree that it is a very fun, laid back group to be apart of and they always enjoy each and every meeting. The club allows students to try new things that they might not have been able to achieve on their own.

Hurth and Marcelius decide what each meeting would entail. The club, presently, has really become a group effort. During each meeting, the members offer suggestions as to where to go on the next meeting and then the members of the club vote as to where they will be going. Sometimes the club goes to places that someone has gone to and other times the club goes to restaurant that no one in the group has eaten at before. “[It’s] fun to hang out with friends and try new food together,” Hurth said.

In addition to experiencing the different cuisines, sometimes, the club participates in various activities to further understand the culture. The club has done a variety of things including origami and karate.

While learning karate, the club rented out a church asked a member who was a black belt to instruct them. They learned

Photo provided by Samantha Franco

Members of Asian Culture Club have tried over five different restaurants, but also enjoy making homemade wontons. a variety of karate moves which was very interesting for the group.

When the club decided to do origami, they easily acquired experts. A few members knew some origami folds and all of them contributed to teaching the club.

While leaving the club on Monday evenings members do not only leave with a full stomach of Asian cuisine, they often leave with a new knowledge of the far and distant continent on the opposite side of the world.

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Heinrich hits a high note in music career Sonja Muus

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Business Manager

olly Henrich, junior, works at a restaurant, but her job is not one of the ordinary serving jobs.

“Who is that girl? She’s really good,” a customer at Potbelly Sandwich Works in Plymouth asked the manager as Heinrich performed Taylor Swifts popular song “Enchanted.” She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, who was lucky enough to find a job at Potbelly that fits her talents.

“I have always wanted a job with singing, but never thought I would be able to get one, so when the opportunity came up to be a regular performer at Potbelly, I was super excited,” Heinrich said. “I love it. It’s perfect. I am able to do what I’m passionate about and get paid for it.”

Potbelly has a very relaxed atmosphere. Heinrich sits on a stool with her guitar and performs during the dinner hour from 6:00 to 8:00 every Saturday night. During this time, she plays a mixture of popular songs as well as ones she has written herself.

Heinrich will often take a popular hip hop song and make it acoustic. For example, at her performance on Saturday, Jan. 30, she sang Lady Gaga’s Poker Face acoustically.

Many years of experience with music has given her the experience needed to be able to alter songs to her style like

this. She began singing and songwriting at a very young age.

“I wrote my first song when I was two,” Heinrich said, “It was called buckle shoes and it was about my buckle shoes.”

Holly’s parents said that she could sing songs before she could talk. Although she has been singing and writing songs her whole life, she just started playing guitar in 2010. Regardless of her new experience she doesn’t look at the guitar chords as she plays. The same goes for the lyrics of her songs.

“I like to go with the flow. If I forget the lyrics to a song I’m singing I will usually just improvise and people don’t notice,” Heinrich said.

One time, she forgot the lyrics and just sang the words: “I forgot the lyrics to this song” instead.

“I went to see Holly perform at Potbelly last Saturday,” said Meme Halpern, junior, “She is truly amazing and so talented. Me and my friends are planning to go see her a lot more often.”

Aside from working at Potbelly, Heinrich has performed at school events and coffee shops, although not regularly.

“I love music for a lot of reasons but mainly because of the diversity of it. You can take any genre of song and make it your own, and that’s what I love to do most.”

Photo provided by Holly Henrich

Holly Henrich preforms the song “Enchanted,” as well as her original songs at Potbelly’s on Saturdays.

Hurst journeys through acting career tions.

He also has to practice his dancing because in all his plays dancing is a huge factor.

Since becoming an actor, a lot has changed in Hurst’s life.

“Acting has changed my life a lot because people are nicer to me, I get a lot more respect from people I don’t know that well, and it’s really nice to be recognized,” Hurst said.

Working with new people is something he really enjoys and takes advantage of greatly.

“Working with new people is a really good experience, they teach me how to become a better actor and help me improve my skills. I like getting more experience and getting their experience put into me,” Hurst said.

The person who has inspired Hurst the most is his dad. “He is the one who made me audition in the first place, without him I wouldn’t have done it, I’m very grateful that he pushed me to do it,” Hurst said.

The more people that support him the better he acts

Quinn Anderson Staff Reporter

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Photo provided by Jackson Hurst

Jackson Hurst has been in numerous productions including one at the Guthrie Theatre.

uring the winter of 2008, Jackson Hurst, sophomore, started his acting career.

He started to perform at local places such as churches and community centers. From then on, he kept moving up to better ways of pursuing his career.

He has preformed at many different places, including wellknown theatres. Always and Forever was preformed at the Illusion theatre. Black Nativity, preformed at Penumbra Theater. The Guthrie theatre is probably the most well known, where Hurst preformed Caroline, or Change.

Out of seven or eight productions, Hurst’s favorite was Always and Forever.

Hurst does receive compensation for his time, including once in particular, when he received 300 dollars in a week.

Hurst stars in many musicals, therefore he has to practice singing. Usually, every Saturday, he has vocal lessons, which helps him to prepare for audi-

and he feels. “One thing I love about plays is meeting new people from out of town [and] also, meeting new people who everyone else knows but you, and then finally getting to meet them. It’s really a good time,” Hurst said.

Hurst uses several methods to help prepare before a show including making faces in the mirror. Another is running around the dressing room to loosen him up. The last thing that helps him before a show is stretching out his voice, making strange loud noises.

Right now, Hurst is in the studio recording a soundtrack for his new play. He is hoping that the new play will be on tour. Hurst is hoping that the tour will perform in several other states as well, including Illi, Loui, Wash, and many other cities across the US. Hurst really enjoys the productions he has been a part of and he hopes to star in more as time goes on, wanting to take his acting career to another level when he is older.

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Simon exceeds average standards Joel Benjamin Staff Reporter

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harlie Simon, senior is busy. He takes advanced classes, participates in drumline, and has four

Photo by Joel Benjamin

Due to his busy schedule, Charlie Simon finds time during class with Mr. Fuhr to wax his skis.

Spotlight on: Latina club Corbin Gyswyt

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Staff Reporter of the club and often sees them as

any teens face struggles in their lives regarding sex, college and friends.

At HHS, there is a group of about 20 Latinas that meet with two representatives from the West Suburban Teen Clinic to discuss these issues.

They meet in E117 once a month on Wednesdays during lunch.

“We talk about a lot of different things, like our problems and what we like about being a Latina girl,” said Yareli Ruiz, senior and Latina club member.

Although there are a lot of members each person plays an important role. Each time they meet, the girls decide on a new leader who will then pick a new issue that they would like to discuss.

The club began at the end of last year, so it is fairly new, however with 20 members the club had gained a substantial following among Latinas.

“I like it because it’s fun, but most importantly that it brings us [Latinas] together and we solve our problems,” said Michelle GonzalezLopez, senior. “During the meetings we are all equal.”

Ruiz also appreciates the comfort

an extended family.

“I tend to like going there because it’s just a place where we can all connect as [Latinas],” Ruiz said, “We are like a big family of just women, I love being part of the group personally.”

Although the club is currently all Latinas, the members are trying to expand into other cultures.

“We have been trying to put together different events to let more people outside of our culture learn about [the club],” Ruiz said.

They are planning on continuing the club into next year, and are hoping to start a guys group too. GonzalezLopez has been in it for a year and would recommend it to any Latina.

“It’s a way unite all of us [Latinas] to bring us together it’s easier to make friends this way,” Gonzalez said.

Even though it helps create friendships there is some drama associated with the Latina club. “There is drama but when you have such a large group of girls together it is what you expect,” Ruiz said, “When we all get together the girls know how to put their differences aside so we can all work together.”

jobs.

His nights are filled with work and homework. His mornings consist of coffee and advanced and AP courses. He has four jobs that he juggles seasonally, all year, sometimes for just one season.

On an average day, with iced Starbuck’s coffee in hand, Simon wakes up before six.

Simon credits good time management to maintaining his busy schedule.

Dedicated to LMPM and drumline, Simon is at school four hours a week practicing, on a normal basis. He is also on the drumline which even meets in the summer two hours a week.

Simon works at Kraemer’s True Value Hardware in the spring, working as a closing supervisor, cleaning up the store for the coming days, but he finds his true passion working with one of his favorite hobbies, skiing.

His second job is during the winter at Gear West. He is a shop technician waxing skis for most of then time. Simon got this job through one of his nordic coaches, through his vigorous work on the team skis.

His third job is at Hyland Park maintenance in the summer, as a full time job.

He was picked out of one thousand ap-

plicants for the position, because of his previous work at Hyland Ski Area. He had a good impression ski instructing, so it gave him a better chance at another job at the park district.

Lastly, Simon is a National Ski Patrol at Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area, he usually only patrols once a week in his free time, but is on call a few nights a week. Last year he took two, four hour classes a week to be a licensed Partoler.

“I started working as a ski instructor, and learned about being a ski patrol. I became very interested,” Simon said.

Through patroling he’s wanted a career in the Medical Field.

Being a ski patrol is a volunteer position, and has all the perks of the ski instructor, but also has more including discounted ticket prices, wearing a patrol backpack, and free skiing. “[Ski Patroling] sparked an interest in a medical career,” Simon said.

Through the experience he has become interested in being a doctor and has plans to go to medical school. Simon is very interested in schools in Colo. for schooling. “I’d like to go to a school with snow, and mountains, that’d be nice,” Simon said.

Simon likes to work, has the experience, and that’s why he has more jobs than the average teenager.“They’re high school jobs, not a career,” Simon said.

He keep that in mind, to keep looking forward.

They’re more than the laughs

Photo by Mona Omar

Comedy club practices for their show at the end of Jan. called Red vs. Blue.

Mona Omar

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Staff Reporter

ver the years, Comedy Club has gained a reputation as somewhat mysterious.

For example, while other clubs do more than a dozen shows each season, Comedy Club does as few as three. After the recent show titled “Red vs. Blue,” Comedy Club has proven that it focuses quality over quantity.

The members that are in Comedy Club are simply in it for the fun, the comedy, and for themselves.

Some are in it to perfect there comedic skills. Jesse Pederson, sophomore, realized he was funny just as he entered first grade. “First grade, I was like … ‘wow I’m funny,’” Pederson said.

Although majority of the people in the club believe that comedy is just a hobby, Berit Birkeland, senior, lives and dies for it. Growing up, her comedic aspects were driven by both her brother and Saturday Night Live cast member, Kristen Wiig.

Birkeland is not only dedicated to comedy, she has also sacrificed other important things in order to be part of it. “I quit dance to be here, so people made fun of me,’” Birkeland said. Despite peer’s concerns, Comedy Club members like her for who she is, having distinguished her true passion for comedy and knowing what is important to her, personally.

Alana McQuirter, senior, finds Comedy Club to be a nice way to relax. “After having so many tests and hard classes, and coming here, it’s a good way to end your day,” McQuirter said.

Not only does the club focus on comedy, it teaches the members how to overcome personal hardships as well.“[Comedy Club] is a way to build your confidence and avoid awkward situations,” McQuirter said.

In addition to the lessons, the atmosphere makes comedy club reach its fullest potential. “[Members] are so carefree and fun, and you’re with people who don’t care either,” Birkeland said.

Whether their reason to join comedy club was due as a hobby or career interest, there is no doubt that all the members are in it for their shared love of comedy.

“Everything is our inspiration, not mine, ours – makes me part of the team,” Pederson said.

g n i v l e D into y t i s r e v i d

The

Royal Page

looks into how

HHS

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progressed

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opkins schools are made up of students and staff from all over the Twin Cities area. Students come from different races, cultures, religions, and socio-economic statuses.

The district has been growing more and more diverse over the past 17 years. In 1993, there was a total of three percent students of color throughout Hopkins. Today, there are 24 percent students of color, and that number is expected to increase.

With the increasing number of diverse students, Hopkins has employed Mr. Terrall Lewis, Equity and Integration specialist.

“My job is to bridge the gaps between students, be a cultural liaison, and teach the students to advocate for themselves,” Lewis said.

In doing so, Lewis has set up his office as a safe zone for students to come and talk to him about problems and successes at school and home.

Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies, has also been a resource for students and staff to go to about social justice. “I want to make the school a more just, fair place reaching out to students, staff, and parents,” Heimlich said.

Heimlich integrates social justice into her classrooms. “I like to bring kids together to talk, it makes it less scary,” Heimlich said.

With open conversations, Lewis and Heimlich see the student body as a whole welcoming to all types of students. “The fact that we can have open conversations about race, all over the building, all the time, its not so taboo anymore,” Heimlich said.

Lewis said, “Students of all types have come along way. There is a generalization change into this space.”

Dacia Nolen, senior, moved into the Hopkins District when she was in 7th grade. “I feel welcomed into this district because it’s a diverse environment and most people really like me for who I am, and not the color of my skin, or what side of the state I live

in,” Nolen said.

The students are not the only ones accepting of other races in the building. “As a staff, yeah, we have conversations about justice and race all the time. There is still a lack of cultural understanding though,” Heimlich said.

Lewis and Heimlich are both part of the school’s equity team.

“It is a group of staff and administration that compare notes and create engaging way for students to have conversations on racism,” Lewis said.

Although as a whole, people are accepting of others, this doesn’t mean racism is completely gone. “Last year, I was in a class and the teacher treated me, along with a fellow black student, like we were not equivalent to the other students. I just simply explained to her that you’re not going to treat me differently,” Nolen said.

Some parents have been unhappy with the diverse population. “Families have left this district because it was becoming too diverse,” Heimlich said.

It is a shame to Heimlich that is why families left the Hopkins district, but she likes the diversity here. “With diversity, HHS looks like the world outside,” Heimlich said.

The increasing numbers of diversity allows students to find friends similar to them at school. Students have segregated themselves into different parts of the school during passing time. “I don’t see it as a problem, people gather where people similar to them are. It is their choice, it’s optional where to go, once it becomes forced, then it’s a problem,” Lewis said.

As Hopkins continues to combat racism, Heimlich said, “I hope we can continue to become more diverse. We can develop real understanding and compassion for each other. It’s going to take people to be uncomfortable for awhile until it happens.”

Danielle Fink is the Editor-in-Chief of the Royal Page

opinion

10page the ROYAL

Students need to relax by focusing on fewer things

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ur lives are full of pressures. They come from our parents, our teachers, our coaches, our friends, and, most of all, ourselves.

We face pressures to succeed in sports, participate in extracurricular activities, get accepted to a good college, find a job, and be a member of a religious community, and most of all, do well in school. We are constantly told about how the importance of high school grades in determining the college we attend and which career path we will take.

These external pressures compound the pressures we place on ourselves to do well in school and prepare ourselves for the future.

The combination can lead to a class load with hard class after hard class.

Piled on top of each other, and unwavering, these pressures can bring down even the best students. So the question becomes: how do we relieve these pressures? The answer lies in taking away some of our self-imposed pressures and devoting ourselves to the goals we truly want to acheive.

At such an important and formative point in our lives, it can be difficult to slow down and reflect on our priorities in life. But if we stop and look at our lives objectively, many of us will find that we have filled our time with things that bring us an enormous amount of pressure but aren’t really important to us. These added pressures

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serve only to distract us from what we truly care about.

The way to remove pressure from our livesis to take away the things which only bring us stress so we can focus on what brings us joy.

This message is especially apropos for us now. For the past few weeks, sophomores and juniors have been studying their course catalogs trying to decide which classes to take next year.

For sophomores, many of their classes are chosen for them, with their only decisions lying in how rigorous a class load to take.

But many juniors will end this year only needing a few more credits to graduate. So as they enter their senior year, they have much more freedom in choosing their classes.

So what classes do we take? Well, colleges like academic classes throughout high school so let’s take a bunch of those. And they like tough courses so let’s load up on AP classes.

There is nothing wrong with a senior taking difficult academic classes if they truly want to. Not because they think they should for college or because their parents or teachers expect them to, but because they actually want to.

However, I suspect that even the brainiest of our classmates aren’t passionate about learning to the point that they want to load up their schedule with a half-dozen AP or CIS classes in every subject. For those students, and I would include myself among

Favorite things about Valentine’s Day

Selling your soul to Hallmark for that perfect card The early coming of allergy season thanks to all the flowers Pretending to “hate” Valentine’s Day but still wishing you had a special someone Spending far too much money on your honey

Watching 24 straight hours of Sleepless in Seattle Celebrating a completely legitimate holiday not created by card companies Wallowing in your loneliness Your significant other feeding your love handles with candy and chocolates Being serenaded by that one sub that sings opera Finding true love...

them, we must not base our choices on what we think we should do, but what we truly want to do.

Don’t like science or not going into science-related career? Then don’t take AP Environmental Sciences or Honors Physics. Instead take a less demanding science class or don’t take science at all.

Why take on the added pressures of an AP or Honors class if you don’t have a passion or enjoy that subject? Whether you love science and hate English, or love social studies and detest math, it should be your passions and interests that drive your registration, not external and internal pressures.

This applies to all aspects of our lives. We can’t allow external pressures to guide our choices. Instead, we must focus on what is important to us and let that drive the decisions we make in life. If we do this, we will find that the unimportant pressures in life will Ryan Benjamin Levi is the News editor for the Royal Page.

At a glance...

– Students are putting too much pressure on themselves to get into college -- They need to focus on things they like, not what they think they need

Women of color dealing well with challenges, discrimination When considering racism, many people fail to acknowledge the double standard placed on women of color. Not only are women of color discriminated due to their race, but also based on their gender.

As women of color, we have experienced first hand the scrutiny of these minorities.

Evidence of racial tension has been evident, throughout history. The foundation of the US was, in some aspects, founded on the fear of racial differences. Settlers were afraid of the Native Americans, so they moved them. They were afraid of African Americans, so they enslaved them.

Since the beginning of American history, and the histories of most civilizations, men have been designated natural leaders. Women have been expected to maintain roles in the home, and more recently, have also been expected to hold jobs. Many didn’t question this way of thinking because that was “just the way it was.”

Even today, many Americans are afraid of people of color. For example, with the proposed Arizona immigration law, people appearing to have Hispanic origins can be questioned about their citizenship.

Women must endure these prejudices, as well as combating male superiority. Women throughout time have been placed in a secondary role, while prominent males are allowed to lead.

Even young women of color in high schools across America must combat this issue. Within them male athletics, clubs, and people are typically the most recognizable.

For teenage women of color, getting higher education has been a prominent issue in terms of funding and general lack of opportunity due to the consistent cycle of people of color being put behind Caucasians. As women of color, the importance of education is priceless. Although

the number of women of color in college has been rising, those statistics are still significantly less than the number of Caucasian women who have completed or will further their education.

For example, according to the Alliance For Excellent Education, 49 to 57 percent of students of color graduate high school, compared to approximately 75 percent of Caucasian students.

Despite this, over the years our society has become more modern in its thinking. More and more people are being raised and educated in a way that breeds less racism and prejudice.

There have been some advancements, for example the election of President Obama.

However, we have yet to see a female president, much less one of color.

There are ways for women of color to educate themselves, defeat the odds, and become prominent fixtures in lives of others without the prejudices and intolerance from others. We encourage women of color to prepare for their futures and use their race and gender to their advantage through scholarships.

For women of color at HHS, an option is a two week-long summer program held by St. Catherine’s University called The First Step Summer Institute. This program provides a unique college immersion experience to prepare students for college. See your guidance councilor for more information.

The feminist movement opened many doors for women in general. However, women of color still have many obstacles to overcome. With time and effort, women of color will continue to make advancements toward overcoming racially and sexually charged prejudices.

Lisandrea Jean Martinez is the Feature editor and Jasmine Symone Geschwind is the Variety editor for the Royal Page.

opinion

1 1 page the ROYAL

Point: Following dreams is a thing of the past MTV show-

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s I begin to ponder the possibilities for my future, I can’t help but wonder what I would do if it weren’t for college.

I’d like to believe that there is something I could pursue if I wasn’t going to spend the next four to seven years attending classes. Maybe the fact that I have a lack of passion for anything other than going to a nice college and setting up a nice career for myself is proof that society has become less about following your dreams and more about trying to succeed.

Sometimes, it seems like all anyone wants to talk to me about is where I’m going to college and what I’m doing next year.

It’s probably not just me either. For some reason adults aren’t sure what else to talk to high school seniors about. It seems as though they simply don’t understand the intricacies of conversing and interacting with teenagers.

I’ll give adults the credit of courtesy. Rarely does a conversation start with, “What are your plans for next year?” or “Made any big decisions yet?” At least they give up some of their precious time to ask me how my parents are or how my senior year is going.

All this talk about my future has gotten me thinking: why does everyone care so much about college, and furthermore, why does everyone just assume that I (and everyone else my age, for that matter) am going to attend college?

Life as Americans know it has come down to productivity. People are judged by who they know, where they go to school, and how much money they make. Priorities have become skewed and because of that, there is a lack of acceptance for passion and individuality.

The true reason people ask me what I’m doing next year is so they can start comparing me to themselves, their children, or other people they know. They want to know how I stack up against themselves and the crowd they run with, and to see if I would be fit to run with their crowd.

If I started telling people that I was going to forgo college and train to become a world class juggler, the people I tell would courteously congratulate me and wish me luck, but as soon as I left, they would think to themselves, “Boy, that Gregg kid is one weird fellow.” I understand their concern about my ability to make it in the (possibly literally) cutthroat world of juggling, but couldn’t they appreciate my passion and determination?

Kids are told from a young age to dream big, to never give up and to trust their hearts, but those same adults giving inspiration are the people that aren’t accepting of the dreams inside of us kids. Kids shouldn’t go to college simply because everyone else is, they should go if it helps them reach their dream.

If the whole college ordeal would get in the way of someone striving to do something they have wanted to do for their whole life, spending the incredible amounts of money to attend classes seems like a waste to me.

While production is what makes the world work, it shouldn’t be what drives people’s futures. Rather than going to school or working a job simply to prove one’s worth, kids should go to college because they feel good about it and because they truly want to go. The idea of ‘following your heart’ is only cliché because very few people actually do anymore.

William Foley Gregg is the Opinion editor for the Royal Page

Cartoon by Daniel Raskin

Counterpoint: Stability makes the world go round

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f I have learned anything from the movies, it is that following your dreams is the key to life. However, if I have learned anything from life, it is that life is never like the movies.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but dreams don’t often come true.

Kurt Vonnegut once said, “What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities.”

From a young age, children view the world with bright-eyed optimism.

The world is their oyster, or so it seems. Filled with hope, dreams, and fantasies. From the moment they enter the world, they are taught to chase their dreams.

Like a dog chasing cars, we follow.

When I was young, it was my dream to be a professional baseball player.

After two seasons of Senior Babe Ruth baseball, it has become increasingly apparent that this dream is laughable.

Even when I was young, I knew that playing in the MLB was a farfetched idea. Despite that, it was still my dream. For some kids, it was being an astronaut, and others wanted to be pirates.

That was my ultimate dream of being happy.

When I was twelve, I dreamed of wealth. I wanted to have all the money I could ever want. So, I dreamed of becoming a hedge fund manager.

I knew nothing about hedge fund managers or what they did; all I knew was that they made money. At the time, that was all that mattered. As I grew older and learned what hedge fund managers did, the dream became less and less desirable.

At the time, I thought this would make me happy. I didn’t know that money didn’t necessarily guarantee happiness.

With both my dreams shattered, I was left uninspired and without a plan.

If I would have looked into careers earlier, I could have potentially gone into college knowing a career that would provide me with the money to live comfortably, but also one that provides me with happiness every day.

Plotting your career is a major decision, as it will decide a person’s life. No kid wants to make major life decisions when they could be playing tag.

As we move through life we adapt our dreams. We gain more of a life sense and lose some of our childish aspirations. We transition from thinking in terms of what would be “awesome” to what could provide stability as well as happiness.

It is OK to change your dream, and to settle for stability. Few people marry the supermodel or play professional sports.

Dreams are a very healthy part of a childhood, but at some point, reality must settle in and serious thinking must begin.

Having aspirations and dreaming are good things. Preparedness and planning is as well.

In the tough economic times that we are facing, dreams are difficult things to think about. Career and life plans seem to outweigh dreams.

The United States is falling behind in major categories like science and engineering. In the long run, scientist and engineers are just as, if not more, important than professional athletes or hedge fund managers.

Connor William Hinck is the Co-Web Tsar for the Royal Page

ing too much Skins?

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TV premiered the new teen drama, Skins, on Jan. 17. Newsweek labeled the show as “vulgar because of masturbation, sex, porn, illegal drug use, and binge drinking.”

Other TV stations and parents are challenging MTV to take Skins off the air.

Skins shows what students at HHS are exposed to, and it should continue to be aired. Skins may be racy to some, but the reality is it only portrays things that many high school students see on a regular basis. Skins is more helpful than hurtful and should continue to be televised.

Skins is helpful in the sense that it shows adults what occurs at high school parties.

The point of the show is to accurately portray a typical high school, and that is exactly what it is doing. Yes, people do experiment with drugs and sex during high school; this should not appall America.

Many people have experimented with drugs, including parents of high school students.

Stanley, one of the main characters, is trying to “get laid” before his 17th birthday.

This is not uncommon for boys at HHS to try to have sex before the end of high school and to get with as many girls as possible. Often times in the halls, I overhear guys talking about hooking up with a girl and giving each other fist bumps, and Skins is simply capturing this.

Homosexuality also plays a major role in the series. There are gays and lesbians at HHS that struggle with accepting the way they are. I personally have a gay friend who is still insecure about his sexuality and is afraid to tell his parents, fearing that he will be disowned.

Having homosexuals on the show can inspire those who are having problems and can bring awareness to others.

It helped me realize what gays and lesbians go through on a day-to-day basis and how hurtful certain terms are to them. Skins does display sexual contact between lesbians, but there is no nudity or over-exposure, and we see a lot of that at HHS. The use of marijuana is another reason why viewers are challenging the show. But what do other high schools call HHS? Potkins. I’ve seen drug deals in classrooms and even saw a sandwich bag full of weed at WJH last year.

Alcohol is also an issue. I’ve seen posters in the restrooms that read “78 [percent] of [HHS] students don’t binge drink” but what about that other 22 percent? I’ve witnessed lots of drinking at multiple parties, and having Skins show the dangers of drinking may scare students from trying it.

Cydney Caye Froehlich is a staff reporter for the Royal Page.

variety

12page

the ROYAL

Mozza Mia comes to 50th and France

Photo by Megan Shaw

The fresh Italian ingredients are displayed on the shelves of Mozza Mia’s kitchen. Workers prepare food for Mozza Mia’s night service.

Megan Shaw Staff Reporter

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ozza Mia, a restaurant with an authentic Italian feel, is raising the standards for cuisine on 50th and France. As an upscale pizzeria showcasing a mozzarella bar, it’s begin-

ning to catch the eye of locals.

The restaurant opened its doors on Nov. 22, 2010, to the busy streets of Edina’s 50th and France. As a branch of the Parasole restaurant company, concept director Vittoria Renda, decided to introduce Mozza Mia

onto a street with many restaurants but none with the same standard of quality.

Renda said he wanted to make the character of his food traditionally Italian.

In doing so, Renda makes sure that all his products are from Italy. When enter-

ing the restaurant there are clear visuals of their ingredients such as Italian flour, tomatoes, olive oils and even the table salts.

Not only is it nice to know what is going into your food but they also make the food right in front of you. One prime example is their famous mozzarella bar.

The taste of the mozzarella itself is phenomenal, but the process of making it is also interesting to see. A mozzarella bar, located in the back of the kitchen, is where they hand make mozzarella and then distribute it to everything on their menu.

Mozza Mia’s menu is small, but they still manage to have a lot of choices, even for the vegetarian in your family. There is bound to be something for everyone from the ten different kinds of pizzas, to the daily changing mozzarella bar and pasta options. Three types of bruschetta’s are offered daily as well.

Everything is relatatively priced between ten to 16 dollars for pizzas and seven to 13 for the mozzarella dishes. It is more expensive than similar restaurants, but the quality and quantity of the dishes is worth the cost.

Overall, the food is exquisite,

and the atmosphere of the restaurant is what truly encompasses the customer. With its large well-lit kitchen and sophisticated dining area it creates a casual and calm mood in which to enjoy a nice meal with family and friends.

Mozza Mia has an excellent staff that is very hands on and will make sure that your evening goes as smoothly as possible. Making reservations before-hand is recommended or try their brand new takeout option. Mozza Mia is even beginning to cater to events, such as preordering for the super bowl.

As Mozza Mia begins to take off, they will be introducing new hours, such as being open for lunch instead of opening at 4pm daily. Along with the new hours will come a patio in the spring, located in the front and back of the restaurant.

As one of the many restaurants on 50th and France, Mozza Mia has a true originality in the atmosphere and in its food. With all the new and exciting things that Mozza Mia has to offer it makes it an ideal place to take your family and friends for a fabulous night of dining.

New American Idol Percy Chism Staff Reporter

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Sonja Muus Staff Reporter

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lthough no electronics are allowed to be used during class, texting and gaming alike, historically, most students who have violated this rule have been texting. However, an app which connects the classic game of Scrabble with talking to friends has been becoming more and more popular.

Words With Friends is an app for the iPhone and iPod touch. Although students enjoy playing the game during school hours, it is equally as popular among students outside of school as well.

“I only started playing a few weeks ago and immediately got addicted,” said Lillian Nosow, senior.

Words With Friends is almost identical to Scrabble: the object is to score points by forming words from seven letters randomly drawn. Along with the classic board game, players can talk to their opponents.

The difference between the two games is the immediateness of game play. While Scrabble players play the entire game at once, Words With Friends players simply submit their word choices and their opponent receives a notification.

Currently, the app is only available for iphone, but Android is working on coming out with a version of

Words With Friends within the next month. On the free version, an advertisement appears after each move is made, but there is an ad free version available for 99 cents.

Because students have the option of playing against their friends rather than just randomly chosen online users, it adds a social aspect to the game.

“Several of my friends and I play [Words With Friends] throughout school, especially in my AP Bio class where a big group of us play it,” Nosow said, “Mostly, I play people at Hopkins, but sometimes I branch out and play random opponents too.”

Although students respond quickly because they are playing throughout the school day, the game allows each player to take as long as they need to make the next move.

“I love [playing Words With Friends] because it is such a mobile way to play Scrabble and you’re playing against your real friends. You can take pretty much as long as you want to play and have several games going at once. It’s just a great way to play a fun game yet still be able to continue on with your normal schedule,” Nosow said.

any people across America tuned in to watch the season premiere of American Idol.

On Jan. 19, season ten of American Idol premiered with many new changes including judges and new challenges for contestants.

With many changes in place, American Idol was set to begin its tenth season. One of the many changes that viewers will notice is the change in judges. There will be two new judges replacing Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul.

Arguably two of the most famous pop stars of the century Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez are the new judges this season. Steven Tyler, the lead singer for Aerosmith, replaced Simon Cowell and Grammy winning singer Jennifer Lopez replaces Paula Abdul.

Along with new judges came other changes as well, there is no longer a top twenty-four but a top twelve instead. Fifteen year olds can now audition for the show. Contestants can no longer use instruments and rumors are that contestants will have the chance to make a music video for challenges.

The premiere of season ten had

twenty-six million viewers compared to the twenty-nine million that tuned in to watch the premiere of season nine. The season ten started out in East Rutherford, New Jersey and will end in San Francisco, California on Feb. 9.

Many students at HHS are excited about the new season of American Idol. Austin Lute, sophomore, said, “I think American Idol gives people a good way to show their talents and the new season is better without Simon.”

Then there are some who do not like the show. “The show is not good and thinks it’s worse without Simon and that the new judges are not funny or good,” said Brett Walther, senior.

Many Americans have continued to watch the show even with the departure of Simon and Paula. Ratings for the show continue to hover around twenty-four million viewers as compared to twenty-one million viewers for season nine.

The show continues to send many aspiring stars to Hollywood, California. The premiere episode of American Idol sent 51 contestants and, they have sent 245 total contestants to Hollywood for the next round.

variety Upcoming movies

Released on: Feb. 25

Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis play two friends whose wives give them the chance to have one week of no rules or a “hall pass.”

The two friends find that living a single life is not what they expected, and finding women is harder than they thought.

Nine Aliens flee to Earth after their home planet is destroyed, and live their lives pretending to be humans, but soon the aliens that destroyed their planet find them, and kill aliens Number One, Two, and Three. Number Four, a.k.a John Smith, is next on the Released on: Feb. 18 list.

Nicolas Cage stars in his latest “blockbuster” as Milton, who breaks out of hell to stop a cult who has killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter. On the way he is chased by the devil, played

by William Fichtner, who wants him back in hell.

Released on: Feb. 25

Information compiled by Will Burnton

13 page the ROYAL

Aunt of HHS students releases new book Marlee Gotlieb Back Page Editor

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lthough it’s directed towards an audience older than the high school student, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture discusses what many current high school girls might have gone through: Disney Princess mania.

The book was released at the end of Jan. and is written by Peggy Orenstein, aunt of Harry and Lucy Orenstein, juniors. Cinderella Ate My Daughter was given four stars in its Jan. review in People magazine and is the number one book pick for Feb. on Oprah.com.

Peggy’s inspiration for the book began when she noticed her daughter, Daisy’s, obsession with pink and Disney Princesses. Peggy published an article in The New York Times Magazine about the “princess-mania” that has overtaken a new generation of little girls.

“I’m really excited about the book. I first heard about it over a year ago and now I’m looking forward to actually reading it. It’s going to be her biggest hit yet,” Lucy said.

Peggy has written three other book; Waiting for Daisy, Flux, and School Girls.

In her book, Peggy explains that the “Disney Princess” franchise began ten years ago, when the Disney Princesses were first categorized under one title. “Technically, the Princesses aren’t supposed to know the others exist. So if there are four or more packaged together you’ll see that they are always looking away from each other,” Peggy said at her speaking on Jan. 28.

According to her website, Cinderella Ate My Daughter, “offers an important exploration of the burgeoning girlie-girl culture and what it could mean for our daughters’ identities and their futures.”

Somewhat surprisingly, Peggy’s favorite princess is Cinderella, but not the Disney one. Instead, she likes the Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, where there is no fairy godmother, but Cinderella receives her ball dress from a bird that sits on top of her mother’s grave. Also, one stepsister cuts off a toe while the other cuts of her heel, and they both get their eyes pecked out by pigeons in the end.

More information about Peggy and Cinderella Ate My Daughter can be found at her website, peggyorenstein.com.

Latest film club movie ‘No Where Girl’ coming soon

Photo by Betsy Gans

Betsy Gans Staff Reporter

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nlike the sci-fi movie, Knowing Aaron, produced in 2010 by Young Filmmakers Club, (YFC) No Where Girl has a more realistic story. No Where Girl is about a teen girl who lives with a family that does not get along well. The movie is based on the character Emily and her life after running away from home.

YFC will be producing this movie starting in late Feb. and finishing around July. There are over ten actors performing in the movie. The filming of No Where Girl will take place in Minneapolis, Minnetonka, and Hopkins.

The group meets every Monday and Friday after school. “The meetings are a really laid back environment,” said Michael Freeman, senior, and director of No Where Girl. “It’s not a quiet meeting.”

Freeman leads the meetings with discussions of things going on and things that need to be worked out. Everyone gives his or her opinions and ideas of what should be done.

To raise money for the movie, actors in YFC do projects for the YFC production house. Freeman is working on a project for school off campus. Brennan Kelley, senior, is making a workout video, and Colin Travis, senior, is making the senior video.

“We all show up at the shoot, and then the writer, director and second assistant director work through the scenes with the actors while everyone else sets up the set and the equipment,” said Katy Fuguet, senior, and screenwriter for the movie. When everything is ready, they do a run through and then start filming takes of the scene.

“The hardest days are the ones of which I have the best memories,” Fuguet said.

Young Film Makers Club meets to plan details for their upcoming movie ‘No Where Girl’.

The club uses Kelley’s equipment when available which is a XL2 camera. When Kelley’s equipment is not available, the group uses the school’s Cannon GL2 camera.

“At first, I started off not so sure about joining YFC, my friends were encouraging me and saying I would be good for the position so I started going to meetings and thinking more about it and tried it out. I ended up enjoying it. I plan on having this be my profession,” Freeman said.

“I am so happy that we are making this movie because things like this actually do happen to people and it is good that we are getting people aware of it.”

Scheduling is the hardest part for the group to deal with. Not everyone can make it to the meetings and filming they have to work with the

whole cast’s schedules.

“I have been into theater for six years, I saw ads for auditions, and I was really interested in trying it out. My favorite part about being in YFC is seeing the whole film, not just on the screen but all the work put into it,” said Beth Wootten, senior, and lead role in the movie.

The group has an opportunity gain publicity by making movies for Freeman’s uncle. He has many ideas and needs people to make them into movies, which would then be put into film festivals. This would be a great way to get YFC’s work out there for people to see what they can do.

“Never let YFC die,” Freeman said at Monday’s meeting. Most of the club is going off to college next year, and they want the program to continue running into college.

sports

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ROYAL

Brettingen speaks softly, but carries a big stick Jason Showers Staff Reporter

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he proud fans of the blue and silver rise to their feet in unison, all eyes on Joey Brettingen, junior defenseman for the varsity hockey team. For a split second, it seems as if time stands still in the Hopkins Pavilion as Brettingen lines up an opponent for one of his trademark monster hits.

The poor player who is on the receiving end of a Brettingen open-ice check often ends up on his back, dazed and confused, with ears ringing from the force of the blow and the tremendous noise erupting from the student section of the stands. “I’m sure I have injured many players over the course of my career,” Brettingen said.

The second year varsity player and assistant captain is honest about his physicality on the ice, but doesn’t like to revel in his role as a brutal hitter.

Brettingen is known as a quiet guy who leads by example rather than words. He is remarkable for his kind heart, golden-boy good looks, and willingness to help those in need whenever possible. He gets good grades, and is thoroughly involved in church and band.

Simply by the way he holds himself, one can see Brettingen’s pure grace and athleticism. His 6 foot 3 inch frame seems to ooze confidence.

Always cool, calm, and relaxed, Brettingen seems like he couldn’t hurt a fly.

On the contrary, Brettingen currently leads the team in penalty minutes with 34, proving that he has quite the aggressive side. “Lining someone up for a big hit is one of the greatest feelings in hockey,” Brettingen said. “My eyes get really big and my muscles get really tense in preparation to destroy the opposing player, and it is the one and only way I get to release the tiny bits of anger that I have at some points.”

Brettingen’s teammates are often awed by the brute-force and savagery behind his hits. “Joey’s hits can actually be scary sometimes. On the ice, he gets in this zone that I have never seen anyone else in, he just gets so intense and has

Photo by Megan Shaw

Joey Brettingen, junior, dishes out one of his storied hits against an opponent from Minnetonka. The Royals lost to the Skippers 7-5. amazing instincts,” said Andrew Glover, junior forward and a close friend of Brettingen.

The two have been friends and neighbors since Kindergarten at Meadowbrook Elementary, so nobody knows Brettingen’s playing style better than Glover. “No matter where we are, the weight room, practice, or a conference game against Edina, Joey always goes hard. He seems to have this hockey sense that very few players are blessed with,” Glover said.

On the ice, Brettingen has a knack for being in the right spot at the right time, and he seems to have an internal magnet that draws the action

to him. He claims it is just luck, but anyone who has spent time with the Brettingen could see that it is a balance of hard work, love for the game, and a motor that never stops running, no matter the physical abuse he has taken.

“I get tons of bumps and bruises, a few cuts on the face every once in a while, but that is what hockey is all about,” Brettingen said. “I actually have a scar from the Orono hit.”

The hit that he is referring to is his favorite hockey memory, and a prime example of all that Brettingen stands for, and the way he plays the game of hockey.

“This year at home against Orono, biggest open ice hit of my life. Not only was it their stud player, the placement of the hit was even better… right in front of the student section. I happened to get a standing ovation from a few of the students.”

In the words of friend and teammate, Andy Wicklund, junior forward, “ the standing ovation from a few of the students was more like a roar.” Indeed, a deafening roar that threatened to blow the top off of the Pavilion, and blow out the eardrums of the Orono player lying crumpled on the ice.

Greenfield focuses on volleyball, signs with St. Thomas Michael Frey Sports Editor

A

s the girls basketball team is tearing down the opposition, aside from a loss to now number one ranked Eden Prairie, Jill Greenfield, senior, has shifted her focus to volleyball, in fact, she’s not even on the team. Greenfield was a captain last year on the basketball team, but decided she wanted to play volleyball in college earlier this year. She recently signed a letter of intent to play volleyball at the University of St. Thomas on Feb 2, national signing day.

Jill’s sister, Jennifer Greenfield also attended the University of St. Thomas and that was one of the reasons Jill decided to sign with them.

“I grew up around volleyball and have been around it all my life because my sister played in high school,” Jill said. Because of her sister, Jill got involved with volleyball at a young age and stuck with it while playing other sports. Being around volleyball a lot through Jennifer got her close with coach Vicki Swenson and she was able to make a good impression on her through her seasons on the team.

“I realized that it’s such an emotional sport and one that no person on a team can be a selfish player,” Jill said. In volleyball, each team is allowed a maximum of three hits until it is bumped to the other side, therefore each player must rely on one another to hit the ball over.

“Each play or touch has a direct impact on the next and there-

fore is a sport with strong team chemistry as a necessity,” Jill said.

Jill has become close with her volleyball teammates, not to say she didn’t on the basketball team, but volleyball is her true passion.

She wants to be around the “positive, encouraging environment” as long as possible.

Currently, Jill is in the “off season” of her high school sports now that she isn’t playing basketball. She will still run track this spring as she has done for the past several years. Although she’s not playing a high school sport this winter, she is playing on a club volleyball team for the Minnesota One program on the 181’s which practices three times a week and participates in tournaments and matches that she started playing with in Nov. and will play with until June.

The Minnesota One program is a training center in Minneapolis and is recognized as one of the top junior club team programs in the country. As soon as the high school volleyball season ended, Jill didn’t miss a beat as she was already training hard and preparing for college volleyball with some of the top high school and college coaches in the area.

“I usually lift about twice a week and we do SAQ’s,” Jill said.

“SAQ” stands for speed agility and quickness, which for any sport are important in being a strong contributor to the team.

Jill has been busy through out her high school career, being a three-sport athlete in her sophomore and junior years, playing volleyball, basketball and running track. This year is no different with more volleyball replacing basketball, she is still very active.

Photo provided by Jill Greenfield

Jill Greenfield, senior, has given up basketball to focus on volleyball. She will play volleyball for St. Thomas next year.

sports

15 page the

ROYAL

Mr. Franke helps disabled swimmers reach their dreams Those who can’t do teach, or rather, coach. Mr. Tom Franke, Science, does both. Tucked away in room S141 teaching Astronomy and AP Biology has been Franke’s life at HHS for nearly 17 years. However, Franke has had another passion outside of the classroom; coaching.

Lissa Martinez Feature Editor

S

wimming had been a prominent fixture in Mr. Tom Franke’s, Science, life for more than 40 years. He swam throughout high school with encouragement from his mother. He continued swimming for Wheaton throughout college, even though he wasn’t a particularly strong swimmer.

After years of swimming, Franke was offered a coaching position, and everything clicked. “I was never very good, but I could teach. It was easier for me to teach than to do the actual swimming,” Franke said.

Coaching for Kids Franke coached a variety of clubs, schools, and leagues for several years until, in the 80s, when Franke reached out to a boy named Brian. “I had two girls on the team, Andrea and Alison, and they had a brother with cerebral palsy. He was swimming with Courage Center and they asked if I could do something for Brian,” Franke said.

Agreeing to help, Franke helped arrange the schedule for an upcoming swim meet to include the swimmers from the Courage Center, and allowed them to compete. From that point on, Franke took on coaching several more physically disabled swimmers.

“When word got out that I cared about people with disabilities, a blind boy, named Dan Kelly, joined the team as a young teenager,” Franke said.

Coaching Dan had become an interesting task for Franke, as normal coaching methods didn’t apply. Dan’s impairment left him unable to know when the edge of the pool was approaching, and to help, Franke got creative.

Using a tennis ball on a rod, Franke was able to signal to Dan when it was time to turn. “The boy just had a natural talent for the water, a tremendous feel for the water and it was just a matter of walking up and down the deck with him and tapping him on the head as he did his turns,” Franke said.

With Franke’s help, Dan was sent to three Paralympics games over 12 years. Dan won several gold medals in the men’s 100 meter backstroke, men’s 100 meter freestyle, and men’s 200 meter medley at the 2000 Paralympics alone.

In 1960, the Paralympics were organized in Rome, Italy to allow physically disabled athletes to compete competitively, in the same year and same country as the Olympics.

Franke’s first brush with the Paralympics wasn’t his last. In fact, Franke’s team continued to grow in physically disabled athletes. “I realized I kind of enjoyed coaching these kids,” Franke

said.

He was able to apply his knowledge of human biology into his coaching. “[With] able bodied athletes, you can pretty much teach the same basic principles, but when you have athletes with a disability, then the entire core is different, how they rotate their body is different,” Franke said.

In addition, every one of the kid’s needs was different, as they all had different disabilities.

“Everyone needs a personalized, technical approach to their strokes and on top of that they can’t manage the same pounding I might give to an able bodied club athlete because their bodies are already missing some parts and are already weakened by that. There is much more of what you would call a science and art of coaching to the Paralympics athletes,” Franke said.

Going Gold Franke began coaching a boy named Justin Zook who had a leg disability. In 2004, he qualified for the US Paralympics team, as well as Anessa Kemna, who had been blinded by corneal cloudiness.

The Zook and Kemna families invited Franke to join them in Athens, Greece to watch Zook and Kemna compete. “That was when I really saw what the program was all about,” Franke said.

Zook went on to win a bronze medal in the 50 meter freestyle, as well as gold in the 100 meter backstroke. At the time he was ranked number one, and went on to set world records. Franke continued to coach Zook for 15 years.

In 2006, Kemna and other team members asked Franke if he would consider becoming a member of the US Paralympics staff. After passing the national and international exams, Franke became a coach for the US Paralympics team.

The following year, Franke took the US team, along with several other coaches, doctors, and team specialists to Manchester, England. “They must have thought well of me, I went to another meet that summer and the following year I got to go to Beijing, China,” Franke said.

Franke took his team, Team EZ, with members Justin Zook and Anna Eames to China in summer 2008. Eames, an HHS senior at the time, was born with a physical deformation called Fibular Hemimelia, a deficiency of the fibula to grow, an abnormal ankle joint, and three toes on her right foot.

Nevertheless, Eames went on to win a gold medal in the 100 meter butterfly and a bronze in the 100 meter freestyle, giving the US team a total of 17 gold medals, totaling at 44 medals altogether. Meanwhile, the same year, just a month after Michael Phelps won eight gold medals in the same pool, Zook went on to set a world record and a Paralympics record during his preliminary race and won his second gold medal for the 100 meter backstroke.

Although the team came back with several great successes, it did not go without its hardships. Eames, who had been coached by Franke since 2007, did not swim her best on the 500 freestyle race and received fourth place, being beat out by .04 of a second. “I had been upset for a while…I was being a brat,” Eames said.

Franke talked Eames down from her frustration. “He told me to get back in the water and cool down,” Eames said. “I ended up swimming the next day and getting fourth again but I had a much better attitude. I have gotten much better at getting over a bad swim and not letting

Photos provided by Tom Franke

Above: Anna Eames swims the butterfly stroke at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China.

Left: Tom Franke, pictured with Eames.

Franke has been coaching Eames since 2006, and still coaches on the U.S. Paralympic Swim Team. it get to me as much. I think it’s a huge lesson whether in swimming or just in life that it is easy to be positive and happy when things are going well for you, but he taught me to be positive and look at the bright side of things even when they aren’t.”

In 2009, Franke received a devastating phone call. “The head coach [had] died in a mountain climbing accident,” Franke said. “They needed somebody to take his place as the head coach of the world championships. They asked me if I would do that.”

Taking his place, and continuing to coach on the US Paralympics team has been has been an extraordinary part of Franke’s life for years, but he credits that to the swimmers. “One of the reasons why I’m still in the program is because they ask the athletes after every meet what [they] think of the staff. If they respect you and what you’re doing for the athletes, and if you’re really there, not to make yourself look good, but to serve them and really meet there needs [and] care about them, they ask you to come back. So it’s been a whole lot more than I’ve ever expected,” Franke said.

Gaining a Perspective Throughout the experiences abroad and on the US Paralympics team, Franke was able to experience the best of talented Paralympics athletes. “They’re elite level athletes who happen to have a disability. They are not disabled people who happened to swim,” Franke said.

For nearly 20 years Franke has been coaching physically disabled athletes and bringing them all over the world to compete and win. However,

the accomplishments and medals won overseas by the athletes and coaches are rarely shared in the US. “The US does not pay any attention to the disabled. We’re very good at multiculturalism, but we’re not paying attention to the disabled members of our population and the deeds that they are doing, which are extraordinary,” Franke said.

While Franke has been seen as a great coach as he has been able to send several of his swimmers to the Paralympics and managed to bring home numerous medals, but Franke admits it is not he who is the hero, but the athletes. “These athletes… what they have taught me from their perspective on life from their challenges, from their ability to rise above their challenges… I don’t complain as much,” Franke said.

Not only have the Paralympics athletes influenced Franke, but it has influenced the entire Franke family. “They have been my daughter’s heroes. They have given my daughters a world perspective and a human perspective I could never have done as a dad. And for that I’ll never be able to thank them enough for what they’ve given to me, what they’ve given to my family,” Franke said.

What started as a lucky opportunity quickly evolved into a career and lifestyle for Franke.

“It wasn’t what I was expecting, it was a whole lot more and it’s a greater blessing than I ever thought it would be. And I don’t know that I really deserve the opportunities that I got, but I’m thankful for them,” Franke said.

The

Daily Damages

To Students

Eat a good breakfast. Don’t listen to your music too loudly. Don’t carry too much in your backpack.

It’s unlikely that a student would go through school without hearing all of these at least once. While eating breakfast, listening to music quietly, and carrying a light load in a backpack are often advised to teens, their importance is sometimes overlooked. The Royal Page explores the significance of getting in a good breakfast, the damages from overexposure to loud music, and the problems caused when a backpack is too heavy.

W h e n b re a kfa st i s s ki p p e d

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n a country focused on dieting and exercise, a big part of starting off a healthy day is breakfast- a meal many students overlook or just “don’t have time for” in the mornings.

If a student is rushed getting ready for school, it would be easy to just grab a banana, granola bar, or maybe nothing at all in order to get to school on time. Obviously, something is better than nothing, because as almost everyone has heard over and over, “breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day”.

According to kidshealth. org, students who eat breakfast have more energy, do better in school, and eat healthier throughout the day.

Furthermore, skipping breakfast often causes people to be hungrier later in the day, so in

the end, extra calories are taken in anyways. Additionally, breakfast gets the metabolism started from early on in the morning.

While asleep, the metabolism slows down. If breakfast is eaten shortly after waking up, it will get it started earlier on.

HHS offers breakfast every weekday, so even if a student doesn’t have time to eat at home, he or she should be able to get some food in before class. According to the school’s lunch menu, all breakfast meals include a grain/protein choice, a fruit/ juice choice, and milk.

Positive results come from eating breakfast, such as doing better in school, making better food choices throughout the day, and being more active.

i c Lo u d s u m too n e Wh is

A student gets on the bus in the morning and puts in his headphones so he can listen to music on the way to school. In the halls between classes, the environment is slightly louder, so the student turns up the volume. While doing homework after school, the student eventually gets the volume up to full volume so he can drown out the distractions around him.

Most likely, the student won’t notice the harm he is doing to his ears. In fact, many students roam the halls of HHS while using headphones, and probably don’t notice the potentially dangerous volume they are at.

According to an acoustic study from the American Institute of Physics, the average person listens to music at the same level he or she would hear a gas lawnmower and 80 percent of people listen to music at dangerous levels when background noises come into

Maximum Listening Times Per Day % of volume control

10-60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Earbud

No limit

6 hours

1.5 hours

22 minutes

5 minutes

Supra-Aural

No limit

20 hours

4.9 hours

1.2 hours

18 minutes

W

bends forward to keep the backpack centered, resulting in pain, says Kids Health.

There are several precautions that can be taken to prevent backpack pain, such as buying a backpack with padding. Also, backpacks with two straps are better for a student’s back than a book bag because the weight is more evenly distributed across both shoulders. Using a lightweight backpack, carrying a small load, and distributing the weight within the backpack are also helpful in decreasing back pain.

Following some of these precautions, Lifson uses a locker now and looks in advance when he will have to bring textbooks. “I usually don’t bring any textbooks now. I used to bring one or two. It’s definitely not healthy for someone [to be carrying a lot of backpack weight].”

H

W h en back packs are too h ea vy alk through the halls of the junior high and high school and one main difference should be obvious: the high school students carry their backpacks with them all day while the junior high students don’t.

Loaded with textbooks, folders, papers, and binders, high school students carry a days worth of supplies all in one little bag.

Jeff Lifson, junior, noticed his backpack was particularly heavy, and even had it weighed. “At the doctors they would ask me how much my backpack weighed and then they would weigh it.

It would weigh like 20 pounds,” Lifson said.

Ideally, backpacks should weigh no more than 10 to 15 percent of the carrier’s body weight, according to livestrong.com. When a backpack is too heavy, the backpack pulls backward while a student

play.

The harm is caused by damage to tiny hair cells located in the inner ear. These cells, which are supposed to send sound information to the brain, are destroyed when exposed to high volumes for long periods of time.

Even Apple.com knows it is important to pay attention to music volume, as it cautions, “Listen responsibly”, “think about volume”, and “keep track of time”. IPods are even made with a volume limit so users won’t listen above their preset safe volume.

Hearing loss in teens has been connected to over exposure of loud music. It is important to be careful of the volume level being used while listening to an iPod or any other mp3 player. Especially when there is a lot of background noise, it is easy to listen at high volume without noticng the damage being done.

ow

vy hea

“Earbud” inlcudes stock earphones and iPod in-ear pohnes.

“Supra-Aural” includes Koss headphones that rest on top of the ear. Information from physorg.com.

is your backpack?

Steph Breth senior

Backpack weight: 29.25 lbs.

Carly Shaw junior

Backpack weight: 22 lbs.

Tanner Holmquist junior

Backpack weight: 12.25 lbs.