The Royal Page - May 2017 Volume 1 by Royal Page

VOLUME 35, ISSUE 7

Inside the Lake Conference IN-DEPTH, p.6-7

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

www.hopkinsrp.org

From scent to suspect:

Several students were called out of class as HHS conducted drug search on April 26

by Abby Doeden Print Editor-in-Chief As Bennett VanDellen, senior, sat in the auditorium during band class on April 26, he never thought he’d be searched for drugs. “I saw one person get taken out, and then there was another girl taken out right after, and I was like, ‘Oh, that seems surprising.’ And I just had a bad feeling,” VanDellen said. Shortly after, VanDellen himself was taken out of class, and escorted down to the Main Office. The drug-searching dogs had hit on his car, and his person, possessions, and car would have to be searched. “I was confused at first. I knew I didn’t have anything,” VanDellen said. “Because I didn’t have anything.” VanDellen was not the only student whose car was hit on by the

dogs. About 20 HHS students were called down to the office to be searched that day, with only two citations being made. “I got a little nervous because I have people in my car all the time, and what if they had dropped something in there? Then I would get cited for that,” VanDellen said. “I started thinking about what the effect of getting caught would have on college, and I started to get really worried about that.” When the police dogs smell even a trace amount of drugs on the car, they’ll signal a hit. This means that even if someone has recently smoked and touches a car, there is a possibility of the dogs targeting that car. “There aren’t really any ‘false citations’. There were just no drugs found in the car. The dogs will hit on the car even if there was a drug in or around the car in the past,” said Jim Giese, HHS Police Liaison. Getting caught yields many consequences, both in and out of school. For student-athletes, it means sitting out for two weeks or two games, whichever is greater. For others, it could

mean not getting a job, or a certain scholarship. For one student, who wished to remain anonymous, it meant two days of in-school suspension, and missing two weeks of their sport, in this case, eight games. “It sucks [to be cited], especially when it hurts my team more than anything,” the student said. “But I have to take responsibility for the people in my car.” While the substance found in the car was not theirs, the student will still have to serve the punishment

for the rest of these next two weeks. With this amount of sensitivity, administrators believe that students need to take more precautions to not have the wrong person in their car. Traci Meyer, Dean of Students, says that HHS should strive for better. “We want a drug free campus. We want zero hits; or if we do get hits, we want zero finds,” Meyers said. According to Giese, there is a larger message behind the drug checks than to just catch HHS students. “The [drug searches] aren’t to give students tick-

ets or arrest them, the point of the searches is to change behaviors and show what the possible effects of getting caught could be on their futures,” Giese said. However, Morgan Holmes, senior, believes that there could be a better way to catch the students who are actually under the influence. “There are kids walking around the school doing drugs, and they don’t catch them. I understand that stuff happens, but at the same time I don’t think they are getting the right kids,” Holmes said.

Holocaust descendant brings perspective to AP students by Samantha Horowitz Staff Reporter When teaching a unit such as the Holocaust, it can be difficult to convey to students the magnitude of the largest genocide in history. Iris Shaver, daughter of Holocaust survivors, hoped to transform the Holocaust in the minds of students from a historical event that happened over 70 years ago to an event that is somehow closer to them, through her family history. “The students have the chance to hear directly from me, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, what it is like to grow up in the home of people who experienced trauma when they were teenagers,

and survived,” Shaver said. “When a war ends, the conflict and trauma still goes on inside the people who went through the conflict. And that trauma is transferred to the next generation.” Shaver’s father grew up in Poland and was sent to several concentration camps, including the most wellknown camp, AuschwitzBirkenau. After surviving the Holocaust (Shoah in Hebrew), he initially thought that all of his six siblings had died in the struggle. Shaver found out later in life that her father’s older sister, who had died by the time of discovery, had also survived the war and had two children of her own. At the end of the war,

Shaver’s father moved to Is- I hope I make it relatable, so rael, where he and his wife that we learn from the past had seven children. Upon and learn to recognize the the discovery of her aunt’s signs of hate and bias. We all family, Iris reunited with her have the responsibility to do cousins in our part in the holy stopping land. Since "When a war ends, the hate and then, she conflict and trauma bias before moved to still goes on inside it evolves Minn. and the people who went into intentional had two through the conflict. c h i l d r e n , And that trauma is murder Avi and transferred to the next of people generation." based on Ariel. their reli“ N o w - Iris Shaver gion, nathat my tional oriparents generation is passing, it is gin, or looks.” In bringing Shaver in to my role to step up, to work for remembrance about the discuss her father’s experihorrors of genocide through ences in the Holocaust, Rick my family's history,” Shaver Rexroth, Social Studies, said. “I make it personal and hoped to bring the issue to

life and give students a real perspective from the daughter of a Schindler Jew. “This is actually the grandfather of someone sitting next to them in their class,” Rexroth said. “I think it makes it much more personal and helps to understand the humanity of it better.” In terms of giving his students a better understanding about the Holocaust and the significance of hearing a survivor’s stories, Rexroth often talks to his students about the significance of the words “six million” and “90 percent of the Polish Jews.” “Those numbers are big numbers and they’re powerful, but they don’t mean the same thing as ‘my father,’ ‘my

grandfather,’ ‘my aunt,’ ‘my family,’ and the experiences and connection of things,” Rexroth said. Shaver hopes the students realized that we need to stand together to stop hate and bias, and to support each other in standing for our values of inclusion, celebration of diversity and above all celebration of all people. “The Holocaust may appear far away and as if it has nothing to do with the life of high school teenagers in 2017 in the United States, but sadly that is not the case. Genocides are still happening,” Shaver said. “I tell my family history because we have a tendency to forget, or get confused with propaganda of Holocaust denial.”

2 news

RPWednesday, May 3, 2017

Reviving an old tradition: Seniors Camp Out by Andy Berris Staff Reporter This year, National Honor Society (NHS) will be hosting a senior campout on the high school football field. The campout will take place on May 19, and is open to all students in the 2017 graduating class. Danny Mydra, senior and NHS President, hopes the event will bring the senior class together. “Instead of walking down the hallway and ignoring someone, this might give people a chance to talk to people they usually don’t,” Mydra said. The entry fee will be five dollars during lunch and seven dollars at the door. The money will be donated to Street Outreach - St. Stephen’s Human Services. While entering, all bags

will be searched and no outside drinks will be allowed. The rules expected of students at school will also be expected during the campout. Student ID’s and tickets will be checked at the door. The NHS leaders are still discussing whether there will be a gender rule regarding sleeping arrangements. Once a student leaves the event, they can’t re-enter. NHS had to get the campout approved by administration, the principal and also the activities office in order to reserve the stadium field. “It was surprisingly easy to get it approved,” said Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, social studies and NHS advisor. “I wasn’t expecting it to be.” The senior campout used to be a tradition at HHS over 20 years ago but was originally hosted by the school. If it works out well, Heimlich hopes future

chapters of NHS will continue hosting the event. With the purchase of a ticket, students will be provided food, dessert, various activities, as well as live entertainment. Sam Eklund, junior, and his band, Robot Children, will be performing at the event. “We will probably perform for around a half an hour,” Eklund said. “This will probably be the largest crowd we have ever performed for.” There will also be two other bands, besides Eklund’s, that will be performing. Because of the surrounding neighborhoods, there can’t be any loud music past 11 p.m. Heimlich hopes at least 200 seniors come out to the event to support the charity. “That’s just a goal,” Heimlich said. “We have no idea if we will hit more or less than that.” Thad Roberts, senior, is

infographic by Bea Frank

hoping to have one last night to hang out with people he doesn’t normally see. “I graduate soon so it’ll be nice to hang with everyone be-

fore we go our separate ways,” Roberts said. Mydra hopes that the upcoming years of NHS will continue the tradition that they

revived. “It’s awesome that we are bringing an old tradition back,” Mydra said. “Hopefully it’s here to stay now.”

through the Minneapolis Jewish Federation. They [HHS students] were in Rehovot with the [Israeli] teens for a week over winter break, and now they [Israeli teenagers] are here over their spring break, so they are here for a week,” said Eilat Harel, Director of the Israel Center for the Minneapolis Program. The group is in North America for 12 days, first stopping in New Jersey, then Toronto, and now in Minn. Many of the Israeli students were extremely enthusiastic to be visiting America for the first time, and are looking forward to observing the lives of their American counterparts on the other side of the world. Sophie Goodman, junior, also participates in the Minneapolis Rehovot Partnership Together program. During Spring Break, Goodman spent time with the Israeli students, living with their families and visiting their schools. Now, they have switched places, and Goodman has the opportunity to show them the life and culture of Minneapolis. “We went to Stillwater on Sunday and showed them wil-

low falls and the Minnesota nature. Then we went to Ridgedale mall, and they freaked out and thought it was really cool to see all the stores,” Goodman said. “Today they’re going to Target for like three hours, they don’t have Target there. Eventually they’ll go downtown, see the Mall of America, maybe to a Wild game.” Members of the program showed the students around public and charter schools, as well as churches. The students were also introduced to the Jewish community in Minneapolis and had the opportunity to interact with local Jewish teens. According to Goodman, the Israeli students were excited to tour HHS and explore all the opportunities offered here because it is so different from what they are used to back home in Israel. “Having so many classes, and realizing that our school is nothing compared to Hopkins, that’s just insane. It’s nice there are so many classes because it gives everyone an opportunity to find themselves,” said Nicole Leus, Israeli junior. Yehonathan Danino agreed, adding that HHS is a huge

school compared to high schools in Israel, with a lot of opportunities and different kinds of people. After being exposed to culture here, many of the students are eager to return to the U.S. in the future. “When I get back to Israel, I’m going to be really upset because America’s amazing. I wish I could stay here for a long time. I am really hyped for my next visit to America.” Provizor said. “I already know that I want to study here once I finish the army.” Goodman played a central role in bringing the Israeli students to HHS. During her time with them, she’s come to value the relationships she built through the program, and was excited to expose them to an important aspect of her life. “It makes me really appreciative, because we take so much for granted. This is like a dream [for them]. Hopkins is bigger than some universities in Israel. It’s just a really big deal for them to be here, and makes me see the school through their eyes, and appreciate it more,” Goodman said.

The American experience: 12 Israeli teenagers exposed to lives of average students, schools

12 Israeli students visited HHS through the Minneapolis Jewish Federation Teen Exchange Program. The group toured HHS on April 4. photo by Samantha Horowitz

by Samantha Horowitz & Hannah Goldfarb Staff Reporters & Feature Editor “It’s cold,” observed Roni Provizor, an Israeli junior, as she stepped off the plane in Minneapolis. It was Provizor’s first time in America, and she didn’t

know what to expect, especially the cold weather. “I think Minnesota is wonderful, and it’s a really pretty state. I’ve only been to New Jersey and Wisconsin so far, but it’s a really cool place, and the university is amazing,” Provizor said. Provizor is traveling with a group of Israeli students

through the Minneapolis Jewish Federation Teen Exchange Program called Partnership Together (P2G Minneapolis). P2G provides opportunities for over 500 Jewish communities worldwide to participate in cultural, social, and educational exchanges with Israeli communities. “This is a partnership

info-

National College Decision Day excites seniors for their upcoming experiences by Jordyn Petty News Editor Across the nation, May 1 is the day for high school seniors to make their final college decisions. Zoe Kirshbaum, senior, will be attending George Washington University in Washington D.C. next fall. “I toured and fell in love with the school,” Kirshbaum said. “I’m excited to be in D.C

since I will be majoring in political science.” Danny Dolan, senior, decided that he will be staying in his hometown and attending the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. “I’m excited for greek life and taking classes that pertain to my major,” Dolan said. “I will be majoring in Neuroscience.” Kate Glover, senior, decided to attend Harvard University and is excited for the new expe-

riences she will have in Boston. “I’m excited to start a new adventure and I love seeing what adventures my peers are going on,” Glover said. “It was really cool to see all the kids you grew up with and the colleges they will be attending across the country.” Along with Dolan and Kirshbaum, around 460 of their classmates will be graduating and taking the next steps in their education.

Seniors gather in the mall, sporting their college gear. Graduation will be held on June 1. provided by Danny Dolan

RP Wednesday, May 3, 2017

the

op/ed 3 STAFF EDITORIAL

The Royal Page 2016-2017

Revamping role of Student Council

As Student Council transitions into next year, their role at HHS should be expanded and better defined through creation of constitution The role of a student council is to work with administration advisors to implement policies that positively impact the well-being of a school, as well as planning events and activities to impose a sense of unity and spirit. But recently, members of the HHS student council have raised questions over whether or not the current system in place runs as efficiently as it should be. In considering everything that has been put in place over the past couple of years, how can the student council be more responsive to the needs of students, and is the current system in place effective? The student council has been successful in planning a number of school-wide events. One main role of the governing body is to choose the acts

and plan out the schedule of pep-fests, of which there have been three this year, as opposed to two in previous years. Pepfests are particularly enjoyable because they create a greater degree of unification among the student body and are a fun way to promote school spirit. Missing class is also an added bonus. In recent years, members of student council have expressed concern over communication issues between the council, advisers, and the student body. While it may be practical to create a set of guidelines to fill the communication void, members of student councils have assessed whether starting with a completely blank slate the most logical or productive way to address the concerns of HHS. For a student council set

Senior pranks: a risky end-of-year tradition by Gabe Herman Staff Reporter

There is a legend that becomes a reality at the end of every school year. This tradition is known as the “senior prank”, and it is pretty self explanatory. What is not self explanatory is how some students can just throw something away that they have worked so hard for their whole lives. Not everyone at HHS encourages a senior prank, but they want students to know that if they do, they should check with the office and make sure it is okay and safe. “Safety first, always,” said Mr. Trent Lawson, Assistant Principal. The administration also wants to notify the students that if the prank seems safe, and harmless, that does not mean there will not be any consequences. Seniors have worked tirelessly, and have had countless nights with little to no sleep while studying for a big exam, or finishing an essay, all because they want to walk across the stage and have their diploma handed to them. Students that participate in senior pranks, are putting that dream at a very high risk. I am not saying a senior prank is the worst thing, or even a bad thing. You never know who will enjoy it, and who will take it the wrong way, and that is the whole risk. If a student was to pull a senior prank, his or her graduation ceremony privileges could potentially be provoked, or there might be another consequence, or it could be no graduation ceremony and more.

Just think about it: students work for four years, maybe even longer, in preperation for things such as the ACT or SAT, and then you throw a big ceremony honoring your work, and making you feel good about all you have done, while also knowing that this is the end of a big part of your life. You throw it all away, just to make a group of kids laugh, and also who knows if the prank will actually be funny. Students should not go all out on a senior prank. If they choose to do so, they are putting a lot at stake that they may regret in the future. As an underclassman, I will get to observe what happens at the end of this year, and the end of next year leading up to my senior year. I do not quite understand the feeling of leaving this school this June and never coming back as a student. Since I have not yet attended HHS for a full year, I have never seen how the school actually reacts to senior pranks and I believe seeing that will shape my stance more. The last day of school is a half day and this gives endless scenarios on senior pranks. A large speculation I have is that there will not be enough time to set up a senior prank due to the shortened day. When the last day of school arrives, I believe that most students want to say their goodbyes, and enjoy the day as normal as possible. Students and faculty do not want to see a lot of cops around. Speculation of a dangerous prank is bad. The last day of school is a celebration day--so, let's all enjoy it together, as one school.

back by a series of complications and disputes, starting on a new page would be the best way to increase productivity and improve relations between administration and students. In order to improve efficiency, it would be beneficial to both the members of student council and students at HHS to write a constitution that defines the purpose and major goals of the governing body. In doing so, the relationship between the administration, the student body, and the student council will be gradually improved and trust will be maintained in the effectiveness of the system. Student council has tried to create constitutions in the past, none of which have been completed. They are currently functioning without a constitution, which has created difficulties in communication

and efficiency. It would be beneficial to enter next year with a solidified plan about issues the student government wants to recognize, along with the overall impact they wish to make on the school as a group. While students at HHS are currently able to attend student council meetings on Wednesday mornings and fill out an input form, student council should make a greater effort to involve students in the decision-making process. Student council should reach out to students and ask for input on how to better connect to the student body. It would take effort on both ends, but it would allow student council to implement policies that impact the wellbeing of students. In improving the image of

the student council, members are able to display a new level of professionalism, and students at HHS are able to develop a better understanding of the role of student council. When students are able to connect to and actively participate in the decision making process, it is much easier to create an environment of cohesion and inclusion.

Web Editor-in Chief Noah Kaplan

Managing Editor Michael Korsh

News Editor Jordyn Petty

Feature Editors Izzy Goldfarb Hannah Goldfarb

Sports Editor

AGREE DISAGREE

Photo Editor

9 0

Sunburn promposal

Announce it over the loudspeaker for Music Monday

Light your house on fire and say, "Prom would be lit"

Use a Bitmoji

Subtweet at them

Write it on your AP Free Response booklet

Kidnap their real prom date

Write it in sauce at the burrito bar

Have Bullinger point at them

Abby Doeden

EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE:

Top 10 : Last-Minute Promposals 10

Print Editor-inChief

Use this paper! [insert name here], will you go to prom with me?

Andy Weisman Bea Frank

Video Editor Zach Roy

Social/Copy Editor Sophia Koritz

Staff Reporters

Evie Barczak Logan Barham Andy Berris Alex Condon Natalie DenHartog Eli Destiche Luis Felemovicius Mimi Gewirtz Mario Hadley Gabe Herman Samantha Horowitz Shayna Korsh Ayanna Maddox Kyle Miller Jacob Ratner Adam Segal Lily Smith Ryan St. Clair Stephanie Winter

Adviser

Jeff Kocur

The Staff Editorial represents 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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4 in-depth

INSIDE THE LAKE CONFERENCE by Michael Korsh Managing Editor

Since 1932, the Lake Conference has matched up five Metro -area schools in heated academic competitions. But how do these schools stack up off of the playing field?

HOPKINS

EDEN PRAIRIE

MINNETONKA WAYZATA

(10-12)

=1,000 STUDENTS

WHITE AFRICANAMERICAN ASIAN LATINO OTHER

EDINA

2,050

1,637 STUDENTS

KEY:

3,000

3,050

3,250

(9-12)

STUDENTS

STUDENTS (10-12)

STUDENTS

AVERAGE ACT

DIVERSITY

AVERAGE ACT

21.6 24.5 25.4 25.8 25.7

7.2

5.6

5.0

5.4

percent of students who get 4 hours or less of sleep

What makes your school unique?

What makes your school unique? “What makes Eden Prairie unique is the diverse student body, giving students the ability to learn about other cultures through our peers.”

What makes your school unique? “We have MAST (Minnetonka Academic Support Time). It’s for us getting help with teachers and stuff, but if you don’t want to go, school starts at 8:40.”

What makes your school unique? “There’s so many different opportunities to take advantage of, and even though the school is huge, you can get involved in a lot of things.”

“It has a juxtaposition of challenging classes and academics and a fun set of extracurriculars and sports.” -Gabe Fishman, HHS junior

-Alex King, EP senior

SOURCES: photos licensed through Creative Commons

Minnesota Dept. of Education 2016 and 2013 Minnesota Student Survey

Lake Conference School Proﬁles

-McKenzie Beno, Minnetonka senior

-Allie Phillips, Wayzata senior

DIVERSITY

3.4 percent of students who get 4 hours or less of sleep What makes your school unique? “Edina has a rich tradition when it comes to participating in all of our activities and traditions. Everyone brings such a good energy and so much excitement.” -Josh Felton, Edina junior

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Veganism Students choose plantbased lifestyle, adapt by Ayanna Maddox Staff Reporter

Earth Club leads the Kids’ Climate March to the Minnesota State Capitol.

Photo provided by Anya Steinberg

Earth Club celebrates Earth Day by Hannah Goldfarb Feature Editor On Sat. April 22, Earth Day, the HHS Earth Club marched along with the Kids’ Climate March and the Minnesota March for Science. The club members led the Kids’ Climate March as they walked to the Minnesota State Capitol, an honor they earned due to their work with iMatter,

a youth environmental group. “The way we live is largely unsustainable and damages the earth in ways that will come back to bite us later, recognizing the ways that we can improve our lifestyle is important for not only the future of the planet, but for our future as well,” said Anya Steinberg, senior, president of Earth Club. Throughout the school year, Earth Club has been making an impact at HHS and in the broader community. The club sold reusable water bottles at

lunch, lobbied to pass a climate resolution that would require Minneapolis to have zero carbon emissions by 2050, and eliminated styrofoam bowls in the cafeteria. In honor of Earth Day, Earth Club has continued their efforts to inform the HHS community about the importance in taking care of our environment. The group sat at a lunch table all week encouraging students to sign petitions pertaining to a theme of the day. The petitions included ones advocating saving

the EPA, increased wildlife conservation, and asking starbucks to use greener cups. After signing petitions, students could enter a raffle to win a gift card to Munkabeans, Twins gear, and sustainably made products, such as biodegradable straw “If it were up to us, Earth Day would be everyday. However, it’s vital to take time to appreciate the earth, even if it’s only a single day of the year,” Steinberg said.

On May 12, 2016 Guy Fieri from Food Network’s: Diners, Drive Ins, and Dive’s visited The Herbivorous Butcher, a vegan butcher shop located in North East Minneapolis. The Herbivorous Butcher is a family owned vegan market. Siblings Aubry and Kale Walch began selling their vegan meats and cheeses at a local farmer’s market, before opening up their own store in 2014. “I really like Herbivorous Butcher. I think one of the hardest parts about fake meat is getting the texture right, and they do a really great job with that. During holiday meals, when people traditionally eat turkey or ham, I get the alternative,” said Emma Woodyard, senior. However, restaurants that are conscious of vegan and vegetarian diet restrictions are rare to come by, especially in suburbs. “It’s harder to find vegan restaurants here in Minnetonka. Chipotle, Taco Bell, and other fast food places offer many good options, but other than that I have to go to Uptown,” said Ali Winter, sophomore. Finding a vegan or vegetarian meal is hard anywhere, and HHS is no exception. Oftentimes, the diveristy in the avali-

bilty of meals that meet these diet restirctions are lacking. “I could probably get the salad bar [for lunch] every day, but that’s about it. They do pretty well with vegetarian options, but otherwise I feel most things have cheese or egg in them,” said Greta Wilkening, senior. As a result, the Hopkins Nutrition department has made efforts to broaden the meals available for HHS students who cannot to eat meat or dairy. “When planning the lunch menu, I need to make sure the meals prepared are are meeting the USD school meal nutrition standards. So, I am required to provide the components that make up a healthy meal; fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meat and milk,” said Sandra Rulec, lunchroom back house manager. Despite the difficulties that result from the restricted diets associated with a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, most believe that the positives outweigh negatives. “I became vegan because I watched a video about animal cruelty and it also pointed out how it’s really good for the environment and your health. [Since becoming vegan] I have a lot more energy, and people are really interested in veganism,” Wilkening said.

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6 feature

Theater seniors take stage one last time by Stephanie Winter Staff Reporter Last week, Royal Productions, the HHS theater program, put on their spring performance of “The Red Velvet Cake War.” The little theater at HHS held three performances of the show on April 27, 28, and 29, at 7:00 P.M. For Shannon Maroney, junior, “The Red Velvet Cake War” was her seventh show at HHS, and her second performance working as the stage manager. “Working as the stage man-

Top: Olivia Gulden, senior, Mikela Anderson, junior, Alex Weisberg, freshman act out a scene. Bottom: Evan Unruh-Friesen, senior, crawls on stage for scene in the spring play.

Top Provided by Edgar Vega Bottom Provided by Bea Frank

ager is hard work. There’s always the expectation of getting everything done on time and it can get stressful, but I always have a lot of fun,” Maroney said. The HHS theater program produces three plays a year, including a musical in the fall, One Act performances in the winter, and a play in the spring. Over 200 students participate in the theater program throughout the year, and plays are presented to audiences of over 3,000 people. “The Red Velvet Cake War” is a light hearted Southern comedy about the dysfunctional reunion of a quirky Texan family. A show filled with baking, television broadcasting, and creepy cousins, “The Red Velvet Cake War” completely contrasts last spring’s “Antigone,” a dark and serious Greek tragedy. The play is composed of a cast of 12, with lead roles portrayed by Olivia Gulden, senior, Mikela Anderson, junior, and Alex Weisberg, freshman. “Having a lead is very exciting, but for the most part I was pretty anxious and nervous to do something that is so much bigger than what I’m used to,” Anderson said, “I had a lead role in a One Act play called ‘Citizen’s Arrest’ in the winter, but this was my first lead role in a major play.” The audition process takes two weeks in order to give actors time to audition and wait to hear about callbacks. Actors will typically read through the play before auditioning, helping to get a feel for their role.

It’s important to be familiar with the play when choosing a monologue for the audition; either from TV shows, movies, plays, online, or by simply writing their own. “Being willing to put yourself out there is key. You have to find creative ways to stand out from the crowd during auditions and callbacks if you want a big role. If you can improv a bit and make the role your own, you’ll definitely be rewarded,” Gulden said. While Gulden has been involved in 14 productions during her time at HHS, she still develops stage fright, which isn’t uncommon for performers, especially when performing in front of such large crowds. “People often don’t believe me when I say I experience stage fright because of how much performing I’ve done. Although it has gotten easier, it can still be pretty scary,” Gulden said. After the auditions are over and roles are assigned, rehearsal begins. The cast began rehearsing for “The Red Velvet Cake War” at the end of February and continued through April. Depending on the role, students would rehearse three to five days a week for about two hours after school. “I’m excited to finally have an audience, because comedy is really about the relationship between the audience and the actors. After all the late night rehearsals and effort everyone put into the performance, it was so fun to see it all come together,” said Aerin O’Malley, junior.

Hoffman to spend a year training with the Finnish Army

Provided by Ian Yunis

Above: Hoffman canoes on Lake Nuasjarvi in the town of Voukatti with his family. Right: Hoffman visits a lake in Finland on a trip back to his homeland.

by Izzy Goldfarb Feature Editor In just a few months, while many seniors will be moving into college dorms around the U.S. while Alex Hoffman, senior, will be moving to an army base in Finland. Hoffman has made the decision to spend next year, which

would traditionally be his freshman year of college, training with the Finnish army. As a dual citizen, Hoffman spent the first three years of his life in Finland, and has traveled back to his mother’s homeland many times throughout his life. “My mom was the biggest advocate for it because she is from Finland, and she knows it’s a positive thing to do, and

Provided by Alex Hoffman

that it would be a good fit for me,” said Hoffman. Finland notifies every 18 year old male to enlist in the army and attend training. If a citizen declines, they are asked to compensate through community service. Although Hoffman will be traveling to Finland alone, he does have friends there. While at a Finnish Confirmation

summer camp at the age of 15, Hoffman made long lasting friendships with the other campers in his group. “It was one of the best experiences of my life. We went far up north and did backpacking through big hills for five days. I still keep in touch with some of those guys,” Hoffman said. With friends already there, Hoffman is on the right track, as the social aspect of the year spent in army training is the most attractive part of the program. The year is known amongst Finnish teenagers to be a relaxed time without the possibility of spending time in a war zone. “I honestly don’t know any-

thing about the actual training, I don’t know what to expect. I can’t image that it would be that difficult because everyone does it,” Hoffman said. All Hoffman is certain of is that he wants to qualify for extensive training, lasting 11 months, while regular training, in comparison, is only six. He hopes to spend extensive training learning about the medical field and building his leadership abilities. “I really think that Alex made the right choice for next year. It takes a very adventurous person to go into an ambiguous year of army training,” said Eliza Ratliff, senior, friend of Hoffman. Regardless of what is in

store for Hoffman next year, he is excited for the adventure, and, moreover, the opportunity to live once again in Finland. Hoffman highly values the progressive mindset of the Finnish people and government equally as much as he values the vast wilderness of the nation. “The quality of life there for everyone is so much higher. You look out for your neighbors and that makes it a more caring and loving community. I see Finland as a better place than the U.S.,” Hoffman said. “I love it there. I know it sounds crazy, but to me it’s the perfect world.”

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sports 7 RPWednesday, May 3, 2017 Minn. sports fails to reach expectations of many fans Opinion:

Opinion:

by AJ Condon Sports Reporter

by Andy Weisman Sports Editor

The Minnesota Wild’s season came to a sad, but to a Minnesotan, expected end. After the Wild showed so much promise this season in going far in the playoffs, they got knocked out in the first round the St. Louis Blues. Seeing the Wild’s season end so early in the playoffs is such a familiar site for me. In the past four years I have watched the Wild lose early in the playoffs. From 20132015 I watched them lose the Chicago Blackhawks all three years and last year fall to the Dallas Stars. I thought this could be our year to finally make something happen and give my generation our first championship within the major four sports. The Wild had their best season in franchise history this year, breaking their re-

Minnesota Wild and Timberwolves logo taken from Google. The Timberwolves logo is brand new, and was released on 4/11/2017.

cord for points and wins. They finished with 49 wins and 106 points, their previous record was 104 points with 48 wins. Those previous records were set in the 2006-2007 season. After Feb. it really looked like things were going well for the Wild. In March things started to take a turn for the worse, the Wild went 4-10-2, their worst month of the season. This is nothing new for the

Wild and as a fan, it’s starting to get very frustrating. Last year they had a two month drought during January and February where they went 8-15-4, not to mention ending the season on a five game losing streak. The year before that, the Wild went 9-11-5 in December and January. The Wild were still able to finish in second place in the central division after a rough

end of the season. Because of this terrible stretch, the Blackhawks were able to take first place in the conference with 109 points. Without their terrible end of season drought, the Wild have many good things to look back at in this season.

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Boys’ tennis shows promising future of young talent by Jacob Ratner Sports Reporter Last year the Royals boys tennis team was defeated 3-4 by the Eastview Lightning. This year the Royals look to learn from last year and develop their very young talented team. The Royals have five seniors and juniors and the rest of the team is made up of underclassmen. The Royals tennis team switches the line up almost every match, but on a given day the Royals starting lineup consists of Sam Diedrich, senior, captain at one singles, Felix Johnson, sophomore, at two singles, Jake Goldfarb, freshman at NJH, at three singles, Rafi Leviton, freshman, at four singles. For doubles, at one doubles Ari Segal, freshman at NJH, and Andy Weisman, junior, second doubles Ethan Kehrberg,

senior, captain, and Adam Segal, junior, and at three doubles, Jack Ouyang and Brett Eliason, eighth graders at WJH. So far the Royals have been doing relatively well, and look to continue learning and improving. “I think we’ve played pretty well, and were also getting better. We have a lot of work to do and a lot of young guys, but everyone's working hard and getting better,” said Coach Ken Novak Jr., boys’ tennis coach. A few weeks ago the Royals went up against a worthy opponent in the St. Louis Park Orioles. The Royals ended up defeating the orioles 6-1. All across the board the Royals took down the Orioles in a timely fashion. Big wins coming from Weisman taking down his opponent 6-0, 6-0, as well as his teammates Ari Segal and Kehrberg

winning 6-1, 6-0, and Adam Segal and Eliason winning 6-1, 6-0 as well. “The Orioles put up a good fight, but in the end all the matches ended in our favor,” said Ari Segal. The only loss for the Royals in that match came from Johnson, losing in a tight three set match. The first set going to Johnson 6-2 and the rest of the sets going to his opponent, Adam Johnson, Junior at SLP. The Royals have four more matches this season as well as two tournaments before section and state play. ‘I’m not really worried about sections and I really never have, you just try and play as best as you can and try and make sure every day you get a little better and your section ranking really coincides with that. We always generally have high rank-

ing even with our really tough matches coming ahead.” Novak said. “I mean we play a top level schedule one of the hardest in the state. We do it on purpose just trying to play the best in the state and see how we play.” The Royals will travel to Mahtomedi then have a three game homestand to end out the season against Southwest, Edina and Washburn. The Royals have a tough road to get to the state tournament as they have to beat the conference rival Edina. “I think it's going to be really tough to get to state this year to tell you the honest truth, we’re in Edina’s section and Edina is an awfully good team and right now we’re underdogs, but again I’m not worried about that and just make sure we keep getting better and we’ll see Edina, and from what I know they’re a very sound tennis team,” Novak said.

Felix Johnson, sophomore, hold tennis racket and listens to Coach Ken Novak Jr., instructing him during a change. The Royals beat the Orioles in this match, 6-1.

photo by Mark Eliason

Softball team starts season strong with a 6-0 record by Adam Segal Sports Reporter

Royals softball team huddles during their game against Maple Grove. The Royals beat the Crimson 5-0. photo by Chris Schroers

The Royals softball team is off to a hot start this season, handily winning their first five games, and holding the top spot in the lake conference. Northern University bound pitcher MaKenzie Merritt, senior has been dominating on the mound for the Royals, striking out 33 batters and giving up only five walks in the first five games. Merritt has also been a key hitter for the Royals, batting in the fourth spot with a current batting average of .529. Overall the Royals have had great success at the plate. As a team, the Royals currently have

a collective batting average or .380 and on base percentage of .430. “So far this season we have been batting very well, and we are all hoping that continues especially into the postseason,” said Kirsten Magaard, senior. Four girls on the team have also hit home runs so far this season. Merritt has hit two, one in a 6-1 win vs Waconia, and another in a 17-9 win against Wayzata, Cassy Huiras, senior, also hit a homerun in the game. Natalie DenHartog, junior, hit a homerun in the Royals’ 7-1 win against Orono, and Parker Stoddard dinged in the 5-0 win against Maple Grove. Stoddard and DenHartog

have also been key hitters for the Royals. Stoddard currently has a batting average of .400, and DenHartog currently has a batting average of .737 which is the highest batting average for class 4A in the state. The Royals defense is also looking very solid. Zoe Jeske, junior, starts her third year behind the plate, catching for Merritt. Evelyn Barczak, junior, covers a wide range in Center field, and also bats second for the Royals. Barczak commands an experienced outfield, with Huiras in left and Morgan Hawley, sophomore, in right. Hannah Kleist, senior, is one of the best defensive third

baseman in the state, and is currently batting .550 nonetheless. DenHartog and Maagard, hold their own in the middle infield, DenHartog at shortstop and Maagard at second base, and to round it off, Stoddard looks very confident at first base. “We are looking forward to an easy turn next week and make a name for ourselves in the section as well as the state tournament” said Maagard. The Royals will have some tough matchups coming up. Facing section 6AAAA 2016 runner up, Armstrong on May 1, and Minnetonka on May 3.

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RPWednesday, May 3, 2017 8 sports HHS and City of Minnetonka share Lindbergh Center by Natalie DenHartog Sports Reporter One of the things that stands out the about HHS is our athletic facilities; from gyms to turfs, and just about everything in between, our school is blessed with very nice places to compete. But what differs about the HHS Lindbergh center, and other school's athletic facilities, is the Lindbergh center is not completely owned by the Hopkins School District, it is in fact jointly owned and operated by both the Hopkins School District and the City of Minnetonka. This means that the time and spaces are shared between Royal athletics and City of Minnetonka programs. “The Lindbergh Center was a project that is split 71/29 Hopkins District/City of Minnetonka,” said Joe Perkel, assistant athletic director. “From 6am-6pm the building is ours, and after 6pm, the City of Minnetonka has programming.” HHS also gets 34 preemption dates, where the athletic department can book the entire facility ahead of time to have for the whole day and night. These days are usually basketball games, graduation, and concerts. The Lindbergh center can

Photo of Lindbergh Center sign located right outside the facility. The sign shows Hopkins Public Schools as well as the City of Minnetonka because of the ownership rules. Photo by Natalie DenHartog

also be split, where HHS gets to use the first couple courts, and the City of Minnetonka programming is able to use the last couple courts in order to cater to both parties. While the Hopkins School District and the City of Min-

netonka generally have a good relationship when it comes to facility sharing, the sharing itself can get tricky. “As the person that schedules all practices and games in the facilities calendar, I focus my attention on in season sports, and

then do the best I can to accommodate out of season sports, and captains practices,” Perkl said. “I have deadlines to enter these events before space is opened to community education groups and outside users.” Perkl also remarked that it

is important for coaches to get their schedules to him on time, in order for him to be able to secure the space they will need, or they could lose out on the facilities they want. Another obstacle that often presents itself when sharing the

HHS facilities is money. Because the school district does not completely own the Lindbergh center and connecting facilities, HHS sports teams out of season must pay the City of Minnetonka in order to use the facilities. While HHS programs do get a discounted rate, the price can range anywhere from 10-50 dollars per hour, for using the courts, grass fields, or turf fields. “I think most coaches out of season understand that in season activities, and community ed programming takes priority,” Perkl said. “Obviously, in a perfect world, the facilities would be available 24/7 for free, but that's just not the case when we have facilities that are jointly operated.” The new baseball and softball turf fields - expected to be ready fall of 2017 - will also be under the same joint ownership contract. Overall, the partnership between the Hopkins School District and the City of Minnetonka has been a mutually beneficial one, providing HHS with beautiful facilities in which to compete, and the Minnetonka community a place to gather in the name of exercise.

HURT looks to resolidify their spot as one of the top in the nation by Adam Segal Sports Reporter

Noah Fogel, senior captain. This year HURT will focus on playing the best frisbee that they can. The team has been The Hopkins Ultimate Recworking out and practicing five reational Team (HURT) is curdays a week. They have also been rently ranked 10th in the nation working on endurance which among ultimate frisbee teams. will be important in competHURT this year is turning ing against higher level teams. heads, but this is nothing new, At the beginning of the seaas they have been ranked in the son, the team was working on top 16 for multiple years now. breaking zone defenses. This is HURT has been in a something that they have been stiff competition with the seeing a lot so far in the season. Edina Hornets who were LEFT: The king and queen of They are now focusing more on ranked 5th last season and the 1972 Sno-Daze are crowned. man after they dominated teams are currently ranked 11th. with is zone crowned defense in Paideia. “This year our biggest RIGHT: Nhan Le, senior, “I am looking forward to challenge will be not only beHomecoming Queen at the 2016 Pepcompeting against some of ing prepared physically but fest. the best teams in the nation, also mentally, especially when and trying to play the best we it comes to playing teams AJ Condon. junior, captain, goes up for frisbee at Paideia Cup and catches can this season,” Fogel said. such as Edina and other nait. HURT competed in this tournament on April 22nd-23rd. The team has been conditionally ranked teams.” said provided by AJ Condon

tioning a lot in and out of practice. “In order for us to be our best this season we have to practice hard, and I think that we have been doing a great job bringing intensity to practices,” Fogel said. The team is being led by Fogel, Sam Renick, senior captain, and AJ Condon, junior captain. Earlier in the season, Fogel and Condon tried out for the Wind Chill Ultimate frisbee team which is Minnesota’s professional ultimate team. Not only is the team focusing on the regular season but they also are excited to play in all their tournaments. Their most recent tournament they went to was in White Bear Lake and the weekend before that, they were in At-

lanta, Georgia for Paideia Cup. HURT is off to a good start this season, they started the season with a win against Edina and beat them again in the championship game in the White Bear Lake tournament last weekend where they had an overall record of 6-0. They are also looking to redeem themselves from last year and win not only the Lake Conference but also state. Overall, the team will continue working hard throughout the year in preparation for a long regular season. Where HURT will look to once again be the top team in MN as well as in the country.

Royals Player Profiles

provided by Sammi Galinson

Provided by Raena Suggs

“The team has been doing well! We got our first conference win and we have been working hard in practice. I think we can improve by continuing to increase our competitiveness within our conference. “ -Sammi Galinson, senior, girls lacrosse “The season is going very well, especially considering how young our team is. We are having a lot of fun so far, but we need to hammer down and work on becoming more consistent.“ -Ethan Kehrberg, senior, boys tennis

photo by Michelle Whalen

“The team is off to a decent start, we are 4-4. Our pitching and defense has been ok, but the thing that needs to come around is our hitting. Once we get our bats going, we will be taking strides as a team.“ -Luke Polyak, sophomore, baseball

provided by Lily Smith

“We are all growing individually and pushing each other to get better as a team. Everyone works hard and I love to see it. “ -Ben Serstock, junior, boys lacrosse provided by Ben Serstock

provided by Kylie Newcomb

“We have won most of our meets so far, and we have been moving up in the synchro world.We are dedicating more time to practicing outside of the season and it shows.” -Maggie Cleary, senior, synchro “The season is going extremely well so far. We’ve really come together as a team for both hitting and defense. We always are working hard on perfecting all the smaller detials.“ -Kirstern Maagard, senior, softball