Royal Page December

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010 Volume 29 Issue 4

the

ROYALPAGE

2400 Lindbergh Drive Minnetonka, MN 55305

Cover art by Katy Corbin

Getting the best out of group projects pg. 3

Seniors produce short film clips pg. 5

Eco-friendly gifts for the holidays pg. 13

Superfans go loony pg. 14

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Teachers’ extra time helps out students T Madeline Rauma Staff Reporter

he extra time that teachers put in both before and after school is essential for students who need extra help, have to catch up, or are simply making up a test.

Teachers have a contracted day. For most, it begins at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. The union’s obligation requires HHS staff members to work eight consecutive hours per day. With the workload that teachers face, however, it often requires them to work over that allotted time.

“In addition to prep work and meetings, teachers will meet to help their students… depending on how much work I have to do, I often put in ten hour days during the school week. When there is a lot of grading, I sometimes work into the weekend,” said Ms. Maggie Temple, Social Studies.

Temple’s situation is not unique, though. “There often is not enough time in the contracted day to finish everything, so extra time is needed. That is true for the majority of the staff here,” Temple said.

HHS offers a fifth block for various subjects after school. Biology, for instance, has a fifth block option Tuesday through Thursday for an hour and a half after school. Staff from the science department stay to assist any needs of the students.

Similar to Biology’s fifth block, the Math department runs Math Help Center on Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school. The Help Center is there for all students who need assistance in Algebra, Geometry, or Algebra II. The time that teachers choose to spend before and after school to meet with students is not contracted and, therefore, is not paid.

If a teacher decides to tutor before school, for instance, that is completely voluntary, and they are not receiving pay.

“Depending on what is going on in the different classes, such as a project, teachers may have to work extra to answer questions or grade. They are never obligated to stay after school, though. It is natural for them to bring work home with them… they really put in 12 months of work in the 9 month duration of school,” said Ms. Patty Johnson, associate principal.

Photo by Worku Kebede

Ms. Karin Johnson, Science, works with Kayla Farhat, sophomore, after school. Johnson is one of many teachers who spends extra time with students outside of the school day to assist them with their studies.

“HHS has very kind teachers that put in a lot of time. Some get here as early as 6 o’clock, which is not contractually obligated,” Johnson said.

With large class sizes, students may find it difficult to ask all the questions they need to.

“There are teachers that are more available than others to help…

they’re important because they give a chance for students who need to ask questions who couldn’t in a large class setting,” said Nick Jorgensen, junior.

“Teachers are fairly available. It’s helpful when you don’t understand material that you can ask them,” said Julia Hathaway, sophomore.

Moodle sites help keep students in the loop Marlee Gotlieb Backpage Editor

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n 2003, an online program was brought to the school that would stay for years to come. The Hopkins Moodle site, implemented by Mr. Tim Wilson, Technology Integration Specialist at the time, currently has 6576 unique users district wide.

This amount represents everyone (students and staff district wide) that has logged into the system within two years. On any particular school day, about 600 unique logins from HHS members is not uncommon.

“I wasn’t so much surprised by the active use of staff because I have a lot of contact with them and knew that most teachers maintained a Moodle page to some extent,” said Ms. Terri Osland, current Technology Integration Specialist. “What surprised me was the total number of logins in a single day which really reflected the student use of Moodle.”

Moodle is a project focused on giving educators the best tools to manage and promote learning, as described by moodle.org. All schools in the Hopkins school district have some sort of Moodle page for students to access, from individual teachers who might post assignments and additional help on their pages to Media Centers with learning and resource links.

Hopkins’ use of Moodle has greatly increased since it was first brought here. “I think that one of the things that has increased the use of Moodle is its professional development with teachers,” Osland. “Teachers learn Moodle either informally (self-taught) or three formal ways: face-to-face training at technology camps, oneon-one support during the school day from technology integration specialists, or through an online class called Moodle Mania.”

Teachers learning how to use Moodle formally would be receiving face-to-face training (such as on late start days or during technical summer camps). In addition to Osland, Mr. John Un-

ruh-Friesen, Social Studies and Technology Integration Specialist, helps teachers with Moodle. The online Moodle Mania class is a 16-hour video based experience that is fully online.

One teacher that has taken advantage of Moodle as a teaching source is Ms. Jennifer Heimlich, Social Studies, who upgrades her page almost daily. “I put everything there: calendars, any handouts from class, project assignments, Power Points, the textbook website, and class reviews,” Heimlich said.

“Students are always kind of resistant to using [the Moodle site] at first but then end up using it more and more. They know they don’t have to ask me for handouts because they’re on Moodle.

It’s awesome,” Heimlich said.

As a student in one of Heimlich’s AP World History classes, Rachel Sadowsky, junior, uses Moodle for AP World and a couple other of her classes. “I also use Moodle for my AP Calc and Honors Chemistry classes. I think it is really helpful because if you miss a day of school, you can usually check on Moodle if there is a PowerPoint or notes you need from a class,” Sadowsky said.

All HHS students can access the site by using the first four digits of their last name followed by the first four digits of their first name as their username and their lunch pin number as a password.

There are no Moodle accounts for parents, but they can access Moodle and individual teachers’ pages through guest passwords.

Recently, the Moodle community of developers released version 2.0 which is a significant update with many changes. At this time, there is no established timeline or serious consideration for Hopkins to go to Moodle 2.0.

“When Moodle 2.0 is embraced by the school it will be a very, very different Moodle. I suspect it will be highly improved, but any change brings with it its challenges. People will have to relearn navigating and managing [of the site],” Osland said.

What do you put on Moodle?

Ms. Karin Johnson, Science • lecture notes • videos • quizzes

Ms. Felicia Homberger, Language Arts • class work • homework due • recordings of her reading books • PowerPoint notes

Mr. Brent Herring, Math • videos of of all of his lessons from his ActiveBoard • homework solutions • lecture notes

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Lack of funding leads to larger class sizes Isaac Fisher Staff Reporter

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lasses can sometimes feel like they have too many students and crowded hallways and stairs make getting to the next class during passing times difficult.

“Getting from Guitar to Science class is a hassle, and sometimes I can barely make it on time,” said Roy Grossman, sophomore.

The reasons behind the numbers have consequences for each and every student, but as class sizes have gone up, our buidling actaully has more room in the hallways as enrollment has decreased.

Many calculations can be used to determine how crowded classrooms are. One is student to teacher ratio. Howevr, alculating something like a student to teacher ratio is not always a straightforward task.

Many people consider this number important when deciding where to send their kids to school, so many high schools play with the data to boost their school’s status.

The student to teacher ratio here is about 20.89:1. This number is taken by dividing the total number of students, 1,890, by the number of licensed staff positions, which is 90.578.

A school may choose to include licensed staff members who teach in programs affiliated with the high school, like special education. The idea is this: the more teachers, the lower (better) a school’s ratio will be.

HHS does not include their special education in their calculation, but does include teachers from the Hopkins Alternative Program, or HAP. This is important to keep in mind when student to teacher ratios of different schools are compared.

A more reliable statistic to use is average class size, which is 35.3 here. Students deal with this number each day and it can be quite frustrating. Teachers also feel the effects of crowded classrooms as they have less time to spend helping individual students.

Mr. David Williams, Language Arts, is the Coordinator of Administrative Services at HHS. He says that budget cuts are the number one factor in determining average class sizes. If the District cuts funding, he is forced to lower the number of teachers, which drives up the number.

Unfortunately, the District has had to cut funding to HHS for about a decade. The worst case scenario for average class sizes is

when student enrollment increases and there are budget cuts. Fortunately, enrollment is down a little bit this year, which helps lower class sizes.

Without enough teachers, it is possible for a school to have high class sizes and still have empty classrooms. “We actually have a little extra school here at HHS,” Williams said. “Not every classroom is being used.”

Crowding in the hallways is a different story. When it was renovated fifteen years ago, HHS was built to hold about 2,000 students, near the current number of students, yet many students still complain about hallways being crowded.

Williams looked into this himself, and found that the fastest way to get somewhere is to walk along the upper level since a large number of students meet in the mall area, to socialize between classes.

If half of all students decided to use the upper level, and the other half walked on the lower level, the building would be less hectic. There would be fewer sweep passes, and more time for students to use the restroom and go to their lockers.

Comparing student to teacher ratios

National average14.2:1

State Average15.3:1

Minnetonka High School - 20.5:1

Blake High School10:1

Information collected from http://high-schools.com

Hopkins High School- 20.89:1

Edina High School- 21.2:1

Students, teachers try to get best out of groups Jacob Clemen Staff Reporter

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chool projects often mean stress, lots of work and late nights. Working in groups can help split up the workload and relieve stress, but only if the groups are constructed

properly.

Group work can be a major inconvenience to HHS students and may seem like an unnecessary burden. However, learning to work in groups can be an extremely valuable asset to have.

Mr. Jesse Theirl, Business, understands the importance of being able to work in groups. “We know that group work is common after high school,” Theirl said. “It is expected for your generation to be able to work well with others.”

The success of a group is often decided before the members even come together. “Teachers know that certain types of people won’t work well together,” Theirl said. “A group needs a natural leader to draw out responses from less eager group members.”

A group leader, however, must not put down other members in the group or they may shy away from sharing their thoughts and will not benefit from the work. “We (teachers) only see the end product so it is very difficult to evaluate individual effort,” Theirl said.

When choosing groups, students must consider several things.

A highly motivated student should avoid working with people who are more apt to slack off. Often times this results in an unfair balance of work distribution.

“Some kids care less than others and that can create problems,” Theirl said. Getting stuck with someone who does not want to do work can force one who is highly motivated to do more work than they should while the slacker benefits in the gradebook.

When picking a group, students should avoid working with friends simply to enjoy themselves. Oftentimes socializing can get in the way of productive work.

“Like-minded people are often friends,” Theirl said. “That doesn’t give much room for different perspectives or talents.” For example, a group of analytical thinkers may be able to solve a prob-

Photos by Madeline Rauma

Students in Ms. Andrea Sebenaler’s Spanish 4 class work in groups during class. Left: Jay Homan and Jake Price, juniors, and Randy Tanaka, sophomore.

Right: Bri Stein and Michael Atkinson, juniors.

lem very well but could suffer if a presentation is needed. Analytical thinkers may benefit from working with people that have good presentation or artistic skills.

When groups are chosen by a teacher and not by the students there can be problems if students do not get along. “Some people just simply don’t like each other and cannot work together in a group,” Theirl said. “However, in the real world a boss will not simply change employees around so it’s important to learn to get along with those who you don’t like.”

Group work can be a very valuable skill to learn in high school.

“The number one reason why people are fired from their jobs is not being able to get along with other people,” Theirl said. Practicing with peers that are unfamiliar or even unfavorable to one’s personality is a great way to increase one’s chances of succeeding in work down the road.

Though group work may seem tedious and unnecessary, making an effort to learn to work together can be beneficial not only for a good grade now but also for future endeavors after school.

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the ROYAL

Electives provide students unique choices Emmy Koppe Staff Reporter

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hen students are faced with the task of registering for classes, they have many different options to choose from. HHS offers numerous courses to fit the interests of almost all students. Not only are there many classes, but block scheduling maximizes student opportunities to take multiple electives.

“Not only do students have countless classes to choose from, they also have an enormous amount of space for them in their schedule,” said Mr. David Williams, Coordinator of Administrative Services. Many students take advantage of the unique courses offered at HHS and use

them as tools to help prepare them for their future. Quarter-long classes are a practical way to learn more about a topic, and experiment with different hobbies and skills.

At HHS, students have four blocks each day, with the possibility of earning 16 credits each year. A minimum of 54 credits must be earned to graduate, though there is a possibility of earning more if students do not take any study halls. Out of those 54, 20.5 are general elective credits.

At some neighboring high schools, they have either six or seven classes a day for the whole year and are only able to earn 12 or 14 credits annually. This limits space available for electives outside

Elective options at HHS HHS provides several unique electives for students to choose from. Below are a few of the classes available to students.

Child Psychology 2

Jewelry & Metalsmithing 1

Sports & Entertainment Marketing

Taught by: Ms. Gayle Durand Highlight: Students run the Royal Den preschool four days each week.

Taught by: Ms. Terry Chamberlin Highlight: Students use brass and copper to make necklaces, bracelets, and earings.

Taught by: Mr. Jesse Theirl Highlight: Students plan a promotion for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Referendum means new money

The Capital Projects levy for curiculum, approved by Hopkins voters on Nov. 2, will provide the District with an additional $3 million for technology and curiculum over the next several years.

Elijah Carter Staff Reporter

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xpect many new changes in the upcoming years for HHS and other elementary schools in the District. Now that the technology budget has gone from $3.5 to $6.5 million, there will be a lot of new horizons open to teachers.

In a rocky economy, Hopkins is the only district in the state that passed a referendum for more school funding “We won’t be the first, maybe not even the second, or the third. But we will be a leader,” said Sid Voss, Director of Educational Technology, Media Services, and Information Systems.

There is a large focus on the new technology to be used for making learning for students more interactive, interesting, and engaging. “I want to make for a better connection [between students and learning],” Voss said.

One of the plans to put torward this goal is to have each student be the owner of a personal learning device to use for their classes. “We are interested in looking at iPads” Voss said.

On these devices, students will be able to take notes, take tests, use it as a graphing calculator, download textbooks, lessons, and calendar reminders among many other functions.

This personal learning device program will

take the place of the retired 1:1 Program. Among many reasons, the program was far too expensive to maintain. “The computers in the program were outdated, it needed to be retired. Overall, it was a good thing, but we would have to take things away from other schools to continue it,” Voss said.

As far as other changes that will take place at HHS, many of the 2005 MacBooks need to be replaced. “It will take a couple of years to get back in balance,” Voss said.

Though complaints are often heard from students around campus about their speed, “they are the same speed they were when we first got them,” Voss said.

Getting the technology referendum was not an easy task. “Most would’ve said that this was not the time to do it with the tough economy. We knew we had work to do,” Voss said.

A pro-referendum group called “Hopkins Vote Yes” sent out various mailing notices and called over 3,000 residents within the District to try and get people to go to the polls and vote.

“Our community was strongly supportive of it,” Voss said. “We believed that it was the right thing to for our kids and our future.”

If the referendum wouldn’t have passed, “We would be struggling,” Voss said.

of core classes, such as social studies and math.

Often times, students register for electives that they are passionate about, in order to find out if they want to study the subject in more depth. “I took Drawing & Painting 1 because I wanted to become a better artist and it sounded interesting.

The class was creative, laid-back, and I could express myself. I hope to take more art electives in the future,” said Allie Borenstein, sophomore.

Other students register for courses as an escape from classes with large amounts of work associated with them. “I think electives are a good alternative to a study hall because you learn things that you may not have been interested in before.

I’ve taken World Religions and Middle East social studies electives. They’re effective for learning but not stressing out over a large workload,” said Naomi Neubauer, senior.

Elective classes allow for students to experiment. “I’m in Jewelry 1 and it takes a lot more work than I thought it would. It’s frustrating be-

cause my projects don’t turn out the way I want them to,” said Allison Rolandelli, junior.

From year to year, student interests change and minor modifications are made to the course book. “The primary reason classes are not offered any more, is due to decreased enrollment. Subtle changes are made each year,” Williams said.

Elective classes are often one quarter long and are a suitable option for students that have space in their schedule to be filled. With third quarter soon approaching, students are able to stop in and make changes. “Students can make changes to their schedules right now, before it gets very close to the beginning of the new term,” said Mr. Dan Sterud, guidance counselor.

Many students take advantage of the electives.

“I’m taking Finance & Investment because it will help prepare me for a future career in the business field,” said Stuart Levesque, sophomore. Many electives teach life-long skills, and help students find a profession they are passionate about.

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The Royal Page 2010-2011

The Extra Experience on YouTube

Editor in Chief Danielle Fink

Managing Editor Lissa Martinez

News Editor Ryan Levi

Opinion Editor Bill Gregg

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 Ronny Ambers Quinn Anderson Maddy Braverman Sam Bumsted Jacob Clemen Jack Deutsch Isaac Fisher Michael Fields Tarina Gartner Marc Hennes Connor Hinck Worku Kebede Emmy Koppe Michael Larson Kate Monson Megan Mortrude Harry Orenstein Maddie Rauma Lauren Reuteler

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.

page theROYAL

Photo by Swanson, Ugorets, and Hamilton

A memorable moment from Swanson, Ugorets, and Hamilton’s Extra Experience #5 video.

Lissa Martinez Feature and Managing Editor

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he “John Wall,” albino squirrels, and moustaches have all been the unusual topics brought to life by Michael Swanson, Aaron Ugorets, and Jack Hamilton, seniors. The three have been making videos from around the community and posting them to YouTube.

“Swanson did all the work, but it was originally me who thought of everything,” Ugorets said.

The group started making videos about squirrels outside their homes and their interactions with other squirrels, along with interference from the boys. “It

was just a stupid idea and we thought it might be funny,” Swanson said.

Although the videos were just for fun, the trio went through a lot of work to get material to use in the scenes including scouting out locations and buying matching outfits. The hard work and extra spending paid off though, as the guys achieved recognition within the school.

The videos turned into a success after their most well known video, “The Extra Experience, The Real # 5,” or better known as the “Do the John Wall” video became available on YouTube.

“We brought the John Wall to fame.

There was 1,200 views as soon as we started publicizing it,” Swanson said.

The videos also became popular among Swanson, Ugorets, and Hamilton’s families. “My parents think it’s funny, they approve of it and even my step-dad wants to be in one,” Hamilton said.

According to Swanson, his mom is a fan of the videos because of the experience they are providing for Swanson’s future. “I want to do it in college and beyond as a career. I want to either make movies or commercials or something that involves media,” Swanson said.

Despite family and friends liking the videos, when interviewing people on the streets, not everyone is willing to talk.

“Sometimes people complain about us talking to random people,” Hamilton said.

Other times, the members in the community are happy to help the recordings.

One case of this is when the group was filming their moustache video, “The Extra Experience #1.” “[The police] called down [an officer] with a moustache and he came just for us. We waited for like 20 minutes, but it was worth it in the end,” Ugorets and Swanson said.

For Swanson, Ugorets, and Hamilton, the reactions they capture on film are what make the videos the most entertaining. “Filming people’s reactions is probably one of the best parts of our filming,” Swanson said. “We like to see other people’s reactions as well, it’s part of the filming fun.”

Within the next couple of months, the newest “Extra Experience” video will be released, most likely at the end of January.

Until then, they are continuing to develop ideas for future videos, as well as carry on filming.

The group is thankful to the fans they have gained and hope to continue to generate laughs with upcoming videos. “We do it for the city, we do it for the fans,” Swanson said.

Carrying on the “Funky Town” legacy Megan Mortrude

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Staff Reporter

dam Rafowitz, senior, was born into a musical family. His father, Ivan Rafowitz, was the music producer and keyboardist who made a name for himself by creating the song “Funky Town.” Having been raised into a musically talented family Rafowitz soon knew what he that he wanted be a famous musician.

Rafowitz first picked up a guitar at the age of nine.

“When I first held a guitar I knew it was my destiny to create beautiful music,” Rafowitz said.

His climb to superstardom began with his guitar teacher at My Music Store in Golden Valley. Knowing he had a natural profound gift for music, he soon found it his passion “to play sold-out concerts all around the world, and to make a living from it, never having to work a desk job in my life.”

Now, nine years after he first picked up a guitar he has preformed in many bands, including one called The Union and Real Time, a trio he was in with his father.

Some bands have survived the years, while otheres have crumbled over time. But one thing has always stayed the same; his passion for music.

Rafowitz has many musical influences. One of which is Phish. “I just like how creative their music is, and it’s very enjoyable to listen to.” Now knowing his creative path with music he needed to find a future career out of it.

Having had the experience needed, he researched possible colleges that majored in music and performing arts. He discovered Berklee, a very prestigious musical school located in Boston. Having found a path that he wanted to partake in he soon applied.

Berklee is a very prestigious school founded my Lawrence Berk in 1945. Originally called the Schillinger House, it became the first U.S school to teach popular

music. But it wasn’t until the 1960’s that Berklee actually invited the thought of guitars as a principal instrument, broadening their range into rock music. Being one of the only known musical schools, they accept only 30% of all applicants.

Berklee is also very well known for their small class sizes on average 11, allowing students to get one on one teachings with teachers, which is another positive thing that attracted Rafowitz to Berklee. Rafowitz stated, “Berklee is a hard school to get into but I know if I set my mind to it and continue practicing with my guitar teacher I might have a shot.”

Not only has Berklee had many positive reviews praising the school for its individuality, but the students have also achieved many awards. Many go on to win Grammy awards from past years, also many graduates have gone on to work in the music business including, Jeff Apruzzese and Nate Donmoyer from Passion Pit, Trey Parker, co-creator of South Park, Rashawn Ross, Dave Mathews Band, Brad Whitford, and Aerosmith.

Many other students have either gone on to be in the music business, gone into theater, music producing or have created bands. Which is the exact field Rafowitz hopes to emerge himself into.

Another thing Rafowitz enjoys about Berklee is that the teachers are not alone in trying to make you do better. The students are also motivators. “The students aren’t scared to challenge you, and push you farther each day you’re there,” Rafowitz said.

Being accepted into Berklee means many things for Rafowitz. Never having to work at a desk job, allowing himself to grow in the music business and start to create a name for himself.

Looking forward to what the future has in store for this musician, Rafowitz said that no matter what he does as long as it doesn’t include a desk job and does include something about music, he’ll be happy. Rafowitz said,

Photo provided by Adam Rafowitz

Rafowitz began playing guitar at the age of nine and hopes to pursue a career in music.

“Music is a metaphor for our spiritual journey through life.”

feature Searching for a better education

Photo provided by Selamawit Shannon-Tamrat

Selamawit and her sister, Sisay, in Ethiopia before she was adopted by the Shannon-Tamrat family.

Danielle Fink Editor-In-Chief

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orn into a Christian family in Ethiopia, Selamawit Shannon-Tamrat, senior, migrated to the United States in 2007.

She used to live with her mother, Ayeletch Abuna, and her five siblings, after her father died when she was young.

When Shannon-Tamrat was 12 years old, her mother passed away. Shannon-Tamrat continued to live with her stepfather, but wished to move to the United States.

Her younger sister had moved to the United States in 2005 and she wanted to be reunited.

“I really liked Ethiopia, but I wanted a better education. I wanted to learn a lot and go to college,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

In Wonji, Shannon-Tamrat explained that only a few people graduate from high school and she knew she wanted to graduate and continue on to college.

She decided it would be best for her and her brother to go to an

orphanage in Ethiopia, for chances of getting adopted by Americans. They lived in the orphanage for four months until they were adopted.

Shannon-Tamrat met her new American parents, Karen Shannon and Tamrat Tademe, twice before they took her and her brother, Besufekad Shannon-Tamrat, HHS alum, back to Minn. with them.

“My parents worked really hard for us to come here [Minn.].

I didn’t know any English when I came here. My mom helped me as much as she could,” ShannonTamrat said.

Her adoptive father helps her with her English. Shannon-Tamrat’s native tongue is Amharic, which her father knows also.

“It is nice because my family shares the same cultural background as me because my father is from Ethiopia,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

Although some of the culture is similar, there were many culture differences Shannon-Tamrat had to adjust to. “I like the food in Ethiopia. We had many lentil dishes. We made chicken dishes that would take up to five or six hours and many different kinds of bread. I like the food here though too. I love pizza,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

In Ethiopia, Shannon-Tamrat participated in the church choir,

which only allowed her to wear skirts, instead of pants. She also wasn’t allowed to wear jewelry while in the choir.

With all of the changes occurring, Shannon-Tamrat found her place at HHS quickly.

“I wanted to try something new. I never played any sports in Ethiopia. I decided to start running track and cross-country in eighth grade. My brother was also a runner,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

Running hasn’t been the only activity she has participated in at HHS. “I have had the opportunity to try different things like National Honors Society, Multicultural Achievers, and International Club,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

Track and cross-country in high school won’t be the end of her running career. She hopes to run in college. “I haven’t decided on what college I want to go to, but I want to go to a small college,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

Although she has moved on to a new life in the United States, she doesn’t forget about her family back in Ethiopia. “I call them every four months, but it is hard because I am busy and the time difference is eight hours,” Shannon-Tamrat said.

She has hopes of going back to visit her family in Ethiopia.

Spotlight on: Young Liberals club Quinn Anderson

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Staff Reporter

oung Liberals club started last December and has rapidly increased its popularity. Young Liberals club meets on Wednesdays, usually, at 7:15 in room S149. If someone can’t meet on Wednesday, they change the days they meet to make sure mostly everyone can attend. Students have found that YLC is a great way to get together with friends and a way to help out with important things that are happening.

This year, for the first time, the students participating in YLC are going on a trip to Llanos De Morales, Guatemala. The students will be working at a school in Llanos De Morales on building projects. The kids living in Llanos are on unable to go outside during the rainy season due to flooding.

YLC will be working on a safe place for the children to be able to play. “We are not going to just go in there and build something for them, rather we will be working alongside the community to set

up a project that is sustainable,” said Hannah Borowsky, senior. and founder of YLC. While in Llanos De Morales, the students will be staying with families in the community. Staying with the families there will help them learn about a culture much different than ours. “This is going to be a great way to really learn about the community and how everything works,” Borowsky said.

The YLC isn’t about all in school activities; in fact most of the things they do are outside of school. This year, they are constructing a fundraiser so that they can make it possible for the members in YLC to be able to go to Llanos De Morales. YLC creates lots of fundraisers for various things. Last year, they started a fundraiser to help with the problems in Haiti. They also sold t-shirts to raise money to stop genocide in Darfur.

YLC has bettered the commu-

6 page the

nity in other ways as well. Once, they had a politician talk to them.

Sometimes, they write letters to politicians asking questions and opinions on pressing matters.

They’ve written a letter to Rep. Erik Paulsen, asking him to vote for the healthcare reform. Also, they will send letters to other representatives and ask about the things they are doing, as well as thanking them for what they’ve done. “We are all really devoted in the club, we are really passionate about what goes on during it,” Borowsky said.

They wanted to start the club

so that people can share their ideas with the other students participating in the club. “It’s a really laid back club,” Borowsky said.

“Sometimes during the club we just eat while sharing some ideas,” Borowsky said.

“The club is so much fun and it’s great to see all the passion there is in it,” Borowsky said. “I think a lot more people should join because it would be a great experience, and YLC has really inspired us all to keep trying to make a difference.”

If you would like to help support Young Liberals Club’s trip to Guatemala, please donate at www. firstgiving.com/ylc_volunteer_ guatemala

ROYAL

Preparing to rap up high school with music Tyler Perry, senior, also known as Polar Ice, is rapping at various places, growing in popularity, and talking about his future.

Mark Hennes Staff Reporter

R

ap has lately become a very popular form of music among many of the students at HHS, but Tyler Perry, senior, sees rap as more than just a type of music, but instead a hobby that has become a large part of his life.

“The thing I like most about [rap] is the freedom of expression that comes with it,” Perry said.

He started creating and recording his own music four years ago, when he was in eighth grade. Since then, he has been rapping for fun in front of friends as well as small groups of people at The Depot coffee shop located in downtown Hopkins.

Perry will be having one of his first major shows over winter break on Tuesday Dec. 21 from 8pm to 12am. He will be teaming up with another HHS rap group: Kids Like Us. This show will be held at Aqua Night Club on 401 North First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis, which is just across the street from the Target Center.

Aside from rapping by himself, he has a group of friends, including Joe Patterson, senior, that all rap together. They normally record all of their music at Patterson’s house, and then edit it. Perry edits all of his music on a computer using software called Pro Tools 9.

At the moment, he has approximately sixty songs that are fully edited and uploaded on his iTunes. Several of them have become very popular among many HHS students.

“He’s got that white boy flow,” said Jay Steinburg, senior.

Three years ago, when he was in ninth grade, Perry’s song, “Crank That Michael Leach” was one of his most popular songs. Currently, “Unstoppable” is one of his more well known songs amongst his peers.

Although rapping is a hobby of his and he does enjoy it very much, success in the music industry isn’t Perry’s main focuses right now. Although, has good start with the various knowledge, experience, and popularity he has gained throughout high school.

“Right now I’m just trying to have fun with it.

Maybe this summer I’ll get a little more serious with it and try and get some shows,” Perry said.

feature

7 page

the ROYAL

A view through the camera lens

2

1

3 Photos provided by Abby Niquist

Photographer Abby Nyquist, junior, reflects on some of her favorite photos. 1. “I really love this photo, especially because it’s a very pure rose.” 2. “I was trying to capture summer fun. I also wanted to capture the way the light was shining on the water.” 3.“I tried to take the photo in a way that would make it stand out.”

Lauren Reuteler Staff Reporter

A

s Abby Nyquist, junior, looks through the lens of her camera, she thinks about how she wants to capture the moment.

Through the lens she can see artistry and her feelings at that moment. Those are all things that help her express herself through the pictures she takes and the passion she has for them.

“It started by taking pictures of family and outdoor activities and I really started getting interested in the artistic side of photography,” Nyquist said. She only started focusing on photography one year ago but already understands how to get the picture she wants by looking through her

artistic lens.

Nyquist is now involved in media arts classes that allow students to handle photos for 87 minutes a day. “She really loves photography and has created a great portfolio for me with many of her amazing photographs,” said Mr. Robert Fuhr, Media Arts. During the first term she was in Media Arts One and passed with flying colors as she moved to Media Arts Two this term.

On days when she has less time but needs a snapshot, she will use her digital camera. Although, when she has the time she loves to develop pictures in the dark room. “It’s cool to see that I can use stuff people used a long time ago, connecting history,” Nyquist said.

Nyquist owns two of her own cameras, a Nikon Coolpix P80 and a Nikon Coolpix S200.

Two different cameras give her more options for her to choose from when taking specific pictures.

“It’s really fun to see the process of how each camera works,” Nyquist said. Her favorite part about being a photographer is all the different cameras she can use to experiment with.

She takes pictures of a variety of things but one of her favorite things to take pictures of is the outdoors. “Photography is a good way to portrayß the beauty of the outdoors,” Nyquist said.

She spent lots of time outdoors while growing up so she enjoys taking pictures of nature.

Being on the Varsity Soccer team at HHS, she

doesn’t have time to go out and take pictures every day, but she gets out on a weekly basis. Nyquist said, “Things can change quickly during the week, so sometimes I take pictures more one week than another.”

“I would love to go into a career involving art or photography but I need to think seriously,” Nyquist said. She loves taking pictures but wants to be sure she has a job to support a healthy family.

Although, she wants to continue to take pictures throughout her life, even if she decides not to become a professional photographer.

“More people should do it, it’s the perfect way to express yourself, sounds cliché, but it’s true,” Nyquist said.

Exchange student enjoys American way of life Tarina Gartner Staff Reporter Coming to America, from Sweden was “a crazy new experience,” said Jonatan Hoegstroem, senior, one of the many foreign exchange students at HHS. Through the Youth For Understanding (YFU) organization, Hoegstroem came from Sweden to join the Sinderson family in his senior year on August 29, 2010.

He is going to join his family back in Sweden in June of 2011.

He still keeps in touch with his family through video chats on Skype at least once a week.

Hoegstroem said he is still getting used to life with the Sinderson family and is celebrating Christmas with them. He is excited because he had a lot of fun during Thanksgiving.

He has involved himself in the school by joining alpine and crosscountry. In Sweden, there are no sports; and therefore no school sprit, which is one reason why he prefers HHS over Alvkullegymnasiet, his school in Sweden.

He also would prefer HHS because in Sweden you start and

end school at different times every day, and you have different classes every day. He likes that HHS students have a schedule to follow.

“Schools are better here, they are more fun and have more activities,” Hoegstroem said. He said that when the teachers joke around and have fun in class it helps make school more enjoyable.

Having to speak English was not a problem for Hoegstroem as he has been taking English classes since first grade.

Horgstroem said that Sweden and Minn. have very similar weather so he didn’t have to worry about a climate change.

Initially Hoegstroem was going to go to Georgia, but his plans changed. He said he is glad because he likes Minn. Hoegstroem said he didn’t choose where he was sent and what family he was going to join. All arrangements were set up through YFU. In Minn. he went through many different and new experiences, that he couldn’t imagine doing before his arrival. For example, he

Photo provided by Jonatan Hoegstroem

Jonatan Hoegstroem, senior will be living with his host family, the Sindersons until June. saw his first baseball and football game in Minn.

Hoegstroem’s host brother, Matt Sinderson, junior, said Hoegstroem is like a brother to him.

Sinderson’s sister had just left for college, so he thought he was going to be an only child for a while.

He thought it was going to be

weird until Hoegstroem joined their family.

Sinderson said that Hoegstroem teaches them a lot about a different culture that there own and has a lot of fun. “I have a friend where everywhere I go,” Sinderon said.

Q&A with Sammler, S

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when I was in high school, people who cared a gre ply labeled as tree huggers, hippie activists and no to be “green”. So society is learning. It is a slow pr needs to be active in educating others to continue that long-term Earth sustainability is a topic worth e This is great, now we need society to make decisio worry and make decisions for short term gain and This is tough but it is possible and we have to keep environment is something that is understood and v

to recycle.”

-The school district spends $50,000 per year on paper -3 trucks full of paper are delivered to the Hopkins District a year -Processes 25,000 envelopes of mail in August for back to school letters -Mary Arndt & Laura Shaffer Munson are 52 week employees -Uses 30% post consumer recycled paper

Q: Do you believe an increase in e ness is possible? How can it be a A: I absolutely believe it is possible. It has occurr

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The Copy Center by the numbers

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200 HHS students were surveyed for this poll

tainly will never claim to say that I am perfect and l However, I think about this type of stuff on a daily b The range of behaviors ranges from carrying my tr off lights when I can, unplugging all appliances afte general (no new clothes or items frequently), trying eat vegetarian. These are just a few of many, and perfect in achieving these all the time, but I consta these achievable goals throughout my day. Plus, it others to start thinking similarly.

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and general willingness to act on it. Most people, in scientists, do not have adequate understanding ab Earth system generally works. Once people start to mans impact the environment (either negatively or decisions in their lives to help in leaving as little an

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Q: What should be our biggest co ment today?

A: I think the biggest concern with the environme

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As environmental issues continue to pose more of a threat to Earth, the Royal Page investigates which method students and administration use to receive clean drinking water in their homes.

More and more people today are using reusable water bottles and filtration systems, as opposed to plastic water bottles.

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mall doesn’t use heating throughout the winter.

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help the environment on a

e my footprint on the environment. I cerlive the most ideal, low footprint model. basis and make decisions accordingly. rash around until I can recycle it or turning er I use them, not buying a lot of things in g to buy local foods, trying to buy organic, not that I can claim that I am 100% antly try to think about them and make t helps that my job is to hopefully educate

Target Field- The new sta-

dium allows storm water to flow into a cistern and then it is filtered to be used for irrigating the field and cleaning stadium seats.

environmental consciousaccomplished?

Red Stag Supper Club-

red over the last 10-15 years. I mean, eat deal about the environment were simot taken seriously. Now, it is cool in a way rocess, but we are evolving and society this evolution. We also have decided examining, discussing, and acting on. ons for the long term now and not just profit (either economically or politically). p the education up, to make sure that valued by all.

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5 ways to help save the environment Recycle

• Recycle electronics (cell phones, computers, etc.)

• Recycle papers, plastics without their caps, glass, and metal • Return plastic bags to the store they came from

Save Water

• Take short showers • Install a low-flow shower head • Install faucet aerators • Buy drought tolerant plants • Fix leaky faucets • Turn off water while brush ing your teeth

Save Energy

• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs • Set thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and higher in the summer • Unplug all appliances when they are not being used • Hang clothes on a clothesline or drying rack

Reduce Use

• Get off junk mail lists • Buy refillable containers • Pay bills online • Slow down while driving

Shop ‘Green’

• Borrow an item instead of buying it • Support local farmers • Buy long-lasting products • Buy organic foods and cleaners • Look for labels (USDA organic, fair trade certified, etc.)

opinion

10page the ROYAL

Electronics punishments far too harsh on students

C

lassmates, I reserve my gripes for times when I am truly annoyed. And now is one of those times.

See, a few days back, I was playing Doodle Jump on my phone in the middle of class. Obviously, I should not have been doing this; it is blatantly against the rules of our school. But, for those unfamiliar with the game, Doodle Jump is arguably as addictive as crystal methamphetamine.

My teacher, who shall remain nameless to protect his or her safety, acted according to school policy and “bagged and tagged” my cellular telephone. He or she was undoubtedly right in doing this. He or she was simply doing his or her job and protecting the learning environment in his classroom.

I was informed that since it was my second “bag and tag” of the school year (the first one occurred when I, being the good boy that I am, responded to a text from my mother during class), one of my parents would have to come in to retrieve the device after school. I was not thrilled, but I understood that this was in place as a deterrent; surely few students would dare use their phone in class again after incurring the angry wrath of their parents.

No, I did not get angry with the process until I was reminded that the next time I had electronics confiscated I would have to serve a one day suspension for “insubordination.”

When I heard this, I immediately concluded that it was one of

T

op 10

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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the most nonsensical policy decisions that our administration had ever concocted.

Our school defines only certain offenses as worthy of a suspension. Among these are fighting, being caught with narcotics, academic dishonesty and… texting in class? Not to go the Sesame Street route, but “one of these things is not like the others.”

And yet, there he was, not being allowed to participate in a day of school simply because he likes to play games on his iPod a little too much.

In this case and others like it, the punishment clearly does not fit the crime. Playing with your phone in class simply should not be grounds for a suspension. When it is taken into account that this is a punishment that students will have to report on their college applications, it is abundantly clear that the policy needs to be reworked.

I say that the punishments for the first and second offense stay the same. A third offense should result in a detention, much like the way the “Sweep Policy” works. Like the sweep policy, after a detention, a student would be given a clean slate.

Also like the sweep policy, if a student fails to report for their detention, they will then be suspended.

A detention is a major annoyance to students; the same effect will be accomplished without a student ever having to go through

the ordeal and resultant stigma of a suspension. Most reasonable students will learn their lesson through a detention. Only if they choose to ignore the school policy of detention will they have to face suspension. In this way, the students that simply text a little too much will be separated from the truly “insubordinate” ones.

I understand that the school wants to protect the learning environment from electronic distractions.

However, punishing electronics use with a suspension is the equivalent of using a sledgehammer to push in a thumbtack. Will it work? Probably, but it is clearly not the best solution to the problem.

Saxon Stone Dorshow is the Sports Editor for the Royal Page.

At a glance...

-Penalty for multiple bag and tag offenses is too severe -Using a cellphone should have the same punishment as three sweep passes

Favorite Holiday Activities

Accusing Grandpa of using a loaded dreidel (He didnt make it out of clay) Pretending the sweater grandma bought you was “just what you wanted...”

Being reminded of the fact that your childhood beliefs were all false Knowing this is the last time you’ll see your family until Easter Reminding your grandma for the fifth time not to make scrambled egg nog Looking at Holiday cards and realizing that every family is as awkward as yours

Shooting your eye out with your new Red Ryder BB gun Mourning Grandma’s death after she was run over by a reindeer Making another New Year’s resolution you can’t keep Having your uncle with boundary issues play Santa Claus (I saw mommy kissing Santa Claus)

Cartoon by Daniel Raskin, senior

opinion

1 1 page the ROYAL

Extra curriculars just a résumé booster Too much on The college application season is coming to a close soon. Many high school seniors are finishing their college applications. A major part of the college application process is listing extracurricular activities in order of importance.

I took time to consider if I should truly list what is most important to me, or if I should list what would look best on my college application. With little hesitation, I chose the latter. If I were to be entirely honest on the application, activities like Southwest Basketball and video games would be much higher than activities like National Honors Society and Youth in Government.

This, I believe, would reflect poorly on me in my application. I chose to lie, not over what I did, but on what was most important to me. This is what most college applicants choose to do, boost their résumés.

Résumé boosting is a major flaw in the college application system today. Students stop thinking about what matters to them most, and start thinking about what they can do to make their college applications look better.

If the system were an honest one, I’d be very curious to see what activities are truly most important to these applicants. Because résumé boosting is so common in college applications, it should lose its relevance and importance. Extracurricular activities, aside from sports and academic based ones, should be eradicated from the college application process.

Colleges create fear in applicants that their extracurricular activities won’t measure up to the college’s standards. In reality, having unique extracurricular activities sets you apart from all your competition.

My solution is for colleges to ask for what activities set them apart, and make it specific that unique activities are best. If applicants can tie in their activities to why they are important, then that should satisfy the colleges. Applicants would then realize how truly not unique volunteering makes them.

How often someone volunteers shouldn’t factor into a college application. Volunteering is not an award, not an academic achievement, and not something to validate yourself and an application. There are no requirements to volunteer, anyone can do it.

I’m not saying that people should stop volunteering for causes. That would be absurd. I’m saying that students should evaluate the purpose for which they volunteer.

A pro is that résumé boosting has helped out volunteer-based organizations tremendously. I’d be willing to bet that if colleges struck extracurricular activities from the applications, volunteering would drop

drastically.

That is one problem with eliminating extracurricular activities from applications, volunteering would suffer. No matter what intentions people have when volunteering, volunteering helps someone out and pays it forward.

The con with volunteering is that some volunteers treat volunteering like a chore, like something mandatory. This eliminates the whole purpose of volunteering. Volunteering is supposed to demonstrate the kind of person you are to a college.

Now, not all volunteers believe this, but sometimes, ulterior motives behind volunteering. People sometimes use volunteering to make themselves feel good or get some personal gain. In this case, it is to better their college application.

People should believe in their causes. I feel today people are volunteering for the wrong reasons. Should I feel like a bad person because I don’t volunteer as often as others?

My answer is no.

There always seemed something phony about volunteering to me.

Maybe it is because I never want to be there. Volunteering never feels like I volunteered.

I want colleges to judge me one what separates me as an individual and a scholar, not on what extracurricular activities make me look good.

I should not be penalized because I don’t engage in many “prestigious” extracurricular activities. I should be judged on my academics and what I am truly passionate about.

Have fun, enjoy yourself, find your passion, and don’t fall into a tireless résumé based pit.

Connor William Hinck is a Staff Reporter for the Royal Page.

At a glance...

-Colleges should stop asking for extra curricular activities -Applicants use volunteering and others to boost résumés

Staff Editorial: Students need to take charge As the Royal Page editorial board sat down to discuss the environmental theme of our upcoming issue, we were confronted with an unsettling reality.

We were trying to find people at HHS who were passionate about environmental issues and could add something to our coverage.

We knew there were kids at HHS who cared about the environment but we couldn’t think of any students whose passion for protecting the planet was to the point where their environmental passion was a defining character of their life.

This led us to realize that the students at our school are emblematic of a larger apathy our generation has about the environment.

For years scientists and politicians have warned us of the dangers our environment faces and some progress has been made. One of the most notable crusaders for the environment has been former Vice President Al Gore.

Gore’s 2006 documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” raised further awareness of the dangers the planet faces and specifically highlighted the threat of global climate change.

In response, many Americans have decided to make changes in their life in order to help the environment like buying more envi-

ronmentally friendly products and being more conscious of conserving energy.

Yet, even with all this positive change, the planet is far from safe. The majority of people still choose to make purchases based on what they want and not what is best for the planet.

Consumerism has outweighed our responsibility to do what is right for the environment.

And so it falls to our generation to affect change. Unfortunately, it seems that we are not ready and eager to do our part.

Laziness and apathy have taken hold of us when it comes to the environment. We want to protect the planet but we lack the passion and drive to actually do something. This has to change.

This is the planet we have to live on. It provides us with a place to live and resources to make our lives comfortable and enjoyable. In return, it is our responsibility to take care of and protect that has taken care of and protected us.

To do this, we must make changes in our lives. Some of the changes are incredibly easy to make.

After lunch, take the extra time to separate out your garbage between organic, trash, and recycling. This takes all of 10 seconds and is an easy way to help the environment.

Instead of driving yourself to school, carpool with friends who live near you. Not only will this reduce fossil fuel emissions and help the environment, it will also save you money by allowing you to split the cost of a parking pass.

Bringing a reusable water bottle to school every day is another way to help the environment and save money at the same time.

Along with these small changes, there are also bigger decisions you can make that can make quite a difference.

Choosing to get a fuel-efficient hybrid is one of the best things you can do for the environment as it helps reduce fossil fuel emissions. As many of us prepare to get our first car, choosing a hybrid is perhaps the single biggest thing we can do to affect a positive change for the planet.

These changes, big and small, are just a few of the ways that our generation can do our part and help protect the environment.

We inherited this planet from our parents and we will pass it on to our children.

Shouldn’t we want to leave it better than when we got here?

This is the opinion of the Royal Page staff.

student’s plates There may be nothing worse in this world than having two tests and a project due all on the same day.

I’m just a poor, unsuspecting student. I understand that every test and project is important, but I’m forced to prioritize and figure out which is most important. I have to do all of this while still trying to maintain a normal high school experience.

I’m calling shenanigans.

Do I choose the subject that I’m weaker at, or the subject that will help my grade in the class? To me, the most logical choice is sleep.

As I understand it, when students fail, teachers fail.

I beseech thee teachers: take pity. Remember your days as high school scholars and try to take it easy on us. We’re trying our very hardest, and when we’re forced to cram multiple subjects in our young minds, valuable information needed for success in the class is bound to fall out, (maybe literally), right after the test.

It feels like that Fridays are the days with the most tests. I understand that teachers want to get the test done before the weekend so they have the time to grade, but the last thing I want to do on a Friday is take a test. Everyone is ready for the weekend already thinking about all the fun they’re going to have; having a test is just a buzz kill.

I will concede that students should be more prepared for projects due on test days. Teachers give plenty of time for students to complete the project, but I would assume that many students are like myself and procrastinate. Having a project on the day of the test is avoidable, but when it does happen, it’s not unlike rubbing salt on an open wound.

Don’t get me wrong; I love tests. I love the satisfaction I receive from knowing the right answers and the affirmation of the subject matter.

But that doesn’t mean I like taking tests. I don’t like the fact that 40 to 60 questions determine most of my grade.

The stress causes a lot of people, myself included, to make mistakes on questions concerning material that they actually know.

One possible solution would be creating an open forum for teachers to post when they have tests or projects scheduled. I understand that all students have different schedules but most classes apply to a certain grade and there could be a limit on the amount of tests in a given grade during a given block.

It may cause extra work for the teachers but the ultimate goal is for students to succeed. A little extra work to coordinate tests and such with other teachers goes a long way towards helping students stay on top of their work and conquer the dreaded tests.

Students could help too by talking with their teachers about the workload they have. This would require cooperation and sympathy from the teachers, but, with help, we could make it work.

Is it too much to ask for a little help? A lot is asked of us students, but it can get to be too much.

William Foley Gregg is the Opinion Editor of the Royal Page

At a glance...

- There needs to be an open forum for teachers to post tests and projects -Students need to speak up about their workload and teachers need to listen

variety

12page

the ROYAL

Upcoming events over Winter Break Guthrie’s A Christmas Carol

Chocolate Exhibition

Nov. 19 - Dec. 31

Oct. 2 - Jan. 2

This year the Guthrie is reproducing Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The Guthrie is trying a new approach by using all new sets, music, and special effects.

The Minnesota History Center presents a unique choclate exhibit. Along with the history of the cocoa bean this exhibit has many hands on activities including painting cocoa mugs.

Kids Like Us Winter Breakdown

IBEW Holiday Lights in the Park

Admission: $5 (kids) $8 (students) $10 (adults) Hours: www.minnesotahistorycenter.org

Tickets: $30-$70(Student discounts avalible) Showtimes: www.guthrietheater. org

Tuesday Dec. 21 There will be close to 800 people at the Aqua Nightclub to see the rap group from HHS perform, according to Facebook responses.

Location: Aqua Nightclub, Tuesday, Dec. 21 at 8:00 pm.

Special guests: DJ Abilities and Toki Wright. All ages, $15 cover.

Nov. 23 - Jan. 1

Phalen Park City sets up half a mile of holiday lights so visitors can stay warm in their cars while driving by to see the lights and sculptures.

Tickets: $8 Sunday-Thursday and $10 Friday, Saturday, and holidays. See the lights from 5:30 until Jan. 1.

The Depot Coffee House

Dec. 21-22, 28-29 The Depot in Hopkins usually has events every Friday night.

Over the break however, the Depot is having live music.

Showtimes: Wednesday, Dec. 22nd and 29th.

Open Mic Night: Tuesday, Dec. 21st and 28th.

Macy’s Annual Santaland

Nov. 20- Dec. 30

Every year, Macy’s brings the twin cities Santaland on the top floor of their downtown Minneapolis store. The show this year shows Santa’s elves as they are preparing for Christmas.

Open: now to Dec. 30.

Showtimes: Check www.macys. com

Information compiled by Maddy Braverman,Staff Reporter

Behind the Scenes Brennan Kelly, Senior, First Camera Man.“I will be editing and filming the entire movie.”

Jared Selcer, Junior, Director of Photography. “I direct the film and decide the shots.”

Katherine Fuguet, senior, Screen Writer. “I write the story by taking real life events and making them into a script.”

Michael Freeman, senior, Director. “I direct the overall production of the project.”

Samantha Lorentz, senior, Casting Director. “During auditions, people come in and I figure out how they connect to a character.”

Film club prepares for another hit Sonja Muus Staff Reporter

Y

oung Filmmakers Club is a group of students interested in making movies. It was started last year by six students, and has slowly evolved into being a fairly popular club. They meet at 3:00 on Mondays and Fridays in KHOP. “Many people want to make a full length movie when they are older, so we decided to do it now,” said Jared Selcer, junior.

After making a successful feature film last year, the club has decided to make another which is unofficially titled: Where the Music Goes. It is about a teenage girl, Emily, who comes from a stereotypical, white, middle class family.

From the outside, her life looks average.

However, she still experiences hardships and ends up running away from home.

With this story, the club is trying to connect with their audience through the topic of teenagers running away from home. Selcer is aware that there are teenagers inside and outside of HHS that could connect with the theme.

“We try to make the movies as personal as possible,” Selcer said.

Auditions for male roles were held on Monday and Tuesday of the week of November 29, and auditions for female roles were held on Dec. 6 and 7, and Nov. 30th. Samantha Lorentz, senior, is the casting director. She judges students who are trying out based on their ability

to connect to the character.

Last year, the club created their first full length, feature film: ‘Knowing Aaron’.

‘Knowing Aaron’ was about a teenager named Aaron, played by Cody Bursch, senior. Aaron is a teenager who experienced a traumatic event as a child. As a teenager, Aaron starts to believe that he is seeing ghosts, as a result many people around him think he’s crazy.

With his brother, Michael (played by Willie Versen, senior) and his girlfriend, Megan (played by Katherine Fuguet, senior) by his side, Aaron works through his struggle throughout the course of the movie.

It ended up being a great success: liked by students overall on top of being recognized by Star Tribune, Sun Sailor, Lakeshore Weekly, and Kare 11, and this year, the club is hoping to be as successful again with their upcoming movie.

Apart from trying to connect with the audience through their movies, the members of Young Filmmaker’s club also try to send a message through their movies.

“Making movies is the biggest form of media and most effective way to get a message across,” Fuguet said.

Although she enjoys making movies, Fuguet is not planning on making a career out of it. Selcer, however, wants to become a movie producer.

“I respect movies as the greatest form of art on the planet and I want to contribute to that,” Selcer said.

LMPM not going to Holidazzle Harry Orenstein

T

Staff Reporter

he annual Holidazzle parade outside of Nicollet Mall is a well-known event throughout Minnesota. The Holidazzle parade performs on Thursday - Sunday for three weeks leading up to Christmas and provides a choir, band, and celebrity Grand Marshall at every march.

Unfortunately this year, the HHS marching band, LMPM, could not march in the Holidazzle parade. “I sent out the application in advance with three dates that would work for the students. When the response came back, there was one date that was available during the 2010 Holidazzle production which didn’t work out for the members of LMPM,” said Mr. Miller, LMPM director, music department.

Leah Wong, a member of the Target Holidazzle Staff, decides which bands perform in the Holidazzle parade. “Bands are selected to participate in the event on a first come first serve basis. We try to accommodate as many of the bands as possible that submit an application,” said Wong.

The three dates that Mr. Miller sent in were already reserved. The one date that worked for the Holidazzle staff did not work out for LMPM. “We were looking forward to having their participation again this year,” said Wong.

The pep band wasn’t happy when informed they would not be marching this year. “It was definitely disappointing that we are not performing this year. Playing in the Holidazzle parade was a very fun experience and I enjoyed it a lot,” said Aaron Blaser, junior.

There were many incoming sophomores who wanted a chance to play in the annual march. “I didn’t really know a whole lot about Holidazzle, and everyone said they had a great time last year. So I guess you could say that I was kind of disappointed about not playing in the festival,” said Eric Maag, sophomore.

LMPM had the privilege to perform last year during one of the Holidazzle performances.

“It is a tradition for LMPM to perform in the Holidazzle parade,” said Mr. Miller. “There is no audition needed to apply, however I did need to contact the woman who organizes all of the musical productions. I also filled out an application with three dates that worked out best for the LMPM students so the performance wouldn’t be conflicting with their school work.”

After applying for the 2009 Holidazzle and waiting for a response, Mr. Miller’s application was finally responded with a warm acceptance email, confirming their position in the parade.

LMPM played the song Jingle Bell Rock, while drum line performed a number of other intricate pieces.

“It was really fun, and we (LMPM) were super lucky because we performed on the warmest night,” said Chris Lovagnini, junior. “It was cool for our band to be part of such a big festival. It was also a bonding experience for LMPM,” expressed Rachel Dieter, junior and drum major of LMPM. Although the HHS pep band will not be performing this year, there will be an array of performances at the Holidazzle parade from the University of Minnesota marching band to the Minnesota Vikings Ragnar and cheerleaders.

variety

13 page the ROYAL

Giving green gifts for the holidays Recycled Film Bow

Black Lid ‘Paper’ Cup

Price: $9.95 Description: Top off your gift with an eco-friendly bow. This bow is made of recycled left over film from movie trailers and is the perfect way to top off an eco-friendly gift.

Available at: http://www.vat19.com/ dvds/film-reel-gift-bows.cfm

Price: $8.95 Description: Millions of paper coffee cups are thrown away every year. This gift eliminates that. The Black lid ‘paper’ cup is a porcelain to-go coffee cup opposed to paper, making it possible for the consumer to use it over and over again.

Available at: Patina and other shops around the Twin Cities.

Suggested for: coffee drinkers.

ER PAGE D A RE OYAL : o T R m: Fro

Magnetic Battery Eater

Organic Wear Make-Up

Price: $5.99 Description: This device sucks left over juice out of AA batteries so you are able to throw them in the garbage without harming the environment.

Suggested age range: 10 & up Available online at: http://www.perpetualkid.com/magnetic-battery-eater.aspx

Price: ‘prices vary based on products’ Description: This brand of make-up provides the user with quality make-up in ecofriendly packag ing and is made with natural ingredients. This product is ‘ECOCERT’ certified, (Certified organic line of make-up) Available at: Wallgreens and other retail stores.

Information compiled by Jasmine Geschwind, Variety Editor

St. Olaf Catholic Church hosts Bel Canto and Chamber Choirs Kate Monson Staff Reporter

B

el Canto and Chamber Choirs from HHS had the honor of singing with the Oratorio Society of Minnesota on November 20th. They are a 65 voice auditioned choral group, made up of people of all ages, occupations, and backgrounds, who simply love to sing. They perform under the direction of Dr. Matthew Mahaffey, the Society’s artistic director and conductor.

Dr. Mahaffey is Associate Professor of Music at the University of Minnesota, where he conducts the Concert Choir and Men’s Chorus. He teaches a graduate course and serves as Music Director of the University Opera Theatre. He found time in his busy schedule to work with the HHS Chamber Choir and Bel Canto in preparation for their November concert.

“He brought great energy and helped us understand the music we were performing, which allowed us to execute the piece with confidence and accuracy” said Margo Levitt, senior, in Bel Canto.

The Oratorio Society and HHS Chamber Choir, which meets before school three mornings a week, preformed Missa Sancti Nicolai composed by Franz Josef Hayden. It is a 45-minute choral piece entirely in Latin. “ It was a lot of work learning 57 pages of music, but it was a very fun experience and

very worth it,” said Chris Code, senior, member of Chamber Choir.

Dr. Mahaffey visited two to three times a week for the four weeks preceding the concert. He encouraged and helped the students deliver vocally with self-assurance.

He used creative techniques to bring out each student’s individual voice.

“We had to put a lot of work into our piece because it was very lengthy, but after a lot of hard work with Dr. Mahaffey and Mr. Brown, performing it with a professional orchestra and choir was amazing and very rewarding.” said Val Schoonover, senior, member of Chamber Choir.

Bel Canto joined the Society from the balcony in singing an eerie 50-minute cantata called St. Nicolas, composed by Benjamin Britten. Along with the Oratorio Society choral ensemble and orchestra, they were joined by tenor Dr. Mark Mabry, Lecturer of Music at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, and three members of the Minnesota Boys Choir.

“I enjoyed having the Hopkins Choirs join us in our performance. Both choirs did a superb job,” said Dr. Mahaffey, “ It is always really special when we get to work with choirs from around the state and experience music with different people. It truly brings me joy.”

The high school choirs’ participation

is part of the Oratorio Society’s youth outreach program called Viva Coro! The outreach program’s goal is to inspire the next generation of singers to participate in singing choral music.

“This opportunity really opened up my eyes to singing in the future. It showed that there is always a place that you can sing if you love to sing.” said Shira Lavintman, senior, member of both Chamber Choir and Bel Canto.

“It was a really fun experience. All of the people from the Oratorio Society were very kind and helpful. I definently learned a lot from he choir and from Dr. Mahaffey” said Becca Fitzpatrick, senior, member of Bel Canto.

It is not often that high school choirs are able to work with instructors and choirs on different techniques and motivations for singing. It is a learning opportunity and can be carried with people throughout their lives.

“It was great! I think the opportunity for any high school musician to work with adult musicians who are skilled at what they do is always a great experience.” said Mr. Brown, Hopkins Choral Director.

HHS Choirs perform with the Oratorio Society of Minnesota at St. Olaf-Church.

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ROYAL

A new breed of fandom: the ‘Loony Bin’ Jacob Clemen Staff Reporter

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or most intense basketball fans, the sport is a game of great fluidity and grace that takes great teamwork and precision. A group of fervent fans at HHS beg to differ.

“We want everyone to see how crazy we are,” said Ben Christopher, senior. Christopher is the creator of a newly formed group of zealous basketball fans that are preparing to inject a little insanity into Royals basketball games. The Lindbergh Loonies, as they call themselves, plan to take the title of “Superfan” to a new level of intensity.

The Lindbergh Loonies are inspired by Duke University’s Cameron Crazies, known as some of the most intense fans in college basketball. Though the Loonies don’t have an official creed, their goal is very clear.

“The goal is to get the other team in tears,” Christopher said, “we feel like we can affect a game in our favor and be a sixth man to help the five guys on the court.”

Mr. Dan Johnson, Director of Athletics and Activities, is excited for the Loonies. “We love the Loonies and would like to see them at all our events.” The Loonies, however, will likely remain focused on basketball for the time being.

Basketball is the perfect avenue for fans like the Loonies to be involved as the stands are very close to the court. “I love basketball because you are close to the action and there are not barriers,” said Ben Badower, senior. Badower is also a Loony who hopes that his crazy catcalls will wreak havoc for opposing teams.

Johnson is glad to see such commitment from fans. “Anytime students are supporting each other it’s a good thing,” Johnson said. “We want to see students at all activites.”

HHS basketball has a long tradition of success and the Loonies plan to be a reflection of that. “We want to create a tradition and make a name for Royals fans,” Badower said.

The Loonies plan to incorporate some familiar chants and banter during the games such as, “The Row” during free throws, but they also plan to create new cheers for the upcoming season.

The Lindbergh Loonies hope to gain the support of the rest of the student body. “We’d love to fill up the student section,” Christopher said. The Loonies plan to put a banner stretching over the student section that reads, “The Loony Bin.” Along with leading cheers and being the face of the Royal’s fans, the Loonies will be on the lookout for junior and sophomore fans that show impressive spirit. “It takes a lot to be Loony,” Badower said, “you have to be at every game and show your crazy side.”

The zaniest, most unrelentingly insane fans will be considered to take up membership as an official Lindbergh Loony. “We want to pass this down as a tradition,” Christopher said. “If they’re

Photo by Jacob Clemen

Michael Moore, senior, and Ben Chrstopher, senior, celebrate a good play by the boys basketball team. Moore and Christopher are members of the newly formed “Lindbergh Loonies.” lucky some younger fans may be anointed Loonies.”

For those fans of the basketball program that are willing to go a little crazy in the name of disturbing the opposing team, each game will be an opportunity to gain entrance into the Loony tradition, though they have to be able to handle a skeptical look or two.

During the first basketball game at Lindbergh this year the Loonies went all out in getting involved. All the Loonies were decked out in Hopkins gear, though they plan to get matching Loony jerseys for future games, and were very vocal behind the hoop.

As Prior Lake was an undermatched opponent on the court, their fans provided a worthy challenge to the Loonies. Prior Lake

fans sported Santa Claus outfits and sang popular Christmas carols while the Royals shot free throws. Their unique and excessive spirit looked poised to shame the Loonies Fortunately, the Loonies were prepared and rebutted with a salvo of the Hanukkah favorite “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel” along with other holiday staples.

With a victory on and off the court the Loonies were able to leave feeling satisfied that their movement was off to such a good start.

“We’re starting a revolution here this year,” Christopher said.

“We want to cement this at Hopkins for good.”

All they need now is a little help from the fans to release their inhibitions and join in the hysteria.

sophomore, and Kenny Novak, freshman, both played on the team last year, and are also playing basketball this winter. “I think kids should play at least one team and one individual sport,” said Novak. “They discover how to work with teammates to make one unit, but also learn to take responsibility when there is no one else to blame but themselves.”

The tennis team did well last year, with Ryan Erickson, senior, and Marcel Gyswyt winning the doubles state title. At one point, the team was also ranked second in state. “We beat Wayzata (the state tournament bid from the section), but suffered a tough loss to Southwest and didn’t even get to face them (Wayzata) again,” said Michael Fields, senior.

The team has good promise once again this season, led by captains Erickson and Fields, who have ten years of varsity tennis experience between the two of them. “We should be a top ten team this season, but improvement made during the winter is key,” Novak said.

Novak grew up with tennis, playing first at Hopkins, then at Augsburg. Even with this much experience, one would think that being away from coaching the sport would cause difficulty in picking it up again. “Even now, I probably watch as much or

more tennis than basketball, and I watch quite a bit of both,” said Novak.

Novak and the boys’ basketball team have become well known statewide, even nationally, in recent years, dominating Minnesota high school basketball. They have won five state titles in the last nine years, and have sent 14 players to D-I schools in that time.

The key for this tennis season, as with many sports, is the work done in the offseason. With outdoor courts unplayable, the athletes find places to play during the winter with other players, coaches, and teachers. “Guys play at variety of places, from Lifetime to the University of Minnesota courts,” Fields said.

Physically, the players make major improvements during the offseason, with only minor changes or tweaks occurring during the actual season. “I’m here for mental preparation as much as anything,” Novak said. “I try to help with focus and mental preparedness.”

With the tennis team’s progress of last season, combined with Novak’s success in coaching, both tennis and basketball, this could be the year for greatness for the tennis team. “We have got to work harder than the other teams to be better than the other teams,” Erickson said.

Novak to take on another coaching responsibility

Michael Larson Staff Reporter

H

e is known as the man who coached a team that won a state title with a spectacular shot, as well as a squad whose entire starting five went on full scholarship to D-I schools, the leader of a program that has demanded national attention and become a high school basketball dynasty. But this spring, Mr. Ken Novak Jr., social studies, will take on a new task, as coach of the boys’ tennis team for this season.

The position is actually not new to Novak, as he was the girls’ tennis coach until several years ago. During this time, he consistently coached great teams, including one state championship squad in 1994. “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to coach, but raising kids and coaching just created too much of a time issue,” Novak said.

Novak will be filling in this year as head coach because Mrs. Ali King, who has been boys head coach at HHS since 2005, is taking a maternity leave this season. King was a part of the state championship team under Novak.

One reason the position has once again become attractive to Novak is that he has two kids on the team. Andy Novak,

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ROYAL

Boys and girls swimming look forward and back The boys swim team looks to do all they can to achieve what the girls did using various superstitions Michael Frey Sports Editor

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s the winter sports season has begun, the boys swim team looks to have as much success as the girls team, who sent several swimmers to the state meet. The boys are led by senior captains Asher Trangle, Josh Mekler, Zach Thelen and Alex Bonoff, junior.

“This is going to be a tough season, since we lost a lot of seniors and now we’re in the toughest conference in the state,” Mekler said.

Just like most other sports, HHS is in the toughest conference yet again with boys’ swimming. Edina took home the state title last year for the third year in a row as well as setting a class AA and state meet record in the 400 yard freestyle relay. Minnetonka placed second in the state meet last year and now the boys of the Lake Conference will have to deal with the powerhouse of Eden Prairie.

However, the boys have been hard at work in the offseason by going to swim camps and clubs in the summer as well as captains practices.

Also, they will have some new young swimmers with state potential in Nick Wilkerson, sophomore, and Colin Hay, freshman, who placed first in state in the breast stroke in non-high school competition.

“We will really need to step up in our big meets this year, the conference meets, and perform well in relays as we have in the past,” Mekler said.

The boys have done all they can, physically, to prepare for the season and important meets, but they are also using their various superstitions

to prepare for upcoming meets. Each swimmer (who wants to participate) has a stuffed animal unicorn that they call ‘Ashers Unicorns,’ that they carry with them to each meet for good luck. Most athletes will say they have superstitions that they perform before every game, meet, or match, most of which are somewhat normal, whether it’s wearing a lucky bracelet or eating a specific meal, but carrying around unicorns to each meet seems to be the most obscure ritual amongst HHS athletes.

“Lutefisk, lefse, Copenhagen, snuff, Hopkins Royals, TOUGH TOUGH TOUGH,” is what the swimmers chant before each meet. This chant screams ‘Minnesota’ because lutefisk and lefse are both Norwegian dishes and many Minnesotans have some Norwegian in their blood. Whether these rituals work or not, it’s something the swimmers are accustomed to and will continue to practice throughout the 2010-2011 season, as well as the pre game speech from Coach Greg Bartz.

“Before every meet, we will need to be mentally ready to swim,” Mekler said. The pre swim rituals are more than just a superstition, these mentally prepare the boys to swim. This is especially important when they will be facing the big teams in the conference, such as last years state champions, Edina.

“As captains, we need to support the whole team, which includes all Hopkins swimmers even the seventh through ninth grade meets,” Mekler said.

Mekler, Trangle, and Thelen look to have strong senior seasons and have a good run at state.

The girls swim team, especially Brita Skalbeck, senior, finished a succesful season with a great performance at the state meet.

Michael Fields Staff Reporter

W

ith a computerized “beep,” the crowd at the University of Minnesota aquatic center moves from a nervous silence to a deafening level of cheering.

It’s the fifty-yard freestyle event, featuring the eight fastest girl swimmers in Minnesota, including Brita Skalbeck, senior. In their matching sleek suits and swim caps, the girls dive in simultaneously, and ferociously swim to the other side of the pool, before pushing off the wall and heading back.

It’s all over in twenty-five seconds, all eight girls finishing within two seconds of each other.

Skalbeck finished in fifth place, with a time of 24.17 seconds, less than three-tenths of a second shy of All-American consideration. “The season is so long, and you work for months for a race that’s less than thirty seconds long. It’s just the best feeling to know all of the hard work paid off,” Skalbeck said.

It was Skalbeck’s second consecutive year in which she earned All-State honors, which impressed Coach Nate Kremer. “For Brita to be All-State two years in a row shows that she is the real deal,” Kremer said.

In addition to her result in the 50 free, Skalbeck finished nineteenth in the 100-yard backstroke, narrowly missing the cut of the preliminary races.

Skalbeck wasn’t the only HHS competitor at the state meet; she, along with fellow captain Liz Grogan, senior, Jane Dupay, senior, and Rae Bullinger, freshman, competed in the 200-yard freestyle and 200-yard medley relays. They combined for a nineteenth-place finish in the

freestyle event, and twentieth in the medley.

“Getting that many girls to state was the biggest highlight of the year,” said Kremer.

Bullinger capped off a successful season by qualifying for state in the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard individual medley events. Bullinger improved upon her preliminary breaststroke time in her final swim and finished twelfth overall, with a time of 1:07.64.

Bullinger’s performance brought back memories for her captain. “Rae is a great swimmer. I remember my ninth grade year at state…I felt as if I was going to throw up,” Skalbeck said.

With three of the top four teams in the state in the Lake Conference, each meet presented a new challenge. “We looked at it as an opportunity…it definitely helped us in the big meets,” Kremer said.

Kremer was especially grateful for his captains and seniors, eleven in all. “We had such a large group of seniors, it really helped our team to prepare for our meets,” Kremer said.

Even with an unusually high number of graduates, next year looks promising for the swim team, especially with Bullinger returning. “[Bullinger] improved big-time from her eighth to ninth grade year, and we expect her to keep improving,” Kremer said.

Ending her swim career will be tough for Skalbeck, having been on the varsity team since eighth grade. She owes a lot to her teammates and Coach Kremer. “I love Nate, he is an amazing coach. He and the girls are why I love swimming. He keeps swimming fun, but also works us hard.”

Girls hockey team off to a strong start despite youth Jack Deutsch Staff Reporter

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fter coming in third in the girls’ hockey state tournament last year, and coming in second the year before, the mind set is still the same for the varsity girls’ hockey: they must win.

“The girls on this team show an aggressive attitude toward the game with no negativity, and they are very passionate about the sport, where each person on this team wants to learn and get better,” said Mr.Vin Paolucci, head coach of HHS varsity girls’ hockey.

The girls’ team is showing off younger talent, mainly because of the loss of eight senior girls who left at the end of last year. There are six seniors currently on the team and are not showing any signs of weakness with a record of 4-2-1 this year. The main reason for their success is due to the leadership shown throughout the team, especially Libby Fransdal, senior.

“Libby is a wonderful role model that shows the willingness to put the work in. Plus, the younger players not only look up to her but all the seniors as well,” Paolucci said. Fransdal is the main captain of this young talented team, but there is also a rotation, in which other girls get to show their leadership by voice or by action on and off the ice.

Positive attitude is present on this team, and

it shows with all the success. Another player who leads the team is Allison Rolandelli, junior who has been playing with Paolucci for four years. “We need to work together and we can always improve,” Rolandelli said.

Rolandelli has played all her career on defense and this is the first year that Paolucci is having her play forward. Rolandelli will look to improve her offense as the year continues.

The two big ideas that Paolucci teaches are skill development and attitude development.

“The main goal that I say to this group is to get better every day, and of course we play to win,” Paolucci said.

New girls have filled the open positions, such as Hayley Nybo, senior as the goaltender.

Also, two eighth graders, one who plays forward, Corbin Boyd, and another who plays defense, Grace Bizal, “both who have shown great skill at each of their positions,” Paolucci said.

Paolucci is not the only one who volunteers his time for the varsity team. Coach John Smart, who has been apart of HHS sports for multiple years. Currently, he is the assistant coach for the varsity girls’ hockey team.

“As the first six games have gone by, many mistakes have happened, but each one is a learning situation, and the girls have to move on and just make fewer mistakes as the season progresses,” Paolucci said.

Photo by Harry Orenstein

Senior defense Brita Skalbeck charges past the Benilde defense. The Roayls lost 5-0 on this night, Dec. 7. The team is off to a hot start this season, with a record of 4-2-1 through seven games this year, despite being young and inexperienced as a team.

Breaking t he S

Ice

ophie Stillman, sophomore, Amanda Rhodes and Sarah Remington, seniors, all share the same passion for ice skat-

ing.

Stillman, Remington, and Rhodes are part of the Lake Minnetonka Figure Skating Club at the Minnetonka Ice Arena. They all figure skate but do different events. Stillman is not on a team, but rather an individual skater, while, Rhodes and Remington are part of a synchronized team.

Rhodes grew up skating because hockey was a huge sport in her family, but she didn’t become serious about ice skating until she was in eighth grade. She has skated both individually and on a team. “Synchronized skating is by far my favorite,” Rhodes said.

Her team practices anywhere from seven to ten hours a week during the winter season. In the summer, practice is about seven hours a week.

When it is around competition time, there are additional practices.

During this competition system, Rhodes’ team competes in six competitions and could compete in more if they make it to nationals. “In addition to competitions, we have an exhibition at the winter extravaganza in Dec. and an ice show in May,” said Rhodes.

Before her team goes out on the ice rink, they always have a dance party in the locker room to

get rid of their nerves.

A synchronized team puts a lot of pressure on individuals to do well for the outcome of the team. “I feel frustrated when I let my team down when I fall in a competition,” said Rhodes.

This year, Rhodes hopes her team will make it to nationals in California.

Similar to Rhodes, Remington also skates on a synchronized ice skating team. In addition to synchro, she also competes individually at the Juvenile test track level.

These different teams require Remington to practice in the morning twice a week. Around the time of competitions, she practices three to four times a week, adding up to 10 hours a week.

With all of the practicing, Remington has developed back problems, but these injuries haven’t stopped her from skating.

Remington has applied to some colleges where there are ice skating programs, but she is uncertain if she will skate in college. “It depends on where I go to college next year and how I feel about ice skating in a few months,” said Remington, “It’s going to be a difficult decision either way because I can’t imagine my life without skating at this point and I don’t want to say goodbye to it yet.”

This year is the last year Rhodes and Remington can skate at a high school level.

But for Stillman, there are two more years of ice skating. Stillman started skating when she was seven years old and started taking private lessons when she was nine years old.

Her practice schedule is six days a week for about three hours each time during the school year. In the summer, Stillman skates four hours everyday.

Stillman has competitions for seven months out of the year. “I have competitions about every two to three weeks starting in May and ending in Nov,” Stillman said.

By participating in competitions, Stillman has been announced the State Champion and Regional Finalist at her level. “Those competitions are really stressful and everyone is nervous, but they are so much fun,” said Stillman.

In addition to those competitions, Stillman also skates in the Dec. and May show. “Last year I was Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and I skated to ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’. The best part about it was that I got to perform throughout the entire first half of the show with the rest of the characters from Wizard of Oz,” said Stillman.

She hasn’t decided if she will pursue ice skating after high school.

With all of the hours ice skaters put into practice, they have all developed strong friendships with the other skaters in the league. Rho-

Sophie Stillman, above, doing a haircutter spin.

des, Remington, and Stillman are all appreciative of what ice skating has taught them throughout the years such as communicating with others, working hard, and being passionate about a sport.

Danielle Fink is the Editor-in-Chief for the Royal Page.

Sk at in g Term s Camel Spin

Spin where one leg is on the ice and the other is held backwards with the knee being higher than hips Amanda Rhodes, senior, second from right, smiles as she performs a synchronized skating routine. photo provided by Amanda Rhodes

Spiral

Skater skates on one skate, bends forward with their other leg extended backward

Lutz

Amanda Rhodes’, senior, team performing a circle step. photo provided by Amanda Rhodes

Axel Jump

A jump taken off the back Jump taken off a forward outside edge using the toe outside edge of the skate. The pick and landing on the back skater then makes 1 1/2 rotaoutside edge of opposite tions in the air until they land skate

Sophie Stillman, sophomore, performing a double axel. photo provided by Sophie Stillman