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Thursday, May 1, 2014 Volume 32 Issue 8
APPLYING SAFE SCHOOLS BILL C-Spread, pg. 6-7 The Safe Schools Act was passed in Minn. on April 9. This is a discussion of how bullying is present at HHS and how the new bill will impact schools across Minn., specifically HHS.
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Cycling the states to raise money, cure cancer By Andrew Zhou Staff Reporter Aaron Weinard and Zach Zelickson, 2010 HHS graduates, will bike 3,380 miles through ten states for one purpose: finding a cure for cancer. Touring for a Cure is a bike ride they, and U of M classmate Nate Schalmo, will embark on
by themselves, beginning in Minn. on July 9, and ending in Fla. 36 days later. “Touring for a Cure is the melding of two passions in our lives. It allows us to raise awareness and money for a great cause, while also doing something that we enjoy greatly,” Zelickson said. Weinard, Zelickson, and
Schalmo are seniors studying biology at the University of Minnesota. They created Touring for a Cure themselves as a result of their personal experiences with cancer. At the age of 65, Schalmo’s grandmother died from cancer, and Zelickson’s grandmother is a survivor of breast cancer. “My grandfather is a bladder
cancer survivor. I remember him being in the hospital and having surgery. It was a traumatic experience, and I want to find a cure so that nobody else has to experience the disease,” Weinard said. The three cyclists are also members of their university’s cycling team. “After about two years of cy-
“The hardest part is trying to think of more creative ways to do something that has an easy solution,” Rudelius said.
cling, we grew especially fond of long distance endurance cycling. We got to the point where we were able to ride over 150 miles in a single day at a solid pace, and we knew we could take it to the next level,” Weinard said. The cyclists are representing The American Cancer Society (ACS), a national organization founded in 1913 to research and
Photo provided by Maddie Malat
Dreams Incorporated place 2nd By Lily Goldfarb Variety Editor Maddie Malat and Alex Rudelius, seniors, can bear a passing resemblance to Frida Kahlo, with the help of Destination Imagination teammates. Malat, Rudelius, McKenna Karpan, and Jackie Robinson, seniors, make up the only Destination Imagination (DI) team with students from HHS. Their team name is Dreams Incorporated. On April 12, they competed at DI State and emerged with a second place victory. With this
place at state, they qualify for a spot at the Global Finals in Nashville, TN. DI Teams who attend Globals are in the top 1.23 percent of all the teams in the world. They participated in the Laugh Art Loud challenge, a contest that highlights the fine arts. “Basically, you have to choose an artist from another country, so we chose Frida Kahlo. We had to perform a skit about her,” Karpan said. The group has been working since Nov. to create a skit
Abelleira’s pet pig “Hooper” Josie Abelleira, senior, adjusts to living with a pet pig
Feature, pg. 9
that follows all the DI processes and regulations. They have created a set, costumes, and props, while spending less than $150. They also completed an Instant Challenge, in which the participants must complete a randomly selected task with a time restraint. According to the DI website, the goal of this challenge is to promote the ability to problem solve quickly. The challenges can be anything, from a specific skit to building a structure. “We try to never say the word ‘no’ when we are in an in-
stant challenge,” Malat said. According to the website, the goal of DI is “to develop opportunities that inspire the global community of learners to utilize diverse approaches in applying 21st century skills and creativity.” Karpan first started working on DI in 6th grade. The current team was formed in 9th grade, but they took a break until entering the competition this year. “It’s really hard because they give you a lot of rules, but you DI cont. on page 8
ALUMNI cont. on page 9
Brace vaults into field record books By Lucy Pierro Staff Reporter
Jackie Robinson, Maddie Malat, Alex Rudelius, and McKenna Karpan, seniors, take a selfie at the Destination Imagination State Tournament. The team placed second in the tournament on April 12.
prevent cancer. According to ACS, onethird of all women and half of all men living in the U.S. will develop cancer. Currently, the three most prevalent treatments are chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.
Ari Brace, junior, gets a natural high from flying through the air. This has led her to break the HHS girls school pole vault record. Pole vaulting is an event which is typically competed in track and field, in which the vaulter runs with a long fiberglass or carbon-fiber pole used to aid in jumping as high as possible over a stationary bar (vault). The vault can be set at a variety of different heights according to an athlete’s experience in the sport. The goal of the sport is to jump as high as possible over the bar without knocking it down. Brace has also excelled in a number of high-level sports such as diving, gymnastics, and the track and field pole-vault team which she all joined during her freshman year. Brace is on the varsity team for each sport she joined at HHS, in addition to making the HHS honor roll list. “As far as her commitment to athletics, and her pole vaulting especially, she has really taken a strong liking to it and spent a lot of time with [us coaches] every day of the week, even on Saturdays,” said Ms. Ronni Hamilton, HHS girls track and field head coach. Brace believes that her extensive experience with diving and gymnastics have helped her transform into an HHS recordbreaking pole vaulter. “I think both [diving and gymnastics] did help me be-
cause they all require a lot of upper-body strength,” Brace said. “Plus, I do a lot of speed training like running short distances as fast as I can and core and arm workouts.” Many elite pole vaulters have had a background in gymnastics, as it requires a large amount of the same physical ability as BRACE cont. on page 11
Infographic by Kelsi Johnson
Content on hopkinsrp.org
eBooks in the Media Center
Sara Katona and Daniel Sheldon, seniors, both receive Daniel Evans Scholarship
Media Center implements Overdrive and Mackin News,
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Students participate in blood drive Maddie Chalmers, sophomore, donates blood for the first time at HHS’ annual blood drive. “It was my first time so I was super nervous but once I was actually giving the blood it was fine. The specialist was extremely nice,” Chalmers said. The blood drive was run by Memorial Blood Center and International Club students, including Sherlie Gregoire, senior. “Our goal was to get 190 students to donate blood. [The specialists] take one or two pints of blood from each person,” Gregoire said. Chalmers said that she gave blood because it was the right thing to do. “I think everyone should donate blood, even if they’re an athlete like me. Giving blood is saving someone’s life, and that’s the most important thing,” Chalmers said.
Photo by Roxanne Krietzman
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PROStart places third in state On March 4, the HHS ProStart Culinary Team placed third out of 12 teams in the ProStart State Competition in St.Paul. The team had to prepare a three course meal in one hour with the use of two burners. The meal prepared included Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Bites and Crudites Salad dressed with blue cheese for the appetizer, followed by Bison Juicy Lucy, Turkey Burger, and Wild Rice Crusted Walleye for the entree. Finally, Reinvented Apple Pie was served for dessert. All of this was prepared by the team: Landon Richardson, Meg Jenny, Arelys Roldan, seniors, and Annika Larson with alternate Paige Christianson, juniors. The team did not make it to nationals, but they will still go to watch the competition in May.
New TASC policy initiated HHS initiated a new rule for Monday and Thursday TASC. HHS does not allow students to roam the halls or leave the building during TASC. Students are expected to be in one of their classes for TASC before the bell rings. 10 minutes after the bell, students will be swept and brought to room W230. The first sweep will result in a warning, the second, a phone call home, and the next sweeps will result in increasing consequences. The new rule was implemented because some students were not in a designated TASC area or not using the time to talk to teachers and work on homework.
SSC looking for new members The Student Steering Committee (SSC) is currently looking for new members. SSC is a club focused on advancing student achievement and success while creating a positive and comfortable environment for everyone at HHS. The club is made up of Noble Fahnbulleh, Nyjee Arradondo, Malika Musa, and Maray Singleton, seniors and Josie Brott, junior. They meet to discuss student issues as they come up. Anyone interested in joining should contact one of the members. Plans for next year include making recommendations to the schools board for 20142015 school year, monitoring school environment for students, and encouraging courageous conversation for the club.
Briefs by Cybill Biehlmann
Media Center implements new reading technology By Addie Lennon Staff Reporter Students with smart phones often check them throughout the day to update their social media, take a picture, or play a game. But not many of these students think about using their device to read a book. The Media Center has recently implemented the Overdrive and Mackin programs for student use. Both of these programs allow a student to access them from a wide variety of compatible tablets, phones, or computers. Ms. Victoria Wilson, Library Media Specialist, is eager to help with any questions students may have about the new programs and hopes that they will begin to be used more frequently. “[eBooks] keep things relevant and current. They’re not old dusty books,” Wilson said. Both programs require a student to log in using Moodle. Access to the free Overdrive app is found under the Media Center link on the HHS web page and supplies readers with books they’d like to read for pleasure. Mackin is located on the homepage for HHS Moodle, underneath Hopkins Webservices, and offers research books. The digital programs are also available through a Nook tablet. Wilson has recently purchased five Nooks for the Media Center that are now available for check-out. “I want kids to know that they don’t need a smartphone or tablet [for Overdrive or
Mackin],” Wilson said. Wilson and the other media center specialists will continue to expand the program to meet student interest. While there are only five Nooks currently available, Wilson will purchase more as demand for them grows. Overdrive has a limited selection of books, but, as students request books, more will be added. Overdrive allows books to be viewed as eBooks or listened to as audio books. The recreational books on Overdrive get checked out to one student at a time for two weeks, at which point they will automatically delete. Mackin allows for unlimited use among many students simultaneously. There are currently close to 200,000 books available, but this number is rapidly growing. Book topics are sorted into various categories (social issues, sports, health, etc.) or can be searched
for manually. Although Wilson is excited about the new digital options, she knows that some students may still prefer print books. “I will keep ordering print books for forever and a day,” Wilson said. Some readers may still see advantages to reading print books over eBooks. Mr. Ryan Hogan, Language Arts, realizes that some aspects of literature are lost with eBooks. “Print books are still far cheaper. You can’t resell eBooks, and they’re digitally locked. Part of what I value about literature is sharing,” Hogan said. Both Overdrive and Mackin are also available to teachers and may be incorporated into the classroom. “[eBooks are] more interactive, but also more distracting. As a teacher, eBooks are incredibly helpful. There’s more room to leave notes and
annotate,” Hogan said. Students like Elder Bailey and Maddie Chalmers, sophomores, tried the new digital programs in the Reading for the College Bound class taught by Wilson. “It was cool using Overdrive in class. I used my smartphone, and it was a lot easier to find books,” Bailey said. Chalmers agrees that there are things she enjoyed about Overdrive but still plans to read some books in print. “I would use it again. I still like having physical books, but I don’t like the fact that they waste trees,” Chalmers said. Wilson is happy with the way that the eBooks are heading but hopes to see more student use in the future. As technology advances, the way students read will continue to change. Wilson said she wants the Media Center to change alongside them.
The HHS media center now offers Overdrive and Mackin programs so that students may access books from their Photos by Claire Benton tablets, phones, or computers. The new program was implemented to provide an alternative to paperback books.
Photo by Claire Benton
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MCA proves more difficult than past years By Joe Greene Front Page Editor It’s that time of the year. Sophomores and juniors have just gone through the grueling process of completing six hours worth of Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCA) in two school days. Passing these exams is crucial to graduation. According to the Minnesota Department of Education, the MCA helps school districts “measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards and meet the requirements of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).” Originally passed in 1965, the ESEA was reauthorized in 2001 as “No Child Left Behind.” The MCA tests students’ proficiency in reading and math, and it has gone through three different versions since students began taking the test in 1997. This year’s juniors were the first to take the newest version of the test - the MCA 3. The MCA 3 is based on the revised 2007 Minnesota Academic Standards. According to Mr. Brent Hering, Mathematics Department Chairperson, the new standards are more rigorous, particularly at the 11th grade level. “Technically, this exam is only supposed to go through Algebra 2, although having a
background in Pre-Calculus certainly would help. The real problem would come if students hadn’t taken Algebra 2 yet. Without a background in Algebra 2, I think the students would have a very low chance of passing,” Hering said. Ms. April Felt, Mathematics, agrees and sees the math questions on the MCA 3 as more complex. “What makes it difficult is that now questions have more steps necessary to answer them. The questions bring in information from multiple classes, like Algebra and Geometry,” Felt said. Zy Mosley, junior, took the MCA 3 and found the math test particularly challenging. “A lot of the questions have to do with Pre-Calc. I’m in Pre-Calc right now, so at least I know some of it. But, if you stopped in Algebra 2, you’re in trouble,” Mosley said. For Abdoulaye Soumare, junior, the math portion also proved difficult. “I’m lucky that I at least finished Pre-Calc with a decent grade. The teacher had told us that this year’s test is harder than last year’s. I guess they weren’t lying, because it was pretty hard,” Soumare said. Because of the increased rigor of the exam this year, HHS provided 150-minute mandatory MCA preparatory sessions for sophomores and juniors. The prep sessions were
given on the two consecutive Mondays before the MCA was given. The math department discussed how best to support and differentiate for students’ needs and skill levels during these sessions. Hering said they talked about dividing students by ability in the prep sessions leading up the exam but decided against it. “The danger we would face in [splitting students by abililty] is that we would not be able to give every student the same amount of difficulty of material, which could be misrepresenting the exam. I think the bigger issue is raising expectations for all learners and ensuring that students are held to standards of what they’ve learned,” Hering said. But according to Felt, the idea of grouping by ability for the prep sessions may be revisited next year. “After seeing the results of this year, we can see if splitting up students by ability level would help them better prepare,” Felt said. Most students found the sessions, both for reading and math, helpful up to a point; although, some questioned whether these sessions should have been required. “The prep sessions were giving me too much information I already knew. I wish I didn’t have to take a multiple hour test just to see if I’m ad-
equate at reading,” said Jacob Wall, sophomore. Nick Culp, sophomore, found the actual MCA easier than it was in the prep sessions. “I finished with extra time. I think they should only do one prep session,” Culp said. Soumare found the prep sessions somewhat helpful, but wished that students weren’t forced to take the MCA prep sessions. “I think some kids who need the help should have access to it but not those that find it easy,” Soumare said. The MCA carries pressure for students, because they must pass the test in order to graduate. In the past, if students failed the MCA, they retook the exam the following year. This year, juniors will have an alternative: they can use their
ACT scores instead of retaking the MCA, something that appeals to Mosley and Soumare. “I’m happy that I can use my ACT score if I don’t pass the exam. It would be really bad if I had to retake the test,” Mosley said. “If I don’t get a passing score, I’ll use my ACT. I wouldn’t want to go through another six hour test,” Soumare said. Tyson Crockett, Academic Dean, feels that it’s too early to judge this new MCA policy concerning ACT scores. “I want to wait and see the colleges’ report on student readiness in reading and math compared to past years,” Crockett said. Felt echoes Crockett’s sentiment.
“I have no opinion about the new ACT option yet. I think it’s too early to tell,” Felt said. Right now, there is no set ACT score that ensures graduation. Minn. has yet to determine that. Students just have to take the ACT in order to use that option. Hering likes to think that the MCA is preparation for the ACT, so he has no problem with the state setting the ACT score requirement for graduation. “I think this process could be ultimately simplified. Our goal is to help students learn the mathematics that make them more successful moving on after high school. We are always looking for more improvement,” Hering said.
The Minnesota Department of Education mandates high school students take the MCA reading and math tests in order to graduate. Students took the test in April.
Photo by Addie Lennon
Rugby program hosts multiple fundraisers By Ingrid Werner Staff Reporter The Hopkins Rugby teams kicked off their seasons with a Bingo night and silent auction to raise money for the program. Hopkins Rugby has held four of these events, which were held at the Hopkins Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post #425. While people were playing bingo, food, and beverages were available for purchase and the bidding of the silent auction took place. Family and friends came to the fundraiser in order to support the rugby program. Bingo cards cost $1 each, and
the winner at the event took home half the earnings while the other half went towards the rugby programs. Items for the silent auction were displayed along with sheets for bidding. Players on both the boys and girls rugby teams helped out. Ellie Fromstein, sophomore, has attended and helped out with one event. “The bingo nights bring people together. The last one I was at made me feel like I was part of a community that is really enthusiastic and excited,” Fromstein said. Players who did attend helped out by passing out cards and keeping track of
money and by inviting friends or family. Kyle Skellenger, senior, attended two of the four fundraisers. “Players were not required to go, but they were encouraged,” Skellenger said. High school students also attended these events along with family. The turnout was larger than expected. “We had the largest attendance at the first fundraiser. I think the reason that a lot more people came to the first was because it was so hyped,” Skellenger said. The preparation and planning of these fundraisers was done by parents on the rugby club’s program board.
“My mom is on the board,” Skellenger said. “I went with her to local businesses asking for donations of items for our silent auction.” “My dad, Richard Fromstein, club treasurer, did research by talking to the state about legal gambling,” Fromstein said. At two of these events alone, the Hopkins Rugby program raised $3,496. All money raised at the events went directly to serve youth teams in the rugby program. Hopkins Rugby isn’t a sport run directly through the school. Because it is a separate club, the club needs fundraising. Emma Peterson, junior, and he sister Sadie Peterson, sixth grade, are pictured at Bingo night hosted by Hopkins Rugby. Emma won the bingo contest, recieving a cash prize as her reward. “I went to the fundraiser because my family is really into rugby and because my sister plays. It was a really good experience just being at bingo night and winning; I’ve never won anything before,” Emma said.
Photo by Kim Ruckdaschel-Haley
The money raised provided scholarships, park rentals, referee costs, uniforms, travel fees, and more. These fundraisers were the start to an exciting season for
the club. The rugby teams will continue to host these events, and they encourage the local community to attend. The next scheduled bingo night is July 18.
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Dress code may damage more than it helps By Callan Showers Feature Editor
In the Minn. school year, we are haunted by six months of snow on the ground and the ever-lingering desire to crawl out of bed and come to school in our blankets. So in eighth grade, on a 65 degree and sunny May morning, I just wanted to wear shorts. After walking into North Junior High, I was told to change from my middle-school Aéropostale jean shorts to kneelength basketball shorts that I got from the nurse’s office. I had to change because my fingertips went past the hem of my shorts. In eighth grade, I was not wearing shorts with explicit words on them, I was not trying to fit in with a gang, and I was not asking for sex. And I shouldn’t have had to explain myself. The problem lies in the dress code. At HHS, the handbook
The HHS dress code should detail what is truly not appropriate - clothing with sexually explicit images or jargon, the use of expletives on clothing, images or slogans for illegal substances, or gang-affiliated clothing. This would not include forbidding certain female body parts from being exposed and using words like “disruption” and “covering.” If these changes were enacted, female students would not be shamed for clothing choices that they personally deem appropriate, and HHS could take the first step in empowering women to change these deeply-rooted notions.
states that, “the dress and grooming of a student becomes the concern of the school if it causes disruption to the educational process or appears offensive or inappropriate to others.” This begs the question: to whom were my shorts a disruption? Who found my legs so disruptive? Boys. My Aéropostale jean shorts in eighth grade were disruptive to the educational process. My shorts were so sexy and scandalous that my male peers could not pay attention to their learning process. The dress code is in place to ensure a protected learning environment for all, but they are missing something: they stopped me on my way to class. They disrupted my educational process by favoring that of my male peers. Mr. Trenton Lawson, assistant principal, acknowledges the need for a dress code to prepare students for the future.
“You’re here to learn how to survive after high school. We feel like it’s extremely important for us as administration to hold our students to those high standards,” Lawson said. It is clear that dress code restrictions will not end after graduation. “I wish that I could wear shorts every day, but there is a professional dress code,” Lawson said. I do not take issue with a dress code being in place. Especially in high school, it is important to give students the responsibility of representing themselves with appropriate dress. However, it is explicitly
“Unfortunately, certain clothing can cause guys to disrespect girls.” -Jackson Diedrich, senior
“Provocative clothing disturbs the learning environment.” -Emma Klancke, junior
“It’s their body, and they should be able to wear what they want.” -Andrea Sanabria, senior
“A lot of people use clothing as a way to express themselves.” -Matt Magaard, senior
lem Globetrotter, came and showed his talents off in the Lindbergh Center. He came to pay homage to Grant Petersen, senior, Amir Coffey, sophomore, and the Hopkins Boys basketball team. This was an awesome event for HHS, but the Globetrotters and Hopkins administration did not share it with the majority of the student body.
The basketball team and news outlets were the only parties made aware. Four Royal Page staffers heard about it from Mr. Kocur a mere 30 minutes prior to the big event. We hustled down and captured it with video, pictures, and a story. It would have been worth it to have the whole school there. It’s befuddling that HHS did not take advantage of such
a great opportunity for our school, but instead excluded a majority of the students and made it an event to forget. A Globetrotter coming to a high school is a rare occurrence, and if it would have been offered to the whole student body, it could of have been a great memory for many HHS students. Involving the students in the experience would have been beneficial to all parties: HHS, the Globetrotters, and the student body. The Globe-
trotters run off high emotion, and the excited students could have brought that and given the event a better atmosphere. I wish we could have spared 45 minutes of class and energized the Lindbergh Center. The environment the students would have created would have also congratulated the acts by Petersen, Coffey, and the team, on behalf of the HHS students. Other than the short pep fest in the mall, the student body has barely been able to
honor the basketball team on an amazing season. Not involving the students made the event less effective, and was unfair. We all deserve to have the right to see what is going on in this school, positive or negative. I understand that missing this event was not the end of the world, and Globetrotters preferred to keep the event small. However, I hope that in the future the administration will work to involve the students in experiences like this.
stated in the dress code that, “cleavage, midriff, back, and undergarments must be covered at all times.” This, I take issue with. The problem traces back to the archaic notion that women must “cover up” and take responsibility for the distraction of boys. This is the idea in place in our schools, and, unfortunately, the idea that female students may face in the workplace as well. Last year, in Nov. 2013, Minnetonka High School Principal David Adney sent out mass e-mails encouraging female students to refrain from wearing leggings and yoga pants in favor of more “modest” dress, saying
“Cover your butts up -- I’m just going to say it straight up. We’re seeing too much.” Adney clearly missed the message he truly sent when he said that leggings made girls’ backsides “too closely defined.” He didn’t spare his male students any exposure to females that they can’t handle or haven’t seen before - in fact, he made them out as animals unable to focus if a girl isn’t covering her butt. For the female students, Adney is sending the message that they should feel guilty. Guilty for making these animalistic males lose control, and guilty for being confident in their choice of dress.
Do you think enforcing dress code at HHS is fair?
Yes
Yes
No
No
Apparently the Globetrotters came to our school By Jacob Moore Staff Reporter
Where were you April 8, 2014? If you do not remember, I do not blame you, but the afternoon of April 8 could have been a moment that brought HHS together as a community. On what seemed to be a normal fourth block at HHS, Corey “Thunder” Law, a Har-
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Reasons to skip prom at HHS
Nice restaurants don’t serve chicken tenders Boyfriend/girlfriend is over 21 Prama Ties are itchy and heels give you blisters Ashamed of date You can keep your 10th grade biology textbook Date has a boyfriend Meeting the parents Nobody nagging you about $50 off coupons from Savvi More time to play 2048
MCA testing not productive The staff editorial represents the viewpoint of the Royal Page. Every Spring, the state requires all public schools to administer the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment (MCA). Students grade 3 through 11 are required to take the MCA test in reading, math, science, or a combination of those subjects. The MCAs “are the state tests that help districts measure student progress toward Minnesota’s academic standards,” according to the Minnesota Department of Education. The problem with this test is that it does not measure a student’s own growth, but instead measures the progress comparing the students of their grade level from the year before. This on its own would be inexact enough. And with the modification of these tests three to four times within the last eight
years, it makes comparing one year’s students to another nearly impossible. For over the past 5 years, the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition (LAC) has been lobbying the State Legislature to stop mandating the MCAs and allow schools to use a test they believe to be more productive. The LAC has proposed to use the Northwest Evaluation Association’s MAP test. The MAP test is taken on a computer so the results are immediate, and the test is adaptive, so it changes the difficulty level of questions depending on how a student is doing. This test would give a more accurate reading of a student’s performance and measures each student’s progress from year to year. At the high school level, another alternative would be using the ACT as the standardized test given to students. Whichever test the district uses, teachers will try to
teach and prepare students for that particular test, such as the review days we have now before the MCAs. If the ACT was our standardized test, reviewing for it would actually help students instead of only serving to elevate the standings of the district. The ACT is a test most students are going to take on their own accord, so using it as the standardized test and practicing for it in school would be a much more productive alternative for students. We understand this is not the school or district’s decision but a mandate by the state. We applaud the LAC’s tenacity in keeping this issue before our lawmakers, and our school board’s support of the LAC. We would encourage continued lobbying against the MCA’s and for a more productive alternative.
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Assassins games create HHS war By Peter Kramer Staff Reporter Each spring, students of HHS gather up plastic spoons and stockpile Nerf guns, all in preparation for the yearly game of Assassins. “Everyone who plays the game has to deal with intense paranoia,” said Alex TuthillPreus, senior and Assassins participant. “At almost any given moment someone could come after you. Any twig snap or rustle of leaves could be someone coming to get you. You have to be ready for action at anytime.” Assassins is a student-run game where each player is given another player as target to ‘assassinate’ or ‘tag’ with a toy weapon, while also being a target of another player. Once a player tags their target, they must post a kill confirmation on the assassins website which describes, often very colorfully, how exactly they tagged their
target. Targets are given out in secret, with only codenames used on the kill descriptions, and only the organizer of the game knows who each player’s assassin is. Austin Oakes, senior, was the winner of last years game and is the current organizer. “It’s tradition that the winner of the previous year organizes the game the next year,” Oakes said. “I can’t play this year, since I control the bracket.” Players must follow a long list of rules which define how the game must be played. No tags can be made on school grounds or at any school event, and players must follow the law in regards to entering someone’s home. Nearly anywhere else, however, is open game for an ambush. With a $10 buy in, the top five winners receive a cash prize. Prizes are awarded to players with the best kill, most creative kill, and the most
dangerous cop. Over the past few years, the organizers have created a website to track the game as it progresses. “I have spreadsheets going back to 2010 that say who had whom and who killed whom. I think the use of the Google form this year really helped organize and track everything even better,” Oakes said. School administration has no involvement in the game and does not necessarily condone it. “It’s not a club or recognized school organization, so there’s no way we can back it,” said Trenton Lawson, assistant principal. “I didn’t even know about it’s existence until this year when we were approached by someone.” Although unofficial, Assassins is played in many high schools and colleges. “The only fear that we have is that things not affiliated with the school may have a negative impact on learning,”
Lawson said. Other Minn. schools play assassins as well. “I believe Chaska has around 500 people who play while we only have about 125 players. Different schools have different rules and different prizes and sometimes only give out a codename and a picture. It may be harder, but it can be more interesting,” Oakes said. Another assassins game arose after the traditional one began. Instead of being played individually, Hopkins Nerf Assassins participants play on teams. There are currently 70 teams in play each consisting of 2-5 students. With less rules, the ability to “kill” anyone (not just your target), and the chance to win $870, more students opted in. The game is kept track of on a public spreadsheet rather than a blog and has a central Twitter account, @HopkinsNA14.
‘Divergent’ becomes latest popular teen movie series By Madeline Matrodam Staff Reporter
Left: Denim Matriarch performs at Station 4 in a competition called the Wicked Springfest music festival. Denim Matriarch won first place. Top: T’Adre McHenry performs at Earth Jam. The concert took place in Nov. Left) Photo provided by Alex Tuthill-Preus Top) Photo provided by Chrisna Minh
Rocking on:
Musicians’ plans after graduation By Samantha Ostenso Staff Reporter As the year is coming to a close, many HHS seniors are wondering. They are wondering what is next. HHS musical artists are faced with this same question. Denim Matriarch has plans to continue with their music, while T’Adre McHenry, senior, plans on becoming a music producer. Denim Matriarch consists of three HHS seniors: Sam Ruff, Nathan Levin, and Jon Lindquist. They have been together making music and performing shows throughout high school. Last year, with the money they received from winning a radio show contest, they made their first album, titled Mom Blood. Lindquist, a founding member of Denim Matriarch, chose to stay in the band and
to see what could happen. “We’re all really good friends, and we have been throughout high school. So why stop doing what we all love? Since we’re all staying around here, we just decided to keep playing and recording our music,” Lindquist said. Like Denim Matriarch, McHenry, also known as Henry Gold, has been producing music and rapping throughout high school. This past November, McHenry and Denim Matriarch performed together at Earth Jam. “T’Adre is very creative when it comes to his music, he uses his personal experiences into his music which is cool. He is really talented when it comes to making beats, and he’ll be successful in whatever he chooses to do after high school,” said Dakota Schlaeger, junior. After graduation McHen-
ry plans on going to the McNally Smith College of Music, where he is currently a PSEO student. He plans on getting his Bachelor in Music Production. “I really like McNally is because they are really good at setting you up for a future in the career field you want to go into. They also help you make connections with people in the industry,” McHenry said. Some bands break up after high school due the stress of college and making music. All members of Denim Matriarch, however, are planning to go on to college. Levin and Lindquist are going to Normandale, and Ruff is going to Augsburg College. “We didn’t have to choose between college and the band, we can do both. It might be difficult but we did it all throughout high school, so hopefully it will work out,” Lindquist said.
There are many acceptable weapons for the ‘kills’ in traditional assassins. These include Nerf Guns or swords, spoons, and Sock ‘Em Photo by Roxanne Krietzman Boppers.
You are given five choices: honesty, bravery, selflessness, peacefulness or intelligence. Which faction would you choose to maintain harmony in the world? Josh Laven, junior, walked out of Willow Creek Theater wanting to be a member of Dauntless, a group with the belief that you have to face your fears head on. “[Dauntless] is the only faction I could see myself fitting in because they are very brave and do lots of parkour,” Laven said. Divergent started out as a book series by American novelist Veronica Roth. It has now been made into a motion picture by Neil Berger which has accumulated $114 million in the box office so far, according to Rotten To-
matoes. Clara Reed, junior, read the book series prior to seeing the movie. According to USA Today, the book trilogy had sold over 10 million copies by Jan. 1, 2014. “Compared to the book, there were a couple plot-holes, but it didn’t distract from the movie too much,” Reed said. Peter Makey, junior, also thinks it can be compared to life as a high schooler as the time comes to make many decisions in regards to the future. “They had to choose what faction they were going into when they were around our age, so that kind of made me think that it’s similar to how we have to choose a career and college,” Makey said. There has been much comparison between Divergent and the Hunger Games series, which came out before Divergent.
Many online sites, such as Goodread.com, have people posting comparing and contrasting opinions. “It’s similar to the Hunger Games because the main character is a rebel female, and there’s the whole love story side of it, the fighting against the bigger force,” said GriffinMeuwissen, senior. Owen Tazelaar, senior, claims he will never see or read Divergent due to his love for the Hunger Games series. “I think it’s lame because it’s a derivative of the Hunger Games. My friends and I are big movie critics, so we only watch movies that look good,” Tazelaar said. Not all students at HHS share that view of this series. “I would definitely suggest this movie to others. It was a thriller and really got my emotions going. It got me amped up,” Laven said.
Which faction would you be in?
Infographic by Madeline Martodam and Kelsi Johnson
Students at HHS were involved in a historical moment for the state of Minnesota when the Safe Schools Act was passed last month. HHS students helped rally, organize, and testify to pass the bill. This center spread is a discussion of the new bill and its implications, as well as how bullying is present in our building today.
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ab tra ast month, Jae Bates, senior, sp testified in front of the Minne- mu sota Congressional Education Committee at the state capitol build- ity ing. He told the legislators that schools ser across Minnesota should look to HHS Sc th as a model to prevent bullying. “My testimony said, ‘Hey look at sid my school - what we’re doing is obvi- bil ously working because once I hit high school, [bullying] stopped.’ My testi- M mony said that Hopkins should be an ing example to other schools,” Bates said. an Bates’ testimony was part of the ef- Sc fort to pass the Safe Schools Act. On wh April 9th, the Minnesota House of tat Representatives passed this act to pro- sai tect students from bullying in school. a l The bill was created by Senator Scott en Dibble and Representative Jim Davnie to address a 2011 report from the U.S mi Department of Education that rated Minnesota’s anti-bullying law as the mo kid weakest in the nation. According to Minnesota Safe ea Schools for All Coalition, the new an- th ti-bullying law will transform this state be from having the weakest anti-bullying th policy to the strongest. The new policy th will include clear definitions of bullying and intimidation, protection to- wa wards students who are more vulner- wa
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On the 2013 MN student survey, students answered the question, “During the last 30 days, how often have you been bullied through email, chatrooms, instant messaging, websites, or texting?” These are the results for juniors.
Infographics by Kelsi Johnson
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ble to being bullied or harassed, new aining and resources for staff, and pecific procedures that school staff ust follow when an incident occurs. More than 120 education, disabily, youth, religious, LGBT, and social rvice organizations joined the Safe chools for All Coalition to help pass he bill. Along with Bates, Dolan Casdy, senior, joined the effort to pass the ll. “My mom works for OutFront Minnesota, and they were supportg the bill. Our Gay Straight Allince took a field trip during the Safe chools Youth Summit and Rally, here we got to talk to our representives and Senator Bonoff,” Cassidy id. “I was a group leader so that was little scary, but overall a great experince.” Bates was on a student-run comittee that planned the Youth Summit. “Attending the Summit was really oving because there were so many ds there. Kids really connected with ach other through the same struggles hey had, realizing they weren’t alone ecause there were hundreds of kids here experiencing the same exact hing,” Bates said. Even before it was passed, HHS as already practicing much of what as included in the Safe Schools Bill.
“Hopkins has always taken bullying seriously. We have had an offensive behavior policy for as long as I can remember,” said Lisa Ashley, Social Worker. “Any report is investigated by the administration or the Dean’s office. Bullying is something that Hopkins has tried to be aware of and tried to be proactive about.” Because Hopkins already has a detailed comprehensive school policy, the implications of the new bill might not be noticeable in the building right away. In the long run, though, the bill will create changes at HHS, too. “I think that things like the walk-out will be able to be avoided a lot more easily. I think our suspension rates will be lower and that students will be notified of what they’re doing wrong, rather than just being told that they’re suspended,” Bates said. Staff training about bullying prevention will also be a part of this bill. “Having the weakest anti-bullying policy is very disappointing. It’s not something to be proud of, and it’s good that the [staff ] is going to get with the program and figure out how to deal with it a little differently,” said Ms. Marit Lee-Dohse, health. Prevention of cyberbullying is also included in the Safe Schools Bill. According to Stopbullying.gov, cyberbully-
ing is, “Bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Electronic technology includes devices and equipment such as cell phones, computers, and tablets as well as communication tools including social media sites, text messages, chat, and websites.” “When I was a kid you were bullied on the playground and that was just a part of growing up. Nobody said anything, all you could do was stand up for yourself or get beat up, but somehow you got through it,” Lee-Dohse said. “Today, you have 150 people talking about it online, which can make [bullying] even more hurtful.” According to the 2013 MN Student Survey, 16 percent of ninth graders and nine percent of eleventh graders at Hopkins reported that they have experienced cyberbullying in the last 30 days. Faith Suckerman, senior, was one of these students. “They tweeted a huge picture of an elephant and said they saw my family at the zoo. It was just mean, and it was making fun of my family. It would have been different if they said something mean to my face, but they put it on the internet, and to have their 300 followers see it felt so horrible,” Suckerman said. Samantha Tankenoff, junior, had a similar experience where someone tweeted about her.
“I was in class, and I answered a question from a teacher. I misunderstood the question and gave a different answer. I was already humiliated in front of the class, but another student decided to mock me, and put what I said online,” Tankenoff said. “I am supposed to go to school and be able to ask questions and make mistakes,” Tankenoff said. Suckerman believes those who cyberbullied her did so solely to be funny. “I think a lot of people cyberbully for ‘favorites’ or to gain popularity. I think people are kind of in their own little world, and I don’t think the people who said or did anything to me were thinking, ‘What is Faith going to think? What is Faith going to feel?’ I think they just thought, ‘My friends are going to laugh at this,’” Suckerman said. Tankenoff also acknowledges the blurred line between a message online that is hurtful and a message online that is funny. “We’re called Minnesota nice, and people just assume that there is no bullying, but that’s turning a blind eye to a really big problem in our state. Even I laugh about some things on twitter, but when it was about me, it was hurtful,” Tankenoff said. “It’s always hurtful to the person you're making fun of, and sometimes they can laugh it off, and
sometimes they can’t.” Consequences from HHS administration for cyberbullying can vary depending on when, where, and how the bullying takes place. “If whatever happens outside of school causes a disruption within schools, either to the learning environment or the social environment, that is when [the administration] would get involved,” Ashley said. Ashley also believes that bullying can relate directly to one’s mental health. In many cases, individuals involved in bullying are struggling with or are developing depression, anxiety, or issues around acceptance. “We’ve seen countless suicides from junior high or high school from students being bullied or harassed online,” Ashley said. “[Bullying] can be seen from the bully’s standpoint and their possible struggles with mental health, and also the mental health of the people who are being bullied.” The Safe Schools Bill is a step in the right direction for bullying prevention in Minnesota. Nonetheless, bullying remains a significant problem and HHS is not immune. “It happened to me, it can happen to anyone, and it is probably happening to someone right now. We have to speak up for the problem to end,” Tankenoff said.
Top left: Jae Bates, senior, testifies in front of the Minnesota Congressional Education Committee at the state capitol building. Top right: HHS students took a field trip to the Safe Schools Youth Summit and Rally to speak with representatives and Senator Bonoff about bullying. Bottom left: HHS students pose outside the captial before participating in the Safe Schools Act Rally. Bottom right: From left to right: Annie Share, senior, Rae Akinsanya, junior, Sally Bremer, senior, Rowen Ellis, junior, Ellie Maag, junior, Abdi Isaak, senior, Leslea Strause, senior, Kaylee Grunseth, senior, Katie Dorsher, junior, Lindsey Fagerstrom, senior, and Dolan Cassidy, senior pose at the state capital.
Photos provided by OutFront Minnesota and Creative Commons
By Naomi Borowsky, Brit Stein, and Alex Felemovicius, Editor in Chief, News Editor, and C-Spread Editor of the Royal Page
The Royal Page 2013-2014
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O’Neil shares passion by baking and blogging
Editors in Chief Naomi Borowsky Josh Gallop
Front Page Editor Joe Greene
C-Spread Editor
By Madison Petty Staff Reporter
News Editor
Grace O’Neil, sophomore, takes a break every Sunday to post a recipe on her blog: The Sunday Pastry. Combining her love of baking and food photography, O’Neil’s blog is spiraling into something more than just a hobby. “I actually baked every Sunday before I decided to start blogging recipes I’d find on Pinterest,” O’Neil said. “I’d look on different blogs and they’d have super cool photos, which inspired me to take photos of what I’ve made and start sharing them with the world.” That was November 2012. Now, a year and a half later, O’Neil’s blog is taking off with
Alex Felemovicius Brit Stein
Opinion Editor Ryland Dorshow
Feature Editors Phoebe Cohen Callan Showers
Variety Editor Lily Goldfarb
Sports Editors Hillary Donovan Nate Pasko
Photo Editor
Roxanne Krietzman
Business Editors
pictures of what she made,” Maggie said. “But I can’t complain because I always get to taste what she makes, which is always awesome.” Since the beginning of April, The Sunday Pastry has gotten upwards of 1,800 visitors. With more than 50 different recipes on her blog, O’Neil is in search of advertisements so she can start benefiting from her hobby. According to Social Media
Today, 6.7 million people blog around the world, and 14 percent of those bloggers earn a salary by doing it. As for the future of The Sunday Pastry, Grace hopes to be a part of that 14 percent. “I’m going to continue improving my writing, baking, and photography skills, but starting to make revenue and continuing to gain followers is what I’m striving to do,” Grace said.
Left: On her blog, The Sunday Pastry, Grace O’Neil, sophomore, writes about and takes photos of the food she bakes. She created her blog in Nov. 2012 and, since then, has received upwards of 1,800 visitors. Above: O’Neil’s photograph of her Lemon Poppy Seed cake with Meyer Lemon Mousse. Photos provided by Grace O’Neil
Students fight the distance while relatives fight in Army
Kyle Makey Brian Yu
By Phoebe Cohen Feature Editor
Web Editor in Chief Sam Hromatka
Staff Reporters
Claire Benton Cybill Biehlmann Danielle Fogelson Rachel Hall Kelsi Johnson Bradley Kaplan Peter Kramer Addie Lennon Josh Margolis Madeline Martodam Jacob Moore Erik A. Nelson Samantha Ostenso Madison Petty Lucy Pierro Ben Segelbaum Margo Strifert Lindsey Tradewell Christiaan van Lierop Ingrid Werner Andrew Zhou
Adviser
From her iPhone screen, Anna Benson, senior, gets a glimpse into the life her cousin is living in Afghanistan. Benson’s cousin, Robyn
Roe, is in Afghanistan as a part of the National Guard. “She drives in front of everybody to protect everybody else behind her. She’s the first truck going in, trying to see if there are any bombs, and, if there are any, then they have to
disarm them,” Benson said. Roe goes on missions every week. It varies, but they usually last two to three days. Although the nine and a half hour time difference makes things difficult, Benson is still able to Snapchat, text, and
Skype is often the only tool Anna Benson and Dakota Pruse, seniors, can use to communicate with their family in the National Guard. Benson’s cousin, Robyn Roe, is stationed in Afghanistan, and Pruse’s father is awaiting deployment to Kuwait in June. Photo by Roxanne Krietzman
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 adviser. 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.
Royal of the Month What’s your favorite class? “Chemistry, because the teacher makes the course accessible and the organization of the class makes it easy to understand the concepts.” What class pushed you the hardest? “AP US History, because it was my first AP class. I had to learn time management and how to limit procrastination.”
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the help of social media. Using numerous blog sharing websites and Pinterest, O’Neil has recently noticed a steady increase in traffic to The Sunday Pastry, ranging from 30-200 visitors a day. “It’s really exciting just knowing that people are actually looking at my blog and maybe even making things I’ve made,” O’Neil said. Baking since eighth grade, O’Neil’s favorite recipes include her Coconut Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Frosting and her Crème Brûlée. More recently, O’Neil took up photography when she got her first camera last year. Since then, her passion has been food photography. “I love how pictures can inspire people to make food
by making it look so good,” O’Neil said. “I want the food that I make to look really good too, where people say, ‘Oh my gosh, I want to make that too.’” O’Neil and her friends spend a lot of time baking for fun as well, whether or not their creations make her blog. Either way, her sister, Maggie O’Neil, senior, always gets a taste. “She’s like a 40-year-old woman who spends a lot of time making food and taking
are
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.
Tobie Soumekh, junior
What is your favorite thing about school? “I like to be challenged and collaborate with my peers.” What are your plans for the future? “After high school I want to go to engineering school. Where I’ll go is yet to be decided.”
FaceTime her cousin. “It’s not the fact that she’s in a different country, but, when she goes on missions, it’s super hard for me because I’m constantly worried,” Benson said. “She’ll text me, and we’ll just text about nothing, but it’s just nice to know that she’s okay.” Dakota Pruse, senior, also knows what it is like to have family in the military. Pruse’s father joined the National Guard at the beginning of 2009 and has spent time working with computers and technology in Kuwait as part of his services. “He joined at the age of 36. I guess it was just something that he always wanted to do,” Pruse said. Pruse’s father lives in St. Cloud, so, when he is home, Pruse usually sees him about every other weekend. When he is in Kuwait, Pruse is able to communicate with him by writing letters and through Skype.
“Not having a dad around for a long period of time is kind of rough,” Pruse said. “It sucks not being able to see him for a year and having to be worried about him.” Pruse’s father is currently home, but will be traveling back to Kuwait in June for a year. “It makes me proud that he had the willingness to [join the military]. It’s something that I probably wouldn’t do but it makes me a proud kid,” Pruse said. Benson also supports her cousin’s decision to join the National Guard and feels strongly about supporting U.S. troops. “I get that people are against war, but the soldiers there are just doing it to protect their country or their family. If you’re against war, that’s fine, but you don’t need to be against our soldiers too because that just makes it harder on the soldiers’ families,” Benson said.
DI. Cont. from page 1 get to work together as a team. You learn a lot from it, like staying positive and problem solving,” Karpan said. For example, the team once had to think of a way to make a bridge. “You could obviously use two popsicle sticks. But, you could also do it with a shoe and a feather. The hardest part is trying to think of more creative ways to do something that has an easy solution,” Rudelius said. Malat, Rudelius, and Karpan are all AP Art students.
“DI is more of an outlet for creativity. I get to different stuff besides painting that I enjoy, like building materials and making costumes, and doing hair and makeup,” Karpan said. “It was our senior year so we really wanted to try it again, and I’m really glad we did. No regrets,” Karpan said. The team is managed by Wendy Robinson, mother of Jackie Robinson because they do DI independently. “It’s more expensive to do DI through the Hopkins DI program,” Malat said.
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Abelleira ‘wanted a dog,’ got Hooper instead By Rachel Hall Staff Reporter Hooper is great with first impressions. From chowing down on an entire apple to chewing up the mail and gnawing at the walls, he proves to be quite the character. Hooper is a miniature potbelly pig who lives with Josie Abelleira, senior. “My mom has been obsessed with pigs since she was a little kid. She has wanted a pig named Hooper since she could talk,” Abelleira said. Abelleira and her mom adopted Hooper from a small farm that breeds and sells the pigs for only a couple hundred dollars. Abelleira’s mom instantly noticed the light pink color of the pig and his big black spots. “She picked him out because of his color. I was holding a pig that was cute and didn’t squeal and was really gentle and cuddly, but she went and picked [Hooper] up. He literally wouldn’t stop squealing the whole car ride home,” Abelleira said. Adjusting to parenting a pet pig has led to some unexpected challenges for Abelleira. “He chews on the walls. We had to put [tiles] on the walls so he wouldn’t,” Abelleira said. “He also plays with his basket of toys, and, if he gets bored, he will empty out the entire basket and flip it over and throw [the toys] everywhere.” Abelleira and her family take Hooper for walks, let him run around outside, and keep him in a kennel just like a dog. “[Pigs] are trained just like
dogs,” Abelleira said. “He’s had a couple accidents in the house, but he’s done way better than expected. He has been interesting to train because he used to be very skittish. He doesn’t really like being picked up that much because he’ll squeal a lot.” Abelleira and her mom got the pig in late Aug, so they were not able to start various projects for Hooper’s outdoor life because of the changing weather. “We are planning on building a tiny barn that will be heated for winter so he can be more outside because [pigs] like to dig a lot, and that’s why he gets into a lot of stuff now,” Abelleira said. Although pigs are very similar to dogs, their diets are
completely different. “It can be [expensive]. He only eats fruits and vegetables, so it’s kind of annoying to have to feed him. We also give him feed, which is dried corn. That can also get expensive. He’s like a vacuum too, if we drop stuff on the floor, I’ll just call him over,” Abelleira said. Although a pig may not have been Abelleira’s number one choice, she is content living with Hooper and his stubborn ways. “Honestly, I wanted a dog, but we ended up with him. He has grown on me, though. When he was a baby, he was just really annoying,” Abelleira said. “It took a while for me to get used to him.”
them really well,” Cristina said. Aside from the relationship between the two of them, being a twin changes the way they are viewed by others. “People always get us confused, so that can be kind of frustrating, but we’ve gotten used to it after such a long time. We don’t know what it’s like to not be a twin,” Dominique said. The twins embrace their similarities as well as what makes them unique from one another. “I think [Cristina] is a little more outgoing and funny than me, although sometimes I am the only one who laughs at her jokes. But, it’s not about the things we do. it’s more about characteristics about her that are different. She is just a little crazier sometimes,” Dominique said. “You have to really make sure you find your own identity instead of believing that you are the same person as your twin,” Cristina said. Cristina and Dominique have made church a big part of their lives. They participate in FCA, are church leaders, take part in the church choir, and lead worship through music. “We are student leaders at my church, and I really like doing that. We get together, and we start planning events for new
people to come and get connected. I love the community we have there and I get really excited to go there,” Dominique said. “I’ve been learning piano and guitar to lead worship on Sundays. Getting the nerves to actually do that and practice and lead is something I’ve always wanted to do, and now I’ve started doing more,” Cristina said. Through the program Youth Works, the Brown sisters have found a passion for travel and volunteering. “We’ve been to Michigan, Colorado, and North Carolina. And, for this summer, we applied to go to Czech Republic, and we got in, so I am very excited. I am not sure what to expect yet,” Dominique said. The twins both aspire to travel and do outreach programs when they’re older. A big part of the Browns’ lives include Spanish culture. They’ve grown up speaking Spanish in their home, went to an immersion school for three years, and now are in Juntos at HHS. They also spend time in their mother’s home country, Bolivia. “I love learning about new cultures and getting better at my Spanish. And, the people are so genuine,” Dominique said.
Left: Hooper, a miniature potbelly pig, poses for the camera. Josie Abelleira, senior, and her mother adopted Hooper as a pet in Aug. Above: Abelleira feeds Hooper a carrot. Hooper encompasses all of the pet-like characteristics of a dog. Photos by Roxanne Krietzman
Brown twins strive side by side Cycling the states, cure cancer By Margo Strifert Staff Reporter
Cristina and Dominique Brown, juniors, have identical schedules. They participate in track and field, play in band, sing in a choir, lead church through programs and worship, and attend Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) meetings all side by side. Not only do the sisters do everything together, they also look exactly the same (except for the small birthmark on Cristina’s right cheek). According to National Vital Statistics Reports, Dominique and Cristina join the 104,137 of sisters born in 1997 in the U.S. who are identical twins. “I think it’s great that I always have someone to do something with and always have company. I’ve never felt lonely at all,” Cristina said. The Brown sisters recognize the unique experience of growing up with a twin, but also explain how it is similar to having a normal sister. “When I’m really tired and annoyed with things [I get sick of her], but, most of the time, she is really enjoyable to be around. You know, if you’re with someone all the time you know
ALUMNI. Cont. from page 1
Zach Zelickson and Aaron Weinard, 2010 HHS graduates, are on the University of Minnesota Cycling Team and are two of the founders of Touring for a Cure. Along with their teammate, Nate Schalmo, they will ride 3,380 miles this summer. Photo provided by Zach Zelickson
The three cyclists are currently halfway to their goal of $10,000 in donations for ACS to fund research towards a cure for cancer. They also need sponsors to fund their trip to cover items like lodging and food. “We are starting to build a network with friends and family first and then expand out to the general public after that. We have also found it helpful to talk to as many people in the community as possible,” Zelickson said. Weinard, Zelickson, and Schalmo have plans for the future of Touring for a Cure as well. “We are super excited with all of the positive response and are planning to turn Touring for a Cure into a non-profit organization and hopefully, in the long run, create an annual local bike tour to support cancer in the Twin Cities,” Weinard said. The cyclists hope that they will not only spread cancer awareness throughout their community, but in every community they pass through Touring for a Cure.
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Girls softball team begins season on good note By Erik A. Nelson Staff Reporter
In their first game of the season, on April 11, the HHS girls varsity softball team defeated Bloomington-Kennedy 11-1 after months of unfavorable weather conditions. The team practices constantly. “We practice every day except Sunday. They usually last two to three hours. We are expected to treat it as if it were a game because our coach likes it when we do,” said Lauren Feagler, junior. Mr. Mark Peterson, head coach, also emphasizes the importance of fundamentals to the success of the team. “What we tell our studentathletes is as long as they make the routine plays, we will prob-
ably have a successful outcome. Making routine plays is what we stress, like fly balls, ground balls, and effective pitching,” Peterson said. However, players such as Feagler believe they could improve their performance on the field. “I could always work on defense and offense. Personally, I would like to learn some new pitches. As a team, we can work on talking more to each other on the field,” Feagler said. Allie Ries, sophomore, believes that younger players are important to overall success. She is the team’s only sophomore, as much of the roster is made up of seniors, including her older sister, Josie Ries. “The ones younger than me are really good. They are fast,
and they are good at bringing the team together,” Allie said. Due to the delay of the season from the weather, Peterson believes that the schedule will be difficult. “Because of the weather, our schedule is aggressive. I think our schedule for the remainder of the school year would rival any professional baseball team, in terms of games played in a week. We have a week where we play seven games in six days,” Peterson said. Last year, they finished with a record of 4-2 in games against their Lake Conference opponents. However, it was not good enough to win the regular season title, as Eden Prairie finished with a better record. Peterson believes the team is motivated to succeed because of
the program’s past accomplishments, as well as the players’ achievements as students. “We have an excellent club and excellent student-athletes, and I always emphasize student because we have a number of academically accomplished athletes. What drives them to win is the competition itself. In conjunction, HHS has a wonderful program and tradition of girls fastpitch softball, and we have won a number of conference titles, regional titles, made many state tournament appearances, and a state title in 1997,” Peterson said. The team’s first home game occurred on April 21, as they defeated Wayzata 7-4. Their regular season concludes on May 6 against BloomingtonJefferson.
Lauren Feagler, junior, standing on the mound, preparing to pitch and Josie Ries, senior, standing playing shortstop. The team won their first home game against Wayzata 7-4. Photo by Margaret Stelzner, file photo
Berger brings fresh start Brace breaking school records By Josh Margolis Staff Reporter With a new coach, new jerseys, and new attitude, the Hopkins Royals baseball team is aiming for a fresh start. Patrick Berger, head coach, hopes that the changes that have been made will correlate to on field success. “I think we are all excited that there is a new coach. Some of last year’s seniors were pretty disappointed with the way the team was handled, and it just so happened that [former coach Neil] Lerner left,” said Lukas Jorgensen, senior. The resignation of Neil Lerner, Hopkins’ previous head coach, has led to a different feel in the clubhouse this season. “It seems more relaxed. Last year, I felt like the players were more tense under Coach Lerner,” said Sam Niedorf, senior. “This year, the environment is more relaxed. If an error happens, Coach is very positive
about it. He’s not going to bring you down.” Last season, Berger was the varsity pitching coach. Now, as head coach, Berger has been tasked with more challenging responsibilities. “The players knew me and I knew them. It’s also been different because now I’m in a new role,” Berger said. “Before I was just saying things, now I’m the person that makes the final decision.” For Berger, increased responsibilities has also led to a more rewarding experience. “Seeing the kids get better has been rewarding, as well as watching them take ownership of the team. It’s their team, and as coaches, we’re just there to guide them,” Berger said. Berger’s promotion to head coach left several players excited to play this season, especially pitchers. “I’m glad that Berger is the head coach. I don’t think that I would have wanted anybody else
but him because I was a pitcher last year and he was the pitching coach. I was excited when he got the job, and I think it’s started out great,” Jorgensen said. Of the 17 players on the roster, nine are seniors. Still, several sophomores have managed to crack the starting lineup. “We have a lot of established guys that played last year and have played together,” Jorgensen said. “We also have a lot of good underclassmen, some of whom are starting, such as Jon Koch and Max Weesner, who are sophomores.” The Royals have created their own slogan for this season, one they hope they will get to be saying into June, when the state tournament is played. “‘Why not us’ is kind of what we are saying now, to get us motivated,” Jorgensen said. Last year, the Royals were one game away from the state tournament. This year, with their new coach and new attitude, they hope to make it there.
ARI BRACE continued from page 1 of the same physical ability as pole vaulting. "She's always had a
Ari Brace, junior, preparing to vault in a competition. Brace broke the school pole vault record with a vault of 10’6’’. Photo by Roxanne Krietzman
Klecker back on track
After three injuries, the runner, Joe Klecker is back full time, running for the track team By Ben Segelbaum Staff Reporter Cross-country and track athlete Joe Klecker, junior, is at the end of his comeback trail. Last winter, Klecker injured his Achilles tendon during his his offseason training. As a result, he entered physical therapy to treat the injury. After physical therapy, Klecker believed he was ready to continue training. However, Klecker’s body was not ready for the amount of training he was accustomed to. “I was running upwards of 90 miles a week before my body was ready," Klecker said. Due to overtraining, Klecker experienced three stress fractures: one in his lower back,
and one in each foot. In order for the stress fractures to heal, Klecker was unable to train for five weeks. "I was running on and off from last spring until this last Feb. I finally had to stop to let myself recover completely," Klecker said. Due to his injuries, Klecker missed the entire cross country season. With support from family, friends, and teammates, Klecker was able to look towards the future. "I was able to stay motivated during physical therapy because I was leading for about 95 percent of the state race my sophomore year, and I knew I was ready to compete on a national
stage if I could stay healthy," Klecker said. Klecker has been running track and cross-country for HHS since he was in seventh grade. Before his injuries, he ran an average of 85 training miles per week. This resulted in a personal best of four minutes and 22 seconds in the 1600 meters (one mile), and of nine minutes and 13 seconds in the 3200 meters (two miles). Though Klecker was injured, he continued to make an impact on the team. “Joe has a strong work ethic. He is a great example of going through and overcoming adversity,” said Mr. Mike Harris, Science, and head coach.
“Even when he was injured, he was constantly motivated to do things to better himself, which benefits himself as well as his team.” After months of rehabilitation efforts, Klecker was ready to get back on the track this spring. "Coming back to track, I'm looking forward to competing at the Hamline Elite meet as well as at sections and state. I just want to be able to train again," Klecker said. As a result of his experience, Klecker has gained an understanding of his training limits. “He’s becoming more aware of how hard to push the line as far as his training,” Harris said.
natural talent for it and I think her gymnastics background, we look at that and think 'that's a pole vaulter' so she's always been a natural," Hamilton said. Today, the pole vault world record is just over 20 feet, whereas the HHS pole vault record was nine feet 10 inches in 2010 before Brace broke that record this April to 10 feet six inches. Only one other HHS student has made it close to breaking a school pole vault record with eight feet six inches, which made it into the HHS top 10. In 2013, Brace was academic all-state for track and field and, even after breaking school records, Brace still craves to break her own personal records. “I want to [reach] 12 feet before I graduate because then I’ll be able to compete for a Division One college,” Brace said. As a junior anticipating her future post-high school, Brace is working hard to achieve her goals, which involves the search for a Division One college that will fit her needs as an athlete. Brace is currently interested in the University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Indiana University. "I think when she realized
she's actually really good with this event she dedicated herself 100 percent. She decided that it's something she might want to do for college so she put a lot more time and effort into it and has been able to compete really well," Hamilton said. Unfortunately, when preparing for a new journey as an athlete seeking recruitment from a Division One university, injuries can be somewhat inevitable and can severely lessen an athlete’s chances for a scholarship. Brace has been through multiple back injuries, including fracturing her back and being diagnosed with scoliosis during her sophomore year at HHS. From the amount of use, support and strain on her back from each sport she is involved in, these type of injuries are hard to avoid. Plus, having a strong, flexible back is crucial to each of these specific sports; especially pole vaulting. But for Brace, these injuries haven’t stopped her ambition and progress since, and won’t any time soon. "She's skyrocketed from being a 9-foot pole vaulter to one who can clear 10 feet six inches, and now it puts her up there as one of the best pole vaulters in the state," Hamilton said.
RPThursday, May 1, 2014
the
12 sports
Trap club making their mark at HHS By Nate Pasko Sports Editor
Participants of only one extracurricular activity at HHS are forbidden by law from bringing their equipment onto school property. That activity is the HHS trap shooting club, commonly known as the “Clay Crushers.” When the club was established in 2005 by Mr. Mark Czech, Music Technology, it was the first of its kind in Minnesota. “Back in 2005, some friends and I were discussing ways to get more youth interested in shooting sports, and we realized that the best way to access younger people was through school,” Czech said. “I had heard about some schoolsponsored trap shooting clubs in other parts of the country that had experienced success, and when I got more information, I thought it would be a worthwhile goal.” Since 2005, 184 schools across Minnesota have fol-
Left: Ryan Hunwardsen, sophomore Top center: Trap team posing for a photo. The team consists of 40 HHS students, six of which are girls. Bottom center: Jill Dufner, sophomore Bottom right: Tom Koppe, junior, Quinn Rohweder, senior, Andy Knapp, senior, and Jake Myers, senior, pose at practice. The team practices at Park Gun Club in Long Lake. Photos by Roxanne Krietzman
lowed in the footsteps of HHS by establishing their own trap shooting clubs or teams, which account for over 6,100 athletes. This year alone, the state competition plans to have 4,000 participants over a three-day period. The club practices and competes at the Park Gun Club in Long Lake, which is approximately 15 minutes from HHS. Trap shooting practices and competitions are not like those of many other sports. “We basically compete through the Internet,” said Tony Bredemus, junior. “We
go to the Park Gun Club, do our shooting, and then Coach Czech posts our scores online. The other team does the same thing, and then our respective scores are compared to determine a winner.” This competition style allows for a more relaxed atmosphere than is usually found at sporting events. “Most trap competitions have a very low amount of pressure because you never even see the people you’re competing against,” said Tom Koppe, junior. “Everyone’s really relaxed, and there’s nobody
rooting against you.” Practices and competitions both include the same major elements. The competitors stand in a semicircle, facing an open range, with their firearm held at the ready. Upon a competitor’s verbal indication, a clay target, or “pigeon,” is launched into the air, away from the shooter or in a random direction, by a single machine, or “house.” Competitors typically use a shotgun, and are allowed one shot per target. The Clay Crushers place a heavy emphasis on safe habits and the safety of members.
“Safety is paramount in our club. We have an annual mandatory safety meeting, and we have very strict safety policies and procedures when we’re out on the range. For example, our athletes are never allowed to walk around with their firearms. Instead, the firearms must be left on the racks at the shooting stations,” Czech said. Additionally, each of the club’s participants must possess a current Firearms Safety Certificate before they can register as a member of the Clay Crushers. The Certificates are only issued by the state of Min-
nesota upon the completion of a Firearms Safety class run by the Department of Natural Resources. Czech believes that the trap shooting club builds skills that are important to other aspects of an athlete’s life. “If an athlete begins a season with the ability to hit 10 targets out of 25 and finishes the season with a consistent average of 15 or 18 targets hit, that shows them that hard work does pay off. They can then apply that dedication and effort to things like their studies, and they will soon see that their grades begin to rise,” Czech said. Athletes who participate in the club achieve a varsity letter in Trap Shooting by completing one of three requirements. These requirements include the attainment of a competitive season average of 21 targets hit per competition, a perfect score of 25 targets hit at any competition, or the completion of three full years of membership in the club with good standing. Last year was the club’s most successful season to date. At the state tournament, the team placed second overall, and two athletes placed in the top five in the individual competition. As a result, the club continues to grow in popularity in a way that mirrors the rise of the sport’s participation numbers around the state.