The Royal Page: January issue

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ROYAL

FIGHTING BACK C-Spread, pg. 6-7 Three former HHS students share their stories of living with a lifethreatening disease and how they are fighting back against it

Friday, January 31, 2014 Volume 32 Issue 5

Gottlieb and Sadowsky take action to end U of M violence

By Josh Gallop Editor in Chief

After the assault of three girls in their sorority, Sarah Gottlieb and Rachel Sadowsky decided it was time to take action.

They are currently attending school at the University of Min-

nesota where there has been a dramatic increase in crimes such as assault, sexual assault, and armed robberies.

Gottlieb and Sadowsky, who graduated from HHS in 2010 and 2012 respectively, wrote a petition on moveon.org. After sharing it on Facebook, the petiton had 3,587 signatures as

hesitant to go to night classes for the same reason. We feel imprisoned in our own homes for fear of what could happen to us if we leave. Nowhere feels safe anymore.” The petition was addressed to the University President, University Police Department, Minneapolis Police Department and local Legisla-

of January 29th.

In their petition, Sadowsky and Gottlieb wrote, “First and foremost, we are here to get an education. The recent crime incidents have interfered with our ability to learn: we are not able to go to libraries to study at night because we are afraid to walk home afterwards. We are

“We faced frigid weather and rough terrain, but it was worth it because we came out better skiiers.” - Jack Martin, junior

tors.

“We sat down and just started writing. We actually wrote it pretty quickly. We didn’t know what would happen,” Sadowsky said. “We got in contact with a few news sources. We wanted to give this issue more attention because we felt it wasn’t known to the public; it was just kept

Skiers brave arctic weather up north

By Julia Jallo Staff Reporter While most slept in after celebrating New Year’s Eve, 43 nordic skiers started the new year off by skiing in below zero temperatures at Giants Ridge ski camp.

Every year, the Nordic Ski team takes a four day trip to the camp, which is located north of Duluth, MN. This year, the skiers had to cope

with extremely cold weather, skiing on the trails for hours at a time in -30 degree weather.

“We really learned how to train our lungs to breath in colder weather,” said Trey Taylor, junior.

Along with conditioning twice a day in the cold weather, the skiers also had a time trial against Southwest.

“We skied a 5k in negative 32 degree weather, and luck-

ily we all finished, which was pretty satisfying,” said Jordan Dunnewind, sophomore.

The girls nordic team ended up beating Southwest in the time trial. This was a big confidence booster for Emma Burnett, junior.

“It gave us more confidence on the course, especially for beating other teams that are really good,” Burnett said.

18 of the HHS nordic skiers used ski camp as prepa-

celled five times this month.

“This is the most school I’ve seen cancelled in my career,” said Dr. John Schultz, Superintendent.

While students were excited to have extra time off of school, missing school right

before the end of the semester was hard for those with finals.

“With school being cancelled I have gotten out of the mind set of schoolwork. For my particular finals, it is hard to study being that they are both mathematically based,”

ration for the Mesabi race, which is the largest one day meet in the nation, held on Jan. 10 and Jan. 11, at Giants Ridge. Ski camp gave them a chance to practice on the course and scout out their competition.

“I didn’t know much about Southwest’s upper varsity. I knew they were good, but I didn’t know exactly how we Ski Camp cont. on page 11

Cold fronts cancel school, District adds back school days

By Naomi Borowsky Editor in Chief Minnesotans take pride in their ability to cope with winter weather, but due to dangerously cold temperatures, school has been can-

Stahl pursues career in yoga

Megan Stahl, senior, graduating early to become yoga instructor Feature, pg. 9

said Terese Warden, junior. “It would have been nice to have gotten them over with when the material was somewhat fresh in my head.”

Cold Fronts cont. on page 3

Content on hopkinsrp.org National Honor Society makes fleece blankets for Project Linus

U of M cont. on page 2

Graduate remains a ‘Royal’ with parody

By Austin Oakes Staff Reporter

Jack Martin and Carter Eng, juniors, and Matthew Lavanger, senior, pose for a chilly photo at nordic ski camp. The team spent four days Photo by Roxy Krietzman together at Giants Ridge Ski Resort.

within campus.” Their efforts caught the attention of local media, and they have been interviewed by most major news outlets in town.

They have been working with State Senator Terri Bonoff to shed more light on the issue.

Most young adults look forward to life after high school.

But to some like HHS alumni Molly Dworsky, it hasn’t been all it’s cracked up to be.

Dworsky recently parodied the song “Royals” by NewZealand musician Lorde that has gone viral. In it, she takes the role of “Borde” and sings of the lackluster life of post high school. The parody brings up the topics of getting old, both physically and mentally.

The first lines of the parody give a perfect example of this: “If this is life I’m unimpressed/ Adulthood’s nothing like the tales/ in the movies/ I’ve got stretch marks and saggy breasts/ seven extra pounds/ and I’m full of envy.”

“I didn’t know what would happen post-high school. I have always been very present-centered, so the end of school snuck up on me. All of my friends were going to college, so I made a hasty decision to do that, too. I didn’t feel like a grown-up at all when I graduated, and felt unprepared to join the real world,” said Dworsky in an email interview.

Through the humor of Dworsky’s video, she has shined a light on the troubles of newly graduated young adults.

According to a survey by the Anxiety and Depression of Association of America, 80 percent of college students say they frequently or sometimes experience daily stress. According to this report, the stress of post-high school affects almost everyone.

“While I think there is pain

and sadness in growing up and letting go of childhood, there is also much to look forward to. Life for the vast majority of people gets better as they grow older. You are more confident, find yourself, have total independence, and you’re not being judged by the popular kids or for your ache or whatever,” said Dworsky.

Another subject of the video BORDE cont. on page 5

Infographic by Isabella Weisman

La Petit France 2014 French students host simulation of a French News, village pg. 2

RPFriday, January 31, 2014

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Students bring Paris to the resource center

By Jacob Ungerman Staff Reporter On Friday, Jan. 10, French 5 students held the 15th La Petite France (The Little France).

This annual simulation shows students what it would be like to live in a French village.

For the first time this year, junior high French students participated in La Petite France.

“The reason we did this was because we moved level 3 down to the junior highs. La Petite France is usually French 3’s final speaking assessment.

Because we were bringing French 3, we thought that we might as well bring 1 and 2 also,” said Ms. Amy Miller, French.

This is the first year that French 3 is offered at the junior high.

“French 3 was moved to the junior high because now we offer a full year of French to 7th and 8th graders. In 9th grade, students can complete French 3,” said Ms. Sophie

Morrow, French.

The teachers hope that moving French 3 to the junior high will benefit the students in the long term.

“One way students have benefitted from this is that now they are able to eventually take College in the Schools French levels five and six,” Morrow said.

At the festival, Miller graded the French 5 students on their ability to speak and use the correct vocabulary with the younger students. Students in French 1 through 4 were graded on how many tasks they completed.

As La Petite France is a speaking assessment, students were required to speak French the entire time.

“At La Petite France, I had to combine all of my French knowledge that I have learned over the last five years. La Petite France really showed me that I could go to a French speaking country and have enough skill to speak with the French people,” said Nick

RP

BRIEFS

O’Neil ASPIRING to greatness At a recent girl’s hockey game against Minnetonka High school, Erin O’Neil, senior, was recognized by the editorial staff at WCCO. O’Neil is in the running for ASPIRE’s athlete of the week.

ASPIRE recognizes and rewards top-performing high school seniors in Minnesota with a selection criteria that honors greatness demonstrated in athletics, academics, community involvement and character.

On Jan. 14, O’Neil moved into the semifinals.

O’Neil stated that it was such an honor for her to be recognized out of all of the athletes in Minnesota.

The deadline for the voting ended Jan. 15, with O’Neil receiving over 100 votes to be athlete of the week.

Debate Team finding success The Debate Team continued to succeed at their most recent tournament on Jan. 11-12. The team competed in the Westside Warrior Invitational in Nebraska.

Four varsity debaters and three novices attended the competition.

Claire Kueffner and Mia Berman, senior debaters, advanced to semifinals. Three of their teammates, Rae Akinsanya, junior, Nathan Ugorets and Alex Leih, freshmen, made it to the quarterfinals of the competition.

As a whole, the team has performed well this season and has traveled to many different tournaments and participated in competitions on both a state and national level.

Speaker event: Donuts and Justice For All In January and February, Project Focus is hosting a series of speakers that will lecture on homelessness, poverty, and social and economic justice. At these sessions, students can learn what they can do to help solve these problems.

YoYo Donuts & Coffee Bar in Minnetonka is donating donuts for each speaker event.

Minnetonka City Council member, Patty Acomb, spoke on Jan. 14.

The next speakers will be from Cooperative Energy Futures on Feb. 5 and TakeAction MN on Feb. 12 at 3 pm. Project Focus meets at 7:10 a.m. on Fridays in the College and Career Center.

Briefs by Asia Lucia, Hannah Boggess, and Erik Nelson

Nick Leeke, Tessa Ruff, and Zoe Korengold, seniors, help out Alex Auger, 9th grader. At the post office, students could send letters to their Photo by Maddie Malat friends in class.

Leeke, senior.

La Petite France has helped the French teachers see how much their students have

learned.

“My favorite part is that it becomes a French speaking area. I usually don’t hear

any English for the whole 90 minutes they are in there.

They work so hard, and they dont always get a chance to see

how much they have learned, and how far they have come.

I think this really gives them that,” Miller said.

Gottlieb and Sadowsky take action U of M Continued from page 1 Hopkins Schools are within Bonoff ’s legislative boundaries. She got into politics after serving on the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition (LAC) and advocating on education related issues.

“We know Terri through the Hopkins and Jewish community, and our moms are close with her,” Gottlieb said.

Their mothers also served on the LAC. “We contacted her because we didn’t know who else to turn to. She’s a state senator on the higher ed committee, so she could help us make a difference.”

Earlier in the year, Sadowsky’s and Gottlieb’s mothers met with Bonoff to see if there was anything she could do about the crime at the U of M.

“A few moms contacted me, so I met with them and was appalled after hearing about the situation,” Bonoff said. “As the Higher Ed chair, I feel responsible for making sure Minnesota has the best higher education options in the country.”

After investigating, Bonoff convened a special Senate informational hearing. Committee members heard from law enforcement, University officials and student leaders, including Sadowsky and Gottlieb. During the hearing, a University official said students could use Gopher Chauffer to protect themselves.

Gopher Chauffeur describes itself as “a free transportation service that promotes safety in the campus community by providing U of M students with safe rides

home on Friday and Saturday nights.” Sadowsky countered that she works for Gopher Chauffeur, and on a recent Saturday night, the wait for the service was two and a half hours due to understaffing.

After their testimony, Gopher Chauffeur received more funding. But Gottlieb and Sadowsky want more.

“We want to see more police on campus. The only thing that is going to really stop these crimes is more uniformed police officers,” Gottlieb said.

In their petition, they say, “If steps are not taken immediately, we, the students, will take matters into our own hands. Many of us are applying to transfer because we cannot tolerate feeling so unsafe and vulnerable. As graduates of Minnesota public school sys-

tems that send dozens of high school graduates to the U of M each year, we will go out of our way to reach out to our communities and urge students not to apply here.”

Sadowsky and Gottlieb feel positive changes are underway.

“Sarah and I love campus and everything about it. We want to encourage people to come, but it’s scary when there is so much crime,” Sadowsky said.

Sadowsky and Gottlieb will continue to advocate. They hope to contact U.S. senator Amy Klobuchar and work on legislation regarding a kill switch on stolen apple products. This would reduce the incentive for students being targets.

“They spoke out, they made a difference and policies changed,” Bonoff said. “They remind me of their moms.”

Watching movies trending in classrooms

By Josh Margolis Staff Reporter Walking through any hallway of HHS, it is likely to find classrooms with lights dimmed and movies rolling. It’s a trend that seems to only be increasing, and students have started to take notice.

Mr. Eric Swenson, Social Studies, is one teacher who uses movies to enhance class curriculum.

“The reason I show movies a lot of the time is to show a depiction of real people, events, or time periods,” Swenson said.

Swenson feels that films have the ability to connect and

relate with students in situations where teachers cannot.

“Anytime you can link strong visuals with topic matter, it tends to stick with the brain. Particularly in a movie that has some kind of an emotional grab, students tend to remember things more if they associate it with a movie,” Swenson said.

For Ms. Felicia Homberger, English, choosing the right films for her classes is key to her curriculum.

“I think about why I’m using it. Kids can watch movies without me there, and they do.

So if I’m using it, there has to be a curricular reason. And as much as kids sometimes groan,

I usually have them do work with it,” Homberger said.

Students, however, don’t always see movies as useful as teachers do.

“I don’t think movies are a good educational tool,” said Jake Fieldseth, senior. “But as a student, I like when teachers show movies in class.”

“When a movie gets put on, and I don’t have to look at the teacher, I usually don’t end up paying attention. It’s not just me, either,” Fieldseth said. “A movie can be educational, but I don’t think most kids watch.”

However, watching a film in class does not mean students can kick back and relax.

“In my Modern Nonfiction

class, we’re watching the film ‘Argo.’ In addition, the kids are reading four different articles on how truthful the film was and whether it portrayed history accurately. Then we will have a debate and a discussion on that,” Homberger said.

Swenson insists that when students do watch attentively, the movie can provide context crucial to a student’s understanding of a subject.

“They didn’t live through the Great Depression, they didn’t live through World War II,” Swenson said. “Yet, if they can see an accurate depiction of it on the screen, they can identify and understand the time period.”

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RPFriday, January 31, 2014

Will you not go to Sadie’s with me?

By Haley DenHartog Staff Reporter On the night of Feb. 15, while many HHS students will be dressing up, taking pictures, and dancing with their friends, others will be performing on stage, competing against other teams and visiting colleges.

The Sadie Hawkins dance is scheduled for 8 pm. Over the course of the day, various students will be competing in wrestling and gymnastics meets, boy’s hockey has a game, a possible dance competition, and the One Acts performance.

In addition, some seniors have chosen that weekend to tour colleges.

“We tried to work around it for some of the other conflicts.

However, those issues were not brought up to us with sufficient time for us to actually adjust anything, which, unfortunately, made everyone’s life difficult,” said Mia Berman, senior and Student Government President.

“After the date of the dance

was announced, I was approached by dance team members asking for us to switch the date, but by that time it was too late. I’m sure there are other groups, but the dance team was the biggest one that came to us,” Berman said.

In addition to athletic conflicts, the HHS theater club is scheduled for a performance on the same day. The show was originally scheduled for the evening, but the school board and head of the theater club are working to get the time changed to earlier in the day.

“I want to put on a good show and that’s really all my focus is on right now. If I wanted to go to the dance, I’m sure I would be a little mad that they didn’t figure out the schedules enough to incorporate us into it and not just push us off into a corner. That kind of happens a lot when you’re in theater,” said one of the four One Acts Directors, Sally Bremer, senior.

Because most of the people who attend the shows are HHS students, the theater club fears a drop in the num-

ber of supporters they will have this time around.

“The dance will definitely take away from the amount of people who will come. We want our friends to see what we are doing, why we can’t hang out after school and why we can’t hang out on the weekends. We want to show them our hard work as much as we possibly can, and if they can’t come see us that night because of the dance, I think that’s a little unfair to us,” Bremer said.

With college right around the corner, seniors like Margaret Stelzner had pre-selected the weekend of the dance to explore potential colleges.

“I applied to 14 schools, so I needed to take this weekend to go look at some that are farther away,” Stelzner said. “I think the dance is a good idea, so it’s kind of a bummer to be missing it, but traveling is a sweet alternative.”

Alex Lehman, senior, was the first to bring the idea of a Sadie Hawkins dance to the attention of the administration and played a major part in

Almost every week, there’s a story about health care in the news. Most students ignore them. However, these programs that directly affect young adults.

According to the most recent Minnesota Health Access Survey, 16.9 percent of young adults in Minnesota were uninsured in 2011. Previous Minnesota health plans only covered young adults until their early twenties and set more limitations on who could obtain affordable health insurance.

The Affordable Care Act was instituted to cover more people. Regardless of one’s political views, how these policies have changed are vitally important for students to know.

As of Jan. 1, 2014, young adults can stay on their parents’ health plan until they turn 26 years old, even if they are married or not financially dependent on their parents.

Kent Goodroad, 2002 HHS graduate, had to learn about health coverage when he was 23. At the time, health insurance only extended the parents’ plan until the age of 22.

“There are a lot of people willing to help you figure out a plan that works for you. Talk to medical professionals you trust or go online to figure it out on your own. Not having health insurance is not an option,” Goodroad said.

Most graduates stay on their parents’ plan until they receive their own plan through a job or through one of the health care marketplaces. This includes the Health Insurance

Exchange through the state of Minnesota’s organization at MNsure.org and the federal Health Insurance Marketplace at healthcare.gov.

Although these sites have both suffered technical difficulties, both are improving.

Ms. Marit Lee-Dohse, Health, teaches how the federal and state health insurance plans should be working on preventing illnesses before they can happen.

“75 percent of health care costs go to treating preventable chronic diseases. The focus really needs to be on prevention instead of just the symptoms.

We pay more for health care and we are sicker as a nation,” Lee-Dohse said.

Now, every health plan covers preventive care and screenings. This means that every flu shot and annual check up

Illustration by Asia Lucia

making the dance a possibility.

Lehman originally planned to visit colleges in Arizona, causing him to miss the dance, but last minute decided to switch his flights to attend.

“There was a poll posted online that allowed kids to vote on when they want the dance. We were kind of restricted based off of when

is free. Also, new health plans are no longer allowed to deny a customer because of a preexisting condition. For example, a person with diabetes cannot be turned away by an insurance company based on their past medical problems.

Furthermore, the companies can’t drop you if you get sick.

However, this plan can’t work unless both healthy and sick people sign up. If the insurance companies are going to be able to afford to cover sick people, they need healthy people to be paying in.

“If the pool of people with health insurance increases, the cost of insurance goes down.

Companies try to attract a certain group of young invincibles who are healthy and don’t have lots of health concerns. So, if the young person does have

District launches enhanced website

By Joe Greene Front Page/News Editor Websites say a lot about a company or, for that matter, a school district.

“Schools need to pay attention to their public in the same way businesses do,” said Ms. Terri Osland, Media and Technology Integration Specialist. “15 years ago, a prospective student would come with their parents and look around. Today, people rule in or out certain districts based on their website. It’s important to maintain the quality of the website the same way we maintain the quality of the building.”

In early January, the School District launched a newly designed website. Although the software didn’t change entirely, important modifications were made to the website in order to make it more accessible and efficient for users.

“We wanted to analyze what people were using the website for, how they were using it, and the most important updates that needed to be made,” said Sid Voss, Director of Educational Technology, Media Services and Information Systems.

After analyzing the website usage trends, Voss found that most web visits tie into getting quick access to contacts, learn-

ing tools and learning resources like Moodle. According to Voss, key goals of the project were to make it easier to embed photo and video content, make social networking resources more readily available on the front page and make the website easier to view on iPads, Androids and mobile devices.

Osland believes that the way that a website looks - organized and regularly updated - is an important reflection of success.

“We know from looking at trends in our website visits that the average user comes on between 30-60 seconds for a specific purpose, usually to access a key piece of information

Cold fronts cancel school Cold Fronts Continued from page 1

Winter week actually is, when administration had scheduled the pepfest, and when they had reserved time in the school for us to have the dance,” Berman said.

Even though some will be competing, performing, or traveling, HHS will see its first ever Sadie Hawkins dance in full swing.

New health care acts to affect students in the future

By Ellie Maag News Editor

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and then leave. That’s why we needed to make the most important information accessible right away,” Osland said.

The district began the webupdating project in September.

“We are most excited that people can go to the website, find what they want more quickly and leave. Also, for our teachers we have made it much easier for them to embed video and photo content,” Voss said.

Although the redesigning of the website is done, Voss plans to continue to push for improvements to the website, specifically in communicating information to the community in an efficient and timely manner.

an accident, they don’t have to pay lots of money,” said John Schadl, Director of Communications for MnSure.

People who don’t sign up for health care have to pay a fee that increases each year they decline to become insured. Without insurance, they may not be able to afford to go to the doctor if something bad does happen.

“Kids should look around to their family situations and ask their parents. Many of them have heard their parents talk about health care.

Some of them have lived it.

If you’re totally clueless about insurance, just ask your parents about how the cost of health insurance affects your family.

I think kids will be amazed,” Lee-Dohse said.

Ms. Patty Johnson, Principal, has seen the effects of the cancelled days of school on staff.

“They want to get as much of the curriculum to students as they can, and they’ve been wondering what this means for term three,” Johnson said.

Schultz is the main person in charge of cancelling school.

Schultz monitors the National Weather Service website and reads the forecasters’ discussions for the Twin Cities area.

“In the cases of these last five cancelled days, we have closed based on the wind chill warning,” Schultz said.

First, Schultz communicates with superintendents of neighboring districts by email.

“I find out what other districts are doing. You don’t want to be a district that stays open when everyone else is closed, and you don’t want to be a district that closes when everyone else is open,” Schultz said.

Schultz’s main concern was frostbite.

“I always am concerned about students who may forget their gloves or hat when they come to school. Having them wait at a bus stop just puts them in extra danger that I really fear,” Schultz said.

When school was cancelled last Thursday, the district reached the state minimum of 165 school days. Schultz and his administrative team made a plan since it was likely there would be more school closings.

To make up for cancelled school days, there will be no more late starts this year.

School will now be in session on Feb. 17 and 18. Lastly, Feb. 27 and May 8 will be early releases instead of days off for conferences.

“We wanted to do it in a way so we didn’t have to move graduation, so we found days in between now and the end of the school year. We’ll be in good shape even if we get one more day off,” Schultz said.

Wasting time The staff editorial represents the viewpoint of the Royal Page.

There are six hours and 48 minutes between the first bell of the day and the final bell of the day. During that time, we take notes, catch up with our friends, freak out about tests, and waste a whole lot of time.

Block scheduling has the potential to be a very good thing. With only four classes, we have less homework and fewer tests. However, 90 minutes is a large amount of time, and using it efficiently is key.

Sometimes, 90 minutes is an ideal amount of time for class, and it is used very productively. However, teachers often finish the lesson plan for the day in just under an hour. This leaves half of the block to fill in with busy work: online scavenger hunts, videos with worksheets, or, the epitome of busy work, crossword puzzles.

In these cases, the block schedule is flawed and high school becomes inefficient.

Law requires students to be in school for the six hours and 48 minutes every day, yet countless of those minutes are wasted on time-fillers and busy work.

The solution is not more work, but rather more productive work to replace unnecessary work. We need work that is going to benefit us and really help enforce the material, rather than something that is going to make students ask themselves, “Why am I here?”

Students can tell which activities are time-fillers that will not enhance their learn-

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ing, and choose to spend less time and effort on those assignment for that reason. If teachers don’t put time and effort into an assignment, neither will the students. We need activities that will enhance our learning of a topic, and not feel like a waste of time.

Quality over quantity. We understand that a variety of learning styles is necessary in a school environment to cater to the needs of both extroverted and introverted learners, as well as activities that will allow for hands-on learning.

Maybe this means that rather than working on useless assignments, the extra time in class could be used to work on homework while access to help from the teacher is readily available.

Perhaps organized class discussions could find a more regular place in the classroom environment. Some would argue that there is no better way to understand a topic than by discussing it and developing one’s own views on it. Plus, it provides further preparation for college-style learning.

Labs, role-playing, debates and presentations are all ways to dig deeper into topics, rather than worksheets that are probably copied off Moodle anyways.

Six hours and 48 minutes.

Despite all the times we ask ourselves, “Why am I here?” most students do truly enjoy learning in productive and effective ways. We know that our education is precious, and busy work has no place in the precious six hours and 48 minutes a day we spend at school.

Reasons to stay at HHS for lunch

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Friday, January 31, 2014

“Sneaker heading” has gone too far

By Paul Vogt Staff Reporter In December of 2012, 16-year-old Juan Reyna was gunned down in his home in Texas over a pair of Air Jordans. People will literally kill for these shoes. Reyna was shot over a pair of Air Jordan Gama Blue 11’s, a shoe worth around $400 online today.

However, Reyna wasn’t killed over $400. To the shooter, the shoes were worth more than $400. It meant exclusivity. If he owned the newest, nicest pair of sneakers he would be “cool”.

When Air Jordan releases a new shoe, they will put a production cap on it to limit the amount of shoes in the market. For example, in 2005 Nike released the Dunk Low SB “Pigeons”. Only 150 pairs of the shoes were sold worldwide. In New York City, New York, customers who purchased the shoes were escorted to their cars by security due to the large riots forming in the streets over these shoes.

HHS is notorious for hav-

ing extreme “sneaker heads”. A sneaker head is a person who collects, trades, or admires sneakers as a hobby. I understand everyone needs a hobby, but from an outsiders point of view, sneaker heading has gotten a little out of hand.

Because HHS is known for its basketball teams, it’s also known for its sneaker heads.

However, at HHS, the basketball players are not the only ones who admire these shoes.

These shoes have become an HHS obsession. The sneaker heads are everywhere at HHS. People are paying more than what the shoes are worth, simply to stand out. People are craving recognition.

However, I have seen more pairs of Retro 11’s walking through these halls than any other shoe. So, sorry to break it to you but you just paid $300 dollars for a shoe everyone has.

Not only will people over pay for a shoe, but they will camp out in front of stores for these shoes. People have camped in the middle of winter for days to be the first to get them. These people are known

in the shoe industry as “Hype Beasts”: someone who buys the newest shoe for the sole purpose of impressing others.

Shoe collecting at HHS is superfluous.

At HHS, a lot of people see these overpriced shoes as a good way to turn a quick profit. But that has turned the shoes into an income source instead of a collection.

“I know what to look for when it comes to shoes. I know what is fake and what is real. I can buy a pair of shoes at a lower price and because the demand for these shoes is so high they can be sold at an inflated price,” said Riley Kendall, senior. “300 dollars is the most I have ever turned a single pair for.”

However, trying to turn a profit on these shoes can be risky. In June of 2012, Air Jor-

publicly insult students (or compliment them) without people knowing who did it.

To all the Bruce Waynes out there who create and manage these anonymous accounts, isn’t there something better you could be doing with your time? Perhaps something productive, or at least more fun? I don’t understand what you are trying to accomplish.

Unless, of course, you’re waiting for the perfect time to unmask yourself and shock the school.

“Did you hear who was behind the account?” ‘No, who?’

“That kid who always carries that Batman lunchbox.” ‘I figured.’

And yes, Bruce, I understand that you and the other wannabe Waynes don’t say the mean things; you just run the account and tweet what others

tell you. But come on, Bruce, that’s like giving kids machine guns and watching them shoot each other (but instead of blood, there’s self esteem splattered all over peoples’ computer screens).

But enough criticizing the wannabe Bruce Waynes; they’re just pursuing a dream.

What about the kids who actually type up insulting emails to be tweeted out?

I know this is cliche, but if you really need to say something to someone, grow a pair of bat wings and say it to their face (or at least from your own twitter account). It’s pretty cowardly to hide behind an anonymous account and belt out insults. And if it’s something you wouldn’t dare say openly, you probably shouldn’t say it at all. Just a thought.

And to the people involved

dan released the Military 4’s.

Air Jordan initially released a limited amount to make this shoe “rare”. But due to popularity of the shoe, this once “rare,” $160 shoe was mass produced and can now be bought at footlocker for $80.

Sneaker heading can be excessive and kids will go overboard with it. Owning over 30 pairs of shoes or even spending hundreds of dollars for just one pair of shoes is ridiculous.

Regardless of whether someone is collecting sneakers for their personal satisfaction or to make money, sneaker heads have a tendency to go too far. These shoes have created so much hype that it is now dangerous. I have never camped out, paid over $150, or gotten shot over a pair of shoes, and no one else should either.

Photo by Roxy Krietzman

Anonymous HHS Twitter accounts need to stop

By Ryland Dorshow Opinion Editor So apparently there are some Bruce Wayne wannabes on the loose at HHS. Just regular high school students by day: anonymous tweeters by night (in case you had no childhood, Bruce Wayne is Batman). Let’s talk about these anonymous HHS accounts popping up all over Twitter.

For those who don’t know, here is how these accounts work. They start with anonymous managers (the Bruce Waynes). Other students can email tweets to these wannabe Waynes. The wannabe Waynes then tweet whatever was emailed to them word for word, keeping everything anonymous. In other words, these accounts are a way to

in the accounts that are for anonymous compliments, it’s an adorable idea, it really is. But it’s just not necessary.

If you want to compliment someone, you can say it directly to that person. It will seem more sincere, and you won’t have people wondering, “Do you think that person anonymously complimented themselves?” which actually happens all too often.

So please, don’t send in emails. Don’t favorite or retweet these tweets. Don’t even follow these accounts or you are fueling the fire. Be a better person. And to the wannabe Bruce Waynes running these accounts, go do something productive, because sitting behind a computer all day is not going to give you the kind of bat wings you were hoping for.

Are New Year’s Resolutions actually effective?

By Hannah Boggess Staff Reporter

Chicken tenders

During the last week of December, 126 million people in the United States made a list of New Year’s Resolutions— things they want to change about themselves in the coming year.

The idea behind New Year’s Resolutions is a positive one, rooted in self-improvement and being the best version of one’s self.

However, the concept of “new year, new me” is almost always false. Only 8 percent of people actually succeed in completing their New Year’s Resolutions, and 70 percent give up after just one week, according to the New York Times.

The entire premise of New

Year’s Resolutions is for people to improve themselves, but it generally turns into a culture entrenched in negative attitudes.

New Year’s Resolutions are designed to make people find the things they don’t like about themselves and fix them. This could be seen as a positive, selfimprovement scenario, but usually leaves participants feeling like they’re failures.

But people aren’t failing, the idea of New Year’s Resolutions is. It’s ridiculous to think that some arbitrary date means someone will suddenly become super motivated/positive/ healthy.

Think back to last year.

How many of the things you experienced last year were you expecting? How many of those

things happened because of some idea you had on the first day of the new year?

It’s ridiculous to think that your resolutions change the outcome of the next twelve months. As a society, we hold people to that inane idea and make them feel like they’ve failed just because they haven’t drastically changed their entire life simply because they bought a new calendar.

Of course it’s good for people to have a reason to motivate themselves to change, but the culture of New Year’s Resolutions is impractical.

Completing a goal takes work and dedication, and that doesn’t go hand-in-hand with a new page on the calendar. It’s something that’s internal, not something that can be forced.

So if you really want to spend more time at the gym or get better grades or whatever your New Year’s Resolution may be, then find a way to complete it on your own terms.

An individual needs to create their own structure to encourage success. Whether that means following a routine or starting with small steps or whatever it may be, people should find a way to achieve their goals that works for them.

This organization of reaching success is much more practical than the current outlook on New Year’s Resolutions.

The expectation that people should change into a more fit, nicer, all-around better version of themselves just because it’s 2014 is a ridiculous idea that society has drilled into us.

RPFriday, January 31, 2014

the

variety 5

opkins alum serve the state

By Olivia Newman Staff Reporter When Steve Simon, class of 1988, graduated from HHS he knew that he wanted to make a difference in his community.

Just recently, he announced his campaign for Minnesota Secretary of State.

After serving for the Minnesota House of Representatives, Simon seized the opportunity of Secretary of State when it arose.

“Part of the reason why I’m running is that Mark Ritchie, the current Secretary of State, will not be running again.

I would never run against

Ritchie,” Simon said. “But since day one in legislation, I really put my heart and soul into reform and rights.”

Simon grew up in Hopkins and St. Louis Park, and has graduated from HHS, Tufts University, and the University of Minnesota Law School.

In the past, he has been involved with the Jewish Community Relations Council, League of Women Voters, and many other groups.

“Community involvement is giving back to individuals to make a difference,” Simon said. “There are so many great people and groups doing a lot of good, but they need help.

We give and we get.”

‘Blackfish’ swims into public arena

Among the legislation that Simon has already passed during his time as a state representative includes an antifraud bill and a voter protection and rights bill.

He hopes to bring even more change in the lives of his citizens.

“The issues are tremendously important to Minnesotans, and the issues are tremendously important to me, too,” Simon said.

For Simon, many of his roots and influences trace back to his time at HHS. “I was very involved in speech and debate. It was a great growing experience, and my three years at Hopkins

were unforgettable for it,” Simon said. “Hopkins has phenomenal teachers. Phil Abalan [AP Program] really stood out to me. He was a tremendous influence on me. He was unforgettable, passionate, and really cared about his students.”

Another Hopkins graduate, Jon Tollefson, class of 2002, has also recently announced his upcoming campaign for Minnesota State Representative in District 44B. Tollefson has served communities all around the world as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. State Department, and currently works at the Minnesota High Tech As-

sociation.

Now, he’s tackling a campaign for state representative.

“When I moved home to Minnesota, I got involved in politics and the issues,” Tollefson said. “I have the qualifications, and I’m passionate about the position. I thought that I would love to do this.”

Tollefson goals include to introduce a promotion of jobs, to attract new business, to build an updated transportation system, and to invest time in education and schooling.

He attributes HHS for the encouragement he received.

HHS offers a wide range of government classes for those interested in politics,

like AP Government and Politics: US, or Comparative, Modern Economic Issues, and AP Macroeconomics.

“Hopkins has such supportive teachers and staff who prove they care about every student and every individual,” Tollefson said.

Simon and Tollefson will both be on the ballot on Nov. 4, 2014.

“If you have some strong convictions, well formed opinions, and are willing to work hard, you can get involved in politics. Don’t let people put barriers up around you of what path you should 0take, or what college or what major to do,” Simon said.

YouTube sensations

By Lily Goldfarb Variety Editor When I was a sixth grader at Meadowbrook Elementary school, my whole grade did reports on marine animals. I did mine on the Orca (a.k.a. Killer) whale. When I chose the Killer whale, I thought I was going to learn about something more dangerous than a shark.

However, through lots of painstaking research, I found out that Orca whales were basically just cute, huge fish that chill in the sea. Since then, I have told everyone this information anytime that the topic of a Killer whale comes up (about 6 total times.) Recently though, I’ve been sharing my information more and more with talk of the new documentary, Blackfish.

After I watched Blackfish twice, I started Googling things in the movie because they were too hard to believe. This movie portrayed whales as dangerous, and since sixth grade, I really thought that they weren’t.

One of the reasons Blackfish was so great was that it was simply a well produced film. It tells the story of Tilikum, the largest whale ever held in captivity, and what went wrong in his life. Tilikum is connected to the deaths of three people, two of which were his trainers.

Another reason the film is so enticing is that it is a super aggressive attack on the SeaWorld industry. SeaWorld refused to comment for the documentary, which contributes to the bias. Despite negative attention from this film, SeaWorld has announced an expected record revenue.

“I do community involvement, and this little girl was like, ‘I just went to SeaWorld and they kept telling us that no matter what you hear in the media, Shamu is safe here and he loves it here.’ And thats in third grade, so you are like mind washing children,” said Meg Jenny, senior.

After watching the film, it’s hard to find any positives to SeaWorld other than money and entertainment.

“These silly marine park tricks are of no social, educational or conservational value. ,” said Gabriela Cowperthwaite, director of Blackfish.

After watching the film, I feel extremely pumped up about making a change, even if I am 1,559 miles away from SeaWorld.

“It’s so informative, and it really gets a rise out of people.

I feel when people watch it, they feel like it needs to be their first priority. Like, I need to drop out of school and dedicate my life to orcas,” Jenny said.

The film discusses the psychosis that whales enter from being in captivity. It also shows that whales have an extremely developed sense of emotions. We see whales that seem to scream as they are separated from their families. The movie definitely uses tons of pathos to show some emotional connection between the whales and trainers.

“My favorite part is when it shows all the clips of the different trainers going under and being attacked by these whales. Obviously that’s not a good part, but it’s kind of the part where you are like ‘whoa, this is actually a thing,’” Jenny said.

Jenny believes it would be beneficial to host a screening and discussion of the film at HHS. Nothing will change until we watch the documentary and educate ourselves.

The vlog brothers created a hand signal to greet fellow Nerdfighters and identify fellow Nerdfighters. The brother’s also trended the saying, “don’t forget to be awesome” which has shortened to “DFTBA.”

Photo by Roxy Krietzman

By Anne Goodroad Staff Reporter Maybe you know him from his “Crash Course” educational videos, or from one of his award winning teen fiction novels. Or, maybe you know him because you are a Nerdfighter.

John Green, author and video blogger (vlogger) and his brother, Hank, have created over a thousand vlogs corresponding back and forth to each other in a series called Brother 2.0. They have gained a network of fans via YouTube called Nerdfighters.

“A Nerdfighter is a person that, instead of being made out of bones and skin and tissue is made entirely of awesome,” said John in one of his vlogs.

Matt Carter, junior and an

active Nerdfighter, has seen almost all of the Green’s videos and has read a majority of John’s books.

“A Nerdfighter is being proud of being a nerd and being part of the community that watch the Vlogbrothers,” Carter said.

The Vlogbrothers say that being a Nerdfighter is for anyone no matter how young or old they are. They created a hand signal to greet fellow Nerdfighters and identify fellow Nerdfighters. The brother’s also trended the saying, “don’t forget to be awesome” (DFTBA.) “To become a Nerdfighter one must watch a couple videos and then decide that you identify as a Nerdfighter,” Carter said. The vlog brothers have founded other projects such as Project for Awesome,

where YouTube vloggers and viewers promote their favorite charity and raise money that is then donated to a variety of charities. The Vlogbrothers also started VidCon, the largest event for YouTube vloggers and fans to interact with each other and learn more about vlogging.

“They are good at what they do and they keep on doing it. John writes his books and they are always good.

They keep on doing what they like even when it’s hard to do,” Carter said.

Rae Akinsanya and Rowan Ellis, juniors, got to experience VidCon first hand.

“It was probably one of the most fun weekends I have ever had,” Akinsanya said. “In November or December of last year, Rowan and I were just watching some of the old

videos from VidCon 2012 and we were like ‘let’s try and go.’

I presented it to my mom and she was for it.”

Akinsanya received the VidCon and plane tickets as a late birthday present from her family. The girls waited in a long line of fans to meet Epic Meal Time’s Harley Morenstein.“He was one of the funniest people I met. He was hilarious and really personable,” Akinsanya said.

“We had such a good experience that we are going again in 2014. I’m looking forward to being able to do more stuff now that we know the area and what we want to do,” Akinsanya said.

YouTube sensations are constantly entainting and influencing HHS students. And, whether a Nerdfighter or not, DFTBA.

Graduate remains a ‘Royal’ BORDE Continued from page 1 is the unbelievable luck of some over others. The song talks about Lorde being a millionaire at 17. She did in fact begin 2014 with an estimated $46 million in combined earnings.

Dworsky comments on this when she says, “Cause every song’s like/Written by a kid I probably used to babysit/ Killing it by puberty while I

can barely stay fit/So unfair/ that Lorde’s a millionaire at seventeen.”

“It’s just plain weird that superstars are younger than I am. Can you imagine what your generation will feel like in ten years?” said Dworsky.

As of January 21, the video currently has 769,725 views and is growing everyday. Dworsky currently lives in L.A., trying to fulfill her dream of becoming a comedian. Dworsky hopes the

popularity of her video will be a step in the right direction to accomplishing her dream of making people laugh.

“My song is really just an avenue for people my age to laugh about becoming adults.

I like to make people laugh.

I graduated from the U of M with a family social science degree [a couple of years ago], but I gotta chase that comedy dream,” said Dworsky.

Even with the dream of comedy becoming a real-

ity through her parody song, Dworsky says the real meaning of her video is much deeper.

“The real meaning behind the video is that I love life. It is so precious. Time passes quickly and it’s very important to appreciate that we get to be alive and experience being a person on this planet. So I say, try to laugh at all the stuff that isn’t perfect and make fun of yourself lovingly whenever possible,” said Dworsky.

The Royal Page is featuring three HHS graduates with life-threatening diseases who are doing something to fight back.

They discuss how their health condition affected them at HHS and in their current lives. Through fundraising, advocacy, and community organizing, these HHS alumni are devoted to making a change.

TEAM

FIGHTING

Missy Every spring, Team Missy comes together for a walk with a purpose. Over the past nine years, the group has raised over $210,000 to support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Melissa Hofmann, 1999 HHS graduate, founded Team Missy to address this disorder that she has lived with her whole life.

“Cystic fibrosis is a huge part of my life, but I’ve never let it stop me from doing anything I put my mind to,” Hofmann said.

Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening genetic disorder that affects the lungs and digestive system.

During her time at HHS, Hofmann was heavily involved in cross-country running, nordic skiing, and track & field. Since graduating, she has helped coach all three sports at HHS. “The high intensity level of activity really kept me from getting sick. It was as if I were doing extra treatments each day to keep my lungs clear of mucus. As an adult, I must stay more active than the average person to keep my health on track,” Hofmann said.

Dillon Smith, senior, also has cystic fibrosis, but has continued to stay active in sports.

“I’ve played sports pretty much my whole life. I’m pretty healthy for having [cystic fibrosis]. Some kids have to go to the hospital every six months to get better, and I’ve only had to go in twice in my whole life,” Smith said.

Smith does three treatments every day - one before school, one right after school and one at night.

“The treatments take between a half hour and an hour so I get up early for school at 5:30, and I get to bed really late. It affects me everyday, but I’m just going to go on and do whatever I want. My life is pretty normal except for a couple of things I have to do off to the side,” Smith said.

Hofmann decided to integrate her passion for running with her desire to contribute to advancing research for cystic fibrosis. Team Missy raises funds for Great Strides, an annual 5k walk around Lake Calhoun hosted by the Minnesota/Dakota chapters of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

During Team Missy’s first year, the group raised just over $12,000. In 2013, the group raised their highest single year total of $41,907.

Hofmann is extremely thankful for the generosity of her family, friends, and even complete strangers, who have donated to Team Missy.

“I am very excited about the new medical advancements that are so close to being available. Some of the medicine that is coming our way will completely change our lives. It’s not yet a cure, but it will extend all of our life expectancies for sure,” Hofmann said.

After graduating from HHS, Hofmann went on to study business administration at the University of New Hampshire. She is now a corporate event planner for global events. Hofmann loves to travel and has visited hundreds of places.

“It’s easy to get distracted and forget to take your medication while on the road. For me, that’s just not an option. I must take it every day, multiple times a day to keep going,” Hofmann said.

Hofmann believes health should always be the top priority.

“You should hold [your health] sacred. Without your health you have nothing. Always take care of yourself. That should hold true for every one of us - those with a life-threatening disease and those without,” Hofmann said.

Hofmann has a great deal of passion for living her life to the fullest.

“There is no time for excuses. Do what you love, and do it to its greatest extent. You never know what is next and honestly, that should be the excitement about life, not the fear. So what are you waiting for? Go on and live it up,” Hofmann said.

Marcus speaking to a crowd at a diabetes awarness and fundraising event at the Mall of America.

Ross Marcus, 2003 HHS graduate, believes in using b “I am marketing and selling hope instead of a product o a difference in millions of peoples lives, including my own Marcus has lived with diabetes his whole life.

“At HHS, anytime my schedule would change, I would levels normal,” Marcus said. “What most people don't real low it makes it much harder to concentrate and complete Marcus explains how diabetes affects his everyday life.

“I have had to get up and leave a test before it was ove ness meetings early or start them late. I have found myse my diabetes,” Marcus said.

Marcus has volunteered for the local chapter of the started 23 years ago. Two years ago, he took a job on staf funding for the local chapter and managing their fundrais “Most of my job consists of meeting with our current c as trying to find ways for them to increase the amount of I am constantly looking for new companies to partner wit Marcus also helps groups form teams for the JDRF W Penny Wars to raise money for the Walk To Cure Diabetes who can raise the most money. Miranda Smith, senior, is l “This issue is especially important to me because my ol Smith said. “I had no idea what the ramifications of diabe family member be diagnosed really puts things into pe All students can join the HHS team at the Walk Marcus has been a part of several JDRF project capsulation, the idea of implanting 500,000 insul need for insulin injections.

“You always hear about the great work or behind the curtain, it is truly incredible what At times Marcus has had to advocate fo “I wanted to get scuba certified, but fo ics to dive. It took me 15 years and ma certified, and it was one of the best th “There has never been a time in been top of mind, and there never cus said. “Because of a commitm ago, diabetes has never and wi from doing what I put my mi

PROJ

JDR

Top left: Team Missy poses for the 2013 Great Strides walk around Lake Calhoun. The group raised their highest single year total of $41, 907.

Top right: Hoffman poses after walking in the 2012 Great Strides that she organizes every year.

Bottom right: Team Missy stands at the 2010 Great Strides walk around Lake Calhoun. The group raised over $32,000.

Photos provided by Missy Hofmann

BACK

business as a tool to change lives. or service. Waking up everyday knowing that I am making n, is an incredible feeling,” Marcus said.

d have to alter my routine in order to keep my blood sugar lize is that when a diabetic’s blood sugar is too high or too simple tasks.” . er. I have missed school and work. I have had to end busielf being much less productive and focused all because of

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation ( JDRF) since it ff with JDRF. He is in charge of raising all the corporate sing events. corporate partners to thank them for their support as well money they give to JDRF,” Marcus said. “On top of that, th across all of our events.”

Walk To Cure Diabetes. This year, NHS is organizing a s, where sophomores, juniors, and seniors will compete for leading this project. lder brother was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2010,” etes were when he was first diagnosed, but having a close erspective.” on Feb. 22 at the Mall of America. ts in the past two years, including pushing for Enlin producing cells into diabetics to eliminate the

Crowd at Mall of America listening to Marcus speak.

Photos provided by Ross Marcus

ROOZIE’S

Runners

After being diagnosed with 3 life-threatening diseases before the age of 17, Roozie Assadi, 2012 HHS graduate, is in remission.

When he was 10 years old, Assadi was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a brain tumor located in the lower, rear portion of the brain.

According to the American Brain Tumor Association, medulloblastoma accounts for only 2% of all brain tumors.

This was only the beginning of battling disease for Assadi. He was diagnosed with lymphoma, a cancer of the immune system when he was fourteen.

At sixteen, he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of preleukemia.

“I was nearly always tired and uncomfortable. It was a painful and tiring experience,” Assadi said.

Despite the painful experience, Assadi did not let it get the best of him. He used it as motivation to make a change.

During high school, Assadi was a youth chair for the Minnetonka Relay for Life, an overnight fundraising walk where teams are formed and members take turns walking around a track throughout the night to raise money for cancer research.

Assadi graduated in 2012, and that spring he was a leader of the Relay for Life that took place at HHS. His team was named “Roozie’s Runners.”

“I helped plan the Relay by going to high schools, mostly clubs and such at HHS, and talking to the students there,” Assadi said.

Balancing his work with Relay for Life along with his schoolwork and cancer treatments was not an easy feat for Assadi.

“I had multiple tutors. It was very, very difficult to keep up with all my school work because I felt horrible from treatment. I only took one class pass/fail which I am very proud of. I took all the same tests as everyone else and still got A’s,” Assadi said.

The reward of helping out in the community was worth the hectic schedule for Assadi.

“When you see all the money being raised to fight cancer and know that you had a big part in it, that’s the most rewarding thing,” Assadi said.

Assadi’s family support continues to be a contributor to his ambition and drive to fight against disease as well.

“My biggest motivation is my sister. She saw what cancer did to me and never wanted anyone to have to suffer like I did,” Assadi said.

Now, Assadi is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota studying mechanical engineering. He is still unsure of his future plans, but he knows he wants to continue making the world a better place.

“If I do a master’s program, I would find some sort of engineering job where I can make better mechanical devices. If I go to med school, I want to specialize and be a pediatric oncologist to help kids like me,” Assadi said.

Assadi’s outreach to the cancer community did not end with his high school graduation.

“In college, I am a part of a club called Colleges Against Cancer,” Assadi said.

The diseases he’s faced haven’t defined Assadi, they have helped him grow.

“My biggest lesson is that I have to be comfortable in my own skin. I feel like I have an all new outlook on life,” Assadi said.

rganizations are doing, but now that I can see t is being done,” Marcus said. or himself in order to pursue his interests. or many years they wouldn't allow diabetany phone calls and doctor visits to get hings I have ever done,” Marcus said. n my life where my diabetes has not will be until a cure is found,” Marment I made to myself many years ill never define me or stop me ind to.”

JECT

RF

Photos provided by Roozie Assadi

Top left: Assadi speaking at the Hopkins Relay for Life in 2012. Assadi was a youth chair for the Relay for Life organization.

Bottom left: At Relay for Life events, paper bag luminaries honor and commemorate cancer survivors and those who have passed away.

Top right: Assadi posing with his runners after completing the Relay for Life. His team was composed of family and friends.

Bottom right: A luminary dedicated to Assadi by one of his teammates.

By Naomi Borowsky, Callan Showers and Alex Felemovicius, the Editor in Chief, Feature Editor, and C-Spread Editor of the Royal Page

The Royal Page 2013-2014

Editors in Chief Naomi Borowsky Josh Gallop

Front Page Editor Joe Greene

C-Spread Editor Alex Felemovicius

News Editor Ellie Maag

RPFriday, January 31, 2014

the

8 feature

Arradondo finds her right faith

By Isabella Weisman Staff Reporter Two years ago, Nyjee Arradondo, senior, felt lost in the world.

“I didn’t identify with Christianity. I didn’t believe in it,” Arradondo said.

Arradondo is one of 100,000 people who convert to Islam every year, adding to the 1.6 billion people who make up the religion.

Of those who convert, the major-

ity of people are under the age of 24. At HHS, an estimate of 1520 Muslim students attend the Muslim Student Association.

Nyjee grew up as a Christian, but during her sophomore year she came to realize that she wanted to become connected to beliefs that she agreed with, and that was Islam.

Arradondo’s mother, Tina Arradondo, has began teaching her about Islam when she was

fourteen.

“My mom is non-muslim, but she believes in Islam,” Nyjee said.

“I noticed that people shied away from Islam. That’s understandable because it’s kind of controversial in America, but I looked into it because I didn’t know much about it.”

When she looked into converting, she discovered the process wasn’t hard.

“There’s isn’t much of a process. You say something called the

Opinion Editor Ryland Dorshow

Feature Editors Phoebe Cohen Callan Showers

Variety Editor Lily Goldfarb

Sports Editors Eli Badower Hillary Donovan

Back Page Editor

Tobie Soumekh Infographic by Isabella Weisman

Photo Editors

Roxanne Krietzman Maddie Malat

By Ruby Krietzman Staff Reporter

Business Editors

Kyle Makey Brian Yu

Web Editor in Chief Sam Hromatka

Staff Reporters Hannah Boggess Will Cohen Zach Condon Haley DenHartog Anne Goodroad Isabel Hall Imann Hodleh Julia Jallo Sam Kaminsky Bradley Kaplan Ruby Krietzman Josh Margolis Erik A. Nelson Olivia Newman Austin Oakes Lucy Pierro Dan Sheldon Asia Snetter Jacob Ungerman Paul Vogt Isabella Weisman

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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.

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Compliments and suggestions are also welcome.

Many people associate teenage marriage with pregnancy or the freedom from parents, but for Sadie Schneider and Austin Boe, seniors, that is not the case.

While walking down a dirt road looking at horses, Schneider turned around to see Boe down on one knee, about to ask a question that will change their lives forever.

Boe was ready for the commitment of spending the rest of his life with Schneider.

Schneider and Boe have known each other since 6th grade and began dating March of last year.

“Getting engaged young wasn’t in mind, it was just finding the right person,” Schneider said.

“Once you spend a lot of time with someone, you kind of know what you can tolerate and what you can’t,” Boe said.

Schneider’s grandma and mom were also engaged as seniors in high school.

“My parents don’t like it but they don’t dislike it at the

same time. My mom cares to a point, but she knows that he’s a good kid,” Schneider said.

The thought of being engaged in high school never crossed Boe’s mind.

Schneider is affected by many of the harsh judgements her peers make and has lost friends over the engagement.

“For me, it’s harder being a girl and being affected,” Schneider said, “The rumors and assumptions people make hurt.”

“We are ridiculed,” Boe said.

The couple’s plans for the future were not influenced by their decision.

“We have the same plans as any high school student.

Nothing has really changed except that we’ll be living together,” Schneider said.

Schneider and Boe both plan on attending college. Boe intends to go into business and Schneider plans on becoming a nurse. They plan on getting married when they finish college.

There are two couples in addition to Boe and Schneider that are engaged. One couple was not interested in being in the story and the other couple preferred to remain anonymous.

Shahaadah when you make your declaration of faith. This means that you believe in one God and follow that process. You also have to have witnesses,” Nyjee said.

Nyjee also had the support of her friends who were helping her through the process.

“I felt like if this is what she wants to do then this is what she should be able to do,” said Malika Musa, senior. “I was there for her during the conversion and gave her networks, like my father’s side of the family because they are all Muslim.”

When Nyjee told her family about wanting to convert, some didn’t understand, especially her Grandma who is a devoted Christian. Tina was also concerned about Nyjee covering herself with a hijab.

“I was worried about her covering and being accepted by people at school,” Tina said.

Her family now understands and respects Nyjee’s decision.

“I think that it’s great that Nyjee converted and now has a good grasp on Islamic beliefs,”

Tina said.

Today, Nyjee makes sure to make practicing Islam a priority in her life. She follows many of the practices of Islam including wearing a hijab, praying, not eating pork and sometimes going to mosque.

Traditionally, men and women who are Islam do not “date.” A man finds a woman he likes, asks her family to propose marriage, and then gets to know her once they are married.

When Nyjee decided to convert, she had a boyfriend. Because she had already been dating her boyfriend, the only way for Nyjee and her boyfriend to stay together was to get married through a religious ceremony. The marriage is not valid through the state.

“The guy I’m with and I are married now. It’s not through the state though. Through the religion he’s considered my husband,” Nyjee said.

After making the decision to convert to Islam, Nyjee now feels she has something to believe in.

Royal of the Month

Tim Bergeland, Senior Q. How does it feel to be January’s Royal of the Month?

A. It feels really good to be recognized for hard work in academics.

Q. What class come easiest to you?

A. Math, I just have a very logical way of thinking. Writing is definitely the hardest.

Q. What classes at HHS have pushed you the hardest?

Illustration by Maddie Malat

A. AP Language and Composition and Honors Perspectives in American Literature because it was just so clear that there was another level of expectation for writing and analyzing literature.

Q. What does your education mean to you?

A. It means a lot. I’m a very curious person, I like to broaden my horizons and learn about different subject areas. I think it’s a good way to open your eyes up to the world around you.

Ms. April Felt, mathematics, on Bergeland: “Tim is one of my all-time favorite students. He sat in the front everyday and thanked me after every lesson. His love for learning and unlimited intellectual ability was evident. He is one of the most kind and non-judegemental people that I have ever met. What can I say... I love him!”

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RPFriday, January 31, 2014

Stahl makes a move to find her zen Leaders in Business

By Isabel Hall Staff Reporter Standing in front of her class, Megan Stahl, senior, shifts into warrior pose.

Stahl is graduating early and moving to California to become a yoga instructor. She will be attending school in California next fall.

“I decided to graduate early because high school is super boring to me. I took AP classes all through sophomore and junior year, so I had extra credits that allowed me to graduate after first semester,” Stahl said.

Last year, 14 students graduated early from HHS, and this year there will be 9.

Stahl doesn’t have the job in California yet, but is currently a yoga instructor at Corepower yoga studio in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka.

“Corepower is my home studio, and they have studios in California, so I want to teach through them. I’m super close with the managers at the Eden Prairie and Minnetonka studios and they are going to call the California location and be my reference,” Stahl said.

Stahl has been practicing yoga for three years.

“I started to get into yoga during my sophomore year. I liked that it was a hard workout, but it allows you to reflect and better yourself. It takes dedication,” Stahl said.

Stahl will be leaving her

family and friends Feb. 6th to begin her new life in California.

“My family and friends are very supportive of my decision but, of course, they’re going to miss me,” Stahl said.

Stahl’s father, Mr. Dale Stahl, social studies, is a teacher at HHS. “Our family supports her.

She has worked hard and taken an ambitious course load in order to finish early. She is determined to go to college in California, and getting there early will help her get to know the area. She has challenged herself by finishing her high school classes while working and taking the Yoga instruction program and going to California will be a great opportunity to put that to use,” Dale said.

Megan is looking forward to her future in California.

“My aunt lives in Los Angeles so she said I could go stay with her. I know the city because I have gone many times, and it’s where I want to go to school next year,” Megan said.

Dale thinks it’s a good idea for Megan to live with her aunt as well.

“Megan can help her Aunt and Uncle and her young cousins, which is something we had her Aunt do for us when Megan was young,” Dale said. “I am proud of her and excited to see what the next phase of her life’s journey will bring.”

By Brian Yu Buisiness Editor The Royal Page periodically interviews successful business men and women working in the Minneapolis metropolitan area. We hope to provide influential firsthand sources of success in business for HHS students interested in the business field.

Michael Tattersfield, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Caribou Coffee Company, which is headquartered in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, says, “It is really important to play to your strengths. You will be told that you are not capable, but if you have self confidence and spend time growing your strengths, you will be capable of accomplishing amazing things.”

Q: Have you always been in leadership roles?

A: I am the youngest of three brothers. Growing up, I would always compete with and take on my brothers. Having that brotherly competition pushed me. In my career, I have not always been in leadership roles. However, I’ve been able to successfully translate my start in staff accounting into further leadership roles.

Q: What was your first job after college?

A: I was a staff accountant at KPMG, a tax and audit service, in Dallas, Texas. It was an interesting job being an auditor. As an auditor, I learned how the company was doing financially which gave me a pretty good snapshot into understanding the business.

I have had the opportunity to work at businesses in very different industries ranging from Lululemon in the clothing industry to Caribou in the beverage and food industry.

Q: Where do you get your drive and passion for business from?

Megan Stahl, senior, poses in two different yoga positions. Stahl has taught yoga at Corepower Yoga in Eden Prairie and Minnetonka and is moving to California to be an instructor. Photos by Maddie Malat

Musa continues diversity involvement

By Lucy Pierro Staff Reporter

7,643 miles and 15 hours and 52 minutes is how long it takes to travel from Djibouti, Africa to Minneapolis.

Malika Musa, senior, and her family were forced to leave Djibouti when she was just one year old.

“We had to leave Djibouti because my father was a rebel.

He fought for the people because the government was abusing them,” Musa said.

Her father influenced her opinion and passion to create diversity throughout her life and in her community.

“If you have a genuine heart, you’re not going to want to see something like that just happen,” Musa said When Musa came to HHS over two years ago, she struggled to fit in. She wasn’t interested in being part of a clique and was targeted and bullied by a group of classmates.

“One of the biggest challenges is that people either love me or hate me and every obstacle I have is just one after another,” Musa said.

According to an interview Musa had with womenventure.org, she also struggled with school and considered dropping out due to bullying, but she believes that completing her education is critical to

future success.

“I had to really teach myself the hard way to always be humble, no matter what,” Musa said.

In the past year, the issue of diversity has been more relevant at HHS. “As a part of the administration here at Hopkins, we try to make ourselves aware when issues of equality come into play. We need to know about issues to help fix them, but we also need to be more proactive,” said Mr. Tyson Crockett, Academic Dean.

Musa agrees that HHS is diverse, but believes there are certain areas that still need change.

“At Hopkins, we are very diverse, but the support we have for specific diversity groups isn’t enough. People have to be ready to change and just having a conversation about the issue won’t make things change,” Musa said.

The HHS administration values Musa’s ambitions towards making changes throughout her community, and influencing others to do so as well.

“Malika is a very smart and passionate young woman, she goes far beyond expectations to help improve the opinion of others. Malika also works hard to make sure everyone here at Hopkins feels welcome and is more knowledgeable about

what should change,” Crockett said.

With her strong interest in helping others, Musa started volunteering for organizations such as Youthrive, YMCA Multicultural Achievers, City of Minneapolis’ STEP-UP Achieve program, and WomenVenture.

“I’ve done a lot of volunteer work with PeaceJam which was hosted by Youthrive. A speaker came to the event and talked specifically about violence. She said something that I really related to which was ‘no child is born violent’ and the reason I do this is because of people like her,” Musa said.

Musa traveled to Washington D.C. and worked with the Obama Administration on Minnesota school policies and discipline within schools.

“The D.C. campaign works towards decreasing the suspension rates among students, reducing the achievement gaps, worked on pushing acts like the 3401 Restorative Justice in Schools Act of 2013,” Musa said.

Musa had a meeting with Minnesota representative, John Kline and Minnesota senator, Amy Klobuchar and asked them to reform the “No Tolerance Policy” in Minnesota schools because it doesn’t help build students for success. Musa also negotiated school policies for Minnesota schools and

HHS with Rep. Kline and Sen. Klobuchar.

“While I was working in D.C., I learned that these people who make huge decisions for schools in Minnesota, don’t actually know what’s going on inside these walls to make their decisions accurate,” Musa said.

While in D.C., Musa also attended an issues briefing on the topic of bullying.

“While I was there, I got to listen in on an issues briefing on the topic of bullying African-American boys. It was interesting because you don’t hear anything about people bullying boys and on top of that you don’t hear about the bullying of African-American boys,” Musa said.

Musa was influenced by the opportunities she experienced during her D.C. trip, such as visiting Howard University, a prominently diverse college in D.C. “D.C. has a lot of variety and life unlike Minnesota. The best experience I had was going to Howard University. You hear about successful AfricanAmerican men but you never see them and that was the best thing I had probably seen,” Musa said.

Musa now realizes that in order to make change, there needs to be awareness and her trip to D.C. gave her the opportunity to talk to the right people.

A: I get my passion through doing what I love every day. If you are in a place where you do not love what you do, it is hard to make things happen. I believe that small incremental wins along the way of a larger goal help fuel the fire and affirm you are on the right track. I find this drive and passion ultimately comes when you are working with others. The opportunity to be around a lot of very successful, driven people is very motivating for me as an individual.

Q: How do you manage people?

A: People are really unique and the one thing you have to learn is that everybody is not the same. Everyone has different goals and opportunities that come up in life. I successfully manage people by letting them define their goals, and I help them get there. My job is to see more potential in them then they may potentially see in themselves. Our employees tend to hold themselves accountable, and tend to be much tougher on themselves than any leader could ever be on them. Being a leader is not something that you just learn. Some people are leaders intuitively, and others have to develop the skills.

I have been in a command and control structures where you’re told what to do. This strategy doesn’t really work well for most people.

I believe that letting employees do what they want to do is always important as long as they’re winning and the company is winning.

Q: How do you hire? What qualities do you look? What questions do you ask?

A: When I am hiring people, I spend a lot of time with the candidates so I can understand their personal characteristics and their mannerisms in dialogue. I tell a simple joke and see if they find humor, if it is interesting to them or not, or how they respond. Most people who are interviewing with me have proven themselves in their career. They have plenty of job experience, but what I’m really looking for is whether or not you will fit into our culture.

Q: What career advice would you give to a graduating class of High School Seniors?

A: I always recommend writing down goals that you want to accomplish for yourself, whether they are personal, educational, or business goals. Lay them out on a one, three, or five year time table and be accountable to those things. It is really important to play to your strengths. You will be told that you are not capable, but if you have self confidence and spend time growing your strengths, you will be capable of accomplishing amazing things. *This is a condensed version of the full interview, which can be found at www.hopkinsrp.org

RPFriday, January 31, 2014

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Stephon is looking Sharp

By Dan Sheldon Staff Reporter

Being the leading rebounder and putting up the second most points on the team per game Stephon Sharp, senior, is receiving less looks as an upperclassman than other sophomores and juniors on the team.

“I try not to think about it, I just try to go out and play every game and do what I can do to the best of my abilities,” Sharp said.

Sharp has been in communication with University of Denver and Cornell University but nothing is set in stone.

“They said they will keep in touch and see how the rest of the season goes,” Sharp said.

Sharp has stepped up this season, and his statistics demonstrate that. He’s averaging 16.9 points per game and leads the team in rebounds.

“He’s not underrated by me.

He’s a very vital member of our team, he leads us in rebounding by a lot, one of the highest scorers we have; he’s really central to what we do,” said Mr. Ken Novak, head coach and Social Studies.

Teammate Treyvon Edwards, senior, also feels Sharp is a key player for the team.

“Stephon does all the dirty work, and is very efficient. He gets the work done when it’s needed,” Edwards said.

One reason recruiters underrate Sharp may be because of his injuries the past few years.

“When I hurt my knee I’ve never been as explosive as I was before, in terms of jumping, but

I’ve learned to play through that and I’ve adapted,” Sharp said.

Novak feels that because HHS is well known for their basketball talents, the whole team has been viewed differently this year.

“If there’s a state-wide assessment our kids have a tendency to not be given the credit they deserve, our whole team doesn’t get the credit they could be given. But I don’t worry about what everyone else thinks, everyone says, I worry about what we do and what we improve,” Novak said.

Novak feels recruiting isn’t the same as it use to be, and the new process could be affecting Sharp.

“Most college coaches lately have been laying low and recruiting later. That’s different than before,” Novak said.

Edwards feels that Sharp deserves more college attention.

“He’s very underrated, he should have way more offers than what he has. It could be his height that causes it, he’s kind of a tweener. Also college coaches probably don’t see him shooting the ball too much, so that’s it,” Edwards said.

Sharp’s dad, Darryl Sharp, is the Associate Head Coach at Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. Stephon has mixed feelings at the opportunity to play for his dad.

“I’d consider it, I don’t know it’d kind of be tough because he’s a tough coach, but if it happens it happens. It would ruin our relationship a little bit, but it is what it is,” Sharp said.

Sharp shoots a free throw against Apple Valley. He currently leads the team in rebounding and averages 16.9 points per game.

Photo by Maddie Malat

Sattler learns from older brother

By Hillary Donovan and Eli Badower Sports Editors

Noah, senior captain, and Jesse Sattler, freshman, are no ordinary brothers. Being the top wrestlers on the HHS wrestling team, the brothers are setting a high standard.

“It helps a lot to have my brother on the team because he has been on the team for three years, and I don’t have to worry about anyone, especially because he is the team captain.

It’s great moral support hav-

ing him there. It’s great having a leader on the team that is also my brother,” said Jesse.

The Sattlers practice eight to ten hours a week outside of school practices.

“It’s great to have someone behind you all the time, always pushing you, making you a little worried that he is getting better than you are. It’s a good competition,” said Noah.

The brothers spend time together in the wrestling room, but also with their schooling.

Being homeschooled, they do their school work in the morn-

ing, then workout for the majority of the day.

“Disadvantages of being home schooled would be a little bit of the sociality, but the advantages would be you can get done with school a lot faster and get right onto working out and focusing on wrestling stuff,” Jesse said.

While wrestling is a full year sport for both siblings, their summers are a bit more relaxed.

“Our offseason is definitely less intense. We still train but we get to eat a lot more during the summer. We do freestyle

wrestling and camps in the summer too” Noah said.

Noah sets an example for Jesse, continuing to push his brother and help him succeed in his wrestling career.

“Both of those guys work hand in hand together, and it’s actually really unique. It’s always good when you have a sibling there, who understands the struggle and to grind on. It’s always good to have a big brother there, you know you can look up to, and who’s also there to show you the ropes. Noah being there for Jesse I think just kinda

Go Figure

1,052 12

points scored this season by the girls basketball team as of Jan. 21

5

Number of state basketball appearances for the boys basketball team in the last 20 years

Lake Conference teams in the most recent girls hockey top seven teams in the state Infographic by Kyle Makey

5-2 Score of the boys hockey team’s victory over Minnetonka, their first conference victory in four years

sets off a presence for Jesse, so he can set his own goals to be just as good as his brother, or even pass his brother.” said Mr. Marcus Levesseur, hall para and head wrestling coach.

In the 2013 season, the brothers were the only wrestlers on the team that went to the State tournament.

“When you make it to state one year, and you don’t do as well as you want to, that next immediate year is always gonna be that year that you make sure you capitalize on,” Levesseur said. “They’ve been there before

and they are gonna be veterans of the game this year. It’s anyone's game at that tournament, just six minutes per round is gonna advance you to the state championship match, and last year’s experience has only helped them so far and will continue to help them in their future.”

Both brothers are happy with their success last year, but have set their sights even higher for this season.

“Definitely the sky is the limit this year. I’m shooting for the State championship, and hoping to get there,” Noah said.

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RPFriday, January 31, 2014

Girls hockey among state’s best

By Erik A. Nelson Staff Reporter With a record of 21 wins and three losses, the HHS girls varsity hockey team has put together a winning season with a combination of offensive power and stingy defense.

The team is led by the top line, which consists of Corbin Boyd, junior, Nina Rodgers, senior captain, and Jillaine DeYoung, senior. The trio has combined for 66 goals, 82 assists, and 148 points this season.

“Corbin, Nina, and Jillaine are super important to winning our games because they’re our top scorers,” said Grace Bizal, junior. “Corbin has really good moves and has perfect shot placement, Nina is strong with the puck, and Jillaine brings speed to that line. They work well together.”

Another reason that the team is winning consistently is their defense, led by starting goaltender, Erin O’Neil, senior captain. O’Neil has a .950 save percentage, 18 wins, a goals against average of 1.16, and seven shutouts.

“It’s really nice to have Erin in net because it takes the stress

Shortie Sheran, senior, brings the puck up the ice. The HHS girls hockey team was ranked first in the state earlier this month.

Photo by Maddie Malat

off the rest of the team just to know that you can depend on her no matter what,” DeYoung said.

While conference rivals are trying to catch up to the Royals in the standings, there is

something, Boyd argues, that separates them from their competitors.

“We have a good work ethic and go in to every game thinking the other team can beat us, so we try to win,” Boyd said.

The state of Minnesota has realized that HHS is slowly emerging as a hockey school because of the girls’ season so far.

The team is ranked number four in class 2A, according to the Star Tribune. Class 2A includes

other teams such as the rest of the Lake Conference, BenildeSt. Margaret’s, and Hill-Murray.

“We are really changing the environment. [Critics] are mentioning us more in the top now,” said Laura Clemens, senior.

Starks sparks winning streak

By Zach Condon Staff Reporter

Hopkins basketball player, TT Starks, junior, is coming off of her fourth shoulder injury that has kept her out of six games this season. Although the team was missing their star player, they still kept up their domination with a record of five wins and two losses playing without Starks.

“A lot of the players stepped up and tried to carry the load, but when you have a player of TT’s quality, you are going to be a better team when she gets back,” said Mr. Brian Cosgriff, physical education and girls basketball coach.

HHS girls basketball is ranked number two in the state, behind Eastview, according to maxpreps.com after holding the state title for the past three years. The team is 15-2 this year.

Starks believes she impacts the team with her leadership rather than her skills on the

court.

“I’m one of the veterans on the team, and I’ve been here for awhile, so I think my leadership helps out the team,” Starks said.

The team is averaging 70.1 points per game, 39.2 rebounds per game, 14 assists per game, and 16.6 steals per game. HHS has scored 1052 points this year, while only allowing 759. The team has not won a game by less than ten points.

Cosgriff, believes Starks has grown tremendously as a player and brings a lot to the table, but more importantly is her intelligence of the game of basketball.

“I want her to be like an assistant coach, be able to direct players on the floor when they are playing. She is way more than just scoring, quite honestly scoring would be far down the list when it comes to her. There’s all kinds of tangible things that people don’t know about her that she brings to the table. She is flat out a winner,” said Cosgriff.

Cosgriff has had an impact on Starks, turning her into the dynamic player she is. Starks has been on varsity since eighth grade and is thankful for the opportunity to play under Cosgriff.

“I’ve grown tremendously.

Just sitting in Cos’ practice

“I got a lot of stuff put in the bank that I can use later while competing, and I can just pull out and do really good,” said Snyder.

Ski camp didn’t only involve intense workouts. The ski team also enjoyed the team bonding and beautiful scenery at ski camp. Nika Hadley, sophomore, found both these parts of ski camp in the optional night ski.

“It was so different being out there at night rather than during the day. We got to ski, but also just take in the scenery around us. All of the stars and the night sky was breathtaking,” Hadley said.

Giants Ridge gave the ski team a chance to experience a different atmosphere than the trails they ski over and over again back home.

you’ll learn so much from him, and I’ve had the opportunity to be here for a long time. I’ve learned so much from him,” Starks said.

Since Starks came back, the team has won every game by a margin greater than 20 points.

The team is glad to have her back because everything she brings to the team.

“She offers a calming presence, she’s is very confident with the ball. She knows everyone’s role,” said Sophia Showalter, senior captain.

TT Starks, junior, looks to make a move in a game against Minnetonka. Starks was sidelined by a shoulder injury earlier this season.

Photo by Maddie Malat

Skiers brave arctic weather up north Ski Camp Continued from page 1 would compare to them, so seeing those times in comparison to our team was helpful,” said Dylan Cleary, junior.

Mark Snyder, senior, believes the vigorous workouts at ski camp will make him more successful in his future races.

“There is a ton more variety at giants ridge. You’re not just skiing in circles. You can go and go and go, and the view is so pretty,” Dunnewind said.

For Katie Craemer, junior, having to avoid getting pummeled by her coach, Rob Fuhr, was a highlight of her ski camp experience.

“Fuhr would swerve while going downhill. It was kind

of like a game; make sure you don’t hit Fuhr while skiing,” Craemer said.

Snyder ended up coming in second for Hopkins at the Mesabi race. Craemer was just trying to stay in balance.

“I tried not to fall, but I fell twice. On the plus side I didn’t hit any trees. I’ve done that twice in the past too,” Craemer said.

As the season comes to a close, the team’s mindset has shifted from what it originally was at the beginning of the season. Games count towards building momentum for the postseason.

“Every game that we play is really important because we want to be number one in our conference, and with our number one seed in our conference, it will make us the top seed in our section,” Clemens said. “We try to win every game so that we can get that top seed.”

Since the first puck drop, fans have been getting excited about the potential of the team winning a state championship.

“They’re [fans] excited because we keep getting more and more people to our games, and we keep going up in the standings,” Bizal said.

On February 22nd, the class 2A state champion will be crowned at the Xcel Energy Center. If Hopkins ends up winning the title, it would be a dream come true for the players.

“It would be amazing, and I know all of the girls are working really hard towards it, including myself,” Clemens said.

Spotlight Athlete

Katie Craemer Grade: 11 Sport: Nordic Skiing Worst part of Nordic: “The cold weather.”

Favorite Memory: “Edging out Southwest in section finals.”

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RPFriday, January 31, 2014

AP DRAWING AND PAINTING

NS

CONCENTRATI

LINDSAY CLAY

For Lindsay Clay, senior, a Monarch butterfly was the perfect gift to bring to her grandmother a few weeks before she died of cancer. Ever since kindergarten, Clay has connected with the butterflies by raising them every summer. With the butterfly, Clay’s grandmother also had a piece of Clay with her.

Clay has decided to use her connection to Monarch butterflies in her AP Drawing and Painting concentration.

“My paintings are literal representations of how I iden-

tify with the butterfly,” Clay said. “It’s something that really hits my heart because recently they are in rapid decline because of climate change.”

With more independence to decide on the subject of your art and work at your own pace, Clay has found having a concentration beneficial.

“Concentrations help artists find their voice and discover what they like to work with, while exploring who they are,” Clay said.

Tate Brown, senior, is inspired by the lights in Uptown. Brown decided to use her AP Drawing and Painting concentration to feature nightlife in Uptown.

Photos by Roxy Krietzman

TATE BROWN

Lindsay Clay, senior, is currently working on her AP Drawing and Painting concentration about butterflies. Clay has raised the butterflies every summer since kindergarten.

Photos provided by Lindsay Clay

When the sun goes down, the lights come out, and Tate Brown, senior, is at awe of the beauty Uptown.

Because Brown is inspired

by Uptown’s image, she has decided to focus her concentration on the atmosphere of uptown at a night setting in lights.

“I really like Uptown because it rebels against society. The people there are very unique and don’t care about standards, but instead do what-

ever they want. I think the impact society has is really tough, so I think its cool that they are able to stand alone and be independent,” Brown said.

Brown has enjoyed the opportunity to explore her passions with her concentration.

“Its a good way to be independent and show something that’s meaningful to you, rather than just an assignment,” Brown said.

HHS Students Win National Scholastic Art Awards Rebecca Steinman, Drawing

MAO LEE With her parents’ expectations for her to be a doctor, Mao Lee, senior, has struggled throughout her life to make her own decisions. Although it is hard for Lee to express her opinions to her parents, it is easy for her to express herself through art.

Lee’s AP Drawing and Painting concentration is focused on her experience living with her family and how their Hmong culture has influenced her life.

“I’m living in two different worlds, which are my mind and reality.” Lee said. “In some of my drawings, I focus on both of the worlds and how that affects my emotions.”

While working on her concentration, Lee’s focus has evolved.

“At first, my concentration was going to be based on the two different cultures, but now I feel like if I concentrated on that too much, then my con-

Maddie Malat, Drawing Maddie Malat, Painting

Honorable Mention

centration wouldn’t be strong enough. In order for my work to be strong, it needs to relate to me,” Lee said.

Lee enjoys the process of painting, rather than her final piece of artwork. However, Lee has had difficulty enjoying the process of completing her concentration.

“I don’t completely enjoy having a concentration because the expectations are very high and time is a big component. I focus 4 to 5 hours a day to work on my art and ignore my other homework,” Lee said.

Regardless of the demanding nature of art concentrations, Lee’s concentration has allowed her to release her emotions and feel free.

“I have struggles within my life that I deal with through my art. My parents do not support some of my decisions, so my art shows how I want to be who I am, not who my parents want me to be,” Lee said.

Mao Lee, senior, uses a variety of mediums in her artwork to refrain from being realistic. Lee focused her AP Drawing and Painting concentration on her internal battle of being herself and living with her parents.

Photos by Roxy Krietzman

Tobie Soumekh is the Backpage Editor for the Royal Page

Gold Key

Silver Key

Kenzie Kraus, Photo

Lindsay Clay, Portfolio

Madeline Lakensgard, Photo

Lindsay Clay, Drawing

T’adre Mchenry, Photo

Aubrey Eull, Portfolio

Katie Dorsher, Photo

Aubrey Eull, Painting

Aubrey Eull, Drawing

Mckenna Karpan, Portfolio

Ali Freie, Painting

Mao Lee, Portfolio

Mckenna Karpan, Drawing

Mao Lee, Painting

Lindsay Clay, Painting

Anna Lundin, Painting

Ena Shin, Drawing

Natasha Zucker, Ceramics and Glass

Carly Maslowski, Painting

Haley Dudley, Jewelry

Daniel Hirl, Sculpture

The 2014 National Scholastic Art Awards were announced on Jan. 17.

Lee and Clay, along with other AP art students, received awards.