Aureus Vol. 3, Issue 2

AUREUS

The Feature Magazine of The Rubicon Vol. 3, No. 2 | Spring 2019

Looking Through Your Eyes

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

CONTENTS From the heart: seven students gush about the things they love most .........................................................................4 Fashion expression: Baxter projects designs on fabric ............................................................................................................ 8 Increase gender diversity in conversations ...................................................................................................................................10 Diversity in music tastes ..........................................................................................................................................................................12 Diversity in activities ..................................................................................................................................................................................14 Can the film industry see queerly? ...................................................................................................................................................18 Diversity in sight: through the eyes of animals ...........................................................................................................................20 The Tasmanian Tiger ...................................................................................................................................................................................24 Great minds think differently ................................................................................................................................................................26 Accents, dialects, diction and slang: the diversity of language ............................................................................................28

Letter from the Editor: What does it mean to embrace diversity? What does diversity itself even mean to you? For some, diversity represents physical diversity, yet for others, the definition is more nuanced.

Throughout this issue, the staff tries to challenge your perception of what diversity is.

While this traditionally is a feature magazine, the idea of diversity lends itself to diversity of opinion as well, so in this issue there are opinion stories scattered throughout. Some of us have a literal diversity in the way we see (p. 20-23). All of us love something, but often we love different things (p. 4-7). There is diversity in how we dress (p. 8-9), talk (p. 28-29) and even the music we listen to (p.12-13). Every community member is unique from the other, and I hope this issue challenges how you think about diversity and how you think about the unique characteristics, thoughts and viewpoints every person has. And of course, diversity is imperative in any community because it broadens our perspectives and opens our minds up to a world of new, creative, innovative and simply put, diverse, ideas. Thank you for picking up this issue and I hope you allow yourself to engage with its ideas and share the messages you learn with those in your community.

Sincerely, Nitya Thakkar Aureus Editor In Chief

Aureus - 3

ISSUE #2

SPA THINKS:

FROM THE HEART

Seven students gush about the things they love most

JUNIOR

Nina Smetana loves acting

“

Written by Melissa Nie Design and Illustrations by Quinn Christensen 4 - Aureus

I love to act. I’ve loved to do that since I was a really little kid. I’m not necessarily that good at it, I just really, really, enjoy it. When I was really young, I would see these theater performances and musicals, and I would fall in love with them. I would be like, ‘this makes me feel really good or really bad.

This is really interesting, this emotion that it can bring.’ And I guess I just wanted to be able to do that for someone else.

To be able to bring that kind of emotion to them by telling a story.

I like being able to jump into a different character. I like being able to be someone else, even if only for a little while.

It’s kind of like reading a book, but you actually get to experience it.

When I was in eighth grade, I was at this camp called Camp Herzl. We put on a play, Hercules, and I was cast as the lead. It was the first time I had been cast as the lead. It was kind of difficult because the guy who was supposed to be the love interest, Hercules, was kind of a jerk. It was hard to separate my feelings in real life from that whole experience.

But through acting, I was able to jump into the character of Meg and be snarky and sarcastic. It helped me get through something that seemed like it was going to be more difficult.

I like not being the lead too. I like being in the cast, watching people put it on because it feels like I’m simultaneously in it and I also get to observe it. So I feel like I don’t even need to be a lead to be able to feel like I’m a part of something that’s bigger than myself. I like that a lot.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

SOPHOMORE

Addie Morrisette loves flowers

“

I love the springtime because my birthday is in it and it reminds me of happy times. As the winter goes away, I love seeing the colors of flowers. It’s beautiful. My favorite flowers are peonies. I’ve always loved them.

Every year there’s this bush of lilacs by my neighbor’s house. When it blooms, it’s really beautiful. It’s a yearly thing and something I look forward to.

JUNIOR

Fremont Forsberg loves reading

“

I love reading. When I was a younger kid, I hated reading because I wasn’t very good at it. But once I started getting really good at it, I would read books all the time. I think I read almost the entire Magic Tree House series.

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve continued to love and love reading books. There’s Game of Thrones, there’s this series called the Stormlight Archive which is very good, there’s Red Rising.

There’s a bunch of series that I’ve really enjoyed reading in the past few years.

Reading takes you out of your life and you can go somewhere else. It’s like TV, but better, because you can think of whatever happens and you can make things as epic as you want.

In my room, I have this nightlight behind me. I remember during summer nights or weekends, I would stay up really late reading stuff. My room gets really dark, but I had this little

Aureus - 5

ISSUE #2

JUNIOR

Carly

St. Martin-Norburg loves peanut butter

“

There’s a bunch of different reasons why I like it [peanut butter]. The first reason is that it’s pretty healthy, depending on the peanut butter that you get. I used to get Jif peanut butter, but it had a lot of sugar and other bad stuff for you in it. Then I got the natural peanut butter, and that tasted better, but it was hard to get used to it. Once I got used to it, it was really good. The only thing it has in it is peanuts and salt, so it’s way better for you. Also, it provides a lot of protein.

I like peanut butter because it’s good with literally everything. You can have it on toast, on fruit like apples and bananas, and it makes bananas taste good, which is kind of impossible but peanut butter does that. I like it with Oreos, and if you haven’t tried that, you need to try it.

I’ve really evolved my peanut butter game. I used to buy Skippy peanut butter with the chunks of peanuts, but I don’t know why I did that. Then I switched to Skippy smooth, then regular creamy Jif, then I wanted to be healthier, so I switched to natural smooth Jif because I was way over chunky. My last evolution and where I am now: I eat Smucker’s peanut butter.

9TH GRADER

Ellie

Dawson-Moore

loves combat boots

“

6 - Aureus

I really love clothes in general because I think it’s a fun way to express yourself. But in particular, I love big stompy boots or heels because it’s a really powerful feeling. If you can probably hurt someone with your shoes, you’re doing it right.

That’s the vibe I’m going for.

When I was seven, I got these sparkly silver cowboy boots. I bought them at the State Fair. They were really great.

They had stars in them cut out in the calf part. They made me feel super powerful.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

JUNIOR

Aidan Lanz 9TH GRADER

Sevy Hayes loves cake

“

loves movies

“

I love that cake can look like anything you want. It can be any flavor, any shape or size.

There are a lot of photos of me and my little brother with cake all over ourselves, on our faces, with dyed hands from the food coloring. I had a birthday party once where we smashed cupcakes in our face. That was an experience.

Baking can be either really stressful or not at all. This past Thanksgiving, I made a gender reveal cake for my stepmom. I forgot to put the food dye in and didn’t make enough frosting. It kept going wrong. But the other times I’ve made cakes for my German class when I was in middle school, it’s gone really well.

I like how versatile they are. I love all different genres of movies. I usually tend to go for some of the more serious films, but I always love a good comedy. They’re a lot of fun.

Some of my favorite films: I like The Sixth Sense by M. Night Shyamalan. That was a really artistic and inventive film. I also like some classic comedies, like Shrek.

I’m into animated movies. A lot of people don’t like them, but animation is even more versatile than acting because you can make it less real.

My earliest memory of watching a movie was those Christmas specials that used to play. I think Frosty the Snowman was my first film experience. I remember seeing Happy Feet in theaters and I cried because I thought my father abandoned me and my sister and we were crying. We ruined Happy Feet for the theater but it was pretty funny still.

A lot of people like superhero films. I’m not that into them. I never got on that train. But hit me up with most other movies.

Aureus - 7

ISSUE #2

FASHION EXPRESSION: BAXTER PROJECTS DESIGNS ON FABRIC

Baxter prides herself for her designs, her first one is featured above:“the felt I use is actually 100% recyclable. I’m really proud of how everything is turning out.”

8 - Aureus

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

“I really just want to brand things and make a lot of different clothing items.”

- 9th grader Maggie Baxter

M

any of us have had a goal in our minds that we have yet to achieve; Maybe we’re too scared or feel like it’s impossible. This doesn’t stop 9th grader Maggie Baxter, who has recently launched an Instagram page called Genesis Homecoming, which advertises her designs,.

“I started by seeing Instagram accounts and hearing about Depop and stuff and seeing that people were doing things with that, [which] inspired me that I could do something like that too. People were using social media as a platform for having a business,” Baxter said. She takes a lot of inspiration from alternative contemporary artists and designers: “I like Tyler the Creator’s golf [sneaker] and Takashi Murakami, especially his flower design. That was inspiring to me.”

“Seeing [different social medias] inspired me that I could do something like that too.”

- 9th grader Maggie Baxter

Inspired by colorful projects like Golf le Fleur and Takashi Murakami’s flower design, Maggie plans to use colorful and happy designs.

Baxter has posted about one sweatshirt design, which is her first one. Where she gets her influence from is clear from the design, with the petals resembling Murakami’s flower design, but not to the point where it makes her design unoriginal.

As she has done with her sweatshirt, Baxter plans to brand stuff, but for now, “I would hope to, in the future, make some pants and stuff, but I really just want to brand things and make a lot of different clothing items like stickers and those sorts of things with the designs I make on them,” Baxter said.

For the black sweatshirt, she cut pieces of felt (“[which is] actually 100% recyclable; eco-friendly”) and sewed them on to the sweatshirt. She has made many copies of the sweater, and plans to sell them in the future, along with other designs that are just as colorful and unique.

Written and designed by Lynn Reynolds Photographs submitted by Maggie Baxter Aureus - 9

ISSUE #2

Infographic information: Harvard University 10 - Aureus

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

OPINION

INCREASE GENDER DIVERSITY IN DECISION-MAKING D

iversity brings enhanced an authentic perspective of a topic. When collaboration, research having a discussion, it is important to include Gender diversity is done at the U of M has both men and women. If there are only men necessary: shown that women have in a decision process that excludes 50% of stronger skills reading non-verbal the population, the same goes for a room at school, during cues. Women also are better at taking full of women. conversations, turns in a conversation, which helps Having both men and women in a congroups combine knowledge and skills. versation brings different perspectives. With in the workplace, It is also shown in Harvard Unithe multiple perspectives it can spark innoin class, and versity studies that big companies vation and creativity, and help people unday to day life. have 70 percent men on their board, derstand different struggles and ideas that when making big decisions.The other others have.

20 percent is women, and 10 percent When solving problems, women, men, is minorities of all genders. This means that big choices for and any other sexual oriented individual will approach a the company are mainly directed towards men. Even though problem differently. This makes the understanding of what the decision will affect all workers men and women. Boards the problem could be so much richer. And gives so many should be full of the people that work for the company, and more options to the solutions. Here at SPA students should represent what the company wants to be. try to have a gender diverse conversation during and outside Gender diversity is necessary; at school, during conver- of class. With gender diversity, the conversation is brought sations, at the workplace, in class, and day to day life to get to a different level of understanding and discovery.

Written and designed by Tana Ososki Aureus - 11

ISSUE #2

DIVERSITY IN MUSIC TASTES M

usic is one of the most diverse ways of self-expression out there.

Musicians combine culture, feelings, experiences, and sometimes even things like religion and trends, to create something beautiful that millions of people can relate to. Whether you’re a casual music listener or you have a playlist for every mood, what you listen to can tell a lot about who you are, and it can be a way for you to connect to others.

Students who have varying levels of interest in music were interviewed to see what differences and similarities they have in their responses to questions about their music tastes.

Liv Larsen: What is your favorite song?

Gracie Tilney-Kaemmer: “Best Part” by H.E.R. because I listened to it after the Grammy’s when H.E.R. won, and it’s really good.

Clark Waltz: Right now my favorite song is “U-Love” by J Dilla Henrik Schleisman: My favorite song… I don’t know man. I could go with some classic Stones or I could go with “Gold” cause “Gold” is just a banger. Oh no, “Slick Talk” by JID. JID is nuts.

Lucy Hoeschen: That’s so hard. Just give me a second. I’m going through my playlist. Okay, right now I would say my favorite song is “Crush” by Cigarettes After Sex. Sarah Oppenheim: “Better than Revenge” by Taylor Swift

12 - Aureus

Garrett Pauly: My favorite is probably “M.A.A.D City” by Kendrick Lamar.

Aman Rahman: I really like “Lovin’ is Easy” by Rex Orange County.

LL: Who is your favorite artist/ band?

GTK: Theater! I don’t have one, just theater.

CW: The White Stripes HS: I don’t even know. This is stupidly hard. I could just go with Brockhampton. I’ll go with Brockhampton.

LH: I guess my favorite artist right now would be Nirvana.

SO: Taylor Swift GP: Kendrick Lamar, for sure.

AR: Maybe Khalid. I feel like I vibe with all of his music.

LL: Would you consider your music taste diverse?

GTK: No. I only really listen to musical theater and songs when my friends recommend them to me, so it’s not super diverse. It’s kind of a mess, to be honest.

CW: Yes because I like a lot of genres. I like rap, rock, indie, reggae, and a ton of others I can’t think of right now.

HS: Yeah, I think it is. I actually do listen to a lot of music. I listen to not only rap, which is the majority, but I listen to some classic rock. Then I throw in some other [stuff]. I was driving home and I was literally just listening to some trumpet music. It was sick.

LH: I would say my [music taste] is diverse yeah. I listen to all genres technically.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

SO: No, it’s only pop music and Taylor Swift.

GP: I would say [is it] somewhat [diverse]. I don’t really listen to country music, but I do listen to some oldies, hip-hop, rap, pop stuff like that. I’ve been trying to expand my interests as I grow older and understand stuff better.

It’s always a journey.

AR: I would say now it has gotten a lot more diverse. It usually just used to be rap and hip-hop, but now there’s some pop and even some alternative [in my playlists].

LL: Have you ever been to a concert? If so, what is your favorite concert you’ve been to?

GTK: I think Hayley Kiyoko was definitely the best concert I’ve been to.

She performs really well, and also I’m in love with her.

CW: As of now, my favorite one has to be Tyler, The Creator at Soundset.

HS: Disastrous question. Literally, the only two concerts I’ve been to in the past 10 years were Brockhampton and Soundset, so I’ll just go with Soundset.

LH: Yeah, I’ve been to a concert. I just recently went to the Kiss concert, and that was super fun so that.

SO: I went to Taylor Swift’s Reputation concert and 1989, and Reputation was better.

GP: I have not been to a concert.

I’m not a big live music guy, but if I could get some friends to go I would.

AR: I’ve been to Drake, and that’s probably my favorite concert that I’ve been to cause it was just so good.

LL: What role does music play in your life?

GTK: [Music] can really affect my mood if I’m sad and I listen to something that makes me happy or that reminds me of a really good memory.

It boosts my mood a bunch, and it’s a good time.

CW: [Music is] pretty important to me. My family always has one radio or CD player going at a time. We’ve got a full wall dedicated to CDs. HS: Music plays a large role in my life actually as my father and grandfather, well my grandfather wasn’t a musician, but my dad is. My grandpa just loved jazz and stuff like that. Not only that, but I listen to a lot of music. That’s important, like, I can’t drive without it.

I’ve tried, it hurts.

LH: It’s a big part of keeping myself emotionally stable. I listen to it when I’m in any mood, and it grounds me.

SO: It’s a break from school and stress.

GP: I would say [music] allows me to focus when I’m studying, focus myself, my energy, what I want to be feeling like. It allows me to change my mood really easily. If I wanna be a certain way, I put music on. It can improve my mood a lot. It’s to focus and stabilize.

AR: I use it a lot if I’m happy I can use music to make me stay happy longer, but it can speak to me in different ways. If I’m not feeling the best it helps me feel better.

Written by Liv Larson Designed by Nitya Thakkar Aureus - 13

ISSUE #2

DIVERSITY IN ACTIVITIES

Written & designed by Lynn Reynolds

THE ATHLETE

NBA2K fuels Starchook’s love for basketball

“[Downloading NBA2k] is actually how I got into basketball. It helped me learn more about the game, about NBA rosters and how the game worked.”

- Sophomore Ivan Starchook

14 - Aureus

S

ophomore Ivan Starchook is an avid player of the NBA2k video game, which not only gives him more screen time, but inspires him to be a better basketball player as well. “[Downloading NBA2k] is actually how I got into basketball. It helped me learn more about the game, about NBA rosters and how the game worked,” Starchook said, “It was fun to see how different teams worked and the good versus bad.”

The game has a pointing influence on how Starchook plays and how he tries to improve as a player, but also on how he viewed the NBA. He became much more invested in the NBA after having such a strong presence on the video game: “ It was interesting to see different players’ [styles of playing] and how you can use them in the game. It

SPA Smugmug made me like the NBA more.” He feels that he has become a better player because of NBA2k, especially mentally, because of the strategy the game requires.

Starchook is able to include this game into his connections with people as well, he got into NBA2k via a friend, so it is only right that that is what they do when they’re together. “A lot of the time, [my friends and I] play it competitively,” Starchook said.

Starchook plays the game everyday, but he makes sure to limit his usage, “I play everyday, but not for long, like 30 minutes. It’s always pretty fun.” But not as fun as physically playing basketball, which is what Starchook largely dedicates his time to outside the video game.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

THE MUSICIAN The other half: producing

“It’s kinda weird, because I play jazz piano and am in jazz quartets and on the other side of that I produce music. I’ve even done like EDM music.”

- 9th grader Henry Burkhardt

9th grader Henry Burkhardt is in many jazz-related music groups, evolving from a classical-oriented music curriculum to jazz in his music lessons, and is in jazz band and jazz quartets. However, how he has started to express himself musically now differentiates quite drastically from his classical and jazz history.

He produces music, which all started in sixth grade with him messing around with an old keyboard his music teacher gave him. “It’s gone on from there, now I produce a lot of stuff.”

Burkhardt has virtually done something with every genre (“I’ve even done EDM music.”), but his current niche is more hip-hop oriented.

“Right now, Dessa [inspires me a lot]. She’s a Minnesota rapper. She lived by my

neighborhood and she’s kind of making it big now which is really cool to me.”

Whether Burkhardt wants to pursue music or not is still up in the air, but he knows that he will keep doing it as at least a hobby. “There is a big range of genres that I’m interested in. I’ve been trying to fuse everything together, which is an experiment for me right now. I’m thinking of getting a SoundCloud or something, I have [a lot of] stuff I could upload.”

He has over 60 tracks in his library right now, so uploading it somewhere seems like a good move.

“It’s kinda weird, because I play jazz piano and am in jazz quartets and on the other side of things I produce music.

I’ve even done like EDM music.”

Burkhardt is inspired by experimental Minnesota musicians, such as Dessa, who is a local rapper. “I’ve been trying to fuse everything together, which is an experiment for me right now,” Burkhardt said.

submitted by Henry Burkhardt Aureus - 15

ISSUE #2

THE CLIMBER

Sogin’s therapeutic downtime: bouldering

“I’ve always been looking for ways to be active, but besides sports or organized things, I’ve had a hard time sticking to it.”

- Senior Jenny Sogin

A sharp contrast to tech-filled activities (although they are an excellent outlet for creativity and do give a much needed break for the active world around you), is rock climbing, which seniors Nora Povejsil and Jenny Sogin do frequently.

“Nora introduced me to MBP [(Minnesota Bouldering Project)], which is this super awesome bouldering place. I really loved it and have been going 4-5 times a week ever since,” Sogin said, “I’ve always been looking for ways to be active, but besides sports or organized things, I’ve had a hard time sticking to it.”

Although this effectively takes up a lot of time, it makes Sogin more productive because her downtime is her actually doing something as a break from homework, “Bouldering became a really great outlet for me. Instead of falling into a Netflix hole and sitting around my house, I find myself at the gym most days of the week and then get home, do my homework and go to bed exhausted.”

Rock climbing is something both Povejsil and Sogin have been doing since they were young, but they’ve never thought it about it so fondly until now.

“Bouldering became a really good outlet for me. I find myself at the gym most days of the week.”

- Senior Jenny Sogin

16 - Aureus

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

THE GAMER

Speedrunning: Konar-Steenberg’s fast-as-you-can hobby

“It’s kind of unconventional, but there’s a video game called Super Mario Odyssey.

I’ve gotten into speedrunning.”

- 9th grader Naci Konar-Steenberg

9th grader Naci Konar-Steenberg loves video games, especially the Mario series. His favorite is Super Mario Odyssey, which he spends “at least a few minutes every day” on.

“I looked [the game] up and it looked really pretty, so I’m like, ‘Hey! If I ever end up getting a Switch, I should get this game.’ I did end up getting a Switch and I did end up getting that game,” Konar-Steenberg said.

However, Konar-Steenberg does not play Super Mario Odyssey aimlessly as most teens do with video games; he has uncovered something called speedrunning: “Speedrunning is when you go from the start of a game to a particular goal, in this case, the end of the main story line, as fast as you possibly can.”

“I, in general, do play a lot of video games. I play them for at least a few minutes every day.”

- 9th grader Naci Konar-Steenberg

Konar-Steenberg has discovered many things while playing Super Mario Odyssey- he is a speedrunning extraordinaire. He has tried speedrunning in many other games, but they do not give him the same sense of excitement as Super Mario Odyssey does with its great pixelation Mario travels across different worlds and seas.

Aureus - 17

ISSUE #2

OPINION: CAN THE FILM INDUSTRY SEE QUEERLY? Written by Lucia Granja Designed by Noah Raaum

18 - Aureus

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

I

n movie theaters, we are bombarded by romance. Even in movie genres that have seemingly nothing to do with love stories, such as action movies, or horror, the plotline always includes a flirtatious romance. It’s always the same formula: girl meets guy, they both finally realize their undying love for eachother, she almost loses him, and then finally, they get together in a show-stopping dramatic slow-mo. That formula always works, but it’s outdated. Not only is the plot basic, and boring, but the formula never allows for any non-straight relationships. Hollywood has made a number of big non-straight feature films recently, such as Love, Simon, which is great progress, but we need more.

In movies with queer characters, their queerness is usually pointed out. There are more harmful instances of this, such as the stereotypical gay guy character, who loves fashion, talks in a high, stereotypical voice, and is (literally) always at the beck and call of the lead female character. These stereotypic representations of queerness are problematic, as they portray queer people with 2 dimensional and limited personalities.

Another, less obvious example of pointing out queerness, are the classic, “gay problems”-based stories. These stories portray queer characters well, but they center only on the character’s queerness. A great example of a “gay problems”-based story is Love, Simon.

Although not problematic by any means, and actually beautiful story, Love, Simon focuses solely on Simon’s struggle with accepting his queerness and coming out to his friends, family, and school. The entire movie is based on his relationship with his queerness. The reason these “gay problems”-based stories aren’t the best representation of queerness is because they limit the queer character’s story and life to only their queerness, without showing the character’s intersectionality. A better way to represent queerness in movies would be to show a character’s story, and just casually mention their queerness, without making it the entire plot.

Queer representation is very important to queer and non-queer youth who look to movies as a representation of the world as a whole. When young queer people don’t see themselves represented in the media, they can feel as though they aren’t seen or valued by the greater society. By representing queer romance in movies, young queer adults can find acceptance, even if their school or family isn’t accepting. When non-queer people don’t see queer people represented normally in the media, this can develop or reinforce prejudices towards queer people. Casual queer representation in movies can normalize queerness in a (still) largely xenophobic and bigoted world.

Aureus - 19

ISSUE #2

DIVERSITY IN SIGHT: While humans all see the same colors and shapes, many animals see differently. In this story, there are a collection of photos comparing how humans see certain places and objects compared to animals.

Dogs

Humans View

Dogs View

Dogs only have two types of color detecting cells, unlike humans who have three. Dogs are better at seeing yellows and blues.

20 - Aureus

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

THROUGH THE EYES OF ANIMALS Birds

Humans View

Birds View

Unlike humans, birds can see ultraviolet light. With the exception of night flying animals, birds can see the UV light which makes the images they detect more purple color.

Aureus - 21

ISSUE #2

Cuttle Fish

Human View

Cuttle Fish View CuttleFish are colorblind but they have polarized vison which affects different angles.

22 - Aureus

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

Cats

Human View

Cat View Cats have a wider visual field and their vision is much more blurry as they have a visual acuity of 20/100.

Written by Mimi Geller Designed by Tana Ososki Photographs by Mimi Geller Aureus - 23

ISSUE #2

OPINION:

THE TASMANIAN TIGER The necessity for biodiversity Written by Sam Hanson Designed by Noah Raaum

“W

hat would you do if you were the last person alive on earth?” This question if often met with elaborate plans—anywhere from food storage to stealing cars—but would it really be that nice to be the last of your species?

For the last thylacine, a carnivorous dog-like creature, fate wasn’t as kind. In a zoo in Hobart,Tasmania, on an unusually cold night in 1936, the last thylacine, attributed the name Benjamin, was accidentally locked out of its enclosure. Though Benjamin could have no idea he was the last of the species, perhaps it remembers how Australian colonists had brutally hunted its kind, calling them “sheep-killers” and “destructive.” Neglected and alone in the zoo, Benjamin’s fate as an “endling”—the last of a species—is not uncommon in a world where biodiversity is steadily decreasing. But as humans, the idea of an “endling” is almost incomprehensible. Diversity is all around us, in the flora and fauna of our local ecosystems, so it feels odd to recognize such a profound loss.

But this loss has occurred since the Pleistocene, where

24 - Aureus

some species of megafauna—the woolly rhino, short-faced bear, and giant sloth—were obliterated. There is no way to “grieve” the loss of any such species, but perhaps our growing disconnect from nature prevents this.

In Africa, a combination of climate change and habitat could cause some animals to lose 50% of their population by the end of the century. In the Pacific Ocean, 90% of the coral reefs may degrade and bleach within a thirty-year span. Depressed yet? But this loss of biodiversity reported in scientific papers—with its overwhelming facts and statistics— often fails to communicate the unfathomable loss the planet is experiencing. Instead, we should think of biodiversity as a facet of history, something that should not fall to cultural amnesia.

In a more environmentally-conscious age, though, some action is being taken to combat biodiversity loss. “Rewilding” is a new idea that suggests introducing non-native species to a habitat if they contribute a functional role in the ecosystem.

Conservationists Meredith Root-Bernstein and Jens-Christian Svenning, in an issue of Journal of Arid Environments, suggest introducing camels to North America. This may sound farfetched (image a cowboy riding a camel in the desert), but

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

camels did indeed cross the land bridge into North America, only to die out around 8,000 years ago. The researchers write that camels could disperse plant seeds through their digestive

As humans, the idea of an “endling” is almost incomprehensible. systems, increasing the germination rate, and supplementing food for predators and scavengers by acting as a big herbivore.

There could be drawbacks to introducing camels, though.

Camels could over-graze native plants and spread invasive species through their dung. “Rewilding” still requires more research, but it seems like an unnatural way to save the planet’s

biodiversity.

The relationship between humans and biodiversity raises philosophical questions, too. Foucault, in his Lectures on Biopolitics, introduced the idea that our neoliberal economic structures are designed to control human behavior and even “life” itself. In short, Foucault sees the “philosophical life,” embodied in the Cynics, Stoics, and Epicureans, at odds with the “neoliberal”-minded person, who pursues competition for maximum profit at his or her own self-interest. The subject of biodiversity is connected to Foucault’s distinctions between lifestyles, although it may not seem so on the surface. This “philosophical life,” a caring of the self, translates to a care for bios: life itself. As the Earth’s biodiversity continues to decline, it will be easy to let the ethical—or “eco-ethical”—life give way to a narcissistic view: that Anthropocene acts merely as a constraint to profit and economic growth. We must set aside this individualistic motivation in saving biodiversity, and see the connection between an ethical lifestyle, and ethical treatment of bios: diversity of life beyond our own existence.

Aureus - 25

ISSUE #2

OPINION: GREAT MINDS THINK DIFFERENTLY Written and designed by Noah Raaum

What happens when opinions are no longer opinions?

disrupting Harkness platitudes

D

iversity in thought is elusive. Students shy away from controversial opinions not because they disagree but because they fear the repercussions.

The Harkness table, as many refer to it, can be an echo chamber. Thoughts bounce from one student to the next, transcribed and reflected in their entirety, taking on no new elements or reaching new dimensions. This issue goes beyond opinions; even questions can trigger this fearful response. Innocent, genuine questions hide behind the convoluted tissues of our mind. The answer is never found, and ignorance persists.

Why is this phenomenon so prevalent at St. Paul Academy and Summit School? Perhaps our intellectual, fast-paced academic culture intimidates those who are divergent in opinion and thought. Making a comment at the Harkness table—even on the most mundane topic—can be like walking on eggshells. Lions line the perimeter of the table,

26 - Aureus

ready to pounce on every small incongruence. If a mistake is made, the student crawls under the table, enveloped by dark thoughts of criticism.

Similarly, if a student feels that the world is against their thoughts and hides their opinions, they nurture them and let them fester, incapable of change. Knee jerk responses to “unprogressive” sentiments are intended to eradicate them but, in fact, they can embolden them.

It can’t be said enough: there is no wrong question—there is no wrong answer. Students have to trust that those around them speak with meaning and that their thoughts will be received and reciprocated. Learning only takes place in places of comfort. “Safe spaces” are often misunderstood as places where unfavorable opinions are banished. Yet, those opinions enrich experiences, but only when they are treated respectfully.

We must safeguard diversity in thought.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO

WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS

NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG

ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS

NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO

WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO

WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO

WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS

NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG

ANSWERS NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS

NO WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO

WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS NO

WRONG QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS

NO

WRONG

ANSWERS

QUESTIONS

NO

WRONG

NO

WRONG

QUESTIONS

NO WRONG ANSWERS NO WRONG

QUESTIONS NO WRONG ANSWERS

NO

NO

WRONG WRONG

QUESTIONS ANSWERS. Aureus - 27

ISSUE #2

ACCENTS, DIALECTS, THE DIVERSITY

Junior Ananya Narayan and her mom celebrate an Indian religious holiday together while in India. Narayan speaks Hindi with her parents, yet she speaks a version of Hindi that is “interspersed with English words.�

28 - Aureus

Narayan and her cousins in India wear traditional Indian clothes while celebrating a holiday. With her cousins, Narayan speaks a version of Hindi that is full of modern English slang words.

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

DICTION AND SLANG: OF LANGUAGE

Written by Isabel Saavedra-Weis Designed by Nitya Thakkar Photographs submitted by Ananya Narayan

T

here are around 6,500 languages spoken today around the world. And as if that number isn’t mind-blowing enough, it doesn’t even begin to describe how many different dialects there are of each language. Language is vital to human survival; without it, communication would be limited, and many of the establishments the human race has accomplished today would have been much harder, if not impossible, to complete. Yet, the way humans communicate is far from homogenous or stagnant. Language can vary within countries or even cities. It can vary between generations. It can grow and adapt over time, or as borders shift and people move.

Upper school Spanish teacher Rolando Castellanos is familiar with the diversity within languages. He grew up in Cuba, where most everyone speaks Spanish. However, he said that “even on a small island, there are many linguistic differences.”

The variety in dialects in Cuba comes from its colonial history. Camaguey, the providence Castellanos grew up in, was occupied by many Spaniards from Galicia, which greatly influenced the way of speech. In contrast, Cubans from La Havana speak Spanish with an accent greatly influenced by African languages, a byproduct of the slave trade.

“People from Havana have an accent that is super hard to understand. Even other Cubans make fun of people from Havana because they speak terrible

Spanish!” Castellanos said.

Since emigrating from Cuba, Castellanos has found his Spanish accent shifting while reacting to the exposure of different types of Spanish.

“When I’m with other Cubans, I speak more like a Cuban. It just comes out. When I speak with my Mexican friend, I sound Mexican. Same with Peruvians, and Spaniards, and Argentinians!” he said.

“It’s something you don’t think about.

It just happens.”

Castellanos considers the ability of code-switching in one language to be particularly interesting because it doesn’t quite count as multilingualism.

Yet, even if 437 million people speak Spanish, that doesn’t mean they all speak the same Spanish.

“Spanish in Venezuela has Caribbean roots, in Peru and Ecuador it’s influenced by Aymara and Kichwa, the Argentinians have more Italian and Gallego accents and grammatical structures,” Castellanos explains.

And it’s not just Spanish. Junior Ananya Narayan has had similar experiences in India when speaking Hindi.

“Even within Hindi, there are so many different dialects, so you could travel from one village to another and not understand what they’re saying,” she said.

Beyond location, Narayan has found that Hindi changes over time. Today, most of the people she knows speak a more modern Hindi, “interspersed with English words.” However, Hindi did not

always sound that way.

“True Hindi? It’s beautiful, and I don’t think I could understand it because it’s so different from what we speak now,” Narayan said.

Narayan finds a generational divide in while speaking English as well in her household. What she calls “spilling the tea,” her mother would simply refer to as “telling a secret.” However, this barrier doesn’t bother Narayan, as she sees it as only natural.

“I think the evolving of language is important because it reflects the time period that we’re in and the kind of issues that we’re facing in our world today,” she said.

Castellanos would agree, and said that language evolution also reflects largely on the people speaking it. He refers to the Royal Spanish Academy, an institution in Spain dedicated to regulating the constant additions to the Spanish language. Castellanos likes the idea of the Royal Spanish Academy because it gives some structure to the linguistic modifications caused by technology and the blending of cultures.

However, Castellanos also notes, happily, that the Royal Spanish Academy has its limitations.

“They are trying to maintain the uniformity of the language… but they don’t control it.” Castellanos said.

“You can’t control language, because language is of the people. All they do is decide if a word is officially part of the Spanish language, but they can’t stop the evolution of language.”

Aureus - 29

LOOKING THROUGH YOUR EYES

AUREUS

STAFF LIST EDITOR IN CHIEF Nitya Thakkar DESIGNERS Quinn Christensen Tana Ososki Lynn Reynolds Noah Raaum Nitya Thakkar WRITERS Mimi Geller Sam Hanson Melissa Nie Tana Ososki Lynn Reynolds Isabel Saavedra-Weis Liv Larsen Lucia Granja COVER Design: Nitya Thakkar Model: Zeke Lam, Mimi Geller ADVISERS Kathryn Campbell Kate Glassman

30 - Aureus

AUREUS

the feature magazine of The Rubicon St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Avenue Saint Paul, MN 55105 aureus.spa@gmail.com