April 2021 Issue

RUBICON

the

Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges

the student newspaper of St. Paul Academy and Summit School 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 Volume 47. Issue 7.

April 27, 2021

www.rubiconline.com

‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion’

2021 virtual SpeakerService Day invites activism JENNY RIES

THE RUBICON

PHOTO: Nikolas Liepins COMMUNITY IN RELIEF. Community members react to the guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on all three charges he faced for killing George Floyd in May 2020.

EVE SAMPSELL-JONES THE RUBICON

Almost one year ago George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis. The trial of the police officer, Derek Chauvin, who kneeled on his neck for nearly 10 minutes, recently came to a close after 10 hours of jury deliberation. On Tuesday, Apr. 20, shortly after 4 p.m., Chauvin was proclaimed guilty on all counts: unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter.

“It was heartbreaking and angering to watch the trial [unfold], especially some of the arguments Chauvin’s defense team has pursued.” 9th grader Clara McKoy said.

Chauvin’s defense team mainly sought to dispute Floyd’s cause of death. Floyd had heart problems and clogged arteries, as well as issues with drug addiction. He also had COVID-19 soon before his death. The defense argued that those issues could have very well caused his death, but the

prosecution refuted this.

The prosecutors called in many people who saw Floyd’s death to testify.

The witnesses gave emotional accounts of how the scene played out. One such witness was Darnella Frazier, the 18-year-old who filmed the Facebook video of Floyd’s murder.

The witnesses made it clear that Floyd was crying out and that he was suffering.

In addition, the jury selection process was particularly difficult for this case, as, by law, the jury

has to be impartial. This case was steeped in political pressure, and it was difficult to find someone in the Metro area who hasn’t heard of it. However, over time, a fairly diverse jury was selected.

The jury of twelve (plus two alternates) consisted of seven women and five men; six people of color (four Black, two multiracial) and six white people.

They were also diverse in age (20s to 60s).

CHAUVIN GUILTY

The 2021 speaker-service day took place virtually on Apr. 16, focused around the theme of ‘Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.’ It opened with keynote speaker Sharon Day, executive director of the Indigenous People’s Task Force, followed by students attending two other speaker presentations in the morning and watching a documentary in the afternoon. The Upper School Council led the planning of the speaker aspect of speaker-service day, with representatives Gabriella Thompson and Henry Hoeglund taking the lead on many aspects of planning. The Community Action and Service club planned the service portion of the day.

The variety of speakers that USC included showcased different perspectives not always talked about at school.

“It was a good way to experience perspectives I otherwise wouldn’t have experienced getting… I thought that was the part [of the day] that I got the

FAIR USE: Spirit Aligned Keynote speaker Sharon Day is an Ojibwe leader, Native American activist, artist and writer from Minnesota. most out of,” junior Will Anderson said.

Each speaker spoke about some aspect of this year’s theme, and in the afternoon, students watched documentaries that connected to topics brought up by the speakers.

SPEAKER-SERVICE continued on pg. 3

continued on pg. 2

Students walk out for racial justice EVELYN LILLEMOE

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Elle Chen Seniors Evelyn Lillemoe, Aman Rahman, Gavin Kimmel, and junior Ellie Murphy sit in silence in honor of Daunte Wright.

TANGIBLE CHANGE

Awareness and education are important, but finding ways to make actual change is even more crucial.

EDITORIAL pg. 7

IN THIS ISSUE:

Approximately 190 students walked out of classes and onto the front lawn Apr. 19 to protest police killings of black people on the day of closing arguments in the Derek Chauvin trial and just days before the funeral of Daunte Wright. Speakers were encouraged to reflect on recent events, on the recent speaker day, and bring forward ideas on how to create change at school.

Senior Aman Rah-

man, an organizer of the event, sees this movement in the Twin Cities: “...our state has neglected BIPOC people and communities in this state and now there’s been an eruption, an explosion of just sadness and pain and hurt.”

Junior Isaiah Eby shared frustrations with how white students interact with anti-racism work.

“I hear a lot of times from white students that they don’t know what to do; they feel like they

UPDATE: SPARTAN SPORTS Students head into the spring sports season with optimism after COVID-19 canceled play last season.

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1-3 - News I 4-6 Opinion I 7 - Health I 8-9 - In Depth I 10 - Feature I 11-13 - SPORTS I 14-15 - A&E I 16 - Good Question

can’t do enough. But I see these opportunities being given, like the [white ally] anti-racist [special interest] group at school and protests outside of school that I see them not taking. So it’s just like, they’re saying that they care, but they’re not actually following up with things that they could do,” he said.

Eby explained why it is so crucial that white students do the work.

“After George Floyd was murdered and white people started showing

up a lot -- that’s when we started to see more change start to happen…,” Eby said.

Junior Jayden Jones views the larger fight as deeply personal.

“When I look at all of the people murdered by the police, I see my sisters, my brothers, my siblings. My mothers, my fathers, my parents. When I saw the picture of Daunte Wright on the news I saw my brother, my family,” Jones said.

WALKOUT continued on pg. 2

TAYLOR’S VERSION

Taylor Swift tops charts yet again with “Fearless (Taylor’s Version),” a rerecording of a previous album.

SECTION pg. 14-15

@TheRubiconSPA

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NEWS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

of being defined as previously unaware of the case.”

For senior Sam Konstan, the trial lasted longer than he thought, and sitting waiting for the final verdict was nerve-wracking.

“My heart was pounding as they were reading the verdict; after 30 minutes of boredly awaiting the release and up until the last juror confirmed that the decision reflected their vote, I was certain that something was going to go wrong,” Konstan said. “Once it was final-

ized, I could finally take a breath of relief, though I knew that this was just a tiny first step towards a much larger reformation of the American dream.”

Many rejoiced across the country, with celebrations going late into the night in George Floyd Square where he was killed. However, many recognize that the Black RUBICONLINE PHOTO: Elle Chen Lives Matter movement and antiracist activism SPEAK OUT. Junior Ellie Dawson-Moore speaks to the crowd on the importance won’t fizzle out, summed of mutual aid and monetary donations in the fight for racial justice. up in the phrase “This WALKOUT changes BIPOC students Thompson echoed isn’t justice, it’s account- continued from pg. 1 have advocated for.

Raveendran, urging stuability.”

They went on to de“I don’t think you dents to use their pow“People who unknow- scribe the ways they feel realize how much your er to demand change ingly perpetuate white administration has failed voice has power in this from administration. supremacy or even just in this time: “Shame on community,” she said. “I She posed questions that institutionalized racism SPA for not giving us remean admin barely lis- white students should be can only do so because sources at the end of their tens to students of color asking: “Why are we losthey do not directly see emails. Shame on SPA for until white people start ing so many teachers of the pain that they are not naming the problem. to talk too. [D]on’t speak color? Why are students causing,” Konstan said. “I I am ashamed to go to a over BIPOC students, but of color, especially Black wholeheartedly believe school that doesn’t use know that your voice has students, leaving bein systemic reformation, it’s incredible amount of so much worth at the fore they enter the high but the key fact to re- resources to do the right school and with our ad- school? Why does our member is that these in- thing.” ministration.” curriculum not reflect stitutions are made up of After the first speakers, Students of color have our student body or our people and the only way the conversations shiftfought for safe spaces country?” to fight the institutions is ed focus to SPA. Senior for people of every race Thompson finished to help change the peo- Rashmi Raveendran reor ethnicity for decades. with a reminder that all ple.” flected on her experience Senior Gabriella Thomp- students of color are wel“I hope the media at- as a student of color here son spoke on why they come to come to Comtention of the case and since kindergarten. should be recognized for mon Ground, Wednesthe trial is testimony to “This is my 13th year this. days from 1-1:45 p.m. the broken state of law in SPA...not that much “A lot of students, To close the walkout enforcement in Ameri- has changed,” she said. and [more specifically] speakers, Rahman asked ca,” McKoy said. “George Raveendran pointed students of color, have every student one thing Floyd never should have out the hypocrisy she has been working...for a re- they could sacrifice to been killed, and his death seen in many of her white ally long time to push take a step towards racial has been felt in commu- peers who claim they towards equity. At every justice. nities all across America. support students of color, turn, administration has “At the end of the day, The first step to healing but then will say or do said, ‘slow down, stop, if white people aren’t the damage of police bru- racist things. She urged you can’t do that, we can’t getting out of their comtality is providing justice white students to start do that,’ and not giving us fort zones,” Rahman said, for the victims.” communicating with an explanation why,” she “then nothing’s going to administration about said. happen.”

cepted 20% of its applicants. In 2021, that number dropped to 12%.

For senior Allison Audette, the news surrounding acceptance rates didn’t add much stress to her application process. “[Acceptance rates were] something that I heard a lot about, but not really until later on when I had already applied to schools. So, it didn’t really affect my process, but it definitely added some nerves when waiting for decisions,” she said.

Director of College Counseling Mary Hill found that the change reflected the uncertainty of recent years.

“Because [acceptance and application rates] this year were so dramatically different in many cases, that makes everything a little more unpredictable,” she said. “However, moderately and highly selective schools may have had an increase, but not a shocking increase the way some of the headline-grabbing

schools have had.”

One reason for an increase in applications was the need for schools to adopt test-optional policies due to the pandemic.

Senior Michael Moran numbers among the students who find standardized testing a helpful gauge of academic ability.

“I think that [standardized tests] provide a relatively objective measurement; I think they’re a reasonable gauge of your faculties,” he said.

Audette was less enthusiastic.

“I don’t think they are really a great way to depict the strength of a student. I think that how well you do often correlates to the amount of resources you have available to prepare for them, so that’s a big problem,” she said.

Hill had a similar opinion.

“I think they’re flawed in many ways. There’s tons of research about bias and limitations in access to testing and

PHOTO: Nikolas Liepins Philonise Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, speaks at a Floyd family press conference in reaction to the guilty verdicts against former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

CHAUVIN GUILTY continued from pg. 1 This case was steeped in political pressure, and it was difficult to find someone in the Metro area who hasn’t heard of it. However, over time, a fairly diverse jury was selected. The jury of twelve (plus two alternates) consisted of seven women and five men; six people of color (four Black, two multiracial) and six white people. They were also diverse in age (20s to 60s).

“It’s hard to find a neutral jury for a case like this. Not only was the video of George Floyd’s death wrongfully spread around the internet, but you’ll also be hardpressed to find someone who hasn’t heard of him,” junior Val Chafee said. “It’s also interesting [that] political beliefs were taken into account, as neutrality, in this instance, has to be defined in other ways- instead

“

MY HEART WAS POUNDIING AS THEY WERE READING THE VERDICT. Sam Konstan

”

College applicant numbers go up, admission rates go down MADDY FISHER THE RUBICON

The annual college admission process has been especially frenzied since the beginning of the pandemic. While a usually stressful process, this admissions season has altered with a handful of unexpected changes and uncertainty. Many schools, particularly the more selective ones, saw a dramatic rise in applications.

The University of California, Los Angeles saw a dramatic increase in applications, up 28% from prior years. According to Forbes, Harvard experienced a 43% increase in applications and Columbia University received 51% more than the year before. As application rates rise, admittance rates decrease. This year, Harvard accepted 3.4% of undergraduate applicants and Columbia accepted 3.7%. Other schools had similar decreases in acceptance rate. In 2018, New York University ac-

test prep that make the results of tests more a reflection of socioeconomic and demographic privilege than it does inherent ability,” she said.

“Testing is very much in a period of flux. It’s not disappeared entirely, but I think it’s moving to become one among many possible pieces of an application, as opposed to a piece of an application everyone feels required to aim for.”

In spite of unpredictability, Hill’s advice to students remains constant.

“Uncertainty is always one of the hardest things,” she said. “While a challenge for students at any time, I think it’s important to give yourself the gift of taking enough time to do thoughtful research. Research doesn’t accelerate you to your conclusions, but it makes you more confident and more in control of the decisions you make. Patience and persistence still pays off.”

HOW MUCH DID APPLICATION RATES INCREASE BY?

Harvard

UCLA

had a

had a

28%

43%

increase in applications

increase in applications

Columbia had a

51%

increase in applications INFOGRAPHIC: Maren Ostrem and Eloise Duncan INFORMATION: Forbes Many top schools saw a dramatic increase in applications this past admissions cycle.

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NEWS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

Discrimination increases towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders NOA GROSS

THE RUBICON

Since January 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 within American borders was officially diagnosed, the lives of citizens across the country have permanently changed in many difficult ways. But Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a group that has been hit disproportionately hard: they have faced increasing discrimination and attacks due to the association by many of the virus with China.

The 2020-21 National Report from Stop AAPI Hate stated that there were 503 reported incidents from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28. The main forms of discrimination reported being verbal harassment and shunning.

9th-grader Henry Hilton had heard about some of these incidents.

“I read a New York Times article about how Asian Americans were being blamed for the coronavirus pandemic, and then of course there

was the shooting in Atlanta,” Hilton said.

The Atlanta shooting took place on Mar. 16, and eight people were shot, six of which were Asian Americans.

Minnesota specifically was featured on the report as one of the top states with reported incidents. With 42 reported occurrences, Minnesota alone accounted for 1.11% of the total occurrences.

Oliva Szaj, a junior who is working on a project addressing letters to state legislators to gain support for bills highlighting AAPI discrimination, says that though the abuse, harassment, and incidents experienced by AAPI are not new, they have worsened with the pandemic.

“Asian Americans have always faced racism… But with the pandemic, it’s gotten a lot worse, President Trump calling it the Kung Fu virus has not made it better. it’s a major problem that needs to be taken

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Eloise Duncan The Minnesota Supreme Court recently upheld the law that victims are not mentally incapacitated if they got drunk voluntarily.

Court upholds mentally incapacitated definition JULIA BARON THE RUBICON

In the days following the May 25 Minnesota Supreme Court decision to reverse an earlier criminal rape conviction due to the loophole in the definition of “mentally incapacitated,” students’ social media accounts were flooded with infographics and new stories about the ruiling. Stories entitled “A Minnesota man can’t be charged with felony rape because the woman chose to drink beforehand, court rule” from the Washington Post, “Rape victims not ‘mentally incapacitated’ if they got drunk on their own, Minnesota

Supreme Court rules” from CBS News, and “Minnesota Supreme Court throws out rape conviction because intoxicated woman willingly consumed alcohol” from USA Today became top headlines. Outrage emerged, petitions were started, and protests were planned. While all in the spirit of standing up for rape and assault survivors, misunderstanding of what the case meant and what the job of Supreme Court Justices is became widespread.

Here is a breakdown of the court decision transcript: In May 2017, a woman went back to a man’s apartment after he told

more seriously because I think it’s more of a joke right now,” Szaj said.

Hilton agreed with Szaj’s sentiment.

“People want to blame the pandemic on someone, [so] they might look to Asian American people because [the virus] started in China, even though that’s not [AAPI’s] fault” Hilton said.

Sarina Charpentier, co-president of the Asian Student Alliance affinity group at St. Paul Academy, manages creating a space for her peers especially in the wake of the Atlanta shooting.

She hopes that students can do better and put their energy into making change.

“We’re friendly with our members and they can talk to us about anything. I’ve emailed students that are Asian identifying just saying, hey guys I’m just letting you know that I know, it’s been a lot. With the Atlanta shooting everyone’s taking it differently, but you can always

her he was bringing her to a party. Shortly after they arrived, she blacked out on his couch due to intoxication. She was later woken up by the man raping her. The man, Monulu Khalil, was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, which is defined as “a person who engages in sexual penetration with another person… [if] the actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.” In the lower court, Khalil was found guilty of third degree criminal sexual conduct.

Khalil appealed the decision, as the definition of the term mentally incapacitated is a person who is under the influence of some substance that was “administered to that person without the person’s agreement.” Khalil argued that the judge misinstructed the jury that the term could apply to this case. A Court of Appeals was divided on Khalil’s case but ultimately affirmed the decision of the lower court.

However, when Khalili’s case was brought to the the Minnesota Supreme Court in late March, they unanimous-

PHOTO: Nikolas Liepins Community members gathered for an “Emergency Action: Asian Solidarity March” after a gunman went on a shooting spree at massage parlors, killing eight people, six of whom were Asian women, in Georgia on Mar. 16. reach out to me if you need anything” she said.

“Within the community, there are just some students that just generalize and stereotype Asian kids and Asian people. [They] need to just realize that as a collective, as a whole, those jokes aren’t funny, and that you have no clue how what you say has an impact on somebody.”

Governments are working towards change.

On Apr. 14 the United States Senate opened up debate on a bill against Anti-Asian American

“

THE NEXT STEP IS TO CHANGE THAT LAW, WHICH...

THE COURT CAN NOT DO ON THEIR OWN.

”

Insley Graupman ly ruled to grant Khalil a new trial due to the missusaul of the term “mentally incapacitated.” As Judge Thissen wrote in the court’s opinion, the lower court’s decision to prosecute Khalil under the third degree criminal sexual conduct law “unreasonably strains and stretches the plain text of the statute.” The opinion stated that the law was not ambiguous, and could only apply to cases in which a victim was involuntarily intoxicated.

Thissen and the Supreme Court then argued for a lesser sentence for Khalil: fifth degree criminal sexual conduct — a gross misdemeanor rather than a felony conviction.

Junior Insley Graupman, who has been outspoken about misunderstanding surrounding

hate crimes. On Mar. 26, the Minneapolis City Council approved the resolution “condemning the racialized harm against Asian American/Pacific Islander individuals and communities”.

In the meantime, students aren’t waiting for people to listen. From attending protests and marches to interacting with elected officials, they are speaking up, refusing to let their voices, and the experiences of the AAPI, community be silenced.

the case on social media, has been frustrated with how the story of the case has been skewed, and the outrage directed at the Minnesota Supreme Court, rather than the legislature they are forced to follow.

“When the court was met with Khalil’s appeal, they had to do what the law said…. The court’s only job is to uphold the law as it is written, not as they want it to be written.

The next step is to change that law, which is not something the court can do on their own,” Graupman said.

Senior Garrett Pauly agreed that the issue is with the legislators, not the Supreme Court justices.

“Ultimately, it’s in the hands of the Minnesota state legislators to close the loophole in a troubling state law” Pauly said.

As Thissen stated in the court’s opinion, there is current legislature to update the statute to include victims of assault who were willingly intoxicated. This bill, that is currently in the Minnesota House of Representatives, would update the third degree criminal sexual conduct law to include these victims.

SPEAKER-SERVICE continued from pg. 1 “Diversity, equity and inclusion is something that’s always important, but I think it’s something that is particularly on a lot of people’s minds this year, and especially because we are in St. Paul and because of the murder of George Floyd and there’s so much action and discussion that has been happening in our community, it really felt like we needed to have it be that.” Thompson said.

“That’s an important conversation to have at SPA, and one that we are not very good at having sometimes.”

Speaker-service day occurred online this year, which had both benefits and drawbacks.

“We had initially hoped to have it at school in person, but I think the administration decided since we were going to have so many people in the same room, that it should be online,” Thompson said.

Though CAS wanted to supplement listening to the speakers in the morning with action in the afternoon, the virtual format made this infeasible.

“With COVID, and it being a distance day… we weren’t able to actively be doing service like we normally would in an in-person environment,” co-president of CAS Ellie Rosso said.

Though students did not participate in service, Rosso hoped that the documentaries could at least lead to additional reflection.

“We thought that at least education and get[ting] students to be thinking about these things was the most beneficial way that we felt like we could make an impact,” she said.

Thompson added that speaker day can remind students that they are a part of a larger community and world outside of the school, and the implications of that.

“I think a lot of times it feels like we’re isolated from what’s happening with communities of color,” she said. “I really hope that people will take from this that they’re not separate from what’s happening in our community, and that nothing exists in a vacuum and so it’s important to have these conversations about it, because it’s systemic and they’re part of the system, as well, simply because they’re here and you can’t be a bystander.”

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EDITORIAL THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

Find productive ways to make social change Head to Stopline3.org to be directed to a page to write a letter to President Biden urging him to stop the construction of Line 3. Website users can also sign a petition persuading Biden to halt the construction, donate to an Indigenous led advocacy group, and find out if their family uses one of the 64 banks that support the Dakota Access and Tar Sands pipelines - and then divest from it.

DEFENDING VICTIMS OF ASSAULT AND RAPE

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Adrienne Gaylord GET INVOLVED. Students should find points of entry into social movements that fit with their skills and what they are able to contribute.

EDITORIAL

THE RUBICON STAFF

Stories of mass shootings, interrupted by stories of police brutality and white supremacy, interrupted by stories of natural disasters and infrastructure plans with no regards for the climate crisis, have become all too common. It’s easy to hear about global to local tragedies, and feel powerless. There are so many ways young people can be a catalyst for positive change, regardless of which issues they feel most passionately about.

There are so many ways to create change.

PROTESTING POLICE BRUTALITY

With the recent police killings of Daunte Wright and George Floyd, police brutality and the white supremacy embedded deeply into the US criminal justice system may seem like the most pressing issue. Historically, one of the most powerful tools to enact change in regards to racial injustice is protest. That is no different in the modern age of police brutality and racism. Show up to protests, walk-outs, sit-ins and other events. White, and non-Black people of color attending these

THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS YOUNG PEOPLE CAN BE A CATALYST FOR POSITIVE CHANGE. events must be mindful of the space they’re taking up and refuse to center themselves. They must wear a mask and socially distance and use their white or non-Black, body as the powerful tool it is if their group is met

with police violence. To become informed of protests, follow local activists’ accounts on social media, like @MNTeenactivists on Instagram. When attending protests isn’t a viable or appealing option, students can give support through monetary contribution to bail funds that help get local activists out of jail. Additionally, as police violence against the BIPOC community is perpetrated by racist microaggresions, one of the most meaningful things for students to do is call out peers and family members when they make racist comments.

ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES

If environmental protection is one of the issues that seems most pressing, consider becoming involved with Stop Line 3: an organization dedicated to halting the construction of the Line 3 Pipeline that spans from Alberta, Canada to Superior, Wisconsin.

The pipeline’s construction is a direct violation of the Anishinaabe people’s treaty rights, and would greatly contribute to the pollution crisis in northern Minnesota, as oil spills from the pipeline are all but inevitable.

As many students have become outspoken about recent the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling on consent and alcohol that highlights the need for updated legislation in regards to criminal sexual assault, this may be something that feels pressing.

To show support for the current bill in the Minnesota House of Representatives that would extend the definition of “mentally incapacitated” to include those victims who got voluntarily intoxicated, head to the “Who Represents Me?” page of the Minnesota Legislature website and enter a zip code or address to find who the Minnesota House and Senate representatives for that are, as well as how to contact them. After locating legislators’ contact information, write an email expressing your support for the legislature that would close the “intoxication loophole” of the Minnesota statute of 3rd degree criminal sexual conduct.

Protest. Legislate. Petition. Each person has the power to enact change, even if it feels overwhelming, start today.

THE RUBICON St. Paul Academy and Summit School • 1712 Randolph Ave St. Paul, MN 55105 • rubicon.spa@gmail.com • www.RubicOnline.com • @TheRubiconSPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR BEATS MANAGER NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITORS HEALTH EDITOR IN DEPTH EDITOR FEATURE EDITOR ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR SPORTS EDITORS GOOD QUESTION EDITOR ILLUSTRATOR

Lucy Benson Evelyn Lillemoe Maren Ostrem Julia Baron Eloise Duncan, Catherine Hooley Jenny Ries, Colin Will Eve Sampsell-Jones Maddy Fisher Adrienne Gaylord Lizzie Kristal John Becker, Hazel Waltenbaugh Salah Abdulkarim Noa Gross

DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER PRODUCTION MANAGER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER AUREUS EDITOR -IN-CHIEF NEWS EDITORS OPINIONS EDITOR FEATURE EDITORS ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS SPORTS EDITORS RUBICON TV: EXECUTIVE PRODUCER VIDEOGRAPHER PHOTO EDITOR ILLUSTRATOR PODCASTERS POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT

Elizabeth Trevathan Henry Burkhardt Elle Chen Lucia Granja Lara Cayci

STAFF WRITERS Annie Bai, Ali Browne, Kevin Chen, Orion Kim, Arden Lillemoe, Hobbs Lillygreen, Eliana Mann, Lucy Murray

Annika Rock, Will Schavee Lynn Reynolds Liv Larsen, Zekiah Juliusson Tana Ososki, Alexandra Caldwell Thomas Reinhart, Tommy Verhey Bobby Verhey Ivy Raya Jonas Bray Mimi Huelster Gavin Kimmel, Grace Krasny Nikolas Liepins

Kathryn Campbell, CJE

ADVISER

PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT

Megan Erickson

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

Maintain protocols as vaccines roll out LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

A huge influx of vaccine distribution has created a wave of hope for escaping the pandemic.

Already, restrictions are being loosened and a sense of relief has been felt by those who received the vaccine. Many students and faculty at St. Paul Academy are vaccinated or in the process of getting the shots. As more and more people become vaccinated, it raises questions on what SPA’s policies should be surrounding safety, masks, and social distancing, none of which should be going anywhere soon.

As of April 19, 241,864 of Ramsey County’s 544 thousand population has begun or completed vaccination, according to the COVID-19 response section of mn.gov. At this rapid rate, a large percentage of the county will be vaccinated soon.

When comparing the number of vaccinations to cases, it seems hopeful that vaccines will reduce restrictions. That might not be the case.

SPA SHOULD MAINTAIN SAFETY PROTOCOLS EVEN AS MORE PEOPLE ARE IMMUNIZED AGAINST COVID-19.

There’s no doubt that vaccines are effective.

They have shown fantastic results in reducing case numbers as well as severity of COVID cases.

Thanks to that, restrictions can and should be lifted in a small-scale way.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests to continue taking precautions, like masks and distancing, when possible. Once the full vaccination stage is complete (two weeks after the last shot), the restrictions change. Those who are vaccinated can visit inside a private space or home with no mask on, as long as the others are also vaccinated and low-risk. Vaccinat-

Ramsey County

550,321

Estimated Population:

People who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine*: *As of April 19, 2021

JENNY RIES

241,864

THE RUBICON

INFOGRAPHIC: Evelyn Lillemoe and Jenny Ries SOURCE: Vaccine statistics from mn.gov Vaccine Data

The vaccine rollout continues, with nearly half of Ramsey County having received one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. ed people can also trav- vent spreading as much ly bringing down herd el domestically with no as infecting. This leaves a immunity, similar to pre- or post- test and no lot of uncertainty about how influenza operates. quarantine. Even though whether its current effec- Reaching herd immunity these have changed, they tiveness will be able to would be a hopeful point still cannot attend large continue into the future for loosening safety regatherings, like in-person despite possible compli- strictions, but not necessarily a realistic one. classes, unmasked. cations.

As optimistic as the As more people get Herd immunity, the current vaccine rates are, vaccinated, should re- point at which enough they don’t mean that the strictions loosen to the of the population has future will be immediatepoint where students been vaccinated to proly free from masks and don’t have to wear a mask tect the whole populasocial distancing, espein school? The problem tion, is another factor cially in large gatherings with trying to predict that comes into play. For how restrictions will look many diseases and virus- like school. SPA and most in the future comes from es, this number is around other schools should how little scientists know 60% or higher. While maintain a similar form about the virus and vac- reaching that number of of safety protocols due cine still. Future variants COVID-19 vaccinations to the lack of knowledge may stand in the way of is very possible, it might on how effective vaccines effectiveness, as well as not be that simple. New will be in the future. questions surrounding strains could develop, how long they’ll protect requiring new vaccines people and if they pre- to fight and complete-

LONELINESS BY THE NUMBERS

KEVIN CHEN

THE RUBICON

Recently, there has 80% of people under 18 report been a particularly infeeling lonely occasionally sidious little factoid, one more relevant than ever during the wake of lockdowns and COVID-19, that’s plaguing the news.

“Loneliness is as harmful Loneliness has as smoking 15 cigarettes a the same effect day,” hrsa.gov reported. on the body as This factoid must be smoking 15 ciga- unraveled in order to find nuances cut short rettes a day for clarity. According to INFOGRAPHIC: Maren Ostrem the National Institute of Health, loneliness is deINFORMATION: hrsa.gov and NIH fined as the perception of social isolation, not an objective measurement In a year of social isolation, understanding and of such. Because of this, addressing loneliness becomes more pressing than one can be surroundever. ed by friends or have a seemingly vibrant social life, yet still suffer from

loneliness.

Short-term loneliness, which generally does not have adverse health effects, is quite common, with 80% of those under 18 reporting feeling lonely occasionally. Long-term loneliness is experienced by 15-30% of the population. Adverse health effects include accelerated aging, cognitive decline, and increased mortality.

How can that 15-30% of the population be saved from loneliness?

Robin Caruso of CareMouth Health said that reaching out to lonely people could help them gradually engage with friends. The NIH endorses loneliness interventions which focus on cognitive therapy show

promise, although they need more trials in order to gain reliable data.

Of course, loneliness interventions are a long term solution, and quick solutions need to be developed. One important axiom is sympathy for the victim. There could be a multitude of reasons as to why they can’t “open up more”, be it mental health issues or side effects of loneliness.

However, it must be understood that loneliness does not usually have clear perpetrators. Although sympathy must be given to the victim, blind hatred for the peers is counterproductive, making it difficult for any social relationships to develop.

POLICIES, MEMBERSHIPS AND AWARDS

the spirit of the community through its stories while inspiring deeper conversations. Above all, we stand for integrity in our pursuit to inform and engage our readers.

PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon

is published eight times a year. We distribute 750 copies of each issue to the Upper School which are available for free.

ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.

THINKING OUT LOUD

Find your shoes

Be active in fighting loneliness caused by social distancing

OUR MISSION We strive to capture

5

ANONYMOUS SOURCES Although

it is always preferable to use names when reporting, there are times when it is necessary to protect those we report on. In the case of a student, the use of grade level as a name designation (i.e. Sophomore Student) will be the preferred method of anonymity.

BY LINES credit the individual who

conducted interviews, drafted, revised and fact-checked an assigned story.

Shared bylines are given to joint effort assignments, with reporters listed alphabetically by last name. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states

My sophomore year, I ran the Good For You blog on RubicOnline. I remember in my goodbye post at the end of the year, I wrote about shoes, because I knew that someone else would soon step into my shoes as health blogger. Hilarious use of puns, I know.

In the post, I told readers to make sure that they were wearing good shoes, because it can actually be pretty important for your health.

This is my last opinions column post, in my last issue writing for the Rubicon, and my last month of school at SPA before the seniors leave for senior projects.

I’ve been thinking that in that post about shoes from sophomore year, I may accidentally have stumbled upon a good way to say goodbye.

Nothing I say will tie this experience up in a bow, but maybe the point of this kind of goodbye post isn’t resolution, but just to say something to acknowledge that the experience was meaningful.

And if that something is a horrible pun, even better.

Next year, other people will step into the shoes we wear right now.

But each year, people make those shoes their own. Some won’t step into any shoes at all, making new ones or going barefoot. But each of us will leave footprints on the communities we are a part of.

So, readers, find some good shoes. Or make your own. And if shoes aren’t your thing, that’s great too. But know that you will leave footprints on the lives you touch.

“Additional reporting by” followed by the name of the reporter.

style. All pieces must be submitted and will be published with a full name.

published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.

EDITORIALS articulate the collective

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS

MEMBERSHIPS

opinion of The Rubicon staff, while mini-editorials, opinions pieces, arts reviews, and columns belong to the author.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Opinions are welcomed as Letters to the Editor or Submitted Opinions and may be published in the print or edition. Letters to the Editor should not exceed 400 words and Submitted Opinions should not exceed 650 words.

Both may be edited for length and

During the post-critique process, staff members identify inaccuracies and report feedback from readers. The staff publishes corrections when an error is discovered during critique or reported to a staff member. Corrections should be directed to the Editor in Chief or appropriate section editor.

IN PRINT: Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be printed in the month following the error and, if the story is also

Columbia Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association MN High School Press Association Quill and Scroll Honor Society

PUBLICATION AWARDS

NSPA All-American, Pacemaker (Online) and Finalist (Print) CSPA Gold Medalist (Hybrid), Silver Crown Award (Hybrid), SNO Distinguished Site JEM All State Gold

6

OPINIONS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

Fight erasure of AAPI in anti-racist work

CATHERINE HOOLEY THE RUBICON

Activism involving racial injustices has become much more prevalent in the media in the past year, more specifically surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement.

As the media has become more involved in the specific issues that people of color face, people who identify as Asian American and Pacific Islanders, or AAPI, have been excluded and their experiences have not been reported on to the extent that they should be.

With the spread of COVID-19, there has also been a rise in hate crimes against people of Asian descent. There has been little talk in the media about the specific challenges that AAPI people face, and they have simply been grouped together with other marginalized groups. The US especially has become very desensitized to the unique issues that AAPI people face, and their struggles have been minimized.

THE U.S. ESPECIALLY HAS BECOME VERY DESENSITIZED TO THE UNIQUE ISSUES THAT AAPI PEOPLE FACE. Recently, videos of AAPI peoples being publicly assaulted have arisen and have been covered briefly in the news, but they are quickly looked past.

It is important to acknowledge that the oppression of anyone is equally as important as the oppression of another group. The suffrage of two issues can be covered equally, and it does not need to take away from the other.

The Black Lives Matter movement is one of the most important activism movements in the news right now, rightfully so; but, just because the movement needs signif-

icant attention doesn’t mean the AAPI activism doesn’t need attention.

Not only does bringing attention to the oppression of another historically marginalized group not take away from the other movements in progress, but it makes both stronger and more effective in the act of trying to dismantle white supremacy. If continual stories are shared from multiple different racial backgrounds, the scale of which white supremacy is present today can start to become even more evident and the push back against it can become stronger.

Even in places of education, the concept of racism is boiled down to one singular issue, and it is overly simplified to the point where so many people and their expe-

ILLUSTRATION: Adrienne Gaylord ADVOCATE FOR AAPI. It’s crucial to include AAPI in anti-racism work, especially amidst the rise in anti-asian hate crimes during the COVID-19 pandemic. riences are minimized or overlooked entirely.

Listening to people who have experienced racism first hand in a variety of different ways can give a more expansive look into the variety of forms that racism can take.

Speaking specifically about working to dismantle white supremacy in the form of anti-AAPI racism, it is important to amplify the voices of those who have chosen to share their stories with their experience of first hand racism. Find local AAPI activists, promote

their ideas and share what is important to learn with anyone who may be oblivious to the racism they face. It is a necessity to educate oneself on these issues, but it is ten times more helpful to share useful information and make sure that the ideas are spread throughout the community. Conversations are the best way to help out, as well as bringing attention to activists whose ideas are often neglected. Follow social media accounts, bring attention to those who speak out and if it is

possible, take it one step further and donate. Some organizations along with social media accounts include Stop AAPI Hate, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Hate Is a Virus, Enough is Enough, and AAPI Women Lead.

A history of AAPI erasure is evident, but especially right now, the silence must come to an end and these problems must be talked about.

read more about rising AAPI discrimination on pg 3.

Oft-maligned filibuster serves essential role in U.S. Senate JOHN BECKER THE RUBICON

When an individual votes for the two members of the senate, that vote demonstrates a representation of interests on behalf of that individual, and of the states.

Therefore, states such as Delaware or Wyoming both have two senators, the same number as states such as California or Texas with a massive population. This means that regardless of population,

states’ voices are represented. The filibuster, the act of intentionally delaying debate with overlong speeches, promotes democracy. Because 60 senators are needed to overcome a filibuster, the so-called “cloture” rule, it promotes an agreement and discussion between two political parties who typically do not get along.

The filibuster, originally developed in the nineteenth century and codified in 1917, is a very

IT ENCOURAGES BIPARTISANSHIP BETWEEN CLASHING POLITICAL PARTIES. loosely defined action designed for delaying debate inside of congress, thus being a critical tool that protects the democratic form of government as it promotes a

common ground for political agreement. However, not everyone agrees on its importance.

The filibuster throughout the years has been called unconstitutional numerous times. In 2005, when the Republicans held the majority in both chambers, a group of Republican senators stated that filibustering the appointment of judicial nominees was unconstitutional. This ultimately allowed for a partnership

agreement, as Democrats and Republicans came to a deal. In January of 2021, it was the Democratic Party threatening the filibuster. In both cases, the majority party in the Senate were the ones protesting the filibuster, since its removal would empower them most.

The filibuster, like most things pertaining to government, has its good and bad. While the filibuster provides a voice to the minority party, it

can also inflict gridlock.

However, in the end, the U.S. government associates itself with the ideal of proper representation, therefore, the filibuster promotes democracy. By insisting upon 60 votes in place of a simple majority, it encourages bipartisanship between clashing political parties.

History of the filibuster 1789-

First purported filibuster in the United States

1841-

1890-

First use of the word “filibuster” it its modern meaning

Henry Clay threatens to impose an anti-filibuster rule

1975-

Cloture threshold changed to two-fifths

1917-

Senate Rule 22, or “cloture rule:” twothirds of senators can end a filibuster INFOGRAPHIC: Colin Will INFORMATION: senate.gov and NPR

The filibuster has a long and complex history in the United States, with the potential to both promote democracy and deepen rifts between parties.

7

HEALTH Psychedelics: disaster drug or master healer?

THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

ADRIENNE GAYLORD THE RUBICON

What is the effect of psychedelics on our minds and bodies? Is it all colorful hallucinations and bad trips?

Or do psychedelics offer a path toward deeper insight into the human consciousness?

There has been a lot of research in current years seeking to understand hallucinogenic drugs, their effect on us, and how we can treat them to most benefit our health. Studies using psychedelic drugs have struggled to gain approval due to their classifiIN A WAY, A cation as a Schedule PSYCHEDELIC I substance by the DEA, but there has EXPERIENCE IS been a recent rise due to public and scientifLIKE RESETTING ic interest.

A COMPUTER. In scientific communities, scientists Dr. Roland Griffiths are researching the potential uses of psychedelics in treating mental illness and combating addiction. In communities online, there has been an increase in reading up on hallucinogenic substances and discussion on the practice of microdosing.

Junior Jayden Jones has found themself reading studies and taking health classes with an interest in the psychology of psychedelic substances.

“I’ve read a couple of studies that have said, specifically microdosing, is actually very helpful for depression and anxiety,” Jones said.

According to a study by Roland Griffiths, PhD with John Hopkins Medicine, psilocybin, the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, can produce rapid large reductions in depressive symptoms in adults struggling with major depression. Similar studies have found psychedelics to reduce anxiety and fear of death in cancer patients, and there have also been studies in which psychedelics have treated nicotine addiction.

“

”

ILLUSTRATION: Adrienne Gaylord Psilocybin can have positive effects on people with depression. (Information from John Hopkins Medicine) In popular media there has been a rise in the prevalence of microdosing, the practice of consuming low doses of psychedelic substances over regular, often weekly periods. Studies have found this practice to provide users with improved mood and focus, but also psychological discomfort and anxiety. This increase in popularity has led people into harmful situations with a potent and and not to mention illegal substance without understanding of the incredible present dangers to hallucinogens.

Although previous propaganda that psychedelics scramble your brain or are addictive has been debunked, hallucinogenic substances are not without cause for concern of potentially long term harm.

Some people after taking psychedelic drugs experience persistent psychosis which includes visual disturbances and paranoia, others have developed Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder in which users experience flashbacks to drug experiences.

“For some people it’s dangerous, because some people are predisposed... to psychotic breaks.” Jones said.

Another large cause for concern, aside from these drugs being illegal, is the potential for them to be spiked with harmful and dangerous, especially if unknown, chemicals such as PCP. Although psychedelics

When mental health help goes virtual MADDY FISHER THE RUBICON

Need for mental health services has risen dramatically since the beginning of the pandemic. For many, imposed isolation and other stressors created or aggravated mental health issues. According to an American Psychological Association (APA) poll from November, 29% of surveyed psychologists reported an increase in the number of patients seeking assistance.

74% reported an increase in patients experiencing anxiety disorders and 60% reported an increase in patients with depressive disorders.

The rise in people seeking assistance combined with health regulations has created unusual problems and some equally unusual solutions. As demand rises and safety protocol remains in place, many mental health practitioners are shifting to teletherapy, or therapy via video calls.

Beyond pandemic-related safety, teletherapy can provide greater access to care, convenience, and more privacy. Upper School Counselor Susanna Short found that teletherapy sessions were often easier to schedule. “[Teletherapy] makes it really accessible for people if they don’t have access to transportation,” she said.

However, online therapy has its downsides. For example, conducting sessions over video conferences can make it hard for practitioners to spot nonverbal cues. Though reading body language and other signals is more difficult, Short found an upside to what initially seemed a major drawback. “I think it takes a different level of concentration. You can’t make as many assumptions. You’re really needing to check in with the client a lot—maybe more than you do in-person—to make sure that you’re reading the situation correctly,” she said.

Online security issues, home environment, and

technical difficulties can further complicate matters.

According to the APA survey, 63% of therapists found treating patients remotely was more difficult.

Sophomore Linnea Cooley has been attending therapy for about a year and a half to combat her anxiety. However, she found the transition to teletherapy difficult enough to put a pause on regularly scheduled meetings. “I think that teletherapy is definitely a valuable tool during a pandemic, but personally I vastly prefer in-person therapy, just because it’s a lot easier to make a good connection. The emotional presence of having another person to talk to is diminished by having to talk through a screen,” Cooley said. “I remember there was a five second lag for some of my sessions and that was difficult with how awkward it got.”

Though some find remote sessions ineffective or uncomfortable, the convenience provided for others makes it a viable long-term solution to issues like transportation. Recent research, much of which was driven by the Department of Veterans Affairs looking to help veterans living in remote or rural areas, have shown that teletherapy can be just as effective in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression.

Regardless of its downsides, teletherapy has become a viable option for many patients and may outlast the pandemic.

Junior Annika Brelsford has been attending therapy for two and a half years. Brelsford has found their experience helpful dealing with destructive thinking and they strongly recommend seeing a therapist. “I think that beginning to see a therapist was a good first step in helping me with my mental health, but it’s not a one-and-done solution,” Brelsford said. “It’s important to know that a therapist can only do (at most) half of the work—you do the rest. I think everyone should go to therapy if they have access to it.”

such as LSD and psilocybin have no reported deaths, if what someone is taking is laced with another drug it could be fatal, and since hallucinogens are illegal substances sold in shady dealings the cause for concern is very real.

While sometimes skirting upon status as urban legend, the idea of the mind melting “bad trip” is not completely made up. Scientists have discovered in their studies the importance of setting during patients’ hallucinogenic experiences in order to comfort the mind and reduce likelihood patients go on a ride through their own personal hellscape. Psychedelic advocates of the 60s and 70s harked on the importance of a proper peaceful setting to ward off the possibility of a bad trip, and scientists now have followed in the suite of the indigenous people of South America who call to shamans to protect and guide users through their trip.

The effects of psychedelic substances on our minds and bodies are still only barely understood. Due to recent research we have only begun to see the possible future of hallucinogens in our society, but we are also facing the harms and dangers use of these substances presents. We know it’s not all just tie dye and trippy vibes, but what is the future of psychedelics?

SPA THINKS

Teletherapy is less effective than in-person therapy.

The pandemic has negatively impacted people’s mental health.

INFOGRAPHIC: Eve Sampsell-Jones Data from a survey sent to the 9-12 student body with 67 responses.

8

IN DE

THE RUBICON

How do

LIZZIE KRISTAL THE RUBICON

day life, but it also presen does that mean for person According to reports fr ulation. This number gro that’s tech savvy without k are still learning how to so for vulnerable minors to The “posting” cu ment for almo jealousy, unn

ILLUSTRATION: Noa Gross

Artificial Intelligence: misuse and unemployment As artificial intelligence software continues to advance at a rapid pace, many controversies and ethical dilemmas have surfaced. Mainstream companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Facebook are using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce self-driving cars, make predictions, personalize algorithms, improve search results, employ facial recognition software, and much more. While AI is intended to improve our society, there are many unexpected consequences that might follow.

Unemployment is a major concern surrounding AI. Some jobs are already starting to become more automated; self-checkouts at Target, automated emails and telemarketing, customer service chatbots, soccer referees, and soon things like uber drivers and delivery trucks are all examples of this change. AI is typically a cheaper, more productive, and often safer alternative to human labor. Not only could AI increase unemployment rates, but it could also further widen the existing wealth gap. Company owners would make even more money than they already do as AI replaces their employees.

Another concern is the inequalities and social biases that can be reflected through AI. Because AI utilizes data and trends that are produced by humans, AI will naturally reflect biases. Imagine someone is trying to predict those who are more inclined to become a criminal using background data and facial recognition software. The AI would look at trends of current felons and match them with a population to make predictions, unintentionally amplifying racial biases.

WE NO LONGER Alex Sweet, the Vice President of product deHAVE AN velopment for Carrot Health, explained the imOBJECTIVE REALITY portance of collecting diverse, accurate data to help prevent inequality in AI use. “It’s very heavPRESENTED ily dependent on how whoever is gathering the data is ensuring that it’s representative of the real

TO US. world that the system is going to be used in,” he Sophie Cullen said. Sweet described how a lack of data can result in errors with how the AI performs.

Another challenge presented by AI programming is the influence of systemic bias. Even if the programming includes diverse datasets, it’s hard to keep up with a rapidly changing world. “It’s not that we’re not including records from different socio-economic or race groups. It’s just that this system overall is underrepresented, or represents a system that we don’t want to replicate into the future,” said Sweet. The world right now holds lots of issues that we don’t necessarily want to perpetuate through AI use.

Another very common concern is the security and capabilities of AI. As AI becomes stronger and more accessible, it also becomes more prone to misuse.

THE RUBICON

“

Making sure AI technology is used carefully will be important because of possible consequences, especially considering the lack of consciousness and common sense computer software has. Some fear AI may someday outsmart humans, to the point where humans are no longer the most intelligent species. In 2017, for example, Facebook’s chatbot experiment was stopped after a conversation between two AI bots who started communicating in their own language. The robots were programmed to negotiate but were not told to specifically communicate in English. This experiment was not harmful, but it definitely did not go as planned.

As the world becomes more connected through the internet, more companies have started to use AI to track individual data. “When each of us now looks at the internet, we no longer have an objective reality presented to us. Our reality has been tailored for us, by machines. In short, AI is distorting our perception of reality without us knowing it, just so that big tech companies such as Google and Facebook can make a profit,” said junior Sophie Cullen. “[For example] when we go on Instagram and like certain pictures, AI remembers what content we liked and calculates how long we look at a post or a video and then uses this data to target other content, including advertisements,” said Cullen.

“One time I drove by a house that was for sale in North Carolina, and then I started getting ads on my phone for houses that were nearby,” said ninth-grader Lucas Shano. “It was kind of annoying, but then I wondered how my phone knew exactly where I was.”

Artificial intelligence is a complex subject. While AI might provide benefits, it will also create many challenges and ethical dilemmas within our society. Nonetheless, artificial intelligence technologies will continue to improve and reshape our way of life.

THE

HAZEL WALTENBAUGH

ETH

TEC

Security: hacking and surveillance CATHERINE HOOLEY

The world wide web is a place of infinite possibility that allows access to almost anything a person could desire in the matter of seconds; however, lurking among this opportunity, there is chaos and danger.

Technology is advancing at an incredibly fast rate and many users have limited experience and understanding, which makes them easy targets for hackers and leaves their personal information vulnerable. “I think of this new age of data like when humans discovered the potential of oil. It is just moving so fast, that we don’t have time to think about the ethical implications. Now, we are seeing people taking a step back and looking at these ethical dilemmas,” US Computer Science and Engineering teacher Sam Hinh said.

Private data has become a hot commodity for people and brands to collect, so naturally internet security has become a big concern for internet users.

THE RUBICON

People are easily tricked into scams, and with just one click, a virus can develop on a computer. This has led many people to feel that the power technology holds is misused, and that their right to have private information is violated. “When I got hacked it was super scary because it felt like I had no control and I didn’t know how to fix the problem. It made me realize how much of my personal life is online, and it’s scary to think other people could get a hold of that,” sophomore Aaron Lindeman said.

A study from the University of Maryland states that hacking affects one in three Americans every year, with cyber attacks occurring every 39 seconds. “I think it’s so scary because you never know who could have access to your information, and you have so little control over what is done with it if you are hacked,” said ninth-grader Clare Kimmel. Even if a website is trustworthy, that website can have weak infrastruc-

ture, making it vulnerable to hackers and consequently putting users at risk. This system of insecurity creates a whole web of unsafety in the virtual world, and anyone who is online can have their right of privacy violated.

In a different manner, physical security such as surveill cameras pose a separate issue. For stores to protect themselves shoplifters and similar threats, many now implement a surve system.

Many stores make it clear that the area is under surveillance lows a customer to choose whether they are comfortable and co process. However, this is not always the case. Smaller cameras a nage often means citizens are oblivious to surveillance, a com non that poses several ethical questions regarding security cam “My personal experience with accidentally downloading it a lot harder to trust any website that I’m on,” senior Levi M tain a healthy and trusting relationship with security, people upon those implementing security in technology. Once ethic enforced, it may be easier to trust the growing security industr

9

EPTH

N - APRIL 2021

oes social media violate privacy and alter perspective?

Social media seeps into all aspects of life: personal, professional, social, and more. It has simplified communication and expanded opportunity for human connection. There’s no question about the many benefits it brings to modern nts strong ethical concerns. With such a public collection of social media platforms, what nal information? rom Smart Insights, about 3.85 billion people use social media, also 45% of the global popows annually by 9%. The majority of these users are children and teenagers, a generation knowledge on how to protect themselves online. Additionally, people at these young ages ocially interact with others and maintain and develop values. Social media is a harsh place learn these skills, so it poses a concerning developmental future for young users. ulture in social media, especially present in younger generations, creates a toxic environost everyone involved. While posting can be from a genuine wish to share, it’s often out of , desperation, self-gratification, and more. As fun as it can be, posting also creates a lot of necessary pressure to create the perfect content. Often, the immense amount of effort that goes into content isn’t shared, giving users a false view of reality.

“I deleted social media because of how bad it was… it makes me feel very inferior but then I remember it’s all fake. Social media turned me into a worse person,” senior Hannah Davis-Jacobs said.

Additionally, posting can turn into oversharing, an unethical way of painting others in a bad light or damaging reputations. The social media platforms themselves don’t take preventative measures for this, so it can easily escalate into a negative cycle, especially when it comes to cancel-culture.

“The scariest part about cancel-culture, aside from the horrible things that people say when canceling

L

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someone, is the rigidity of those who participate...There are enough problems in the world because of people’s inability to be respectful and listen to people with opposing views. It’s upsetting to see that this mindset has made its way to the communities I’m a part of and is still materializing in new places all the time,” senior Will Shrestha said.

Social media also contributes to perception bias. Perception bias is when a user views their “circle” or followings with similar opinions and automatically thinks that these opinions are popular elsewhere. While understandable, perception bias has a dangerous effect. For example, it could result in people not getting vaccinated. Famous figures on social media platforms have a similar impact; their voices are so elevated that users may overestimate how popular their views truly are. Social media companies could help diversify their platforms by adjusting who pops up under a user’s “suggested” people to follow and other small actions. Otherwise, social media will remain an extremely biased representation of reality.

While ethics come into play from a user’s perspective, there are plenty of ethical issues presented by the companies themselves. In a recent Netflix documentary “Social Dilemma,” many of these issues were brought to light, most of which surrounded priTHE SCARIEST vacy. Companies aim to make money, which typically comes through advertising. To do this, they PART ABOUT collect personal information to sell to advertisers CANCEL-CULTURE for targeted ads. Even by restricting a user’s privacy settings, companies still collect information IS THE RIGIDITY OF on how a user interacts with posts and people. A THOSE WHO side effect of this is using algorithms that encourage addiction. Privacy truly doesn’t exist on social PARTICIPATE. media, despite any type of setting adjustments.

“Because social media spreads information so fast and it has such a wide reach, it can pose Will Shrestha dangerous and unethical implications especially in regards to privacy and security of individuals.

There is really a lot we don’t know about online and even though we can set our accounts to private, we don’t know the extent to which our information is actually safe,” junior Ganga Corsaro said.

Social media poses many ethical concerns, both from a user’s and a company’s standpoint. Users have even been seen to hold a higher tolerance to things that would normally be seen as unethical. While it can be a productive form of entertainment and professional marketing, its issues may overshadow the pros in many years to come.

CHNOLOGY

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ILLUSTRATION: Maddy Fisher

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10

FEATURE THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

I got the vax

COVID-19 vaccination stories from the SPA community JENNY RIES

THE RUBICON

Every hour more and more students become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, particularly juniors and seniors.

Senior Garrett Pauly received the first of two doses of the Pfizer vaccine, and found it to be a good experience.

“It’s a small needle, so I mean no issue there,” he said, “Not much fuss. My arm hurt a little bit, but that’s to be expected.”

Though Pauly experienced only very minor side effects for the first dose, he anticipates having a stronger reaction to the second.

“I expect I’ll have a little bit after my second, but not nervous about that,”he said.

In order to get the vaccine, Pauly drove to a Thrifty White pharmacy in Hutchinson, MN. The drive was pretty easy despite being an hour and a half long.

Senior Katya Sjaastad received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine at a CVS pharmacy in West St. Paul.

“It was really quick.

There was not too much ID checking they were just like, oh, yep, that’s you, that’s your name.

What’s your birthday?

Vaccine,” she said.

She didn’t notice much after the vaccine was administered.“The day afterwards the only side effects I had were a bad headache,”she said.

Sjaastad received the Johnson and Johnson vaccine shortly before it was recalled for concerns about its possible contribution to the develop-

PHOTO FROM classongrassmedia.com ON AIR. Juniors Leo Larson and Mac Brown “in the studio” recording their soccer podcast.

Senior Garrett Pauly received the Pfizer vaccine at a Thrifty White in Hutchinson. “It’s a small needle, so I mean no issue there. Not much fuss. My arm hurt a little bit, but that’s to be expected,” he said.

SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

VAX FAX As of Mar. 30, all persons 16 and over became eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the state of Minnesota. ment of blood clots.

“I am feeling pretty good about it still,” she said. “I’ve been looking at the numbers a lot about how it’s like one in a million, literally, chance so far, and that there’s a lot of other more common medications that have a higher chance of forming a blood clot like that.

And so I’m not too worried,” she said.

Pauly is looking forward to being fully vaccinated.

“Once I’m fully vaccinated I’ll keep wearing my mask of course and socially distancing but… it’ll be easier to interact with people who have the vaccine as well, and I’m

Larson and Brown kick off Class on Grass Media

Senior Liv Larson brandishing her BandAid and vaccination card. read Liv Larson’s first person experience on

RUBICON online looking forward to that,” he said.

“I feel a lot better, especially [since] my parents have been vaccinated. I feel a lot more at ease than I was for most of the past few months,” Sjaastad said. “Hopefully the numbers will start going down with the vaccinations. That’s one thing that’s still concerning me.”

Just shy of one year ago, juniors Mac Brown and Leo Larson decided to try their hand at online media. Their soccer oriented podcast and website, Class on Grass Media, now has grown to have over 700 followers on Instagram.

“We just thought it would be nice to make something, so we used a nice twenty-dollar microphone...Then we started putting more time into it and getting better equipment,” Larson said.

Starting off with no previous experience, they slowly began to learn the ropes, and now enjoy creating new podcasts and continuing to grow.

“We’re really self taught on pretty much everything we do. Mac learned to work with Photoshop for our Instagram. I basically learned how to set everything up.

We want to get better, we want to grow… but we mainly do it because it’s a fun thing to do outside

of school and soccer. The biggest goal is to keep it going as long as possible,” Larson said.

The podcast hasn’t always just been about soccer. In fact, when they first began considering making a podcast, a soccer theme didn’t even cross their mind.

“We tried a ‘talk about nothing’ approach once or twice. I, it was absolutely terrible...Leo and I had these conversations about soccer anyway, so we figured, let’s just record them and put them up,” Brown said.

While the podcast is a large part of their idea, their website is also something that they’ve taken time to develop.

“We’ve got some other guys who write two articles or so, per month, about recent developments in soccer and we put it up on the site. We also have merchandise on our site available for purchase,” Brown said.

The website and social media accounts not only provide them an opportunity to share their

thoughts, but an opportunity for them to hear the thoughts of their listeners and followers.

“We have a lot more people who are interacting with our content, so it’s just fun to talk to people...We’ve had a monthly fan quiz, which hasn’t happened for the last two months, but it’s been done. Some people have come on and talked to us, which I think is pretty cool,” Larson said.

Larson and Brown are continuously working to expand and enhance their podcast.

“I’m looking forward to more improvement and growth. I’m also looking forward to attending Minnesota United games, hopefully, in the press box,” Larson said.

Class on Grass Media’s podcasts are available on iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. To learn more about Class on Grass Media, visit their website at www.classongrassmedia. com.

School’s on wrap. Conrod-Wovcha’s taking a gap.

HAZEL WALTENBAUGH THE RUBICON

Gap years can be beneficial to many students, even though they can be uncommon. Many students who take a year off from the traditional path to higher education spend their time learning more about themselves, traveling, volunteering, working as an intern, and simply pursuing the things that excite them.

Senior Eli Conrod-Wovcha plans on spending part of next year in Toulouse, France to improve his french.

“I know a family in Toulouse who agreed to host me and I had a wonderful time staying with them when I was last there so it was a top choice in terms of destinations,” said Conrod-Wovcha.

Fewer students choose to take a gap year, often because students don’t

want to feel behind in their class. However, Conrod-Wovcha did not share this same concern.

“I would like to mature more before going to college. I also recognized that it is unlikely that I will ever have the opportunity to pause my life and travel so it seemed like a good point in my life to stop everything else and explore the world,” said Conrod-Wovcha.

He is excited to spend

“

I WOULD LIKE TO MATURE MORE BEFORE GOING TO COLLEGE.

”

ence.

“I think that everyone should consider taking a gap year. I think it is a great time to explore the world and have a break from traditional life, be it school or work,” explained Conrod-Wovcha.

PHOTO SUBMITTED BY: Eli Conrod-Wovcha

Eli Conrad-Wovcha time away from the classroom to focus more on “global experiential learning”, a type of learning gained from experi-

read about senior Fiona Rucker’s gap year on

RUBICON online

Senior Eli Conrod-Wovcha will be staying with the family he met with the SPA French exchange.

UPDATE: SPARTAN SPORTS

SPORTS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

11

Varsity boasts 50% ninth grade players TEAM “ OUR IS REALLY

ELOISE DUNCAN THE RUBICON

Spartan Baseball returned to the diamond with optimism and determination.

Their first game of the season, against Como High School, started the season with a 17-7 win.

It’s a young team, with many new 9th grade faces, creating a bright future for coming years.

“Our team is super young, I think about half the players on varsity are 9th graders, but they have been really stepping up this season and making the future of the season and program promising,” captain Levi Mellin said.

Veteran players have stepped into leadership and mentorship roles, creating friendships with young players.

YOUNG...

BUT THEY HAVE BEEN STEPPING UP. Levi Mellin

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Hazel Waltenbaugh Pitcher Boden Strafelda pitches the ball at an away game vs. Providence Academy Apr. 21. “I think my role is to show positive energy and never get negative towards anyone because they will follow along with that,” Strafelda said.

“Being one of the 9th surprise, they made me takes they reassured us. graders on the team I and the others feel su- All the older guys have didn’t expect too many per welcome,” 9th grader great attitudes when it friendships with the up- Griffin Schwab-Mahoney comes to game time or perclassmen but to my said. “If we made any mis- off the field,”

”

“I hope as being an upperclassman the 9th graders look up to not only me but also the other seniors, or juniors, and want to work to get better. I think my role is to show positive energy and never get negative towards anyone because they will follow along with that,” captain Boden Strafelda said.

Spartan Baseball plays again Apr. 26 at Breck.

Golfers use time on the green to hone mindset COLIN WILL

THE RUBICON

With the winter over, the snow gone, and the putting greens back to green, Spartan Golf is once again leaving their mark (or divet) on the fairway.

After a year-long hiatus, they’ve returned to Highland National Golf Course for the spring season, now with a host of new players.

9th-grader John Reinhart has golfed in the past, but this is his first year on the team.

“It feels better when you have a group of guys around you to support you,” Reinhart said.

Junior Clara Garner returns to the team for the first time since eighth grade, when she joined alongside her friend So-

... REALLY “ IT’S NICE TO HAVE KIND OF A SOCIAL OUTLET

”

Clara Garner

nia Ross, now co-captain of the girls team.

“It took some convincing to get me to rejoin the golf team,” Garner said. “[Golf is] a sport that takes up a lot of natural resources.”

Garner decided to get back into it for the team.

“It’s a very social sport so it’s going to be really nice to have kind of a outlet during the week, especially since we’re still in the pandemic,” she said.

Sophomore Luke

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Colin Will Senior Thomas Reinhart sets up a tee before hitting the golf ball at a practice at the Highland Golf Course.

Welch, who’s played golf on multiple teams for two years, has some advice for beginning golfers.

“Play as much as you can and keep a positive

mindset, because it’s a hard game for everyone,” he said.

Girls golf will play Blake, Mounds Park Academy, Breck, Min-

nehaha Academy, and Province Academy at the Goodrich Golf Course on Apr. 27. Boys team will play Blake on Apr. 27.

Blackhawks lacrosse starts with new coaching staff, field

“

SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

After their season was canceled last year, Blackhawk lacrosse is wasting no time. Teammates are being guided by a shared interest to do well and enjoy competing in the season that lies ahead.

“It was disappointing not having a season last year because it feels like a lost opportunity,” junior Teo Dieperink said. “We would have been pretty good. We had a lot of important seniors, but it is what it is, it motivates us to do better this year.”

Between this season and the last, new factors have come into play.

WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP PUSHING EACH OTHER TO DO OUR BEST.

”

Joey Stolpestad THE RUBICON PHOTO: Salah Abdulkarim Joey Stolpestad (#7) uses his body to shield a defender from the ball in a game versus St. Paul.

“It’s a little weird going into this season: we have a brand new coaching staff and we’re on a brand new field. It’s a little different, but at the same time, very exciting,” co-captain Theo Moen said.

The co-op team currently has members from seven schools including St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy, De La Salle, St. Croix Lutheran, South St. Paul, St. Agnes, and Nova Classical Acad-

emy. To bring together the members from the various schools, captains have a set of rules.

Moen said, “... they’re actually the same rules used by the San Quentin Correctional Facility basketball team...it helps improve every important core value of any sports team: being respectful to

others, making a commitment to physical activity, being a good team member, having integrity.”

Sophomore Joey Stolpestad hopes to get better and learn on an individual level, as well as on a team level.

“I think this year, I’ve got to focus on improving my game; there’s always ways to get better. In terms of the team, I’d say we’re really close and we just have to keep pushing each other to do our best all the time,” he said.

Blackhawks lacrosse plays at home May 7 at 4:30 p.m. at Minnehaha Academy North campus.

12

SPORTS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

Connection drives Visitation lacross co-op in likely final year COLIN WILL

THE RUBICON

On the fringe of the Visitation School campus sits a small wood, and within that wood a small pond. Mallards drift placidly across its surface, and reeds sway in the crisp early spring wind on its shores. It’s a place of quiet, only interrupted by a thundering sound from up the hill: the sound of the Visitation girls lacrosse team drilling intensely for the season.

Visitation, an all-girls catholic school in Mendota Heights, shares its lacrosse team with St. Paul Academy and Summit School. Though the team, once known as

United Lacrosse, practices on the Visitation soccer field, wears Visitation jerseys, and now competes as Visitation for the first time this year, several of its players are SPA students, including junior

LIKE HOW “ ICOMPETITIVE IT IS. ” Charolette Goings

Nina Starchook.

“You really have to be bonded with your team to play good,” Starchook said.

And indeed, on the field, the players cooperate seamlessly, as in their

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Colin Will The girls lacross team huddles before their game on Friday, April 16 versus Columbia Heights. The final score was 16-1.

16-1 season-opening victory against Golden Heights Apr. 16, where players from both schools

worked to score goals and keep heavy pressure on the opposing team’s defenders.

9th grader Charlotte Goings attended tryouts Apr. 9. While a relative newcomer to the team, she’s been playing lacrosse for four years. As to why she’s stuck with it so long, Going said, “I like how competitive it is.”

Next spring it’s likely SPA will field their own team. “I am definitely sad about the co-op getting split up, because I have [...] gotten closer with a bunch of the girls at [Visitation],” said sophomore Julia Colbert. “I am a little worried about if we’ll have enough people.”

Lacrosse plays Apr. 30 at the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield at 5:30 p.m.

All a(boat) sailing: early ice-out gets team on water EVE SAMPSELL-JONES THE RUBICON

Senior Hayden Graff may get the longest sailing season of his career this spring: “We’ve had one of the earliest iceouts that we’ve had in a while. Two years ago we had to wait until the end of April for the ice-out… it was crazy.” he said.

Graff, the team’s founding member, noted the warm weather isn’t the only thing to celebrate: “Now we have a team of ten people, which is great, since before it was just four of us.”

The team operates through Minneapolis Sailing Center and sails alongside teams from Washburn, Southwest, and Jefferson. During practices, they get into drysuits—which Graff describes as a wetsuit “but instead it has seals around your waist, and it actually has little boots that you put your feet into… and that way if you fall in the water you don’t get wet, and you stay a lot warmer”—rig

PHOTO: Nikolas Liepins Sophomore Wyatt Tait and Senior Hayden Graff work together to set the sail. “It was because of joining the high school team that I finally found out that ‘Oh, this is what I love to do,” Graff said. their boats, discuss the tices three days a week… a.m. at sailing schools daily plan and practice we have regattas on week- in White Bear Lake and ends around the state and Minnetonka. The skiptacks (turns) and racing.

“The season just start- occasionally out of state.” pers meet and discuss the “During practices,” he course, and then sailors ed...we have not had any regattas yet but we have a added, “members who are off to the races soon bunch of new members already know how to after. SPA competes in so it’s been fun, sopho- sail work on racing and about 10 races per regatta bettering their boat han- against 10-12 other boats. more Wyatt Tait said.

“I’ve been sailing a Tait is a skipper, the dling skills while new long time... but before person who steers the sailors learn the basics.”

Though the layout of being on the team I never boat and controls movement. He said the rou- regattas will probably realized how much I entines they build help all change with COVID-19 joyed it,” Graff said, “and members build new sail- protocols, in past years it was because of joining ing skills: “The team prac- races have started at 9 the high school team that

I finally found out that ‘Oh, this is what I love to do’... I guess you could say [it’s] my happy place.”

“Through the team, I have been able to take my sailing to the next level and compete in large requests around the Midwest,” Tait said. “The team likes to have fun and we are all good friends, having spent many hours on the water together.”

Graff recommends that prospective sailors take the leap and check out the team because it’s great for people with all levels of experience, even if they’ve never been on a sailboat before.

“If you’re thinking that this is something you want to try, great; come and try it,” he said.

“The coaches will teach you everything you need to know about sailing. After a day of learning how to rig, we’ll be able to get you out on the water...a really great thing about the program. You actually get to get in the water as a beginner and try it out.”

Softball practiced while cancelled, postponed games delayed start MAREN OSTREM THE RUBICON

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Julia Baron Greta Magnuson practices pitching on the upper field Apr. 21 after the day’s scheduled game was postponesd.

Usually, the softball team hits the ground running with practices beginning over spring break. However, this year softball has had a rather slow start to their season due to quarantines postSpring Break and early season cancellations.

With a two year gap between seasons, veteran players are feeling a bit out of practice.

“It’s like a rusty feeling... It feels all new

again,” 9th grader Audrey Leatham said.

Practices have been dedicated to relearning skills that used to come naturally.

The team also has a large underclassman presence.

“Our team’s almost all freshmen so I don’t know a lot of them, captain Jane Christakos said. “I’m excited to get to know more younger students.”

Leatham was nervous joining the team as a 9th grader, especially after the interruption to her

8th grade season, but has found it to be a good fit.

“It’s been a lot of fun...

Everyone on the team is really nice... I was kind of worried, I was kind of scared, but everyone’s actually really nice and it’s a lot of fun,” Leatham said.

Leatham wants to focus on improving her skills and having an enjoyable season.

“Being better than I was before and kind of like feeling comfortable and relearning everything again… that’s pret-

ty much my goal: just to get comfortable and enjoy playing,” she said.

Christakos hopes to use her last sports season at SPA to foster a supportive environment for younger students to escape the stresses of school. “The team’s been really supportive and I’m hoping to build on that culture as the season continues,” she said.

Catch Spartan Softball at their next game Apr. 30 v. Blake at Blake at 4 p.m.

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Eloise Duncan Seniors Ahmed Umer and Matt Degnan and wait in the blocks for the gunshot in the 100m hurdles.

Track & Field back on track ELOISE DUNCAN THE RUBICON

Stepping into the starting blocks feels exactly the same.

“This year’s season has been really refreshing. It’s crazy to think we haven’t done anything in two years, and yet it feels like it was just yesterday we were out at our meets competing,” captain Ivan Starchook said. “We have a great team who’s all supportive of each other, and some seriously hard workers from the seniors to seventh graders.”

9th grader Violet Benson said that running is only part of the fun.

“I am really looking forward to spending time with my wonderful teammates. I love cheering others on and that’s honestly my favorite part of meets. I am also excited to try some new events and get stronger,” she said.

As COVID-19 restrictions and protocols have been put in place, the team is adjusting to a different format of the season than they are used to.

“We practice every day and masks and social-distancing are well-enforced and required at practice,” captain Sara Browne said.

“As for meets,” she added, “instead of doing meets with the entire conference of around five teams, we have dual meets so it is just us and one other school.

“At meets I believe MSHSL said we can take our masks off for our events—so just when we are racing, throwing, jumping, whatever it is—but otherwise we keep them on,” Browne said.

The next track meet takes place at 4:15 p.m.

Apr. 29 at Blake.

SPORTS THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

13

Tennis aims for balanced season WANT US TO “ IWIN STATE ...

SALAH ABDULKARIM THE RUBICON

THE RUBICON PHOTO: Salah Abdulkarim Senior co-captain Luka Shaker-Check is all eyes on ball as he winds up for a serve during practice.

After a year of patiently waiting for a season return, Spartan Tennis welcomes the spring with open arms.

Co-captain Luka Shaker-Check estimates eight new teammates joined this year.

The boy’s tennis team did not have a season in 2020, which taught Shaker-Check to make the best of any situation: “About once a week, we’d have these virtual meetings to talk, during the time of our regular season,” he said.

“Over the summer, our coach was able to

BUT I ALSO WANT US TO HAVE A GOOD TIME.

”

Luka Shaker-Check set something up where we could get some hitting in,” Shaker-Check said.

Junior Isiah Eby was disappointed in last year’s cancellation but is excited to see what this season has to offer.

“We lost a lot of seniors who didn’t get to play last year...which was

tough but we’re just going to make the best of the opportunity we get this year,” Eby Said.

Shaker-Check hopes for a meaningful season.

“I want us to win state… but I want us to have a good time... but I want us to build a good team culture and give it our all. Even if we don’t win state, that’s ok; I want to make sure we do as much as we can to be as successful as we can,” he said.

Junior Julian Duffy is starting his first tennis season this spring.

“I love the camaraderie and energetic spirit of the team...I didn’t know that many people on the

team but they’ve all been encouraging, friendly, but also fierce in a way,” he said.

This fierceness is not sparked out of anger, but rather, to support and encourage fellow teammates to do their best.

“We’re very loud when we’re playing: you’ll hear a lot of yelling, and that sort of atmosphere, which I think has always been a key to our success,” Shaker-Check said.

The next home match for Spartan Tennis is Apr. 29 at 4:30 p.m. vs. Blake.

Trap Shooting encourages individual success in team atmosphere EVE SAMPSELL-JONES THE RUBICON

It’s fair to say that SPA is host to many sports, some of which students may not know exist. So many sports teams get overshadowed by the behemoths of soccer, hockey, and baseball, but Trap Shooting is one diamond in the rough.

“I joined the team my freshman year. When IBID PHOTO: Levi Smetana I joined, the team was only about 12 kids and I Max Shaffer, Jackson Biggs, Jack O’Brien, and Auwas the only girl. I have tumn Spaulding take turns shooting in a practice been glad to see the round at the Minneapolis Gun Club. team grow and diversify over the past few years.” said senior Ellie Rosso, the team’s captain.

Trapshooting, like all spring sports, was cancelled last season due to the COVID-19 pandem-

ic. However, the team has been able to practice easily this year, as it’s a very individual sport and the stations from which players shoot are distanced.

“The coaches give a general technique to work on during practice.” said sophomore Olivia Stitt as she explained the sport. “We are given the lineup for the two squads that will be shooting first [with] 5 people in each squad.

Each squad shoots two rounds [with] 25 shots each round per person [and] 5 shots per station, then the next squad shoots. We are usually free to leave after we shoot and pick up shells.”

The team, which

meets at the Minneapolis Gun Club on Saturday mornings, is an introvert’s haven. It’s very focused and very individual, and everyone seems to be content to do their own thing.

However, teammates aren’t reluctant to lift each other up.

“Trapshooting is a very individual sport, and though everyone shoots on their own, the coaches and others on the team are always willing to give praise after a good round and encouragement or advice after a bad one.” said Stitt.

“I think the team is lacking when it comes to a sense of community within itself.” said sophomore Max Shaffer. “Most

people tend to keep to themselves and some only really talk to the people who came with them to the meet, but whenever I have the opportunity to have a conversation with someone on the team it’s always lighthearted and enjoyable.”

The team provides an environment for personal growth, where students with any level of shooting experience can go to learn. It’s calm in a strange way- a withdrawn peacefulness, marked by the sounds of gunshots. The trapshooting team is no doubt a perfect opportunity for students seeking an unconventional sport.

Ultimate Frisbee’s modified season gets biggest club on campus outside MAREN OSTREM THE RUBICON

Ultimate frisbee is the game of team spirit.

There aren’t referees at games and both teams focus less on competition and more on having fun.

COVID-19 has affected some of their treasured traditions.

“There’s always this thing called the spirit circle at the end [of the game] with the other team. We all will huddle and have a big circle, and we’ll give out Spirit Awards to people who were either following the rules really well or just being really enthusiastic and a really good team player, but we can’t have that anymore. That’s kind of sad because it was one of the really fun things

after games to get those awards and stuff and meet the other team,” captain Aman Rahman said.

The spirit circle isn’t the only thing being impacted by COVID-19. The league has made a variety of protocols in an effort to keep players safe.

This includes mandating masks, encouraging players to remain six feet apart even while playing, and limiting the amount of spectators and players at games.

As always, the season is an opportunity for personal growth.

Junior Sophie Cullen has some specific goals for the season. “I really want to improve on my forehand throw. I have a decent backhand but I find it really challeng-

ing to throw forehand, especially aiming well.

Another goal I have for myself is trying different positions on the field and finding which one I like best,” Cullen said.

9th grader McKinley Garner wants to focus on enjoying the team environment. “My goals are mostly to have fun and get to meet as many people as possible,” Garner said.

The girls team this year is majority made up of senior girls. “The seniors are all really friendly, welcoming, and motivated though so it’s really fun to be on the girl’s team with them,” Cullen said.

Despite the restrictions, Rahman hopes the team can still have fun together. “I just hope that we can kind of make a

JUST “IHOPE THAT

EVERYONE HAS FUN WITH IT AND DON’T MAKE IT TOO COMPETITIVE. Aman Rahman

”

good team out of it, just have a lot of people that are committed and stuff...

I just hope that like everyone has fun with it and that they don’t make it too competitive either,” Rahman said.

Cullen echoes Rahman’s remarks.

“Although it’s different than other seasons, I’m just

IBID PHOTO: Karla Garcia Captain Jack Biggs jumps in the air to catch a pass from his teamate. grateful that we can have a season at all in light of the current circumstances,” Cullen said.

Always the sport to encourage positivity, the ultimate teams are looking

forward to continuing on their tradition of team spirit.

The next ultimate frisbee game is a girls game at Cretin-Derham Hall on May 4 at 6 pm.

14

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

UPPER SCHOOL THEATER PRESENTS G MUSIC N I AL R SP

BECOMES

A CABARET FORMAT

LUCY BENSON

The spring musical, tentatively called a cabaret, although it is not, in fact, the musical Cabaret, will look a lot different from previous years.

Instead of doing a traditional musical with a beginning, middle, and end, students will perform a combination of pieces from various musicals’ beginnings, middles, and ends.

“I just started to think about structure,” US Theater Director Eric Severson said, “and then it kind of hit me that we could really play into the structure of a musical, and kind of make this love letter. And so yeah, we’ll give you some opening numbers, we’ll do some character songs of what they want in this world, some love songs, some dance numbers, some songs of conflict, you know, and a finale.”

Senior Adeline DeHarpporte her role within this new musical that’s not just a musical.

“They’re just following the shape of a musical, with all different kinds of musicals, like really new modern that are really kind of more pop-ish or classic ones,” she said. “Everyone’s in certain songs so I have a song from The Secret Garden, and then a High School Musical song, one from the musical Spring Awakening.”

The currently untitled cabaret will feature 21 songs from classic musicals like Singin’ in the Rain, and A Chorus Line, as well as more modern shows Hadestown, Waitress, and Falsettos.

All the musical numbers will be strung together by monologues performed by senior Maren Ostrem, inspired by the musical The Drowsy Chaperone.

“There’s a musical called The Drowsy Chaperone that we did in 2012, and one of the major characters in that is known as ‘the man in the chair,’ and in that show the man in the chair starts talking to the audience about his love of musicals and then puts an album on which is the fake musical The Drowsy Chaperone, “Severson said. “I thought I could do this to kind of help tie things together so there’s no real narrative but there are little interludes explaining the tropes of musical theater.”

For 9th grader Delaney Devine this musical is her first experience with US theater.

EDITOR IN CHIEF

“Online choir is pretty easy, generally choir rehearsals work pretty well,” senior Adeline DeHarpporte said. Students rehearse vocals over Google Meets from home, with some in person choreography rehearsals in person.

HAVE NEVER DONE “ WE ANYTHING LIKE THIS. I DON’T KNOW IF WE EVER WILL DO ANYTHING LIKE THIS AGAIN. Eric Severson

”

“I’m very impressed on how we’re doing it,” she said. “It’s gonna be a lot of work but it’ll be fun.”

The decision to utilize this format came out of the various challenges of streaming a musical instead of performing live. “...for every show we do, we apply and we get performance rights, and it all depends right now, based on the play title, if they allow streaming, off site filming and then editing together, because anything that you edit together technically becomes film, as opposed to theater,” Severson said.

“It is the intellectual property of the playwrights, the composers, the lyricist, etc. so they need to sign off on that. The [theater] titles that are available to do this way are limited. Then you move into musicals, and the titles even become more limited.”

The musical will be filmed with the cast together in a performance space, sometimes online, and some parts individually. The rehearsals have adapted to a hybrid model DeHarpporte explained:

“Online choreography rehearsals are kind of hard because you’re far away from the computer and then coming in to watch the dance, and go away and do it. But online choir is pretty easy...and we’ve also had an in person choreography rehearsal,” DeHarpporte said.

“Not being able to be in the same space together has been hard,” Devine said, “because we have to practice on our own and I think I’m used to working together as a group to put pieces together and so that’s been a little difficult.”

Producing a musical in a pandemic creates challenges with technology and editing, along with the roadblock of not being able to sing on school grounds to avoid aerosolized droplets in the air that might spread COVID-19.

Despite these challenges, Severson thinks there is something special about the new format.

“We have never done anything like this, I don’t know if we ever will do anything [like this] again.

I’m hoping that this will stay with us, or those that are involved in it. I’m hoping that it is a positive and exciting experience. We’re getting to perform some numbers from shows that maybe we wouldn’t do,” he said. “We are able to feature so many students, because we are able to pick songs that can create features, where [in] a traditional musical, there are a certain number of lead characters and then featured characters and ensemble.”

DeHarpporte added that the format may be more accessible to those new to musicals and provide something extra special for fans: “...you’ll appreciate it because there’s all the classics, but if you’re really into them, it’s like [Severson] talks about, a love letter to musicals and everyone’s appreciation for it, just like talking about all the things you love... so I think it’s really cool to get an overview of this genre,” she said.

The show includes 29 performers across 21 numbers from 21 musicals. The cabaret is scheduled to stream the weekend of June 4.

Managing Editor Maren Ostrem, who holds a key role in the production, contributed to this story by transcribing interviews and fact checking details.

INCLUDING SONGS FROM: Book of Mormon • Big Fish • Spring Awakening • Shrek the Musical •Fun Home •High School Musical •Wicked •The Secret Garden •Falsettos •Once •Waitress •Something Rotten! •Come From Away •A Chorus Line •The Last Five Years •Kinky Boots •Hadestown •Heathers the Musical •The Prom •Rocky Horror Picture Show

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

15

Wish you could have a redo? Taylor did.

Swift rerecords old albums, retakes ownership of masters, releases vault tunes MAREN OSTREM

“ Th e re’s s omethin’ bout the way, the street looks when it’s just rained…” the title track of Taylor Swift’s 2008 album Fearless begins. When the original album was released, 19 year old Swift skyrocketed into mainstream recognition. The album went on to win Album of the Year at the Grammys along with awards from Teen Choice Awards, American Music Awards, and more.

Swift is rerecording her old music beginning with Fearless, a choice influenced by her rocky history with music labels. Swift was signed to Big Machine records in 2005 at age 15. In 2018, she switched to Universal’s Republic Records. As with many contracts for up and coming artists, Swift’s contract with Big Machine dictated they own every master recording (original recording) that she created under them, totaling six albums.

The switch to Republic Records meant Swift now has ownership over her own music. However, Big Machine was sold to Ithaca Holdings, owned by Scooter Braun, who sold Swift’s master recordings without her permission or knowledge, to Shamrock Holdings.

Any time her old masters are streamed or bought, the money goes directly to Shamrock.

MANAGING EDITOR

Swift has since spoken out publicly against Braun, claiming that he bullied her, and decided to re-record her masters to take full ownership of her work.

This started with Fearless (Taylor’s Version) released Apr. 9. Swift has had a busy year producing new music, releasing album evermore on Dec. 11, 2020, less than five months after releasing Folklore.

While Fearless (Taylor’s Version) may not sound like cause for excitement, seeing as it’s a rerecording of an album that came out 13 years ago, the rerecording has caused quite the stir. With it, Swift is bringing listeners back to the country origin she has long since abandoned, currently favoring indie pop. Swift fans on TikTok and other social media platforms have made videos analyzing every minute detail of difference between the 2008 and 2021 versions — down to the way Swify breathes between phrases or the intonation of words.

The two Fearless albums’ differences are subtle. The songs, minus newly released vault songs, are the same. The production is nearly identical. However, it is obvious how much Swift’s voice has matured in the past 13 years.

For fans who have grown up with her music, the rerecordings come full circle. It feels like fans have grown up alongside Swift in a way and are now re-

visiting this album together. Other than resparking long time fans’ love for the album, Swift is reintroducing the music to a new generation of first-time listeners. Overall, the rerecordings of Fearless are a masterful move by Swift to both retake ownership of her old music and revisit some original work in new ways.

Other than rerecordings of songs previously released, the album contains songs from the vault, songs written by Swift at the time of the initial recording of Fearless that were never released.

These include popular singles “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” “You All Over Me,” and four others.

“Mr. Perfectly Fine” is by far the strongest of the new releases. A classic break up song, less heartbreaking than it is snarky. After one listen, it’s easy to sing along due to catchy lyrics. The fact that Swift chose to release songs she wrote as a teenager is a testament to her songwriting. The song, while never released, was hinted at in many released Swift songs. Little phrases, such as “casually cruel” show up both in released songs (in this case, “All Too Well” on the Red album) as well as in “Mr. Perfectly Fine.”

Swift is a master at giving fans little Easter eggs to hunt for and dissect, and the vault songs are no exception.

Although Fearless (Taylor’s Version)

2008 2021 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Lizzie Kristal “Fearless (Taylor’s Version)” was released Apr. 9, marking the biggest opening day for Spotify thus far in 2021. It is a remix of the title track from the original 2008 album. is hardly fresh, it makes for a compelling relistening experience. It is a clear reminder that Swift has always been a master of storytelling and catchy melodies. The upcoming rerecordings are something to look out for.

RATING: 5/5

Eccentric. Flashy. Sweet. Sugar Factory doesn’t disappoint ADRIENNE GAYLORD THE RUBICON

Willy Wonka would wipe a marzipan tear from his eye after beholding the Sugar Factory at the Mall of America. This decadent celebrity-boasting sweet themed restaurant is the perfect place to slurp down a virgin cocktail goblet exuding plumes of dry ice with the pals or celebrate a birthday in style with a $99 “World Famous Sugar Factory King Kong Milkshake” covered in candy,

The Tie Dye Milkshake is blended vanilla ice cream in a chocolate mug, drizzled in multicolored ganache.

It’s topped with Pop Rocks, cotton candy, a candy necklace and colorful sprinkles.

donuts, and active sparklers. The restaurant’s prices certainly make it difficult to become a regular customer, but the spectacle of the whole experience will make any visit a special occasion.

The Sugar Factory at MOA is one of many across the country. Their branding is outrageously celebrity-centric, throwing photos of celebrities posing with milkshakes on the walls. In the restaurant itself, aside from the photos of famous figures with candy rimming the walls, there is a massive screen playing a looped promotional video highlighting paparazzi articles of celebs and the Kardashian promoted couture pops that hit the public eye in 2011.

Despite the possibility of hype and flash overshadowing the actual flavor of the factory’s food, the cuisine comes through.

Although overzealous with salt, the burgers, highlighting

The Blue Cheese Bacon Burger is also topped with sauteed mushrooms and two types of onions.

THE RUBICON PHOTOS: Adrienne Gaylord OH SO SWEET. With a menu full of over the top milkshakes, sundaes, and burgers, Sugar Factory has brought its whimsy to the Mall of America. the veggie burger, were quite tasty. Be aware: order the rainbow sliders and if they are out of yellow rubber ducks, they’ll give you a lollipop. Try not to cry.

The ginger sesame chicken salad may have been questionably sweet for a salad, but it was not unpleasant, and considering the outright spectacle of the whole establishment it doesn’t come as a surprise.

The goblet drinks and insane milkshakes are all gorgeous, and it’s almost

THE INSANE MILKSHAKES ARE TRULY MAGNIFICENT BOTH IN TASTE AND AESTHETIC. as exciting to watch them being delivered to neighboring tables as it is to receive one. The milkshakes are truly magnificent in both taste and aesthetic.

Their towering stature builds character that is

magnified by the cotton candy, donut, cheesecake slice or whatever decadent decorations top the ice creamy drink. The milkshake tastes like a milkshake, so why complain?

This whip cream dolloped, sprinkle coated, chocolate covered, candy capped, cherry in the middle, slice of cake on top restaurant is the definition of fame-fueled exuberance and absolutely worth a trip. It’s cheesy, and sometimes cringe-worthy, whether

The Sugar Factory Rainbow Sliders are classic cheeseburger sliders on colorful buns.

that be due to sugar overload or witnessing pompous consumerism, but isn’t it exciting to see a pile of sugar topped with more sugar in the most visually pleasing manner?

RATING: 4/5

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GOOD QUESTION THE RUBICON - APRIL 2021

SPA Q&A

How will day-today life change as more people get vaccinated?

ILLUSTRATION: Noa Gross Information from CDC

Liam Lynch, senior

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Things will go back to a semblance of normalcy, but I don’t think we’ll ever get fully back to normal.

One shot? Two shots? Side effects?

How do COVID-19 vaccines work?

ELOISE DUNCAN

COVID-19 vaccines have become an increasingly prevalent topic of conversation in the past month, as they become more widely available to the adult population in the United States. As of Apr. 19, every adult in the country is eligible to be vaccinated. Over two million doses of the vaccine were administered in Minnesota as of Mar. 18. But, as people find appointments for themselves and their loved ones, there still may be the question: How do these vaccines even work, and what do they do?

THE RUBICON

HOW VACCINES FUNCTION

Anisa Deo, 9th grade

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We’re all going to feel safer but restrictions should not be gone.

The purpose of vaccines is to create an immune response within the body so that the body knows how to fight off future infection. Upper School science teacher Christine Schwichtenberg has taught students in her classes how vaccines work and what they do.

“Essentially, any vaccine is trying to create a small immune response ANY VACCINE IS TRYING TO so that your body creates memory cells that will create antibodies for future responses, so if you’re exposed to it again in the future,” she said.

CREATE A SMALL IMMUNE “The first time you’re exposed to something, your adaptive response is making B cells which make antibodies which glom on to the virus, so RESPONSE SO THAT YOUR that your phagocytes can eat them up, and then the killer T cells kill BODY CREATES MEMORY CELLS cells that are infected. Your body makes these cells and then later creates the memory cells of them, so that if you’re exposed to it again, it THAT WILL CREATE ANTIBODIES can attack it before you even realize you feel sick,” Schwichtenberg said.

Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are mRNA vaccines. mRNA FOR FUTURE RESPONSES, IN vaccines differ from traditional vaccines because they do not use dead CASE YOU’RE EXPOSED AGAIN or inactivated parts of the actual virus to trigger an immune response.

Instead, they teach cells how to make a protein, which in turn triggers IN THE FUTURE. an immune response. In the case of the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines, the mRNA teaches cells how to make the “spike protein” that Christine Schwichtenberg is on the surface of the virus that causes COVID-19. Once the shot is injected into the muscle of the upper arm, the cells make the protein using the mRNA as instructions. After the protein is made, the cell breaks down and gets rid of these instructions. Then the cell shows the protein piece on its surface, which the human immune system recognizes as something that should not be there, triggering it to start building an immune response.

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GETTING VACCINATED

Rio Cox, sophomore

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I predict, for the most part, people will be cautious even after everyone gets their vaccines.

Senior Olivia Lagos got the Moderna vaccine once she was eligible.

“I got the Moderna because that was the vaccine that was available to me, although I would’ve taken any vaccine. After my first dose I felt fine for the most part, but later that night my arm got really sore,” she said. “My second dose hit me a lot harder. That night I was tired, nauseous, and achy, and the next day those symptoms were worse and I had a mild fever. Then I felt fine about 24 hours after my shot.”

The Johnson and Johnson vaccine works a bit differently — it is similar to more traditional vaccines.

“Johnson and Johnson’s is an Adenovirus, which is what many of the vaccines kids get are. So that science has been around for a long time, and basically the only thing new with the Johnson and Johnson vaccine is the DNA that’s on the inside of it,” Schwichtenberg said.

Senior Gabe Ramirez received the Johnson and Johnson on Apr. 8.

“I got the vaccine through my job at EZ Masonry. It was the only one available the day I went and I wasn’t going to turn down the opportunity to do my part and make my fellow Americans safer,” Ramirez said.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VACCINES

Mason Brooks, junior

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Inadvertently, it’ll get a little more lax with the rules, even if it’s not the smartest thing to do.

There are a few other differences between the different types of vaccines. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is only a single shot, while the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine both require two shots, because the second one creates a greater immune response. Also, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine can be kept at refrigerator temperature for months and is more stable, while the mRNA vaccines need to be stored in very cold temperatures, and once they are taken out of that temperature they have a short amount of time in which they need to be administered. However, the distribution of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, as of Apr. 13, is temporarily suspended as health officials investigate rare cases of severe blood clots.

The purpose of all COVID-19 vaccines, no matter how they work or how they are different, is to create an immune response within the body so that it knows how to fight off future infection.