November 2025 Issue

DEMOCRACY IN PERIL

BENEFICIAL BALLOT. Senior Echo Dayton poses with her “I voted” sticker. Dayton voted at Martin Luther King Community Center. “It was more stressful than I expected to fill out the ballot, but it was really gratifying at the end submitting it into the machine,” she said.

Seniors cast votes in mayoral races

LINA ABID

THE RUBICON increases youth participation in elections. The accessibility of pre-registration has been proven to generally increase the participation of people ages 16-18 in elections.

“With great power comes great responsibility.” These words of wisdom may have come from Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man, but they are also crucial for new voters. On Nov. 4, the Twin Cities municipal elections took place. For many high school seniors, this was their first opportunity to cast a vote.

Voting has been on senior Lily Currie’s radar since before she was eligible. She took the opportunity to pre-register to vote after Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon discussed the importance of voting at an upper school assembly two years ago. “I started thinking about it a long time ago, just being excited to vote in elections, and I feel like it’s a very big responsibility,” she said.

In Minnesota, pre-registration is available once citizens turn 16 years old.

According to a 2017 article in Election Law Journal by Anthony Fowler, voter preregistration

Senior Elliot Sjastaad recognizes the power of voting.

If you want something to change, the best way to do it is to vote. “

senior Elliot Sjastaad

“I think [voting is] really important. I think everyone, if they can vote, should vote. It’s great to use your right and it’s just really important to be able to express your opinion. If you want something to change, the best way to do it is to vote,” he said.

Currie notes the importance of taking voting seriously as a young person. “I think it’s a very

big responsibility for people, especially when you turn 18, you are still very young, like, I know I’m still in high school for another year. I think … a lot of people don’t take [it] seriously enough,” she said.

According to a 2025 article from the Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Minnesota has consistently ranked highly in youth voter registration. In the last presidential election, 62% of Minnesota voters ages 1829 cast a ballot, while the national average for that age range was 47%.

Senior Helen Frost was not able to vote in the Minneapolis municipal election, but is excited for the opportunity. “My birthday is on Nov. 13, and Election Day is on Nov. 4. So I feel like I’m so close to being able to vote, but I can’t. It makes me sad, because I want to be able to do my civic duty, and I can’t, but I’m so close,” she said.

Leading up to the election, Sjastaad and Currie familiarized themselves with the candidates. For Sjastaad, taxation policies

CORRECTIONS POLICY

Corrections are printed at the bottom of News p. 2. Corrections will be published in the month following the error and, if the story is also published online, will update following the online corrections policy.

have been the focus of his research. “I’ve learned about the policies of the three main [mayoral candidates],” he said. “Obviously, I don’t really pay taxes, but I’ve heard a lot about people increasing taxes in the area and not really seeing the same value of service.”

In the weeks before voting day, Currie planned to look into each candidate’s platform generally.

“I’ll do more research, too, and just figure out who I’m going to be voting for, and just make sure that I am educated about all the issues that each candidate is going to be looking at,” she said.

Adulthood naturally brings many new responsibilities, including the ability to vote. It offers the opportunity to enact real change, whether on a local or national level, but the experience is largely dependent on the initiative and outlook of the individual.

READ MORE about the Nov. 4 elections in Opinions pg. 6.

Political priorities of the MAYOR-ELECTS:

ST. PAUL:

• Education

• Environmental action

• Healthcare affordability

• Secure housing

• Immigrant rights

• Reproductive rights

• Public safety

H LY H ER

MINNEAPOLIS:

• Affordable housing

• Climate action

• Strengthening communitypolice relations

• Economic growth

RIGHTFUL REGISTRATION. Election judge checks senior Franny Wagner in before she receives her ballot.

PROUD POSE. Senior Sophie Donahue votes with her mom for the first time.

VALUABLE VOTE. Senior Josh Melchert stands in front of his elementary school, Merriam Park Recreation Center. Melchert casted his first ballot in the Nov. 4 election. “It was very cool to vote for the first time and make an impact in my community,” he said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Josh Melchert

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Sophie Donahue

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Franny Wagner

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Echo Dayton

STC workshops acceptable AI use in the classroom

SAM GALARNEAULT THE RUBICON

It’s unavoidable, it’s the future and it will only become more advanced. The Student Technology Committee is working to unpack the changing topic of artificial intelligence in hope to bring clarity with its use at school.

STC led an assembly on Oct. 21, covering topics on AI’s environmental, privacy and ethical factors. The group expressed that AI can be a very confusing topic when not addressed or taught properly.

AI has grown exponentially in recent years, especially with the release of the Chat Generative PreTrained Transformer, or ChatGPT, in 2022, and as a result, it has become increasingly prevalent in the academic atmosphere.

In order to maintain honest and ethical learning, STC hopes to inform the community on AI utilization.

STC representative Sam Hilton explained one of the main reasons for their year long AI conversation: “It’s for people to understand what the policy is and where you can and can’t use AI,” he said. “With each

class having different AI rules in their syllabi, it can be really confusing.”

The difference tolerances for AI use varies across classes and was disclosed in each class’s syllabus at the beginning of the school year caused confusion which is leading STC’s progress to understand then clarify these standards.

Senior Tressyn Weiss shared their outlook on AI use in academic settings. “People are learning slower. You learn through doing,” Weiss said. “Your muscles grow through repeated reps [like] how your brain works ... if you use AI, you don’t actually learn anything.”

Weiss believes that AI, overall, is not worth using due to the environmental harm it creates as well. They believe that AI can be used productively in science, technology, engineering and mathematics classes for comprehension but less in humanities classes.

In a 2025 study published in Frontiers in Psychology, titled “Exploring the effects of artificial intelligence on student and academic well-being in higher education: a mini-review,” researchers Blanka Klimova and Marcel Pikhar found that negative effects show students are more vulnerable with dependency on AI, which can harmfully impact on mental health, focus, stress levels and academic performance.

Similarly to Weiss’s view on AI, senior Zahra Wiedmann also emphasizes caution when using AI. “You shouldn’t be using it to do your assignment,” Wiedmann said. “But I do think there is a way to use it in a positive way.”

Wiedmann described ways AI can help one learn material such as helping figure out the process behind a problem instead of going straight to the solution. They use the example of AI helping a student figure out the methods to solving a calculus problem instead of going straight to the answer. This form of AI use is the most appropriate way in a school setting, according to Wiedmann.

senior Zahra Wiedmann “

You shouldn’t be using [AI] to do your assignment. But I do think there is a way to use it in a positive way.

AI has many benefits such as personalized learning, advanced data analysis and help in productivity when used advantageously. However, when misused, AI can become problematic, especially in academic settings where it can lead to academic dishonesty.

The committee’s ongoing goal is to understand the direct relationship between students and AI use, which led them to send out an anonymous school wide Google form on Oct. 29. They aim to teach students how to use AI responsibly more in a future assembly using the compiled data from the form.

The implications of AI also extend beyond individual users. In the assembly, STC representative Peter Hovan advised being conscious of the environmental impact and unnecessary queries that waste energy and water.

This STC assembly was the first of many they plan to make in the future to help students to better control and understand AI use in and out of the classroom.

Greene prioritizes safety as school gun confiscations rise statewide

SONIA KHARBANDA EDITOR IN CHIEF

In the last five years, there has never been a threat of gun violence on campus. But with gun confiscations on the rise in Minnesota schools, conversations about school safety remain prevalent.

The Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Oct. 21 that almost 200 firearms have been confiscated in Minnesota schools since 2021.

The sharpest spike occurred during the 20212022 school year, when 69 firearms were found in schools. Districts are responding to the increase in different ways, combining tangible protective measures with community building and mental health resources.

Accounting Manager Samantha Greene said the latter approach is emphasized by the school’s security team in ways as simple as their gray uniforms.

“They’re soft, as opposed to black and sharp

… we don’t wear the utility belts, we don’t have the batons or pepper spray or anything like that, so that’s a softer look, so that more students would feel comfortable coming and saying something,” she said.

Since the same security guards rotate between the Goodrich campus, Davern desk and Huss lobby, the security system is designed to fit kindergartners, adults and everyone in between. Greene hopes their approachable attire and familiarity with the community will encourage students to share any safety concerns. In addition to their efforts to form relationships, the security team works behind the scenes to ensure campus safety. When an unrecognized individual comes to the door, the guard on duty verifies their reason for being here. Their driver’s license is checked, and they are escorted throughout the building by an adult member of the community.

Greene explains the purpose behind the escort protocol: “The hope is, all students would see someone they don’t know with someone they do know … But if you were to see an adult that you don’t recognize, they don’t have a sticker, they’re not with someone, [then students] would say something.”

Being friendly ... with the entire community [is important] because when we all know each other ... outside figure[s] ... stand out. “

security

officer Tim Warnest

Much of the guards’ time is spent watching the computer monitors. Every time a parent, faculty member or senior uses their respective badge, their name and photo pops up on screen

alongside the live feed from the door used, allowing the security guard to identify if an unauthorized person is misusing a badge.

“Being friendly ... with the entire community [is important] because when we all know each other, when there’s an outside figure that appears on the scene, it stands out,” security officer Tim Warnest said.

Furthermore, the implementation of a new crisis response program this year has allowed the security team to efficiently announce different types of emergencies, using a new and improved overhead alarm system. The I Love U Guys program, introduced in tandem with Community Partnership Month, aims to inform and empower community members during and after crises.

In the event that a student brings a weapon to school, the security team currently follows a “see something, say something” protocol and would respond to any sit-

uation on a case-by-case basis.

After confiscation, the upper school handbook names indefinite suspension as the first punishment, followed by an investigation and further consequences.

Greene stresses that the entire community is responsible for safety.

“Security isn’t just one person’s job. It is everybody’s … Security is people just like you guys, and we try to catch everything,” she said. “There will be misses, but if [students] see something and say something, it’s invaluable, having that information brought to us before it’s hindsight.”

Although no policy changes regarding the recent statewide increase in gun confiscations have yet been made, discussions will continue to address the changing landscape of school safety.

Additional reporting by Wynter Feiner.

Minnesota schools since 2021

DATA DISCUSSION. The Student Technology Committee discuss the compiled data about the use of artificial intelligence among students. STC sent a form Oct. 29 to grasp the frequency of AI use and what students deem as ethical. STC representative Sam Hilton said, “with each class having different AI rules in their syllabi, it can be really confusing.”

PHOTO: Sam Galarneault

Highland Bridge construction resumes

HARPER LARSEN THE RUBICON

The Highland Bridge project has been in motion since July 2020 and is well into its fifth year of construction. The 122acre mixed-zoning project has been a near-constant construction zone, with the exception of when the rent control ordinance took effect in 2022.

Rent control put new cost pressures on landlords and developers. As a result, building plans were canceled or put on hold. Now that the St. Paul City Council has walked back rent control, the project is back on track.

Senior Raina Heidkamp has noticed the construction resuming in her neighborhood. “I have [noticed an increase in construction], because it sometimes gets in the way when I’m trying to

drive to some places,” she said.

The Randolph campus is near the project, causing many students to interact with the project’s construction daily, whether driving home or living in the neighborhood. Students also learn about the project in the new urbanism unit in seventh grade social studies.

Middle school social studies teacher Bobak Razavi teaches new urban-

ism in his seventh grade curriculum and often references the Highland Bridge project as a tangible example close to campus.

The Highland Bridge project combines mixeduse zoning with walkability, making it Razavi’s go-to example when teaching his students. Razavi has been following the issue of rent control in connection to the Highland Bridge construction.

I have [noticed an increase in construction], because it sometimes gets in the way when I’m trying to drive.

senior

Raina Heidkamp

Razavi initially learned about the rent control ordinance when looking at the voting ballot in 2021. When he discovered the plan, he was worried about the lack of context on the ballot. He went home and did his own research. Razavi was surprised to find that on the rent control issue, he took a stance that he usually wouldn’t.

“I had decided that I agreed with the landlords, which I feel like I wouldn’t often do …

I thought [the cap on rent control] would have a chilling effect on new buildings. And sure enough, that’s exactly what happened at Highland Bridge, and things slowed down quite a bit,” Razavi said.

Most students’ interest in the project did not lead to extensive research; but they did notice the construction picking back up. Junior William Drake heard about rent control causing issues for the project.

“I have definitely seen a pickup in construction since the issue was resolved,” he said.

The Highland Bridge project is back underway, providing a real-life example of new urbanism and educating students and faculty on the impact of rent control on ongoing construction projects. Construction is expected to be finished by December.

Shutdown sparks concerns for safety, stability

PEONY STEELE THE RUBICON

The government is often seen as a stable force to represent the people, but the recent government shutdown has led some students to question its effectiveness. The shutdown is the longest in history, surpassing the previous record of 35 days in 20182019. Many federal employees have either been sent home without pay or are working without pay until the shutdown ends. The delays to college financial aid processing, freezing of research grants and potential closures to programs shed light on how government disagreements impact students’ daily lives.

Senior Salma Blagui has not felt many personal effects of the shutdown, but she is concerned about safety and stability, as air traffic controllers and TSA agents are forced to work without pay. “If someone is in charge of your safety, you want them to willingly be here, or at least be paid for it so you have some kind of guarantee,” she said.

The federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1 due to disagreements in Congress over the federal budget, which included foreign aid revocations and health insurance subsidies in the Affordable Care Act.

With previous knowledge from his Government and Citizenship class, senior Johnny Rog emphasizes the shutdown’s impact on families who rely on food assistance programs. “The only big thing is it can make some things slower, such as food regulations,” he said.

Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, Democrats in the Senate have negotiated power since Congress needs 60 votes to pass the spending bill. The Republican-led House passed a “clean” continuing resolution, a temporary law that provides funding to government agencies while waiting for appropriations bills to be approved. The bill aimed to keep the government running through Nov. 21. However, disagreements arose over opposition to healthcare cuts, causing a majority of Senate Democrats to vote against the bill. A final vote of 54-46 triggered the government shutdown.

Institutions with government grants won’t face immediate issues, but are unlikely to receive assistance or more funds during a shutdown. With many agency employees furloughed, organizations such as the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation face significant disruption to their re-

(AS OF NOV. 11)

LONGEST GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWNS

President Donald Trump leads in the longest government shutdowns; the recent shutdown during his second term is closely followed in terms of days by the shutdown in his first term in 2018-2019. Former president Bill Clinton was in office during the third-longest shutdown during his first term in 1995-1996. Former president Jimmy Carter had a shutdown in 1978, and former president Barack Obama had a shutdown during his second term in 2013.

search and operations, especially with a reduced staff. “I firsthand discovered, because I’m in astronomy, that we no longer have news on everything, even though we base many of our classes on NASA news,” Blagui said.

If someone is in charge of your safety, you want them to willingly be there.

senior Salma Blagui

International students may also be affected by the shutdown, as the Department of Homeland Security could delay processing applications for status changes. This delay can prevent foreign students from enrolling in classes or renewing legal work visas on time, creating uncertainty about their ability to stay in the U.S. Additionally, organizations such as the Free Ap -

plication for Federal Student Aid are facing significant delays in application processing, verification and aid disbursement due to a lack of staff. This leads many students unsure how they will pay for tuition or housing.

Ninth-grader Henry Childs recognizes that his knowledge of the subject isn’t very strong, but believes that research is a crucial tool for youth engagement. “I wouldn’t consider myself eligible to have a big voice, but if there was an initiative to educate young people about government more in an accessible way, then a voice could be beneficial,” he said.

The shutdown reveals how the government affects more than just politics; it reaches classrooms, families and the future of millions of American students. While some feel its impact more directly than others, the situation reminds many young people how deeply federal decisions shape daily life. As of press time, the fate of the government is undecided as the shutdown moves into its sixth week. However, a deal to reopen the government was passed by the Senate on Nov. 10, and will be decided by a House vote on Nov. 12.

REPURPOSED RESOURCES. The Highland Bridge project is converting a Ford production plant into a sustainable mixeduse neighborhood. Construction was paused due to a rent control ordinance in 2022, but has recently resumed and is estimated to be finished by December. Junior William Drake said, “I’ve definitely seen a pickup in construction.”

PHOTOS: Google Earth, (2003) USDA, FDAC, GEO, (2020) CNES, Airbus, Maxar Technologies, (2025) Airbus

PRESIDENTIAL PAUSES.

INFOGRAPHIC: Evie Gardner

National Public Radio

OUR MISSION

We strive to capture 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

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 MANAGING EDITOR

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR NEWS EDITORS

OPINIONS EDITORS

HEALTH & WELLNESS EDITOR

PAGE ONE/IN DEPTH EDITOR

FEATURE EDITORS

SPORTS EDITORS

A&E EDITORS

GOOD QUESTION

DIRECTOR OF RUBICONLINE

PRODUCTION MANAGER

CREATIVE DESIGN MANAGER

DIVERSITY MANAGER BEATS MANAGER NEWS EDITORS

OPINIONS EDITORS

Sonia Kharbanda

Juan Miguel Adams

Amanda Hsu

Evie Gardner

Wynter Feiner

Peony Steele

Eva Burns

Izzy Middlebrook

Peter Ostrem

Ariella Kim

Sylvia Westra

Sam Galarneault

Harper Larsen

Tallulah Dogwill

Sunde Auberjonois

Lina Abid

Ivy Evans

Jack Gao

Thomas Chen

Greyson Sale Zimo Xie

Lani Ngonethong

Elizabeth Tuttle

Peter Lipinsky

Ike Obi-Walker

Winston Arvidson

Audrey Jansen

Zahir Hassan

Naomi Zins

Shrey Nemani

Lani Ngonethong

Yassin Mokbel

Senetneb Theba

Allen Wang

Aiden Ruediger

Yasmin Khan

Nabeeha Qadri

Nora McKoy

Andrew Lipinsky

Audrey Peltier

CONTRIBUTORS

Carys Hsiung, Annika Kim, Kate Tuttle, Huxley Westemeier

STAFF WRITERS

Dhru Chaney, Olivia George, Sofia Johnson, Rohan Kavuru, Niko Lifton, Katherine Lin, Lilly Parr, Annalia Sarzoza, Ellie Whitcomb

ADVISER

Kathryn Campbell, CJE

PUBLICATIONS ASSISTANT Scott Gillespie

feelings of

is important to see forgiveness as a personal choice, rather than absolving the offender or forgetting the

Forgive on your own time to find growth, peace

EDITORIAL THE RUBICON STAFF

When forgiveness is part of a timeline or a condition, it will always mean less. Genuine forgiveness cannot be forced or hurried. It must be a natural choice, so the issue does not remain unresolved, instigating more tension.

It isn’t always the right time to forgive. Sometimes, it isn’t even the right path. Maybe the other person hasn’t apologized and maybe they never will. However, when someone is ready to choose forgiveness, it is for their own benefit, not the benefit of the offender. Forgiveness doesn’t demand timing or justice; only readiness. When the moment to move on comes, forgiveness is for the individual: it frees the forgiver.

Imagine forgiveness as a personal umbrella. Not a large, shared one, but just enough to cover a single person. The umbrella works alongside other methods; help from friends, family, therapy, religion and other belief systems can be instrumental in the forgiveness process. The umbrella is a relief from the relentless storm of pent-up anger, resentment and lingering bitterness when someone has caused pain. When one forgives, they do not put the other person under their umbrella and step away. They look to the sky and, instead of fighting the rain, choose to stay protected, finding peace away from the downpour.

During high school, loneliness, insecurity and other charged emotions are often the culprits behind disagreements between peers. After sharing a space with someone for a long time, forgiveness can be complicated. Because of this shared past within a small and tightly-knit school, situations quickly become amplified.

Even in a place where everyone seems to know everything, forgiveness remains a deeply personal matter. It is an internal, quiet choice. No one can do it for someone else, and it won’t fix what has happened, but the problem won’t command attention anymore.

The positive effects of forgiveness extend beyond the present. A 2009 study by Yu-Rim Lee and Robert Enright, titled “Fathers’ Forgiveness as a Moderator Between Perceived Unfair Treatment by a Family of Origin Member and Anger with Own Children,” discovered that when someone abused as a child found forgiveness, they were more likely to treat their own offspring better. To promote psychological well-being in future generations, forgiveness has the power to intervene within families that have adopted the generational transmission of anger.

But how to find forgiveness remains a mystery. There’s no alarm that goes off, no smoke signal, no countdown, no thumbs up. Forgiveness starts when the grudge has consumed all waking hours, every silence, every negative thought. We cannot run from our issues, but we can choose to let them go.

There are mental benefits to forgiveness, but many of the positive effects rely on the emotions behind it. A 2023 study by Jihan Kim, et al, titled “Indirect Effects of Forgiveness on Psychological Health Through Anger and Hope,” confirmed that forgiveness rooted in restored hope instead of anger can improve anxiety, ease depression and rebuild self-esteem.

Forgiveness isn’t forgetting something. It is deciding that the storm doesn’t deserve to soak you. And while the clouds may linger, forgiveness can alleviate the mental toll. When deliberating or starting the process of forgiveness, remember that approaching it with hope matters. It is an unhealthy belief to think that somone can change what was done or how others remember it, but it is a personal choice to decide how much power the past holds.

The umbrella doesn’t change the conditions; it allows us to navigate them.

EDITORIAL CARTOON: Annika Kim

anger and shame. It

incident.

OPINIONS

THE RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025

ELECTION ROUNDUP

Recent elections display energized youth

CAPTIVATED A NATION: NEW YORK CITY

MAYORAL RACE

LILLY PARR STAFF WRITER

Zohran Mamdani. The man with the plan. The charming smile. A fun, blue-amber poster, inspired partially by the New York lottery. Brand new, a fresh face. For young people, Mamdani speaks to a fire that American politics hasn’t stoked recently. He makes voters, especially younger voters, feel seen and valued. After almost a year of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids and program cuts, many young Americans are feeling despondent. However, Mamdani has fostered new ideas; he has reignited the spark in many young people. There is hope, at least for people in New York.

KATHERINE LIN STAFF WRITER

Virginia’s gubernatorial election offers young people hope for the future of our society and our country.

Abigail Spanberger is Virginia’s first woman governor who is a Democrat that supports women’s reproductive rights, lowering prescription drug prices, expanding the middle class and easing inflation. What she wants for Virginia is to strengthen public schools, keep the community safe, and make the state more affordable. All

Kareem Rahma joked with Mamdani on his subway talk show, SubwayTakes, saying the price of matcha lattes is too much money. Mamdani smiled, saying he was “100% unsure.” He added, “I can only make promises I can keep.” Mamdani has made promises to significantly lower costs for people in NYC, pledging to help with rent expenses.

Mamdani has also proposed constructing over 200,000 affordable housing units in the next 10 years and a plan that would implement free childcare for all. At the same time, the federal government is helping the rich get richer while most fall behind, including young people.

Mamdani isn’t afraid to fight for our future. The mayor-elect, when on Fox News, said, “I will … be a mayor who is ready to speak at any time to lower the cost of living.” As youth, especially those under the voting age, we rely on those who can vote to create our government. The current administration has been a painful loss. The re-election of a president who is a 34-time convicted felon, and working to roll back affordable health care and deporting thousands has strained that faith. But Mamdani’s election has begun to restore it.

Mamdani has also gained the support of many young voters with his political stances. Ever since June,

ANOTHER CHANCE: VIRGINIA’S GUBERNATORIAL RACE

of these issues are crucial in our current political climate, and Spanberger has the potential to be an incredible influence on the state. Spanberger won by almost half a million votes, easily sweeping the election from the other candidate, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. The significant margin highlights the state of Virginia’s dissatisfaction with the previous governor and its strong desire for a new, more progressive governor like Spanberger.

Not only that, but Spanberger’s win also excites young people who

PUBLICATIONS POLICIES

PUBLICATION INFO The Rubicon is published eight times a year. We distribute 500 copies of each issue on the Randolph Campus which are available for free.

ADVERTISING The Rubicon does not accept advertisements.

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. Use of grade level or first name only are the most commonly used methods 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

share her beliefs, as they feel represented by a powerful and influential figure who isn’t just the president. Hope has been invigorated for the Democrats following their successful last election, as knowing that there are people on their side who are fighting for and shaping change around their beliefs gives a strong sense of belonging and a feeling of another chance to get things right.

assignments. Stories that include supplemental materials include a credit at the bottom that states “Additional reporting by” followed by the name of the reporter.

EDITORIALS articulate the collective opinion of the staff, while minieditorials, opinions pieces, arts reviews, and columns belong to the author.

SUBMITTED WORK The Rubicon encourages the student body to contribute their voice. Submitted work includes Letters to the Editor, Submitted Work, or Images/ Illustrations. With all submitted work, fraud and impersonation are prohibited and will be reported to the administration and the Honor Council. Letters, story ideas, and interest can be

Mamdani has helped reclaim the term “Democratic Socialist.” In his victory speech, he quoted the socialist activist Eugene V. Debs, saying, “I can see the dawn for a better day for humanity.”

Mamdani once said that “We have to make clear that when the boot of the NYPD is on your neck, it’s been laced by the IDF,” sharing his stance on the Israel-Hamas war. His view on Palestinian liberation is controversial, but he has stood strong by his beliefs. Along with his stance on Palestine, Mamdani has also expressed his view on the police. In an era similar to others in U.S. history, where police violence is horribly familiar, Mamdani offers the idea that something needs to change. On Rahma’s talk show, Mamdani talked about how he plans to create a Department of Community Safety, which will focus on mental health, homelessness and crisis-response. He said he plans to “work with the police to create public safety by ensuring they can do their jobs, focused on serious crimes.”

Zohran Mamdani inspires. He sparks hope and smiles in a currently fraught political landscape. He is a new face who promises to create a better world. If his ideas, his promises and his plans work in New York, maybe there’s hope for the rest of us. And for everyone, all we need right now is a little hope.

Elections are crucial for young adults because they need role models to look up to and strive to emulate. This makes voting an opportunity to choose the political figure who will have a influence on their lives.

The newly elected St. Paul mayor, Kaohly Her, will make history as the first Asian and the first woman to hold the office. In Her’s victory speech, she thanked her parents for bringing her to the United States as refugees. Her election is a

sent to rubiconstaff@spa.edu.

UPDATES AND CORRECTIONS

During the post-critique process, staff members identify inaccuracies and discuss reader feedback. 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 published online, will be corrected following the online corrections policy.

PHOTO CREDITS Photos are labeled with the photographer name, whether

A SHOW OF COMMUNITY: SAINT PAUL MAYORAL RACE

testament to the growing movement to elect officials who represent different groups of people.

The incumbent mayor, Melvin Carter, was someone she had worked under for many years. In Her’s speech after being elected, she thanked him and said that she will be “forever grateful for that opportunity.”

Even though Carter did not win the race against his former colleague, he still extended his support to her. This is a particularly notable aspect of the St. Paul community, demonstrating their sense of mu-

on staff or freelance. Images sourced outside the staff are credited with guidance from the National Press Photographers Association guides.

NAME AND PRONOUN USE

The Rubicon uses the name and pronouns shared by individual sources during interview. Each interview and survey begins with a request to say and spell the person’s name and to share the pronouns they would like to see published in the story, and the reporter is transparent about where the story will be published. If a mistake is made, a correction will be posted per the corrections policy.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The Rubicon news and Ibid yearbook avoid conflicts of interest while also honoring

tual respect and dignity following the election results. People here understand that competition does not need to end in division; respect can still flourish even in the midst of disagreement. In a country where politics are becoming increasingly polarized, this kind of positive behavior is a great reminder that cooperation is still possible. When individuals prioritize community and respect over competition, they set an exemplary example for younger generations, helping to welcome a better, more cohesive future.

the fact that our reporters are involved in the school and local community beyond their work on staff. Staff members avoid writing about students, teachers, student clubs, affinity groups, and organizations that they are closely involved with. The reporter is always responsible for disclosing conflicts of interest, but if a conflict of interest comes to light after publication, it does not warrant removal of the story. If it is in the best interest of a source to be interviewed by a close friend in the case of a sensitive topic, the interviewer will not write the story— they will solely conduct the interview. Unavoidable conflicts of interest are specifically mentioned at the top of a story. Photographing or videography of news events is never a conflict of interest.

SOFIA JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

DISTINCTIVE DISPLAYS.

The librarians work extra hard to ensure representation of cultures, heritage and identity each month with displays, on high interest topics that encourage reading. The Halloween display is one example, including books by native, nonbinary, POC, and international authors, as well as books adapted into films and television.

Celebrate librarians’ dedication to inclusivity

It is easy to miss the library displays that appear during heritage months along the shelves and walls, but these rotations matter more than what meets the eye. These displays reveal that librarians Cat Mullen and Tina Tsui are committed to ensuring every student’s history and identity have a place on the shelf. Most stands exhibit books related to the current heritage months.

Heritage months are annual periods designated to celebrate and acknowledge the histories, contributions and cultures of historically marginalized groups. But more importantly, they’re for everyone – meant to educate the public and build understanding across communities. Heritage months also create opportunities to celebrate diversity and help people understand their own cultures and identities as well as those of others.

Books that are placed standalone or on display are often more likely to be seen and picked up than other books just on a shelf. Not only that, Mullen and Tsui also display different posters and flyers throughout the

library to attract the attention of passersby. In this way, they allow others to find their interest in new cultures and learn more about their peers. These stories can include biographies, personal memoirs, experiences and historical accounts.

Librarians Cat Mullen and Tina Tsui are committed to ensuring every student’s history and identity have a place on the shelf.

sophomore Jack Gao

Mullen and Tsui’s dedication to highlighting diverse stories is especially noticeable during Native American Heritage Month in November. Although a significant amount of Native American heritage is represented and carried through oral storytelling, another main way is through writing, specifically in the form of books. Recently, the Land Back movement has been the subject of written work.

The Land Back movement started in response to centuries of forced removal, broken treaties, forced assimilation and discriminatory policies, resulting in Indigenous peoples losing 99% of their historical lands. These lands are not just a place to live; they are considered sacred, holding deep cultural memories and connections to their ancestors while also being integral to their identity, spirituality and survival.

One example of a book telling the story of Indigenous lands is “Indigenous Continent” by Pekka Hämäläinen. In the book, Hämäläinen rewrites 400 years of American history from Indigenous perspectives, overturning the dominant origin story of the United States. “Indigenous Continent” is currently on display as part of the library’s celebration of Native American Heritage Month, encouraging readers to view history through a different lens, allowing them to understand and appreciate a narrative long overlooked.

Mullen and Tsui’s dedication deserves commendation. Next time you’re in the library, don’t just look at the books on display: Take one, read one and thank Mullen and Tsui for honoring the nation’s rich heritage and culture.

Rise in gun confiscations notable in Minnesota high schools

After the political assassination of former Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School made national headlines this summer, Minnesotans remain shaken by the recent gun violence.

Although every Minnesotan has felt the impact of these shootings, many may be unaware that the presence of guns in high schools has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported on Oct. 21 that nearly 200 firearms, including 150 handguns, have been confiscated from Minnesota schools since the 2021-2022 academic year.

In the five years before the 2019-2020 school year, the average number of guns confiscated was approximately 24.6 per year. Comparing pre-pandemic school years to now, gun confiscations

have tripled. As KARE-11 reported, this increase is partly due to hypervigilance and partly due to a rise in gun sales and violence. Not only is gun violence harmful to the culture of the state, but students carrying firearms unnecessarily puts their peers in danger.

Not only is gun violence harmful to the culture of the state, but students carrying firearms puts their peers in danger.

Although this is not the beginning of the school gun confiscation problem, recent fatal shootings in Minnesota serve as a reminder of the importance of gun safety. Minnesota high schools have been doing as much as they can to keep as-

sault weapons away from places of education by balancing preventative security measures with mental health resources.

Keeping students safe every day should not be a burden placed solely on educators. According to a 2022 article in CBS News, approximately 42.8% of Minnesota households own a firearm, providing ample opportunity for carelessly stored firearms to get into the hands of high school students. Stricter enforcement of safe storage laws and background checks regarding gun possession are important steps cities and state governments must take in order to reduce teenage carrying. However, this is a problem that affects Minnesota schools, and students must have the courage to advocate and work toward this change.

For example, student response to the Annunciation school shooting was tremendous. Organizations such as Students Demand Action raised awareness and organized

nationwide walkouts and rallies, demanding gun reform. In early October, their impact was met with state government action.

The Minnesota House called for a special session to hear gun violence prevention proposals. At the top of the Democratic-Farmer-Laborer’s agenda is a proposed ban on assault weapons.

Gun law reform is the place to start. If there are fewer firearms statewide, carrying guns to school will be less normalized. Student response and action have contributed to progress at the Minnesota Capitol, proving that change can begin at any level, but especially with young people.

The fight to end gun violence is not over. Justice for Annunciation should not stop with prevention proposals, but should next expand into decreasing the presence of guns in high schools. Student voices have proven powerful; their power should not be overlooked.

Students are privileged to feel safe at this school

DOMAIN: Minnesota House website

AMBITIOUS AGENDA. After the Annunciation shooting, members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor party joined Gov. Tim Walz in the Senate to brainstorm gun control solutions. Their hope was for just one Republican to join and pass the plan. So far, no progress has been made.

and to be protected by substantial security measures. Just because gun confiscations have not directly affected this community, it does not make it OK to sit back and watch. Keeping up with current events, following organizations such as Students Demand Action, attending protests and speaking out against

the presence of guns are all ways for students to be knowledgeable about current trends. It is critical to take a stand against guns in order to prevent gun violence from continuing to rise.

READ MORE about the rise in gun confiscations in Minnesota schools on pg. 3.

JACK GAO THE RUBICON

SYLVIA WESTRA THE RUBICON

PUBLIC

sophomore Sylvia Westra

PHOTO: Ivy Evans

Hope for Middle East peace depends on ceasefire terms

EVIE GARDNER

THE RUBICON

A monumental end to the two-year war between Israel and Hamas is within reach, promising a potentially lasting truce for the Middle East. The ceasefire outlines a solid plan for peace, but will fail if Hamas or Israel refuse to abide by the agreement.

The Israel-Hamas conflict’s roots began in 2005, when Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in an attempt at peace. In 2007, the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas took charge of the Gaza strip. Hamas violently ousted its opposing party, Fatah, in a fiveday conflict where Hamas killed 600 Palestinians. Egypt and Israel imposed a strict blockade on their borders with Gaza after Hamas first took over. Between 2008 and 2023, four major Israeli military operations were conducted in Gaza. The military operations were often a result of Gazan rocket fire into Israel, and lasted 50 days at most.

On Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas invaded Israel, killing 1,200 civilians and taking 254 hostages. Israel declared war on Hamas

on Oct. 8 and launched its invasion of Gaza. Hamas’ invasion violated a ceasefire with Israel and endangered its own civilians solely to achieve its number one goal according to its charter, killing Jews. Since then, nearly 70,000 Palestinians have been killed, an estimated 20% of them being militants, according to Hamas statistics. However, this number isn’t confirmed as Hamas militants have been disguising themselves as civilians. Roughly 1,600 Israelis have been killed.

The temporary divisions of Gaza leaves few threats to Hamas’ rule in a portion of the Gaza strip, which endangers civilians.

After a tremendous loss of life on both sides, the ceasefire sparked joy across the world. The ceasefire proposal was first drafted by mediators from the United States, Qatar and Egypt, and was

accepted by both Israel and Hamas. The ceasefire outlines short-term major demands from either side. Israel must release 2,000 convicted Palestinian prisoners and pull back its military to the “yellow line.” Hamas must return all living and deceased hostages to Israel, demilitarize, and give up all political power. This agreement has optimistic goals, but Hamas’ ongoing refusal to abide by the ceasefire will make peace impossible in the foreseeable future.

Thus far, the ceasefire has been violated in various ways, highlighting the fragile state of the agreement. Hamas has repeatedly crossed into the “yellow line,” leading to the death of several Israeli soldiers. Israel launched attacks on Hamas in response. Hamas has yet to return all of the dead hostages, hasn’t demilitarized and has been killing its political enemies since the ceasefire to reassert its authority.

After both sides meet the initial terms of the ceasefire agreement, Gaza will be divided in half, one part free from Hamas and ruled by a multinational effort, and one ruled by Hamas, sim-

NUMBER OF DAYS

22

8 50 11

2012: Operation Pillar of Defense

2008-2009: Operation Cast Lead

21ST CENTURY CONFLICTS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND HAMAS COMPARED BY LENGTH

2014: Operation Protective Edge

2021: Operation Guardian of the Walls

TUMULTUOUS TIMES. Since Hamas’ formation in 1987, they have been a part of many conflicts with Israel. These conflicts have included four operations spanning from 2008 to 2021, ranging eight to 50 days. Israel and Hamas have been at war since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack that killed over 1,000 Israelis and took 254 hostages.

ilar to East and West Germany during the Cold War. The multinational side will be led by Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt and will act as a safe area for Palestinian people to live and work free from Hamas’ hegemony. This strategy is temporary, and once politically and physically rebuilt, Gaza will be run by a Palestinian authority. Though the long term goal is for Hamas to relinquish all political power, this likely will not happen.

The temporary division of Gaza leaves few threats to Hamas’ rule in a

portion of the Gaza strip, which endangers civilians. Since the ceasefire, Hamas has been publicly executing political opposition, which includes anyone who has spoken out against Hamas during the war. Large Gazan families like the Dughmush family have had 19 members systematically executed to limit political dissent. Hamas is the enemy of the Palestinian people and peace, and if this ceasefire isn’t successful in dismantling Hamas, it will not succeed long-term. Hamas has consistently valued its own political power

over the safety of its people. This began in 2007, when Hamas killed political opponents during its forceful takeover of Gaza. Dismantling Hamas is the only way for longterm peace to be held. For years, Hamas has been the adversary of innocent Palestinians and Israelis. Despite agreeing to the ceasefire, Hamas has not disarmed, which shows they are not committed to peace. Hamas desires continued control over Gaza, which will result in more deaths and a worsened quality of life for Gazans.

La Niña correlates to climate change: stay informed

PETER OSTREM THE RUBICON

Cooler weather. More freezing rain and snow. Who gets the thank you note for a somewhat depressing prediction for winter? It’s not the local meteorologist, even though they might be the bearer of the bad news.

This winter the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a La Niña winter weather forecast.

La Niña occurs when strong easterly winds push warmer water west towards Indonesia, allowing colder, deeper waters to rise closer to South America. This can adjust the entire jet stream and wind flow across North America.

Given this forecasted particularly snowy and cold winter, adequate preparation is more important than ever.

ILLUSTRATION: Kate Tuttle WEARY WEATHER. This winter will likely feature low temperatures and intense storms, which can be dangerous if not handled correctly. Research and awareness can help prevent mismanagement.

Small changes, such as pre-starting your car, wearing enough layers and avoiding excessive time outdoors can be critical during these harsh conditions. Beyond this, simply being knowledgeable and informed about the weather and upcom-

ing climate circumstances is essential to being best prepared for these freezing and snowy winters.

After a warm and dry past few winters, Minnesotans are likely to be caught off guard by this

intense season, after temperate winters that have been credited to climate change. But it’s a common misconception that climate change only causes warmer weather.

The La Niña phenom-

enon shows how colder winters are also an effect.

Warming oceans, caused by climate change, contribute to the occurrence of intense cold weather events across much of the northern United States. In addition to being prepared for handling this cold weather, understanding how and why it happens is also important. Being aware of the climate changes and nearby disasters is essential, as staying informed is the first step toward taking action.

Understanding that even unusually cold weather is caused by climate change is not something many Americans are aware of. This is why it’s especially important to understand this, as spreading information and dispelling misinformation is key in a time where the internet provides a steady stream of both true and false information to the average

Being aware of climate changes and nearby disasters is essential.

senior Peter Ostrem

American. Many people are unable to distinguish between the two, so being able to do so and spreading awareness is incredibly significant.

Climate change has led to colder weather, making two key things necessary: staying prepared for the cold weather and consuming reputable information about its causes. The former is essential to staying safe and comfortable during these warm months, and the latter is paramount for spreading truth in an age of digital misinformation.

junior Evie Gardner

INFOGRAPHIC: Eva Burns and Amanda Hsu INFORMATION: Office of the Historian

The truth about plastic surgery

ARIELLA KIM THE RUBICON

The term plastic surgery often falls in the same sentence as words like “superficial,” “fake” or “Kardashian,” but it’s not all Botox and butt lifts. Plastic surgery encompasses a broad range of procedures and can be a significant confidence boost for people to feel more comfortable in their own skin.

Many turn to plastic surgery due to medical conditions, weight loss journeys or serious accidents. Others choose plastic surgery to enhance their features. No matter the reason, plastic surgery is often looked down on by society. However, without a thorough understanding of the field’s complexity and versatility, people can misjudge its impact.

MEDICAL MODIFICATIONS

Dr. Sue-Mi Tuttle, founder and plastic surgeon at Tuttle Plastic Surgery, recounts the many misconceptions that plastic surgeons and people who undergo plastic surgery face. “I had [misconceptions] myself when I was a kid. I think people think of plastic surgeons as just cosmetic surgery,” Tuttle said.

However, Tuttle emphasizes that plastic surgery extends beyond aesthetics and has the potential to be life-changing. Many patients come to her with extreme pain and discomfort, whether it’s physical or mental. After each procedure that she performs, she meets with her patients, who often feel a sense of relief and a weight lifted off their shoulders.

One example of this is found in patients who have undergone massive weight loss. Despite success in weight loss journeys, the presence of excess skin often prevents individuals from fully appreciating the results of their transformation. “When we remove the excess skin from different areas, they feel transformed and more confident with not just how they look, but how their clothes fit as well,” Tuttle said.

Plastic surgery is also an extremely versatile field, combining precision, creativity and even artistry. “Having had a very strong art background, it kind of combines my love for science, helping people, using my hands and also restoring function to patients,” Tuttle said.

Though her focus is breast reconstruction, reduction and augmentation, she respects all different types of plastic surgeons. “There’s a whole range of things that we do. Plastic surgery can cover hand surgery, reconstruction of defects caused by trauma, craniofacial, meaning facial or skull type deformities, and pediatric plastic surgery,” Tuttle said.

NEW NOSE

The impact of plastic surgery can be seen through senior Leah Passe’s experience with plastic surgery for medical purposes. After breaking her nose twice in eighth grade, Passe had a septorhinoplasty. It instantaneously helped her breathe properly and straightened her nose back to its original position.

“I think a lot of the time, people think of plastic surgery as just for self-interest. But there definitely are times when it’s not only helpful confidence-wise, but also medically,” Passe said. “In my case, I couldn’t breathe very well, so it was helpful to actually get that fixed,” she said.

I had [misconceptions] myself when I was a kid. I think people think of plastic surgeons as just cosmetic.

Although Passe’s experience highlights the restorative side of plastic surgery, the field plays a complex role in shaping modern-day beauty standards. Celebrity culture and social media show primarily the cosmetic parts of plastic surgery, creating pressure for people to conform to unrealistic beauty standards and perfectionism.

MYTH

MYTH

MYTH

Only celebrities and wealthy people engage in plastic surgery, particularly of the cosmetic variety.

Plastic surgery is only for women.

Plastic surgery is exclusively intended for cosmetic purposes.

Over the last decade, there has been increasing accessibility in the field of plastic surgery across the globe by offering financing options.

The reality is that men represent around 25% of a typical aesthetic surgeon’s practice, which is indicative of a significant shift in clientele.

Procedures like reconstructive surgeries and microsurgery make up an integral part of plastic surgery.

MYTH FACT

OR

MISUNDERSTANDING. With the controversies that surround plastic surgery, especially when it is thrust into the public eye, it is understandable to garner assumptions.

INFOGRAPHIC: Izzy Middlebrook and Amanda Hsu

INFORMATION:

COMMON PLASTIC SURGERY MISCONCEPTIONS

SOCIETAL STEREOTYPES

Society’s views and input on plastic surgery sometimes overshadows its purpose and ability to restore confidence. Psychology Today highlights just one example of celebrity influence: when Kylie Jenner, a big figure in the beauty industry, revealed her dermal lip injections, Google searches for the same filler skyrocketed. Often, people compare themselves to celebrities in an unhealthy way, contributing to the many misconceptions that surround plastic surgery.

Another example of how the media shapes individuals’ views on plastic surgery can be found in a popular television series from the early 2000s. “‘Dr. 90210’ was a show where it was this Beverly Hills plastic surgeon who just did cosmetic stuff,” Tuttle said.

These assumptions have persisted in recent years as well. Passe describes how crucial online platforms are in shaping the public’s perceptions of plastic surgery. “Social media has definitely changed people’s views on [plastic surgery]. It’s probably made it seem more of an aesthetic thing, and less of a medical necessity, although it can be both,” Passe said.

The use of plastic surgery among adolescents has increased greatly in recent years. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 23,527 cosmetic procedures were performed on individuals 19 years old or younger in 2022. The reasoning behind cosmetic surgery varies depending on the age group. Teenagers often seek cosmetic procedures to improve physical characteristics and use them as a way to fit in, while adults often use plastic surgery as a way to stand out.

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons believes seeking guidance from qualified surgeons, maintaining realistic expectations of beauty and using social media solely as a research tool are crucial steps for making informed decisions about surgeries and maintaining a healthy outlook on beauty.

Tuttle’s experiences as a plastic surgeon and Passe’s personal experience receiving plastic surgery reveal that plastic surgery is for both functional purposes and appearance. Whether it’s a small surgery that opens up a gateway to positive body image or a necessary medical procedure performed after trauma, plastic surgery allows individuals to reclaim comfort, confidence and control over their bodies.

American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Dr. Sue-Mi Tuttle

INTERNAL ATTACKS THREATEN AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

22% of American citizens trust the government to do the right thing, according to Pew Research Center

61% of American citizens believe the government’s spending is wasteful, according to Americans for Prosperity

IVY EVANS THE RUBICON

The system that America is built upon was made to prevent any single person or group from gaining too much power. After their experience with tyranny under the British monarchy, the framers of the Constitution created multiple branches of government and separated powers between the state and federal systems. Even the first sentence–“We the people”–illustrates the importance of the

people in an effective democracy. However, recent decisions made by the federal government have led many to question the current state of democracy in the United States. History teacher Andrea Sachs believes it’s beginning to decline.

“I think [democracy is] under great threat,” she said. “I’m a strong believer that if you want to … call yourself a democracy, you need free and fair elections and free press, and elected officials who are held accountable.”

$3M less American college students are receiving federal financial aid per year, according to Pew Research Center

It seems like a lot of things are unconstitutional, even ... in [Trump’s] first term. “

SNAP funding suspended under the Trump administration. Dismantled diversity, equity and inclusion offices and positions in the federal government. Threats to federal education funding. Headlines like these can feel distant, a summary of policies whose effects can range from minor inconveniences to life-altering consequences. For some, it is easy to move forward, shielded from the reach of federal decisions. Yet even for those untouched directly,

junior Stella Hunter

Each branch of the government was created with precautions in place to prevent any of the others from accumulating excess power. President Donald Trump’s administration has been pushing to find ways around those precautions. Junior Stella Hunter is increasingly concerned about the escalation of presidential power.

“It seems like a lot of things are unconstitutional … Even … in [Trump’s] first term … he elected those three Su-

$1.8T more yearly government revenue since 2015, according to Treasury.gov of American adults believe economic conditions are fair or poor, according to Pew Research Center

74%

executive actions tend to ripple outward, influencing communities, families and familiar faces seen in passing. Some students have found themselves taking part in public responses, joining protests or finding other ways to engage.

Senior Echo Dayton recalled her first protest following the overturning of Roe v. Wade. “I went with my mom and my sister, and I think that was really impactful, because that was, freshly coming out of COVID,” Dayton said. “My family was really COVID careful, but it was important enough to

my mom that we went to break our family rule, to go to this huge event.”

I don’t think the Trump administration understands, at ... a personal level, what they’re doing.

JUAN MIGUEL ADAMS MANAGING EDITOR

sophomore Kieran AhearneKroll

preme Court Justices, and that’s how Roe v. Wade got overturned. … It’s just felt like the start of a tyranny to me,” Hunter said. Additionally, free speech, or lack thereof, is a concern that has arisen among the American public throughout Trump’s term, and continues to spark debate as that term continues.

Censorship has taken many forms, from removing late-night television shows from the air to revising curricula and reinterpreting museum

exhibits. “These are not actions of someone who is following his pledge to uphold the Constitution,” Sachs said.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been another source of controversy between Americans. Detainments by ICE have been rampant all across the country, where agents have been running checkpoints, questioning people in their cars and smashing windows in order to pull people out. Although a large number of

The American cost of living has grown since September 2021, according to Partnership for Public Service

20%

The experience also changed how Dayton found her involvement in protests. “The first big protest I went to with my parents, I didn’t want to do any of the chanting or anything. I was happy to be there, but I was much more of a passive member,” she said.

Dayton now feels more comfortable going to protests and chanting along. “I’m more confident in my ability to talk on the issues that we’re protesting about … and am more engaged in politics,” Dayton said.

Sophomore Kieran Ahearne-Kroll has also

ICE’s recent actions have been technically legal, they have been illegally detaining large groups of people they don’t have reasonable suspicion toward.

“I feel like there’s a lot of stuff that seems unconstitutional, like with ICE, especially. Even like, with [Trump’s] DEI policy, and getting rid of DEI in the federal government, it’s been very much like how all the other tyrannies have started,” Hunter said. “[Especially] with them getting rid of every-

one who opposes them … and just having them as the sole people in power.”

One of the most pressing issues for many citizens the idea that power comes from the people, and the ways that principle seems to have been violated. When the Constitution was written, the primary concern was that the federal government would have too much control. Today, that concern has come back with full force. Despite the system of checks and

67% of American people believe the government is corrupt, according to Partnership for Public Service

balances that was established many years ago, the Trump administration tends to pay little attention to it.

“The people hold the power. Elections are basically giving elected officials permission to govern. And so we exercise our power as people by choosing who gets to make the rules that govern the country. So the fundamental idea is that people who are governing, [the] elected officials, only have power because the people have specif-

ically assigned them roles,” Sachs said. Trump’s term will end on Jan. 20, 2029. He has discussed running for a third term in various interviews, but has not officially announced anything yet. Democracy continues to hang in the balance.

READ MORE about what a healthy democracy looks like on pg. 20.

DECLINING DEMOCRACY

been following how national policies impact students. “All the threats that [Trump’s] making about funding for education. I think that’s really scary. Just knowing how much school is going to be affected by this is just terrifying,” they said. In Ahearne-Kroll’s theater group, the removal of DEI requirements has created a sense of unease beyond the classroom. “We talked about it … the day after Trump was elected, and we were all just really sad,” they said. “All coming together is just the best way for us to process it.”Even out-

side protests, others have looked for ways to respond locally.

This fall, the Parent Association announced a partnership with The Open Door, a Dakota County nonprofit, to organize food drives on campus. The effort comes in response to cuts to federal food programs and uncertainty with SNAP funding.

Amid these responses, some students are still trying to make sense of national events and stay informed. Senior Minh Tran said, “I try to keep up with the news, but there’s so much going

on that it’s hard to follow everything. I’ll read a few headlines or watch a short video to stay updated.”

According to a 2023 United Way National Capital Area survey, over half of Gen Z respondents stated they have participated in rallies or protests, showing that expression in civic engagement is consistent despite frequent policy shifts.

Both Dayton and Ahearne-Kroll emphasized the importance of conversation and engagement in executive decision-making. “It’s really easy to feel comfortable

70% of American people have a negative view of Congress, according to Pew Research Center

and feel like you don’t have to advocate for the people who would be impacted,” Dayton said.

“Just because I can still go to the grocery store doesn’t mean everybody can. I think it’s my duty, as somebody who can, to advocate for people who are impacted.”

Ahearne-Kroll notices a divide between citizens and the government. “I don’t think the Trump administration understands, at a more personal level, what they’re doing. They’re so detached from everything that they are affecting. They don’t understand what the actual

consequences of their actions are,” Ahearne-Kroll said.

Even in a school insulated from many direct effects, the ripples of national policy are visible, shaping conversations, the safety of communities and how students see their role in politics.

Scan this QR code to read more about failing democracy on RubicOnline.

East Coast to MN: the student experience

TALLULAH

THE RUBICON

said.

Sophomore Niko Lifton believes that “Minnesota Nice,” a stereotype that has been portrayed to him throughout his childhood, is utterly false. Throughout middle school the concept of “Minnesota Nice,” the stereotype that Minnesotans are only nice on a surface level, was constantly portrayed to him by a middle school teacher. This stereotype stuck with him, so when Lifton moved from New York City, New York, to Minnesota, he was surprised that this notion didn’t prove

This realization wasn’t the only thing that startled Lifton. In fact there were many stark contrasts between New York and Minnesota cultures. From population size to simple cultural differences like food availability, Lifton misses parts of New York but also enjoys the opportunities that increased space in Minnesota allows him. For example, Lifton no longer has to wake up extra early to catch public transportation to school. Rather, his parents drive him to school, allowing Lifton precious extra minutes of sleep.

One of the bigger differences that Lifton noted was the competitive nature of school sports in both Minnesota and New York. “I feel like a lot of people don’t talk about this, but the sports are really different in New York because … there are cuts for teams,” he said. In New York, Lifton has noticed a higher level of competition in terms of who is allowed on sports teams. He finds Minnesota more undertaking of all athletic levels; for instance, it was common in New York to not make it onto a high school team if one didn’t already play outside of school.

Teen jobs: keeping busy and loving it

HARPER LARSEN THE RUBICON

Junior Olivia Andres spends one morning each week at the Adventure Kids program at the lower school, making money and connections. Alyda Overgaard works all summer teaching little kids a sport she loves and caddying at her local golf course, while Emma Brewton is always happy to spend an afternoon with the kids in her neighborhood. Maintaining a job while also balancing school and sports can be challenging, but many students make it look easy. Having a job adds routine to a schedule and is also a good way for students to make money. Many students have summer jobs, but being able to work throughout the year keeps them busy.

Even with all the cultural differences between New York and Minnesota, Lifton wasn’t too shaken by the move, and viewed it simply as a journey. “There are obviously huge differences, but you’re still with people, and you’re still having an experience,” he said.

“

Change is good. Change is hard but you got to do it [or] else you get complacent.

Like Lifton, senior Ben Lee has also experienced a move, but for him it was a difficult experience, especially having to switch schools going into sophomore year. As a result of his parents’ jobs, Lee moved from Newtown, Pennsylvania, to Minnesota. Like Lifton, a notable difference between Pennsylvania and Minnesota for Lee was the food; but most of all it was his relationships.

“It’s just hard going across the country. Your only form of communication is over text message and video games,” he said. Because of the distance Lee had to learn how to maintain friendships while living thousands of miles away from each other. Although Lee isn’t able to stay in contact with all of his friends from Pennsylvania, he was able to turn struggle into a perspective that inspires growth. “Change is good. Change is hard, but you got to do it [or] else you get complacent,” Lee said.

IN THE BABYSITTING BUSINESS

Sophomore Emma Brewton has been babysitting for people in her neighborhood for a couple of years. She enjoys babysitting and usually tries to schedule jobs around her homework. For Brewton, babysitting is a time to do something other than school work and also a time to have fun with the kids she babysits. “I try to schedule on weeks where I have less tests and work,” Brewton said. “I enjoy playing with the kids and doing different things. One of my favorite things is baking with the kids and playing outside.”

SUMMER CADDYING

Sophomore Alyda Overgaard’s summer routine involves teaching 3 and 4-year-olds to swim and caddying at the North Oaks golf course. At the golf course, Overgaard helps everyone from amateur to professional golfers. “I’ll get a notification if somebody needs a loop [round of golf]. And then I’ll show up an hour early to get bags to help them warm up and everything, and then we’ll head out,” she said. “Typically, it’ll be around four hours.” Overgaard’s favorite memory from working this summer was getting to caddy at the 3M Open. “It was really cool, because there were professional golfers in our group, and the pros were really nice.”

WITH THE KIDS.

Emma Brewton often babysits for families in her neighborhood. “I enjoy playing with the kids and doing different things,” Brewton said.

ALONGSIDE THE PROS. Sophomore Alyda Overgaard caddied for professional golfers at the 3M Open this summer. “The pros were really nice,” Overgaard said.

Junior Olivia Andres spends two afternoons and one morning a week at the Goodrich campus, where her job is supervising the lower schoolers before and after school hours. “We start by watching all the kids outside, and then when 4 o’clock hits, the kids have the option to stay outside or go inside,” she said. “A lot of the time I’ll set up Perler beads with one of the other workers.” Perler beads are a classic AK memory for many Spartans.

DOGWILL

POOL PARTY. Sophomore Alyda and senior Maren Overgaard instruct swim lessons at the Rookery Aquatics Center. “It’s really fun to teach the kids and watch them get more confident in the water,” Alyda said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Alyda Overgaard

NEW STATE. Students share their experiences from moving to the Twin Cities from the East Coast. “There are obviously huge differences, but you’re still with people, and you’re still having an experience,” sophomore Niko Lifton

senior Ben Lee

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Amanda Hsu

COOL

Sophomore

AK HUSTLER. Junior Olivia Andres works with lower schoolers at the Goodrich campus’ Adventure Kids, supervising them before and after school.

PHOTO: Harper Larsen

PHOTO: Harper Larsen

PHOTO: Harper Larsen

Slang: a shared language

SUNDE AUBERJONOIS THE RUBICON

Junior Dagny Bruun has mixed feelings about the phrase “67.” Done tastefully, a 67 joke will make her laugh. But if used too much, the jokes stop being funny. Words and phrases like 67 have become an integral part of Gen Z’s current vocabulary, and they’re spreading at unprecedented speed.

Senior Elzie Bieganek disagrees with Peckosh’s thoughts on the word slay, even stating a personal tie to the expression. “It just feels like it’s really special, and it just really captures my personality, my essence,” she said.

A generation ago, slang might have taken months to spread through songs, TV shows or word of mouth. Now, all it takes is a few minutes online to add a new word to one’s vocabulary. Social media platforms have become the birthplace, and sometimes the graveyard, of modern lingo.

Bruun said, “I really like 67 because I see it everywhere. I feel like it follows me. It’s only funny in certain situations, like if you’re referencing something and everyone laughs at it. If it’s a good 67 joke it’s good.”

She believes that constant repetition can make a trend go stale. “When people say it non-stop ... that’s annoying,” she said.

Bruun is particularly well-versed in current slang due to her job at Adventure Kids, an after school program at the lower school. The U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory said that up to 95% of youth aged 13-17 use social media. With her position at AK, Bruun is able to see firsthand how social media slang spreads across age groups. “I’m getting sick of [slang], so hopefully [it will die out] by the end of the year. [Otherwise] historians are going to skip this era,” Bruun said.

On the other hand, ninth-grader Ferran Peckosh has a less contentious relationship with the phrase 67. “I like the phrase 67 because it’s nonsensical and it brings joy,” Peckosh said. “I think it’ll die out soon, sadly.”

Peckosh’s least favorite slang word is slay. “It’s just kind of annoying. I kind of think it’s already died out,” he said.

I really like 67 because I see it everywhere. I feel like it follows me.

Teachers are also noticing how quickly slang moves through the halls. Science teacher Rachel Yost-Dubrow says she enjoys certain phrases. “I like when people say ‘it’s giving,’ I just think that’s fun,” said Yost-Dubrow. “I think it’s already on the way out, but I’m going to keep using it for a long time.”

Some phrases, though, she could do without. For example, the word skibidi. “I don’t think I’ve heard very many people say ‘skibidi,’ but if they did I would not be about it,” Yost-Dubrow said. She also noted how juvenile that phrase feels. “I think it’s ... on its way out anyway, but the people who still say it are in middle school.”

The life cycle of slang is shorter than ever. What’s popular this semester could be out by spring. Platforms like TikTok accelerate that process, turning inside jokes into global trends and burning them out just as fast.

Despite a rapidly changing online landscape, slang often brings people together. Whether it’s students bonding over an inside reference or teachers playfully using the same phrases as their students, the constant evolution of language keeps communication fresh, fun and dynamic.

Pages from the past: childhood books spark memories

Books shape people. What’s written on a couple of pages can truly change someone’s life. Spending time reading in formative years creates invaluable memories and stories. In addition, there are many other impacts to reading as a child. According to Cross River Therapy, even an extra six minutes of reading a day as a child improves reading performance. However, reading performance is not the only positive effect of reading as a child. The Child Mind Institute wrote in 2024 that reading as a child improves empathy and helps individuals manage their own emotions.

Growing up, junior Zack Berchenko hated reading. “In middle school, I was able to find some books that I actually liked,” Berchenko said. He mentioned that as a young child, he enjoyed Dr. Seuss books, includ-

ing “The Lorax” and “The Cat in the Hat,” with his parents before bed. However, the books that truly piqued his interest were the “Warrior Cats” series. “‘Warrior Cats’ was a bit different, but it had cats in it, and I liked [cats] as a kid, so that really worked for me,” Berchenko said.

When sophomore Soren Guettler thinks about reading as a kid, his first memory is fights.

“My family used to do stories, my mom would read to me and my sister every night,” Guettler said. However, it wasn’t always easy for him to pick the story he wanted to read. “Me and my sister would rush and try to pick a book and we’d fight a little bit,” he said. After all the fuss of sibling fights, Guettler fondly remembers sitting in his large beanbag chair and hoping to read one of his chosen books before bedtime, his favorite being “The 13-Story Treehouse.”

JOCELYN ROG

One of sophomore Jocelyn Rog’s favorite things to do with her sister growing up was to read. Rog and her sister were voracious readers at a young age. “My sister would always find these random books and bring them back to me,” she said. Rog’s standout childhood tale was “The Day the Crayons Quit” for its fun colors and silly crayon drawings. However, before Rog could even read herself, she loved having her nanny read to her. “I would always sit on the couch with a big pile of books, hand one to my nanny, and have her read it to me,”

SYDNEY KING

Ninth-grader Sydney King’s literary excursions were always accompanied by her dog. “My dog would come upstairs and then lay on my bed while my dad read,” King said. Her favorite thing to hear her dad read was “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. “I remember there was always the cheese on the school grounds and the cheese touch,” King said. Funny occurrences in books like “The Diary of a Wimpy Kid” left her and her dad laughing. “One time my dad was reading, and then he just fell off the bed,” King said. She chuckled as

MARIN AHEARNEKROLL

For ninth-grader Marin Ahearne-Kroll, reading is a family affair. Ahearne-Kroll recalls reading some growing up and appreciates her favorite childhood books. “I loved ‘Henry and Mudge’ because it just taught me a lot about the world,” Ahearne Kroll said. However, Ahearne-Kroll did not stop at just enjoying books with her family.

READING REFLECTION. Students recall favorite books that shaped their childhood, and often were a part of their daily routines. Sophomore Soren Guettler said, “My mom would read to me and my sister every night.”

junior Dagny Bruun

SIX OR SEVEN. Senior Hazel McCarthy moves her hands in the 67 up and down motion, a recent fast-spreading slang term.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Ariella Kim and Sylvia Westra

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: Ariella Kim and Amanda Hsu

THE RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025

James’ past inspires her to coach

TALLULAH DOGWILL THE RUBICON

One decision, one risk and one person’s faith changed girls varsity basketball coach Natalye James’ life forever. Growing up, James’ grades didn’t reflect her full potential. She struggled with mental health and a lack of a support system she could fall back on. She attended middle school at St. Paul Academy and Summit School, and then transferred to Highland Park Senior High School, where she didn’t feel like she had a teacher who believed in her academically. This constant cycle of distress overtook aspects of her life until the winter of James’ senior year, when a special coach lit a fire inside of her.

Growing up, James had played basketball on and off but she got cut from the team two years in a row due to her grades. In her senior year, James only joined the team as an athlete almost three weeks after the season started. In no way did she expect her entire life to change. Quickly, basketball turned into something more than a sport;

it became her motivation to flourish.

From the beginning, James’ high school coaches were committed to the success of their players. One of her coaches was hard core and yelled often, but celebrated every little improvement, from footwork to the big wins, with enthusiasm James hadn’t experienced before.

I want to give my players every opportunity I can. I want them to know ... that I believe in them. “

“She pushed you because she wanted [you] to do more,” she said. Piece by piece, a yearning for success grew within James. She wanted to not only prove to herself that she could succeed but to her coaches as well. By the end of her senior season, James had an offer to play in college.

Her high school coach, Keith Lindahl, inspired her and was one of her college coaches at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He had the biggest impact on her. “He was the one where we could become a family,” she said.

Her coach went above and beyond when it came to the well-being of his athletes. He would start every practice by checking in with each player, believing that the team environment he fostered should go beyond the walls of the gym, which led their team to the junior college championships.

Ultimately, basketball was the fuel to James’ confidence and ability to succeed both athletically and academically. Now, James is trying to do the same for others as what her coaches did for her. She came back to SPA and is now teaching middle school math, as well as taking the head coach position for the girls varsity basketball team this year.

She believes the key to a united team is to treat basketball as more than just a sport. “That’s why now, I want to give my

players every opportunity I can. I want them to know, absolutely, that I believe in them, even

when other people might not,” James said. She wants to create a space for her athletes to flour-

Music finds its way into pre-game to improve performance

MUSIC AND ATHLETIC ABILITIES: FAST FACTS

• Music can increase brain activity and dopamine

• Music can shift attention away from discomfort and fatigue

• Upbeat music with a fast tempo was found to be used most commonly among athletes

INFORMATION: “The Influence of Music Preference on Exercise Responses and Performance: A Review,” Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 2021

DEAR

BASKETBALL AND LACROSSE

Basketball and lacrosse athlete

Richard Romans listens to music before a game to get into the best headspace.

Every athlete has that moment: seconds before the whistle blows, when the starter’s gun fires or as the ball tips off. The mental space before a high pressure game or meet, when all of the hours of practice and hard work are about to pay off. But what actually gets athletes ready to perform at their best is not always so clear.

From swimmers to runners to basketball players, students across all sports have their own rituals, playlists and mental strategies that help them flip the switch and compete at their best.

For many athletes, music is more than background noise; it’s a motivating factor. Swimmer Josepha Mody says one song always gets her ready to dive into the pool: “Unstoppable” by Sia.

“It’s such an awesome song and I feel like it really gets me ready to race and in the right headspace,” Mody said. “The song really helps me to know that the race will be so hard, but I can do hard things.”

Basketball player Auden Zheng agrees that music is key for his focus before a basketball game. “I’ll put on my headphones and listen to my favorite playlist. It shuts out everything else and helps me focus,” Zheng said. “It’s like flipping a switch in my head.”

For basketball and lacrosse athlete Richard Romans, music sets the emotional and mental tone for game day. “If there’s a JV or C team game before [our game] or a long bus ride, I’ll listen to really casual, calm music, a lot of jazz or R&B inspired music,” Romans said. “Half an hour or twenty minutes before the game starts, I’ll start listening to really hype, loud energetic music, and then that’s what gets me ready and motivated to go out and play really hard.”

A huge part of preparing for competition happens in athletes’ minds. Mody takes the mental side of

swimming very seriously, often repeating affirmations before she races. “I like to repeat: ‘I race with courage, I have endurance, I trust myself, it’s going to feel so good, bring it!’” Mody said. “It sounds weird, but it really does help to get you fired up.”

She also practices visualization, imagining exactly how she wants her race to look and feel. “Pressure used to be hard for me,” Mody said, “but I’ve been working on reframing it as my superpower. It’s something that can push me instead of scare me.”

ninth-grader Auden Zheng “

I’ll put on my headphones ... It shuts out everything else and helps me focus. It’s like flipping a switch in my head.

Romans likes to visualize before his big games as well. “The biggest difference maker for me is almost playing [the game] in your head beforehand, just envisioning yourself on the field doing what you are striving to do … seeing yourself do that move or score that goal, make that defensive stop, I think that really manifests it in the game and then gives you the confidence to actually do that,” Romans said.

For most athletes, competing at their best is about getting into the right headspace. Stepping onto the block, the court or the field and doing the best work they can do, all depends on a sense of inner calm. Whether they find that through music or visualization, the most important thing to be at that moment is relaxed and ready to receive whatever happens next.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Natalye James

JAMES’ JOURNEY. Girls varsity basketball coach Natalye James brings a new energy to the team. She strives for a well rounded team. James said, “Hard work beats talents when talent doesn’t work hard.”

girls varsity basketball coach Natalye James

ish beyond the court by honing life skills through a welcoming community.

PHOTO: Tallulah Dogwill

SUNDE AUBERJONOIS THE RUBICON

SPARTAN ADVICE: WHAT WOULD YOU TELL PROSPECTIVE COLLEGE ATHLETES?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to coaches. They’re not all going to come to you. Actually, most of the time they’re not going to come to you, because there’s so many kids who want to play college basketball.

SUBMITTED

Work hard. If you train enough and practice enough then and start emailing coaches, you’ll get there.

RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025 [2 SIDES, 1 ISSUE] Should athletes quickly

Recipe for recruitment: determination, drive and dedication

EVIE GARDNER THE RUBICON

There is a low probability of becoming a college athlete. Roughly 6% of high school athletes continue to play in college, according to a 2014 report from The National Collegiate Athletic Association. However, these statistics undermine and underestimate the extra work that these determined students put in to make their dreams come true.

with coaches over the summer to show interest and get attention, and has been in contact with colleges since. “I started reaching out myself. For skiing, unless you’re the top recruit, most people reach out to the coaches themselves, because it’s a lot of work for the coaches to reach out to any skier they’re interested in,” she said.

Reach out to any schools you’re interested in. They might say no, but you want to be on their radar and if you’re showing interest. Express your interest and who you are. Tell them about yourself, your academics and goals, that’s what they want to see for you.

CONSISTENCY

There are 460,000 student athletes currently playing in the NCAA. These students are spread across three Divisions and 19,000 teams. Since 2000, 173 upper school students have committed to a college for a sport. The vast majority of students committed to colleges for sports from the high school have gone to D3 schools, with occasional D1 commits as well.

Nordic captain Eleanor Mody has recently realized her desire to ski in college. “After last season, I realized that … skiing was something I really loved and was good at and that I would want to keep doing in college,” she said.

To achieve his goals, basketball captain Ben Sieben has taken advice from his friends playing in college about the recruitment process in order to navigate it. “Mostly, I learned from friends through their recruiting process. They have told me what they learned and what helped them out the most with finding a good spot for them to play,” he said.

Golf captain Quentin Sentz used a different starting point to navigate his journey to college golf. “I created an NCSA [Next College Student Athlete] recruiting profile, and now that the season is coming to an end, I put in my recent scores,” he said. NCSA is a company that works to connect student athletes with collegiate coaches. Sentz takes advantage of this program to show initiative towards his college goals.

The most common way to get the attention of a coach is by reaching out to show interest. Mody started connecting

Demonstrating interest is one of the factors that sets these athletes apart from the majority. Another big part of playing in college is skill and practice. Since setting his sights on collegiate level basketball, Sieben changed his practice schedule. “I’ve started working harder and going to the gym more,” he said.

Mody and Sentz have done this too. For Mody, who both skis and swims, her practice schedule began to shift rather than intensify. “Now I’m swimming a little bit less. I’ll swim three to four days a week, and then I’ll ski like five days a week, so it’s just a little more skiing and less swimming, but I still am training 700-800 hours a year, or 2 hours a day,” she said.

Sentz’s practices look a little different because of weather limitations. “I’m looking at memberships at different simulators so I can practice over the winter and not get rusty,” he said.

For student athletes, junior and senior year can define their future, so many are pushing hard through the season and updating colleges as they go. “I’m gonna send them updates for my season, and then reach out more in the spring,” Mody said. It’s the determination and drive that set these athletes apart from the rest. Mody’s intense practice schedule prepares her for a rigorous season and to race against collegiate competitors. Sieben’s grit pushes him to work harder through the offseason and get more attention from coaches. Sentz’s proactivity shows his determination to achieve his goals and continue on his athletic journey. Though the odds are not in the favor of students, they find a way to persevere through the difficulties and achieve their dreams.

senior Ben Sieben

junior Quentin Sentz

DRIVEN BY DREAMS Nordic captain Eleanor Mody finds herself working harder than before to reach a new goal, college athlete.

PHOTO: Eleanor Mody

junior Eleanor Mody

PHOTO: SmugMug

LOVE FOR THE GAME Basketball captain Ben Sieben has a lot of passion toward basketball. He puts in quality work and effort to reach his goal of playing in college. “I’ve started working harder and going to the gym more,” he said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Quentin Sentz CONSISTENCY

CONSISTENCY Golf captain Quentin Sentz makes it a priority to find a good place to golf.

THE RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025

Finding passion on the water SPORTS 16

Wilson and Bauer find an unexpected love for rowing

The demanding full-body sport of rowing, which challenges physical and mental strength, is not currently offered as an upper school sport. The absence of a school rowing team shifts students’ attention to other, more accessible and popular activities such as soccer or volleyball. However, these high strength and endurance requirements make rowing an achieving and unique sport with a strong emphasis on teamwork, which is precisely what drew in junior Anneli Wilson and senior Carsten Bauer. For those who have discovered it, rowing offers a distinctive sense of rhythm and challenge that few other sports can match.

Wilson has been rowing since the summer before ninth grade. After their friend’s mom suggested they try it out, they fell in love with the sport and have participated in it ever since. “Rowing should be far more popular than it is. I love it so much, and I think that more people need to do it and give it a chance,” Wilson said.

Rowing should be far more popular than it is. I love it so much, and I think that more people need to do it and give it a chance.

junior Anneli Wilson

Wilson strongly values the strong team aspect. “You have to be so close with all of your teammates otherwise the boat just won’t move properly,” they said. Athletes not only need to be physically connected, but also mentally.

Bauer appreciates the diversity of rowing and the range of possible connections within a team: “You’re in team boats of different sizes with different people, and that’s a big thing I like about it,” he said.

In the absence of a school program, some students, including Wilson, participate through the Minneapolis Rowing Club; others, like Bauer, row with Lake Phalen Rowing. This is where they explore the competitive but also technical precision aspects of rowing. Wilson says that rowing is one of the most important things to them, and they have goals to get recruited for college. “I can’t imagine not being able to row on a regular basis,” they said.

Bauer frequently travels and takes the sport to a competitive level. Most of his competitions are out of state, with only two in Minnesota. He competes during the spring, summer and fall, with fall races being almost double the length of summer races.

Wilson hopes that the mistaken intimidation of the

Sailing team races to nationals in New Orleans

The sailing team, comprised of juniors Leif Rush, Via Campbell and Adi Narayan, competed Oct. 4-5 at the national qualifying Great Oaks Qualifier at Sheridan Shores Sailing School in Wilmette, Illinois. Narayan qualified to compete in the Great Oaks Championship in New Orleans on Nov. 22-23. Rush and Campbell aren’t able to attend the Great Oaks Championship so alternate sailor Sam Hilton will join Narayan in New Orleans to compete.

sport doesn’t shy away aspiring rowers. Anyone can join, and each individual is placed in a group with teammates of the same level, making it a place to build strength and try something new. “If you walk into a boat house as a novice, everybody’s going to be so nice to you and make it as welcoming as possible,” Wilson said.

The sense of peace and relief that comes with rowing isn’t all about the teamwork or the physical rhythm; it also stems from the surroundings. “When you’re on the water, and you’re in a boat, it’s a nice feeling just being on the water,” Bauer said.

While rowing may not have a strong presence on the Randolph campus, its appeal continues to grow among students who seek a sport that combines teamwork, intense focus and physical endurance. These athletes embody the spirit of rowing, thriving through individual dedication and a shared appreciation for the sport’s rhythm and challenges.

Q&A

Narayan advances to national race in New Orleans

Q: HOW DOES COMPETITION CHANGE ON DIFFERENT LAKES?

A: One of the biggest differences is that, if the wind is coming from the other side of the lake. Big lakes like Lake Michigan produce waves up to 6 ft tall. This presents a significant challenge for us because it requires a completely different technique that we are not accustomed to.

Q: HOW ARE YOU PREPARING FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE?

Sam and I are practicing as much as we can after school. We usually sail on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school until it gets dark.

Q: HOW MANY TEAMS ARE COMPETING AND WHAT RANKING ARE YOU PREDICTED TO BE IN?

There will be around 35 teams there from all around the country. There is not really a ranking going into it, but we are hopeful to be mid-fleet T.

PEONY STEELE THE RUBICON

FOCUSED FORM Sailor Adi Narayan sets sail in a regatta fighting the wind and big waves.

PHOTOS: Kathryn Campbell

SMOOTH SAILING Juniors Leif Rush, Via Campbell and Adi Narayan placed third at the national qualifier at Sheridan Shores Sailing School in Wilmette, Illinois.

PHOTO: Michael Stone

SUBMITTED

PHOTO: Harper Larsen

SAM GALARNEAULT THE RUBICON

ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT. Rowers in the Minneapolis Rowing Club work together to compete a 5k race in practice on the Mississippi River.

SUBMITTED PHOTO: Harper Larsen

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

THE RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025

ART HEISTS: A HISTORY

In only eight minutes, four thieves broke into the Louvre, escaping with two tiaras, two necklaces, three earrings and a brooch formerly belong ing to various French no bility. It was Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m. The thieves posed as construction workers, us ing a mechanical ladder and then a disc grinder to break the window, and entered the Apollo Gal lery in the Louvre from the outside. They threat ened the guards with the grinder before smash ing the display glass and grabbing their loot. As the thieves made their escape, they dropped a separate crown made for the wife of Napoleon III, damaging it. With one priceless artifact already dalized, considerable speculation about what will happen to the stolen jewelry.

Multiple arrests have

been made, but privacy laws in France are very strict. The French police fiercely protect the principle of “innocent until proven guilty,” so they do not share identities with the media during these.

a considerably more sig-

nificant robbery in 1998, when “Le Chemin de Sevres” by French painter Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was taken unnoticed in broad daylight, like the more recent heist. Hundreds of museum visitors were searched, but no leads were found. The painting, now worth $2.5 million, remains lost to this day.

In Minnesota, another painting robbery occurred in 1978 when a group of thieves stole seven Norman Rockwell paintings from Elayne Galleries in St. Louis Park. Together, these paintings were valued at

over $500,000. While the initial case went cold, the gallery owner’s daughter reignited the search. Some of the paintings were found outside of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in a farmhouse owned by an art dealer. The paintings were recovered over a period of 20 years, with the last one being found in Philadelphia by the FBI in 1998.

As Dorothy once said in “The Wizard of Oz,” “There’s no place like home.” Ironically, from 2005 to 2018, Dorothy’s iconic ruby slippers were missing from their home.

The actor that played Dorothy, Judy Garland, has a museum dedicated to her in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, a museum that housed the famed slippers. The thief, named Terry Jon Martin, intended to sell the rubies on the shoes. He was disappointed after finding out the slippers were made of sequins and glass, so he discarded them.

Over a decade later, in 2018, the FBI recovered

the slippers, but they still didn’t know who had stolen them. Martin then confessed in 2023 to clear his conscience on his deathbed. He was sentenced to no prison time due to his physical condition, but he was ordered to pay restitution to the museum of $23,500, paid in $300 monthly increments. Ironically, Martin had absolutely no knowledge of the slipper’s valuable cultural significance because he had never watched the movie. Despite the important cultural value of the Louvre and Minnesota artifacts, their security remains imperfect. Although the Louvre heist garnered significantly more national attention, the Norman Rockwell paintings and Judy Garland’s ruby slippers are just as important to the state of Minnesota.

EVA BURNS THE RUBICON

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Lina Abid

BEHIND THE SCENES

‘The Dining Room’ sets the stage for first theater-in-the-round experience in Huss

LINA ABID THE RUBICON

Across 18 scenes, multiple families and several decades, the one constant is a table and six chairs. The fall play, A.R. Gurney’s “The Dining Room,” provides short glimpses into the lives of multiple White Anglo-Saxon Protestant families during different time periods, all in the titular dining room.

Director Jon Ferguson enjoys the play’s fluid structure. “I like the fact that there’s no hard scene changes. It’s like everything kind of cross dissolves, and it’s a kind of big collage. I think that’s a good thing for young people to be a part of,” he said.

A notable attribute of this production was the arrangement of the audience. Assistant director Akie Kutsunai encouraged attendees to find a seat on stage. “It’ll be in the round … I don’t know if we’ve done it before, not while I have been here as assistant director. So it’ll be much

more cozy … not just the actors having all these scenes together, but also the audience, which is very exciting,” she said.

The play presented a unique challenge and opportunity for the cast members, as the abundance of characters ensured that all actors would play multiple roles.

I think it’ll be a really different experience for our audience, and I’m very curious to see how that goes. “

“Some people have three different characters, but most people have two,” Kutsunai said, “So, they are having a lot of fun thinking about … why a character may be acting this way, even if

they’re not being the best person in the moment … and they get to do that twice.”

Stage manager Stella Hunter has had the chance to witness this experimentation firsthand.

“There’s a bunch of talented people here, and [Ferguson] seems very knowledgeable,” she said. Within her role, Hunter is responsible for keeping track of the props and taking general notes.

There is no doubt that the enduring dining table is the essential piece of the play’s set. Because of the simplicity of this element, the cast was able to rehearse using the Harkness tables in the English classrooms before the Huss auditorium became available for rehearsals.

“Now that we are in Huss and we have our table,” Kutsunai said, “We’re getting used to the idea of the audience being in a different situation ... I think it’ll be a really different experience for our audience, and I’m very curious to see how that goes.”

Senior Sam Ray, who has experience in the theater department, noted a few of the changes in this fall’s rehearsals.

“My experience has been positive. It’s definitely different from other things that we’ve done. We have a different director, and we’re all learning new things,” they said. “This [year] is a lot more fast paced.”

Ferguson, new in the role of director, has felt a mutual sense of learning.

“What I have learned is how much actually Seves took on, so I’ve been trying to catch up with that and learn what I need to be doing … I think the students have done really well with working with someone new, and [it] feels like they’re trusting what I’m doing as a director,” he said.

In the first production of the year, with a new director and a change in the audience set-up, the cast of “The Dining Room” could count on the ever-present dining table to provide security.

‘Monster’ toes the line between acceptable and appalling

IZZY MIDDLEBROOK

THE RUBICON

TW: Contains references to serial murders, gore, Nazi imagery, and incest

Between self proclaimed lovers of dark humor, true crime enthusiasts and those who obsess over Luigi Mangione, violence has become increasingly idealized. This fascination often shows up in entertainment and popular culture. A standout example of romanticized crime comes from a series that was second on Netflix’s most watched list when it debuted, with over 12 million views. Each season is centered around different convicted murderers, and each story is more gruesome than the last.

The latest installment of “Monster,” released Oct. 3, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, follows famed criminal Ed Gein. Gein’s crimes as a convicted murderer and body-snatcher inspired iconic films in the horror genre, such as “Psycho,” “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

The show’s previous two seasons focused on

the stories of the Menendez brothers and Jeffrey Dahmer. In the season that follows Gein, the young females he obsesses over, all based on real victims, are objectified, sexualized and brutally tortured on screen. In a review published in The Guardian, Richard Lawson writes: “The Ed Gein Story spends most of its early episodes giving us pure freak shows.”

It’s not a character in a TV show, these are real things that happened. And when people kind of forget that … that’s when it gets muddy.

Sophomore Elliot Gilats is unsettled by the reality of true crime media. Gilats is very interested in horror films, but less so in true crime documentaries. “With true crime, people like to take it too far ... it can be kind of intrusive or invasive,

especially when people forget the impacts of true crime,” Gilats said.

Despite the especially gory nature of the most recent season, controversy is not new to “Monster.” After the first season was released, relatives and loved ones of Dahmer’s victims felt that the show misrepresented the harm perpetrated.

Similar criticism continued into the second season, where it was notably hinted that brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez engaged in an incestuous relationship.

Junior Sofie Dogwill was an avid viewer of “Monster” up until the most recent season. “I thought it was really interesting because I love true crime documentaries, and I wanted to just kind of see the depiction that Netflix had of the Menendez brothers’ story,” Dogwill said.

The idea behind the incest plot line came from a throwaway note from a juror in Erik Menendez’s trial joking that “Erik and Lyle were ‘doing’ each other.” Following the season release, the brothers penned an open letter about how the show misrepresented

their story, to which Murphy publicly replied, expressing that the brothers should be grateful that their story was told at all.

The backlash “Monster” has faced reared its head once again in the wake of the latest season, where the series not only depicts vivid and violent hallucinations, but attempts to invite empathy to a terrifying figure in Gein, who was also known as the “Butcher of Plainfield” -- a reference to his hometown of Plainfield, Wisconsin. In addition, the series gives Gein a fictional obsession

with real German war criminal Ilse Koch that borders on romanticizing Nazism.

“It’s not a character in a TV show, these are real things that happened. And when people kind of forget that … that’s when it gets muddy,” Gilats said.

In regards to why serial killers are so engrossing to some, Dr. John Fisher, criminal justice program coordinator at the University of Texas Permian Basin, wrote, “We give respect to the alpha male … A serial murderer is probably the epitome of that

alpha

domination,

we’re taught that we’re not supposed to kill other people. So, what would cause a person to go out to target, to stalk, to track and then to kill somebody? We are a society that’s very inquisitive.” While there are certainly healthy and respectful ways to recount and process atrocities, the “Monster” series is not that.

DEDICATED DIRECTION. Director Jon Ferguson observes a scene being rehearsed. Stage manager Stella Hunter said, “There’s a bunch of talented people here, and [Ferguson] seems very knowledgeable.”

PHOTO:

PHOTO: Lina Abid

HELPING HAND. Assistant director Akie Kutsunai helps an actor onstage during rehearsal. Kutsunai said, “I think it’ll be a really different experience for our audience, and I’m very curious to see how that goes.”

assistant director Akie Kutsunai

sophomore Elliot Gilats

FAIR USE IMAGE: Screenshot from Netflix trailer

TERRIFYING TELEVISION. Ed Gein, one of the most infamous killers in U.S. history, is the focus of the third season of Netflix’s “Monster.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 19

THE RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025

AMANDA HSU

CHIEF VISUAL EDITOR

THE LEGEND

The illustrious career of the late TV star, cooking connoisseur and author Julia Child is represented in a new Minnesota History Center exhibit, “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life,” which delves into the life experiences and relationships that inspired her wellknown recipes. Curated by Flying Fish and the Napa Valley Museum, the exhibit is brimming with interactive features, personal mementos and photos, allowing audiences a deeper glimpse into Child’s life and ingenuity.

LUMINOUS LAYOUT

ating the famed Michelin dinner she and her husband had at renowned restaurant La Cournouvre was overlain with projected visuals of the actual food they ate. This food is credited with first sparking her desire to learn how to cook French cuisine. Another example is a recreation of Child’s “The French Chef” TV show kitchen, fitted with a working 1960s TV camera, kitchen props, openable cabinets and appliances.

ARTFUL

LIVES ON

The exhibit spans an entire wing of the Minnesota History Center, structured in an open floor plan concept, allowing visitors to walk through the gallery at their own pace. Color-coded signage divides Child’s life into six main chapters: early childhood, working for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II, living in France, writing her first cookbook, starring on television and cementing herself as an American icon. The only downside to the gallery’s openness was its lack of a distinct or natural chronological flow, making it difficult for visitors to learn about Child’s life in order.

INTERACTIVE ITEMS

A strong feature of the exhibit is its interactive nature, each information board being paired with at least one or two objects, artifacts or pictures. Plates of fake food illustrating some of Child’s favorite foods and recipes are sprinkled throughout the whole exhibit. Metal pots with liftable lids filled with scent packets that attempt to recreate the smell of the dishes are also common, allowing visitors to fully immerse themselves in the flavors and smells of her cuisine. While the scents were hit or miss, her famous beef bourguignon dish specifically stood out as both the most realistic-looking and smelling. However, the true standouts from the exhibit were the main set pieces stationed around the gallery, which exemplified important moments from Child’s life.

In the France section of the exhibit, a table recre-

While the exhibit has many flashy elements, the core narrative of Child’s life that the gallery tries to highlight is straightforward. Even in her childhood, she challenged the restrictive gender norms and conservative views placed on women, striving to build a career and pursue her passions despite prejudice and hostility. She was a pioneer not only in her TV career, but also as a writer, chef and woman, consistently working to share her wide perspectives and food with the world and to make room for others to follow in her footsteps.

She was a pioneer not only in her TV career, but also as a writer, chef and

The gallery finishes by commemorating her legacy with a collage of bright TV screens depicting the many books, shows, movies and other forms of media she inspired or took a part in, ending with her quote, “This is my invariable advice to people: Learn how to cook – try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless and above all have fun.”

“Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” will be on display until May 31.

PHOTOS: Amanda Hsu

senior Amanda Hsu

Scan this QR code to reserve tickets for the “Julia Child: A Recipe for Life” exhibit.

TABLE FOR TWO. A fine dining table with projected images of the dinner Julia Child and her husband ate at La Cournouvre, the French restaurant that sparked her desire to explore the world of French cuisine.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON. Fake examples and pots with artificial scents recreating Julia Child’s famous recipes are scattered around the exhibit.

AMERICAN ICON. Julia Child’s career highlights from the 1970s-1980s are illuminated on boxes.

TV READY. The exhibit recreates the real life kitchen used on the TV set of “The French Chef” from the 1960s.

UNIQUE UTENSILS. A wall displays the multiple sets of unique kitchen tools Julia Child commonly used.

THE RUBICON - NOVEMBER 2025

GOOD QUESTION 20

SPA THINKS:

What is your biggest worry about today’s democracy?

“

The unwillingness to work together for the common good of the people right now is really prevalent.

ninth-grader Miles Rorvig

“

The prospect of Trump trying to run for a third term ... he has passed a lot of policies that have targeted minority groups.

senior Carys Hsiung

“

The current presidency and how it will affect those [inside and] outside of the U.S.

HEALTHY DEMOCRACY:

What does it look like?

WYNTER FEINER THE RUBICON

“We the people” is the opening phrase of the U.S. Constitution, vesting the power of the U.S. government in its citizens. This is the fundamental idea of democracy, the foundation of the nation. However, the health of a democracy fluctuates depending on economic, social and political factors.

According to the organization Democracy Fund, the principles of a healthy democracy consist of having leaders who act with integrity under the direction of the public good, protections for the equal rights of every individual in the nation, a system of checks and balances and adherence to the guidelines of the Bill of Rights. Although a country’s leaders regulate the fundamental principles of democracy, “the people” are responsible for electing leaders who represent their interests.

Ninth-grader Jack Miltner stressed the importance of voting in a republic.

“A healthy democracy is when everybody gets to vote and everybody has an equal vote, I feel like that’s just the base of a democracy … [U.S. citizens] get to pick who they think the right choice is and who will do the right thing,” Milt-

Though the idea of a democracy is that it’s directed by its people, that ideal isn’t always upheld. In June 2025, a Pew Research Center study by Richard Wike, Janell Fetterolf and Jonathan Schulman surveyed the populations of 12 high-income countries about their satisfaction with their democracy. In 2017, the percent of adults satisfied with the state of their democracy was identical to those unsatisfied, at 49%. However, as time has passed, individuals across the world have become increasingly displeased with the state of democracy. In 2025, in those same 12 countries, the median of public discontent with democracy is 64% – far outweighing satisfaction, with a

Although there has been a decline in those who feel satisfied with the state of democracy in their country, the concept of representative democracy remains popular worldwide, leaving the source of citizen disappointment resting on the shoulders of political elites. Seventy-four percent of respondents in

the survey said they believe that elected officials don’t care what people like them think. When asked what could be done to improve the way democracy functions in their countries, each country’s top answer was identical: “better politicians,” meaning leaders who are more competent and honest.

Junior Asha Peckosh expressed the importance of holding leaders accountable for their actions. “I think that we get leaders who are more interested in using their own power than remembering that they got their power from the people,” Peckosh said. “And that their role is to govern this country for the people. And I think a lot of our leaders lose sight of that.”

I think that we get leaders who are more interested in using their own power than remembering that they got their power from the people.

Though leaders directly manage the internal affairs of countries, the idea of a democratic nation is that the country’s authority depends on its citizens. This is particularly shown through a citizen’s ability to vote and elect officials to make decisions on their behalf, entrusting the nation’s well-being to voters through virtual representation.

Sophomore Ronan Keel emphasizes autonomous decision-making as a voter and introduces the idea of diversified representation between political parties.

“I think a healthy democracy allows for a high level of representation where there’s more people contributing to the decisions that are made,” he said. “For a healthy democracy, you need to have multiple viewpoints, so there needs to be diverse arguments and conversation. When there’s only singular power, that’s when it starts to become less of a healthy democracy.”

According to a 2025 poll by Data for Progress, when asking Americans whether they believe the United States is more of a democracy or an oligarchy – a government where power is concentrated in the hands of elites – 60% of Democrats and independent voters said they believe the country is heading down an oligarchical path.

Though the idea of democracy is centered around the interests of “the people,” the government plays a vital role in perpetuating the principles of democracy, acting as representatives to uphold the wants and needs of citizens on a larger scale.

junior Asha Peckosh

junior Griffin Roy