Echo issue 11, June 1 by SLP Echo

Echo

SCIENCE CLASS CANCELED

Environmental class not offered due to low numbers PAGE 4

TEAM PLAYS IN SECTIONS

UNDER THE RADAR SONGS

Boys’ tennis takes a hit against Blake at sections PAGE 8

Four songs worth jamming to during the summer PAGE 12

Friday, June 1, 2018 Volume 91 Issue 11 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

SLPECHO.COM Hitting home: Junior Maddy EduardoGonzalez answers a question submitted to the SOAR panel. The crowd consisted of students, faculty, and community members.

Uncensored panel drives community discussion Low student turn out causes disappointment

Sumaya Mohamed & Annabella Strathman sumayamohamed@slpecho.com annabellastrathman@slpecho.com

itting on the panel in front of approximately 45 people, student organizer and panel member senior Doreen Morang’a said she hoped to inspire change. “Especially for the teachers, I hope that it’s going to make them want to change things, or add new perspectives to change a little bit of the curriculum, so that it can better all students that they have, not just the whites or the blacks, but all the students that they do have,” Morang’a said. Senior attendee Kate Brinkman said the stories from panel members broadened her perspective on racial issues.

“Hearing people’s daily struggles that they go through occurred to me to be an issue that I don’t experience as a white person,” Brinkman said. Students Organized for Anti-Racism (SOAR) member senior Ubah Abdullahi said she felt the discussion was primarily carried out by people of color. “I genuinely hoped that there were more students who were white and showed up because it was majority faculty and black people and brown people who showed up,” Abdullahi said. “In the future I hope that more white people show up and be a part of these conversations,” she said. For those unable to attend the meeting, an uncut video is available at slpecho.com.

Photo Grace Farley

Tough Issues: Junior Alexis Machoka intently listens to speakers on their experiences regarding race during the uncensored panel.

United front: 10 SOAR uncensored panel members sit in front of a crowd in C350 May 22. The members answered submitted questions about race. during the panel.

Photo Grace Farley

Educate: Senior Rahma Farah explains the difference between African and Black during the SOAR panel held May 22.

A few questions from the SOAR panel

1. Can black people be racist? 2.

What’s the difference between saying “a slave” and “enslaved”?

As a student of color, what has been the primary challenge as a student at SLP?

Photo Grace Farley

Infographic Devin Raynor Source Malaika Bigirindavyi

Synchro places fourth overall at State meet Season closes with improved performance Atticus Raasch atticusraasch@slpecho.com

Photo Isael Kjaer

Pop up: Senior captain Brooklyn Donelson jumps o a lift at State on May 24 and 25 at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.

Despite a small team size, assistant coach Carolyn Guddal said she was proud of this years’ synchro team’s performance at the State meet “The girls worked really hard and with a team as small as ours,” Guddal said. “The fact that they still were able to maintain fourth place overall at the state meet — we definitely had some of our best swims.”

Guddal said the team was able to improve their routines substantially betweentheir Sections and State meets. “We saw so much improvement from the high quality that it already was,” Guddal said. According to senior captain Alyssa Crump, a practice in the University of Minnesota pool improved performance. “We had a U of M practice on Monday (May 21), which gave us a little bit of time to be able to swim through our routines,” Crump said. “I feel like that really made us be ready to do well.” Sophomore Mia Miller said the team

performed well despite a tough start to the year. “I think we’ve improved a lot from the beginning of the year,” Miller said.“We weren’t really sure if our team was going to do very well, but we did.” Miller said the captains this season helped boost attitudes and provide support for all the swimmer on the team. “I will miss the seniors, we had really amazing captains this year. They really support us and everything we do,” Miller said. “I’m going to really miss them.” For more content go to slpecho.com

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NEWS

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

WEB PREVIEW

I’m pretty upset (Mann is closing) I went there a lot. It’s just kind of sad to see it close after 16 years. William Pinney, sophomore

Movie theater prepares for shutdown by Park Nicollet

Photo Hannah Leﬀ

Band celebrates achievements

and director Steven Schmitz said he started the band banquet as a way to celebrate the accomplishments of the band program. “I started doing the (band banquet) during my first year here (at Park). I noticed all sports and theater have (a banquet), and I thought that we should too because we have plenty of things to celebrate,” Schmitz said.

Hannah Leﬀ hannahleﬀ@slpecho.com

Photo Caroline Green

Roll credits: The St. Louis Park Mann Cinema 6 located on Excelsior had their ﬁnal showing on May 20. The building is going to be taken over by Park Nicollet. Surrounding businesses including Bruegger’s Bagel closed and Chipotle will be moving to Granite City.

Park Mann Cinema 6 along with surrounding businesses to be replaced Lukas Levin lukaslevin@slpecho.com

Photo Emma Kempf

Park takes victory on senior night

oming after a disappointing loss to Benilde, sophomore Margaret Klein said it was important for the team to play a better game and win. “The last game we played against Benilde we lacked energy and we were just like ‘eh,’ but this game we really wanted to win because it was our last game and it was senior night,” Klein said.

Emma Kempf & Abby Intveld emmakempf@slpecho.com abbyintveld@slpecho.com

Photo used with permission from Atlantic Records

‘Voicenotes’ goes in new direction

harlie Puth ventures into a bold, new direction with his new album “Viocenotes.” It is his second studio album, released in conjunction with Atlantic Records May 11. Puth’s new direction ventures into R&B style songs, with his inspiration crediting hits of the late 1980s. His bold new take is apparent from the first song to the album’s last, establishing a tone seemingly defiant of his past love ballads.

Sam Birnberg sambirnberg@slpecho.com For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

hen senior Tommy Guddal heard about the St. Louis Park Mann Cinema 6 closing, he said he felt distraught because of the memories he valued at the theater. “I am really sad. I used to go there a lot with friends and go see a movie. It was a convenient location for a lot of kids in Park,” Guddal said. “There is something about that theater that brings up a lot of nostalgia, especially when I was a kid.” Mann Cinema 6 located off Excelsior Boulevard, in the backyard of Park Nicollet Clinic has given up its space to their aforementioned neighbors May 20, according to Communications Supervisor for Methodist Hospital Patrick Strait. Michelle Mann, district manager for Mann Theaters was unavailable for comment. Strait said the theater will become a new clinic for Park Nicollet allowing them to reach more people in the community.

“The clinic will specialize in neurology and plastic surgery and looking at St. Louis Park as a whole, it’s going to help us to shuffle the deck a little bit and help us move some of our services around to better serve patients,” Strait said. Businesses around the Mann Theater will also come to a close, according to Strait. However, Chipotle Public Relations and Communications Manager Quinn Kelsey commented in an email local students and residents don’t have to worry about the restaurant being closed because of its nearby relocation. “We love serving the St. Louis Park area. We are simply relocating to a location within the same parking lot, about 50 yards from our current site in a former Granite City building,” Kelsey said. Junior cinema employee Leo Zeigle said he is sad to see the theater go because of the employee benefits and convenient location for him and other Park students. “Yeah it’s going to be a bummer. I mean it was really close, and it was a very reliable place to go. I enjoy working there because there are tons of benefits,” Zeigle said. “There are other theaters close by. The Hopkins theater is really cheap, so that’s

a good alternative. It’s going to be a bummer either way,” he said. Freshman Isaac Scott said he enjoyed many of the features of the theater and experienced many moments there. “I’m going to miss having a close movie theater, it’s really sad that it’s going. I liked the popcorn, the candy, I loved the escalator,” Scott said. “I think overall I am just going to miss the memory of being able to go there.” Strait said Park Nicollet didn’t actively seek to move into the theater. According to Strait, Frauenshuh Commercial Real Estate, who owns the building, offered the space to Park Nicollet. “If the space wouldn’t have become available we wouldn’t have gone knocking on the door saying, ‘hey, we really need the space,’” Strait said. “But the opportunity was there and from a bigger standpoint we could always find new ways to do anything we can to really accommodate more people in the community and that’s exactly what we want to do,” he said. According to Strait, the goal is to start renovating the first floor of the theater by June and hopefully have the specialty clinic open in January of 2019.

Council, youth discuss gun safety measures City action limited by federal law Annabella Strathman and Atticus Raasch annabellastrathman@slpecho.com, atticusraasch@slpecho.com

ccording to Mayor Jake Spano, a group of students approached the city council to discuss measures to control guns within the city. “(Students and council members talked) about, under the law, what authority do cities have to do things, what don’t they have and what are some options we might want to consider looking at.” According to one of the student speakers, freshman Gabriel Kaplan, a group of 10 students met prior to the meeting to organize their message.

Photo Annabella Strathman

Students take action: Students express their opinions on gun control during a City Council meeting May 21 St. Louis Park. Students were invited by the Mayor. “A lot of it was just about how in school we should feel safe and how school should be a place of learning, and not a place where we fear for our lives.” Spano said listening to students on the issue of gun violence within schools brought a new perspective to the topic. “School is supposed to be a place for learning, not a place where we’re worried about our safety,” Spano said. “Hearing those sorts of messages from students brings into sharp focus the problem.” Kaplan said while he feels the meeting

provided a necessary connection between the student activists and the City Council, the council is limited in what legal action they can take. “I think it will be good to have the City Council on our side, as they said they support us, though I’m not sure how much the city itself can do, as the city doesn’t have a lot of legal room to pass a lot of laws,” Kaplan said. For more information go to slpecho.com

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I think that people should have the ability to dress however they want, and it’s a form of freedom of expression. Having to wear certain things under certain rules isn’t very fair

STUDENT LIFE

Emily Turnquist, freshman

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

Dress code policy brews frustrations Photo illustration Devin Raynor

Administration open to shifts in practice Atticus Raasch & Nicole Sanford atticusraasch@slpecho.com nicolesanford@slpecho.com

hough told to change clothes upon walking into the school, junior Grace Steffy said she thinks she should be able to decide what she wants to wear. “I know you’re not supposed to wear spaghetti straps and all that stuff, but at the same time, we’re in high school, people should be able to control themselves and wear the same thing that we’re going to be wearing outside of school,” Steffy said. On page 18 of the student handbook, several measures of appropriate dress for the building are highlighted. I know you’re not The policy states, “The dress and supposed to wear grooming of students becomes the concern of the school if it causes spaghetti straps disruption of the educational and all that stuﬀ program or is offensive or inappropriate to others.” but at the same According to Principal Scott time, we’re in high Meyers, enforcement of the dress school, people code policy is a collective effort by all staff members. should be able to “It’s not all that different from control themselves. hallway behavior or school safety, foul language, it’s all of our colGrace Steﬀy, junior lective responsibility to initiate conversations,” Meyers said. “Sometimes particularly with dress code, it’s best if it is maybe a teacher that is that first layer so it could be a conversation with a student. It could be a call home,” he said. Junior Delaney Wallerich said she believes students should be responsible for the clothes they wear to school. “I think what you dress or how you come to school is kind of common sense like if someone’s

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coming to school in a bra, obviously that’s not okay, but if you’re wearing clothes then it’s fine,” Wallerich said. “You should be able to manage that yourself, not the faculty.” Steffy said it is impractical to disallow students from wearing clothes appropriate for the weather. “Why would you bring a whole other outfit because then it’s going to be 85 degrees when you get outside? Nobody’s going to want to wear full clothing — it’s hot outside,” Steffy said. According to Meyers, some instances of inappropriate dress should not be disputed. “There are some things that are non-negotiable within the dress code, so things that are promoting illegal substances, alcohol, those I feel like we oftentimes get referrals or we’re having conversations pretty regularly,” Meyers said. Wallerich said she thinks there is a double standard between boys and girls within the dress code policy. “I’ve seen guys wear like whole open muscle Tshirts where you can see their nipples like if they’re walking through the side and they would never get told to put on a sweatshirt,” Wallerich said. Freshman Erick Ericksen said he feels the dress code policy is not enforced fairly among all students. “I see a lot of kids wearing shirts that say like ‘f*** the president’ or just swear words, but then girls get dress coded for revealing clothing, and they don’t get dress coded for wearing things with bad (words) on it,” Ericksen said. Meyers said the policy may need to be reworked to remove any bias in what is considered to be appropriate dress. “I know there’s a lot of conversations about a lot of dress codes are skewed towards female students versus male students, so what you read as a practice in our handbook, that part may need some adjustment based on how we carry it out,” Meyers said. Meyers said as a result of the conversations surrounding the dress code policy, there is room for change in what is considered appropriate. “I think the nature of dress codes is shifting,” Meyers said. “Do we have a hard and fast dress code rule? No. Do we have conversations? Absolutely.”

Echo Friday June 1, 2018

For what it’s WORTH Maddie Lund maddielund@ slpecho.com

Elimination Diet heeds successful results

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FEATURES

eople diet for a number of reasons — weight loss, looking a certain way, lowering blood pressure, or even having higher energy. A month ago I decided to go on an elimination diet to help with my skin condition. Elimination diets are shortterm eating plans that eliminate certain foods to determine whether they cause allergies or other digestive reactions, then reintroduce the foods one at a time to see which are and are not welltolerated in the digestive system. I have a common skin condition called eczema, which causes my arms, legs and neck to become rashy, itchy and red. I tried everything to make it go away. I used skin creams, soaps and unscented lotions — nothing worked. My mom suggested the elimination diet to see if my skin reactions were food-related. I agreed, thinking I would be killing two birds with one stone — eating healthier while also finding out what caused the breakouts on my skin. To begin the diet, I had to cut out all dairy, wheat, certain vegetables and What’s the corn products from my diet POINT? for 10 days. Going Changing from eating the way whatever I you eat wanted to being cut off can help from some of with health my favorite concerns. foods was extremely challenging. 10 days doesn’t seem like a long time but it really dragged on. Walking into grocery stores was hard knowing I couldn’t eat more than half the food in there. Having to go to the vegan and gluten free sections where the food looked less than appetizing was a struggle. However, right away I could feel and see changes to my body. My skin cleared up within the first three days, and I felt healthier and filled with more energy. As I continued with the diet, my skin and the rest of my body improved with it, and it became progressively easier to go without what were previously my favorite foods. After the trial time ended I discovered wheat and dairy caused my rashy skin. Knowing what I do now, I can cut back on the amount of wheat and dairy I put into my diet, allowing me to have clear skin. While food may not always seem like the villain, changing your diet can really affect all types of health. I know it did for me.

I think it's important to have IB science classes for students who want to change our worldwide environmental climate. Sam Sietsema, sophomore

Petition started for prospective IB course Environmental Systems and Societies cut Abby Intveld abbyintveld@slpecho.com

unior Danny Hunegs said he was excited about his classes for his senior year until he heard the science class he signed up for would be canceled. “When I found out it was canceled I was disappointed because it was a class I was looking forward to taking next year,” Hunegs said. According to principal Scott Meyers, IB environmental systems and societies is officially canceled for the upcoming 2018-2019 year. “I know the class didn’t get above 30 students,” Meyers said. “There were students who said they wanted to get more students to join, and

Photo Grace Farley

Observations: AP environmental science teacher Al Wachutka assists freshman Olivia Etz in a recent lab on May 16. He hoped to bring more labs to the classroom in IB. although we saw a few people enter the class, it didn’t make it above the threshold.” The class would offer a better understanding of the local environment, according to junior Anna Jennissen, especially in light of the recent Climate Action Plan. “Since St. Louis Park is trying to be an environmental leader in the state, it makes sense if we’d have a class that reflected that,” Jennissen said.

Three facets of IB environmental systems and societies: - Designing and con-

ducting ﬁeld research - Collecting usable data - Community action Infographic Katie Hardie Source Al Wachutka

According to Jennissen, four juniors and herself met with Meyers to discuss the class. They brought a petition that was signed by 27 students who wished to take the class. Cancellation of classes is common because of lack of interest, according to Meyers. “There are other classes, it’s not just (IB environmental systems and societies) we had to make a decision on,” Meyers said.

USDA offers Summer Food Service Program The USDA's Summer Food Service Program, which provides free, healthy meals to low-income children under age 18 during the summer is available in St. Louis Park.

Summer Eats Minnesota app Purpose Helps locate free meals for kids during the summer Cost Free Features • Nearest serving sites • Site menus • Days and hours of operation for sites • Picture of sites • Distance to sites • Directions to sites

Park sponsors three locations Aquila Elementary School

St. Louis Park Middle School

Central Community Center

8500 W 31st St, St Louis Park, MN 55426

2025 Texas Ave S, St Louis Park, MN 55426

6300 Walker Street, St. Louis Park, MN 55416

Dates of operation: June 18-July 26 Days open: Monday-Thursday Breakfast hours: 7:45-8:15 a.m. Lunch hours: 11:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

Dates of operation: June 18-August 17 Days open: Monday-Friday Breakfast hours: 7:45-8:30 a.m. Lunch hours: 11:00 a.m.-12 p.m.

3 ways to locate free summer meals Download the "Summer Eats Minnesota" app.

Find locations online at www. fns.usda.gov/ summerfoodrocks

Text "summer meals" to 97779.

Infographic Devin Raynor Source Hunger Impact Partners & USDA

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I see (gap years) as a good alternative to quickly jumping into an educational course. You can take time to ﬁnd out what you want to do in life.

FEATURES Echo Friday June 1, 2018

Anil Pillay, junior

In the SPOTLIGHT

Senior plans gap year trip to Asia Ilana Meisler to volunteer in Bali and Malaysia

Shopping: Senior Ilana Meisler tries on hiking backpacks at REI May 19 in preparation for her volunteer trip abroad in Malaysia and Bali next school year. Meisler decided to go with her aunt who has previously done extensive travels.

Ilana Meisler, senior What is your plan for next year? I am going to travel to Malaysia and Bali for six months to volunteer. How long are you in each place? Three months in each place. Why did you decide to take a gap year to go travel and volunteer? I decided about a year ago that a gap year was the right choice for me because I needed a break between high school and college. I love traveling, and I want to be able to travel when I am young versus when I am older and have a job to worry about. I hardly have any responsibilities right now, so I think it is the perfect time to travel. I definitely need a break before starting college. Do you know what type of volunteering you are doing? Not super specifically, but I know that I am going to be doing construction and renovation projects in Malaysia and turtle conservation in Bali. What do you think are the beneﬁts of taking a gap year? I think that it is ridiculous that kids are having to go to college at such a young age and have to know right off the bat or within the first year or two what they want to study.

Photo Isaac Wahl

They spend the rest of their lives doing that without having actually gotten any experience living in the real world, or having experienced much outside of their little bubble of high school. I think it is important for kids to be able to take more time to get to know themselves better and that kids shouldn’t be pressured to know what they want to do right away. What are your plans after you volunteer for six months? I plan to come back here and work to help pay for the trip and hopefully take some classes at the U of M (Twin Cities). How are you ﬁnancing the trip? I have worked over the past few summers, and I have money saved up from working, babysitting, birthdays. I have chosen to save all my money to go on a trip like this. The programs are also significantly cheaper than a lot of the other programs that I looked at, so that is definitely helping too. How did you decide that this was the travel opportunity you wanted to do?

I kind of decided based on the places that I haven’t been. I really wanted to visit Asia because their culture is so different from ours, and really it's about as different as it can get. I wanted to be able to experience that. It is a good chance for me to be able to experience different cultures and religions and because of their proximity to each other I was able to go on the same trip, as opposed to having to pay airfare to two different places, which is helping with the cost. What are you looking forward to? I am really excited for the food. I am excited to see the towns and the people and being able to see the way that other people live because it's not something that we really get to see much here. What do you hope to get out of it? I am trying to keep my expectation kind of low, that way I am surprised and happy versus being disappointed. But I know I am going to come back a more mature person and hopefully a smarter person. I hope to come back with a deeper understanding and appreciation for other people and other cultures. Marta HIll martahill@slpecho.com

School club creates community Dungeons & Dragons sparks imagination David Bryant davidbryant@slpecho.com

hysics teacher and club adviser Daniel Ruzek said since his introduction to the Dungeons & Dragons club, he continues to enjoy the experience and people involved. “I was strong-armed into the club by two kids last year, and I thought it sounded easy enough and could be a fun experience,” Ruzek said.“It kind of took off, so we have a lot more kids than we had last year, and we are having a great time with it.” Junior Zion Chappell said he leads the club, advertising for people to come and dictating one of the groups as dungeon master. “My role is the dungeon master of one of the groups, it's kind of a narrator of sorts. I am also in ways the PR of the club, which I try to get people coming,” Chappell said. Senior Elijah Gray said the limitless amount of options and displays of creativity in Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) keep him coming back and allows him the freedom to interpret the game however he wants. “I really enjoy the spontaneous things you can do, playing crazy scenarios you can come up with, if you have a cool idea for a character or adventure you can make it happen, but somebody could also take that and interpret it

in their own way,” Gray said. Freshman Dayton Rowland said the club is great for him to meet new people and create new relationships. “I like the community the group has, I rarely socialize outside of this club so it's a fun way to get out there and meet new people,” Rowland said. Ruzek said his group is currently doing a mission revolving around exploration from the publishers of the game, but missions can also be made from scratch. “I am running a module which the publishers of the game print called ‘Tombs of Annihilation,’ and it’s a story of characters going through the jungle trying to find out what this death curse is and fighting all kinds of monsters and solving mysteries and exploring,” Ruzek said. Chappell said the game brings him back to his childhood imagination. “You can never really get bored. There's always something new to D&D. It isn't about confined story lines, it's about overarching stories. Even in one particular world there can be all sorts of things that can happen,” Chappell said. “It's very comparable to as a kid where you can have thousands of adventures every day. It’s that exact feeling of creativity and imagination except we are a little bit older, so we have to have rules.” According to Ruzek, the club meets 3:10 5 p.m. every Monday and Thursday in room A305.

Photo Katie Hardie

Roll out: Physics teacher Daniel Ruzek kicks oﬀ the meeting with an initial roll of the dice. He uses his computer to keep track of plays during the game. Gamers: Senior Jake Dempsey watches intently as junior Chris Anondson carefully picks out his gamepieces.

Photo Katie Hardie

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IN-DEPTH

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

MIDWEST Illinois Bradley University Cyanne Quitangon Knox College Jeremy Robb Millikin University Ethan Rickert University of Chicago Ella Trotter Lake Forest College Alec Pittman

Indiana DePauw University Brenton Ryan

Iowa Drake University Esther Gendler Madeline Kapel Isaac Mintzer Iowa Central Community College Peyton Morrison

Michigan University of Michigan Atticus Raasch Hanna Schechter Jacob Stillman

Minnesota Alexandria Technical and Community College Jake Knudson Allied Medical Training Anthony Sochko Anoka-Ramsey Community College DaShaun Emerson Augsburg University Kane Balance Trinity Boehlke Kimberly Lindgren Mario Marin Luna Antonio Olivios Reyes Lukas Thomas Aveda Institute Chastity Colquitt

Iowa Lakes Community College Tejeh Hayden

Bemidji State University Samuel Baker Graham Campbell Zachary Listiak

Iowa State University Zachary Ryan

Bethel University Luke Peterson

Loras College Ashley Durand

Carleton College Annabella Strathman

University of Iowa Kaylee Baumann Charles Schuebel John Schuebel

Concordia College Sabrina Garcia Samantha Garcia

Upper Iowa University Kamil Mayfield

Kansas

University of Kansas Rose Colacino Amanda Weinberg

Concordia University Ashley Johnson Shea Pekarek Dunwoody College of Technology Brian Asumari Joshua Somaiah

Gustavus Adolphus College Lillie Albright Olivia Bruse John Kraemer Collin Perkins Hamline University Christina Insixiengmai Anna Moore Alexander Peterson Ian Sandbo Katherine Steiner Yasmine Tchida Arielle Vlodaver Ciara Woida Hennepin Technical College Sudesh Deonarain Shawn Koller Thomas Rainey Nathan Sari Itasca Community College Karon Adams Kimon Malone Macalester College Ubah Abdullahi Ndunzi Kunsunga Metropolitan State University Sherry Ouditnarine Minneapolis College of Arts and Design Benjamin Romain Minneapolis Community and Technical College Amanuel Abebe Deka Adan Abdiwahab Ali Ubah Ali Ramire Alowonie Anis Bile Tenzin Choeyang Anthony Christianson William Colway Benjamin Espino Lima Hamza Hassan Joseph Holloway

I’m going to miss the seniors because we’ve been with them our whole St. Louis Park careers, and they’re a fun bunch of people. Grace Lynch, junior

Deisy Jimeniz Cuevas Justin Lamar Marco Lezama Joseph Litton Alexandra Monson Ayatt Salad Osman Sheikh Nicholas Thrasher Seth Vainkka Mariah Wilson Minnesota State University - Mankato Abdiraham Ahmed Khyla Bonine Leron Camp Tanaya Fanning Makagbe Kuyateh Stephanie Olson Immaculate Ombaba Adam Recknagel Jeffery Robinson Jr. Liam Sivanich Normandale Community College Zakariye Aden Samra Ali Rachel Anderson Lizyt Balbuena Tapia Nicholas Benson Amanda Beyer Jamison Christopher Philip Djerf Salma Elmi Rahma Farah Shelby Frankenberry Rebeca Garcia Virgen David Garcia-Velez Sarah Green Timothy Hammick-Rivera Brandon Kirkland Abdul Koroma Ibrahim Koroma Mordechai Leahy Grace Litwiller Calvin Manning Sydney Martinez Kai Mckee Ikran Mohamed Eduardo Morocho Exaucée Nzuzi Longi Eleanor Okan Esmeralda Perez Panales

Jacob Riley Lauren Schmidt Kinsey Scott Michael Siegal Moses Smith Raysean Smith Eric Stober Wilson Tamay Pineado Madeline Turnquist Giselle Villagrana Salazar Britney Villanueva-Aviles Abdikafi Warsame Erika Wilson North Hennepin Community College Lizvette Acosta Saint John’s University Aidan Doherty Jack Dooley South Central Community College Xavier Mcdonald St. Catherine University Dafne Carmona-Rios Tenzin Kunsang Alondra Liz-Fontz Savita Oberdorfer Megan Perkins Hadeal Rizeq Annabelle Schutte St. Cloud State University Mariama Ali Giovanna Contreras Damian Quinones St. Olaf College Thomas Bryant Saint Paul College Amina Abdullahi Transition Plus Jacob Fischer Joseph Hesteness Victoria Judson Terrance O’Brien University of Minnesota Duluth Cameron Arko

William Basill Ellery Deschamps Elijah Gray Eleanor Kline-Olson Stella Kutz Kelly Thompson Grace Wolgemuth University of Minnesota Morris Olivia Gredler University of Minnesota Twin Cities Shoshana Altman Eva Arago Kenya Brooks Kiyonna Brooks Samuel Crary Alyssa Crump Elias Curran-Moore Madeline Deforge Haley Erickson Ryan Favour Izabelle Gilbert-Burke Eitan Grad Abdiaziz Ibrahim Savannah Kjaer Ryan Klaers Jade Labelle Kahiro Lara Martinez Hannah Leff Lukas Levin Brendan Lindstrom Carly Livingston Haim Lyubeznik Mahamed Mahamed Caleb Mesick Ebyan Mohamed Doreen Morang’a Elise Riley D’aviyan Robinson Aaron Sahle Dylisi Sheffield Annika Vignes Katherine Vu Gada Wako Zoë Weinmann University of Northwestern Alyssa Whetstine

WHERE WE’VE BEEN University of St. Thomas Alexandra Balfour

IN-DEPTH

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

Jake Dempsey, senior

Photo Grace Farley

#Feelinthev18e: The senior section roars in celebration during a pep fest Sept. 8. Graduation will be June 5.

Riley Dvorak Thomas Guddal Patrick Havens Ryan Lee Jackson Lochan Cire Mayfield Sumaya Mohamed Liam O’Neil Ben Provost Skyler Rudelius-Palmer Nicole Sanford Mitchell Vortherms Vanessa Zarate Vermillion Community College Cecil Jacobson Winona State University Madison Cascio Gavin Shoger Jillian Volk Samuel Wooden

Missouri Missouri State University Brooklyn Donelson

North Dakota North Dakota State University Benjamin Bakken Owen Flannigan-Erickson Katelyn Lanoux William Lott Ava Martinsen Lindsey Prestholdt Chloe Schaehrer Braeden Tousson Nolan Vandeneinde Martha Walton Joseph Whitlock University of North Dakota Wyatt Christenson University of Sioux Falls Abati Dedefo

Ohio Ohio Wesleyan University Anna duSaire

South Dakota

California

University of South Dakota Aaron Stulberg

Chapman University Miryam Fhima

SOUTH Florida

Scotland, U.K. University of Glasgow Lewis Brown

San Diego State University Annika Eldridge

University of Miami Joshua Halper

GAP YEAR

University of San Diego Rachel Laing

University of West Florida Haley Hyppa

California

Montana

Georgia

Montana State University Sean McSherry

Clark Atlanta University Ambriya Reese

Nevada

Louisiana

Indonesia

Sierra Nevada College Conor Schubring

Tulane University Maya Smith

Stuart Monicatti

Oregon

North Carolina

Northland College Otis Walvatne

Oregon State University Dante Nord

North Carolina A&T State University Kevin O’Neal

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire Julia Austad Katherine Brinkman Ian McIntyre Joseph Tirado

Lewis and Clark College Avia Kaner-Roth

Tennessee

Utah

Vanderbilt University Samyukta Yenamandra

Utah Valley University Caden Williams

Texas

Minnesota

EAST

Prairie View A&M University Aramis Nolen-Buckney

James Best

Wisconsin Carthage College Malaika Bigirindavyi Marquette University James Dempsey Milwaukee School of Engineering Austin Patterson Joshua Lindell Paulson Kyle Hedblom

University of Wisconsin Madison Samuel Birnberg Jacob Henry Adam Johnson Isabel Leviton Maddie Lund David Salamzadeh Elliot Schochet Anna Van Pilsum-Johnson Sophie Yarosh University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Rafferty Kugler University of Wisconsin River Falls Cole Justesen

Maine Colby College Kathryn Fredrickson

Massachusetts Berklee College of Music Jacob Zweigbaum Northeastern University Devin Raynor Wellesley College Olivia Massie

New York New York University Isaac Wert

WEST

Vermont

Arizona Grand Canyon University William Nicholls

University of Vermont Caroline Green

Saadia Omar

Europe Brooklyn Purowitz

Israel Ruchamah Borg Hannah Wolk

Madagascar Ilana Meisler

Missouri Unknown location

Texas Southern University Skielett Ashford

Chava Buchbinder Bria Frazier Kurt Nystuen Tyanna Whitfield

Iceland Rosalie Sigrunadottir

Israel Bar-Ilan University Adi Dahan

Canada University of Manitoba George Hare

Darrell Armstrong III Donald Arndt Spencer Bergan India Booker Anthony Brandel Andrew Brown Veda Cole Brenden Donahue Taura Jankauskaite Connor Johnson Evan Kegans Charlene Kelly Karl Ordorff Sean Rosholt John Sochko Maxie Turner Samantha Vonderau Lukas Wrede

Malaysia and Bali

Bailey Hatchet

ABROAD

WORKING

UNDECIDED

Jessica Baker

Rice University William Phelan

SPORTS Junior Hockey Luke Mobley Jonathan Sorenson

Luke Brezina Daebreona Byrd Michael Carr Sally Fischer Shamar Fletcher Kayla Furuli Elijah Kozak Keegan Krol Kiley Loe Stephanie Musito Garcia Blake Neudecker Kayron Robinson Brandy Romero Juarez Ethan Sadler Ruwayda Said Promise Ulem Timothy Wilburn

UNKNOWN

MILITARY

Alondra Arellano Espinoza Damion Grant Zakaria Osman Aliyha Shalom Damien Walberg

U.S. Navy Daunte Warren

JUNIOR

SOPHOMORE

FRESHMAN

“

I’m looking foward to continuing my education and going oﬀ to college and meeting new people and that whole experience.

This spread was organized by Mimi Fhima, Hannah Leﬀ & Izzy Leviton Design by Devin Raynor & Sam St. Clair

“

SPORTS

Echo Thursday, May 24, 2018

Out of the PARK William Phelan williamphelan@ slpecho.com

Lifting brings self-discipline

ince the beginning of high school, I have been lifting weights. I originally got into it because of my desire to gain a competitive advantage as a nordic skier. My coaches said that skiers hoping to compete on the varsity team need to start a weightlifting program, so I obeyed. Initially, it was a chore. The amount of pain I was forced to undergo in order to complete workouts felt unreal. Although I had always heard the phrase ‘no pain, no gain,’ this labor seemed utterly fruitless. However as I persisted and began to get stronger, I became more motivated. Soon, I couldn’t wait to get into the gym. The pain was still there, but I saw it in a different way. I came to realize that the more it What’s the hurt, the better I would get. POINT? Plugging in my headphones and diving into a meticulously planned workout became almost therapeutic. As many of my friends would tell you, fitness is the most important thing in my life nowadays. The difference, however, is that I no longer lift for an athletic advantage. I lift because it is something that I am truly passionate about, and something that gives my life focus. Prioritizing healthy eating and making time for workouts every single day has taught me the value of time and how to manage it effectively. Falling in love with lifting weights has taught me to value my body, both with how I treat it and also with what I put into it. Lifting regularly has made me more conscious of the things I eat and how my body will react to them. Reforming my diet has not only made my body look healthier, but also made me feel much better. Most importantly, spending time in the gym has completely transformed the way I view myself. Becoming more positive about my body has helped me gain confidence, become more comfortable in social situations, and generally made me a happier person. Committing myself so completely to getting healthier and stronger has completely changed my outlook on life. It has taught me to delay gratification, and helped me understand that things worth having take time to obtain. Attaining a physique that I am proud of has taken time, but it has unquestionably prepared me to better achieve success in other areas of my life.

Fitness builds character

Competition is fun, and accomplishments (like Girls’ Track setting the record) are good for everyone.

Jake Demicisak, sophomore

Boys’ tennis defeated by ﬁrst seed Blake Team prepares for individuals tournaments Eli Curran-Moore & Tenzin Gyaldatsang elicurran-moore@slpecho.com tenzingyaldatsang@slpecho.com

fter clinching a 4-3 home win against Apple Valley May 16, the boys’ tennis team was swept 0-7 against number one seed in the Section Blake. Britenbucher said while the season went well, the most important issue is recruiting players for the future. “It’s hard to be disappointed about how things went. The biggest thing is numbers, we need numbers,” Britenbucher said. “We had nine guys on JV this year when they were full. Ideally I’d like to get 12 on JV, 12-13 on varsity and get the numbers back up to the mid-20s.” Senior captain Adam Johnson said the team enjoyed turning the tables on Apple Valley after losing to them in Sections the previous year. “Last year we played Apple Valley away and lost by a close score, so it was great this year to reverse that and take

Photo Grace Farley

Making a racket: Junior Gerald Perlman hits a serve against Chanhassen Apr. 24. Perlman competed in the individuals tournament May 24 at Baseline Tennis Center. the win in a dramatic fashion this year,” Johnson said. Senior Collin Perkins said the close match made for an exhilarating victory. He said when the match score was tied at 3-3, the outcome of the season came down to the final set in his match. “(The Apple Valley match) went great honestly. It was really tight, but Sam Birnberg and I won the winning game to get to move on, so that was really exciting,” Perkins said. According to Perkins, the team anticipated the loss against Blake. Perkins said for him, all his preparation and practice culminated in this final match. “Apple Valley was a highlight — it was a really big moment for the team. It was so close. Our season was about to be over but then we got to move on, we really got through the struggle and bonded as a team over that match,” Perkins said. “(It was) probably one of the best tennis moments I’ve had over my high school career. We

were totally expecting (the later loss against Blake), we tried our best and had a little fun with it too since it’s many senior players’ last match.” According to Britenbucher, two singles players and two doubles teams will play in the upcoming individual tournament May 24. “Now you get the individual stuff. Adam Johnson and Haim Lyubeznik will play singles at one and two, Rayth Coven and Sam Wolden will play one doubles, and Joseph Tirado and Gerald Perelman will play the other doubles,” Britenbucher said. “It’s single elimination, they crown a singles champion for the state.” Johnson said he urges any new players with an interest in joining the team next year to give it a shot. “I would really encourage anyone to come out for the team, this year were losing nine seniors, so come see what the team is about and give it a chance,” Johnson said.

Girls’ track breaks school record by two seconds 4x2 team surpasses goals at Conference Yonit Krebs & Breanna Thompson yonitkrebs@slpecho.com breannathompson@slpecho.com

t the Metro West Conference meet, junior Nyah Johnson, eighth grader Freya Wade, sophomore Sidney Hayenga and junior Anna Jennissen, the members of Park’s girls’ 4x200 team, defeated the school record for the 4x200 relay by two seconds. “Right after I finished I was looking around, and I looked at my coaches. Then they looked at me with their arms wide, and (my coach) ran at me saying that we beat the record,” Johnson said. “I ran after my teammates, and we started all hugging and we were crying. It was all just amazing.” Park placed second at the Metro West Conference meet May 16, 17 points behind Bloomington Jefferson, according to Johnson. “We’re still really happy. We were third last year, so it’s still a step up,” Johnson said. Sprints coach Lekpea Kordah said

Photo Malaika Bigirindavyi

Soaring, ﬂying: Sophomore Hilda Habia and Jamillah Berry hurdles during the April 26 track meet. The next track meet is at 3:45 p.m. May 29 at Orono High School. breaking the school record had been a goal for the girls since the 2017 season. “I was really excited for them because we tried to get it last year, and I remembered, towards the end of the banquet, we talked about me coming back to make sure that we could get the record before I’m done coaching,” Kordah said. According to Johnson, the team worked on their handoffs and endurance throughout the season. “We have been doing a lot of work in handoffs and a lot of endurance work to make sure that we can keep our speed throughout the whole race,” Johnson said. Junior captain Anna Jennissen said their success as a team is because of their work ethic and determination to achieve their goals. “We’re really good at showing up at practice and constantly working those handoffs, and we have the mentality of wanting to get there and do better,” Jennissen said. According to Kordah, trust is essential

to the success of a relay team. “The one big thing about relays is you have to have good team chemistry. To have a good chemistry makes this race so much easier,” Kordah said. Johnson said two factors in their performance at the Conference meet were the weather and their motivation. “We were really excited for conference, we knew that it was all good competition, and they were all good people to run against,” Johnson said. “The heat also made us really relaxed, our muscles nice and loose, even though it was really hot, and it made everything feel really smooth.” According to Johnson, moving into Sections the team hopes to continue to improve their times.“Our goals as we move on to our sections is to beat our record again, and we want to still get better so hopefully we can do it again,” Johnson said. The Sections meet was 3:45 May 29 and 5:30 May 30 at Orono High School.

“

Winning Conference is impressive. I am really proud of the school and all the athletes are great and do a good job.

SPORTS

Echo Thursday, May 24, 2018

Rachel Mattson, junior

Meet the ATHLETE

Who Esther Gendler Grade Senior Sport Ultimate frisbee How long have you been doing ultimate? I’ve been playing for four years. I started my freshman year.

Boys’ track wins Metro West Photo Noah Deetz

Why did you start playing ultimate? I just thought it would be a fun sport to try.

Oﬀ to the races: Senior Skyler Rudelius-Palmer races in the 4x200 meter relay, April 26. Park defeated the Chaska Hawks. The 4x200 relay team placed third at the Conference meet, May 16.

First Conference Championship since 1971 Jacob Stillman, Alec Pittman & Sam Birnberg jacobstillman@slpecho.com alecpittman@slpecho.com sambirnberg@slpecho.com

ccording to senior Abati Dedefo, it had been 47 years since the boys track team won its conference, which brought on a lot of excitement when the athletes’ hard work finally paid off. “I was excited because it was the first time we won a conference in like 47 years which is good,” Dedefo said. “I am excited because everybody put in the work and everybody worked as a team.” Coach Richard Keith said the team succeeded in gaining as many placing finishes as possible. “The key is to get as many kids in the top eight as possible, or on the podium,” Keith said. “The kids went out and did

creates lineups to give the team a strategic that, both sides, boys and girls. The girls advantage. finished second. The boys obviously won “My philosophy is that I am willing (conference).” to give up a first place finish in a relay. If Senior captain Karon Adams said he that relay can go top three, has enjoyed playing that is good enough because the sport, but winthen I can take that athlete ning Conference was off of that relay and put a highlight of the him in an open event, and season. Adams said 28 top eight ﬁnishes they can score somewhere winning the Metro else,” Keith said. West championship .03 seconds oﬀ from Senior captain Skyler was the culmination of school record in 4x100 Rudelius-Palmer said that hard work and effort. while he was proud of the “I feel proud of 47 years since last team’s overall achievement (winning the conferconference boys track at the meet, he is especially ence). It’s the second enthusiastic about the sucsport that I am in that championship cess of the 4x100 relay has made history. It team. has been something Infographic Jacob Stillman “I am most excited for we have come together Source Skyller Rudelius-Palmer & our 4x100 relay, which was for and worked hard the milesplit.com .03 seconds off from the last couple of years for,” school record,” RudeliusAdams said. Palmer said. Keith said points are awarded for The boys’ track team competed in Secfirst and second place finishes in the 18 tions over two days, at 3:45 p.m. May. 29 events in track and field. He said in order & 31, at Orono High School. to maximize points earned in a meet, he

What’s your favorite memory from ultimate? Last year I won All-State, so that was really cool. It was a really big accomplishment and I thought that was really cool.

Conference meet fast facts

Do you plan on continuing ultimate after high school? I’m going to join my college team, I’m going to Drake next year and they have a team that I plan on joining. What would you say to someone considering joining ultimate? Joining ultimate is the best decision I’ve ever made, it’s definitely been a highlight of high school and its my favorite sport I’ve ever joined, so if you’re even thinking about it, I promise you’ll love it. Brooklyn Donelson brooklyndonelson@slpecho.com

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“

10 OPINIONS

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

Echo

Editors-in-chief: *Mimi Fhima, *Dani Orloff & *Annabella Strathman Managing editors: *Alex Balfour, *Anna duSaire, Alec Pittman, & *Atticus Raasch Web editors: Josh Halper & Marta Hill Photo editors: Malaika Bigirindavyi, Caroline Green, *Grace Farley & Adam Johnson Design editors: Devin Raynor & Sam St. Clair Copy editors: Yonit Krebs, Nicole Sanford, Hanna Schechter & Sophie Yarosh Video editors: Evelyn Nelson & Mara Zapata Social media editors: Yonah Davis, Avia KanerRoth & Bre Thompson Assistant copy editors: Jenna Cook, Abby Intveld & Emma Yarger Assistant design editors: Creston Halstead & Brooklyn Donelson Infographic editor: Katie Hardie & Isabel Kjaer News editor: Sumaya Mohamed Features editors: Amaia Barajas & *Ruby Stillman In-Depth editors: Emma Kempf & Isabel Leviton Sports editors: Sam Birnberg & Jacob Stillman Opinions editors: *Hannah Leff & *Lukas Levin Entertainment editor: *Isaac Wert Proﬁles editors: *Ndunzi Kunsunga & Maddie Lund Staﬀ: Aisha Abdi, Amira Ali, Muna Ali, Tjessa Arradondo, Kiyonna Brooks, David Bryant, Culver Carden, Noah Deetz, Nietzsche Deuel, Sofia Geretz, Tenzin Gyaldatsang,

If we ignore (racism) and pretend it’s not a problem we will never be able to overcome it. Maddie Schutte, freshman

Our Perspective

Panel promotes needed conversation

embers of Students Organized for Anti-Racism recently had a panel designed to respond to anonymous student questions about race. For a little more than an hour, the panel of Students Organized for Anti-Racism (SOAR) members answered questions anonymously submitted without any form of censorship. These questions ranged anywhere from “Why can’t I touch a black girls hair” to “Can Mexicans say the N-word?” The editorial staff encourages further events discussing race. Open, honest and uncensored discussions on race are necessary, yet undeniably rare, and a continuation of this panel should be welcomed and appreciated. If possible such conversations and opportunities should be made annual so in future years students and faculty can remember the messages and insights gained. In addition, the school should do everything it can to ensure such conversations are positively supported and received. These discussions are imperative not only

Photo Grace Farley

Speak out: Senior Rahma Farah answers a question during Students Organized for Anti-Racism’s uncensored race panel May 22 in C350. For those who missed the meeting, an unedited, full version is available at slpecho.com. for students, but also the school itself and the St. Louis Park community. A safe space to have unabashed and uncomfortable conversations is important to sharing harsh and honest truths and opinions. These are the type of courageous conversations our school encourages students to have. Students should also be encouraged and supported by the administration. With administrative support student-run panels such as these can continue to thrive.

These experiences must not be forgotten the day after because the chance to get an honest look at the the lives of others does not come often. To ensure this, the school should look to include similar panels during the day next year. Students and staff who attended the panel should allow what they learned to positively affect how they empathize with other students of different origins, even if the situations and conversations brought up are unsettling or difficult.

Ella Hammerstrand, Fahmo Jama, Claire Kaiserman, Samantha Klepfer, Sophie Olmen, William Phelan, Carissa Prestholdt, Hadeal Rizeq, Sofia Seewald, Isaac Wahl & Hayley Westwood Business manager: *Eli Curran-Moore Principal: Scott Meyers Printer: ECM Inc. Adviser: Lori Keekley! *Denotes editorial board member

MEDIA POLICIES The Echo is the official student-produced newspaper of St. Louis Park Senior High School. It is published triweekly for the school’s students, staff and community. The Echo is a designated forum for student expression in which students make all decisions of content without prior review from school officials. The adviser will not act as a censor, but will advise students. Students have the final decision on all content. The Echo will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. We will strive to make our coverage and content meaningful and interesting to all our readers. We will make every effort to avoid printing libel, obscenities, innuendo and material that threatens to disrupt the learning process or is an invasion of privacy. We will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph unless clearly labeled as a photo illustration. Staff editorials represent the opinion of the editorial board arrived at by discussion and will not be bylined. Bylined articles are the opinion of the individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Echo staff or administration as a whole. The Echo welcomes reader input. Letters to the editor and suggestions must be signed and should be no longer than 250 words and may be emailed to slpecho@gmail.com or submitted in room C275. Emailed letters must be verified prior to publication. We will not necessarily publish all letters received and reserve the right to ask the writer to edit for length and clarity. Anonymous letters wherein the Echo does not know the identity of the writer will not be printed. Advertisements will be sought from local businesses and school clubs and sports. We maintain the right to reject any ads we believe to be false, misleading, inappropriate or harmful. The Echo does not necessarily endorse the products or services offered in these advertisements.

NSPA All-American and Hall of Fame member; 2011, 2016, 2017 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist; 2013, 2014, 2015 National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Online Pacemaker Finalist; CSPA Gold Medalist; 2017 CSPA Hybrid Crown Finalist; 2013 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All-State.

Clothing policies disproportionately affect students Outdated system targets females Abby Intveld abbyintveld@slpecho.com

s I walked into the school building like I do every morning, it didn’t even cross my mind that my shorts could offend anyone, let alone violate a school policy. When I was stopped in the hallway and told I was not dressed accordingly and should change, I was mortified. According to the high school handbook, students whose hemline doesn’t extend to mid-thigh are in violation of the appropriate dress policy. Other violations include the exposure of cleavage, midriff and undergarments such as bra straps. These are all clothing limitations that apply more so to the female demographic. In one Staten Island school, 200 dress code violations were reported with roughly 180 students — 90 percent — being female, according to the New York Post. It is unjust and inequitable for schools to clearly target females in their dress policies. Dress code policies are an unacceptable form of objectification in which the female body and shape is shamed. Young girls are hypersexualized when

they’re told their legs and shoulders are distractions. Although I was not sent home nor formally reprimanded in my experience, this is not always the case for female students at other schools. In an Education Partnerships, Inc. research brief, it was concluded sending students home or placing them in isolation because of dress code violations negatively affects their school performance. This is especially concerning when females are the majority of students facing these consequences and being denied an education. Likewise, gender nonconforming or transgender students are more often affected by dress codes compared to cisgender students. According to a GLSEN study, 32 percent of the transgender students surveyed had been prevented from wearing clothes that differed from their legal sex. This is problematic because restricting a student’s expression through clothing invalidates their identity. The intended purpose of appropriate dress clauses is to increase safety and comfort within schools, but sadly, this is not the reality. Dress code policies create an unacceptable environment for female and LGBT students where they feel their safety and expression is in danger.

To Mann closing: Will the surgery be as cheap as the movies?

Major dress code rules

To dress codes: Are my socks and sandals OK?

Tank top straps must be one inch wide.

Midriﬀ cannot be visible.

Clothing must extend to midthigh.

Shoes must be worn. Infographic Marta Hill Source Student Handbook

To the senior class: Hopefully you all felt the V18E.

Art Devin Raynor

L.L., H.L, A.R.

“

I think Boy Scouts should let girls join because then they can have diﬀerent views on things. People shouldn’t speak for people who are diﬀerent than them.

OPINIONS

Jada Witherspoon, junior

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

Gun violence prevention movement proves reactionary Students, protesters need to continue the ﬁght Avia Kaner-Roth aviakanerroth@slpecho.com

fter a major mass shooting like Santa Fe, Parkland or Las Vegas we all see the hashtags, the trends on Twitter. We see the marches, we see the politicians sending their “thoughts and prayers.” Though our attention spans have expanded slightly, the question remains: Can the gun violence prevention movement prove to be more than simply reactionary? The normalized nature of violence and death in our country has numbed us all and separated us so fully from the issue that until we feel a genuine personal connection to the dead we aren’t called to action. The recent Parkland massacre was especially motivating because the Florida students pushed to stay in the public eye, something not ever seen to the same extent. But in the three months since the Parkland massacre, despite our marches, our walkouts, our moments of silence, our angry Facebook posts, our Instagram stories, what has

Photo Grace Farley

Taking a stand: Senior Avia Kaner-Roth, juniors Yonah Davis and Eva Goldfarb lead students out of the high school during the “#Enough” national school walkout March 14. Students marched to St. Louis Park Fire Station 1. come of it? What have we done that will cause tangible change for our future? For the next Santa Fe, for our next wave of child victims? According to the Census website, the rate of voting in our age group, 18-29 year olds, is only 46.1 percent. Without voting, we can no longer pretend that our social media posts and rantings are doing much more than simply feeding into this “feel-good activism” culture we’re stuck in. While education and awareness is a vital piece of any campaign, to educate without action leads to a lot of angry citizens with no tangible movement.

There’s an attitude that is spread after a mass shooting, after others are shot in their own homes, in the street, in a church, that to politicize the death is cold and unthinking. This attitude is a manifestation of the larger problem. To ignore the implications, and to treat the symptoms instead of the actual problem is cold and unthinking. To leave the preventable future deaths of thousands each year to the whims of a political system that is influenced only by the bribery of corporations solely motivated by profit is irresponsible and immoral. We need to prove as a movement we have the momentum, the stamina to make change.

Boy Scouts makes reform, moves to include female participants Boy Scouts of America announced in October of 2017 that they would begin to include girls into their program. By February of 2019, the organization will drop ‘boy’ from the title and become Scouts BSA.

Survival skills should not be just for boys Girls able to disrupt the norm Nietzsche Deuel Nietzschedeuel@slpecho.com

oy Scouts teaches more survival skills than Girl Scouts, but why should girls have a harder time learning survival skills than boys? It’s time to move past restrictions and allow girls into the Boy Scouts. According to the Girl Scouts of Western Washington Guide, the survival skills girls are taught are simple first aid and fire etiquette. However, according to Off The Grid News, Boy Scouts teach a wider variety of skills that are far more useful in emergencies, such as finding food and water. In 2017 the Boy Scouts allowed for openly gay members and transgender boys to join the Boy Scouts. This shows the movement’s commitment to a more

PARK TRAIL

inclusive organization. By allowing girls into the Boy Scouts, traditional gender roles will be broken. The adventurous spirit the girls could develop also could lead to girls joining other male dominated fields. Increasing the gender diversity of fields like S.T.E.M. is essential to finding the next breakthrough, but girls may not have the courage to enter these fields if they don’t have experience participating in other male-heavy activities. Other regions, like Scandinavia, have already merged their scouting organizations showing how a wide-spread merge will not an issue. According to the Education Week, coed environments are beneficial for classroom learning. The same logic should apply to outdoor learning. Boy Scouts gives girls the opportunities to experience extensive outdoor learning.

Boy Scouts should uphold tradition What programs are now coed?

Girls’ program should update Tenzin Gyaldatsang tenzingyaldatsang@slpecho.com

B Not coed progams • •

Cub Scouting Boy Scouting

Coed programs • • •

Venturing Sea Scouting Exploring Infographic Nietzsche Deuel Source Boy Scouts of America

oy Scouts should not allow girls to join because Boy Scouts is a place where boys can hang out and learn survival skills. If girls are unhappy with Girl Scouts they should strive to fix their program. According to the Girl Scouts of Western Washington Guide, Girl Scouts are taught survival skills, just not to the extent of Boy Scouts. If girls want to learn more survival skills, they should work to integrate that into their own program instead of hopping ship and joining Boy Scouts. Rules should not change because one group of people are not satisfied.

According to BBC, the Mormon church has already severed ties with the Boy Scouts because of this rule change. The nearly 105-year partnership has ended because Boy Scouts now allows girls to join. Changing the program just because a group of people is not happy is shortsighted. Boy Scouts has been an organization for nearly 108 years, while Girl Scouts has existed for nearly 106 years. The two should remain separate. Even some Girl Scouts don’t believe girls will be a good fit in Boy Scouts. Family engagement officer for Girl Scouts, Andrea Archibald, has said to media she believes Boys Scouts has no appeal for girls. Girls should not be allowed to join Boy Scouts because it was structured for boys specifically. Girls should reform their own before they try to reform others.

Nietzsche Deuel nietzschedeuel@slpecho.com

As you’re folding laundry, you notice three unmatched socks. Check your skills to see if you can ﬁnd the matching pairs.

I will roll to throw away the socks.

“

12 ENTERTAINMENT

Echo Friday, June 1, 2018

(Summer music) puts you back in the mindset of having fun with friends and chilling under the sun. Shoshana Altman, senior

Summer anthems making waves Artists compete for 2018’s ‘Song of the Summer’ Isaac Wert isaacwert@slpecho.com

“D

espacito” — every pool party, beach day and road trip of summer 2017, all soundtracked by one song. Each summer, a collection of upbeat, energetic releases from our favorite artists skyrocket

up the charts, but there’s always one particular track that dominates airwaves, unoﬃcially crowned the “Song of the Summer.” While there’s no way of knowing which song will ultimately reign supreme, artists are gearing up for the chart battle with their latest releases, staking their claims to the coveted throne.

“Nice For What”

Fair use from OVO Sound

“Sangria Wine”

by Drake

by Camila Cabello, Pharrell Williams

Had someone told me one year ago that Drake would release a bounce-inspired anthem that sampled both Lauryn Hill and Big Freedia, I would never have believed them. Drake’s single “Nice For What” explores new sounds while still feeling like a Drake record . The song, which topped Billboard’s Hot 100 for four weeks, is already considered a hit by most metrics. But, with its infectious sample and creative production, “Nice For What” may have the legs to secure the “Song of the Summer” throne.

Riding the success of her breakout single, “Havana,” Camila Cabello reunites with producer Pharrell Williams for another Latin-influenced hit, “Sangria Wine.” The record starts with blaring horns right out the gate before launching into a funky Caribbean beat. Williams and Cabello perfectly compliment each other, splitting the verses but uniting for the infectious chorus. A refreshing take on the typical summer anthem, “Sangria Wine” is designed for good weather and will no doubt rule the airwaves for months to come.

Fair use from Columbia Records

“Ball For Me”

“I Like It”

Austin Post, otherwise known as Post Malone, is exceptionally talented when it comes to writing melodies, and his latest single “Ball For Me” is no exception. Within one minute of pressing play, “Ball For Me” immediately felt like a long-time favorite song, with its euphoric chorus, creative lyrics and signature Nicki Minaj rap. Precisely on trend and instantly catchy, “Ball For Me” is a suitable addition to summer playlists. Given Post’s popularity this past year, “Ball for Me” is a clear contender for 2018’s “Song of the Summer.”

Despite being released this past April, “I Like It,” by Cardi B, also known as Belcalis Almanzar, is the quintessential summer jam. Featuring Latin megastars Bad Bunny and J. Balvin, the track samples Pete Rodriguez’s “I Like It Like That,” effectively infusing contemporary hip-hop with Boogaloo influences, which originated from Almanzar’s hometown of New York City. “I Like It” boasts a monstrous hook, constructed around the Rodriguez sample with an irresistible call and response chorus perfect for beach parties in Miami.

by Post Malone, featuring Nicki Minaj

Fair use from Republic Records

METRO AT A GLANCE Isaac Wert isaacwert@slpecho.com

Photos used with permission from Van Styles, Netﬂix, Xcel Energy Center, Xcel Energy Center

by Cardi B, featuring Bad Bunny, J Balvin

Fair use from Atlantic Records

May 27

June 3

July 1

August 1

The annual hip hop festival “Soundset” will take place at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, featuring artists such as Logic and Migos. Tickets start at $86.

This June, Fox-turned-Netflix comedy “Arrested Development” unveils its fifth season, in which the Bluth family winds up involved in a murder-mystery.

Harry Styles takes the stage this July on his solo tour, joined by singer Kacey Musgraves. Tickets to see the “Sign of the Times” artist start at $24.

Drake’s “Aubrey & The Three Amigos” tour hits Minneapolis this August, promoting Drake’s upcoming album “Scorpion.” Tickets for the show start at $82.