Issue 5, Jan. 20 by SLP Echo

Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 Volume 95 Issue 5 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

WHAT’S INSIDE?

PAGE 12

PAGE 8-9

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

ECHO

Editors

NOTE Dear reader,

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We know this isn’t normally how we start off our letter, but as you'll read in this issue, these aren't normal times. With the looming threat of COVID-19 rapidly spreading through our community, there is an abundance of uncertainty in every aspect of our lives. With this being considered, we are tremendously proud to present our fifth print issue of the school year, and our first of 2022. This issue represents the unyielding persistence of our staff, fellow students, teachers and the rest of the community we are so proud to provide coverage for. First and foremost, our staff have worked day in and day out, especially in our sports coverage, to deliver the highest quality content we can be. While we acknowledge we aren’t perfect, we guarantee that we will strive to represent the student voice of Park to the best of our ability. We promise to listen with open ears and open minds to criticism from our community so we can keep growing as our community grows, both in size and maturity. We want to thank our Park community for giving us this chance to continue to grow and learn in pursuit of providing the most complete, objective and unbiased coverage we can. In this issue, we will cover the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and how the pandemic has impacted student learning. We will cover the absence of the talent show and new support systems for students. Our girls’ hockey and basketball teams will be featured in our sports pages, and our entertainment pages will review the latest Spider-Man movie. We hope you enjoy our latest issue and look forward to continuing to represent the student voices at Park.

Photo by Jacob Khabie

Park pride: Seniors Andrea Melear and Molly Schochet pose at the senior tailgate. The tailgate was Sept. 24.

Table of

CONTENTS

NEWS 3 COVID-19 update

FEATURES 6 Curtain closes on talent show

4 Empty desks, empty 7 minds

5 Realities of learning 8 In-Depth: Loss of taste, in quarantine smell, motivation

10 to be followed as new variant looms 11 Point counterpoint: New scrutiny

SPORTS

Awards: NSPA Hall of Fame member; 2011, 2016, 2017 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2020, 2021 National Print Pacemaker Award recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020 Online Pacemaker Finalist; 2013, 2015, 2016, 2020 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015, 2020 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All State Gold Award print and online.

Photo on cover: Henry Harper

OPINIONS

12 Foul on fans 13 Knighted: Basketball defeated by Benilde 14 Hockey falls to Armstrong

ENTERTAINMENT

Photo by Ayelet Prottas To the hoop: During a competitive game Jan. 14, senior Will Dvorak drives to the basket. Park lost to Benilde 77-60.

15 Review: ‘The Beatryce Prophecy’ takes reader on fun ride 16 Review: ‘Spider-Man: No way Home’ traps audience in its web

“

I see most people wearing masks, but there are still quite a few exceptions.”

ECHO

News Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

Josh Madigan, junior

COVID-19 protocol updates COVID-19 at Park by the numbers

New quarantine procedures

Tests positive

• • •

toms Fever-free for at least 24 hours

Students with positive COVID-19 cases at the high school

157

symptoms

Start with a 10-day quarantine

Tests negative

• •

Students with positive COVID cases in the district

No present symptoms since quarantine Not living with someone who has COVID-19

Students entering quarantine at the high school

and an end such as at school or a sporting activity)

Students entering quarantine in the district

127

•

Students with positive COVID-19 cases at the high school

202

Students with positive COVID cases in the district

Students entering quarantine at the high school

204

Students entering quarantine in the district

Different types of masks and their effectiveness

Disposable Pros Easy to obtain Disposable Cons borne droplets containing the virus to enter Non adjustable Only made for one time use DESIGN BY Char Priadka

Cloth Pros Easy to get Comfortable Reusable Easily adjustable Cons Too thin fabric may not virus

KN95 Pros Filters up to 95% of particles Available to public Cons Less comfortable Less breathable More expensive

N95 Pros Creates a seal on face Cons Prioritized for healthcare workers Not designed for children and people with facial hair Char Priadka, Molly Schochet

NEWS Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

“

ECHO

A lot of it is up to the students — getting enough sleep or just wanting to go to class. I can't really think of what the school could do."

Jacob Nelson, senior

WEB PREVIEW

File photo by Jayde Claussen

DECA fundraisers assist community When he started his DECA project in partnership with The Block restaurant, freshman Micah Schonberger said he only had one goal in mind.

Empty desks, empty minds Student absences impact classes Sophia Curran-Moore

Photo by Jacob Perszyk

Quiz Bowl builds community When Quiz Bowl coach Peter Dangerfield first became a teacher at Park seven years ago, the club became an opportunity to connect with students while engaging in a passion.

File photo by Kaia Myers

Distance learning looms Due to the drastic increase in student and staff absences following winter break, Superintendent Astein Osei said distance learning has become a potential option. Although, for now Osei said the next steps will be implementing mitigation strategies.

ccording to sophomore Madeline Anklam, the abundance of student absences is impossible to ignore. She said student absences result in less enthusiasm and participation in classes. “I’m missing classmates, and I’m missing friends. That’s not fun,” Anklam said. “It’s made class a little less lively. It’s lonely sometimes.” According to assistant principal Jessica Busse, students are expected to be in class during instructional time. Students in the hallway during class time without a pass will be escorted to their class. Busse said these expectations are being reaffirmed because many students are misusing passes to skip class, and absences are increasing. “Because we have some abuse of passes, there’s been some reclarification of bathroom passes, and of passes in general, but no policies are new,” Busse said. Although some absences are inevitable, psychology teacher Gregory Goddard

Photo by Zoe Ziessman Teach: English teacher Chris Nordmark takes attendance Jan. 5. Attendance in classes has decreased due to COVID-19 and lack of motivation.

“It’s your own job to go to class because you're responsible for your own education.”

Nora Jeftenic, senior said it’s crucial for students to attend class as much as possible to interact with their peers. “Absences happen, and there’s legitimate reasons for that, especially in the midst of a global pandemic,” Goddard said. “However, it’s important for students to attend, when possible. It’s important that they get to know other people, and different perspectives, in person.” Senior Nora Jeftenic said she is frustrated her classes are moving slowly due to increased student absences. “If there’s a lot of people gone, the

teacher cannot continue stuff we did in class, so we’re moving on slower,” Jeftenic said. According to Anklam, when she has to miss a class, it’s difficult to compensate for the lost class time. “The stuff that they give you to make up for what you missed doesn’t match the depth of the instruction and material that they gave you in class,” Anklam said. Goddard said when students consistently attend class, they gain a better understanding of the subject matter. “It’s really important that you’re there to see the demonstrations, get an opportunity to ask and answer questions, and dig deeper into the material,” Goddard said. According to Jeftenic, a system in which unexcused absences directly affect grades may motivate students to attend class more regularly. “If you skip too many classes, your grade should go down, because if nothing really happens, then students will continue to not show up,” Jeftenic said. “It’s your own job to go to class because you’re responsible for your own education.”

Attendance and absence policies •

Attendance forms to excuse student absences

•

Six full-day unexcused absences: students and

•

Nine full-day unexcused absences: students a day-to-day check in contract

• For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

Parent Meeting (PGM)

be unenrolled from schools' enrollement Infographic by Char Priadka Source Student Handbook

DESIGN BY

Andrea Melear, Char Priadka

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(When I was in quarantine), I contacted some of my teachers, and some of them had good responses while others didn't listen as much.”

ECHO

Sela Myers, freshman

Realities of learning in quarantine Keeping up behind screens

taying on top of school work is hard enough when in person, according to sophomore Thomas Shope. Being in quarantine has made it even harder for him to be organized and productive. “It’s kind of hard to figure out what work you need to do, and it’s just difficult to get motivation because you're not working with any other students. You are just working alone in your room,” Shope said. With COVID-19 numbers continually growing nationwide and more students needing to go into quarantine, assistant principal Jessica Busse said administration is asking teachers to use Schoology to keep quarantined students up-to-date on their work. “We’ve asked teachers to put three to five posts of what’s going on or a weekly post so that students are aware of what is happening,” Busse said. While she greatly appreciates her teachers efforts in helping her stay caught up, senior Sophia Romero said she has struggled to stay on top of her work solely using Schoology while in quarantine. “It doesn’t say like, ‘oh, this is your assignment for this date.’ It just has a title so, how am I supposed to know if I’m supposed to do that or not,” Romero said. “Also, currently in two of my classes I’m supposed to be reading a book that I don’t have.” Even though math teacher Bobby Otto takes the time to individually email each of his quarantined students to keep them up-to-date, he said he recognizes that learning off Schoology and learning in person are not the same. “It’s very difficult to stay up-todate with your work when you’re not in person because you’re not getting the actual instruction every single day,” Otto said. “A diligent student that is really on top of their stuff can stay up-to-date, but I realize that that can be very challenging when you have seven or six other classes to do as well. Andrea Melear, Char Priadka

Q&A with Susanne Otos on masking Nurse encourages proper mask wearing

Molly Schochet

DESIGN BY

NEWS Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

What are ways you think we could keep the masks effective in school? We definitely should keep on wearing them and making sure that we are wearing them properly, like with it over our nose and mouth, and that it’s not too loose around the sides. Just to constantly remind each other to wear your masks. What are things you do to remind yourself to wear your masks all day long? Photo illustration by Michael Hoikka Work from home: Freshman Trey Janssen completes his assignments from home. Students in quarantine are expected to complete schoolwork by looking at Schoology.

“In terms of keeping up with my schoolwork, I haven’t done a good job really because I haven’t had the energy to do so.”

I think in the back of my head about safety, because that is the number one priority. What type of masks do you recommend people to wear? Sophia Romero, senior

Another added layer of difficulty for Romero, who was diagnosed with COVID-19, has struggled with feeling well enough to even start to look at her assignments. “I was pretty symptomatic up until last Thursday, and so I wasn’t really able to reach out to many teachers to tell them what was going on,” Romero said. “But in terms of keeping up with my schoolwork, I haven’t done a good job really because I haven’t had the energy to do so.” Because of the wide range of symptoms students are feeling from COVID-19, Busse said it can be hard to make sure all students are working in quarantine. “There is a range of people who are out. There are people who are quarantining and feeling fine and then there’s the people who are sick and not feeling fine and not staying up on their work because they don’t feel

I don’t really have to remind myself anymore because we have been wearing them for a long time now, but whenever I hear someone cough I just do a double check to see if my mask is on properly.

good,” Busse said. Some teachers are more understanding and willing to adapt requirements for sick students than others, Shope said. “(There are) definitely multiple teachers who have been like, ‘oh, yeah, here’s the work you can do. But if you aren’t feeling well enough, it’s fine, you don’t have to do it and we can figure something else out,’” Shope said. Due to not being able to keep up in her classes, Romero said she is glad students will once again have the option to take a class pass/fail instead of receiving a letter grade. “I reached out to the teachers that I don’t have the best grade, because I’m going to be so behind. Like, let’s talk about putting a P grade in there,” Romero said. If you are feeling any COVID-19 symptoms rapid tests are available to pick up in the nurse’s office for free.

Definitely tight-fitted masks, the N95, KN95 or even disposable masks doubled up with cloth masks work just as fine. Those are the ones that I would recommend people to be wearing. How do you think we can hold others accountable with masking in school? Just reminding people and being that constant reminder to wear the masks. We should work together to all be an example for each other, just like a visual example of what we are all trying to reduce the spread of. Do you think masks are helping with the attempt to stop the rising cases? If you look at the statistics of masks wearing, it shows at times when there was a mask mandate, cases were at a low. When we weren’t wearing (masks) often, the COVID(-19) cases were higher, so I think mask wearing is helping a lot.

Jordyn Deschamps

FEATURES Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

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ECHO

WHAT'S THE POINT?

Ivan Zank, freshman

Curtain closes on talent show

College rejection leads way to healing Jacob Khabie hen I got rejected from my dream college, I immediately started blaming myself. All I could think was “what did I do wrong?” and “what could I have done better” and “why wasn’t I good enough?” I let these self-destructive thoughts consume me far longer than I should have. It is no secret that the college application process is incredibly toxic. Students are pitted against their peers in order to “earn” spots at prestigious institutions. The effects of this convoluted lottery can change lives. Acceptances boost egos and senses of self — rejections destroy them. Feeling incredibly lost after the rejection, I forced myself to start working on other college essays. After all, I had to go to college somewhere, right? I forged on with the chore of writing thousands of words in WHAT'S THE supplemental essays, POINT? each one serving as a harsh reminder of the fact that I didn’t brings get in somewhere rediscovery else. of self As I was finishing my applications, I decided to look over the 13 essays and short answer prompts I completed. In reading them, I realized something incredibly essential. In each of these essays, I saw a teenager with a knack for political volunteering. I saw a stage manager who cares very deeply for his theater program. I saw a Jewish person who is unafraid to show his identity. Most importantly, I saw myself. College rejection had led me to lose my sense of self. I did exactly what my college admissions officers did to me — I saw myself as just a profile, just an application, just a number. I lost sight of who I really was. However, by getting the chance to reflect on my life, I was able to unintentionally build a mosaic showing the aspects of my identity that I love the most. I still have no clue where I’m going to college. Most colleges haven’t responded to me, and I don’t expect results from anywhere until late March of this year. However, I know that regardless of what happens, there are still so many things about myself that hold true. I still am incredibly proud of the work I have done for my community. I still use integrity and honesty in my day-to-day decisions. No matter what a college admissions officer thinks, I am still me.

I think it’s good (the talent show has been canceled) if it means people won’t get sick, but it sucks because it probably would have been fun.”

Hopes remain for another talent show in the future Colin Canaday

riginally set to occur mid-January, Park’s talent show has been canceled due to a lack of auditions. According to one of the event organizers, freshman Nahilii Ahmed, the show was planned as a DECA project. “I tried to promote it as best as I could, but with teenagers these days, it’s kind of hard to get attention around stuff like this,” Ahmed said. “Not enough people auditioned for it, which is why we canceled it. My teacher and I kept extending audition dates and such, but it just didn’t work.” Ahmed said the idea initially started as a joke between the organizers, eventually sprouting into a viable idea. “At first, when (the) group and I got together, we were thinking of things to do and were joking around about doing a big talent show, but as we kept thinking, that was (the) only thing that really stuck out,” Ahmed said. According to DECA teacher Abby Lugo, the goal of the talent show was to gather money for DECA through admission fees, with that goal changing as the project evolved. Eventually, the group understood that the community from a

Rock on: Students play at a Park talent show in 2016. This year's show, planned by DECA students, has been canceled due to low levels of interest. talent show was of far greater value than any potential profit. “Originally, we planned to charge money for people to get into the talent show, and we’d give the proceeds to DECA,” Lugo said. “As we talked and it was developing, we wanted to maintain that it was free for all students, and so we then planned to just charge outside guests and families. In that sense, we knew going in that it might not be very profitable, and not result in a huge donation for DECA, but the community-building and the fun that could be had from it would be worth it.” Reflecting on the cancellation, junior Lotus Deuel, a potential act, said they were surprised by the lack of auditions.

“

I had high hopes. I was really excited because I’ve never planned anything big like this before, I was bummed out when nobody auditioned.”

Nahili Ahmad, freshman

“In the email that they sent out about the cancellation, there were only two people it was addressed to, so I was like, ‘dang, nobody else cared’,” Deuel said. “I thought that there would be more than two people. There were posters and everybody saw them.” After putting in so much energy toward planning and marketing the event, Ahmed said she was disappointed with the turnout. “I had high hopes. I was really excited because I’ve never planned anything big like this before,” Ahmed said. “I was kind of bummed out when nobody auditioned. I was like ‘wow, I did all of this work for no auditions’.” Even with the cancellation, Lugo said the project can still be considered a success through the lessons learned by the students. “Even though the talent show is no longer going to run, the students still had to do a lot of things to lead up to that to have that result, so they’re still managing a project,” Lugo said. “Just because it didn’t result in what we intended it to do, doesn’t mean that they didn’t learn things along he way.” Although it didn’t work out this time, Ahmed said she would still be interested in attempting a talent show in the future. DESIGN BY Katie Nelson

“

I can work on my classwork and get my grades up. I can study with friends, not just by myself, it’s a very open space.”

ECHO

FEATURES Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

Andrew Deloney, freshman

Oriole nest

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Two seniors receive full-rides

Nest reopens to provide end-ofsemester assistance

Kathryn Haertzen Semona Robel What is QuestBridge and how does it work?

Harris Keekley After around a year of being closed, the Oriole Nest is now reopened for students to go hang out or study after school. According to The Nest coordinator, Kaelyn Dagon, the Nest will have similar COVID-19 restrictions to the high school. “At the Nest, it’s the same rules that apply here — making sure your mask is up, if you are eating a snack that you are six feet apart from other students and taking the same precautions that we do during the school day,” Dagon said. According to senior Julian Johnson, the timing for the reopening of the Oriole Nest is poor with the debate of where the next semester will take place. “The timing is a little unfortunate. There is a lot of debate as to whether school is going to stay in person or move to distance learning, heading into the Open Nest semester, but I recognize that Open Tuesdays reopening The Nest is some-Thursdays after thing they would have to plan school from 3-5 p.m. beforehand,” Johnson said. Able to sign up on Freshman Roberto Alvarez Student Support Time said he is excited for the reTransportation opening of the Nest and thinks available, for more the opening will provide more details contact a opportunity to the student supervisor of the Nest body. Source: Aaron Schloer “I think it’s beneficial. It

Photo by Henry Harper

Prepping: As he prepares for his presentation,senior Whitman Christopher studies in the Learning Lab after school Jan. 18. The Nest is a space available for all students to study and get after school help. gives students something to do outside of school; hang out, socialize and get the help they need to do well in school,” Alvarez said. Dagon said she believes the Nest is a great way to provide new opportunities to students and help them perform better in their classes by seeking aid. “The awesome part about the program is that it is open to everyone. Anyone can come in and get academic support, tutoring and reliable internet,” Dagon said. According to Johnson, he believes the Nest will help him with his AP classes and provide aid to the student body as a whole. “As someone who went to the Nest a lot before it closed, I think it will be very beneficial to me, especially with AP Psychology, and the student body because it’s a helpful place to study,” Johnson said. The Oriole Nest will be open to all students Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m.-5 p.m. after school for time to hang out, study and get additional assistance.

Kathryn (K): (QuestBridge) is for kids that are in a specific income bracket — about under 65k. Their goal is to help kids get into college when people don’t think it’s possible. For the process of it, there was an application that was due late September, to see if I was a finalist or not, and then there was a whole different process to get matched to a specific school. Semona (S): QuestBridge is a nonprofit organization that strives to send low income students to elite universities and fund that. I received the National College Match Scholarship, which means that I was given a full-ride to Yale, which was really exciting. How did QuestBridge assist you in your application process? K: They had QuestCast, which were basically little Zooms that we could go on — I didn’t end up partaking in that but I (liked knowing) that those options were available. They were also really helpful through email. S: I applied to the QuestBridge College Prep Scholars program in my junior year. That really helped me get an idea of what the QuestBridge scholarship application would look like. But I also was able to gain friends along the way who also participated in QuestBridge.

K: I heard about my sophomore year from my advisory teacher. S: A friend of mine received a scholarship to Yale, which was super exciting considering that he grew up with me. That motivated me to apply to the program my junior year and then also apply to Yale through the scholarship. Then I also received the scholarship. It’s cool that we both got it. What was your reaction when you found out you got in?

Elena Ortiz-Fishman fter its production of “Anne of Green Gables,” the theater program received a surprising announcement. Excited by the news, senior Dayanara Mora Zengel said she felt honored to receive the Spotlight honor. “I was always very discouraged to go for larger roles, mostly because I didn’t really see myself in those,” Mora Zengel said. “Not only being chosen to perform as a lead, but also to get this award was huge for me. It really made me think highly of myself.” Spotlight supports high school

Photo by Zoe Ziessman Action: Seniors Caroline Butler and Louise Marshall, and juniors Gwen Rocker-Gladen and Abby Baudhin rehearse for the Winter One Act “These Shining Lives.” The show ran from Jan. 14-16.

Theater awarded Spotlight honors ‘Anne of Green Gables’ recognized for exemplary production DESIGN BY Maren Wilsey

theater programs within Minnesota, by sending experts to watch productions and give out feedback or awards. According to theater director Jodi Schifsky, it received individual and overall outstanding honors and honorable mentions — performers who are selected get to perform at a big showcase at the end of the year on the Orpheum stage. “They looked at all the different things that we were doing well, which is a great compliment, as far as the specific shout outs and honorable mentions,” Schifsky said. “It’s a great way to celebrate but also learn from other schools.”

K: It didn’t honestly feel real. I was really super shocked. It was my sixth period, and I was sitting in the Wub — our Echowan room. I didn’t expect to get matched or anything so it was really super exciting. S: I received the news that the decisions came out at the beginning of sixth hour. We had a sub in history, so I walked up to my friend and told him that the decisions were out. We left the class and went into C350 and opened the application together. That was a really special moment for me, and also learning that I not only received the scholarship but received it to Yale was super huge. What are you looking forward to now that you’ve gotten in? K: I’m super excited to go tour (the school). I had a meeting with an admissions rep already and they seemed super great, so I’m really excited. S: I’m excited to meet my future classmates, all of them are super accomplished individuals. But I’m also excited to just enjoy the rest of my senior year. Taking classes that I enjoy, participating in traditions and just enjoying my last year here. Maren Wilsey

IN-DEPTH Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

“

ECHO

and COVID there's just a lot of stress on in people's lives.

Elena Colaccaci, sophomore

Loss of taste, smell, motivation How the pandemic depleted determination from students Tobias Khabie Andrea Melear Mya Stanberry

In the past 18 months, COVID-19 has taken a lot from students: extracurriculars, in-person learning and social interactions, to name a few. of in-person learning, it seems the pandemic has taken something else – student motivation.

Motivation lost in the classrooms

n the midst of distance learning, senior Nolan Anderson said he felt he missed a large chunk of curriculum in his classes. Now, Anderson said he’s paying the price. “A lot of learning in classes builds off of one another, what you learn is based off of what you learned earlier,” Anderson said. “It was hard for me to focus and get my work done in quarantine, and I find myself having trouble now because I don’t know some of the stuff that we were supposed to learn.” Anderson said this is just one of many issues that have discouraged him from putting effort into school this year, and he isn’t alone. Math teacher Anson Opara said he has observed a lack of motivation among students this year, which can make his job more difficult. “Less students are able to complete assignments or even stay focused since they've come back (from distance learning),” Opara said. “It makes it extremely difficult because just trying to get kids to make an attempt at something, whether they do it correctly or not, is important — the failure part is part of the learning. But when people just won't do anything it

makes you feel like your hands are tied.” The dip in work ethic seems to be contagious according to freshman Anya Panday, as one student’s lack of motivation can rub off on other students. “When people around you are distracted and unengaged it creates an unproductive work environment,” Panday said. “When you see your classmates not working and see that they’re just fine it pulls you into that cycle too, and it’s easy to become distracted with them because it feels like it’s inconsequential.” Anderson said he has seen the same pattern of influencing each other to lose motivation, especially within groups of friends. “It kind of is (contagious) in the way that people like to hang out with each other when they're not doing anything,” Anderson said. “If one person’s not doing anything, then they’re going to hangout with other people so the other people aren’t going to want to do the work. It’s kind of like a domino effect. Guidance counselor Barb Nelson said this phenomenon has severely impacted the work

ethic of man a number of a number tha students fall into the grou “There’s a think they’re they’re able t that,” Nelson

What has ca

The lack o different fact provided stu at school, wh often than be “Students learning to in of independe make that ch ture imposed

How peers are handling stress Taking breaks Trying to make use of classtime Extra-curriculars Working out Communicating with teachers Making plans Thinking of the future Staying organized

Additional tips from professionals Make time to unwind Connect with others Take breaks from social media, watching TV Take time for yourself Take care of yourself

Source Instagram poll of 174 students, Centers For Disease Control and Prevention DESIGN BY Crystal Diaz

“

I feel like people have gotten to a point where they lost motivation and they come to school to hangout cause it's a place for them to talk to there friends.

ECHO

IN-DEPTH Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

Ashley Reyes-Castillo, sophomore

ny students. According to her, there are students who always do their work and at don’t. While normally a majority of in the middle, this year many are falling up that don’t often do their work. a middle group, who see (their peers) and e getting away with (not doing their work), to do that, and they’re easily swayed by n said.

Student voices

What are you doing to stay motivated toward the end of the semester? “I look at my grades and cry (to stay motivated). I also always try my best.”

aused the depletion?

of motivation can be explained by many tors, Nelson said. Distance learning udents with more freedom than they have hich has caused students to act out more efore the pandemic. s have transitioned from being in online n person mode after a year of having a lot ence,” Nelson said. “It’s hard for kids to hange when there hasn’t been that strucd on them.” Social studies teacher Scott Miller said in addition to the lack of independence

Isaiah Brown, freshman

“I think about my future and how I don’t want to let my friends down. I just want to be the best person I can be.”

compared to last year, students have also seen an uptick in workload from distance learning. “It seems like students aren’t quite as motivated. Last year was easier so people got out of the habit of the regular workload, but I think teachers also have adjusted and required less than they have in traditional years,” Miller said. Although he hasn’t directly experienced it, Miller said he is aware of the lack of matureness and social skills shown due to distance and hybrid learning for over a year. “I have not seen it in my own class, but I have heard other people talk about maturity and other teachers talk about kids maybe being a little bit behind developmentally because we’re locked in at home and not able to socialize,” Miller said. Nelson said she has observed the same immaturity from students, along with major drops in overall attendance in the school. “When you’re not engaged in your classes, you tend to not go. Attendance is the worst I’ve seen in a very long time,” Nelson said. “If you’re not engaged, you’re not compelled to go to class.”

Bringing back energy to the classroom Abby Baudhuin, junior

In attempts to encourage students to return to their pre-pandemic selves, Opara said he’s tried multiple tactics but to no avail.

“I’ve tried to ask students what they think they would need or what would help them be more motivated,” Opara said. “Tried to make things more accessible on Schoology and things like that. But (I’m) starting to run out of ideas, little tricks that we use, like trying to make jokes or do things in class doesn’t really work as well.” Anderson said he’s done the same, but as his grades show, he hasn’t found a method that works. “Honestly there hasn’t been much that’s worked for me,” Anderson said. “I just have to deal with it. My grades plummeted a lot.” Panday said she’s had a little more luck, using time management tools to keep her on track. “Try to block out time to work, especially if you have a lot of extracurriculars. I notice that I feel less stressed and burnt out when I get my work done at a set time instead of whenever I decide to sleep, which is often late,” Panday said. “I also feel like it prevents me from overworking myself by spending long hours obsessing over assignments.” As for teachers, Opara said he will keep trying new things and observing what works and what doesn’t in hopes to get students back on track. “I’d say it’s trial and error at this point. I’m interested to see if other people have had success, a lot of people in our school are trying different things,” Opara said. “I’m trying to look for an outside of the box approach, but I just don't know what that is.”

Physical symptoms of stress Achiness Feeling of racing heart Headaches Dizziness Jaw clenching Stomach aches Shaking Exhaustion Trouble sleeping

Emotional/mental symptoms of stress Anxiety Irritability Depression Panic attacks

Source Cleveland Clinic

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OPINIONS Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022 ECHO

WHAT’S THE POINT

Caroline Butler, senior

POINT COUNTERPOINT

Extra credit is extra help

Johanna Kaplan

chool is tough, and dealing with rigid grading only fuels the heavy load of stress. In my experience, teachers will assign a variety of required work. If a student doesn’t do well on one of the required assignments, their grade may suffer miserably. But that doesn’t have to be the case. Teachers can assign optional homework or “extra credit,” and students who do it will receive a boost to their grades. For students who want to raise their grades, extra credit offers the perfect opportunity to do so. These assignments enrich learning and provide a way to improve grades. From the perspective of a student, I don’t see any downsides. After all, these assignments are optional. What's the Teachers, meanPOINT? while, aren’t always Optional willing when it comes to handing out extra credit. In the past, I have had shoulders several who think these assignments are a sham. Why would a teacher spend time creating extra assignments when they already have required ones? For teachers, there is some element of trust that must be at play for extra credit assignments to be productive. If students skip out on the required work and opt to make up for it with extra credit, I can imagine a teacher might regret offering it at all. The intent of giving extra credit opportunities is to help students learn more and raise their grades while doing so. With that being said, even if extra credit is not always utilized in the way it’s meant to, it still helps limit stress on behalf of students. I have always appreciated when teachers offer these opportunities because it takes off some pressure. It also may signify if a teacher is really willing to further help students succeed. I bet just about every high schooler has been suffocated by schoolwork at one point or another. Instead of trying to combat this stress, it feels as if both students and teachers alike have settled into the fact that school is exhausting. This negative notion of high school — where students dread coming to their classes and being assigned hours of homework — has become normalized in American society. Piling on assignment after assignment slowly crushes students’ spirits. At times, it can feel like there is no way out. Extra credit, if even a small thing, makes school less daunting. Having that option is always beneficial for students.

Consistency is key Katie Nelson

hile in previous years, the last two days of the semester were scheduled as block days. This year, administration has decided to forgo that plan. Instead, Park will be keeping the normal seven-period routine for students to take final exams. While this does leave less time for tests during class, I believe that this schedule will be beneficial for students. In any situation, having a set routine is valuable. Students know what to expect and are used to an established system. Keeping the finals schedule the same as every other day brings a sense of normalcy. On a block day the routine is thrown out of balance, which adds extra stress and uncertainty. Additionally, the block scheduling doubles class time – something students are not used to. I become easily distracted and less focused the more time I spend in a class. The 45-minute time frame is a perfect amount for me to concentrate, but after that, I become less productive. Having shorter classes may also deter teachers from giving finals. Other nontest based finals could be another option, which are more creative and help show a true understanding. Having class on both days instead of just one provides options for teachers of when to give their final. I hope teachers will try their best to be flexible and accommodate the schedule to what best fits a student’s need. While I understand some may have multiple finals back to back, keeping the schedule consistent will help keep students focused.

PARKTRAIL

STUDENT VOICES Should the school return to block schedule

“I think that it makes a block schedule for ”

Hanna,

“I’m really glad their block scheduling, me out so it's kind of a relief.”

Aiden McDonald, senior

“I think (block schedmy tests.”

Luca Alvarez, junior

Time needed for testing Lily Nugteren

n past years, finals days have always had a block schedule in order to extend the amount of time students have to work on exams and projects. This allows teachers and students to have enough time to take exams and do projects while also keeping students from having all finals in one day. However, this year the administration has decided to stick to the normal seven-period schedule on those days. Although I understand the seven-period schedule is good for those who have several classes not holding finals, it takes away the time that is needed for the classes that do. In my experience, the block schedule is needed to ensure there’s enough time to complete my final exams before the next class. The extended class time also allows for students to work with teachers if they need extra help or need to catch up. Block schedules offer the benefit of having a limit to the amount of tests students can have in a day. The maximum number of tests possible in one school day is four. This not only helps students resist being burnt out part way through the day, but also allows students to be able to study for some tests one night, and some the next, rather than trying to cram all studying into one night. Although there are some benefits to the typical seven-period schedule on finals days, I feel the block scheduling is crucial to the overall mental health of the students.

Char Priadka

DESIGN BY Grace Stillman

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OPINIONS ECHO Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

to do."

Alyssa Johannes, freshman

WHAT’S THE POINT

STAFF ED

Photo illustration by Lauren Thon

Let's go team: Park students cheer on boys' basketball during their game Jan. 11 against Orono. Masks are currently required for all spectators at Park sports games that are indoors and in the building.

Guidelines to be followed around new variant Proper masking, quarantining necessary

ith the emergence of the Omicron variant, COVID-19 cases continue to rise throughout schools.

Currently, guidelines state masks must be worn at all times, positive cases should be should reported, and at a minimum, a five-day quarantine period is required after a positive test. Students who are exposed but fully vaccinated with no symptoms are not required to quarantine. While the Board believes these procedures can prevent the spread, students and teachers are not following them to the fullest extent. Issues exist with students and staff masking. There are disciplinary policies in place to try and keep students wearing masks, but these policies are not

enforced. It’s common to see students walking in the hallways with masks halfway or fully off. When asked to put on a mask, some are often defiant or only put them on for a brief amount of time. In addition, some staff do not fully mask and students have no way to regulate this. Students are supposed to be reporting positive tests so that the nursing staff can keep track of cases, but many students only tell their teachers. If students are not reporting, proper contact tracing cannot be enforced and the school has no way to track positive students. With the newly shortened 5-day quarantine, the need for proper guideline following is even more imperative. Although students may be vaccinated, not all are, and those who are immunocompromised are still at high risk. Omicron has been portrayed as less dangerous and infectious, but for immunocompromised individuals, any infection poses a massive health threat. People are still dying from COVID-19, and our prevention is crucial to saving lives. The Echo Editorial Board believes students and staff need to follow guidelines to keep everyone safe. This means masking at all times besides lunch, reporting positive tests, quarantining for the appropriate amount of time and holding people accountable. All students have responsibility to keep each other safe and The Board believes by being selfless and having compassion for others, we can fight the Omicron variant.

MEDIA POLICIES The publications are designated public forums for student expression in which students make all decisions of content without prior review from school officials or the public. The adviser will not act as a censor. Students have the final decision on all content. The only way to teach students to take responsibility for their decisions is to empower them to make decisions freely. Content represents views of the students and not school officials. The publications will work to avoid bias and/or favoritism. In order to strive for objectivity, journalists should avoid covering stories of which they are involved. Journalists should avoid a real or perceived conflict of interest as well. The publications will not shy away from

DESIGN BY Grace Stillman

covering newsworthy controversial issues of importance to students. Reporting in scholastic media that omits essential pieces of information because of review or restraint is an indirect form of fabrication. It destroys not only truth but credibility and reliability. The publications will avoid electronic manipulation that alters the truth of a photograph unless clearly labeled as a photo illustration. News publication 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 staff or administration as a whole. The publications welcome reader input. Letters must be signed and should be no

longer than 250 words and may be e-mailed to slpecho@gmail.com or submitted in room C275. In the event of an error being reported by readers or noticed by staffers, editorial staff should first check to see if the information is erroneous. If editors deem the material to be incorrect, online content will reflect the correction and then if printed, a correction will appear in the next edition. In regard to material appearing on the websites, nothing will be taken down unless it’s proven factually false or otherwise legally deficient as of the time it was published. Advertisements will be sought from local businesses, school clubs, and sports.

AP Euro integral to curriculum

Tenzin Gyaldatsang

ecently, talks of removing Advanced Placement (AP) European History, an AP course and a history course offered, have been circulating. Although no decision has been made yet, I believe AP European History shouldn’t be removed from the curriculum. AP European History is a class that assisted in my growth as a student. The course allowed me to hone imperative skills learned in previous courses, like time management and specific study habits. The course also follows the school’s mission statement, as, throughout the course, students are reminded of the wrongdoings that minority groups faced throughout history. Speaking from my experiences as a person of color, What's the the course doesn’t turn a blind eye to these POINT? mistakes and ensures Course is students are racially a unique, conscious and unone-ofderstand the impact akind colonization had on the experience entire world. During the course, I learned a lot about the history of Europe and how it connects to the rest of the world. Although the actions taken by groups like the conquistadors were undeniably wrong, it is still important to learn what events took place to improve future generations. Nonetheless, I learned a lot about European history and now have a good base from which I can reference from. Despite the media attention concerning the course’s heavily Eurocentric-based topics, it is a given that the courses will be heavily based on European history, hence the name. Concerning difficult topics like colonization and genocide, history is history, and although we can’t change what happened, we can always learn from our mistakes to create a better future. To combat the Eurocentrism issue, there are other AP classes, like AP World History, that provide a more broad range of information from different areas of the world. For students who enjoy European history, they shouldn’t be barred from the course. Also, the course isn’t mandatory, and is only one of a variety of courses that students can choose from. The course also covers a large amount of recent history that is integral in understanding the current political climate of the world — Events like the World Wars and the Cold War. AP European History has been a class I enjoyed, and future students shouldn’t be prohibited from participating.

SPORTS Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

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ECHO

It should be a choice (to wear masks). If the school makes us do it for basketball games, we should do it. Outdoors and at the Rec Center, we can do all we want there unless there's the mask mandate there."

Andrew Yakes, junior

OUT OF THE PARK Sports are crucial during adverse circumstances

Hands up: Fans put their hands in the air to give good luck to a Park basketball player shooting free throws Jan. 14. Masks are required inside Park's gym despite only partial compliance from fans.

Maren Wilsey

’ve been a very active person my entire life. As long as I can remember, I’ve been involved with some kind of sport. Through the many ups and downs of life, sports was one of the few constants I had. As redundant as it may be to say sports became a lifeline during the pandemic, it doesn’t change the truth of the statement. By December 2020, I was in a very bad place mentally. Over the summer, I was able to spend plenty of time outside and see friends in a safe way outdoors. In the fall, despite doing school fully-online, I was able to play soccer and use that as a way to exercise and socialize. Then, we found out winter sports had been postponed indefinitely. As the temperature dropped and the number of cases rose, things weren’t looking good. I’ve always been a pretty optimistic person, but with all aspects combined, I was having a hard time finding any sort of hope What’s the to cling to. I didn’t realize it then, POINT? but the early snow we Sports are had would end up being critical for my saving grace those few months. Convinced well being we would be able to start the official Nordic season at any point, I threw myself into training. The one thing I could look forward to was the feeling of the icy morning air on my face as the sun rose over the city skyline. Out on the snow, I was able to forget the insanity of the world around me. By this point in time, I barely spoke to any of my friends anymore. Occasionally I would see someone out skiing, but it had been long since I had any motivation to reach out to people. When we got the news that we would be allowed to begin Nordic practices mid-January, the idea of seeing so many people I hadn’t spoken to in months scared me. That feeling didn’t last very long, though. On the first day, participating in such a normal activity after so many months of abnormality was really fun. Everyone was so happy to see each other, and it was clear I wasn’t the only one who had been needing it. As the only form of social interaction available for many at the time, sports became a bit of a safe haven. It became an escape from the monotonous repetition of distance learning and isolation. My mental health began to improve rapidly, and while things weren’t even close to normal, they were starting to feel a lot more hopeful.

Photo by Ayelet Prottas

Foul on Fans COVID-19 spike prompts spectator safety concerns Johanna Kaplan Crystal Diaz

espite a recent rise in COVID-19 cases, sporting events, particularly boys’ hockey and boys’ basketball, attract lots of fans. Because of this, senior Sophia Romero said she feels wearing masks is a wise decision for spectators. “In the last couple of weeks, a lot of people from our school have gotten COVID,” Romero said. “(It feels like) a word of warning that maybe we should be, if not social distancing, then at least wearing masks at games.” When it comes to wearing masks, mandates vary for spectators depending

Mask guidelines Rec Center

Masking policies determined by City of St. Louis Park No current mask requirements in place

Park Gym

Masking policies determined by school Masks required for all attendees

on which building they are in, according to athletic director Andy Ewald. “Hockey is at the Rec Center, and that's a city-owned facility so we follow whatever their rules are, and at least at this point, they don't require masks inside. So we can't supersede what their rules (are),” Ewald said. Basketball games, on the other hand, take place in a school building, meaning that they are subject to the school’s mask mandate, according to Ewald. “Unless you're actively participating (in a sport), the expectation is you have a mask on if you're in a school district building,” Ewald said. According to senior Brady Truett, many take advantage of the more lenient rules at the Rec Center, but will also adhere when masks are mandatory. “(At the) Rec, we don’t have to (wear masks) at all. There'll be one or two kids that do and then, (at the gym), everyone's got them, Truett said. Romero said trying to social distance

in the student section isn’t worth it. But for the adults in the crowd, it is more achievable. “I would say that social distancing is possible. I think that's why the adults take that into their hands a little bit more. But in the student section — no, not really. There's not enough space for us to even try,” Romero said. Truett emphasizes the importance of location when it comes to mask mandates. “It’s location, location, location,” Truett said. “If there's a choice that you don't have to (wear a mask), I think most people are kind of done (wearing them).” According to Ewald, he acknowledges that not everybody will be wearing masks. Consistently putting in an effort to have people wear masks is what matters to Ewald. “Will we get 100 percent of the people all the time (to wear masks)? No,” Ewald said. “(But) we're actively going around and asking people, ‘can you please pull your mask up?’”

To mask or not to mask: The Rec Center policies let fans choose if they wear masks. Athletic Director Andy Ewald said polices vary at each arena. Photo by Ayelet Prottas DESIGN BY Tobias Khabie

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SPORTS

’

ECHO

Selam Maher, senior

KNIGHTED

MEET THE ATHLETES Micah and Marley Curtis, freshmen, Basketball

Girls’ basketball defeated by Benilde St. Margaret’s Char Priadka Andrea Melear

Sophomore Kiya Hegdahl prepares to shoot the ball Jan. 14. Heghdahl said the team struggled to gain any momentum throughout the game, which she attributed as a reason, in addition to the defense, for the loss. Protect: Sophomore Ruby Massie guards the ball from the defender Jan. 14. Massie scored seven points throughout the game.

Move: Senior Selam Maher calls out a play to her teammates Jan. 14. Maher said the team struggled at the beginning of the game and weren’t able to recover from its blunders. Photos by Molly Schochet and Lilia Gonzalez DESIGN BY Ayelet Prottas

fter a 65-43 loss against Benilde St. Margaret's, junior Stayci Spates said the team struggled to carry out plays and rebound successfully. “We didn’t do well rebounding defensively or offensively. We were just kind of catching and shooting instead of going through our plays like we learned,” Spates said. Park, which dropped to 6-5 on the season, had a total of three games this week and had played Chaska the previous night Jan. 13. After a tough loss with a score of 90-63, Coach Arsenio Richardson said the fast-paced schedule left the team little time to prepare. “It was tough because we had a rescheduled game, so we really didn’t have any time to prepare. We played last night against Chaska then it was a quick turnaround to play Benilde,” Richardson said. “It’s just hard to get the preparation in, so the next time we play them hopefully we have a better effort.” Ending the first half with a score of 33-09, sophomore Kiya Hegdahl said taking control of the game was difficult and the team struggled to gain the upper hand. “Everything that went wrong. We could have controlled. We let them do whatever they wanted and they dictated the game,” Hegdahl said. “We didn’t all step up the way we needed to.” As the game progressed, Hegdahl said the team lost sight of its motivation. “We weren’t playing for one another,” Hegdahl said. “The number one thing is playing for one another. We didn’t do that and it took us out of the game.” In the future, Richardson said the team aims to work on defense tactics and mental focus, in hopes of improving their performance. “This lack of focus leads to a lot of mental mistakes,” Richardson said. “Our defense intensity wasn’t what it should have been. " Park is next set to face off against Coper at 7 p.m. Jan. 20 at Robbinsdale Cooper High School

Marley: We win a lot of games because we score twice as much. It’s easy to get a point, it’s a quick win. Micah: It’s made me better playing with someone who’s right by my side and gets me. We have a special chemistry together.

Marley: We pick each other up and when one of us is doing wrong we let each other know because we want what is best for each other. Micah: By pointing out the mistakes that he makes, he does the same for me because we notice different things in our game.

Marley: We’re out to get everybody so if I know that I got him on my side I know I can do whatever I want on the court we make each other better. Micah: There’s two of us and obviously it’s easier because we have chemistry together.

Marley: There was this one time we both dropped the same amount of points. He got 20, and I got 20 that combined for 40. Micah: Winning state championship in fifth grade. We were really good that year.

Marley: I don’t get as many points as I should’ve been getting. Micah: I want more points and with him I can’t always get that.

Marley: He knows what I do wrong, so he can tell me so I can make myself a better person (and)player. Micah: He always gets on me. He knows what’s best for me and he wants what’s best for me. That is what makes me better.

Crystal Diaz

SPORTS Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

“

ECHO

MEET THE ATHLETE Josh Middleton, sophomore, Hockey

We need to play 100 percent every game. We need to stay positive, cut out all the

Emelia Johnson, senior

Hockey falls to Armstrong in shutout

When did you start playing hockey? I started the first year I could play on Mites, so that’s when I was 6 or 7 years old. Why did you decide to play hockey? It looked super cool and fun on TV and since then I just always wanted to play hockey. On Mites we needed a goalie, and I decided to try it out for fun. I ended up really liking it, so now I’ve just stuck with it and have played goalie since then. What’s your role as a goalie? As a goalie, you need to be focused at all times because you never know when your team is going to mess up or something unexpected happens — you need to be fast and smart. I just try to stay locked in and keep the puck out. How does your team support each other? Win or lose, our team supports each other really well, especially this season with our captains. They’re doing a great job and they’re keeping our spirits up. They always tell us to keep our heads up, tell the underclassmen to focus and give us tips on what to do — it really helps us out. What’s your favorite memory from a game? During last year’s season it was my first game against Edina and that was one of my best and most memorable games. They had 57 shots (on goal) and we still were able to tie them 4-4. What are your favorite rituals in hockey? We always do one big lap around the rink, especially before home games. We also have an orange hat that we give the game MVP after the game. What goals do you have this season? This season, I’m looking forward to winning more games and just having a ton of fun with all the boys. But in the future I definitely want to go further in hockey, maybe playing junior (hockey) and then college (hockey).

Katie Nelson

Park fails to comeback after second period Mya Stanberry

fter a 2-0 loss against Armstrong, senior Emelia Johnson attributed the team’s performance to a lack of consistency. “We started (off) the game really strong. I just feel as if we need to play the full 51 minutes,” Johnson said. “The second period was definitely our downfall, knowing that the other team took that as our downfall is a little frustrating.” Assistant coach Annie McNeill said more shots on goal would have helped in the team, which is now has a record of 5-15. “We have got to keep the play simple and just shoot the puck, we got caught over handling the puck and unfortunately turning it over quite a bit,” McNieill said. “Our goal is always to put together a solid 51 minutes of hockey and that wasn’t the case in the second period.” Even after the lose, senior captain Greta Betzer said it’s still fun to just play. “Having a combined team with Hopkins makes it super fun because you get to meet girls that go to another school and eventually become best friends with them,” Betzer said. McNeill said the girls played hard

Photo by Ayelet Prottas against Armstrong, but thinks that they Ice, Ice Baby: Freshman Rowan Jansen recovers from a fall Jan. 15. Park lost 2-0 could’ve been more focused. against Robbinsdale Armstrong. “We lost our focus as a team and it took an entire period for us to regroup again,” McNeill said. The team is excited to get back on the ice for the next games, Betzer said. “It’s always fun to have a home game Jan. 17 and I felt like the energy in the locker Home v. Anoka room and bench was really good,” Betzer 3 p.m. at Anoka Ice Arena said. “I have a broken wrist right now, so Jan. 21 before the season ends, hopefully I will be Home v. Woodbury back out on the ice and be able to play my 7 p.m. at St. Louis Park Rec last couple games with my team.” Center According to Johnson, the team needs Jan. 25 to work on putting their effort into the Away v. Tartan whole time for future games. 7 p.m. at Tartan Ice Arena “There’s always stuff to improve on Jan. 27 but I feel like the main thing we need to Away v. Princeton focus on is just playing the whole game,” 7 p.m. at Princeton Ice Arena Johnson said. Feb. 1 McNeill said its important to help Away v. Two Rivers players keep a positive mindset when 7 p.m. at West St. Paul Arena faced with adversity. Feb. 5 “I like to remind our team of their 7 p.m. at Minnetonka Ice Arena individual ‘why.’ I ask them, ‘why do you play hockey?’ The common thread is that it’s fun. It’s important to remember For more sports that because without fun, playing a game content, actually seems pretty pointless,” McNeill visit slpecho. said, “I’m known for busting out a silly com/sports. dance move or corny joke to get the team smiling again too.” Park will face Woodbury at 7 p.m. Jan. 21 at St. Louis Park Rec Center.

Upcoming games

Design by Ayelet Prottas

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ENTERTAINMENT ECHO Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

I like ‘The Hunger Games’ a lot. It’s a really interesting commentary on what our world can become if we don’t take care of it.”

Caleb Teichman, freshman

REVIEW

‘The Beatryce Prophecy’ takes reader on enchanting ride Illustrations enrich DiCamillo’s storytelling, intriguing plot Sophia Curran-Moore

appreciate reading childrens’ books as a young adult because I gain deep insights into seemingly simple stories. I’ve enjoyed many of Kate DiCamillo’s. At the center of the story is Beatryce, a young girl who appears in a monastery and remembers very little about her identity. She embarks on a perilous journey to dethrone the king, and makes many friends along the way. As the story unfolds, the secrets of Beatryce’s past, as well as the prophecy surrounding her, are revealed. Sophie Blackall’s beautiful illustrations elevate the story. The detailed drawings allowed me to imagine the characters more clearly. I was impressed by the complexity of the characters. Beatryce is a strong, intelligent girl who has lost her sense of identity and belonging. Her remarkable ability to read and write shows both the power of words and the oppression of

women in society. Brother Edik is a gentle and kind monk who struggles to please his father. Cannoc is a wise old man who gave up his power to be free. However, the king’s character lacked depth. He is portrayed simply as selfish and power-hungry. It would be interesting to learn more about his motivation and his backstory. DiCamillo is known for including tragedy in her books. The book is fun to read, but I was also shocked by the plethora of trauma the characters endure, such as the murder of Jack’s parents. Although it was intense, I applaud DiCamillo for incorporating sadness into the book. The characters’ capabilities to overcome their difficult circumstances show their resilience. It made me feel hopeful that I can also overcome the problems I face. At times, “The Beatryce Prophecy” was strange. For instance, the goat named Answelica was unusual, to say the least. Overall, I enjoyed reading “The Beatryce Prophecy,” and I recommend it for a person of any age who wants to be reminded of the power of love, friendship and hope.

Upcoming releases to check out

Released on Jan. 11, “Lost & Found” is the emotional memoir by Kathryn Shultz. Detailing the grief and recovery process following her father’s death, this is sure to be a tear-jerker.

This medical detective story by Meghan O’Rourke examines the hardship and pain accompanying autoimmune disorders. As was typical in the Victorian and Freud Eras, chronic illness was simply categorized as “hysteria.”

“Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel blends historical fiction and science fiction to produce an imaginative and innovative book. Filled with time travel, colonies and plenty of astronomical excitement, be sure to check it out.

“To Paradise” is the newest book from author of the acclaimed novel “A Little Life.” This novel immerses readers into an alternate-reality set in the aftermath of the American Civil War. The states are spilt up into three separate nations, taking a twist on the true story.

Infographic by Johanna Kaplan Fair use from Penguin Random House, Doubleday Books and Riverhead Books DESIGN BY Lilia Gonzalez-Baldwin

Amid a bustling ICU ward, Joan struggles to cope with her father’s passing. “Joan is Okay” by award-winning author Weike Wang is an insightful tale of a New York City physician, Joan. It follows both her work life and personal life, the loss of her father being the focal point.

“Fiona and Jane” by Jean Chen Ho unpacks the trials and tribulations of a longterm friendship. Chronicling the lives of two young Taiwanese-American women, this novel takes a fresh approach to storytelling.

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ENTERTAINMENT ECHO Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022

I didn’t like the ending part but other than that it was pretty good.”

Dajay Jenkins. senior

REVIEW

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ traps audience in its web Long-awaited third edition Abby Bartleson

s they say, three is a magic number. Marvel fans patiently awaited the release of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which followed “Spider-Man: Far From Home” released in 2019. This latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe did not meet my expectations, it exceeded them. After the catastrophic ending of “Far From Home,” “No Way Home” follows Peter Parker (Tom Holland) as he can no longer separate his normal life from his superhero persona. Striving to remain as “your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man” while still going to school every day and applying for colleges, he can no longer balance the two, which results in Peter asking Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for some help in sorting out the chaos. In an attempt to regain his anonymity, Peter goes to Strange to cast a spell that will cause everyone to forget Peter was Spider-Man. Only one problem — the spell backfires, which inadvertently opens up the multiverse, which invites some villains and heroes from past universes who all knew different versions of Spider-Man. Characters like Dr. Otto Octavious (Alfred Molina), Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) made the movie more interesting and nostalgic for viewers who grew up watching the other Spider-Man movies.

While Strange demands Peter to clean up the mess he has created, Peter is determined to get these visitors home safely because they were taken from their own universes moments before they were killed by the Spider-Men from the alternate realities. We can see how caring Peter is when he didn’t make anhyone — including the villans — feel worthless. Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) shaped Peter and showed him everyone deserves a second chance. The actors and dialogue made the movie for me. All the actors fit their characters. Tom Holland is a great Peter Parker, as he's still a teenager as well as Spider-Man, which director Jon Watts really seems to understand. His love interest, MJ (Zendaya), is one of the best. Zendaya’s charisma and delivery of witty, silly dialogue made the movie radiate with warmth. Even with a large cast, director Jon Watts made all of the characters have memorable moments. While the rest of the movie was phenomenal, the cinematography was exceptional. The interesting camera movements and intense action scenes kept me hooked. The casual shots that move around with the characters captivated me and I felt like I was with them in those moments. Cinematographer Mauro Fiore who is known for his work on Avatar (2009), was a good choice for this movie. Marvel has made many great movies, but this one in particular was fantastic. You can tell that the cast and crew put a lot of effort into making sure the film was phenomenal. With this movie being the third installment of Tom Holland starring as Spider-Man, it was my favorite out of the movies so far.

Fair use from Marvel Studios

Johanna Kaplan Fair use from Lionsgate, Universal Pictures, Interscope Records and The Minneapolis Institute of Art DESIGN BY Lilia Gonzalez-Baldwin

Feb. 4

Blockbuster sci-fi film “Moonfall” hits theaters. In this film, the moon is knocked out of orbit, threatening all life on Earth.

Feb. 14

Starring Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson, “Marry Me” is a rom-com following the progression of an unlikely couple’s love.

Feb. 18

Tame Impala releases a deluxe box set of its album “The Slow Rush” Feb. 18. Initially released in 2020, this album took the altmusic world by storm.

Feb. 19-May 15 The Minneapolis Institute of Art features the one-of-akind exhibit, “Supernatural America: The Paranormal in American Art.”