Echo issue 5, Dec. 19 by SLP Echo

Echo

THE NEST

PARK LACES UP

SPIDER-MAN

Nest hosted an open mic night Dec. 14 PAGE 2

Boys’ hockey will play Blake Dec. 21 PAGE 5

New comic-based movie hits theaters PAGE 12

Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Volume 92 Issue 5 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Minneapolis 2040 Plan passes vote Recent changes will be reviewed by the Metropolitan Council Ethan Meisler ethanmeisler@slpecho.com

SLPECHO.COM

ccording to Paul Mogush, manager of community planning for the city of Minneapolis and the Minneapolis 2040 Plan. It has officially passed the final City Council vote. “The plan has gone through three major stages of revisions. We received comments from the public, then the plan went to the planning commission, then it went to the City Council,” Mogush said. “Last Friday, the City Council took the final vote to approve the plan.” Junior Jackson Kubitza said he believes the plan’s modifications are to improve the existing plan. “I think they want to keep making it better and maybe focus on including everyone in the plan, to help everyone’s voice be heard,” Kubitza said. Freshman Molly Schochet said the revisions are necessary to account for the growing population. “The world keeps changing and what is best for the economy keeps changing,” Schochet said. Mogush said the plan is in place to allow for the growing city as well as the residents within the city. “We expect that the city will grow by another 40,000 (residents) or so,” Mogush said. “We have really big disparities — racial disparities — in our city. If we just grow without addressing those disparities, they will get worse.” According to Kubitza, the transportation part of the plan is too focused on public transportation and not enough on other forms. “I think they need to change their focus on transportation a little bit,” Kubitza said. “Cars and public transportation need to work together because we are still very car dependent.” After all the planning, Mogush said the goals of Minneapolis 2040 are to better the community and allow for positive city development. “The overall direction of the plan is growth, environmental sustainability, racial equity and housing affordability,” Mogush said. Mogush said the nearly 100 amendments made by the City Council are small changes, many of them to the maps made by the plan. “A lot of the changes the City Council made were to the maps. One is a future land use map, and the second is a built form map,” Mogush said. “None of them changed the overall direction of the plan.” Schochet said re-zoning will allow Minneapolis to rebuild the area and accomplish their goals. “When you rezone, it can make room for more housing, or they can change to be more economically sustainable,” Schochet said.

Photo Grace Farley

Loc ked J ut

Locker room approach sparks irritation Abby Intveld & Dani Orloﬀ abbyintveld@slpecho.com daniorloﬀ@slpecho.com

ust five minutes late to school, sophomore Izzy Segal said she was unable to put away her basketball gear in the girls’ locker room for the day. “That happens to me every day,” Segal said. “I don’t understand why it needs to be locked.” According to Principal Scott Meyers, the locker rooms are only available for physical education classes during school. “Students should not be using locker room lockers as their regular locker,” Meyers said. “Really just in that overlap, roughly 10 to 15 minutes in between classes and getting ready and coming back from class, that’s when the locker room can be available and open,” Meyers said. According to Meyers, teachers and grade

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We need to come in and put our stuﬀ in (the locker rooms) otherwise we’re going to carry it around all day. Izzy Segal, sophomore

level coordinators (GLCs) are responsible for ensuring the locker rooms remain locked during the school day. Segal said she believes the locked locker rooms create an inconvenience for athletes. “We need to come in and put our stuff in there otherwise we’re going to carry it around all day,” Segal said. Meyers said the locker rooms were always intended to be locked during the day,

however it was not fully enforced last year. “My understanding is that was not what was actually happening last year even though that was the request,” Meyers said. Meyers said when physical education classes are not occuring, the locker rooms are closed to prevent truancy. “They should be locked during the day because we don’t want it to become a hangout or a place where students can miss out on class,” Meyers said. Senior Cyrus Abrahamson said following Nordic practice, the team was unable to put away its skis because they were locked. “If a GLC had not come walking around, we probably would have been out there for longer,” Abrahamson said. For more content go to slpecho.com

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NEWS

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

WEB PREVIEW

Zimmern discusses his new restaurant at West End

Photo Maggie Klaers

Birdfeeder creates winter meal packs

Lucky Cricket provides new dining experience

unior and Birdfeeder student manager Mushtakh Mohammed said many students lose access to food they would receive at school during winter break. “Most people, their food source is school. Without that for two weeks, it’s hard to get food. It should be provided,” Mohammed said.

Meghan Raatz meghanraatz@slpecho.com

fter years of planning and preparation, St. Louis Park’s West End is now home to the Lucky Cricket, a new restaurant with a fresh and eccentric take on Chinese cuisine, according to Andrew Zimmern. The man behind it all, celebrity chef and the host of the Travel Channel’s television show “Bizarre Foods,” Zimmern said Lucky Cricket is something he’s wanted to create for a long time. “I’ve been in love with Chinese food and Chinese culture since I was a little kid,” Zimmern said. “I’ve had this dream for 30 years, and I finally was at the point in my life where I said, ‘Yeah I can go and do this.’” According to Zimmern, he picked St. Louis Park because of a lack of variety in quality sit-down restaurants. Lucky Cricket opened mid-November near the ShowPlace Icon Theater. “I thought that it was something that from a concept standpoint was missing from the community here,” Zimmern said. “I think St. Louis Park and this side of town needed more restaurants. This was a great location next to the movie theater, demo-

Maggie Klaers & Soﬁa Seewald maggieklaers@slpecho.com soﬁaseewald@slpecho.com

Photo Emma Leﬀ

‘The Block’ restaurant to open in 2019

o-owner of Craft and Crew Hospitality Steve Derheim said they chose St. Louis Park as the location for restaurant The Block because they noticed few quality restaurant options in the city. “There’s really not a restaurant like the one we’re trying to propose to do (in St. Louis Park),” Derheim said.

REVIEW

Opportunity for charitable donations within Park schools Marta Hill martahill@slpecho.com

Winter days at Holidazzle

olidazzle is a free way for everyone to enjoy the Minnesota winter. With great food, drink and activities for all ages, from ice skating to movie nights, Holidazzle is a perfect place to spend a winter day. The rink provides complimentary skates. No matter how talented you are, the rink is a great way to have fun.

Kate Schneider kateschneider@slpecho.com For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

Photo Sadie Yarosh

New restaurant: Lucky Cricket recently opened Nov. 19 at The West End. Owner Andrew Zimmern wanted to bring a new take on Chinese food to the Twin Cities.

Lucky Cricket information Hours Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Happy Hour Monday-Friday 3 p.m.6 p.m. Price range for lunch menu $9-$23 Price range for dinner menu $9-$25 Infographic Abigail Prestholdt Source Lucky Cricket

graphically with all the people that are around, and many folks would like one other choice without having to drive too far away or go back Downtown.” Sophomore Dinah Hunegs said her experience at Lucky Cricket was pleasant and worthwhile. “It was amazing, and I really enjoyed the food,” Hunegs said. “The restaurant was beautiful inside and out.” According to Zimmern, his goal for the restaurant is to bring new flavors to customers while keeping the environmental impact to a minimum. “We are trying to create a different model here as a point of difference so that we are serving the many different sides of the consumer desire,” Zimmern said. “For more so this generation than mine, transparency and sustainability are a part of the daily conversation and choice making.” Lucky Cricket is currently open at the West End.

District to accept school-speciﬁc lunch money donations

Maddie Schutte & Talia Lissauer maddieschutte@slpecho.com talialissauer@slpecho.com

Photo Noah Orloﬀ

I really like eating Chinese food so I think it could be a fun place to go with my friends over winter break. Patrick Djerf, junior

enior Thomas Pelowitz said the lunch donation program is beneficial for the school because it is another way to aid others. “The program is good because we do have a lot of programs for helping people who can’t quite pay for their own lunches, but I This program think it could increase is always grades. great Personally, I do to have more opnot do well in tions for school when I people am hungry. to help,” Pelowitz Thomas Pelowitz, said. “I senior think

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any program that helps people is great.” Jodie Woelffer, the nutrition coordinator for St. Louis Park schools, said people should contact her office if they are interested in donating. “People can call us, go to the school’s website, email us, just get in contact anyway they can, and they can ask how to donate. I’ll tell them to please send a check to the District Office of Nutrition here at the high school, and to please specify what school they would like it to go to,” Woelffer said. “We can’t specify donations for one individual. It has to be separated out over all candidates,” Woelffer said. According to Pelowitz, this program could have more widespread affects than just helping feed students. “I think this program could increase grades. Personally, I do not do well in school when I am hungry, and I think it could make the school feel more unit-

Photo Illustration Sophie Livingston

Lunch time: To donate money for students’ school lunches, contact the Park nutrition coordinator Jodie Woelﬀer. Woelﬀer’s contact information is on the St. Louis Park School’s website. ed as a whole,” Pelowitz said. According to Woelffer, people should donate because it is a way to contribute to the Park community. “It’s the end of the year, and it is a tax write off because it is considered a donation,” Woelffer said. “There are a lot of families in need, and this is one way to help.” According to Pelowitz, the district could help the program by publicizing the opportunity to donate more to the public. “One place for improvement in this program is spreading the

word. It’s important to make sure people know about it, otherwise it won’t work,” Pelowitz said. Woelffer said donations can vary in size, from small dollar amounts to large dollar amounts. “Donations can vary from $5 all the way up to 100, or 2, 3, or 400,” Woelffer said. For more information on how to donate to lunch accounts, visit the St. Louis Park Schools website. Contact Jodie Woelffer atwoelffer.jodie@slpschools.org.

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I think learning about personal ﬁnance in high school is important because it’s a skill you will need later in life, and it’s easier to start learning it now than to start in college. Zach Segal, sophomore

s he begins to apply for jobs and earn income, sophomore Andrew Grossman said he is conscientious about having a SMART budget. “I think a budget would be maybe every single week put some sort of the percentage of money I get into what I like or what I need, like if something breaks, I could work towards that and try and get that before everything else,” Grossman said. According to personal finance teacher Abigail Lugo, a good budget is one that is specific, measureable, attainable, realistic and time-bound (SMART). “A budget is (when) you’re planning ahead and you’re looking at your income and subtracting out your expenses. Budgets can be SMART too, you are going to do your best guess on what you are going to spend in the category of expenses,” Lugo said. “I would think it is a SMART budget if the biggest part (is it) being attainable. If it is not attainable to save 50 percent of your income, then don’t put that in there if that’s your goal because you still might have other expenses to pay.” Grossman said some students underestimate the importance of saving money for unexpected expenses. “(Some students) don’t realize that they need money for other things, and they just work toward one thing when they should be working for more than one,” Grossman said. Lugo said she believes the most important lesson in financial literacy is the ability to allocate finances toward savings. “Number one is always pay yourself first. You work really hard for your money that you make, so pay yourself — put money in savings,” Lugo said. Because they don’t account for emergency expenses, many Americans are unprepared for retirement. According

STUDENT LIFE

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

It all adds up The importance of saving for life beyond high school Yonit Krebs yonitkrebs@slpecho.com

to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, the average combined Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and defined contribution pension account balance was $237,600 in 2016. Lugo said she recommends students begin saving for retirement as soon as possible. “I would say when you turn 18 or start your first job, most companies offer contribution to your retirement account, so I would put money in there as soon as you can,” Lugo said. “When you are younger you should be putting 10 percent in there if you can, but a lot of companies will match what you put in there up to a certain amount.” According to Lugo, students should also take advantage of Roth IRAs, which are after-tax retirement savings accounts. According to Business Insider, savers can contribute a maximum of $5,500 to their combined IRA and Roth IRA accounts per year. “An IRA is an individual retirement account, so you are saving money for retirement. A Roth (IRA) is after-tax dollars and then when you put in your dollars that you have already paid taxes on. The idea is that when you retire and you pull money out of that account, you do not pay taxes again,” Lugo said. “That is why it is better for when you are younger to do your Roth IRA and that goes into why that was created too, as an incentive to start young versus pulling out taxes when you are in a higher tax bracket.” Lugo said starting to save young is the best way to use a Roth IRA. “It is like a snowball,” Lugo said. “The sooner you can start putting money in, the faster it will start growing because your interest makes interest on top of interest. You can actually do more if you started saving at 18 until you were 35, if you just stopped, you would have more money in there than if you started at the age of 35 and still saved until you were the age of 65.”

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FEATURES

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

I think Puzzle Club is really cool and a great way for people from all sorts of diﬀerent grades to get to know each other. Cecelia Schmelze, senior

Perfect ﬁt: Senior Greta Long sits and laughs on top of a lab table in room A313 alongside her fellow puzzle club members. Long is a copresident of the club with fellow senior Claire Middleton.

WHAT'S THE POINT

Live performance encourages conﬁdence David Bryant davidbryant@ slpecho.com

ince attending my first live music show at the Depot Coffee House freshman year, I have taken an interest in being in a band. Seeing a musical side to those kids who didn't say much at school was eye opening. After finding myself back at the Depot every month or two my involvement only grew, which eventually led me to pick up the bass. After months of practicing various covers and working to get better, I wanted to apply myself in a band. But my question was where to start. Trial and error What’s the up until POINT? summer Application of 2016 led me leads to to “The progression Broken Beaks,” a school band with fellow classmates. The opportunity was a one-time gig, but nonetheless a place to start. After my first practice, I realized I wasn't where I needed to be musically and that encouraged me to practice more to be ready for the upcoming gig. Upon a random invite to jam with a group of friends I quickly grew into the band I have been in for a year and a half, 9Volt. Having a group of like-minded people wanting to make music is what I needed to progress as a musician and performer. Nowadays preparing for a gig is everything otherwise another day is wasted getting bored and going out to eat. The last thing you want is to look like a fool on stage because you don't know what happens after the second verse. Practicing consistently as possible is the only way to prevent that. Whether it is 30 minutes a day or four hours one weekend, repetition is what led to me getting better. Not only does playing the same set reinforce confidence, but it also brings me closer to my bandmates and lets us realize what we do and don’t like about a song. After playing the same song for months, we still have realizations on how a song can be better. I learned the only way to improve is to apply myself musically by having a gig to progress towards. Nothing tops the feeling of putting your heart out on stage. Seeing all our practice come together and seeing people jam in the audience is always the real reward.

Photo Grace Farley

Seniors use passion, create puzzle club Extracurricular builds problemsolving skills Yonit Krebs yonitkrebs@slpecho.com

fter bonding with biology teacher Julie Schilz over puzzles, seniors Claire Middleton and Greta Long decided to create their own puzzle club, according to Middleton. “It started about a month ago, so we met the first week of November,” Middleton said. “We meet up and work on jigsaw puzzles, and we have snacks.” According to Middleton, she and Long started the club because they thought others might share their passion. “Me and Greta met up after school and ended up doing puzzles at her house a lot, and

there are puzzles in the library, and me and a bunch of friends started doing those puzzles too,” Middleton said. Schilz said she, Middleton and Long learned of each other’s love of puzzles because they are her student aides. “On days that I don't have stuff for them to do, they would always go to the media center and do puzzles and then they noticed other people in the media center being interested in puzzles,” Schilz said. Senior Danny Hunegs said Long and Middleton convinced him to join their club since he shares a class with them. “They mentioned that they’re in a puzzle club, and I already have to stay after school on Thursday so I thought, ‘that sounds interesting,'” Hunegs said. “I'm not really into puzzles but puzzle club's made me be more into puzzles now.”

Hunegs said he enjoys seeing the progress the group makes on its puzzles as a team. “My favorite part of the puzzle club is this one puzzle we were working on and it's a junk food compilation,” Hunegs said. “It is exciting to see the progress we've made on a puzzle.” According to Schilz, the group has only finished one full puzzle so far, but have plans to start new ones. “I think (the puzzle) was a 1,000 piece puzzle, but that one was a bunch of different candy wrappers, food wrappers, and it was challenging,” Schilz said. Schilz said her classroom is also an ideal spot for the puzzle club. “They also like that my room is a good spot because we have the good lab tables and they can spread out,” Schilz said. According to Middleton, although the club consists of

Tips and tricks for completing puzzles: • • • • •

Start with the edge pieces Sort by shapes Split up the puzzle into sections and work on them one at a time Sort the pieces by color Take breaks Infographic Sophie Livingston Source Puzzle Warehouse

mostly seniors, they have yet to discuss any plans for the club’s longevity. “I think right now it's just mostly something fun, but if people wanted to keep it going there'd be no problem with it succeeding past us,” Middleton said. According to Middleton, the club meets after school Thursdays in room A313.

Turn it up: Junior Patrick Djerf announces the next performer at the Nest open mic night Dec. 14. The event was to promote the Nest and showcase student's musical talents.

The Nest event fosters creativity Open mic night encourages student musicians Amaia Barajas & Jenna Cook amaiabarajas@slpecho.com jennacook@slpecho.com

s freshman Luna Labelle reflects on the Nest’s open mic event, she stresses the importance of giving everyone a safe space to express themselves. “I feel like it’s important so then students and other people can I wouldn’t really just express go up and play their in front of people talents and what they if I didn’t have an like to do,” opportunity like Labelle said. this. AccordMaranda Hoogenrad, ing to senior senior

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Photo Kaia Myers

Maranda Hoogenraad, who emcee’d the event, the Nest is a casual place for students to perform. “I think (open mics) are really fun, because I wouldn’t really go up and play in front of people if I didn’t have an opportunity like this," Hoogenraad said. Labelle said she was motivated to attend the event by wanting to see peers talents. “(My friend) told me to go, and I thought it would be really fun and really cool to see what peoples' talents are,” Labelle said. Junior Patrick Djerf said events like these are what motivates students to attend and

having an open mic gave students the opportunity to have a creative outlet outside of school. “It’s fun to see your friends perform or see them do something they’re passionate about that brings them joy. It’s fun to gather with your friends in a calm space like the Nest,” Djerf said. Hoogenraad said the open mic was a beneficial way to publicize the Nest. “I saw some people here that I’ve never seen come to the Nest before. So I think it showed that it’s not a place just to do homework in,” Hoogenraad said.

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I think that is really great especially since so many kids in St. Louis Park are underprivileged, and I think that will lighten the Christmas spirit.

FEATURES Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Jayde Claussen, sophomore

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Mission trip to Haiti gives back Junior returns with eye-opening perspective

Julia Lochan, junior Why did your family decide to go on a trip to Haiti? The purpose of why we went is because we wanted to help kids (in need). I went there before in seventh grade, (my family) wanted to go back on another mission trip. How did your experience visiting Haiti in the past shape your most recent trip? The country was a lot different, they were (more) poor the first time than the second. I saw a huge change. The first time the trip was not really organized, we went by ourselves without a organization. Our second time we went with a organization and we did something every day to help people. What organization did you travel with, what is their mission? We went with Healing Haiti, their mission is to help impoverished community and to give them clean water. A lot of (communities) do not have clean water so they get sick and die very easily. Helping Haiti wanted to help children, to make sure they do not die from diseases in their water.

Used with permission from Julia Lochan

What were the most memorable highlights from throughout your mission trip to Haiti? The first day we went to City Solei, which is the poorest city in the Western Hemisphere, so they don’t have fresh water there because they are too close to the ocean to have a well. (Helping Haiti) got a water trucks and we took the water to the children’s homes. Another highlight was going to the orphanages because they are all so happy with nothing, it was eye opening for me. What was the most surprising experience you saw when helping children? A lot of the kids from City Solei are orphans because from the (2018 Haitian) earthquake their parents died, so the kids are alone. We brought jump ropes, soccer balls and

music. So we brought the whole community together and they all played with each other. It brought (my family) closer because we were helping other families that are not as fortunate. How will you bring back the lessons you learned from Haiti to Park? Now, I do not want to take anything for granted because they are so happy. Not everybody has the opportunity to go to a different country, but since I had the opportunity and see how their country is different from ours, it made me a better person. I now want to volunteer at different places like Feed My Starving Children, I want to help out as much as I can. Evie Nelson evienelson@slpecho.com

DECA works with Family Partnership

ACTIVITIES & AWARDS

Club organizes holiday gifts for children Photo Kaia Myers

Yonit Krebs yonitkrebs@slpecho.com

Junior sells jewelry for proﬁt

enior Anthony David said a DECA member introduced him to sponsoring a child’s holiday gift. “I was asked by one of the DECA participants if I was willing to sponsor a child,” David said. “I got a little sheet and on there were three things the child was asking for as well as their hat size and glove size.” According to DECA adviser Sophia Ross, DECA has worked with a preschool run by Family Partnership annually for over 20 years to provide gifts to 60 children who might not otherwise receive a holiday gift. “We come back with this wish list from the kids,” Ross said. “Not only do we want to get one of the three things off the wish list but we also want to provide them with a hat and mitten set for the winter season.” Senior DECA member Olivia Guenzel said the hat and mitten set doesn’t cost much extra for the sponsor and is essential for the kids in the winter. “(We give them a hat and mittens) because in Minnesota it gets cold and a lot of times they aren't able to purchase mittens and a hat,” Guenzel said. According to Ross, Family Partnership is a program that helps children whose families are struggling financially. “It's usually kids who are in a poverty type situation because this preschool

A Photo Grace Farley

Season to give: Senior Alexis Machoka volunteers with children during DECA's annual visit to Family Partnership to celebrate the holidays with children in 2016.

Family Partnership's Preschool: •

•

83 percent of Family Partnership preschool graduates tested ready for kindergarten. 67 percent of children with truancy issues showed improved school attendance. Served 234 families with 407 children with In-Home parenting programs. Infographic Yonit Krebs Source Family Partnership

is free,” Ross said. “They do a lot of therapy with the kids and the families because some of the parents are struggling with different addictions.” David said he advises others to par-

ticipate and give holiday gifts. “If anyone is thinking about it, I would recommend doing it as it’s very fulfilling and you might be giving a child the only gift they will be getting this holiday season,” David said. Guenzel said it is exciting to surprise the kids and celebrate the holidays with them. “It's fun for the kids and it's kind of a surprise because they don't know what they're getting,” Guenzel said. Ross said DECA members will bring the gifts to the preschool and run programming for the children Dec. 20. “We bring in all those gift bags over to the Family Partnership and spend the morning interacting and playing with the kids and helping them open up their gifts,” Ross said. “I love watching all of our high school students interact with the kids.”

fter learning from her nanny, junior Anna Long said she picked up jewelry crafting as a sort of hobby. “My nanny made (jewelry)it and I thought it was really cool so she lent me some of her stuff and I started making it and got really into it,” Long said. “I use beads and wire and I have been really into making necklaces, specifically chokers right now.” Gabe Kaplan gabekaplan@slpecho.com

Sota clothing starts store locally

ccording to store owner, Spencer Johnson, he was inspired to open their first location of Sota, the Minnesota-repping clothing brand, after being strictly online for seven years and selling their products to 70 different shops throughout the state.

Tamar Gewirtz tamargewirtz@slpecho.com

For more content go to slpecho.com

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IN-DEPTH

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Subtle aspects of unhealthy relationships

I feel (Park) can just put posters up and just try and support people that are in a abusive relationship. Isela Perez Kauhaihao, sophomore

Abuse lurks be Emma Yarger & Jenna Cook emmayarger@slpecho.com jennacook@slpecho.com

Owning the issu

eflecting on her personal experience with relationship abuse, senior Rachel Mattson said it may have been difficult for others to recognize her situation. She said although there was no physical evidence of abuse, mental and emotional damage still affected her daily life. “It was a lot of making me feel like I was the one that caused all of the mess and it was always my fault, and it was those little things thrown around that when you’re outside, you’re not going to see it. There were no bruises,” Mattson said.

Pieper-Berchem said she frequently see rect abuse as well as stories from students ing or experiencing abuse within Park’s w “I can walk down the hall and see it,” said. “I’ve walked down the hall and hear in class giving anecdotal evidence of this, deny that it’s happening here would just b Mattson said she believes the health cu does a good job of covering how to recog cal and verbal abuse, but should go into m the more subtle forms such as emotional a “I don’t think that people know the sca abuse actually is, they just know the top 5 Mattson said. Pieper-Berchem said the health curricu dents recognize what abusive tendencies m and educates on the warning signs of abus “We talk about some of the warning si you look for because we point out some o we consider abusive and the kids are like, even know that was abusive,’” Pieper-Ber According to Mattson, students who d derstand the serious nature of abusive rela unknowingly offend those who have been “I feel like since people might not have ness, especially since we’re in high school, turity,” Mattson said. “People throw thin knowing that the person sitting next to th ally dealt with that and it can be extremel Pieper-Berchem said it is crucial for stu how to employ healthy practices in relatio “I don’t know if this is talked about in think it’s really imperative that this is som do, and talk about and take it pretty serio Berchem said. According to Dudley, who is also mem advisory board at myHealth Clinic, there between abuse in straight relationships an tionships. “There’s a lot of power dynamics that alize because they think people in same-se there wouldn’t be a power dynamic becau male who’s on top,” Dudley said.

More than skin deep

The cycle of abuse

Young people are most at risk for abuse, according to Sarah Bigler, an engagement coordinator for One Love. Bigler said One Love is an organization that aims to bring awareness to unhealthy relationships as well as to educate and empower young people. “One in three women and one in four men will experience an abusive or unhealthy relationship at some point in their lifetime, but it’s young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are most affected by this issue,” Bigler said. According to health teacher Amy Pieper-Berchem, there are many aspects of abuse besides physical. “If it affects them mentally, socially or physically, I think that can be considered abuse. There’s many aspects to it other than just physical, that’s why I think it’s important that we talk about this,” Pieper-Berchem said. Senior Erica Dudley, co-president of Park’s Sexual Health Education Club (SHEC), said abuse manifests because of a lack of respect for one’s partner. “Generally (abuse is) any relationship without mutual respect and understanding of the other person’s wishes, and disrespect of not only their person but their boundaries,” Dudley said. Mattson said she defines abuse as an imbalance of power in a relationship. She said asking a significant other to change for personal benefit is abusive. “(When) one person has more control over the other, it leads to a lot of problems in a relationship which is why it’s abuse. You need that equality within both people for it to be healthy,” Mattson said.

The calm Things in the relationship are normal, partners can both focus on everyday tasks. Parties often act as if abuse has never occurred. Art Maggie Klaers

Tension building Small abuses will build up as communication breaks down between parties. The abuser will get angry easily and manipulate the victim into consoling them.

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(Relationship discussions) are important because why would you want somebody to be hitting somebody else in a relationship.

IN-DEPTH

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Ky’areia Malone, junior

ehind closed doors

Steps to get help

es and hears dis about witnesswalls. Pieper-Berchem rd it. I have kids so for me to be so wrong.” urriculum at Park gnize overt physimore depth about abuse. ale of what 50 percent of it,”

ulum helps stumay look like, se. igns and what of the things that , ‘What? I didn’t rchem said. don’t yet unationships can n affected. e as much aware, there’s immangs out there not hem have personly triggering.” udents to learn onships. n other classes. I mething that we ously,” Pieper-

mber of the youth are nuances nd LGBTQ rela-

people don’t reex relationships, use there’s not a

• Call 911 if you’re in immediate danger Cell phones can always call 911, even if service has been canceled. • Get support Stay connected with friends and family. Abusers tend to isolate partners. • Make the call Minnesota Day One Crisis Hotline number 1-866-223-1111. • If needed, get a restraining order Let the police, your school, your work and your family know that the order exists. Keep a copy of it with you in case the order is violated. Infographic Sam St. Clair Source Cornerstone

Moving forward Tyler Osterhaus, the school-based services coordinator for the domestic violence agency Cornerstone, said it is imperative to the wellbeing of victims to have a safe place to go and people they can talk to. “It’s not the victim’s fault, and one of the best things that we can do is to believe them, and support them and empower them,” Osterhaus said. Pieper-Berchem said although it is difficult to recognize personal abusive tendencies, it is important to do so in order to stop unhealthy cycles. “Often times people perpetuate what they learned at home,” Pieper-Berchem said. “(If) that pattern continues, maybe they don’t have a skill set to be another way and that could be really scary revelation.” Mattson said students should be aware of their friends’ relationships in case there were to be unhealthy habits affecting their well-being. “When you see that balance shift or you see that it’s unbalanced in a relationship, that’s when you take notice,” Mattson said. “It’s hard to bring it up because the person in the relationship may not even notice that they’re being abused.” Bigler said a big step in recovering from an unhealthy relationship is addressing the topic and use your resources to ask for help. “All of us need help at some point in our lifetimes and asking for us doesn’t make us shameful, it doesn’t make us weak. It makes us strong,” Bigler said. “The best way to deal with that trauma is to talk about it and only by talking about it can you heal.” Mattson said she felt talking about her experience was crucial to her recovery. “I got a therapist afterwards because it was too much for me to personally handle, and so to work through all of that,” Mattson said. “Nothing can be done to them because it’s all mental, and it’s all within their body so you can’t just go into surgery and pull that out.” Osterhaus said help is available for victims as well as perpetrators of abuse. “It’s learned behavior. We can unlearn it,” Osterhaus said. “We can learn new behavior, so first it’s reflecting on how you’re treating other people, that you do recognize the signs knowing that change is possible.”

Honeymoon Abuser expresses regret and begs for forgiveness, often makes false promises. They minimize victim’s

Acting out When the actual abuse occurs whether it be physical, emotional, sexual, or any other form of abuse.

feelings about the event. This leads back to the calm stage. Infographic Maggie Klaers Source Reach Out Recovery

“

SPORTS

Echo Wednesday December 19, 2018

Well hopefully we don’t lose 10-0 to Blake. Hopefully we can score ﬁrst that way we can score more later on.

Jackson Hand, senior

OUT OF THE PARK

Dancing despite other demands Katie Hardie katiehardie@ slpecho.com

or me, dance has always been a priority. But this year, the hours of homework have forced me to put it on the back burner. In the beginning of dance class we have basic training and a time for conditioning. Since school has started, I’ve had to skip it and do homework instead. Basic training is the main conditioning I get from dance. It consists of 30 minutes of routines at the bar, and then an hour and a half of combinations, acrobatics, jumps and turns on the floor. When I do not participate, I am not as prepared for the dances we practice for the second half of class. Dances we perform can call for a lot of skill. Sometimes they are quick paced, having us move and jump constantly, sometimes they are slow, but call for a lot of flexible moves where we have to hold a positions for a long of What’s the amount time. POINT? Traditional Chinese dance is as intense as it is skillful, so when I miss out on the beginning half of class, which should warm me up and prepare me for the intensity, I don’t deliver. I become stiffer, weaker and less a part of practice. In the beginning of the year, the urgency of getting my work done topped everything else in my life outside of school. Also, since basic training takes so much of my energy anyway, I welcomed the excuse of not having to do it. But soon, I realized I shouldn’t think that. Health and physical upkeep are just as important as maintaining grades. Having an outlet to let steam off and keep my mind clear is crucial to staying mindful. It’s still hard tabling the calls of homework on the weekends, but I have learned to suppress them long enough to do what I need to do to stay healthy. Dance is such an important part of my life, so I cannot take that for granted. Dance gives me discipline, exercise, friends and a community. Life will always be stressful, but that does not mean I should have to give up what matters to me.

Don’t lose priorities

Photo Claire Bargman

Defending the puck: Sophomore McCabe Dvorak uses his body to block Wayzata player from getting possesion of the puck. Park played Wayzata, losing 0-10 Dec. 13. The team’s next game is 7 p.m. Dec. 21 at the Rec Center.

ROC hosts boys’ hockey Team prepares to face Blake David Bryant davidbryant@slpecho.com

oach Andrew Sackrison said in preparation for boys’ hockey’s upcoming game against Blake at the ROC, the team needs to focus on fundamentals. “We have to play a simple game because it’s outdoors. Ice tends to get snowier,” Sackrison said. Senior Luke Boyum said the team has several practices before the game, allowing time to focus on weaknesses. “We can practice different stuff and go in-depth on different things so we can be more prepared,” Boyum said. Sackrison said the team is filmed every week to help with improvement. “We look at (the footage) to review and see what

we have to work on and touch on it in practice. We record every game,” Sackrison said. Sophomore Jack Wandmacher said the team needs to focus on playing a physical game without losing stamina by the third period. “We’ve got to do some conditioning, because we have lost a lot of men and we are getting tired by the end of the game. We just have to prepare physically because that’s how we are going to beat them,” Wandmacher said. Boyum said the main focus of the game is to work as a team. “Meshing as a team and figuring each other out. We need to work on gaining more chemistry,” Boyum said.

Senior changes school commitment Gabby McCaa commits to D I volleyball program Soﬁa Seewald soﬁaseewald@slpecho.com

fter verbally committing to play volleyball at the University of Southern California, senior Gabby McCaa saw Boston College as a better fit. “I was committed to the University of Southern California and after a year, there were a few changes and I figured that reopening my recruiting process would better myself in the future,” McCaa said. “So I reached out to Boston College and other universities, and Boston College was the best choice.” Varsity head coach Whitney MeierottoSimon said McCaa was a strong a leader and role model for the volleyball team. “It takes a lot of time, commitment, hard work and confidence to be a leader on the volleyball court and Gabby was immediately all of that for us,” Meierotto-Simon said. “I am so grateful for my time with her and all she brought to St. Louis Park volleyball this year.” According to McCaa, Park’s head volleyball coach helped her to reach her goal of playing volleyball at a Division I level. “We were coached by Whitney and she is

Photo Rachel Salzer

Signing on: Senior Gabby McCaa signs a contract to play D1 volleyball at Boston College. an amazing coach who has played volleyball at a higher level and she was able to coach me in a way that prepared me for the college training,” McCaa said. Captain of girls’ volleyball, junior Makaila Winward, said McCaa has been an asset and role model for the team. “She was our go-to girl the entire season. She was always someone to go to if you were in a rut, just get the ball to her and she would get it over and continue the play,” Winward said. “She always had great energy, so it really helped our team stay focused and stay involved in every game.” Meierotto-Simon said she believes McCaa will be very successful in college. “I think (Boston College) is going to be a great fit for Gabby,” Meierotto-Simon said.

Boston College Athletics: 31 NCAA Division I sports Total Enrollment: 14,500 Academics: 58 majors, 8 schools Infographic Sam St. Clair Source Boston College

“

I’m excited to watch it because my friends are going to be playing and it’s going to be fun.

SPORTS

Echo Wednesday December 19, 2018

Roselyne Iwundu, sophomore

Driving in: Sophomore Kendall Coley dribbles around Tartan defenders. Park beat Tartan 90-71 with Coley scoring 19 points. Park’s next game will be a double header Friday with the Park boys’ basketball team.

MEET THE ATHLETE

Who Paris Johnson Jr. Grade Sophomore Sport Basketball How long have you been playing basketball? I have been playing since I was three. But for the school, for actual teams, I have been playing since the seventh grade.

Photo Creston Halstead

Girls’ basketball looking to draw crowds Team to face Minnetonka, ﬁrst 40 students before halftime get in free Nolan Kelly nolankelly@slpecho.com

ark’s upcoming twin matchups with Minnetonka are expected to be high-energy, according to sophomore Raegan Alexander. “I like the double headers because the atmosphere is really good,” Alexander said. “Not only do we have a game but the boys have a game, so that drives a lot of attention because more people come.” Alexander said the team will be focusing on a unified and holistic approach, rather than making niche plays, as well as maintaining good teamwork. “We are probably going to focus on keeping each other — our teammates — up,” Alexander said. “Focus on communication on and off the court, not letting the

opposing team get offensive rebounds, and just being strong with the ball.” Minnetonka has an established reputation that will make for a noticeable buildup, according to coach Chris Nordstrom. “I think Minnetonka is one of the bigger schools that we are going to face,” Nordstrom said. “They are always a pretty good team — a pretty good program.” According to junior Shayla Miller, in anticipation for the upcoming game against Minnetonka, Park is focusing on their attendance at the games. “The first 40 kids who come before halftime of our game are going to be free,” Miller said. “So just trying to get as many people to be there as possible, for our game and the boys’ game after.” As of print time, Dec. 17, Park’s record is 3-3. Park will play Minnetonka at 6 p.m. Dec. 21 at home. Following the girls’ matchup, Park boys’ basketball will take on Minnetonka’s boys’ varsity team at 7:30 p.m. in the same location.

Who is your role model in your basketball career? My mom because she always tells me to keep working hard. She always does things for me. She is always helping out whenever I need help with things. What do you like about playing basketball? (It) brings a lot of competition and energy and playing against other people no matter who they are. What position do you play? I play shooting guard and small forward.

Bowling season rolls to an end

What are you hoping to achieve this basketball season? (I hope to) get a lot of wins. I want to make it far this year on my team to show people that we can do it without the people we had last year.

Team loses qualifying match Noah Orloﬀ noahorloﬀ@slpecho.com

Is it your ﬁrst year playing on varsity? Yeah, this year is my first year playing varsity.

s senior Adam Kowski completed his fifth and final season on the bowling team, he said he loved the challenge of the sport. “My favorite part is being able to show up everyday with like a different situation. No two days of bowling are going to be the same,” Kowski said. “It’s just that difference between everyday where it’s unpredictable, so that’s what keeps me intrigued.” According to first year varsity coach Rick Itow, Bowling the team reached success through season ends encouraging • Placed in sixth in each other. “I thought they did really State qualiﬁers well for my first • Finished second year watching them bowl. They were just in conference magnificent,” Itow said. “They • Did not qualify worked really, really hard at for State what they did. Infographic Isabel Kjaer They inspired Source Adam Kowski each other.”

What are you looking forward to this season? I’m looking forward to having fun with my teammates, bringing a lot of energy with them and good chemistry.

Photo Yonah Davis

Bowl so hard: Kowski prepares for his approach by focusing on the pins at the end of the lane. According to Kowski, the bowling team made school history this year. Freshman bowler Tyler Lacher-Hambor said positivity and getting used to everyone’s playing styles were important lessons from the season. “We had a lot of new players, so you had to learn everybody’s different style of playing and everybody just had to learn how to adapt to that and still cheer even if we we’re not doing good,” Lacher-Hambor said. According to Kowski, the team placed second in the conference and was very close to making State. “As it seemed we did a whole lot better than last year. We took second place in the conference, we took sixth place in the State qualifier, when last year we took third in the conference,” Kowski said. “We needed to take fifth, we made it into the final round of the state qualifier, so we made school history this year,” Kowski said.

Itow said he is satisfied with the unity of the players and performance of the bowling team. “I am pleased with their dedication and commitment, great teamwork, respect, support from others, flexibility, responsibility and then they just did it all,” Itow said. “It was really amazing.” According to Lacher-Hambor, who has bowled for Park since seventh grade, the bowling team’s level of unity improved this season. “I’d say a lot more teamwork this year and a lot of cooperation with coaches this year,” Lacher-Hambor said. Kowski said his season resulted in an AllConference honor and placed in state. “I made the All-Conference team. I was top 100 in state and then I bowled (at) the All-Conference Tournament,” Kowski said.

How does it feel playing on varsity? It’s a lot of pressure since I didn’t play last year. Also, it’s way different from freshman and junior varsity and there is actually people like scouts watching you. What is your favorite memory so far this basketball season? Getting a big dunk against Park Center, it was on somebody. Everybody went crazy. It was a fun game. How has it been playing for varsity so far? It’s been fun especially playing alongside a lot of friends.

Maria Perez Barriga mariaperezbarriga@slpecho.com

“

10 OPINIONS

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Echo Editor-in-chief: *Dani Orloff Managing editors: *Amaia Barajas, *Grace Farley, *Abby Inveld, Yonit Krebs, Sam St. Clair Web editor: *Marta Hill Photo editors: Ella Hammerstrand, Carissa Prestholdt Assistant photo editors: Abigail Prestholdt, Claire Bargman Design editors: Creston Halstead, Isabel Kjaer Copy editors: Jenna Cook, Emma Yarger Assistant copy editors: Sofie Geretz, *Tamar Gewirtz, Emma Leff, Kaia Myers, *Noah Orloff Social media editor: Hayley Westwood News editor: Sofia Seewald Features editor: Samantha Klepfer In-depth editor: *Evelyn Nelson Sports editor: Sophie Olmen Opinions editor: *Gabriel Kaplan Entertainment editor: David Bryant Broadcast editor: Yonah Davis Assistant web editor: Tenzin Gyaldatsang Multimedia editor: Katie Hardie Buisiness editor: Anika Hanson Video editor: Isabella Kanne Staﬀ: Nolan Kelly, Maggie Klaers, Dahlia Krebs, Talia Lissauer, Sophia Livingston, Mira Malka, Ethan Meisler, Samiya Mohamed, Maria Perez-Barriga, Ruthie Posada, Megan Raatz, Rachel Salzer, Ben Sanford, Kate Schneider, Maddie Schutte, Ruby Stillman, Sadie Yarosh, Emily Ziessman, Lucy zumBrunnen

(The plan) will be a good thing (because it provides) more apartment buildings and housing for people who need it. Chris Schon, senior

OUR PERSPECTIVE

Minneapolis 2040 Plan will improve St. Louis Park

he Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan will allow for the production of new higher density living conditions throughout the city. The plan’s zoning changes are the primary action that alter the city, allowing developers to build certain types of apartments in new neighborhoods. These changes will allow many more families to move into and around the city because of the lowered prices. The Echo Editorial Board believes through increased high density living closer to potential employers, families that may have struggled in their prior communities could receive an influx of job opportunities. The Echo Editorial Board also thinks the future changes that will follow the enforcement of the plan will help to unite communities across Minneapolis and the West Metro. The new living areas are to be built across Minneapolis, which could prove to be a large step in the right direction toward racial equity by providing increased opportunity to those who have been plagued by disenfranchised neighborhoods as well as those influenced by the remnants of legal and societal segregation.

Photo Grace Farley

The sky’s the limit: The view of Minneapolis skyline from Lake of the Isles during the sunrise. This is one of the areas including Lakes Bde Maka Ska, Cedar and Harriet that will be rezoned in the 2040 Plan. Acknowledging there are several worries associated with the plan, the Echo Editorial Board has concluded the pros outweigh the cons. Though environmental concerns have been raised via lawsuit, the Echo Editorial Board believes it is up to the Metropolitan Council to take problems into account after analyzing the plan. St. Louis Park may experience a population increase, a positive change often associated with economic growth. Additionally, new perspectives may come with new people, diversifying the views

within St. Louis Park. The Echo Editorial Board encourages Park students to welcome anyone who moves into the school district. With the potential St. Louis Park population change as a result of the plan, we must hold a positive attitude to create a more accepting environment. The Echo Editorial Board believes the 2040 Comprehensive Plan will improve the entire West Metro area, including St. Louis Park. We must open a door for others who need help.

Principal: Scott Meyers Printer: North Star Media Adviser: Lori Keekley *Denotes editorial board member MEDIA POLICIES The Echo is the official studentproduced 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, 2018 National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 Online Pacemaker Finalist; 2018 NSPA Online Pacemaker, CSPA Gold Medalist; 2013 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All-State.

STUDENT VOICES “(Dick’s) should as there is a lot of violence in our society and it will make it better for people around the whole community community.”

“It’s a good business decision in today’s social climate, but for people who are into hunting, it will not be beneﬁcial for them.”

Mekhi Scurlock, sophomore

Bryce Bonine, junior

“Dick’s has a big variety for sports, and I feel like hunting should be incorporated.” Jada Mclemore, freshman

Dick’s unnecessarily removes hunting gear Hunters should be able to buy ﬁrearms Maria Perez-Barriga mariaperez-barriga@slpecho.com

icks’s Sporting Goods is considering to remove all of their hunting gear because of the rising issue of gun violence in schools, according to Fortune. According to Kare 11, Dick’s started testing out this idea with 10 stores already removing hunting gear from the shelves, replacing it with other products. The Second Amendment states Americans have the right

to bear arms, and Dick’s removing guns would take away that right that others want to use for hunting. Also, experienced hunters who have been doing so for years should not be punished for the actions of a few criminals. As long as they do so responsibly, hunters should be able to keep their Second Amendment right. Because Dick’s does background checks, the goal of reducing gun violence while still keeping gun sales within established stores, as proven by national background check statistics. According to National Center for Health Research, background checks

To ‘The Lucky Cricket’: Maybe I feel like a lucky duck. Art Maggie Klaers

Photo Ruthie Posada

Bull’s-eye: Dick’s Sporting Goods has considered to stop selling certain ﬁrearms and hunting gear from their stores. have already blocked 1 million felons, 291,000 domestic abusers and 118,000 fugitives from buying guns. Additionally, background checks done at the local level produced a 22 percent decrease in the rates of gun related murders, according to National Center for Health Research. Stores benefit with background checks because they know who

To Spider-Man: He might as well be a hacker because he’s so good with the web.

it is safe to sell firearms to and know who wants a gun to hunt or who may use to harm themselves or others. While Dick’s intention of getting rid of gun violence is noble, Americans should have the freedom to hunt legally. Background checks achieve the same goal as what the company is striving to do, which is ensuring public safety.

To Puzzle Club: Hope you piece your life together.

A.B., I.W., Y.D.

“

It should have been charged as a hate crime because (the hunter) was obviously being racist.

OPINIONS

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Ilhan Abdi, freshman

Police fail to present hate crime as charge Gross misdemeanor falls short in punishing hunters Tamar Gewirtz tamargewirtz@slpecho.com

wo Somali men said they were petrified to discover two skinned deer carcasses on the hoods of their cars in St. Cloud, Minnesota. This act, which took them by surprise, was clearly one of xenophobia. The perpetrators, according to MPR News, were 62-year-old Daniel Dorian Knowlen and his 14-year-old son. According to the Star Tribune, although charged of a gross misdemeanor for the crime that took place on the night of Nov. 14, the men were not charged of a hate crime. According to TIME, the perpetrators claimed they were unaware of the car owners’ identities, and were simply looking for a place to dispose This hatred, when of the deer. However, they acted upon, has initially lied by saying they were never at the location, clear and devastating eﬀects. It is only confessing once they had viewed the tapes. Their testinot always deadly, mony was clearly unreliable. but it never fails To act upon an internal to inﬂict fear upon prejudice against any minority is to commit a hate crime, and people and intervene in their every- this hate crime is no different than any other. day lives. It is the same poisonous

Art Lucy zumBrunnen

and inexcusable hatred that motivated more than 7,100 horrific hate crimes that took place in the year 2017 alone. This hatred, when acted upon, has clear and devastating effects. It is not always deadly, but it never fails to inflict fear upon people and intervene in their everyday lives. The two Somali men victim to the hate crime may not have been in any immediate danger. They were, however, put into the same state of fear in which victims of different ethnicities and religions are subject to everyday. Such hate as the hunters expressed cannot be rationally explained, nor can the acts that it pushes one to commit possibly be defended. Classifying this act as a misdemeanor rather than a hate crime would deem the unacceptable behavior of Knowlen and his son acceptable. Ignoring the hate behind the crime

not only avoids the confrontation of the issue itself, but delays the development of possible resolutions. It may start out as something seemingly small, such as a gross misdemeanor, but so did the Pittsburgh shooting, which started out as a series of anti-Semitic attacks on social media. I am not saying the two perpetrators are likely to become mass criminals. I am, however, trying to emphasize the dangerous implications that avoiding to admit to such hate crimes and dealing with them may have on the future well being of this country. The first step in dealing with the hatred and prejudice that surrounds us and manifests itself in people’s minds is to recognize the nature of the crime at hand. The crime committed by Knowlen and his son was not only a gross misdemeanor, but also a hate crime.

POINT COUNTERPOINT

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ under scrutiny for questionable lyrics According to People Magazine, the Christmas song has faced backlash in recent years in light of the #MeToo movement. Some have begun to call for the song to be banned. Song depicts decades-old feminist struggle at its ﬁnest Song challenges societal expectations Emma Yarger emmayarger@slpecho.com

he song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has become a hot button topic during the holiday season for snowflakes, sensitive leftleaning individuals, to prove how liberal they are. But this snowflake loves the song and finds no problem with the lyrics new-aged feminists often call problematic. The lyric “say what’s in this drink?” is often used to support the idea the song is about date rape. However the song, released in 1949, predates the use of date rape drugs by about 40 years, invalidating that argument. This song expresses the frustrations of a woman existing in a patriarchal society who is simply trying to enjoy herself. Women

PARK TRAIL

are not allowed the freedom to enjoy casual sex or a drink without criticism, but the restrictions of misogyny were even more confining during the late ’40s. The woman’s hesitation is not of her own choosing, but because of the expectations of women living in that time period. The woman in the song is not afraid of her male companion but afraid of the gossip and scorn that will follow her if she chooses to stay the night. By saying “there’s bound to be talk tomorrow,” she expresses her fear of breaking these societal norms. The peak of unfairness is that the man in the song does not have to worry about his reputation because no one will judge him for his sexual activity. The woman on the other hand must worry about what “the neighbors might think.”

Popular holiday song fails to portray meaning of consent ‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ reinforces inappropriate behavior

‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’

Maddie Schutte maddieschutte@slpecho.com

•

Written in 1944, released in 1949

•

The song’s lyrics have produced outrage in recent years

•

It has been found 77 percent of listeners oppose banning the song Infographic Gabe Kaplan and Lucy zumBrunnen Source People Magazine

he lyrics and intent behind the classic holiday song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” emphasizes the lack of understanding surrounding the meaning and significance of consent. One lyric that particularly stuck out to me was, “say what’s in this drink?” This immediately screamed date rape to me. I have always been warned by women about the possibility of being drugged and taken advantage of. This situation is not something to be joked about, let alone to be sang about. The 2014 remake includes another concerning lyric, “ah, you’re very pushy, you know? I like to think of it as opportunistic.”

Although I can assume the intent behind both versions were positive, the song fails to make the distinction between actual and forced consent. When the song was written in 1944, this behavior may have been accepted. However, in today’s climate we can’t normalize rejecting no as an answer. Youth must to be raised to know that no unconditionally means no. The unacceptably large portion of young adults who fail to understand the meaning and importance of consent makes the outdated attitude of this song unacceptable. Although this song is a classic part of the holiday season, it does not mean it is free of problems. “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” should be taken out of the typical holiday song rotation to clearly indicate that consent and the possibility of date rapes aren’t to be taken lightly.

Maggie Klaers maggieklaers@slpecho.com

I haven’t worn What should thisIin a while... order?

Today’s specials are Kibble Foie Gras and Kibble Mignon.

Yeah... I’ll have the puppy’s kibble nuggets.

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“

12 ENTERTAINMENT

Echo Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Echo rates top three Spider-Man movies 1) Spider-Man:

Homecoming

“Homecoming” captures SpiderMan most similar to the comics, focusing on both sides of Peter Parker.

Animated movie leaves audiences awestruck

The movie develops the villain very well, giving the perfect setup for a ﬁnal unveiling of Spider-Man.

3) Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

This ﬁlm makes good use of the animation, using it to develop each character. Infographic and source Creston Halstead

David Bryant davidbryant@slpecho.com

Photos used with permission from Hasbro Studios, Atlantic Records, Orpheum Theatre, Mall of America

Evelyn Chlebeck, sophomore

jumps from comic to screen

2) Spider-Man 2

METRO METRO AT A GLANCE

The comic book style of animation was interesting to see onscreen.

Samantha Klepfer samanthaklepfer@slpecho.com

t odds with the other reboots of the SpiderMan story, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is an absolute show stealer. The animated film centers around Miles Morales who becomes the second Spider-Man in his universe after being bitten by a radioactive spider. New York is being wracked by earthquakes, brought on by a man named Kingpin who accidentally brings multiple spiderpeople from five different universes to Miles’. The voice acting is superb, with Jake Johnson (Peter Parker) and Hailee Steinfeld (Gwen Stacy) standing out among a star-studded cast with cameos from Chris Pine (Spider-Man), and Zoë Kravitz (Mary Jane), among others. Shameik Moore (Miles Morales) does a great job as well, pulling off lines that could easily sound fake. Among the sea of cameos is an especially poignant one from Spiderman creator, Stan Lee. The scene takes on a whole new meaning knowing he died in the past few months. As Spider-Man is

Lee’s creation and an extremely successful character, according to Insider, the scene is a nice tribute to the man who was so instrumental to Marvel. The highlight of the film is the animation. Each scene is beautifully crafted and perfected down to the last detail. The stunning animation allows for incredible cinematography. Many of the scenes are completely breathtaking and almost every one is a work of artistic genius. All of the shots flow from one to the next and the comic book inspiration for the film allows for some fascinating edits. The movie really feels like stepping into the pages of a Spider-Man comic book. Little sound effects through graphics like “Pow” or “Boom” add to the comic book feel. The film still has its minor flaws, an inevitablility for such a large-scale project. Despite the amazing edits and animation, seeing it on the big screen leaves parts looking choppy and overwhelming. The intense flashy colors of orange and red can be too much at times. The score is fantastic. It always fits the mood perfectly and adds substantially to the emotional impact. The use of more modern rap and pop songs helps it to really feel like you are following a teenager in New York. The endless list of notable rappers features such as Juice Wrld, Aminé and Post Malone only to name a few fit that strolling through the city vibe. The movie’s pace is perfect — not too slow, not too fast — allowing the different character arcs to play out nicely. Though some of the references might miss some of the older crowd, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” really pulls in its teen audience, and the end credit scene is hilarious and definitely worth staying late to see.

Dec. 21

Dec. 18 - 30

Dec. 8 - Jan. 27

This Friday, “Bumblebee” brings a new look at the Transformers world connecting the dystopian future between the human and robotic world.

Hip-hop artist A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie prepares to release his sophomore album “Hoodie SZN.” featuring Juice Wrld and Offset.

The Orpheum Theatre hosts the classic Broadway show Les Misérables, a story of love and revolution set in 1985 France, Tickets start around $100

The Mall of America offers a massive ice rink open to the public. Admission is free, but skates can either be rented or brought from home.