Echo issue 6 Jan. 16 by SLP Echo

Echo

STAY HEALTHY

PLAYING ABROAD

‘ESCAPE ROOM’

Mindfulness challenge proves effective PAGE 4

Joy of the People soccer players play in Spain PAGE 8

Mediocre thriller falls short of expectations PAGE 12

Wednesday, January 16, 2018 Volume 92 Issue 6 St. Louis Park High School 6425 W. 33rd Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426

Government F shutdown hits home St. Louis Park lives affected by federal decisions Dani Orloff & Noah Orloff daniorloff@slpecho.com noahorloff@slpecho.com

or senior Jack Ostrovsky, the government shutdown is more than simply a news headline. According to Ostrovsky, his father, a federal worker for the Internal Revenue Service, has been out of work for three weeks because of the shutdown. “Like many federal workers, (my father) wants to get back into the routine and especially after it’s been such a long time. He wants to get back to work,” Ostrovsky said. According to Kare 11, the partial government shutdown began Dec. 22 after President Trump demanded funds to build a wall on the United States’ southern border with Mexico. Because of what is the longest shutdown in United States history, out of the 32,436 federal employees in Minnesota, 4,790 are either furloughed or not being paid. Sophomore Elie Grassley said while the shutdown has not yet impacted her family, if it continues on it will. “My mom clerks for a federal judge at the courthouse in Minneapolis,” Grassley said. “We haven’t been affected in the past, but if the shutdown keeps going on for five more days then my mom will stop getting paid.” Ostrovsky said the shutdown poses a difficult situation for those employed by the federal government. “That’s a big reason that we would want the shut down to end because people’s lives are being played like cards,” Ostrovsky said. Sophomore Miles Massie said he believes the fate of the shutdown is in the hands of the Democratic party. “(The shutdown) is great, and the Democrats could end it by giving us the damn wall,” Massie said. “I feel very sad for (government employees), and the Democrats could easily fix this.” According to the St. Louis Park Emergency Program (STEP) executive director Derek Reise, the program

SLPECHO.COM

STUDENTS IMPACTED

How two students are affected by the shutdown

Elie Grassley, sophomore

Grassley’s mother works as a clerk for a federal judge. If the shutdown lasts until Jan. 18, her mother will stop receiving pay.

Jack Ostrovsky, senior

Ostrovsky’s father works for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and has not been working for three weeks due to the shutdown.

Shutdown, continued on page 2 Used with permission by Jess Yarger

Youth-led activism on the rise Several student groups advocate for change Grace Farley, Abby Intveld & Dani Orloff gracefarley@slpecho.com, abbyintveld@slpecho.com & daniorloff@slpecho.com

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s senior Sophia Davenport reflected on the surge of youth-led activism this past year, she said she believes it is important for student voice to be heard and acknowledged. “Since we can’t vote and the majority of us are not 18, there is no way to express your opinion or create any change without getting politically involved and protest,” Davenport said. According to sophomore MN Can’t Wait organizer Gabe Kaplan, approximately 100 students from Minnesota — including Roots and Shoots members — gathered at the State capitol Jan. 10 to speak with Gov. Tim Walz Unfortunately my and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanageneration has gan to urge these elected left a bit of a mess officials to take immediate action in fighting climate for the younger change. generations and Kaplan said he felt the it’s really your name of the organization future more than itself — MN Can’t Wait — displays the work necesit’s mine and ours sary to create a sustainable so when you care environment. deepley about an “It is our future, so while issue, speak up. the people in power have a Larry Kraft lot to lose too, we are going

to be outliving the governor, the lieutenant governor, and pretty much anyone who holds power right now,” Kaplan said. Just as Kaplan has advocated for a fossil free future, Davenport said she looks forward to attending the Women’s March Jan. 19 to be able to march and rally for her values. “I am interested in going because I do not agree with a lot of the politics that our government is supporting right now,” Davenport said. “I want to emphasize how important women’s rights are, including the rights of other marginalized peoples.” Student activism has also been present at Park through Students Organized Against Racism’s (SOAR) uncensored race panel Nov. 27. The forum discussed issues facing students of color at Park. Senior SOAR member Maddy Eduardo Gonzalez, who participated in the panel, urges students and faculty to actively participate in social issues by continuing to ask questions. “Asking questions is better than just walking around and assuming, so that you have an answer and you have an idea,” Eduardo Gonzalez said. “Sometimes when someone asks questions they feel bad about the questions they have, but it is better to ask someone than assume something about them.” Roots and Shoots supporter Larry Kraft, who attended the Walz meeting, said he believes youth are responsible for bringing the issues that are directly affecting them to light. “Unfortunately my generation has left a bit of a mess for the younger generations and it’s really your future much more than it’s mine and ours and so when you care deeply about an issue, speak up,” Kraft said.

Photo Grace Farley

Women United: Senior Emma Kempf hugs her mom, Mary Beth Lamb, during the 2016 Women’s March at the Minnesota State Capitol Jan. 21-22, 2016. There will be another Women’s March Jan. 19 at the United States Capitol as well as State Capitols.

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NEWS

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Administration reﬂects on attendance, schedules

WEB PREVIEW

Photo Anika Hanson

Math department plans test prep

Possible changes to policies next semester

ccording to math teacher Amanda Forsberg, as the ACT date for all juniors at Park quickly approaches, the math department is working to prepare students for the high-stakes test. “The last couple years we have done ACT prep in precalculus. We talk about testtaking strategies, and how go into it,” Forsberg said.

Abby Intveld & Dani Orloﬀ abbyintveld@slpecho.com daniorloﬀ@slpecho.com

Emma Leﬀ emmaleﬀ@slpecho.com

“ Photo Lucy ZumBrunnen

Boys’ basketball prepares to play Richﬁeld According to senior varsity basketball player Keyshon Howard, Richfield hasn’t been a top competitor in the past. But the team is improving and Park plans on entering the game prepared. “They’ve picked up people and they are a team we can’t take lightly, otherwise we could come out and lose pretty easily,” Howard said. Kate Schneider kateschneider@slpecho.com

Fair use from Paramount

‘Bumblebee’ surprisingly good When compared to other Transformer movies, “Bumblebee” directed by Travis Knight comes off as exceptional. However, “Bumblebee” is only mediocre compared to practically any other movie. “Bumblebee” holds a simple plot. The movie follows Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), a Californian teenager struggling with her mother’s new stepfather and the death of her father. Gabe Kaplan gabekaplan@slpecho.com For more content go to slpecho.com twitter.com/slpecho facebook.com/slpecho

ooking at her tardies from first semester, sophomore Fadumo Abdi said she believes the attendance policy allows students to decrease absences in the future. “Sometimes I don’t follow the attendance policies,” Abdi said. “I personally have 12 tardies, so I love that there is a way to lower that number.” According to assistant principal Jessica Busse, during the past semester, I suggest just the administrashowing up on tion has seen time, but I think it’s improvements on a little silly getting attendance since a partial absence the creation of the contract sysshowing up ﬁve tem. This system minutes late. allows students to attempt to Jacob Brown, junior excuse an ab-

Photo Sophie Livingston

Switching it up: Sophomores Lily Metzler and Kate Gage laugh after receiving their lunches. Next semester there will be a schedule change in which “students will see which lunch they have on their schedule, which doesn’t really change anything except it’ll be on the (physical) schedule,” Busse said. sence after five unexcused absences through interventions with parents. “We’ve been able to make some interventions a lot earlier in the semester which has been great for both students and teachers alike,” Busse said. “We’ve been able to partner with parents more so that’s been really good.” Junior Jacob Brown said while the attendance policy provides advantages, he does not feel a partial absence should be given to students five minutes late, the same amount as passing time. “I show up on time, so it’s not a problem for me,” Brown said. “I suggest just showing up on time, but I think it’s a little silly getting a partial absence showing up five

Shutdown, continued from page 1 has not experienced an influx of those in need as a result of the government shutdown. However, Reise said STEP anticipates a greater need when the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will not cease to have funds. According to Reise, without SNAP, STEP would have to provide approximately four times as many donations to low-income individuals. “If (the shutdown) lasts past February, we would see a dramatic, huge increase (in food requests) because that’s when the SNAP benefits would run out for people,” Reise said. Grassley said the unpredictable nature of the government shutdown leaves her family preparing to rely on another source of income. “I guess we’re just going to have to rely on my stepdad to bring in the income for the family until the shut down is finished but who knows when that’s going to be,” Grassley said. Ostrovsky said while his family is combating the economic repercussions with savings, many other government employees may have greater monetary problems. “We have savings and try to prepare for stuff like this and (my father) will get paid eventually,” Ostrovsky said. “I recognize it’s a big issue and it’s worse for families that are dependent on one income.” Sophomore Sam Swisher said he feels students should acknowledge the shutdown not only burdens federal workers in Washington D.C., but also those in St. Louis Park. “It’s really unfortunate that Washington is so polarized it affects people — everyone in the country — even this close to St. Louis Park people are being affected by the government shutdown,” Swisher said. According to Reise, donations are very valuable to STEP during this shutdown. “Donations can be brought to STEP any time during open hours but we really appreciate any support students can give,” Reise said. As of the time of print Jan. 14, the partial government shutdown was still in effect.

minutes late.” Busse said she believes students have reacted in different ways to the attendance changes made this year. “There is some frustration, but then they’re able to see the improvements they can make on their grades and their improvements overall if they show up to class,” Busse said. According to Busse, these policies seek to prepare students for life after high school. “I’m sure that we are nagging but when you get into the real world, attendance matters in jobs. We just want to train our students for college and life,” Busse said. According to Busse, attendance records will be available once the semester ends.

Test your knowledge on the government shutd wn Why did the government shut down? The government shut down Dec. 22 because of the president not signing, and Congress not passing legislation involving a decsion about the construction and funding of the United States/Mexico border wall.

1. Is travel affected?

a) Some airport staﬀ are not getting paid, affecting wait times b) Some airports are shut down while others are still operational c) Travel is not aﬀected at all

2. How are food stamps affected? a) Food stamps stopped being funded in January b) Food stamps will continue to be funded through February c) Food stamps are not aﬀected at all

3. Is the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) still operating? a) FDA will continue to monitor outbreaks of food poisoning and the ﬂu and monitor recalls b) FDA is not functioning, and will not monitor health epidemics c) FDA is not aﬀected at all

4. Can I still get my driver’s license? a) Yes. Licenses, passports and visas can still be obtained b) No. Passports and visas are still available but motor licenses cannot be obtained c) No. Driver Vehicle Services is not operating

5. Is health care affected? a) Medicare and Medicaid are accepting applicants, but employees are understaﬀed b) Medicare and Medicaid are not accepting applicants c) Medicare and Medicaid are not aﬀected Answers: 1. a 2. b 3. a 4. a 5. c

The administration needs to put less stress on being on time because it’s hard for kids to wake up every day. Katie Casey, sophomore

Infographic Soﬁa Seewald Source CNN

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I think (competing in theater) is good. I think it pushes people out of their comfort zones and helps them do things that they probably wouldn’t do if the stakes weren’t so high. Leo Dworsky, sophomore

STUDENT LIFE

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Photo Maggie Klaers

Building: Senior Lindsey Epstein drills a board onto the Winter One Act’s set Amish schoolhouse during a set crew meeting Jan. 9. The set crew and costumes crew worked to ensure the show is authentic and respectful to Amish culture. “The Amish Project” will be Jan. 18, 19 and 20 in the Auditorium.

Company strives for authenticity with play Set, costumes crew work to convey sensitive subject through performance Maggie Klaers & Soﬁa Seewald maggieklaers@slpecho.com soﬁaseewald@slpecho.com

ith little Auditorium availability in December, theater director Jodi Hatzenbeller said Winter One Act crew members have been busy preparing for the performances and competition of “The Amish Project.” “The crew has been hard at work over break primarily because we couldn’t access the Auditorium space during December because there were so many concerts going on,” Hatzenbeller said. “So they’ve been working to build the platforms and the wall pieces that create the schoolhouse within the story,” Hatzenbeller said. According to costumes crew member junior Morgan Graves, the costumes crew is trying to ensure all characters have a good quality costume. “We are busy working on assembling five Amish dresses, and we are pulling a bunch of costumes from our racks for all the other characters in the show,” Graves said. Hatzenbeller said finding factually accurate Amish costumes has been difficult and the costumes crew has resorted to making the costumes itself. “It has been a challenge for the costumes crew because we’re trying to make Amish costumes as authentically as possible, which means we’re sewing things from scratch in many cases,” Hatzenbeller said. According to Graves, the Amish dresses have been adapted from a store-bought pattern that resembles the traditional and modest style of Amish clothing. “We purchased a fabric pattern from the store

that was the most easily adaptable pattern to the Amish style,” Graves said. “They don’t have any hardware on their clothing. There’s no zippers or buttons, and they’re also very conservative so we picked a pattern that very easily fit that criteria.” Senior set crew member Lindsey Epstein said it was difficult for the crew to create a new type of set platform that works with the actors. “For this show, we have interlocking platforms, which is something we haven’t done before, so we had to make all of the platforms from scratch,” Epstein said. According to Hatzenbeller, the requirements for the competition add on to the checklist of things the crew needs to accomplish. A portion of the current Winter One Act show will compete at Edina High School Jan. 22 in the local One Act subsection competition. “The time constraint for this show is definitely a huge impact on what we get done and how we get it done,” Hatzenbeller said. “Also because it’s a competition show, we have to make (the set) portable and it all has to fit into a 10 foot by 10 foot space.” Epstein said it was challenging to design the set to correctly depict the appearance of old Amish buildings. “Something really difficult was just the initial building of the platforms and planning out how they were going to look and how the entire set was going to look,” Lindsey said. “We tried to imitate the older style Amish buildings by using old weathered boards and stuff like that.” Hatzenbeller said the theater program’s goal is to portray “The Amish Project” storyline in the best way possible. “This one has been challenging, because we have to find ways to make connections and find sort of the humanity of a piece like this,” Hatzenbeller said. “The Amish Project” will be performed Jan. 18, 19 and 20 in the Auditorium, then performed Jan. 22 at Edina High School for the one-act subsection competition.

Creating a play: In preparation for the upcoming show, freshman Fiona Petrie puts together cast outﬁts Jan 14. The dresses don’t include buttons or zippers so they can keep the dresses authentic.

Making new things: Junior Morgan Graves sews an Amish dress as a costume for a cast member of the Winter One Act. All costumes are handmade.

Photos Carissa Prestholdt

Pinning the show together: Sophomore Ella Miller cuts out fabric to provide material to sew together the Amish dress costumes for cast performance.

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

WHAT'S THE POINT

Sticking to what you love Abby Prestholdt abbyprestholdt@ slpecho.com

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FEATURES

have been in love with horses ever since I can remember, but I have faced hundreds of obstacles trying to find ways to do what I love. I have been horseback riding since I was 7 years old. I have always known my love for horses, but once I went to Camp Shamineau, it became more of a reality. A couple years later, I met a wonderful lady named Shearl who owned a farm thirty minutes outside of Minneapolis. All three of her horses were beautiful Peruvian horses named Music, Meadow and Melody. In the beginning, I made a What’s the connection POINT? with Music Enjoy what and rode her for a you have full year. when you Shearl have it allowed us to groom, ride and basically do what we wanted with the horses because she had surgery on one of her knees and was unable to ride them. Last year, Shearl told us she was going to trade Music and get another horse. I was devastated by this news because I loved Music so much. She was my dream horse and the thought of losing her killed me. Little One, as we called her, was the new horse that arrived and Music was sent away. I would never see her again. I had to move on, so I began to ride Meadow. She was a lot more sassy and harder to handle. She and I struggled with each others’ strong personalities, but that also helped us bond. This summer, Shearl gave us more hard news; she was going to move in with her daughter and sell Meadow. We knew that Shearl wanted to move, nevertheless it was heartbreaking to hear it was actually happening. Over the next couple of months, we went out and enjoyed the horses for as long as we could, savoring every precious moment we had with them. Inevitably, Shearl moved away and I had to face another loss of a horse that I loved dearly. Since then I have been looking for other opportunities to ride but none can compare to Shearl’s. I have decided that next summer I will be working at Camp Shamineau as a Summer Missions wrangler and spend time with the horses there.

It's a good idea because it helps (students) to stay mindful and calm and collected during tests, because tests can be really stressful. Jada Mclemore, freshman

Mindfulness challenge helps to destress Calendar aims to calm before finals Noah Orloff & Maddie Schutte noahorloff@slpecho.com maddieschutte@slpecho.com

Photo Kaia Myers

ccording to International Baccalaureate coordinator Jennifer Magdal, mindfulness is a way to feel relaxed, and there's a methodical way to go about it. “Mindfulness is a scientific approach to figuring out how to calm yourself and be happy about being in the moment,” Magdal said. “(We're) just trying to get into that mentality as we get closer to finals. So we are ready to go into finals in a good mood.” Magdal said she began helping students through weekly meetings, which inspired her to create a calendar before testing. “When I found out about the science of it I got really excited, so I started doing mindfulness Mondays,” Magdal said. “I thought everyone’s so stressed out about finals, so I got the idea (for the mindfulness challenge) and ran with it.” Sophomore Elizabeth Hodges said mindfulness is a way to stay calm throughout high school. “Mindfulness is a really important thing in my life because it’s helpful in keeping myself focused and grounded in my everyday life, especially when it comes to school,” Hodges said. Magdal said she aspires to give students the tools to be able to continue to live calmer futures. “I’m hoping (students) are getting techniques so when they go out into the real world they are still taking those moments to relax,” Magdal said.

Stretch to the max: Sophomores Elizabeth Miller and Elizabeth Orton and senior Anthony David power stretch at a Mindfulness Monday meeting Jan. 14.

Write a thank you note

Do a yoga session

Go for a 15+ minute walk

19 Play

Attend Mindfulness with a pet Monday

18 Spend time without technology

Eat a healthy breakfast Source IB DP Pre-Finals Mindfulness Challenge

Technovations club adds two new teams Increased members ensure club's longevity Maria Perez-Barriga mariaperez-barriga@slpecho.com

echnovations this year has two more additional teams than last year, which means more apps will be developed, according to adviser Mark Miller. According to Miller, Technovations had its first meeting Jan. 9, and 15 girls attended. “Two (girls) have contacted me that they couldn’t make it, but they want to be a part of the team, so we have a total of 17,” Miller said. Senior Ilsa Olsen said she is enthusiastic about having more than one team this year and several additional girls joining. “It’s great that at least this year we have more than one team. I think it’s awesome that more girls are coming out,” Olsen said. Senior Sophia Davenport said it’s a big deal for the club to have more girls and staff because that means the club will exist further into the future. “I believe it was 17 girls who showed up, and that means that if everyone does it we will have four teams, which is huge because

Photo Emma Leﬀ

Appsolutely: Junior Zoe Younger and senior Sidney Hosﬁeld discuss app ideas at Technovation's ﬁrst meeting of the year on Jan. 9. Club members will develop an app and present to a panel of judges in May.

Technovations Fast Facts • • • •

Five girls per team Four Park teams Each team develops an app 15 girls attended ﬁrst meeting Infographic Kaia Myers Source Mark Miller

then once they graduate the club will continue,” Davenport said. Miller said the more girls wanting to get involved and build apps would be great for the club. He said it’s a great chance for girls collaborate. “There are some teams or some schools that have five or six teams — the more the better,” Miller said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for young women to work together as teams with a shared mission of trying to solve a problem.”

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(Feminine hygiene products) are expensive and it's hard for people to aﬀord them. It's cool that there's an opportunity here at our school where people will be able to (help those) who otherwise couldn't aﬀord them. Maggie Klein, junior

FEATURES Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Shirt sales generate change for community

Nietzsche Deuel, Angelica Lopez donate period products to homeless women

Nietzsche Deuel, senior Angelica Lopez, senior What is your project? Lopez: Nietzsche Deuel and I are having a fundraiser to raise money for feminine hygiene products for the homeless in Minneapolis. Deuel: We're trying to raise money to help provide feminine hygiene products for homeless women in Minneapolis. We are raising money through selling T-shirts on this fundraiser website called Bonfire. The cool thing about Bonfire is 100 percent of the profit goes to your campaign so part of the cost of the shirt when you buy is the production cost but then everything after that goes to your campaign. What inspired this project? Lopez: We are in the IB Diploma and we are required to do a CAS (creativity, activity, service) project, so Nietzsche was actually the one that approached me. She was like, “hey, do you wanna do this project

together?” And I had heard of problems like this occuring in the homeless communities. Deuel: About a year ago I watched this video on YouTube and basically what it went through was a few homeless women who described what it's like to have their period while they are homeless. I thought that was really terrible. Periods aren't an option and it shouldn't be an option to not take care of them. One of the things they talked about is sometimes they have to make the decision: should they buy a box of tampons or should they get food for the night. I think that is horrific and cruel and so that's what inspired me to want to help raise money to provide feminine hygiene products for homeless women. What goal do you hope to accomplish through this project? Lopez: Making a difference is our main goal. To think that we can help someone out, even if it's just for a day, we make

Photo Illustration Yonah Davis

Packing up: Seniors Nietzsche Deuel and Angelica Lopez are collecting supplies for their fundraiser. The Nest drop-oﬀ site for feminine hygiene products opens Jan. 26. them feel a little more comfortable especially in times when they don't feel like they have anything. Deuel: If we sell at least 50 shirts, we can get around $250 of profit, which will all go to buying feminine hygiene products. How are your personally connected to the issue? Lopez: I’m a girl so obviously I have a period so I definitely can't imagine how uncomfortable it would be to not have hygienic products. Deuel: First of all I am a woman. That connects all of us. Periods suck just in general. I think of how much people complain about the tax that's on feminine hygiene products and how unnecessary it is but I take it a step further and think about the

people who can't afford to buy it at all. Tax is part of that but the fact that they have to choose between dinner or a box of tampons, I think that that's really awful. What inspired the design of the shirts? Lopez: We are going to be handing out the products in Minneapolis, so we wanted something to do with Minneapolis as a whole. We wanted to display our message of feminine hygiene products — why we’re doing this fundraiser in the first place — so we decided that we would have the Minneapolis skyline and subtly put in a message for our design. We have a white building which represents a tampon with a little string at the end with Minneapolis at the front as well, so it's subtle but we have our message there as well. Yonah Davis yonahdavis@slpecho.com

ACTIVITIES & AWARDS

Photo Yonah Davis

Senior applies for year-long exchange program

fter hearing about her father’s experience in an exchange program and hosting an Italian exchange student, senior Caroline Garland said she decided to apply for a foreign exchange program as a gap year between high school and college. “My dad did this American Field Service foreign exchange program when he was in high school and last year we decided to host a foreign exchange student, Elena, and I thought it would be a cool idea if I could do a foreign exchange year,” Garland said.

Yonit Krebs yonitkrebs@slpecho.com

Echo named 2019 Online Pacemaker Finalist

cho was announced as a 2019 Online Pacemaker finalist by the National Scholastic Press Association Jan. 12. According to the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA), the Echo was one of 44 publications recognized as a finalist in the annual Pacemaker competition. The 2019 Online Pacemaker winners will be announced at the Spring National High School Journalism Convention in Anaheim, California April 27. Dani Orloﬀ daniorloﬀ@slpecho.com

For more content go to slpecho.com

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IN-DEPTH

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

It is hard for a lot of people to manage their time because a lot of people want to hang out with friends or do something besides school. Brita Bjorgaard, senior

Running out of time? Semester break provides opportunity to reflect on priorities STUDENT VOICES How do you manage your everyday life with a busy schedule? “School always comes first, and I try to fit everything into my afternoon as best as possible. I usually get done with sports first and then focus on school for the rest of the time. Sometimes I’ll make lists of what I have to get done and how long it’ll take to do that specific activity.” Jake Olson, senior

“It helps having work time during class, I always utilize that. When I get home I go in my room and get my lights on how I like them so it’s a nice peaceful environment, maybe turn on some calming music so I can relax, and focus on whatever task I have to do.” Marissa Boettcher, sophomore

“I have study hall at the end of the day, which is nice so I can do all my homework there. I like to make a list that I can go back and check on. I normally do okay under stressful situations. Stuﬀ that goes on at home is a lot more stressful.” Landon Stevens-Masterman, freshman

Do you have the time?

Understanding where the time goes Maddie Schutte maddieschutte@slpecho.com

ccording to Kim Bartels, owner of Bartels Executive Coaching, time management is having a comparable amount of work and relaxation to be able to persevere. “Just finding that balance between achievements, motivation and being able to relax and rest so you can get rejuvenated to keep moving,” Bartels said. “Some students never relax and get burnout, and some students relax too much and have to play catch up.” According to ninth grade counselor Barb Nelson, one of the biggest misconceptions regarding students’ schedules is the pressure to take all advanced classes regardless of their interest in the subject matter. “There’s a lot of pressure for kids to feel like they have to do it all, like ‘I’m going to take all honors classes,’ and it’s really more about thinking what content areas they like, where they have strengths, where they’ll put their energies,” Nelson said. “Sometimes when you spread yourself too thin you won’t have enough energy for everything.” Nelson said students who take advanced classes when they aren’t passionate about the subject can struggle to succeed. “I always say, ‘Do you like the subject matter?’ ‘Do you like the content area?’ Because if you don’t, it’s going to be a hard class to get through,” Nelson said. According to Bartels who has a PhD in psychology, people whose multiple commitments cause them

stress should be mindful of the variety of ways to understand and manage it. “In terms of managing stress and busy schedules, one size doesn’t fit all. It’s good for people to be aware of different ways to manage their stress and then try out different behaviors to see what helps them manage stress best,” Bartels said.

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In terms of managing stress and busy schedules, one size does not ﬁt all.

With app stud whic they

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Kim Bartels, PhD Bartels said students often take on too much and find it difficult to decline an opportunity. “I also talk to clients at any age about being able to say no,” Bartels said. “Sometimes we’re socialized to help people and say yes. Teens and adults can get overwhelmed by saying yes too often.” According to Nelson, another problem students face is failing to efficiently use breaks in their schedules both in and outside of school. “If you really took a hard look at it, you could find those holes where you could be more efficient or using your relaxation time in a better way,” Nelson said.

2HR

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If teachers were to teach us about time management, it would impact our grades because we will know not to slack oﬀ.

here does the time go?

h the end of ﬁrst semester and ﬁnals proaching, time management is on dents’ minds. Echo hosted a survey in ch students reported how much time y spend on weekly activities.

1HR 48MINS

6HRS

creen time spent on phone per day

3HR30MINS

12HRS

ours of sleep on an average week night

6HR 54MINS

13HRS

me spent exercising or playing sports per day

52MINS

5HRS 42MINS

me spent doing other extracurriculars per day

4MINS

How do you manage your time?

Establish a balance for success Evie Nelson evienelson@slpecho.com

me spent on homework after school per day

IN-DEPTH

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Sharda Doorbijai, junior

7HR 6MINS Infographic Emma Yarger & Lucy zumBrunnen Source 285 students

enior Bella Birkeland, co-president of Destress Club, said she feels establishing a place to help students with their time is beneﬁcial for the St. Louis Park community. “A lot of people are recognizing mental health issues, and school is becoming more increasingly competitive and requires a lot of work to do,” Birkeland said. “(Destress Club meets) on Mondays because that’s the time you usually get your workload for the week.” Kim Bartels, owner of Bartels Executive Coaching, said students should still strive for perfection, but should focus on prioritizing what is important. “Sometimes less is more. I talk to them about bare minimum,” Bartels said. “I ask them what would happen if they just did the bare minimum. Teachers don’t usually talk that way, but it’s better to get something partially done then shoot for perfection and miss a deadline.” Sophomore Marissa Boettcher said when she does experience moments of stress, she has a hard time prioritizing a balanced schedule. “I tend to prioritize sports over school sometimes. Then, when I get behind in classes, it really affects my mental state, and I psych myself out,” Boettcher said. Ninth grade counselor Barb Nelson said she hopes students recognize the increased workload as they travel through high school. “As you get into 10th,11th and 12th grade, it is more pressure, more demands, whether it’s work or things with family,” Nelson said. “You just have to be aware of how you are as a student and how you manage your own time and where you put your energies.” Senior Jake Olson said he recommends to asses where one might need to spend more time and adjust one’s schedule accordingly. “It really depends on that certain person when they’re trying to manage their time or a busy workload. The most important thing is prioritizing and recognizing what

subjects or tests you’re going to struggle more with and make more time for that,” Olson said. Bartels said the amount of sleep one receives is important to help balance everyday life. “I don’t know any high schoolers who can get 10 hours of sleep every night. Maybe if you can only get seven, make it midnight to seven every night,” Bartels said. Nelson said she encourages students to explore alternate outlets to disengage with stressors from school or extracurriculars. “Sometimes I ask kids, ‘When is the last time you took a walk?’ I feel like a lot of times kids who put all of that time into studying or sports don’t get that reconnection with the outdoors and nature,” Nelson said. According to Birkeland, she has found success in using bullet journals to keep her schedule in check. “A lot of people are getting into bullet journaling, and I think that’s a great way for people to start with time managing,” Birkeland said. “I use my bullet journal, and I write down the date of when something is due or when a big test is coming up for it, and I rank it for what has a bigger priority than others.” Freshman Dante Garcia Luna said he hopes to spread the importance of time management to friends and students at Park. “Sometimes I have the ability to lose focus. Put away your distractions that surround you even if it is really hard to get rid of them,” Garcia Luna said. According to Nelson, she helps to remind students to disconnect from tasks that may overwhelm them. “It’s really about being able to set that time aside — really shut down and disconnect from things. Taking care of yourself is the bottom line,” Nelson said.

“

SPORTS

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

OUT OF THE PARK

Sharing culture through dance Maggie Klaers maggieklaers@ slpecho.com

rish dance is a staple of Irish culture and heritage — it was around way before the Riverdance tour took the world by storm. It originated as religious dancing rituals of the Celts and developed into a more disciplined sport that combined with traditional Irish music into what we see today as modern Irish dance. Irish dancing began in America as a way for Irish immigrants to celebrate their shared culture with their community. Soon, however, the dancing evolved into a sport centered around competition and technique. Irish dancers spend hours practicing technique. Instead of practicing catching a ball, we work on our pointed toes, crossed over and turned out feet and toe height. We learn difficult tricks and routines, but have the strength to make it look effortless. Most dancers perform their routines in competitions called “feiseanna,” What’s the some are POINT? even good enough even make it to the World Championships. I dance at a Corda Mór. For the majority of the year we practice hard and compete in local and out-of-town competitions to try to earn a spot in each year’s regional competitions. Despite being centered around individual skills and competition, Irish dance goes back to its roots as a cultural celebration during the St. Patrick’s Day season. Many Irish dance schools, like Corda Mór, go on a St. Patrick’s Day tour to perform shows at various malls, schools, nursing homes, etc. to share our passion for the sport and the heritage behind our performances. Similar to when Irish immigrants first began to flood into the United States, St. Patrick’s Day is a time for Irish dancers to celebrate their culture with their community. Although I enjoy competing, every year when we begin practicing for our St. Patrick’s Day shows, I look forward to spending time with my Irish dance family and sharing a little piece of my life and heritage with my community through our shows.

Celebrating heritage builds connections

It’s a very good accomplishment for (Joy of the People) to represent us in a diﬀerent country. Jackson Thoe, sophomore

Taking a breather: Ben St. Clair places third in the 200-yard freestyle during the meet against Benilde. They faced oﬀ at the St. Louis Park Middle School and came away with the win, beating Benilde by four points. The team’s next meet is at 6 p.m. Jan. 17 at the high school against Robbinsdale Cooper.

Photo Abby Prestholdt

Boys’ swimming prepares for Robbinsdale Cooper Team faces backto-back meets Talia Lissauer & Maddie Schutte talialissauer@slpecho.com maddieschutte@slpecho.com

ccording to head coach Amanda Forsberg, coaches plan on putting swimmers into events they don’t normally compete in to expose them to new competition when they swim Robbinsdale Cooper. “We will put them in some off events so they can try to see some different things, so they’re ready to go on Saturday,” Fors-

berg said. “Hopefully some of the younger guys can see some different types of competition and get some good times.” Going into the meet, the team is 2-1. Junior Will Mathews said they have done well against Cooper, but plan on entering into the meet with the same energy as any other meet. “We usually come in pretty strong against Cooper. I don’t remember it being too difficult, but every meet we go in with the same intensity,” Mathews said. “Some of the underclassmen have had some amazing times

Photo Abby Prestholdt

Cheerleaders: Freshman Harris Keekley cheers on his teammates during their meet against Benilde Jan. 10. on the board and its been super fun.” According to captain Luke Anderson, training during winter break will be beneficial going forward and for the next meet. “We did a lot of training over winter break. We spent three hours in the pool every day. I think that will pay off,” Ander-

son said. Anderson said he has been happy with the results of the team so far. “I’m happy with how (the season) looks so far because we will probably end second in the conference and we’re already putting up some good times,” Anderson said.

Joy of the People travels to Spain Players compete internationally Maria Perez-Barriga mariaperezbarriga@slpecho.com

rtistic director Theodore Kroeten said soccer club Joy of the People was invited to represent the United States to the World Futsal Cup tournament in Spain. They competed against teams from different countries around the world. Kroeten said Joy of the People was one of the top three teams who received an invitation to represent the United States for the global tournament in Spain. “We play a game called Futsal, which the players have been playing since they were very little,” Kroeten said. “They go to tournaments every year, and at the national tournaments they finished second one year and third the next. The top three teams were invited to travel to this world tournament in Spain representing the United States” Junior Nick Riley said he had an extraordinary experience in Barcelona and playing against other countries in the soccer tournament was something he enjoyed tremendously. “I think the trip was definitely my favorite that I have ever been on. Barcelona is my favorite city in the world. It was really beautiful and I thought the soccer tournament was a great experience,” Riley said. “We played against other countries like Spain,

Photo Used with permission by Nick Riley

Practice makes perfect: Senior Lioul Minas and Junior Nick Riley face oﬀ during a soccer practice during their time in Barcelona.

Activities in Barcelona •

Barcelona •

•

They went sightseeing in Barcelona They competed in a global Futsal tournment Competed against Barcelona U18

Infographic Grace Farley Source JOTP

Brazil and Australia.” Kroeten stated that the U19 Joy of the People team played against other teams that were very experienced Futsal players who practice all day. “It was a very great experience at the U19 level. We were playing against professionals who do this full time so they finished third in the suburb division after going through all the playoffs and everything,” Kroeten said. Junior Andrew Kniser said he had an enjoyable time on the trip in Spain. “I thought it was pretty good trip, and I had a really good experience,” Kniser said.

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I think it’s great and it’s really exciting to hear that diﬀerent sports that are at our school are performing and competing at a high level

SPORTS

Gabby McCaa, senior

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

MEET THE ATHLETE

Who Molly Miller Grade Junior Sport Gymnastics How long have you been doing gymnastics? I did gymnastics from preschool to fourth grade and then I broke my ankle on the beam and had to quit.

Photo Carissa Prestholdt

Skiing to success: Sophomore Olivia Etz skate skis into the ﬁnish of the Nordic Ski race Dec. 11 at Theodore Wirth Park. Etz placed 61st out of 72 skiers girls’ varsity skiers. Girls varsity ﬁnished third out of nine teams.

Skiers compete in ﬁrst meet after break Girls’ Nordic performs well at latest meet Kaia Myers kaiamyers@slpecho.com

irls’ varsity placed third and boys’ varsity placed seventh at the Metro West Meet Jan. 10. Sophomore Maya Lee said the Nordic team had a successful first meet after winter break. “Everyone seems to be doing really well and (our) technique seemed good. Everyone seems pretty happy with how they did,” Lee said. “I feel like I did all right. I wasn’t feeling as good as I usually do during a race, but I feel like I did pretty okay.” Head coach John Dyste said he was excited to see the skiers

show their improved speed and strength after the training over break. “We did a lot of volume over winter break. We came back and have started doing some speedwork, and they’re responding,” Dyste said. According to Dyste, the team was expecting icy conditions after a meet was held at the same course a few days ago. Luckily, the conditions had improved. “On Tuesday, the Lake conference skied here and it was really icy. They had people that were on sleds and crashes ... but we didn’t have those conditions today,” Dyste said. “They weren’t ideal. I’m sure the skiers (would think) they weren’t the best conditions, but they were definitely better than they’ve been the last couple of days.” Lee said the team’s train-

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Personally, I just want to work really hard and do something I’m proud of. For the team, I feel like most people are looking to improve and work really hard to get better and bond as a team too. Maya Lee, sophomore

ing at the winter trip helped to improve its technique. The Nordic team went to Maplelag ski resort in Callaway, MN over winter break to help the team bond and work on distance skiing. “I feel like technique-wise, we’re better because of the winter trip. We were able to focus on getting better there,” Lee said. Dyste said winter break is a transitional period in the team’s training from more endurance work to speed. “After we came out of the break, we shifted pretty much

to different kinds of speedwork and uphill drills,” Dyste said. “(We’ve done) downhill drills as well because the speed on the downhill is very important, even the few seconds that you get off out of (practicing) that.” Lee said the skiers have been practicing in groups according to skill level as this system allows the experienced team members to help everyone get better. “We’ve done some technique work with the coaches. We mainly work in groups, so that makes it easy to help each other improve,” Lee said.

Want your voice heard? Echo is looking for artists, designers, photographers, reporters* and videographers for the 2019-20 school year.

Join Echo

Applications are available starting Feb. 19 in C363. * Reporter applicants who have taken the journalism class are preferred.

What made you rejoin? Gymnastics is such a different sport for me. You have a team, but it’s pretty much individual. You perform what you know how to do, and when you get a new skill it’s the best feeling. I love going to practice and not having to think about what’s going on outside of gymnastics. When I’m there, all my stress just rolls away, and I feel at home. What is your favorite event? I really love vault. The sprinting to the springboard and then flying over it gives me a rush of adrenaline I can’t get from anything else.

What is your favorite memory so far? My favorite memory from gymnastics would have to be when I was in kindergarten and had my first meet. I was terrified of competing because I hated people watching me and clapping for me, but I ended up winning the meet. What are you hoping to achieve this season? I’m hoping to (learn) as many new skills as I can and enjoy the season and have fun with the team. Who is your role model in gymnastics and why? I don’t really have a role model. Even though I just met most of the girls on the team — on the high school team — this year, I look up to all of them and I get so happy when they get a new skill they’ve been working on, it pushes me to do even better. How do you prepare? I haven’t competed yet since I’m new, (but) I’m trying to get routines together. What is the hardest thing? (Gymnastics is) an individual sport, so when you keep failing at a new skill it’s really frustrating to not be able to do it when you try so hard. It’s also every day so I’m sore a lot but it’s all worth it.

Sadie Yarosh sadieyarosh@slpecho.com

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10 OPINIONS

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

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

It’s really amazing that all the youth got to see the governor and talk about climate change. Caroline Butler, freshman

OUR PERSPECTIVE

MN Can’t Wait rally should inspire action

ith issues such as climate change, student activism is essential to impact politics. This is why the Echo Editorial Board applauds MN Can’t Wait’s campaign. The student-led organization, MN Can’t Wait, held a rally and discussion to take action against climate change, at 4 p.m. Jan. 9 in Gov. Tim Walz’s office at the Minnesota State Capitol. The primary purpose of the rally hosted was to persuade Walz into taking immediate action on climate change and to make our government more aware of what they can be doing to improve our environment. The students held a dialogue session with Walz about how he can help jumpstart climate action. The Echo Editorial Board applauds MN Can’t Wait for organizing an event that did not simply protest for climate action, but included a dialogue with important Minnesota politicians. An issue cannot be solved if there is no intimate discussion with elected officials who can take action to resolve

Photo Grace Farley

Speak up: Gov. Walz speaks to a room of climate activists including students from across Minnesota Jan. 9. The Echo encourages all students, regardless of their ideology, to become politically active in their state legislation. issues at hand. Collaborating is the only way to make progress on any conflict. The board also praises Walz and other officials for giving MN Can’t Wait a chance to be heard. It is important for a political leader to be open-minded about possible legislation and change. The Editorial Board believes youth activism has an immense effect on our state and country today. We urge students to get involved with youth-led organizations that work to-

ward change on any topic. It is the youth generations that will be affected by current issues, so students should have a say in their future. Regardless of personal beliefs, all students should be active in their local govenrment. The board encourages all to learn more about political and global issues, so they can have a voice on the issue. There are several ways to participate in politics in order to make change happen.

Principal: Scott Meyers Printer: North Star Media *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 Hall of Fame member; 2011, 2016, 2017 NSPA Print Pacemaker Finalist; 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 National Print Pacemaker Award Recipient; 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2019 Online Pacemaker Finalist; 2018 NSPA Online Pacemaker, CSPA; 2013 CSPA Gold Crown; 2015 CSPA Hybrid Gold Crown; 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 CSPA Silver Crown; JEM All-State.

Insulin prices should be lowered to protect diabetics Cost too high for lifesaving hormone Abby Intveld abbyintveld@slpecho.com

very day, more than 6 million Americans with diabetes must inject themselves with insulin in order to survive, according to the American Diabetes Association. If this isn’t stressful enough, the prices of these vital treatments are rising to inhumane costs with no price plateau in sight. According to Diabetes Management, the cost of insulin has increased from roughly $200 per month to $500 per month. In There is no reason for some cases people are people with diabetes forced to pay to be forced to choose an astonishing $900. between aﬀording This is a disgroceries and getting gustingly high the treatments that price for such save them. an important hormone. If those with diabetes cannot afford this expensive treatment and therefore don’t receive it, their disease can progress to serious and possibly life-threatening health conditions. With the cost per month being

Insulin prices over time 300

Cost per vial

Adviser: Lori Keekley

$275

• •

$234 200 $105 100 $21

$35

• 0•

1996

2001

•

2005

Year

2015

2017

Photo illustration Grace Farley & Creston Halstead Source American Diabetes Association

Insulin by the numbers 30 million Americans have diabetes and many must take insulin • Humalog’s 10 mililiter vial went from $21 in 1996 to $275 today • Can cost up to $1,000 a month • 25% of those with the disease “self-ration” by taking the hormone less often than necessary •

Infographic Isabel Kjaer & Ethan Meisler Source US News & Washington Post

Down to time management: Time is a construct.

close to a grand, people who can’t afford it can suffer from ailments including blindness, organ failure and death. To raise the price of such an important treatment to unaffordable levels is unacceptable and inhumane. It is shocking this situation hasn’t changed when there are more than 6 million Americans facing high-risk situations if they find themselves unable to pay their insulin costs. In a lawsuit regarding this increase, the Hagens Berman law firm reported that multiple popular insulin brands’ costs have risen more than 160 percent in price during the last five years. It also revealed the brands were creating such price hikes for profit — keeping the prices they offer to pharmacies the same, yet spiking the cost to consumers. It is appalling that multiple brands have decided their profit takes precedent over the lives and well-being of such a large share of the United States’ population. There is no need for the enormous disparity between consumer and pharmacy costs. According to the advocacy group T1International, the cost of insulin in the United States is much higher than in other countries. This begs the question of why Americans face such unnecessary prices, when those in countries just as advanced have access to affordable prices. It is crucial insulin prices return to a lower amount. There is no reason for people with diabetes to be forced to choose between affording groceries and getting treatments that save them. It should be a right to afford life-saving treatments in this country, not a privilege, and something needs to be done to change that.

Down to escape rooms: Can these rooms help you escape ﬁnals?

Up to student activism: Best excuse not to do your homework.

Art Maggie Klaers

A.B, C.H, E.Y

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I’m glad that they lessened (Cyntoia Brown’s) sentence. It’s obviously because of privilege that she was sentenced to life. Grace Kamyinku, sophomore

OPINIONS

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Cyntoia Brown ﬁnally released after 15 years

Justice served

Cruel, unusual punishments are unacceptable Samiya Mohamed samiyamohamed@slpecho.com

t the age of 16, Cyntoia Brown was convicted for murdering 43 year old Johnny Allen. Originally, she was sentenced to at least 51 years in prison and would only have been eligible for parole at the age of 69. This all changed when Brown was granted clemency by Gov. Bill Haslam Jan. 7 after serving 15 years in prison, according to The Tennessean. Being just 16 years old when she committed the crime, Brown was sentenced to an overly harsh punishment. Above all, she was a minor who had been sold for sex and tortured, according to NPR. Most of all, Brown was tried as an adult for first degree murder, which should’ve been ruled as self defense, according to The Tennessean. The Eighth Amendment to the Constitu-

tion states no “cruel or unusual punishment” shall be inflicted. The court decided on an incredibly harsh punishment for an undeserving Brown. She received an odd discipline for her situation. Even worse, it took the government 15 years to realize that Brown wasn’t at fault all these years. It’s not normal for someone in Brown’s position to get clemency and it wasn’t right for the government to delay her case. Brown’s case could have been dealt with sooner if they made her one of their main priorities. The court treated Brown’s case without acknowleding the teen’s background. This inhumane sentence Brown received needs to be illegal. Brown herself was a victim in this case and law officials need to review minors’ cases before concluding a case without all the details. Cruel and unusual punishments like Brown’s should be fixed for future cases similar to Brown’s. The amount of time it took for Brown to be freed is unacceptable. The background of the case was not thoroughly reviewed and her punishment was overly harsh. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and in this occasion, Brown wasn’t given a fair trial. Law officials need to analyze more cases similar to Brown’s so this type of problem doesn’t affect young girls. Just because it happened in Tennessee doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen in St. Louis Park.

Art Maggie Klaers and Lucy ZumBrunnen

POINT COUNTERPOINT

St. Louis Park City Council decides not to become a sanctuary city

Fear of retaliation from Trump administration leads city to opt for grant program instead STUDENT VOICES

Sanctuary cities necessary to increase trust with police Immigrants are not criminals Talia Lissauer talialissauer@slpecho.com

ndocumented people are not aliens. They are not intruders or criminals. They are people who are in search of a better life and unless they have committed a true crime, should not fear deportation when they interact with the police. The St. Louis Park City Council decided the city would not become a sanctuary city, giving into President Trump’s unfair threats. Immediately after taking office in 2017, Trump tried to bully cities into not becoming sanctuary cities. Although many judges deemed his actions unconstitutional, it hasn’t stopped him. Instead, St. Louis Park is attempting to create a program that would reward organizations that

PARK TRAIL

Time to start collecting acorns for the winter!

help immigrants. Although this is an incredible idea, the program leaves out a key benefit of being a sanctuary city: undocumented immigrants’ safe relationship with the police. According to the American Immigration Council, 23 percent of the immigrants in Minnesota are undocumented. The people’s trust in police continues to crumble and a sanctuary city helps improve it. If they call the police as a victim and were caught without documents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement could get involved, and they could end up being deported. Instead of listening to the short list on why we can’t trust immigrants, think about the long list of reasons why we need to support them. They deserve the same rights as an American and should not be scared to come in contact with police.

Should St. Louis Park be a sanctuary city?

Avoiding term sanctuary city is in St. Louis Park’s best interest Term protects immigrants David Bryant davidbryant@slpecho.com

“(Illegal immigrants) should be deported. If they want to come in the legal way, they should go through the right process.”

Miles Massie, sophomore

“I think it’s sad that we, as a community, aren’t helping those less fortunate than ourselves.”

Al Woida, junior

e can protect St. Louis Park residents and immigrants at the same time by avoiding the term sanctuary city. Recently the St. Louis Park City Council decided against becoming a sanctuary city and instead opted for a grant program that supports immigrants. A sanctuary city is a city in which the local government limits its police forces’ cooperation with national immigration officials. Whereas a welcoming city is one that allows protection of undocumented immigrants while still cooperating with the national government. By avoiding the term sanctuary city, but still following the majority of the protections a sanctuary city would provide for undocumented immigrants, the

city provides safety for them while avoiding any trouble with the national government. The recent attacks from the Trump administration threatening to take away funding from sanctuary cities allows for the term “welcoming city” to be used perfectly. Having no set definition of what a sanctuary city is makes the rule hard to enforce and offers a potential loophole for places like St. Louis Park. An assumption that the term sanctuary city means undocumented immigrants are totally safe is also incorrect. Recent attacks, such as a video of a Metro Transit Police Officer in New Hope questioning someone on their documentation status, prove otherwise. Keeping St. Louis Park from being a sanctuary city is in best interest of local immigrants in order to avoid attacks locally and from the Trump administration.

Maggie Klaers maggieklaers@slpecho.com

mmm mm... delici ous!

Oh no! I was having too much fun and forgot to collect my acorns!

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12 ENTERTAINMENT

Echo Wednesday, January 16, 2019

‘Escape Room’ sounds like a good premise. If you have claustrophobia it’s probably not for you. Kayla Ignatowitz, junior

Escape predictabilty Fair use from Sony Pictures

Mediocre thriller lacks originality Isabel Kjaer isabelkjaer@slpecho.com

hen I first watched the trailer for “Escape Room,” the concept was intriguing. But after leaving the theater, the film felt unsatisfying. What could have been a standout movie became yet another average thriller. The film follows five characters’ adventure through an invite-only escape room, targeting each of the characters’ trauma.

METRO METRO AT A GLANCE

David Bryant davidbryant@slpecho.com Photos used with permission from Go 96.3, Capitol Records, Minneapolis Institute of Art, 20th Century Fox.

Although interesting, the characters fell into horror movie stereotypes. There was a rich man, a smart girl, a slob, a tough girl and a nerd. It seemed every sentence the characters said only dug them deeper into their unoriginal personality types. In spite of this, the movie was well-cast. The actors seemed to fit the roles, and there was a fair amount of diversity. That is, diversity that did not die off in the first 10 minutes of the movie. The beautifully designed sets were an upside to the movie. It seemed that every detail had been taken into consideration, leaving intricate and thoughtful surroundings. The sets pulled me right into the scenes and gave context to the story around it.

Sadly, the film was predictable. The opening scene showing a flash to the future revealed far too many secrets about the plot. After seeing the trailer in addition to the very first scene, predicting everything that happened wasn’t hard, as it seemed like I already seen the movie. Additionally, the ending left a horrible last impression because it had no conclusion, as the movie shamelessly set up for a sequel. Despite enjoying the rest of the movie, the ending felt tacky. The original concept of the film never truly followed through and took advantage of its options. It simply never had the wow factor. Despite this, “Escape Room” was entertaining and fairly well thought out.

Jan. 17

Jan. 18

Now - Jan. 20

Jan. 25

Pop artist King Princess prepares for her concert at First Avenue hosted by Go 96.3. Tickets are available for resale on seatgeek. com starting at $40.

Indie pop artist Maggie Rogers prepares to release her debut full length album “Heard it in a Past Life,” available for streaming on Apple Music and Spotify.

Sara Cwynar offers a variety of art through colorful visuals and elaborate design in both film and photography at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Admission is free.

“The Kid Who Would Be King” comes to theaters telling the story of a nobody kid finding an ancient sword and tasked with fighting a wicked enchantress.