March 20, 2019 Edition of The Spartan Speaks

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Photo/ Simon Rice

NEWS

Seniors’ SoundCloud rap at 18,000+ plays

Cari Spencer Editor in Chief

At 6Smith in downtown Wayzata, seniors Fisher Eiss, James “Jimmy” Buck and Ben Bissen sat down for dinner, having just released their song, “Hot Cold (prod. Ocean Beats),” to Soundcloud. It was Dec. 21, 2018 and their phones were “blowing up.”

“People were constantly texting us...random people would DM us and be like ‘this song’s on my playlist it’s actually really good,’” Buck said, “random people would put it on VSCO, their [Instagram] stories, their finstas.”

Since then, their rap has continued to spread. Eiss and Bissen reminisced on a night when they were in the Kobe parking lot, in Plymouth, and heard “Hot Cold” playing from a stranger’s car. It was a girl from Blake who Buck apparently knew, but the shock was still there. The song had moved beyond Orono.

random listener from Sweden even commented and reposted the song.

As of March 12, the song has been played over 18,000 times.

It was played at the girl’s varsity hockey game between puck drops, during lunch in the cafeteria and performed live at the Sadie Hawkins dance. Teachers, out-of-state friends from North Carolina and former OHS students have heard it too--one

After Nohner gave a lesson on poetry that included song lyrics, the boys said that they realized song lyrics and poetry are essentially synonymous. For their class poetry assignment, Eiss decided to write a song. He drew inspiration from a YouTube video.

Origins…

The beginning of Trifle Gang is fitting for the high school group: it all started at school, in Grace Nohner’s creative writing class.

“I heard a video--this one guy

State Sports - 11

talking about his past relationship--and he’s like ‘yeah this person was acting hot and cold to me … if you’re not by them they’ll just go cold, they won’t text you or they won’t talk to you, but when they’re with you they’re everything you want them to be,’” Eiss said, “it’s about growing from someone and things starting to get hot and cold, like seasons.”

At a psychology study session, Eiss played a beat (produced by Ocean Beats) that he found on YouTube, alongside his lyrics, for Buck and Bissen; they said that they couldn’t believe the lyrics

See TRIFLE on page 12

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News What’s up with the snow days?

The

March 20, 2019

Spartan Speaks Editorial Board Editors in Chief Ellie Fasbender - Online Cari Spencer - Content Katie Udell - Print Online Editors Jazmine Borreson Anika Sodhi News Editors Caroline Robson Isabel Scharf Annika Sorenson Features Editors Nina Johnson Isabella Koch Ella Weinbeck Sports Editors Mark Sarles Andy Berrell Opinions Editors Jagur Justen Emelia Lowe Kenzie Taylor Layout Designer Hannah Thillman Visuals Editors Amanda Marquis Social Media Manager Zach Adams Copy Editors Sam Capece Maddie Combs Claire Suchy Contact Information The Spartan Speaks 795 Old Crystal Bay Rd. N. Long Lake, MN 55356 Website www.spartanspeaks.com Principal Dr. Amy Steiner Adviser Kyle Ann Herring

Policy Statement The Spartan Speaks is a public forum, with its student editorial board and adviser making decisions concerning its contents.

Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board.

Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the staff of the paper, school or administration, unless so attributed.

The Spartan Speaks does not necessarily endorse the products or services of advertisers.

Letters to the Editor We welcome and encourage readers to submit Letters to the Editor regarding current issues, school topics, or about articles appearing in The Spartan Speaks newspaper or appearing on www.spartanspeaks.com.

Please email or submit your letter on spartanspeaks.com.

We only publish signed letters, so include your name.

Sam Capece Copy Editor This year in Minnesota, the snow has been piling and the state has seen record-breaking low temperatures that have affected Orono High School.

Orono has had numerous cancellations and delays due to snow, cold and even ice.

Many students have questions concerning making up school and how Orono will proceed if more school days continue to be canceled.

“The snow days have impacted schedules. There are some classes that are behind and have had to cut out lessons.

It also impacted athletics and activities as they had to do rescheduling,” principal Dr. Amy Steiner said.

Many sports teams like hockey and basketball have had to move forward despite less practices and missed games.

Missed games had to be rescheduled and teams had to fit extra practices in.

Schools can have up to five days of online classes due to bad weather, according to reviser.mn.gov.

“Other schools do online school during snow days, which allows them to count the day as a school day, so they avoid the problem of having to make up days later in the year. It is very beneficial to do things this way because if a day is on the line of being a snow day, the school could go with the safer route of having a snow day,” junior Devin Hunt said.

Schools have a certain amount of school days they need to have per year. If a school doesn’t complete all the re-

quired days they will have to make up days at the end of the year or during holidays and breaks. Grades 7-12 must have at least 1,020 hours of school and the decision of how to make up school days is up to the individual district, according to mn2020.org. This means that Orono needs at least 145 school days per year.

Making up school on Saturdays is also an option.

The governor can call weather emergencies and snow days for schools although most of the time he leaves it up to the individual district, he recently assured schools that they would not be penalized for being under the required hours.

“We do not need to make up any school days at this point,” Steiner said.

There are many factors that play a part in declaring a weather emergency. Government officials see if highways are open, snow plows are working, and if power systems are affected, according to mn.gov. They also check for dangerous road conditions like ice and dangerously cold weather. Weather emergencies are broadcasted to local radio stations like WCCO and KARE11.

“Snow, ice, and cold are all the things that cause snow days.

The decisions are made by the superintendent. She checks the weather and talks with other superintendents. She also talks with transportation.

One day the bus company said that they needed a late start, since they are the ones putting the buses out there and they know how the roads are,” Steiner said. “They try to call the snow days and delays as

Photo/ Sam Capece Dangerous temperatures and snowstorms in Minnesota have forced many schools, including Orono, to close in order to protect the safety of students and staff.

early as possible. It will only be later if we don’t know. It’s not as bad at the high school level, but with little kids we want to give families as much time as possible.”

This year, people living in Minnesota and surrounding states have experienced dangerously cold weather.

Schools need to take this into consideration when deciding whether or not to cancel. According to weather.gov, if the windchill is -20 or less, frostbite can occur in 30 minutes-and when temperatures drop even lower--this can happen much quicker.

“Even if there is no snow outside, cold temperatures can still strongly affect the safety of students. For example, if a student’s car were to break down on the way to school they would be left in the freezing cold. Also, just walking from my parking spot to school, I could barely

feel my hands because of the low temps,” junior Georgia Beutler said.

Orono students have kept safe this winter by staying inside more, but with more snow and cold weather to come, there are many more opportunities for dangerous circumstances.

“One thing I always want kids who drive to know is that if we have to close school, we do it for a reason; it means it’s not safe, so I want kids to think about that. If we have a day off, kids shouldn’t be out,” Steiner said. “With two-hour late starts, it doesn’t mean students should leave home two hours later than normal.

Leave an hour later or an hour and a half later.”

“It’s serious if we close, and [students] should be safe and drive slowly and carefully,” Steiner said.

Sign-out policy: what seniors need to know Ella Weinbeck Features Editor When students at Orono High School reach the age of 18, they have the ability to sign out of school. However, there are steps that they must follow to reach this point. If the privilege is abused, this privilege may also be taken away.

The first step a student must follow upon turning 18, if they want to be able to sign out, is to get a form from the office. This form is the gateway into associate principal Caryn Boyd’s office for approval.

The form is labeled 18-Year-Old Consent Form. If the student is not 18, they must be legally emancipated (have legal independence from their guardians) to sign out. If they are legally emancipated, they must show legal documentation. Unless the student is legally emancipated, a parent signature is required to complete this form.

“It makes it less of a hassle for my

parents and I’m able to sign out during study halls. Education is priority,” senior Mitchell Underdahl said.

The next step would be to have a meeting with Boyd. She must approve for the student to be allowed to sign out. If she does not approve (possible reasons include poor attendance record, multiple unexcused absences, apparent lack of responsibility, etc.), the student must continue to have their guardians call the attendance line or write notes for any tardiness or absences.

“Here at school, you are still your parent’s child and we have to follow state law. State law requires the school districts to have and maintain one and only one attendance policy for every student that is enrolled in the district, no matter how old and what grade you’re in,” Boyd said.

If a student is approved to sign out, they must still bring in a note in advance for

their absence. There is a small sheet of paper that the student needs to fill out before getting the absence excused. Excused absences include: illness, medical or dental treatment, pre-arranged family trips, pre-arranged college visits, etc.

“You have to have an actual reason to sign out, it’s not like you can just leave,” senior Lance O’Connor said.

The student, although they have the ability to sign out, has the responsibility to attend classes everyday that school is in session.

“Right now, on average, I have about three solid students who sign out per day, but by the time May rolls around, it will be about 15-20 students per day,” administrative assistant to associate principal and attendance administrator Heather DeLong said.

See SIGN-OUT page 7

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News

March 20, 2019

OHS starts March with blood drive Annika Sorenson News Editor

drive at the school can offer an easier opportunity to donate.

Orono High School hosted a blood drive on Wednesday, March 6, the second blood drive of the 2018-2019 school year. The blood drive lasted throughout the day, allowing students to sign up and donate during their classes.

“A blood drive at the school motivates me to donate more,”senior Hanna Rose Harbison said, “it’s more accessible.”

Orono Schools works with Memorial Blood Centers to put on the drive, which is hosted in the school’s mezzanine. Students have the opportunity to leave class during their donations, but otherwise the drive doesn’t interfere with student schedules.

The event is publicized during school lunches, with flyers on tables, and a table to sign up to donate by the cafeteria entrance. Students involved with organizing the blood drive make announcements to motivate donation during lunches. Peer social pressure or friend pressure can be an effective way to boost participation, according to doctor Joseph Ferrari. Sign ups ended on Monday, March 4.

“Donating with friends and lunch announcements can make people donate more,” senior Ana Shurson said.

There are 10 locations throughout Minnesota and northern Wisconsin where one can donate to Memorial Blood Centers, according to Memorial Blood Center’s website. However, for busy students participating in school and many extracurriculars, hosting a blood

Students must be 17 years old, or 16 with a parents’ permission, to donate.

Memorial Blood Centers advise donors to eat a full meal with iron-rich foods before donation, stay hydrated, and get good rest before and after donation.

People donate more frequently when they place importance on rest after donation, according to International Society for Blood Transfusion journal Vox Sanguinis.

Blood donations often go towards transfusions for those in need from surgery, injury, or disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. There are four types of donations that can be done: platelets, plasma, whole blood, and double red cells.

Depending on blood type, certain donations are needed more than others.

This information can be found on Memorial Blood Center’s website, where there is a chart showing which blood donation is most needed. For example, for blood type A+, plasma and platelet donations are wanted.

For students, donating blood can be an easy and quick way to give back to the community. Donations can be used in cases ranging from heart transplants to prematurely born babies.

Photo/ Annika Sorenson The blood drive before it started on Wednesday, March 6 at OHS.

“[Blood donation] will save lives and hardly affect yours, ” teacher Paul Ivers said.

Different donation types have varying times participants should wait before donating again, however it’s advised that in general, those who donate more than twice a year should take iron supplements. Before any blood donation is taken, donors will have hemoglobin levels, the protein carrying iron through the blood, tested to make sure they will remain healthy after donating.

Although some students have experienced light-headedness after donation, resting and eating properly can help

combat this, and like the hemoglobin testing, donors will be evaluated to make sure the donation won’t be harmful. To help avoid negative effects, Memorial Blood Centers provides juice and snacks for donors.

Two blood drives a year gives students who didn’t donate in the fall, or those who want to donate again, more opportunities to do so. The blood drive offers opportunities for some students to get involved in organization, and some to lend aid to those in need.

“I donate blood because it can be an important way to give back and help others,” Harbison said.

OHS students perform with All- Students take PISA, scores to be compared State bands at Orchestra Hall with other countries

Jagur Justen Opinions Editor Becoming members of the MMEA All-State band is an impressive accomplishment for some Orono students.

On Saturday Feb. 16, eight Orono band members participated in all state orchestra (senior Lauren Odens and junior Georgia Bunkers), concert band (seniors Annika Sorenson, Alexis Mullen, Hannah Clink, Katherine Dore and junior Nicole Lyons) and symphonic band (senior Emma Russin).

Isabel Sharf News Editor On Thursday, March 7, a group of around 42 students, who were the age of 15, participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment, also known as the PISA.

Photo/ Jagur Justen

“I love contributing to After their performances, the group of eight All-State band posed an ensemble and joining for a picture to celebrate getting this far. with other musicians to create something beautiquires recordings of a solo of George and An American ful and bigger than all of us,” your choice, etudes assigned Elegy by Frank Ticheli. senior Katherine Dore said.

by MMEA, and a scale sheet,” senior Annika Sorenson said. “I found out on Friday that Students audition in the the guy who had been first spring, and if selected, parAll-State bands have been chair during the summer ticipate in a summer camp performing for almost 73 camp had moved to South lasting about a week, which years, welcoming students Dakota. The next day, I got gives students time to get from all over Minnesota, the super cool opportunity to know each other and the according to the Minnesota to play a few oboe solos at music they will perform, acMusic Educators Association Orchestra Hall. It was an cording to MMEA. They then (MMEA) All-State program. incredible experience and come back together in FebruThey performed pieces like; experience and I’ll never ary to perform at Orchestra Symphony in d minor forget it,” senior Alexis MulHall.

III. Allegro non troppo by len said.

César Franck, Firefly by Ryan “All-State auditioning re-

The students chosen were randomly selected from a list of all the 15 year-olds attending the school. The test only occurs every three years and was first conducted in 2000 according to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

The purpose of the test is to compare the education students get around the world by testing mathematics, science, reading and financial literacy. The test is to see how much content students attain and also view their problem solving as well as cognition.

The test takes around three hours in total which includes the introduction instructions and breaks. The test itself takes two hours and is completed during the school day.

Orono was chosen by the

OECD, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, from a list of schools. Each country chooses the school that they want added to the list. Different factors go into account when choosing schools, including size, to ensure each school accurately represents each country.

U.S. News and World Report wrote an article providing brief information about the content of the PISA, “The questions in the exam cover 184 items in science, 103 items in reading, 81 in mathematics, 117 in collaborative problem-solving and 43 in financial literacy. Each student gets a combination of these five types of tasks in his or her two-hour test.”

The questions are not designed to be the typical questions, but rather questions that push students to think outside of the box.

“We were not looking for answers to equations or to multiple choice questions,” PISA test founder Andreas Schleicher said of the test,“We were looking for the ability to think creatively.”

MN News

4

March 20, 2019

Klobuchar announces 2020 campaign

Luke Rundell Staff Reporter

During a snowstorm on a February day in Northeast Minneapolis, many bundled up to see (for some long awaited) senator Amy Klobuchar announce her presidency. Dressed in a yellow coat, she stood outside and spoke for 25 minutes straight, and by the end of the speech was covered head-to-toe in snow. Klobuchar didn’t end her speech because she was drenched in snow--she ended it because her speech was over.

the clean power rules and gas mileage standards and put forth sweeping legislation to invest in green jobs and infrastructure.

“Let me be blunt: for too long leaders in Washington have sat on the sidelines while others try to figure out what to do about our changing economy and its impact on our lives, what to do about the disruptive nature of new technologies, income inequality, the

political and geographic divides, the changing climate, the tumult in our world. For a moment, let’s stop seeing those obstacles as obstacles on our path. Let’s see those obstacles as our path,” Klobuchar said.

She also addressed her centrist-left stance on gun control, while still trying to appeal to the gun owners: “That’s why, in a state where we all value hunting and fishing and the

“We don’t let a little cold stop us, do we? Are you guys even cold? When I said that elected leaders should go not just where it’s comfortable, but also where it’s uncomfortable, I meant it!”

Senator Amy Klobuchar said.

The factor that differentiates her from other candidates, is that she made a different promise. She promised to put some “digital rules” down when it comes to privacy and big tech companies, and to connect every U.S. household to the internet by 2022 if she is elected.

She ended her announcement speech with a message of unity for the country, to stop the hate and fear.

“And one last obstacle which we must overcome to move forward together.

Stop the fear-mongering and stop the hate. We may come from different places. We may pray in different ways.

We may look different. And love different. But all live in the same country of shared dreams,” Klobuchar said.

Over the entirety of the speech, she covered the main messages of her campaign with a centrist-left standing, and with some jabs at President Trump. On the first day of her presidency, she announced that the U.S. would rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement.

She then said that in the first 100 days of her presidency she would reinstate

great outdoors, I’m not afraid to join the vast majority of Americans, including many gun owners, to stand up to the gun lobby and put universal background checks and common sense gun legislation into law. It’s time, America,” Klobuchar said.

Photo/ Laurie Shaull Klobuchar stands on the banks of the Mississippi announcing her campaign for the 2020 presidential election.

Since her announcement speech, there have been several accounts by

See 2020 page 6

Mining bans Fast facts about MN Senator Amy Klobuchar in BWCA overturned Nina Johnson Features Editor The Trump administration has recently overturned Obama-era bans on mining in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. This reversal has the potential to reopen mining in a section of the Superior National Forest, tapping into the watershed of the canoe area.

The BWCA (Boundary Waters Canoe Area) is located in the northern tier of the Superior National Forest. Over 3.9 million acres of public land in Minnesota were granted as forest reserve, thus creating the Superior National Forest, dedicated by Theodore Roosevelt in 1909. In 1978, the BWCA was established under Carter’s presidency, prohibiting the use of motors, mining, and logging in the designated area.

In 2016, a 20 year ban on mining in the area was enacted under the Obama administration, following the notion that mining in the watershed could cause “irreversible impacts upon natural resources,” according to the US Forest Service. In 2018, Twin Metals-a mining company owned by

the conglomerate Antofagasta, a powerhouse in the industry-renewed their leases, which now allow for drilling in search of a mine.

The 365 sq. mile area which was recently reopened by the US Department of Interior-solely for exploration of mines--is believed to be rich in untapped sects of metals, such as copper and nickel.

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the mining of such materials can release chemicals and polluted waters even after the mining period has ceased. In September, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) cancelled a planned study put in place in 2016 to monitor the potential environmental effects of mining in the area.

Mining can have considerable effects on freshwater ecosystems, according to the National Institutes of Health. A study conducted in central Finland measured the ecological damage inflicted by the polluted water from a nearby mine and the surrounding sediment was found “highly contaminated.”

See BWCA page 20

Caroline Robson News Editor

Bann, who will be voting for the first time in the 2020 election, said.

Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar announced on Feb. 9 that she is intending to run for Democratic nominee in the 2020 presidential election. The announcement came in Minneapolis on the banks of the Mississippi River, amidst a typical Minnesota snowstorm. This setting granted her the nickname of ‘snowman’ from President Trump.

There has never been a president from the state of Minnesota, although there have been two vice presidents.

Klobuchar is a Minnesota native who was born and raised in Plymouth, graduating as valedictorian from Wayzata High School. She went on to graduate from Yale University and get her graduate degree from the University of Chicago Law School.

She was first elected to be a Minnesota senator in 2006 and was then reelected in 2012 and 2018. She was the first female senator from Minnesota. Currently, she represents her state as one of two female senators, out of only six total states with women as both their senators.

Donald Trump was born and raised in Queens, New York, which is about as different from a rural farm in Minnesota as one can get. For some Minnesotans, this relatability aspect might play a role in their support for Klobuchar. This drastic difference in background and upbringing may help or hurt Klobuchar in her campaign.

She may give a voice to the lesser represented midwest, which some may view as a positive thing--or some may believe that someone with a background from a bigger metropolis may be the better spokesperson for the country.

“It makes me feel proud, especially since she is from Wayzata. It doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with her policies, but it is still cool to me to have more representation,” senior Lauren Proulx said.

“It makes me feel proud,

Minnesota, Listen Up Minnesota is a traditionally liberal state, with the total of our electoral college votes (currently 13) going towards the Democratic nominee in the past 11 elections.

especially since she is from Wayzata. It doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with her policies, but it is still cool to me to have more representation.”

Expressing her value in agricultural importance of the economy, as well as wanting to promote the laborers from more — Lauren Proulx rural regions, Klobusenior char actively supports and encourages many of the economic activities that drive Minneso“It would be a good thing [having a president ta, making her appealing to many Minnesotans who represents a flyover state] because it from around the state--even if not all of their would bring a new perspective to the table that political views align. hasn’t been harnessed before,” senior Gabriella

See FACTS page 20

News Need to know: the U.S.’s trade war with China 5

Nina Johnson Copy Editor

In 2018, the Trump administration imposed a set of tariffs in an attempt to reduce the United States trade deficit. Thus far, the US has set in place a staggering $250 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, these products ranging from construction materials, cars, and food. China immediately retaliated, totalling $110 billion in tariffs on US goods.

This foreign turmoil has left many attempting to decipher both the positive and negative economic outcomes and effects on foreign relations that could accompany the tariffs.

Tariffs are a tax on consumers imposed by the government, which are designed to protect the interest of certain industries. The world’s two largest economies have imposed these tariffs, slowing global economic growth and causing fluctuation to manufacturing. The tariffs began in July of 2018, when Trump imposed a 10-25 percent tax on materials like steel and aluminum. China’s Commerce Ministry later accused the United States of launching a trade war, prompting China’s response accompanied with ample tariffs on US imports.

Trump’s tariffs would cause

a 0.59 percent United States GDP drop, according to the Tax Foundation, which translates into roughly $148 billion. The study also estimated that there could be a national net wage drop of 0.38 percent. This estimate would likely increase as other nations retaliate with tariffs off their own goods, following in the footsteps of two of the largest contributors to the global economy.

“The trade war between the US and China reflects the deep-rooted abuse of power between the two countries which in turn harms its people,” junior Molly Martini said.

In December, both nations agreed to call a 90-day standstill on the tariffs, as a second year of continuous conflict looms on the forefront of trade. On Feb. 22, President Trump met with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He and put in place a $1.2 trillion commitment for China to purchase that in US goods, which will incentivise the Chinese to make changes to their trading practices--those practices being the basis of Trump’s tariffs. The result of these negotiations will ideally bring changes to alleviate trade imbalances with respect to each

other’s key demands.

Both nations have seen foreseeable changes in their economies. American businesses, such as Brandywine Lighting Gallery in Delaware, have most of their products supplied from China. The 10 percent tax on all of their overseas imports make a price increase for customers almost inevitable. Likewise, China has faced troubles of its own.

In a tweet, President Trump stated that “China just announced that their economy is growing much slower than anticipated because of our Trade War with them.”

“Since China’s economy is growing so rapidly, it is foolish to impose large trade tariffs on them since in the next coming decades they will rival if not surpass our economy.

Having strong foreign relations with them is definitely ideal to thrive economically in the rapidly changing global economy of the 21st century,” junior Devin Hunt said.

While the tumultuous trade war between the United States and China may be coming to a slow end, its conflict has set a precedent in the global economy, as nations continue to fight to be at the forefront of the world’s quickening pace.

Green New Deal stirs up debate in Washington

Claire Suchy Copy Editor

sustainable wage, paid vacation and retirement.

Years of contentious debate on climate change in Washington D.C. has proven it a polarizing subject. Until Feb. 7, when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey proposed The Green New Deal, it had been 11 years since climate change was met with a definitive plan. The Green New Deal is a non-binding resolution that outlines a plan for the United States to become more environmentally friendly, as well as produces jobs and balances the economy.

Since being released, this proposal has generated debate from both democrats and republicans, mostly due to its progressive economic ideas.

The cost has also become a concern for top lawmakers in D.C., many projecting that it could be a multi-trillion dollar project.

This resolution is split into three parts: reducing carbon emissions, protecting vulnerable communities and economic reforms. The first of these parts, reducing carbon emissions, would be achieved by collaborating with farmers, overhauling transportation systems, and upgrading buildings. The second part of the proposal is to protect ‘frontline and vulnerable communities’ from the effects of this overhaul, by creating high wage jobs and counteracting injustices. These economic reforms include progressive ideas, such as granting all citizens of the United States a

“I think that it [has so much interest] because of the radial transitions and it calls for American society, our economy, and political sphere, all within the span of 10 years” senior Abby Wilkins said.

Tax increases on the wealthy have been proposed by Ocasio-Cortez in order to pay for this proposal, but this proposal could cost $2.5 trillion a year, according to Forbes.

Washington’s is currently at $4.2 trillion, if passed The Green New Deal would lead to dramatic tax increases, especially on those in the upper class.

The proposal has been met with dissent in D.C. from various opposing lawmakers, such as Sen. Tom Cotton who called it “Stalin-like.” But the controversy hasn’t just

stopped in the Senate and the House, President Trump recently voiced opposition to the proposal during a rally in Texas, escalating it to an even higher national platform.

Alexandria Ocasio Cortez has also been the topic of controversy.

Ocasio-Cortez is a 29 year old representative from New York who has drawn people to her both in a positive and negative matter since she entered the House of Representatives in January. Ocasio-Cortez received nationwide attention after her primary win in November, when she beat out former Representative Joe Crowley. She’s the most followed representative on social media, having attained 3.1 million Twitter followers, 500 thousand Facebook followers, and 2.2 million Instagram followers.

“She’s young, intelligent, and outspoken,” junior Molly Martini said, “That appeals to a lot of people because teens and young adults have gone unheard in our government for so long.”

The Green New Deal is being pushed through the Senate by majority leader, Mitch McConnell as of Feb. 12.

March 20, 2018

Photo/ Abby Wilkins A bottle of codeine prescribed for wisdom teeth surgery recovery warns of addiction risk.

Nation’s opioid epidemic continues to grow Claire Suchy Copy Editor

National Institute of Drug Abuse.

From Heath Ledger to Prince, millions of Americans have died from opioid overdoses.

In 2017 alone, over 47,000 people have died from opioids, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

The number of opioid-related deaths has been increasing exponentially for the past two years, nearly doubling itself.

The opioid crisis has become the deadliest drug overdose in United States history, leading President Trump to declare it a National Public Health Emergency on Oct. 26, 2017.

This allows for dislocated workers grants, expanded access to telemedicine services, and substance abuse treatment.

“I hear about the opioid crisis every few months on the news,” Megan Craft said, “It’s a very difficult problem to solve, since most of the people who are using these drugs initially got them because they needed them.”

Opioids are defined as a class of drugs that include heroin, fentanyl, as well as other pain relievers. Though these drugs are often considered some of the most addicting, a majority of them are completely legal if they are prescribed by a medical professional. Eight to twelve percent of people prescribed opioids develop an opioid addiction and misuse the drugs, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

“My dad struggled with addiction in the past and it’s really hard seeing somebody that is important to you struggle with it,” said Junior Megan Craft, “Being away from him was really hard but knowing that the separation was aiding him in getting better helped me and my family a lot.”

Not only does opioid addiction lead to the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans, it has cost the government $78.5 billion a year in rehabilitation fees, health care, and criminal justice involvement, according to the

Before the 1990’s, opioids were prescribed rarely, but the attitudes regarding their use shifted when pharmaceutical companies campaigned and marketed opioids positively for the use of opioids for less chronic pain, which led to medical professionals prescribing opioids more often.

“I think that it’s very important for us to start helping people affected by opioid addiction,” junior Kendall Mauer said, “I feel like the responsibility almost falls on the pharmaceutical companies and people prescribing them.”

Large pharmaceutical companies, such as Purdue Pharmaceuticals, have started to become linked to the opioid crisis, and their role in it has started to be explored. On Feb. 27, a Tennessee judge allowed a case about Purdue Pharmaceuticals deceptive marketing regarding opioids to move forward. This is not an isolated case--in the summer of 2018, there were 600 lawsuits filed against pharmaceutical companies who sell and market opioids.

Pharmaceutical companies spend $39.7 million dollars between the years of 2013 to 2015 marketing opioids to medical professionals, and in the following years, mortality rates surrounding opioid overdose increased, according to a study conducted by JAMA.

6

News

Brexit and the EU: still no deal

Emelia Lowe Opinions Editor

On Jan. 1, 1973, Britain joined the European Union, gaining perks like free trade with other European countries, the ability for citizens to travel and work easily anywhere in Europe, a large security and protection program that supports and connects all countries in the union and other business advantages including a membership to a world superpower institution.

46 years later, on March 29, 2019, the European Union will vote on whether Britain will leave the EU. Britain is requesting to leave the EU under former British Prime Minister David Cameron and current British Prime Minister Theresa May. This request is known as Brexit; under Brexit, Great Britain will lose perks of being a EU member and the tight knit relationship with Europe.

Britain originally requested to leave the union to be an independent nation. The freedom of controlling immigration, trade and other diplomatic endeavors without being restricted by the EU was appealing to many British citizens. Unfortunately for Great Britain, it's not that simple to cut losses with such a powerful institution like the European Union.

The Brexit case was first made by British politician Peter Wilding in 2012. Wilding founded his own organization called “British Influence” which originally proposed to the EU why Britain should leave the union.

“Brexit is like asking your average Joe to do brain surgery, the EU is incredibly interconnected but extracting an economy and national laws from the EU seems very short cited. I do not think your average Joe or Joan can comprehend the implications of extracting,” literature teacher Larry Williams said.

There are four different versions of a deal to present to the European Union made

by British politicians.

The most likely outcome of Brexit will be

a “No Deal”agreement, meaning Britain will leave the union immediately and no negotiations will be made. Britain will be able to make its own migration policies and get control of its borders. However, they will have to install hard borders between Republic of Ireland (member of the European Union) and Northern Ireland (member of Britain). Transport and trade will be much more difficult for British imports and exports, affecting business for millions. There will also not be any specific regulations for Brits living abroad. British parliament does not want a “No Deal”, but this might be the outcome if politicians cannot agree by March 29.

“Brexit is disadvantaging. All the older people want Brexit because they want the UK to go back to the time were they were the world superpower,” Junior and Scotland native Emma Davie said.

Due to the harsh reality Britain will potentially face if they end up with No Deal, May and her parliament are requesting a delay to ensure they have a second referendum.

“It may be the only way out, it doesn't look like they will have an agreement, the amount of effort it will take to get Britain out. The cost will outway the benefit,” American history teacher Dennis Lynn said.

A “Hard Brexit” means Britain will lose all of their EU amenities, so the British government will be able to make their own rules and regulations and be able to form trade deals with other countries independently. For British and European citizens this means that it will not be so easy to travel between the UK and the rest of Europe, and Europeans living in the UK will have to apply for settled status to remain in Britain.

“Soft Brexit” is the deal that will keep UK closest to the EU and will result in little change. Under this, Britain would still be tied to European rules and would not be able to trade independently. There would be no tariffs, but UK would face non-stop competition from European countries

that can produce the same product for cheaper. Soft Brexit would mean Britain would pay the EU to ensure they have the four freedoms of movement of capital, people, goods and services.

“I have never heard of Brexit but I think that Britain does not have to be tied down to the union,” senior Alex Maxwell said.

Prime Minister Theresa May constructed her own plan called the Chequers Deal, to try to appeal to all sides. May constructed an agreement that she wants the EU to sign to keep trade peaceful between Europe and Britain after they leave the union.

Furthermore, May wants to leave the union but stay in the EU single market to avoid tariffs and delays at borders.

Free movement would end and Britain would take control of their own migration of citizens. This deal might be able to avoid a hard border between Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This deal is facing a lot of criticism from the European Union, Theresa May’s parliament and the general public. Many view May as trying to cherry pick what she wants and doesn't want from Brexit.

“I think the UK is going to get a really bad deal, and everyone is going to be unhappy. No one wants to deal with the fallout of Brexit. Theresa May is still in power because it is her problem, those other politicians do not want it to be their problem,” world history teacher Michelle Naylor said, “Britain does not have the strong bargaining power, so the outcome will be painful.”

UK politicians vetoed May’s deal on March 12, with only just over two weeks left to find an agreement. Theresa May has faced lots of criticism and is known as shy and antisocial in diplomatic situations; people have begun laughing at her instead of respecting her. However, Prime Minister May has no easy task having the future of the United Kingdom resting heavily on her shoulders.

March 20, 2018

2020

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previous staffers of Klobuchar, and in internal emails of her “management style.” She has consistently had one of the highest staff turnover in the Senate.

Interviews with 20 staffers suggested that she can be paranoid, abusive and volatile. Buzzfeed and the New York Times have both run stories suggesting that she once “threw a binder in the air, hitting an innocent bystander” and “ate a salad with a hair comb, and made a staffer who lost her fork to wipe the hair comb off during a trip to South Carolina in 2008.”

“Yes, I can be tough, and yes, I can push people. I have high expectations for myself, I have high expectations for the people that work for me, but I have high expectations for this country,” Klobuchar said.

Klobuchar now joins a field of 11 other Democrats running for the upcoming 2020 election. She has already hosted a CNN town hall, like many other candidates, and the first Democratic debate is scheduled for June.

Scan this QR code to see an interactive story on the new Activities Center

General Mills recalls flour after FDA finds traces of Salmonella Kenzie Taylor Opinions Editor It is a common misconception that the dangers of eating raw cookie dough is blamed on raw eggs; however, there is another ingredient that also threatens illness to those who consume raw dough or batter.

General Mills recently announced a recall on Jan. 23, 2019 regarding its Unbleached All Purpose Flour. The recall only pertains to the “better if used by date” of April 20, 2020. The FDA tested the flour and discovered traces of Salmonella while sampling the product.

As a result of the newfound information, General Mills recalled the flour voluntarily, in order to reduce risk of illness.

Consumers should be cautious of flour, as it is in fact a raw product.

“If we have reason to believe due to random testing that a particular batch may have Salmonella, we will recall the product. As a leading provider of flour in the U.S. we are also taking

this opportunity to remind consumers to never eat raw dough or batter, and how to safely handle flour,” General Mills spokesman Mike Siemienas said.

Salmonella is killed through heat, or cooking the product in which the flour is present in, according to the FDA. This terminates the possibility of contracting salmonella, as well as a variety of other food borne diseases.

In this particular recall, there are no reports of customers contracting salmonella.

Because there is no heat treatment of flour, it is classified as a raw agricultural product that a majority of consumers aren’t aware of.

Science teacher Andy Kahler, father of two toddlers, occasionally bakes with his children and would be susceptible to the danger of raw flour; just recently he became aware that flour wasn’t a ready to eat product, “Occasionally my wife bakes with my children … we do let them eat the raw cookie dough, as long as there aren’t eggs in it,” Kahler said.

“I’ve gotten sick from eating raw

chocolate chip cookie dough before, and I also know friends and family who have too. I’ve always thought it was because of the uncooked eggs,” junior Jane Jonassen said.

The basic milling process of wheat does include a cleaning process.

“The first milling steps involve equipment that separates grain from seeds and other grains, removes foreign materials that might have originated during the farmer’s harvest such as metal, sticks, stones and straw; and scours the kernels of wheat. It can take as many as six steps,” said the North American Millers’ Association (NAMA), which General Mills is a milling member of.

It is important to be cauPhoto/ Kenzie Taylor tious of raw doughs and batter--the eggs are danger- Most people don’t realize Salmonella can be ous raw, but so is the flour. present in flour when it is uncooked.

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March 20, 2019

What it is like working in special education Jagur Justen Opinions Editor

Those who teach as special education teachers are special themselves, as they have the ability to juggle many different individual plans to meet individual student needs. They also have the opportunity to work closely with their students to better those students educational experience, and help them succeed.

Special educators have a list of tasks they can complete to improve the work of their students. One of which is to develop learning strategies for certain students, so they are able to improve their course work and overall grades.

Some special education teachers teach in smaller classrooms, so they are able to meet one-on-one with their students or in small groups, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“You give more of your attention with individual students,” special education teacher Mark McConnell said.

The students who are in the special education program have a form of a learning disability. These disabilities may stem from a neurological disorder that can be genetic, according to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).

This explains a student’s struggle to

write, comprehend or read. School psychologists play a key part in determining if a student qualifies for special educational services.

Orono High School psychologist Ericka Ronnings said that she meets with students who are in special education and assesses the needs each individual has.

“I love it. Can’t imagine doing anything else,” Ronnings said.

Those who are in special education have an individualized education program (IEP). A student could also have a 504, which enables a child to have accommodations to support their learning without one-on-one support. There are person-centered practices that ensure that individuals with disabilities have the same rights as others, according to the Minnesota Department of Education.

If a student struggles in school, that does not necessarily mean that they have a learning disability and qualify for special education, according to author of Learning Disabilities Meryl Loonin.

There are three main skills that a special education teacher should have to help their students in school: patience, creativity, and flexibility. Patience allows students to learn at their own rate.

Teachers create welcoming environ-

Photo/ Jagur Justen Special education teacher Lee Starr working on paperwork for her students to be sure that they are getting the accommodations needed.

ments to make strong bonds with their students. The teachers are flexible because they have the ability to use different teaching methods to match each individual’s learning styles.

“I believe you have to be very good at making personal connections with students. I think you have to be patient...I think you have to be adaptable,” social studies teacher Jeff Aman said.

For special education teacher Lee Starr, her job is particularily special to her.

She grew up with an older sister who had a learning disability.

Three months later: how long did your resolution last?

Katie Udell Editor in Chief

Did you make a resolution for 2019? Maybe, maybe not. Be warned, about half of all adults make New Year’s resolutions, yet fewer than 10 percent manage to keep them for more than a few months, according to IFL Science.

New Year’s resolutions are common traditions around the world. Making a resolution to better oneself in the New Year can be incredibly beneficial.

“I decided to cut dairy and gluten from my diet because it makes me sick but it’s very good so my resolution didn’t last the entire year,” math teacher Virginia Enfield said.

The most popular resolutions have to do with health and wellness which make up 55 percent of all resolutions, according to PSMag. These resolutions--such as goals to exercise more, get organized or spend more time with family--are great...but how long do they actually last?

“My New Year’s resolution was to eat less chocolate, but unfortunately that only lasted 2 weeks. I didn’t have the willpower to keep it up,” senior Emma Dalton said.

77 percent of people fail at their New Year’s resolutions within the first week, and that figure falls to 46 percent after six months, according to University of Scranton. The rate of keeping resolutions decreases at a fairly high rate, and the question is: How do we do it? How can we stick to our resolutions?

Tips to making the right resolution: Start small: Don’t start too big, keeping resolutions you can keep is the best bet. If your resolution is to get into better shape, don’t make a resolution to go to the gym seven times a week. Try going 3 days a week instead--your goal is still being met in an attainable way.

Change one behavior at a time: Unhealthy behaviors develop over the course of time.

Changing multiple behaviors is an incredibly difficult thing for one to do over the course of one night as the clock strikes 12 and the new year comes around. Don’t get overwhelmed and think that you have to reassess everything in your life. Instead, work toward changing one aspect at a time.

Talk about it: You are not alone. Share your experiences

with those around you. If family or friends have a similar resolution, work together.

Push each other to better each other. Having someone to share your struggles and successes with makes your journey to a healthier lifestyle that much easier and less intimidating.

Don’t beat yourself up: Perfection is unattainable. Baby steps are key is being able to achieve your goals. Don’t give up completely because you ate a brownie and broke your diet, or skipped the gym for a week because you were busy.

Everyone has ups and downs; resolve to recover from your mistakes and get back on track.

Ask for support: Accepting help from those who care about you and will listen strengthens your resilience and ability to manage stress caused by your resolution.

If you feel overwhelmed or unable to meet your goals on your own, consider seeking professional help.

“My resolution was to get into better shape. I found this attainable because I play soccer for the majority of the year, so I am constantly staying active.

I believe I will keep my resolution into 2020,” senior Lexi Stoddard said.

“I knew I wanted to help people,” Starr said.

Starr assists her students in a variety of ways. Usually it is help with completing projects and writing assignments.

Having a smaller classroom allows her to build stronger relationships because she gets more time to work one-on-one with each individual.

McConnell said that he feels a sense of reward knowing that after each day, he has helped a student improve their performance.

SIGN-OUT from 2 The Student Assistance Team (SAT) monitors students absences. If students are deemed as Monitored Attendance because they have a concerning amount of unexcused absences, they may not be able to make up assignments missed, according to OHS Student Handbook.

“Even though a student is 18, they still fall under Minnesota Statute to be attending school until they graduate,” DeLong said.

Orono School’s Board Policy 503 and the Spartan Student and Parent Handbook also dictate that a student must attend school until they graduate.

The possible dangers of this are based on integrity and safety. The students must leave through the office and say where they will be for their own safety. Once students begin to abuse this responsibility for getting food with friends instead of going to a doctor’s appointment, they lose integrity and possibly even their privilege to sign out. Just as the students are given the right to leave, the power can just as easily be revoked.

“If a student abuses the privilege, then I can take it away,” Boyd said.

There are advantages to having this signout policy in place.

Parents do not have to work with the attendance line. In addition to this, students earn a new understanding of work ethic by having this new responsibility.

“If it’s an appointment or something parents don’t have to call or sign them out.

If it’s convenient for them and they like it, I think it’s fine,” math teacher Nathan Porter said.

Photo/ Zach Adams Seniors who are 18 years old may fill out a form with parent permission that allows them to sign out in the main office.

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March 20, 2019

OHS spring play Radium Girls to open in April Cari Spencer Editor in Chief

English teacher and play director Kelsie Balon predicts that the OHS spring musical, Radium Girls by D. W. Gregory, is one that will soon become a classic, favorite high school show, much like Arsenic and Old Lace. As the OHS theater program is at the leading edge, embracing a soon-to-be popular play before most high schools in the area catch on, Balon is thrilled for the Orono community to see the play this April.

Radium Girls is a historical drama inspired by a tragic and true story.

During World War II, many teenage girls quit school to work in factories, painting luminescent radium paint on watch dials for soldiers at war. At the time, radium was seen as a miracle cure--not a substance with any potential risks.

However, over the years the factory girls, or “radium girls” as they became known, begin to fall ill to a mysterious disease (even leading to a scene in which a girl’s entire jaw, turned black, is pulled out of her mouth). Throw in timeless themes, powerful women taking a multimillion-dollar corporation to court, then dark comedy paired with morose moments, and Radium Girls emerges.

“This is the best cast I’ve seen for the spring play. Every rehearsal I’m just blown away by what the actors are capable of--this is not one that you want to miss,” stage manager and senior Kristin Pearson said, “it’s not anything like any show we’ve done in recent years, it’s a new kind of acting, different level of emotional intensity … it’s not a story we hear much about in school, but still a relevant and important one.”

The cast consists of 25 students and five crew members, with most students (other than the leads) taking on four to five roles. Junior Gabi Schafer plays Grace Fryer--the leading woman

and dial painter who challenges her former boss Arthur Roeder, played by junior Wels Bowen, in court.

Other notable leads are Fryer’s friend Kathryn Schaub, played by freshman Kari Mika; Fryer’s love interest Tom Kreider, played by Milo Sforza and Dr. Von Sochocky, the inventor of radium paint, played by junior Dylan Mika.

Balon selected the show this past fall after getting to know many of the students involved in theater. This is her first school year teaching at Orono High School.

“I thought that this show would be a really great way to include a lot of people … there are close to 40 characters in the show … they all have like four or five different roles and they flip in and out of these roles. There’s not a lot of shows that allow you to have that much versatility based on the amount of people that try out,” Balon said, “I liked that it tells a really compelling story in a really beautiful way, I like that it’s based off of true history and that it specifically tells a story that not a lot of people have heard of and is about female empowerment.”

Radium Girls takes place in New Jersey, so fittingly much of the cast will spend the eight weeks of rehearsal sharpening up their Jersey accent.

Balon said that a German accent, New York accent, and Southern accent will make an appearance as well. New too, is the set design. The stage will be transformed into a spinning, turntable with a glow-in-the-dark clock painted on it. Pearson said that there will be several other glow-in-the-dark elements incorporated into the show.

Many of the actors are doubling down and helping with other aspects of the production, like costumes. Junior Maddie Schafer who plays Mrs. Roeder, Arthur’s wife and moral compass, is experimenting with prop design for the first time. “I’ve made glowing watches and a decaying jawbone in a jar, along with the ‘radium’ bottles. I’m having a really fun time doing props

Photo/ Kristin Pearson Senior Katie Dore runs lines for her character Nancy Jane Harlan, a 1920’s reporter, at an after-school rehearsal for Radium Girls.

and it’s presented me with a crafting challenge,” Schafer said.

For those who do not typically enjoy theater, or perhaps have a short attention span, this play has a unique appeal in that the scenes are much briefer than those in other productions. The fast-paced scenes flip quickly in tone too, from somber to lighthearted to darkly comedic.

Balon noted two characters who add an interesting tone to the story--a couple of 1920’s reporters who manage to maintain an upbeat demeanor despite the tragedy that continues around them. Balon said that there are moments in the play where they make brutal comments to the girls, “like ‘you’re gonna die soon!’” in a, somehow, friendly tone.

“Because they are reporters they get away with it because they are just talking about a headline … we kind of take a look too at that element of the human experience,” Balon said, “how we commercialize and how we publicize human tragedy and how it’s all about getting the next big headline, selling the most papers, and how frequently,

because of that, we tend not to focus on the human emotion tied to the story. And this play dives deep into that human emotion.”

Other seemingly timeless parallels can be made between the lessons from Radium Girls to life today. Before the truth of how radium harmed the girls came out, radium was seen as a medical cure-all, not a toxin to avoid ingesting. However, as science progressed and more discoveries were made, the public perception switched. No longer was radium seen purely as helpful medicine, it was seen for the potential harms it possessed too.

When it comes to people putting substances in their bodies without understanding the full risks--because science has not yet explored them enough--Balon said she sees parallels in the high school. She used Juuling as an example.

Radium Girls is an hour and a half long and will be performed at the high school auditorium on April 25, 26 and 27 at 7:00 pm. There will be a 2:00 pm showing on April 27 as well.

How to have fun on your Spring Break staycation Sam Capece Copy Editor Spring break is coming up, starting March 23. This year, many people are going on vacations with family and friends but others are enjoying the break from the comfort of their homes. Although Minnesota doesn’t have beaches and warm weather, there are many activities and options for students staying home.

“Staying home can be less stressful than going on vacation, you don’t have to be around the same people for a week straight, you just get to chill out,” junior Lucas Cates said.

in Minnesota is not always viewed positively, but there are many winter activities that can be fun and rewarding for students. One popular destination for students is Hyland Hills Ski Park. Hyland provides many winter activities including skiing, snowboarding, sledding, tubing and snowmobiling. Hyland opens at 9:00 am on weekdays and 9:30 am on weekends; it closes at 9:00 p.m. It costs $57.66 for an all day pass and rentals.

There are many

“I love skiing.

Going skiing with friends is so much fun. Highly recommend going to Hyland Hills to ski. Also skiing can be a whole day activity so you don’t have to worry about other things to plan that day,” freshman Peyton Uelmen said.

activities and options for students staying home.

The cold weather and snow

ment of stores sounds interesting, then a trip to the Mall of America is a great idea.

There are over 520 stores to shop at, according to The Mall of America’s website. Shopping is a great all-day activity, however there are many other activities, such as Nickelodeon Universe, and 50 restaurants to dine at.

Photo/ Ellie Fasbender It may not be Hawaii, but driving downtown and exploring the city can be a great Spring Break option too.

Another activity enjoyed by students is trying new restaurants. This is a great way for friends and family to get out of the house and enjoy some food they haven’t tried before. Some popular choices in Minneapolis include Hai Hai, a southeast Asian restaurant and Popol Vuh, for Mexican fine dining.

“I’d recommend Old Country Buffet. Going out to eat is a great way to spend time with friends and family. It’s fun to go to a different restaurant to try something new,” junior Will Buck said.

If getting some new clothing or shopping at a wide assort-

“I like the Mall of America, it’s is a great place for the winter to escape the cold with friends or family,” Cates said.

Going out is not the only option either--it’s always good to relax during a break. Staying in and hanging out with friends, reading a book or playing video games are also great options. Spring break, whether it is spent at a tropical destination or at home, is a wonderful opportunity to take a break from school and relax.

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March 20, 2019

Marie Kondo is tidying up the nation

Amanda Marquis Visuals Editor

A new method of tidying up has gripped much of the nation--and it revolves around joy.

Marie Kondo is a professional organizer who grew up in Japan. She came up with a popular cleaning method, called the KonMari method, mainly based off of Japanese philosophies.

“Joy is when something makes you smile ridiculously,” physics teacher Renate Fiora said.

The KonMari Method is a state of mind - and a way of life, according to KonMari, Marie Kondo’s professional website. This method is creating a new revolution of decluttering. It consists of seven easy steps to help people organize their lives.

The first step is to commit to tidying up. Next is to imagine one’s own ideal lifestyle, then to discard items.

The fourth step is to tidy by category rather than location. When tidying up, she advocates following the “right order”: clothing, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous), then sentimental items. The sixth and final step is to ask oneself if it sparks joy. If it doesn’t, then it is time to get rid of it.

“After watching her show, I went

straight to my closet and found old jeans and sweaters that didn’t spark joy, to donate, and it honestly felt really cleansing,” senior Cari Spencer said.

Tidying Up With Marie Kondo is a new Netflix series that follows Marie Kondo helping people makeover their cluttered homes. Kondo uses her method to help people find joy. This hit show sparked a trend in minimalist living.

“I loved her show and I ended up buying her book because of it,” English teacher Kelsie Balon said.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up was published in 2011 and became a New York Times bestseller. There have been over 3 million copies sold worldwide. So many people, no matter their age or gender, are deep diving into the world of KonMari.

Kondo has also taken over the vast world of Youtube. Many Youtubers are taking Kondo’s method and creating content for their viewers. They take the KonMari method and use it, among other places, on their closets.

However, not everyone is jumping from joy for the KonMari method.

Some book lovers are upset that Marie Kondo is telling people that they should get rid of books that have not been read. According to Deseretnews.

People are commenting that they

Photo/ Amanda Marquis Clothing folded according to the KonMari method, made popular through Kondo’s Netflix show. would never get rid of their books.

“I get very stressed if there is a big pile of clothes when I enter my room, and I procrastinate cleaning it up,” sophomore Jordan Arends said.

that cluttered homes can eventually lead to low subjective well-being, unhealthy eating, poor mental health, less efficient visual processing and less efficient thinking. A clean home can make for a productive mind.

Getting rid of home clutter seems to be a key factor to one’s happiness, according to an article in Psychology Today. The article also explains

“Whenever I dirty or unorganize something, I fix it right away rather than leaving it for later and letting tasks pile up,” junior Molly Martini said.

Does Elon Musk think we’re living in a simulation?

Anika Sodhi Online Editor In an interview with comedian Joe Rogan, Elon Musk stated that we may be living through the “dumbest experiment in human history,” according to Science Alert.

Although it seems like a sci-fi movie, the theory has gained serious attention. One of the most influential and powerful minds in the tech industry believes everything we see is a glorified version of the Sims.

The rate at which technology is advancing is a serious topic of academic debate. In today’s age, the holding capacity of a computer chip doubles every year or so.

“If that continues into the distant future, at some point... microchips might become so powerful that the video games that use them can simulate not just the simple scenarios seen in today’s games, but something as complex as the entire cosmos,” Jay Pasachoff of NBC News said.

Is it possible a civilization before us already advanced past our current era and simulated our world as we know it? The simulation theory has many possibilities, but the most logically sound reasoning is an older human race recreating the start of the world. The earth itself is roughly 13.8 billion years old. Musk hypothesized that in that timeframe,

the probability of a civilization advancing at the pace fast enough to simulate an entire world is highly likely.

“There’s a billion to one chance we’re living in base reality,” Elon Musk said in an interview at Recode’s Code Conference, “either the world would’ve ended billions of years ago, or we are being simulated by a civilization that is much much older than us. Because we exist, we are most likely being simulated.”

The perfection of the earth’s computation is immaculate according to NBC News. Each rotation around the sun is exactly 365 days and each rotation of the earth is exactly

Photo/ Heisenberg Media Elon Musk speaks to a crowd at The Summit 2013.

24 hours, with no room for error. “If any of these parameters were different, we wouldn’t have evolved a sun and an earth that has lasted long enough — 5 billion years so far — for our kind of intelligent life to exist. In fact, without the right parameters, the planets and stars that make up our universe might never have formed,” Corey S. Powell from NBC News said.

the simulation, former NASA engineer Thomas Campbell and his colleagues suggested an experiment. They proposed shooting a laser through a complex sequence of mirrors, slits, and detectors. In doing this, “photons of laser light would follow different paths contingent on whether they are behaving like waves or like particles,” Campbell told an NBC News reporter.

The most basic principles of the world we live in are questionable.

He also hypothesized that any anomalies in the normal action of protons would “represent an unambiguous indicator that our reality must be simulated.”

“Time, energy, space, volume – all have a finite limit to their size. If that’s the case, then our universe is both computable and finite,” Rich Terrile, a scientist at Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said according to The Guardian. All of these properties are finite, and therefore all of these properties are contained within our universe, “Those properties allow the universe to be simulated,” Terrile said.

Some Students are aware of the simulation theory. “With technology advancing at the rate it is, we will continue to discover more in depth about space and time, therefore I think that in my lifetime we will have the ability to find out the truth about if we are living in a simulation,” sophomore Gabby Norris stated.

In order to find glitches in

Campbell also claims that if proven to be true, this experiment could not only prove the simulation theory, but also explain the discrepancies in quantum physics, saying it’s a quirk of the simulation not a “fundamental aspect of reality,” according to NBC News.

Cosmologist Neil deGrasse Tyson graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University then went on to earn his doctorate degree in astrophysics from Colombia University. Tyson agrees, giving “better than 50-50 odds” that the simulation hypothesis is correct. “I wish I could summon a strong argument against it, but I can find none,” he told NBC News MACH in an email.

Orono St

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Swim and wrestling state results

Amanda Marquis and Sam Capece Visuals Editor and Copy Editor Orono students achieved great success this year in swimming and wrestling with many students placing at the state tournaments for both sports. For boys swimming, senior Peter Kasner finished with All State recognition in his 50 and 100 yard freestyle, in which he placed 8th and 5th respectively. Seniors Jack Marquis, Cameron Davison, Peter Kasner, and sophomore Henry Luetmer were in the 200 yard relay and they finished 12th this year.

These boys have been swimming since they have been in middle school. Kasner was already an alternate by the time he was in seventh grade. Ever since, he has made it to state every year. Jack Marquis and Cameron Davison have been alternates since they were freshman. For more than six years, Orono boys swim and dive team have ventured to state, and will continue to strive for success in the future.

Skiing circles around the competition Photo/ Grace Pierpont

Charlie Kotula skis through a racing gate.

Photo/ Submitted photo

Charlie Kotula skis through a race gate.

Isabella Koch Features and Visuals Editor On Feb. 13, The Orono Alpine Ski team competed in the state competition held at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minnesota.

well so I could end off my ski career strong,” senior Ginny Morrison said.

Skier Aaron Kuznik finished 15th overall for the boys, while the girls team finished second--only falling behind first by one single point.

Cordelia Sherwood led the girls team by finishing seventh overall.

would have given us another point and that point could have meant the racer was won by a tenth or even a hundredth of a second,” coach Heidi Butler said.

Modern downhill skiing dates back to the 1850s in Norway, according to the Olympic Games website.

However, downhill skiing “Being the only guy is a little came to Orono in the winter intimidating when you see For wrestling, junior Danny of 1981-82. From there, many the rest of the teams at state, Striggow won the state meet this generations of skiers have but I feel like I am representyear in the 220AA division. He competed across the district ing all the guys on our team With temperatures at two dehad a great section meet and and when I am grees or less including a light During the off-season, many came back to the Xcel Energy the yearly there,” Kuznik snowfall, the team felt nerves skiers train and continue the Center to win. Sophomores Shea state comsaid, “Making and chills. right mindset for the next Albrecht and Dave Wilfert expepetition. state is really season. rienced their state tournament

important to “To battle some of the nerves debuts this year.

The qualime because I just look back at all the “Next year I think our team fiers for this it means I times I have skied well and is going to be stronger, and I “Wrestling at the Xcel is someyear’s state can compete channeled that energy. As a think that I can do better at thing not a lot of people get to competition against the team this year we all wanted state. My goal next year is to do in their life. It’s exciting and included best guys in to ski strong and just ski in a place in the top 10 at state nerve wracking at the same time.

Cordelia the state and way that we felt good. I think and I think if I work hard and Not only are you wrestling for Sherwood, see how I we were all really hoping and ski fast I can do it,” Kuznik yourself but you wrestle for your Riviera really stack skiing to try and win, and said. whole town,” sophomore Shea Wook, Kyler up against we ended up being so close,” Albrecht said.

Burrows, them. It also Sherwood said.

Camille pushes me to Orono students Kuznik, work harder worked hard this Ginny because I year and saw results.

Morrison, Orono swim and — Cordelia Sherwood know that and Harper if I want to dive team and Orono freshman Randolph, do well next wrestling Ccub have who competed as a team. year I need to work hard at continued to train Along with Aaron Kuznik practice.” students and prepare who competed as an individthem to do their best. ual representing Orono.

One point in a ski race is incredibly close. One turn The girls section team was around a single gate can made up of five sophomores make a huge difference for and one senior. The team was the team. composed of a lot of younger talent which has been differ“To come in second place ent for the Orono team. missing first by one point is a very close race. It is all “It was a great experidecided on place points, so ence for me because if there are 75 skiers in the I got to know the race, first places would get 75 younger teammates points, second place 74 and so much better and I so on. So if one of our skier’s Photo/ Kristi Fort

Photo/ Submitted by Heidi Butler am so proud of all the would have placed a head of Cameron Davison and Jack Marquis girls for finishing so another in the final result, The girls’ alpine team holds their second place plaque.

“As a team this

year we all wanted to ski strong and just ski in a way that we felt good.

I think we were all really hoping and skiing to try and win, and we ended up being so close.”

celebrate their win.

tate Sports

e n

11

Pin it to win it: the work behind first place Mark Sarles Sports Editor

The Orono wrestling team has been sending wrestlers to state for years. The team has high intensity practices to improve stamina and cardio for the long wrestling matches.

As sections neared, the team grinded to send wrestlers to the state tournament.

“My favorite part of the season so far is seeing how focused the team has become in the past few weeks. I’ve seen kids from 7th-12th grade become super focused on our team goal of winning the section and making it to state,” senior Henry Beck said, leading up to sections.

The wrestling team trained hard all year with intense practices after school, in which the team complet-

ed sprints/cardio, wrestling and some weight lifting. However, in the weeks leading up to sections, the team switched to a short morning and after school practice. With a quick practice before school and a shorter one after school, the players were able to get home earlier at night.

“Sometimes days leading up before meets I have to cut weight and can only eat a few things, and I have to drink less water,” senior Nick Simafranca said.

Days leading up to meets player will try to cut weight in order to stay within their weight class. Sometimes for wrestlers it can be an upwards of five to six pounds within the span of a couple days.

Some of the more common remedies to cutting weight is doing more cardio outside of practice, drinking less water and eating less which can include skipping meals during the day.

up, working out before school, helps start off the day feeling good,” junior Jake Schmid said.

The team grinded all season in hopes of sending more wrestlers to the state tournament than past seasons.

Varsity wrestlers had their eyes set on winning the team section as well as winning individual sections.

“One of my goals would be making it to the state tournament again and placing top 5 in the state,” Beck said.

Strigow and Jake Schmid, seniors Nick Simafranca and Henry Beck and sophomore Noah Arneson. Many of the wrestlers had their goals set on not only qualifying for state, but winning the section in their weight class.

“My favorite part of the season so far is hanging out with the boys,” Simafranca said.

The team sections took place on Feb. 16. Orono wrestled exceptionally, but fell just short of first place and team

The wrestling team has experience with multiple wrestlers on the team who qualified for the state tournament in the past.

Those include juniors Danny

qualification.

The individual wrestling sections took place on Feb. 22-23 at Orono High School. The Orono wrestling team did not disappoint, with five different wrestlers winning their weight class and two second place finishes.

The wrestlers who took home first place were Nick Simafranca, Danny Striggow, Jake Schmid, Henry Beck and Shea Albrecht. The wrestlers who got second place were Noah Arneson and Dave Wilfert.

All seven of these wrestlers advanced to the state tournament. Two Orono wrestlers were given rankings at the state tournament. Nick Simafranca was given a 7th seed, and Danny Striggow was given the 1st seed.

“Even though it’s hard to get Photo/ Grace Pierpont Eli McKown goes head to head with his opponent.

Dancing their way to state three years in a row Ellie Fasbender Online Editor in Chief Orono Dance Team has continued their three-year streak of qualifying for the state conference. The team was champions of the Wright County Conference at Hutchinson High School on Jan. 19 and from there they went on to compete at Delano high school.

On Feb. 2 at Delano high school, the dance team was awarded second place with both kick and jazz, which was the competition that qualified them to the state conference.

Placing second was also a new school record according to the Orono dance team coach Sharon Forbes.

The journey to state, however, was not an easy one. The team was up at early hours and put in late nights in order to work for the benefit of their team.

On top of that, they had hours of conditioning and team bonding activities that all of the girls participated in.

“I’m so incredibly proud of everyone on our team with how much work each person does every day in and out of practice” senior captain Maddie Larson said.

The state conference was held

at the Target center on Feb. 15 and 16. Jazz was on the 15 at 2:00 p.m. and kick was at 3:00 p.m. on the 16. Orono performed first in the AA section of the competition on the 15 for jazz.

On Feb. 15 the dance team made Orono history when they qualified for finals in the jazz portion of the state conference. They competed against ten other teams, including Benilde St. Margaret’s, Mound, Totino Grace, Faribault, Ricori, St. Cloud Cathedral, Simley, Marshall, Austin, and Hermantown.

For the jazz portion of the conference, the team wore beautiful maroon lace costumes with flowy skirts coming off the back of their costumes. The team came in fifth place out of the 12 teams and was extremely happy with the performance.

“I was impressed, it was a very cool experience to watch. The most entertaining part was watching the coaches during the dances, they were insane,” senior Chad Mrachek said.

The next day after all the jazz excitement, the girls were up and ready to perform their kick routine. Again, they were up against some tough competition.

For kick, the team performed a “through the decades” piece.

The music was a mashup of popular television shows, including the Friend’s theme song. In the middle of the performance, the team switched from their black and white costumes to bright pink and colorful costumes, to signify the time that television went from black and white to color. The judges loved it and so, it seemed, did the rest of Target center.

After the conference, the dance team received direct messages and snap messages from fans and dancers telling them how much they loved their performance.

For the second time in one weekend, the dance team made Orono history. Not only did they qualify for finals for the first time with kick, but they now had double qualified for both of the categories.

The team competed at 7:55 p.m. on Feb 16. They competed against other finalists including Austin, Benilde, Faribault, Totino Grace, and Sartel. Again, the girls danced beautifully and put everything they had into their last performance of the season.

“We left all we had out on that dance floor, and I could not be

prouder,” senior captain Maddix Grady said.

The team came in sixth, with Austin in fifth, Benilde in fourth, Faribault in third, Totino Grace in second and Sartel in first.

The Orono Dance Team girls were “unbelievably proud of their teammates and could not have asked for a better season.”

Photo/ Mary Peterson Mya Ramaker performs a routine to a medley of 90s TV show theme songs.

Features FOMO, phones and instant gratification 12

Anika Sodhi Online Editor

In the 21st century, we rarely see anyone without a smartphone. From my 90-year-old great grandmother to my seven-year-old neighbor, it seems as if every American in today’s society is plugged in.

However, the constant connection may be more harmful than helpful. The effects this technology may have on users’ mental health is alarming.

The convenient benefits of today’s cell phone technology do not outweigh the less than favorable outcomes.

The International Journal of Humanities and Social Science published a study on a group of 48 college students in the United States. They asked each individual a series of questions regarding their cell phone including what they use it for and how often.

The participants were also asked to define cell phone addiction. While the responses varied, they all boiled down to a single theme of constant use according to Dr. Arlene R. Lundquist, at Utica college.

The study states that most participants did not recognize themselves as addicted to their phones at first, but based on the discussion that had taken place many admitted

March 20, 2019

that they may be addicted.

One participant noted they feel anxious when unable to access their phone, “like I’m going to miss out on something,” they said. This feeling is widely recognized as “FOMO” or the Fear Of Missing Out. Another common term associated with FOMO is instant gratification. The two go hand-in-hand in contributing to addiction to social media.

Social media users, consciously or not, are releasing dopamine with every like, snapchat, text or notification one receives. This rapid, short term increase in dopamine levels is called instant gratification.

Dopamine is a chemical in a person’s brain that is commonly associated with feelings of euphoria or happiness.

Something as simple as a text from a friend can trigger an influx of dopamine. However without moderation, dopamine is the chemical that is also most commonly associated with addiction according to University Health News.

Anxiety levels in the US have raised 5 percent in the last year alone, with millenials among the “most anxious” generation, according to Med-

TRIFLE GANG from page 1

were Eiss’s own. After realizing that the words genuinely came from their friend, they all got to work on the rest of the song. Buck pulled out his phone and wrote the rough draft for his verse on the spot.

“We… probably got nothing done for the study session,” Buck said.

For the next five weeks, they continued to craft “Hot Cold.” They even worked on it at Buck’s house until 10:30 p.m., three school nights in a row.

“We were really concerned for this to be cheesy. I didn’t want it to be like, you know, people put stuff on Sound Cloud and everybody’s like ‘what is this?’” Eiss said, “I didn’t want it to be like that.”

Initially, they said they were torn about the portion of the song where Eiss and Buck have a “conversation,” but after recording what they had so far it all came together.

“All we had was [Fisher’s] first verse, the chorus, conversation, and then [Jimmy’s] verse, and we listened to it and just went insane,” Bissen said, “we were so happy--I wish I recorded that. It would’ve been so sick.”

The same day that they released their song on SoundCloud, Bissen added his verse to the song. They recorded it on a semi-professional microphone

Photo/ Anika Sodhi Two Orono students pull out their phones, mid-conversation, giving in to instant gratification.

ical News Today. Much of this anxiety can be attributed to FOMO. The true definition is “anxiety that an exciting or interesting event may currently be happening elsewhere, often aroused by posts seen on a social media website” according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary. This stems from a fear is that there may be something more interesting, more exciting, more fun going on without them.

Humans are naturally social

at Buck’s house, mixed it on GarageBand and the rest is history.

To those wondering, they received an A on their poetry assignment.

“Y’all triflin?”

All three friends share a love for music, not to mention musical backgrounds that prepared them for their eventual foray into the waters of SoundCloud. Buck took a decade of piano lessons, loves free styling and, according to Eiss, “you can name any Logic song and he’ll rap you it.”

beings. The thought of interaction that does not include another individual can have damaging psychological repercussions, like social anxiety. The attachment to cell phones allow for a constant sense of affirmation from people who aren’t there.

According to a study done at The University of Twente in the Netherlands, people who use their smartphones for social media develop addictive smartphone habits more

started about a year ago when Buck stumbled upon a Cassady Campbell prank video on YouTube. “[Campbell] was in a college lecture, and he yells ‘y’all triflin!’ In the huge auditorium… everyone’s like ‘yo who’s this guy?’” Buck said, “and I thought it was hilarious, so I started saying like, ‘you trifling, trifle.’”

“We were

really concerned for this to be cheesy. I didn’t want it to be like, you know, people put stuff on SoundCloud and everybody’s like ‘what is this?’ I didn’t want it to be like that.”

“Trifle” became a word that the trio and the rest of their friend group embraced, so when it came time to decide the name for the music group, “Trifle Gang” was suggested in a group message and they ran with it.

Bissen and Eiss What’s next for are members of them? chamber choir, — Fischer Eiss the highest-level Trifle Gang is senior choir at OHS. currently working Eiss said that he’s on a song about played around Minnesota and with song writing in the past, but this days on the lake. They purchased was the first song he completed. the beat this time, so they will be able to completely call the song their “I self taught myself piano and guitar, own and even monetize it if they so I’m not very good at either of them desire--although all three members but I think it has helped me with agree that making money from their coming up with flows in the song,” music is nowhere near the top of their Eiss said, “and I like singing in the priority list. In the future, Trifle Gang car a lot.” plans to continue writing and recording songs, but with beats produced As for the name of the group? It all

by Buck’s younger brother, junior

quickly. The use of smartphones for social networking, i.e. social media, contributes to an addiction to the device itself.

The instant gratification one receives from notifications is often unknown to the user, much like the lasting effects of social media and FOMO. “I don’t feel like I’m addicted to my phone or social media" junior Margaret Kraus said.

William Buck.

“It’s a lot like hot cold, but it’s much more upbeat, like a fun happy song,” Buck said, bringing the conversation back to their second song.

“It’s such a vibe you can just dance to it so easily,” Bissen said, prompting Buck to jokingly interject: “Okay what? Shut up right now, you can dance to any song!”

The easy banter between Trifle Gang offers an implied explanation for how they work so well together. They’re just a few high school friends who looked for fun and stumbled upon unexpected success along the way.

“No, every time I listen to this beat, dude, literally, it just makes me want to bop my head,” Bissen finally replied, turning towards Eiss, “I’m not even kidding. Fisher knows dude. I love this beat.”

Gathered around a table in the back of the school library, Trifle Gang laughed as senior Daniel Walker jokingly claimed to be their manager. It was a Friday afternoon, stress free from the end of the school week, and the three boys spoke excitedly about the unexpected torrent of positive feedback they received. It was clear that they write rhyme for the sake of music and genuine fun, but a hopeful potential lingered around them too.

Who knows? Maybe someday they will need a manager after all.

13

Hopes are high for upcoming baseball season Andy Berrell Sports Editor

As spring approaches, so does baseball season. The dinging sound of bats can be heard all throughout the gym after school, and excitement from the players is increasing everyday.

Sports

March 20 , 2019

solid, there is a lot of experience and good pitching,” Wohler said.

Wohler said he believes that this year’s team could be the best that the program has seen in a while, espeComing off of a promising 11 wins and cially with all of these Photo/ Lisa Buck only 7 losses from the 2018 season, elements taken into acplayers this year, like senior pitcher count. Co-captains and Orono baseball teammates stand for the “Star Spangled Banner” before a game last year.

Mark Sarles, are hopeful for another seniors Jimmy Buck successful year for Orono varsity and Chad Mrachek St. John’s University, where he will younger guys. baseball. both agree with Wohler on the team’s play baseball as well as football. He great potential. plays several positions such as catcher, “It’s going to be a much younger team “Hopefully we’ll be even better than first base, third base and occasionthan usual, but a lot of the underclasslast year, but we lost When asked about ally pitcher. This year he will play an men seem very promising,” Buck said. a lot of good sehow he thinks this important role in the team’s success. niors,” Sarles said. years team will stack Orono typically doesn’t win a lot of up against teams of The players all seem to agree that they section games, but this year they are Varsity coach Barry the past, Mrachek face tough competition in both confer- confident that they will be able to pull Wohler is entersaid, “We’re a lot ence and section play. Sarles, Buck, off a few more wins in their section ing his fourth year better than last Mrachek, and Coach Wohler all agree and possibly make a run for the state of being a part of year.” that Delano is one of the biggest rivals title. the coaching staff, for the program, and that they will —Mark Sarles alongside Bucky Mrachek even has enjoy facing off against them once the When spring finally rolls around after senior Mieras and Rustin goals of going to season rolls around. this long, snow-filled winter, be sure Olson, and he is very and winning state, to make it to an Orono varsity baseball confident in the team’s abilities this along with his goals for personal With a much younger roster than game and “fill the hill.” A lot of players year. improvement. previous years, it might take a little and coaches are sure that this season bit for the team to get up to speed, is going to be one you are not going to “The team as a whole looks really Next fall, Mrachek will be attending but these seniors are confident in the want to miss.

“Hopefully, we’ll be even better than last year, but we lost a lot of good seniors.”

Boys hoops camaraderie lives on despite loss of 2018 talent Isabel Scharf News Editor The starting lineup this season for the boys varsity basketball team is not a set 5 players. This season has been drastically different from last year. The team lost their entire starting lineup and most

of their high-scoring players.

The team’s strong suit, according to senior Eli Sustacek, is offense because many of the boys are unselfish and the team, as a whole, scores a lot.

Barry Wohler is on his 12th year of being the head coach of varsity basketball. He

coaches with returning assistant coaches Brian Goudy and Luke Runka. The JV team coach is coached by Goudy for his fourth continuous year.

The sophomore team coach is Rusty Olson and the freshman coach is Mike Leuer who used to coach the sophomore

team with Olson.

“The season started out kind of tough, but the guys have really improved throughout the year and it’s been fun to watch their improvement,” Wohler said.

“Our goal is to be a surprise in sections and to play as hard as we can,” senior Simon Rice said.

be a surprise in sections and to play as hard as we can.”

The Orono varsity boys basketball team’s team photo for 2018-2019.

“The most important game this season was against Edina because they had just beat Hopkins and CDH,” Prentice said.

—Simon Rice senior

There are eight seniors, seven juniors, two sophomores, and one freshman this year on the varsity team. The captains this season are Blake O’Connor, Mitchell Hirschberg, Eli Sustacek and Nick Prentice.

Photo/ All Sport Photography

Student managers are junior Jada Olson and senior Justus Reiners.

“Our goal is to

The highest scoring game for the team was against Bemidji, with a close final score of 73-74. The pressure could be felt in the gymnasium during the last few seconds as the final, winning shot was made

by Bemidji.

ily, Blake, Hutchinson and Waconia.

The four seniors have lead the varsity team to a record of 9-17-0. They won against Roosevelt, Monticello, Minneapolis Washburn, St. Cloud Tech, Hutchinson, Holy Fam-

The varsity boys lost to Edina, a competitive opponent, in a close game with a final score of 5157 on Jan. 15.

Games for the state tournament will be held March 20-23 and will be played at Target center, Williams arena and the U of M court.

The Spartans needed to win against Waconia on March 6, but lost 70-77 which ended their season.

“The most rewarding part for me is being around the players and other coaches. The camaraderie and experiences we have together on and off the court,” Wohler said, “The next game we play is always the most important one.”

Sports The great Minnesotan winter tradition 14

Zach Adams Social Media Manager In Minnesota, it’s a norm that every sheet of ice covering this lake-ridden state is skated on.

From the largest lakes to the backyard ponds, any plane of ice can be turned into a hockey rink. All you need to participate in one of the greatest hockey traditions around the world is a pair of skates, a stick and warm Minnesotan blood to fight of the treacherous winter.

The practice of building one’s own hockey rink has been passed down from generation to generation, from father to son. For senior Anders Gulbrandson’s father Dan Gulbrandson, the process of building and maintaining a rink isn’t as easy as it looks.

The long journey begins just before the soft and coarse ground turns into a concrete ice block. The first year he built his rink, he was around 12-13 years old. The rink started out with boards made out of snow and slowly evolved into boards of 2x4’s mixed with miscellaneous wood.

March 20, 2019

The first year he made a rink with his family, he hired a landscaper to level the area he wanted to use. Since he didn’t have much of a plan, Gulbrandson said he overbuilt the rink, resulting in spending thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. Year after year and rink after rink, he found perfection in using modular plastic boards that require a lot less effort and time.

“It’s my version of gardening,” Gulbrandson said,“it’s just as much about the process as it is about the product.”

Each and every minute spent working on the rink has been more than worth it for Gulbrandson and his family.

He had always looked forward to building a rink for himself as a child and now he’s living his dream. Even though his son, Anders, is leaving for college soon, he still plans on setting the rink up for himself next winter.

“There’s nothing better than going outside with the boys and playing till you can’t feel

your feet anymore,” senior Fisher Eiss said.

Pond, pondy and puck are just three of the many words people use to describe the game of pond hockey. Typically, a pond hockey rink consists of two nets that have two holes on each side of a six inch piece of wood. There are no goalies used in pond hockey, however the smaller surface of ice yields many more close area battles and less time and space to move the puck. Pond hockey is played by people of all skill levels and is typically focused more on enjoyment rather than competition.

“In pond hockey you are able to play with people who usually don’t play hockey,” freshman Megan Kostial said.

The borders to a pond hockey rink can also range from frozen snow to plastic boards.

Since there aren’t any specific rules to pond hockey, each rink has its own unique set of rules. Whether it be how many goals you need to score in order to win or how teams are picked, each group of

players has their own traditions to play by.

Backyards, front yards and even baseball fields are turned into makeshift ice rinks. People of all ages and many different skill sets can come together and enjoy a sport that everyone enjoys.

In Minnesota, many Photo/ Zach Adams citizens own a pair of Orono boys playing pond hockey in their free skates. Betime. ing the land of 10,000 hold anyone back either. lakes, Minnesota could be Hundreds of people shoved called the land of 10,000 off the powder from the rinks pond hockey rinks during the in no time. The event ended winter. Events such as the up a great success and further North American pond hockey cemented the fact that Mintournament have been held nesota is the state of hockey. in Minnesota because of the popularity.

“My favorite memory of playing pond hockey was when my This year’s North American friends and I went on a lake pond hockey tournament was by my house to play at 2 am.” held on Lake Minnetonka. junior Sydney Decubellis said.

Around 700 people from across the country came to Since this tradition is so this year’s tournament to strong, the values of what relive their childhood memoboth hockey and pond hockey ries playing pond hockey with stand for in Minnesota will their friends. The snow didn’t surely never die.

Thanks for reading our print edition of the newspaper.

For more stories, videos, photos and quizzes, go to our website or follow us on social media.

Instagram: @The_Spartan_Speaks Twitter: @Spartan_Speaks Facebook: @TheSpartanSpeaksNewspaper

Reviews

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March 20, 2019

Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of a true rockstar Maddie Combs Copy Editor Among the many recent releases of crowd gathering films, there is one that is sure to capture the attention of all music fans, both young and old: Bohemian Rhapsody, which highlights the life of the legendary lead singer Freddie Mercury from the British rock band Queen. The film shines a light on Mercury’s personal life concerning his sexuality, his battle with HIV and AIDS, along with his ground breaking career in the music industry with and without Queen.

The PG-13 rated biographic film, directed by Bryan Singer, was released on Nov. 2, 2018 and during its opening weekend grossed approximately $702 million worldwide. With a run-time of two hours and 13 minutes, the major events in both Mercury’s life and Queen as a whole are shown by star-studded actors such as Rami Malek, the star of the USA Network program Mr. Robot, who plays Freddie Mercury. Other Stars include Ben Hardy as the band’s drummer Roger Taylor, Joe Mazzello as the bassist John Deacon and Gwilym Lee as the lead guitarist Brian May.

concert in the summer of 1985 where many of the music industry’s biggest names performed to raise money for the famine in Ethiopia. However, the clock turns back to 1970 where the audience is brought into the life of Farrokh Bulsara, a Persian immigrant who moves to London and later becomes known as the one and only Freddie Mercury.

The film then follows the timeline of Mercury’s life and his overall career with Queen along with other projects he took on later on in his career. This all begins with the formation of Queen or Smile as it was known at the time of Mercury’s joining. Throughout the progression of the story, the recording process of many beloved songs is highlighted due to the fact that the band strived to create a never-heard-before sound for themselves. One notable scene highlights the band pitching their album, “A Night at The Opera” to Ray Foster, a record executive played by none other than Mike Myers.

Upon the release of the film, reviews from sources such as IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes have put the film down due to its apparent lack of highlighting the greatness and unique style of a truly timeless rock band. However, the flocking number of viewers to theaters eager to see the upbeat and heartfelt film greatly contradicts the poor ratings.

The personal side of Mercury’s life such as his diagnosis and battle with AID’s is shown through the relationships he had with people in the band and outside the band such as Mary Austin who is played by Lucy Boynton, Jim Hutton played by Aaron McCusker and Paul Prenter played by Allen Leech. Each character had a different effect on Mercury’s life and influenced him along with his actions at some point in his life. They help to bring out all aspects of Mercury as a whole in order for audiences to understand the importance of this monumental person.

Bohemian Rhapsody begins by teasing the audience with a scene of what many consider to be the greatest concert of all time, Live Aid. The charity

Throughout this story, a type of comedic relief through scenes of performances provides the audience with an uplifted feeling after a dramatic or

melancholy scene.

This was a common occurrence along with the occasional joke throughout the entire film which together, seemed to bring an even balance between seriousness and lightheartedness. With these elements, the story as a whole brings audiences along for a ride that involves a wide variety of emotions which prompt laughter and tears.

Overall the production quality of the film as a whole is Photo/ Maddie Combs outstanding. From acting to overall cinThe poster for Bohemian Rhapsody that is outside of ematography, even the theater entices incoming audiences. the attention to detail makes the film feel as substantial wins. Once again winning if it is a true work of art. It is apparent for his lead role, Rami Malek took to viewers that the actors and actresshome the award for Actor in a Leading es in this film took full responsibility Role. The film itself won awards for of embodying their role in order to film editing, sound editing and sound make the story come to life. The effort mixing put into making this film will make audiences feel that they are not only Personally, as a someone who listens watching a movie, but that they are to music religiously, I found the film apart of something bigger. to be an outstanding ode to one of the Award season has treated the film well with multiple nominations and wins in a variety of different categories. The 76th annual Golden Globe awards on Jan. 6, 2019 were the first big awards for the film, winning the award for Best Motion Picture - Drama and lead actor Rami Malek winning the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture. The 91st annual Academy Awards on Feb. 24, 2019 also presented the film with more

most timeless and memorable bands of the 20th century. I would give this film a rating of 5 out of 5 stars because of the mixture of emotions and the use of the band’s greatest hits which makes for an enjoyable and captivating experience that brings me back to the theater again and again. Bohemian Rhapsody is a film that any music lover will find themselves stomping their feet and singing along to until the very end.

Glass: the superhero thriller by M. Night Shyamalan Andy Berrell Sports Editor Glass is the third movie in a superhero series written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Coming off of the success of previous movies Unbreakable and the most recent installment, Split, another sequel seemed necessary as it would tie these two seemingly different movies together.

Split, starring James McAvoy, was a mind-boggling story involving a disturbed man with 24 personalities who kidnaps three teenage girls and holds them captive. While Unbreakable, starring Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson, is more of a movie about a crime-fighting vigilante who learned of his strength from a fatal train crash, which he was the sole survivor of. Glass was the movie that tied both of these installments together by bringing back Willis’ and Jackson’s characters from Unbreakable as well as McAvoy’s many memorable characters from Split.

The basis of the plot revolves around the three “superheroes,” David Dunn (The Overseer), Kevin Wendell Crumb (The Horde) and Elijah Price (Mr. Glass) being held inside of the Raven Hill Memorial Hospital just outside of Philadelphia. The whole purpose of them being there is so that they may be studied by Dr. Ellie Staple, played by Sarah Paulson. She believes that these so called superheroes are actually people affected by damage to their brain.

An over arching theme of the movie is how Dr. Ellie Staple is trying to prove to these people that they aren’t superheroes, they just think that they are superheroes due to possible damage to their frontal lobes. Conversely, the superheroes are trying to prove the opposite to Dr. Staple, that they have gifts and it isn’t only in their heads.

Those who have heard of M. Night Shyamalan are familiar with his writing style, which typically involves a big plot

twist. This trope can be seen in some of his more notable movies like The Sixth Sense and The Village. This style holds true in Glass. Shyamalan has not only become synonymous with the plot twist, but also the genre of thriller, so it came as a surprise when people found out that he was going to attempt to make a superhero series.

Even though this seemed to be a foreign subject to him, he was still able to make a successful superhero series while also confining it to the thriller genre and continuing his long tradition of plot twists.

Considering that Glass isn’t a typical family friendly superhero movie, there are a lot of elements involved that viewers wouldn’t find in a Marvel or DC movie. The camera work is more personal, using close-up shots on the characters faces to capture their emotions in a given scene, as well as using dark and sinister music to portray a turning point in the movies plot.

I would rate Glass as a 4 out 5 stars.

The reason I wouldn’t give this movie a full score of 5 out of 5 stars would be that the plot felt lacking in terms of resolution.

I left the theater wanting things to have ended differently.

Aside from that, the movie succeeds in many different aspects.

Photo/Universal Pictures It adds a new take on Official movie poster for Glass featuring acsuperhero tors Samuel L. Jackson and James McAvoy in movies to the all-star cast. the industry. enjoyed by any and all that It contains themes and messages that can see it, even if they had not seen the previous installments be understood universally, in the series. and I believe that it can be

reviews

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March 20, 2019

The Dough Room raises hopes but disappoints Kenzie Taylor Opinions Editor

cream was supposed to be candied cocoa nibs. In reality, the nibs were extremely salty and almost inedible. Underneath was a creme fraiche whipped cream that lacked flavor.

The popular clan of restaurants in downtown Wayzata have recently welcomed a new member: The Dough Room. The website claims to serve an array of quality dishes, while spotlighting their handcrafted pasta and pizza, prepared by the executive chef, Chef Alex.

As stated on The Dough Room website, “Each day Chef Alex is fulfilling his dream by preparing and presenting beautiful, nourishing food. Both his passions and his fare are exquisite yet simple.”

When entering the restaurant, The Dough Room appeared to be kid friendly; the website says, “The Dough Room is committed to nourishing the Wayzata community with beloved foods in a space charged with calm, welcoming energy.” However, the ambiance was disrupted by the loudness of children and was anything but calm.

My dinner buddies, Laura Stern and Lauren Reeves, had trouble hearing from across the table. Despite the noise, the room was warm and inviting, with a modern design.

At first glance of the menu, it was evident that this was not a cheap eatery.

With prices ranging from $15 to $40, it was clear that this wouldn’t be a reasonable choice for those who generally occupy downtown Wayzata, such as high school students or young couples.

The custard itself had a nice texture and was quite rich. Unfortunately, all of the aspects of the dessert combined resulted in a salty-bitter flavor in my mouth. Dark chocolate desserts executed right are delicious and indulgent, but sadly the flavor profile was off.

The bourbon caramel custard was much better, and the candied pine nuts on top, although salty, balanced out the rest of the dish well. Lastly, the bread pudding was the highlight of the Photo/ Kenzie Taylor three desserts. It was creamy, delicious and simple.

The entrance to the Dough Room looks welcoming, but is the inside worth it?

After a basket of fresh breads including a sesame seed miche and sourdough, accompanied by a stunning house-made ricotta, we ordered three dishes.

Once again, quite overpriced; the $21 dish didn’t justify the small portion.

The agnolotti pasta was described as a bolognese-stuffed pasta; however, it was closer to a plain meat filling, with an unpleasant aftertaste. Also, there was a hair in the dish, which spoiled the entire thing, unfortunately. At $19, the small portion was unacceptable.

Thirdly, Lauren ordered the margherita pizza. It was for the most part a traditional margherita pizza, but was elevated with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and the crust was clearly fresh. Although it was the best of the three dishes evaluated, Lauren noted that, “it’s nothing special. If you were to come here it would be for the pizza, but honestly, Punch (pizza) is better.”

Laura ordered the campanelli pasta, which was the better of the two pastas; besides a subtle seafood-like flavor, it was a winner. The vegetables were cooked well, and the smokiness of the red pepper was enjoyable, she noted.

Now for dessert. There were three options for dessert: chocolate custard, bourbon caramel custard, and a bread pudding; all of them were $8 each. The chocolate custard was a disappointment. On top of a flavorless

Overall, The Dough Room was disappointing. The high prices don’t reflect the quality of the food, and the small portions aren’t justified. The pizza was the star, but not revolutionary.

The pasta dishes should be served in larger portions so as to match their high prices, and the overall flavors need refinement. The dessert was good aside from the chocolate custard, although it would be nice to have more variety; each dish was soft in texture, which left us wondering who approved the dish.

The Dough Room receives 2/5 stars for these reasons. However, it is a brand new restaurant; hopefully they will work out the kinks and become a great choice in the future.

Century-old Cossetta’s serves fresh Italian fare Annika Sorenson News Editor Nestled west of downtown St. Paul sits Cossetta’s, home to a restaurant, bar and pasticceria whose roots began in 1911.

It originated from the Cossetta’s food market, which was opened by Michael Cossetta, an Italian immigrant in the 1800s. Cossetta’s today boasts varieties of traditional Italian food and beautiful pastries.

Entering the restaurant side of Cossetta’s unveils a mahogany dressed two-level eatery, with 300 seats on the second level, according to the Cossetta’s website. Diners walk by various stations to select their meal in a classier gradeschool cafeteria-style line.

Cossetta’s has various salad offerings at the first station, followed by entrees with meat and pasta, then pizzas and finally ending with a sandwich and ‘quick bite’ station.

Around 10,000 Italian immigrants settled in Minnesota in the early 1900s, according to Ware Carlton-Ford, a writer for various food magazines and blogs. Cossetta’s grew during the 1900s, which was a time when ‘Little Italy’ in St. Paul thrived, according to St. Paul Historical.

The entrees cost around $11-

$12, depending on your selection, while opting for pizza or salad offers a cheaper option.

Salads cost $4-$5 for a small, and around $5 for a generous slice of pizza. Although there are dessert selections in the eatery, the pasticceria has many more options, offering traditional Italian cookies, pastries, cakes and 13 flavors of gelato.

The chicken parmigiana is one of Cossetta’s entrees which is cooked to order and served with mostaccioli pasta con ricotta and garlic bread, which costs $11.55. Upstaging the chicken, the mostaccioli pasta was the star of the meal.

Cooked al dente and served in tasty sauce and ricotta cheese, it was flavorful, with a rich tomato sauce that packed a mild, but pleasant, kick of spice. However, the chicken was thin, over salted and a fatty cut of meat, which was unpleasant to eat. That being said, the Italian seasoning of the breading was enjoyable, and the chicken was coated in more delicious sauce and lots of parmesan cheese.

In a time when we are more conscious about our meat quality, the chicken at Cossetta’s was especially disappointing. However, although the fattiness of the chicken at Cossetta’s was unappealing,

they offer fresher meat options for dining and in their market compared to a large fast-food chain, which can be appreciated.

Recently, according to Matthew Wellington, director of the antibiotics program at U.S. PIRG (Public Interest Research Group), many fast food restaurants, including Olive Garden, received ‘F’ ratings on reducing antibiotic use in meat.

Photo/Annika Sorenson A display case full of ornately decorated pastries offered in Cossetta’s

Another dish, the pasticceria. tortellini alla panna, features cheese cious and hearken back to the tortellini in alfredo sauce, traditional Italian flavors. topped with crispy prosciutto and parsley, costing $10.35.

The napoleon, which costs This dish was wonderfully around $5, is layered puff creamy, the sauce was tangy pastry and pastry cream, and paired well with the tortopped with sweet chocolate tellini. The prosciutto added which is commonly dragged great texture and the parsley to create a design across the added a fresh element that top. Cossetta’s napoleon isn’t helped brighten up the dish. overly sweet in the puff pastry and pastry cream, however On the pasticceria side of the chocolate topping adds Cossetta’s lie glass cases enough sweetness for the filled with lines of intricately whole dessert. One of the gedecorated pastries, crispy lato offerings, black cherry, is cookies and a freezer of gelato tangy, creamy and fresh, and and sorbetto. Although on the for a small size, costs around expensive side, these pastries $4. are beautiful as well as deli-

A traditional Italian dessert option, the cannolis, come in a mini or regular size, along with a plain or chocolate covered shell. The shell is crispy and fresh tasting, which is uncommon for pre-filled cannolis. The filling is creamy and is a good contrast to the crunchy shell.

I would rate the restaurant side of Cossetta’s a 7/10, as I was disappointed with the chicken, however the pasta offerings were delicious. The pasticceria side would get a 10/10, as every dessert tried was surprisingly fresh, unique and beautifully decorated.

Reviews Shawn Mendes’ The new spin on a third album: a fresh driving range: Topgolf twist on his old style 17

March 20, 2019

Audry Link Staff Reporter

said they listen to the pop genre often.

“Help me, it feels like the walls are caving in, sometimes I feel like giving up, but I just can’t, it isn’t in my blood,” teen heart throb Shawn Mendes sings in the song, “In My Blood” on his third album, Shawn Mendes.

Mendes’ third album, Shawn Mendes, was released on May 25, 2018, by Island Records.

This album is sold for $6.99 on iTunes, another platform where the album reached No. 1. During the first release week 142,000 copies of the Shawn Mendes album were sold. The album features songs with Julia Michaels in “Like to Be You” and Khalid in “Youth.”

The 19-year-old from small town Pickering, Canada, appears to live the perfect life with his looks, family, friends and career. Although his pearly white smile charms people from around the nation, Mendes experiences high levels of anxiety and the pressures that the world and his career put on him. He put his most vulnerable feelings and experiences onto this heartfelt album for anyone to listen and connect to.

Mendes began sharing his voice in 2013 on the social media app Vine, which then led him to touring with the Magcon Tour. Not long after his social media rise, Mendes signed his first record deal with Island Records in May of 2014. His first album, Handwritten, was released on April 14, 2015; the album reached No. 1 on the US Billboard top 100s in just a few days.

Illuminate, his second album, released on September 23, 2016, also reached the top charts on many platforms.

Both Handwritten and Illuminate are under the pop genre, however, Mendes decided to take a style turn and released a soft pop R&B album, with various songs from each genre.

With the help of his friends and writers: Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Geoff Warburton, and engineer George Sierra, the album turned out to be an impressive success.

Pop is a popular genre commonly listened to on the radio. 12/50 surveyed students in a poll at Orono Schools,

Photo/ Jazmine Borreson Shawn Mendes is the third album for the pop star.

The first track on the album, “In My Blood,” sets the mood of the album with its guitar riffs and passionate lyrics.

“Sometimes I feel like giving up, but I just can’t, it isn’t in my blood,” is the chorus line in “In My Blood,” in which Mendes confesses his weakness and shortcomings, but doesn’t give up because it isn’t in his blood. The empowering chorus plays on throughout the pop song, delivering a message of it’s ok to fall, but it’s not ok to give up, you are stronger than this.

“Lost In Japan,” is one of the R&B songs on the album.

Lyrics like, “I can feel the tension, we could cut it with a knife, I know it’s more than just a friendship, I can hear you thinking right yah,” bring a spunky, seductive vibe to the song. Mendes and his band members use upbeat piano chords and unique instruments to create incredible music.

Mendes’ album may appeal to those who like artists such as Ed Sheeran, John Mayer, Justin Bieber, and other pop and alternative artists. With his upbeat and slow-pop tracks the Shawn Mendes album attract people from many genres.

This young talented artist, is only going up from here, he has already let fans know on his Instagram and other social media sites, that he is creating new music soon to be released.

His reputation of teen heartthrob is shifting into a more mature adult contemporary style, appealing to more ages.

The Shawn Mendes album earns a five out of five stars due to the fresh twist on his old style. The shift from pop radio songs to R&B is very attractive and engaging. Incorporating zesty guitar riffs makes the songs exceptionally better than his past past songs. Mendes has done a remarkable job of communicating the anxieties of the world with his words, touching and inspiring hearts everywhere.

Photo/ Mark Sarles Even in the Minnesota winter weather, Topgolf in Maple Grove is a must.

By Mark Sarles Staff Reporter You wave the club over the sensor, sending the microchip filled golf ball out of the machine, ready for you to set it up on a tee. Once set up, the hardest part is here: deciding which target to aim for. Go for furthest target to earn more points, or go for the easy and close target that awards less points. After deciding which target to go for, you swing and smack the ball 180 yards into the outer ring of the target for seven points.

People driving down highway 694 might wonder what the tall nets, three story tall building, and bright lights are. It is the new wave of entertainment: bowling mixed with golf, spiced up with some VR. As you walk up the steps toward the front doors you’ll see the big blue sign with the word Topgolf.

Topgolf has done an exceptional job in preparing for the big crowds it can draw, with a parking lot in front of the venue, plus a larger lot to the left side for the packed weekend nights. Inside the waiting area there are plenty of workers to help the golfers book a bay or get on the waiting list.

One of the drawbacks of Topgolf being new and the only location in the state, is that it has long waiting lines. However, it is easy to reserve a time online beforehand to prevent as much of a wait as possible. The golfers who do not know about this option can be left waiting for hours or even leaving Topgolf to go do something else. For the people waiting, Topgolf has a nice restaurant with lots of TVs. The bays for the golfers are similar to those at a bowling alley. Some of the bays have couches and a table, other bays have a tall table with bar stool chairs. The bays have a sweet setup with two television screens, one that lets you choose your own channel, and the other shows who is up to golf and where the last shot went.

The service by both the escort to the bay and by the waiter was outstanding. The escort brought us to our bay, helped us sign in to the system because it was our first time so we had to enter some information into the system.

She then explained the rules and helped us pick which game mode we wanted. There are

around 6-8 different game modes to choose from. The waiter came by after we started golfing and checked in on us multiple times, to make sure our experience was enjoyable.

When I visited Topgolf, it was 20 degrees outside and by the time I left we had 4 new inches of snow. This Topgolf is the farthest north Topgolf in the United States, so some of the features were new to Topgolf to accomodate for year-round golfing. They definitely did not take everything into account. The best part is the heaters above all the golf bays allowing players to even play in shorts and a tee shirt in the middle of December.

However, with all of the snowfall it was hard for them to drive around the machines to pick up the balls. With all of the snow and bays full of golfers, the trackers on the balls would not work at times and would incorrectly give zero points. For me and my competitive side this irritated me more than other people. However, after working out the kinks and flaws, Topgolf could be even better in the winter.

Topgolf is also very “playable” for all ages. In the bay next to me was a 7-year-old who was playing and having fun golfing, and one of the people with me was my great aunt who is 80years-old. She was easily able to play and even had a good score in the 40s. I was very impressed with how well Topgolf made it for all ages to be able to golf and not only have fun, but score points.

The targets out in the driving rage are all different sizes, colors, and distances. The part I liked about the targets is that they have many different rings and holes within them to determine different amounts of points. Topgolf also did a cool job of having the outside of the targets light up and blink to the beat of the music every once in a while.

Topgolf was definitely worth the time and construction it took to build it. The company took a risk bringing it to one of the coldest states in the United States and did decent job accomodating to that. It also managed to incorporate new technology into the game of golf to create a fun new type of entertainment. However, some flaws in the weather and waits make it not quite top notch entertainment. I would rate Topgolf 4.5 out of 5 microchip golf balls.

Reviews Dear Ben Platt: Please Sing to Me again 18

March 20, 2019

Amanda Marquis Visual Editor

Ben Platt is mainly known for his role, Benji, in the hit movie Pitch Perfect and for his starring roles in Broadway shows including Dear Evan Hansen, and The Book of Mormon. Now, he has released his first album Sing to me Instead, which is definitely one of the most emotional albums I have ever heard. Even though there are only two songs on the album currently, it has more emotion and pain than stepping on a pile of Legos.

The full album will come out on March 29, 2019. The current songs that he released give us a glance into what is coming. This album reminds me of Sam Smith’s Stay with me in that it is a pop album, packed with emotion. The collection currently includes two songs, “Bad Habit,” and “Ease my Mind.” These two songs are full of vulnerability and pain. Platt goes through the album entirely candid and unfiltered.

The first song “Bad Habit,” tells the story of a boy looking back at a toxic relationship and how it was so hard to get out of. In the relationship, the boy felt so connected with his partner and felt as though he could not let go.

However, when he did let go, the boy

recognized that he had an undeniable connection with his partner and kept going back to him. The pain that the boy feels is brought out in Platt’s lyrics and the tone he conveys throughout the song. Platt uses a melodic piano as the main instrument in this song. It keeps the song slow while giving it a strong base.

One of the best lines in this song is “Hate to say that I loved you, hate to say that I needed you, hate to say that it is dark in here, but it is true” because it shows that Platt is sincere and open about his mistakes and his flaws. This makes the listener feel the heartbreak that he went through by describing the pain he feels when he thinks about his past relationship.

The second song “Ease My Mind” explores the mind of Platt and how he has dealt with anxiety and selflove. At the beginning of the song, he explains how every morning he feels as though there is a heavy feeling on his chest. A little bit later in the song, he talks about this person who has helped him get through it or ease his mind. The intensity of this song starts soft but gradually builds up.

He climaxes the song by singing the chorus in a strong belt with a lot of riffing, and it raises the emotion.

In “Ease My Mind,” my favorite line is “Most days I wake up with a pit in

Photo/ Amanda Marquis Please Sing to Me Instead is available on Spotify and other streaming apps.

my chest, there are thoughts that I can’t put to rest, there’s a worry that I can’t place.” This line describes what it feels like to have anxiety and how it can control someone’s life.

Many people, especially teenagers, struggle with anxiety, and mainly teenagers listen to his music. The reason for Platt being so popular is because he is honest about his struggles and recognizes that others fight the same battles that he fights.

Platt has now come out with a tour

and will go to many cities including some in Canada. Sadly none in Minnesota. He sings in small venues where he can connect with his audience. Platt shows evidence that he is a very intimate person, and I believe that this album reflects that perfectly.

Sing to Me Instead by Ben Platt is a sophisticated, emotional collection of music, and it deserves a listen from everyone. I give it a 9/10 star rating because I loved the songs, but I wish there were more.

Cosmetics: store vs. name brands (skin removal included!)

Ella Weinbeck Features Editor

As someone with sensitive skin, I have always been diligent about what facial products I use. In many cases, I lean towards brand names such as Neutrogena or Bioré. In my head, brand names tend to be more tested therefore they are safer on my skin. I tested my theory by trying multiple different products both of brand names and store names.

The first brand name product I tried was Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser. I don’t tend to get massive breakouts, but I do get a few pimples here and there. The cream came in an orange tube and was a whitish cream. It cost $7.49.

Looking at the list of ingredients, I was glad to find that I knew two of the terms. The product contains water, and 2 percent Salicylic Acid. Salicylic Acid acts as a medicine to prevent further breakouts while at the same time clearing the current acne. Because the product uses this, skin has less of a possibility of drying out.

After a couple of nights applying the cream, I saw immediate results. My pimples were gone and my skin maintained its soft texture.

I would give this product 5 out of 5 stars because one, it actually worked, and two, it didn’t burn my face like most acne cleansers.

by my chin. The product that was supposed to get rid of my small pimples created more, along with introducing red dry skin wherever I put the product--which also came with a slight burning sensation. I would give this product 1 out of 5 stars because the packaging looked pretty and the price was cheaper than Neutrogena.

considering how many acids were listed, but I needed to remove my makeup.

For make up remover, I tried Target’s Up & Up Exfoliating Wet Cleansing Towelettes.

They cost $1.99 for a pack of 30. They came in cucumber flavor which made me cautious due to my previous experience with cucumber products being corrosive to my skin.

The next product I tried was Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes.

They cost $7.99 for a pack of 25. The towelettes are meant to clear makeup in one quick wipe across the face. The product includes many ingredients that I can’t pronounce, or begin to comprehend, like sucrose cocoate, carbomer, dehydroacetic acid, phenoxy ethanol and iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.

The towelettes include ingredients like phenoxy ethanol, sodium citrate, citric acid, disodium edta, benzoic acid and dehydroacetic acid. This was somewhat alarming

The product worked extremely well. So well, in fact, that it removed all of my makeup in two wipes. The only downside was that it also removed my skin. I suffered from dry

The product

worked extremely well. So well, in fact, that it removed all of my makeup in two wipes. The only downside was that it also removed my skin.

I compared this product to Target’s Up & Up Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash. This is probably one of the most awful products I have ever used.

The foaming scrub came in a pink and white tube and cost $4.79. It might look pretty, but it will wreck your skin.

The list of ingredients was double the amount of those in Neutrogena’s. The amount of different “chloride’s” included was slightly frightening.

This caused me to breakout

The product took a few wipes to go into effect, but after about 5 or 6 wipes my makeup was mostly, if not completely, gone. I would give this product 4 out of 5 stars. 3 stars for removing my makeup and 1 star for not burning my skin. It would have been more convenient if the product removed my makeup quicker --this is why it lost a star.

blotchy red skin under my eyes for about three weeks.

No moisture product seemed to work to fix the dryness. After a trip to the doctor, I was told I had to put petroleum jelly over my eyes each night before going to bed until it healed completely. I still have to continue doing it otherwise my under eyes dry out.

I give this product a negative 5 out of 5 stars because my skin under my eyes is forever ruined. It also took $7.99 out of my wallet and I am not happy. Instead of using corrosive makeup wipes, I recommend using petroleum jelly which costs $1.67 for a 1.75 oz. jar.

After trying multiple products made by both Target and Neutrogena, I have come to a conclusion. I really should not be using any product on my skin besides petroleum jelly. Two out of four of the products I tried burned my skin and one of the other products barely worked. Although Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser was effective, I think I’ll just stick to my petroleum jelly for all things skincare.

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Opinions

19

March 20, 2019

The “Orono Bubble” and how to address it Caroline Robson News Editor When I say Orono, I am not just referring to the school. I am referring to the town, the community, and the bubble that encompasses us, setting us up with unrealistic expectations of how the world will work. The ‘Orono bubble’ as many affectionately call it is very real. Our school does not do much to break through this bubble and educate students about an area that actually matters slightly more than MLA format: how the real world works.

For the most part, a good majority of students here have had many luxuries in life handed to them. Most of our parents have stable, wellpaying jobs; we live in large, comfortable houses with white picket fences and plenty of space. We have multi-car garages to house the cars we are gifted on our 16th birthdays.

The median household income of Orono as of 2016 is $119,000, compared to the US average of $55,000, according to the US Census Bureau.

Many students and families may think their style of living is normal, and some students may even be led to feel underprivileged when they are not granted as nice luxuries

as their peers, but are still definitely very lucky. I have seen instances where students are mad at their parents for not getting them the car they want, when in reality most of America can barely afford two cars per family.

“It sounds stuck up, but I really couldn’t imagine if not driving my car to school every day. It’s so convenient and makes my life easy to have a reliable car that is my own,” senior Natalie Brockman said.

In college, many students will be faced with some struggles for the first time. Students will be broke, living on cheap meal plans and thriving on coffee and ramen noodles. Many will also have to walk everywhere or take public transportation, as many schools prohibit firstyear students from having cars on campus. Students will have a hard time adapting without their parents’ wallets at their disposal and their nice cars to keep them warm while traveling.

These challenges will become even more prevalent after college, when these former students will have to become much more independent and self-reliant. They will face the choices of finding a job, finding a new place to live, living in a cheap, less than ideal apartment with roommates,

and struggling with their now six-year-old car when they find they need maintenance and don’t know what an oil change is.

Although it seems nice that many of us do not have to deal with struggles growing up and are able to focus more on school and building relationships, we will feel helpless when it comes time to manage our money to pay our own bills. Even to many students, it came as somewhat of a shock and surprise when they found out the cost of college and the fact that their parents may not be willing to pay for their entire tuition.

Yes, America’s overall education system is flawed leading to students with a lack of preparedness for the real world, but that is a complex topic for a different article. The Orono community gives its citizens and especially its youth a false sense of the real world, leading to a sense of culture shock when students eventually move out and into different communities.

Orono has seen some improvements in recent years, and there are some groups that are trying to combat this issue. Although it is nearly impossible to give many of these students a first-hand experience with more diversity,

Photo/ Cari Spencer Jessica Frie’s AP Lang students read and discussed books on systemic racism - a step forward in “popping the bubble”

this issue can be addressed through education.

The Student Voice club, for example, has taken strides to fix inconsistencies in the accommodations for every Orono student. Previously, there was not a solution for students who may need school breakfast for free or reduced prices. This group made sure this issue was addressed, because it was not something that had ever been high priority in the minds of the administration.

In many English classes, teachers try to formulate a curriculum to educate students about diversity, specifically about race and issues of

racism. Mr. Williams and Mrs. Frie are two examples of teachers who stimulate class discussion on these important topics and allow their students to be educated on important and crucial topics, in an attempt to prepare them for the real world and be more socially aware.

Although there is a definite ‘Orono bubble’ there are solutions in the way we educate our students. By following through on the leads some educators and students have created, there is an opportunity for students and members of the Orono community to be more prepared for the world outside of our bubble.

How entitled are people in the Orono district?

Jagur Justen Opinions Editor Edina High School students have been referred to as “cake eaters” for years, due to their more wealthy upbringings. While Orono students do not have a nickname like that, they have a reputation, as well. Though students at Orono work hard and are deserving of their achievements, other students in the school might see them as entitled.

When it is the end of the day at Orono High School, there is a line of parents waiting to pick up their children at the high school lot. Normal, right? Except these are not always parents of high school students. Before the middle school day ends, there are parents parked in the high school loop waiting to pick up their children from the middle school. On top of that, they wait in the teacher parking area. Not to mention, the middle school day ends 10 minutes later than the high school.

When the high school day ends, some teachers like to leave soon after the bell. When they are in their cars ready to go, there could be a middle school parent behind them. That parent will not move until their child comes to the car. This parent is claiming the spot they are waiting in and refusing to move because it is “their spot.” This sense of entitlement can easily frustrate the teacher wanting to leave.

This type of entitlement that parents display could translate to the children as well, due to their parenting styles.

This may end up leading the children to have the same type of attitude.

These parents use social comparisons to pressure their students to succeed academically, according to professor emerita for psychological science at the University of California Irvine Ellen Greenberger, et. al.

Students will go so far as to complain about their grades and pester their teachers to make corrections and see if there were errors in their grading. They also tend not to look at the teacher’s perspective, according to associate professor of sociology at Miami University Stephen Lippmann, et.al.

This is also true at Orono. Students and/or parents often email the teachers if the child receives a grade that they are not satisfied with.

One could hope that this entitlement is a facade and behind it is a great sense of gratitude hidden away by social expectations. Displaying this gratitude may help lead to satisfaction in the student’s or parent’s life to acquire a more positive outlook on certain aspects in life, according to graduate students of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder Brianna L. Robustelli and Mark A. Whisman.

The majority of the Orono school

Photo/ Caroline Robson Some of the luxuries Orono students enjoy on a daily basis.

district consists of affluent families.

Children who are part of these families grow in wealth and are used to either getting what they want or are disciplined to work and be persistent for what they want. Due to this nurturing, the students will gain a sense of privilege, no matter how they were raised.

It is typical of someone who is wealthy to gain a sense of entitlement--they are able to do what they think is right

often because they think those who will try and tell them otherwise are on a lower level of wealth. In order to better this attitude, students need to become self-aware of how their actions affect others.

Everyone needs to learn how to balance entitlement and gratitude. One needs to know what they are entitled to, but almost always have gratitude in life.

News

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DECA dogs slay competition at state Congratulations are in order for marketing teacher and DECA adviser Keith Jurek and his DECA Dogs. OHS has a record number of

March 20, 2019

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students moving on from state to the international competition, which will be held in Florida in April.

Photo/ Nina Johnson A peaceful summer day in the Boundary Waters.

“While mining has its potential short term economic benefits, I believe its long term impact to the environment and natural resources should be far outweighed than the interest of mining companies,” junior Margaret Kraus said.

Photo/ Keith Jurek An astounding number of Orono DECA competitors took home hardware, qualifying them for the international competition.

Ask Sparty

Advice for your life QUESTION: “I’m a junior this year, and I am looking for a place to get help with my college planning. I am struggling to find the right path for me, and I don’t want to decide too late. Where do I go for help?”

Hi Friend!

College planning can be ROUGH! It’s very scary to try to plan most of your life right now.

The ACT and SAT can feel overwhelming! Luckily for Orono students, we have great resources right here to help you. First, your councelor! The councelors know everything there is to know about college planning, including which tests are best for you and making career choices. You can also use Naviance as a great resource. It’s very helpful, with practice tests, surveys to tell you what kind of school you fit and more. Don’t worry- You got this.

In order to satisfy the demands of an ever growing population, the pressure to exploit natural resources has increased alongside the population. However, some Minnesotans fear its potential harm to their increasing outdoor recreation use--that being the current backbone of their economy. Annually, around 250,000 people obtain proper licensing and visit the BWCA. Harvard economist, James Stock, noted that the boomand-bust essence of mining economies would have a negative effect on the region’s dependence on ecotourism.

“The BWCA should be protected under federal law indefinitely,” Kraus said.

Others also see a prospective

future in mining in Northern Minnesota, as it would promise thousands of new jobs and economic growth that would directly accompany them.

The Center for American Experiment released a study regarding the economic impact of copper and nickel mining, and it estimated that $3.7 billion would be added annually into the state’s economy, transforming Minnesota’s northeastern sect.

“Mining in the boundary waters is a great way to spur economic activity, as it opens up the potential for thousands of jobs to be created,” junior Devin Hunt said, “in addition, in theory, the environment would remain to be monitored to ensure its well being, despite what many think as mineral depletion.”

While the reversal of the 2016 mining regulations may seem miniscule, as no mining has begun in the area yet, this has set a precedent for the future of the BWCA.

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Good Luck, Sparty QUESTION: “I’m really struggling with my grades, but I don’t know where to go to get help.

What should I do?”

Hey there!

I get it--don’t worry, Orono has a ton of resources to help with something like this.

First: whatever subject you’re struggling with, go speak to the teacher and see which concepts you are having the most trouble with. The teachers are here to help you! This way, you know what you understand and what you don’t. You can ask to stay after school, take advantage of Spartan Hours, and even go during snack break to get some more practice, or see if they have some extra review sheets. You could also talk to a peer if you don’t want to get help from your teacher.

Ask a friend, or even an upperclassmen who has taken the class before for some advice on what to do. They might have some other resources that can help you at home. You could also practice good study habits like keeping a planner, attending study groups, and using programs like Quizlet! All in all, there are a lot of places where you can go to find help!

Good Luck, Sparty

FACTS

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Amy for America Klobuchar has run on a consistent platform for the 13 years she has been involved in politics. The senator stands on the idea that anyone from any cultural or social background can work to earns their hopes and dreams. She extends this value when she promotes the importance of agriculture in the economy.

Illustration/ Andrew Charrier

“I was excited because I share a lot of values with her and it’s exciting someone from our

state is running because that doesn’t happen often,” Bann said.

Klobuchar uses tactics to reach younger audiences, by staying active on her twitter account and interacting with younger generations. She posts links to stories, encouraging tweets, announcements, and even uses her platform to show her support for local sports teams like the University of Minnesota women’s hockey team. This relatability aspect may be the key to her support throughout her upcoming campaign.