Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Volume 28 Issue 5

A cut above the rest

Behind the scenes in

the HHS kitchen

Staff ReportersMeg Burnton

Saxon DorshowMichael Frey

Jasmine GeschwindEli Goldaris

Andrew HerzogAri Lederman

Lindsey KaufmannAly KetoverElana KravitzKatia Tonge

Alex SchneiderElissa Weis-Engelen

Editors in ChiefNate GotliebDanny Mann

Managing EditorRosie Mann

Content EditorScott Gannis

Copy EditorTom Guthrie

News EditorRosie Mann

Opinion EditorDylan Browdie

Feature EditorsZahra BashirAmy Gallop

Centerspread EditorTsana Allen

Varitey EditorKent Wee

Sports EditorsBill Gregg

Emma Peaslee

Back Cover EditorNaomi Litman-Zelle

Editors in TrainingDanielle Fink

Lissa Martinez

WebmasterBen Jolson

Head PhotographerBen Jolson

Business ManagerDanielle Fink

The editorial represents the opinion of the newspaper staff. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the adminis-tration, the student body or the adviser. Signed viewpoints represent the view of the writer. The Royal Page is an open fo-rum newspaper, where students decide editorial content.

Advertising information available by mail, fax and phone. Annual Subscrip-tions are available for $20.

The Royal Page encourages letters to the editor. Letters are not guaranteed publication, are subject to editing for content and length, must be signed and meet deadlines. Compliments and sug-gestions are also welcome.

The Royal Page

2009-2010 Contentscover story 8

A Cut Above The RestBehind the scenes in the HHS kitchen

news 3-5 Palin Speaks Out to ‘Real America’ Former VP candidate visits MOA

A New Method of Bullying An Inside look at cyberbullying

College Athletic Standards Athletes priorities in wrong place

opinion 6-7 One Year Down Obama’s fi rst year in the White House

variety 12-13 Hooting up a storm HHS grad in band Owl City Cities 97 Sampler CD RP reviews Sampler 21

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feature 10-11 Studying Abroad Two HHS students refl ect on expierence Bound for Honolulu HHS senior prepares for triathlon

sports 14-15

The Challenges of Making Weight What it takes to be a wrestler

Hockey Midseason Report A look at the girls and boys teams

Visit us online at www.royalpage.org

AdviserJeff Kocur

With the advent of websites like Youtube, Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, public harass-

ment has reached a whole new audience. Due to nonrestrictive websites, anyone with Internet access is capable of harassing someone via technology. � is type of ha-rassment is such an issue that a new term has been created to describe it: cyber bullying.

According to www.stopcyberbullying.org, “cyber bullying is when a [person] is tormented, threatened, harassed, humili-ated, embarrassed or otherwise targeted by another [person] using the Internet, inter-active and digital technologies or mobile phones.”

On Nov. 9, 2009, four Minneapolis teens were arrested for allegedly assaulting civilians and posting the violence on You-

tube. � e 6-minute-long video featured 5 Minn. teenagers randomly attacking peo-ple walking and biking on the streets.

While this particular type of cyber bul-lying has not been reported to have oc-curred at HHS, other types of cyber bul-lying have.

For instance,Heather Levandoski-Er-ickson, senior, has fi rst-hand experience. “Last year I was being called names on MySpace. I was targeted online, and I was threatened as well. When those horrible things were said, I didn’t feel safe going to school, and I was scared,” Levandoski-Erickson said.

As a result, Levandoski-Erickson sought help. “I was scared, heartbroken, upset, and angry. I reacted in such a man-ner that I had to take [the issue] to the

school. I had to talk to the Dean and the Principal; they helped me get through it and helped put a stop to it,” she said.

“If [bullying] happens off school grounds but aff ects things here, the school can have a role in that. [Cyber bullying] is still bullying and may mean cause for in-tervention,” said Dan Sterud, guidance.

While HHS does not have an offi cial position on cyber bullying in its handbook, any type of off ensive behavior could result in a scheduled meeting with parents and possible suspension.

An additional resource for students experiencing cyber bullying is guidance counselors. “[If a student came to me for help], I would support the student in talk-ing to the Dean or Associate Principal,” Sterud said.

Technology innovations lead to teen bullying

Teen bullying

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Photo by Ben Jolson

Heather Levandoski-Erickson

Dan Sterud Stopcyberbullying.org

Who’s in the article?

“I dont think [cyber bullying] is a problem. You can turn off the computer whenever you want.”

Eric Freeman, 10

“I think it’s worse than physical bullying because it’s on the internet for everyone to see. When people say mean things, they can be easily forgotten, but when it’s on the internet it’s more permanent.”

Nina Wong, 12

YouTube staff review fl agged videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Unapproved videos are immediately removed

Sometimes a video doesn’t violate our Commu-nity Guidelines, but may not be appropriate for everyone. These videos may be age-restricted.

Consequences for inappropriate videosYouTube staff review fl agged videos 24 hours a day, seven days a week

Sometimes a video doesn’t violate our Commu-nity Guidelines, but may not be appropriate for

Unapproved videos are immediately removed

Rosie Mann News Editor

Shyguy37: That’s great advice. Thanks for your help!

Shyguy37: She keeps telling me I look fat in my profi le picture. What should I do?DrSmArtStuFf6: Talk to an adult you trust. Maybe they can help you.Shyguy37: What if she keeps making fun of me?DrSmArtStuFf6: You should try blocking her. Then she can’t see your pictures anymore.

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Are there plans for either trains to come out to the Hopkins area?

“Yes. � e Hennepin County Regional Railroad

Authority approved on October 14 the future alignment for the Southwest Corridor light rail transit (LRT). � at alignment will bring light rail transit to Hopkins from downtown Minneapolis on the east and ending in Eden Prairie on the West. � ere will be three LRT stations in Hopkins: one in the Shady Oak Road/Excelsior Boulevard area, one in downtown Hopkins in the 8th Avenue/Excelsior Boulevard area, and one in the Blake Road area just north of Excelsior Boulevard.”

How would the Hopkins community react to trains? “We believe the Hopkins community is perfectly po-

sitioned to use LRT and will do so. Hopkins is unique in many regards in that it is already a fairly dense and compact suburban community. Residents are able to bike or walk to meet many of their regular needs from shopping to entertainment and are used to “non-driving” ways of getting about. LRT will provide convenient options for moving from Hopkins to downtown Min-neapolis and St. Paul, the airport, Mall of America, and other destinations. � e public response to our fi rst LRT line, Hiawatha, has been overwhelming. We have already exceeded ridership pro-jections for the year 2020 and we’re expanding platforms built for 2-car trains to accommodate 3-car trains to meet future ridership demands. We expect Hopkins’ residents to respond every bit as enthusiastically.”

The Metro Transit throughout the Twin Cities has gone green. In 2002, the fi rst hybrid electric bus was on the road. Today, there are 67 hybrids in service, and

the company plans on having 75 in service by 2010. As for light rails, the Hiawatha light rail is the fi rst rail in the Twin Cit-ies to run on electricity. “Electricity can be environmentally friendly...but it doesn’t usually solve all problems. What is great about it is that the car/train/vehicle itself is not burning fuel directly and therefore not directly putting air pollutants from fuel burning into the air,” said John Sammler, science, “You need to make the electricity somehow. So, if the electricity to run the light rail line is made by a coal power plant, then you are still polluting. It is all coming out of the power plant instead of the car/train directly,” Sammler said.

With this new Hiawatha rail open, Sammler believes the future is bright for the Metro Transit. “A strong and well-con-nected public transport system makes a city more eco-friendly and more competitive economically. People use these systems if they are designed well,” Sammler said.

While many commuters in the Twin Cities haven’t made the switch to public transportation, Dani Abraham, senior, who has lived in large cities,

understands the benefi ts of an accessible public transporta-tion. Abraham who used to live in Connecticut, has used public transportation in order to get to New York City for various oc-casions. Abraham would travel to the city by the Grand Transit, a train into New York City. After getting off the train she would go to the subway, which would bring her to her fi nal destina-tion. Abraham traveled to the city for shopping and Broadway shows with her friends and family. Even though she didn’t trav-el daily, there are many commuters going through the New York City train station everyday to avoid rush hour on the streets and having to deal with parking in the city. � e daily travelers buy a monthly pass that is effi cient for them. If the future light rails and commuter rails are expanded to the various suburbs, many HHS students would likely use public transportation if it is provided for them. “I would go to more of the places like the Mall of America and the airport,” said Abraham.

With Phil Eckhert Head of Housing and Transpor-

tation Development for Hennepin County

Q&A

It’s four a.m. on the morning of December 7, 2009. For those who aren’t asleep, the cold win-

ter air is enough to keep them in their homes. However, some people have found a reason to hop in their cars and go that trumps the desire to stay inside.

Sitting in their cars in the Mall of America parking lot waiting for it to open, these devoted fans came out on that chilly morning to ensure their prime places in line for Sarah Palin to sign their copies of her recently published book, Going Rogue.

Palin, the Vice Presidential candidate for the republican party in the 2008 elec-tion, has been around the country signing her book, and was at the Mall of America last week.

“Oh, I stood in line for three hours,”

said Gayle Quinnell, a devoted fan that at-tended the book signing. � is event wasn’t the fi rst time Quinell has publicly shown her support for Palin. She has attended events in both Blaine and Lakeville and was even able to speak to Sen. John Mc-Cain, the Republican presidential nominee from 2008.

� at morning, Quinell stood among throngs of people waiting in anticipation to meet Palin and show her their loyalty and admiration.

Of course, they also came to get her signature. “Sarah, she looked everyone in the eye, asked them their name, and shook their hand. So as much as she could take a personal moment with each person, she did,” said Colleen Kelley, an attendee of the event who got two copies of Palin’s

book signed.Later on in the signing, the staff of the

event had to limit the number of copies one person could get signed because earlier in the day people brought as many as eight copies for Palin to sign.

� e event began at noon and contin-ued until almost four in the afternoon in order for everyone with a wristband to get their book signed. At the conclusion of the event, Palin stood up and smiled at the cheering crowd. However, when she took a step, she stumbled over the foot of a staff member walking by.

At fi rst, there was a still silence in the room. But after a few moments, some peo-ple on the second fl oor of the mall shouted, “We love you Sarah!” and the crowd once again applauded for Palin.

Northstar rail presents benefi ts for Minn.

“Last fall in Oct., I campaigned for John McCain from then until the day before the elections. And I saw him down at Lakeville at the hometown meet-ing and Sarah Palin called into the offi ce while we were there on a conference call just to kind of give us support and tell us that we were doing the right thing. So I got to hear her, but I’ve been supporting her ever since.”

Said Dianna Strauss, one of many Palin supporters who was at the Mall of America on Dec. 7

Naomi Zelle & Zahra Bashir Back Page Editor, Feature Editor

Danielle Fink Staff ReporterPhoto courtesy of: Metrotransit.org

Sarah Palin supporters gather for book signing

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Photo courtesy of: Metrotransit.org

“Attention, Hopkins High School is in lockdown mode. Please turn on your T.V. and wait for further instructions.” We all know this mundane message and know how to get into the corner of our classrooms. But what if this happened at lunch; would anyone know where to go then?

� e Readiness and Emergency Manage-ment for Schools (REMS) grant that the Hop-kins School District received this past summer from the U.S. Department of Education is here to address these concerns.

Of the 14,556 existing school districts in the U.S. and the 519 school districts in Minn., Hopkins School District was one of only 108 schools in the nation, and the only school in Minn., to receive the REMS grant.

� is $250,000 grant is already being used to improve the emergency management in our schools. � ere are four phases of emergency management that are taken into consideration: prevention mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery. � e goals of this program are to reduce the likelihood of injury to people and property.

Much of the money is being spent on staff training, which takes place during non-school hours. � is can be an overwhelming task, espe-cially given the extensive time the staff already puts in during the day. Along with the school staff , school-based community personnel, like coaches or Community Education employees,

and district-level departments also need to be trained.

HHS staff has been fully cooperative with these new measures. In November, 36 staff members went to a National Incident Com-mand training session to be trained in emer-gency preparedness. “� e key is that we all play a role in the safety and security of our students, staff , and buildings,” said Amy Weinzierl, Co-ordinator of REMS grant.

A large-scale drill is currently being planned to take place over the summer as another op-portunity to increase our preparedness. � is drill will be much more extensive than the stan-dard fi re drills, lockdowns, or severe weather drills that we are so accustomed to.

Communication adds another cost into the program. HHS will be in contact with law en-forcement, local government, public health, and mental health offi cials. � e district will also be working on new forms of communication with parents if they should ever need to alert or in-form them of an emergency.

Along with ensuring the staff is trained as well as possible and equipped with all the necessary tools and knowledge, vulnerability assessments are being conducted in all of the schools in the district. � ese assessments look at an array of external and internal factors to identify and prioritize the risks of the specifi c school. Evaluations may identify the location of the school, assess the security in that area, look for areas in school where illegal drug activities occur, and check the fi re alarm.

A vulnerability assessment was just per-formed at HHS on Nov. 30 by Patty Johnson, Assistant Principal, Dustin Stenglein, School Resource Offi cer, and local Minnetonka Police and Fire personnel.

Recently, our school practiced a reverse-evacuation drill, which is diff erent than a lock-down in that even though the doors are locked, students are still able to move freely around the classroom and cont=inue their work. � is drill is practiced in the event of an emergency in a nearby building, like a chemical leak or intruder, which may not necessarily be direct threats.

“I was legitimately concerned during this drill because I didn’t know what was going on or what it was,” said Nia Sotto, Senior. � is is one of a few of the new drills students in the Hopkins District will be experiencing in the near future to ensure that as many precaution-ary measures as possible can be put into prac-tice.

Ultimately, this grant will enable Hopkins to become a much more secure and ready school district should an emergency arise. “With more staff being up-to-date on the best practice methods in school emergency management and the resources available to assist them, the better we can address the needs and concerns of you – our students,” Weinzierl said.

Equity team receives national recognition

A quarter of a million dollars for safety benefi ts

In a large public school like HHS, it can be easy for minority students to get lost in institutional policies that do not give them the same opportunities as students from diff erent backgrounds.

But due to the eff orts of a group of six HHS teachers and administrators known as the Equity Team, there is a support system in place for those students who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks.

� is past month, the Equity Team traveled to the Summit for Courageous Conversation, a na-tional conference in Baltimore, Md., to give a presentation to educators from around the country titled “� e Underground Railroad: Empowering Black Males to Navigate the System.”

Valarie McWilliams-Jones is a Special Ed. teacher and has been a member of the Equity Team since its inception. At the convention, she was surprised to receive an additional honor for her years of unapologetically and enthusiastically “promoting equity and racial justice” for Black males at HHS.

“Jones instills courage and determination in black students on the road through a changing sub-urban high school to college admission,” said fellow team member Rita DeWane, Special Services Coordinator, in a letter she prepared for the occasion.

DeWane characterized Jones as “the conductor of the Underground Railroad at Hopkins High School” for her eff orts to give students guidance in their personal and academic lives while maintain-ing a trustful relationship.

� is “Underground Railroad” that was the subject of the Equity Team’s presentation to the conven-tion was described in convention literature as “the subsystem that black male students use…to address the racial inequities that exist in their school.”

� e team, currently comprised of Jones, De Wane, Lydia Kabaka, Guidance Counselor, Terrall Lewis, Youth Development Program Specialist, Carl Yancy, Special Ed., Patty Johnson, Assistant Principal, Nancy Marcy, PE, Maggie Temple, Social Studies, Ryan Hogan, English, Jennifer Heim-lich, Social Studies, Jay Katzenmeyer, Math, Sue Westegaard, Math, and Willie Jett, Principal, meets regularly to examine HHS’s activities and policies in order to fi nd ways to ensure that all students are being granted the same opportunities to succeed in school.

An example of a problem with institutional policy came when the Equity Team noticed that the rear ‘bus’ entrance to the building, which more minority students use, was much less aesthetically ap-pealing than the main entrance. � eir response was a beautifi cation project near the rear doors that made the comings and goings of all students much more pleasant.

For the past several years, the team has been working behind the scenes to address the diffi cult and contentious issues of race and discrimination in our school. Most of this support happens on an individual basis. If a student thinks that he/she is being treated unfairly, team members will counsel

them on how to speak about race and advocate for their needs from an adult. Much of the individual support that the Equity Team gives is geared towards helping with the col-

lege admission process. Team members have helped minority students register and prepare for college admission exams, fi ll out complicated fi nancial aid forms, and have even chaperoned fi eld trips for them to visit colleges in the area.

And after the recent convention, the passion equity team members feel towards the work they are doing has only grown stronger. “Going to the convention really validated the work that we do,” Jones said.

[My favorite part is] creatingawareness and giving backto my race.

Ari Lederman Staff Reporter

“ ”-Ms. Valarie McWilliams-Jones

-Mr. Terrall Lewis

“”

My favorite part of being on the equity team is the relation-ship I have with the children and the ability to allow them to self advocate.

“Attention, Hopkins High School is in lockdown mode. Please turn on your T.V. and wait for further instructions.” We all know this mundane message and know how to get into the corner of our classrooms. But what if this happened at lunch; would anyone know where to go then?

The Grant Breakdown

the U.S. and the 519 school districts in Minn., Hopkins School District was one of only 108 schools in the nation, and the only school in Minn., to receive the REMS grant.

� is $250,000 grant is already being used to improve the emergency management in our schools. � ere are four phases of emergency management that are taken into consideration: prevention mitigation, preparedness, response,

to go then?� e Readiness and Emergency Manage-

ment for Schools (REMS) grant that the Hop-kins School District received this past summer

lockdown mode. Please turn on your T.V. and wait for further instructions.” We all know this mundane message and know how to get into the corner of our classrooms. But what if this happened at lunch; would anyone know where to go then?

For contracts between emergency respond-ers during drills

For supplies and equipment

For staff training and getting a part time as-sistant

For other expenses including travel to federal meetings

For outline fees

Much of the money is being spent on staff training, which takes place during non-school hours. � is can be an overwhelming task, espe-cially given the extensive time the staff already puts in during the day. Along with the school staff , school-based community personnel, like coaches or Community Education employees,

training, which takes place during non-school hours. � is can be an overwhelming task, espe-cially given the extensive time the staff already puts in during the day. Along with the school staff , school-based community personnel, like coaches or Community Education employees,

Aly Ketover Staff Reporter

getting a part time as-

Youth Development Program Specialist

Special Education

Economy (Dylan Browdie)By the time Barack Obama entered office in 2009, the

global financial crisis had taken a massive toll on the U.S. economy. Already, the nation had entered a recession, and in order to avoid a full, long-lasting depression, immediate legisla-tive action was necessary.

President Obama signed the American Recovery and Rein-vestment Act (ARRA) into law in mid-February, 2009. The bill, comprised of $787 billion worth of government spending and tax cuts, was intended to avert a depression and put the economy back on track to recovery. Nine months later, the economy is ex-periencing quarterly gains, and unemployment is slowly leveling off.

Experts in the field are now largely viewing the ARRA as a success. The debate now turns to future action (or inaction).

Some economists have taken the unemployment rate topping 10 percent as evidence that the ARRA was too small and that more legislative action is required. Others say that the ARRA was large enough (or even unnecessary) and that more action would lay waste to our economic future by increasing the already large federal debt.

The best option falls in between these two extremes. Because the Obama administration relied on overly optimistic economic assumptions when creating the recovery package, more action would probably speed up a recovery and be worth the investment (especially since our current investments are paying off ).

The new bill should be constructed using the ARRA as evi-dence of what works and what does not work.

The most effective areas of the ARRA should be expanded. These areas include infrastructure spending, general state aid, food stamps, and unemployment checks.

Areas of the ARRA that are operating at a loss should be left out of the new bill. These areas include most temporary tax cuts.

The successful and unsuccessful aspects of the ARRA illus-trate a general principal that should be followed in creating the new bill. Spending and programs to put money into the hands of those that will surely spend it quickly work, and tax cuts and one-time handouts encourage saving, not spending.

Health Care (Emma Peaslee)Health care reform has been something President Obama has

been pushing since he came into office, and it’s something that will undoubtedly be a defining part of his presidency, whether or not it passes. It is pretty easy to say nothing has changed. No one has any more health care benefits than when Obama took office.

On paper, Obama has not fixed the health care crisis but that is taking a complex issue and reducing it to simplistic terms. Health care is not something that can be fixed overnight. Obama has championed this cause, and the reason the bill has made it so far is largely because of him. The current health care bill (in both houses):

1. Requires that all Americans are insured and government will help make premiums more affordable

2. Bans insurance companies from denying coverage or charg-ing more to people with health problems

3. Sets up new insurance markets for those who now have

What has he done

the hard-est time f i n d i n g and keep-ing coverage of self-em-ployed people and small businesses

4. Ensures that seniors would get bet-ter prescription coverage

With those pieces alone, the health care system would see drastic improvements. However, a lot of the success of the health care bill isn’t directly in Obama’s hands. Right now, Congress has more control over the bill.

Although Obama has and is continuing to use his political capital to get the bill through, Congress still has a lot to debate. Abortion and how the bill will be paid for are just a few of the top-ics of debate. One of the biggest problems with the bill is the idea that people could use federal money to finance abortion. Although abortion maybe a polarizing and important issue, it’s not the big-gest thing wrong with the current health care system.

The Democrats should consider saving the abortion debate for another time. Right now, it could cost them the entire bill. Not to mention people want answers to a much bigger concern, how privatized health care plans will fare against a government health care plan?

Intl. Policy (Saxon Dorshow)As the human race creates an ever more complicated and in-

terconnected world, skills in global relations are becoming increas-

ingly important for a successful world leader. World leader- truly that term has never been more apt, as in today’s world, any decision a leader makes has powerful and far-reaching global ramifications.

Today’s leaders must work together as they never have before.

Unfortunately for the United States, our last president was not particularly adept at dealing with the outside world. Indeed, by the end of his second term, our country was involved in two wars, owed China trillions of dollars, and was widely hated through-out the world.

However, with the 2008 election of Barack Obama, there was new hope for improved American global relations. Obama was young, charismatic, intel-

ligent, and perhaps most importantly, not George Bush.

Immediately, the citizens of the world became enamored with him. Obama was the kind of worldwide phenomenon not seen in American politics since the days of John F. Kennedy. Suddenly, America was no longer the villain of the world.

However, on his recent trip to Asia, Obama visited China and had several specific goals in mind. Among them were fixing the massive trade deficit that exists between the two countries and encouraging greater political freedom in China.

On his first day there, Obama called for a free and uncensored Chinese Internet, a plea that fell on mostly deaf ears. In the next few days, he failed to obtain any real concessions in meetings with Chinese leaders. His trip ended with him being coerced into at-tending a Chinese government “press conference,” in which no questions from media are allowed and a government agent simply recites what basically amounts to government propaganda.

On the warfront, things don’t seem to be much better. Eight months into his term, the military is no closer to with-

drawing from Iraq then when his term began. In Afghanistan, Obama is currently instituting a troop surge that will greatly in-crease the American presence there.

The bottom line is that President Obama is greatly improving our standing in the world. However, he still has many compli-cated global issues to address. This should not be seen as an in-dictment of him however, as he inherited a truly terrible situation at home and abroad.

As Barack Obama’s time in office approaches one year, the

Royal Page staff takes a look at what he’s done well (and not

so well) and what needs to be done next.

Economy

Health Care

International Policy

Emma Peaslee is the Sports Editor, Saxon Dorshow is a Staff Reporter, and

Dylan Browdie is the Opinion Editor for the Royal Page.

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HHS graduate and University of Minnesota freshman Royce White has a stat column that would make O.J. Simpson feel tingly. White is not only under investigation for shoplifting and assault, but he has been implicated in a dormi-tory burglary. Another Gophers star, Trevor Mbakwe, is facing assault charges, and football player Michael Carter was recently arrested for minor consumption of alcohol and obstruction of justice.

Situations like these are the norm in the two most popular sports in American collegiate athletics. In November, three University of Ten-nessee football players were arrested for armed robbery. Believe it or not, all of these crimes have something do with a little school in Indiana that is coached by a very husky middle-aged man (no, not Norm from Cheers).

Charlie Weis has been fi red for the sub-par performance of his Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the football fi eld. Some of this grief is war-ranted, as the Fighting Irish have looked about as good on the fi eld as Charlie Weis has looked off of it (ZING!), but the vast majority of it is ignoring something vital: Notre Dame is strug-gling because it refuses to compromise the goals of the university with the goals of the football team.

Most of Notre Dame’s struggles can be at-tributed to placing signifi cance on academics. Why would a 6’4” 240 pound man-child named Cletus attend Notre Dame (where football play-ers graduate 94 percent of the time) when he could play ball at Oklahoma and have no intel-lectual expectations (46 percent football gradu-ation rate)?

Graduation rates indicate whether or not students are expected to attend an institution to be students. An athlete can stay eligible for sports while not staying on pace to graduate with his class. High rates demonstrate if athletes are solely at a school to play sports or if they are stu-

Aside from the immature bathroom stall graffi ti, there is an-other problem with the majority of the restrooms at HHS: the new hand dryers.

� e highly powerful, space age Xcelerators were installed in some HHS bathrooms a couple of months ago and cost the school roughly $500 each, according to Ernie Bonkowske, custo-dian. � e problem is that with the advent of the new Xcelerators, along came the disappearance of the paper towel dispensers.

People might be pondering why an article concerning such a mundane, trivial topic would ever be included in the school newspaper, but, let me assure you, this is an issue of signifi cant importance.

Bankowske said that the decision to install the machines was primarily based on saving money and keeping the bathrooms as clean as possible. Bankowske said that, overall, hand dryers are better for the school. Before, paper towels would be scattered all over the fl oor and stuff ed into the toilets.

� ey also cut down the cost of stocking the restrooms with paper towels. We received several pallets of paper, and it’s better environmentally anyway to have the dryers instead.

But paper towels are so versatile. When a facility’s towel dis-pensers are entirely replaced by hand dryers, people no longer are able to clean up spills or wipe off messes on their clothing; true, we could just use toilet paper, but the towels are much more

durable. Paper towels are also more hygienic than dryers. � is is a high school of over two thousand, and there are bound to

be some people who immediately leave the washroom without wash-ing up, so having towels to hold the door handle is imperative in or-der to avoid infection. I recognize that this is quite strange, but when I am in a public restroom without paper towels, I will idle around in the bathroom for a while until someone else opens the door to avoid touching the fi lthy doorknob. � ough this behavior is exceedingly eccentric, it is not without reason; it’s a way of being defensive.

According to a 2008 study by the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom, “air dryers cause an increase in the number of bacteria on people’s hands by 254 percent as well as potential con-tamination of the washroom environment.”

� e study also said that warm air dryers, the ones we used to have, could house Staphylococcus aureus, the penicillin-resistant bacteria that causes the potentially deadly staph infection. “Jet” dryers like the Xcelerator increase bacteria by an average of 42 percent on the fi n-gers. In contrast, the UK study found that the traditional paper towel actually decreased spread of bacteria by 76 percent.

When the whole H1N1 hysteria began, suddenly every public bathroom in America had a “Wash Your Hands” poster hanging from the wall. � ey say that after you wash your hands, you should turn off the faucet and grip the restroom doorknob with a paper towel. It would be nice if they had any so we could actually do these tips.

Besides, what’s the point of washing your hands if you’re only going to soil them again by using a seemingly-innocent drying machine sprawling with pathogens?

Now that the school has already spent a considerable amount of money on installing these hand dryers, I’m not expecting instant return of the paper towels.

Sure, having hand dryers does cut down on the paper waste that comes with having to stock every restroom with rolls of pa-per, but a lot of paper companies are modifying their products to make them more environmentally sustainable. And it is true that the new hand dryers do an effi cient job of drying off the hands (while also nearly blowing one’s skin off of the bones and making a deafening noise that can be heard from the opposite end of the hallway in the process). A few rubbish bins full of used tissues is a small price to pay for staying healthy and hygienic.

� e Staff Editorial represents the opinion of the Royal Page Staff

New jet dryers effi cient, not most sanitary

Grad rates signify university prioritiesdents as well.

If a major college basketball or football pro-gram wants to improve performance on the fi eld, it should eschew academics as much as possible. It’s nearly impossible to keep any semblance of academic priority and succeed on the fi eld or court as well. North Carolina basketball has done it, graduating 86 percent of its players, but this is the exception, not the rule.

Across America, as soon as the pretense of providing an education to its players is cut, bas-ketball and football programs fi nd success. In 2001, the Alabama football team had a medio-cre 7-5 record and a respectable 80 percent grad rate. � is season, with a team ranked amongst the top two in the country, there is a 55 percent grad rate.

Some will argue that poor academic perfor-mance can be attributed to a better quality ath-lete. � ey say that since a program is improving, it’s only logical the athlete will leave for the pros before he obtains a degree. However, this is a myopic argument.

� e University of North Carolina and Notre Dame churn out ample professional athletes ev-ery year, and these athletes are graduating at a better rate than their peers. Given the opportu-nity, it is hard to argue with an athlete’s decision to leave school early for the pros. But then why is it a seldom occurrence at Notre Dame and the University of North Carolina?

It comes back to the quality of athletics de-partments in terms of character, integrity, and values. One can not pass judgement on the U of M athletes with law troubles in good conscience, but one can look at the university’s athletic goals as a whole.

Even after a rough season, many people still feel that the U of M football team is on the up-tick from a couple years ago. Likewise, the bas-ketball team has seen more on court success that it did two or three seasons ago. Academically,

both programs are struggling with grad rates of 51 percent and 36 percent respectively.

No one ever hears a peep out of Stanford football regarding player arrests, and it comes as no surprise that football players have a 93 per-cent graduation rate. Stanford holds every stu-dent and athlete accountable academically while still fi elding a very competitive team.

� e reason Stanford doesn’t have off -fi eld problems is because there are no classroom prob-lems. � e university has made a commitment to treating college as what it is: an opportunity for higher education. Its coaching staff has decided to recruit players who fi t this vision, and conse-quently, it has been rewarded with excellent be-havior and academics.

Fans need to realize the “win at all costs” mentality that is so prominent in major Divi-

sion I athletics is a choice. If the University of Minnesota wants to avoid off the fi eld problems, it makes a lot of sense to prioritize academics and sports. Sure, it might suff er on the fi eld a little more, but it can’t be any worse than Tim Brewster’s Gophers or the basketball team’s rap sheet.

� e U needs to use Stanford, Notre Dame, and the University of North Carolina as exam-ples. An athletic program can be successful in all facets of university life if a commitment is made to academics.

I’ll do my part. Once I see the U make this commitment, I promise a Macy’s shopping spree to a certain freshman basketball player.

Scott Gannis is the Content Editor for the Royal Page

Team

both programs are struggling with grad rates of 51 percent and 36 percent respectively.

No one ever hears a peep out of Stanford

-Notre Dame Football

-Alabama Football

-Stanford Football

-UNC Basketball

-Texas Basketball

-Duke Basketball

93%

Graduate % Win/Loss94%

93%93%93%93%93%93%93%93%93%55%

86%31%89%

Academic/On-fi eld Success Rates

(6-6)(13-0)(8-4)(7-2)(7-0)(7-1)

Taking a bite out of lunch

Chicken fingers

SandwichCookie

Burrito

The Royal Page looks inside the most popular subject in school: lunch

1,236 lunches, four times a day, 172 times a year may seem like an impossible recipe to follow, but

the 25 staff members of the Royal Cuisine make it look like a piece of cake.

Lunch operations start well before the school day begins. “By 5:00 in the morning, I’m pretty much turning on the kitchen, and I

get things ready to go,” said Paul Kapalo one of 11 cooks for the Royal Cuisine. He has been working in the district for six years.

� e reason the cooks are in the kitchen so early is because all the food in the kitchen, with the exception of the pizza dough and macaroni and cheese, is cooked from scratch that same day. “Everything is done fresh. Nothing is pre-made and shipped here; we do every-thing like a bakery would do,” Kapalo said.

� is unique aspect of HHS’ cafeteria can make it more time consuming for the cooks. “I have to cut everything fresh. So prep-ping everything and getting it ready is diffi cult. It can be hectic and take a lot of time,” said Sha-

ron Bendtsen, Cook for Ethnic Adventures and Royal Cuisine veteran of four years.

And time is not something that the Royal Cuisine staff has to waste. “� e most diffi cult part of the job is timing. � e clock can be our worst enemy,” Kapalo said. “When you come into the kitchen you have to stay focused on the task at hand. We all multitask and pri-oritize.”

In order to be most productive and time effi cient, food is cooking throughout the whole day. “Before school is not the only time we cook. We cook as we go during lunch and in between lunches we are turning around freshening up the lunchroom and cooking more food. Our goal is to make fi rst lunch just as good and just and stocked as fourth lunch,” Kapalo said.

Meeting this goal means a lot of food. In one week alone, the kitchen goes through 1,000 cartons of milk, 552 oranges and 450 bananas. Additionally it uses 157 pounds of lettuce, 2,500 pounds of apples, 50-100 pounds of onions, and 46-69 pounds of peppers.

With so much food being used, restock-ing is a daily occurrence. “Our main source of food is received from U.S. Food

service 3 days a week, Bergin Fruit and Nut two days a week, Hastings Co-op 2-3 days a week, Pan of Gold

2 days a week and United, DSD, and Golden Valley once per week,” said Sandra Rulec, Back of the House Op-erations Man-ager. “� is year we added to our program Home-stead Orchard which is located right here in Maple Plain; they are the sup-pliers of our delicious apples. We have also added Riverbend farms located in Delano, which sup-plies us with many fresh and tasty vegetables.”

� e hours of preparation and tons of food cook up a recipe for success that gets the Royal Cuisine staff through another hectic day.

“We have pride in what we do and care about our cliental. Every morning I come to work because I want to. You kids are the future and it gives me pride to teach you to eat healthy,” said Kapalo.

Story by Danny Mann, Editor in Chief

5:00amFirst cook arrives

6:00amDelivery man comes

6:30amBreakfast cashier arrives

7:00amCooks arrive

Dishwashers arrive7:00am

7:00-8:30amBreakfast is served

8:30amLead cashier arrives

11:00-1:00pmLunch is served Concessions/catering arrives

One hundred students at HHS share their favorite cafeteria food. What’s yours?

A piece ofthe cookie

What’s on the menu?A day of work

6,458

25

6

2,059

11

‘Skim’

numbersthe

lunch stations

cafeteria staff members

cookies sold a week

lunches sold a week

Cooks

746waters sold a week

Fries

45%

5%

21%

10%

19%

Taking a bite out of lunchThe Royal Page looks inside the most popular subject in school: lunch

1,236 lunches, four times a day, 172 times a year may seem like an impossible recipe to follow, but

the 25 staff members of the Royal Cuisine make it look like a piece of cake.

Lunch operations start well before the school day begins. “By 5:00 in the morning, I’m pretty much turning on the kitchen, and I

get things ready to go,” said Paul Kapalo one of 11 cooks for the Royal Cuisine. He has been working in the district for six years.

� e reason the cooks are in the kitchen so early is because all the food in the kitchen, with the exception of the pizza dough and macaroni and cheese, is cooked from scratch that same day. “Everything is done fresh. Nothing is pre-made and shipped here; we do every-thing like a bakery would do,” Kapalo said.

� is unique aspect of HHS’ cafeteria can make it more time consuming for the cooks. “I have to cut everything fresh. So prep-ping everything and getting it ready is diffi cult. It can be hectic and take a lot of time,” said Sha-

ron Bendtsen, Cook for Ethnic Adventures and Royal Cuisine veteran of four years.

And time is not something that the Royal Cuisine staff has to waste. “� e most diffi cult part of the job is timing. � e clock can be our worst enemy,” Kapalo said. “When you come into the kitchen you have to stay focused on the task at hand. We all multitask and pri-oritize.”

In order to be most productive and time effi cient, food is cooking throughout the whole day. “Before school is not the only time we cook. We cook as we go during lunch and in between lunches we are turning around freshening up the lunchroom and cooking more food. Our goal is to make fi rst lunch just as good and just and stocked as fourth lunch,” Kapalo said.

Meeting this goal means a lot of food. In one week alone, the kitchen goes through 1,000 cartons of milk, 552 oranges and 450 bananas. Additionally it uses 157 pounds of lettuce, 2,500 pounds of apples, 50-100 pounds of onions, and 46-69 pounds of peppers.

With so much food being used, restock-ing is a daily occurrence. “Our main source of food is received from U.S. Food

service 3 days a week, Bergin Fruit and Nut two days a week, Hastings Co-op 2-3 days a week, Pan of Gold

2 days a week and United, DSD, and Golden Valley once per week,” said Sandra Rulec, Back of the House Op-erations Man-ager. “� is year we added to our program Home-stead Orchard which is located right here in Maple Plain; they are the sup-pliers of our delicious apples. We have also added Riverbend farms located in Delano, which sup-plies us with many fresh and tasty vegetables.”

� e hours of preparation and tons of food cook up a recipe for success that gets the Royal Cuisine staff through another hectic day.

“We have pride in what we do and care about our cliental. Every morning I come to work because I want to. You kids are the future and it gives me pride to teach you to eat healthy,” said Kapalo.

Story by Danny Mann, Editor in Chief

Lead cashier arrives3:00pm� e Depot closes

3:00-4:00pmConcessions/catering arrives

10:00pmAll events wrap up

A day of work

Name: Carol Sanbtorf

Job: � e Depot cashier

Years at HHS: Six

Favorite: Buff alo chicken

Who chips in?The workers behind the scenes

Name:Job:Years at HHS:Favorite:

Beth Lewers

Catering/Concessions

Six

Anything spicy

Name:Job:

Favorite:

Brittney Were

Dishwasher

Pizza

Years at HHS: Two

feature10page

the ROYAL

Nathan Ferris, senior, got his fi rst fi sh when he was six years old. It was a small goldfi sh that came in a plastic bag for a birthday

party-favor. Like most kids his age, he cried the next day when it died. But unlike most kids, his passion for underwater life did not die with his goldfi sh.

In eighth grade, while most students were struggling to memorize the comma rules, Ferris was carefully constructing his three, sixty gallon-saltwater aquariums. He spent over a week install-ing fi lters, power-heads, lights, and arranging live coral to mimic the ocean.

His aquariums have held sea creatures rang-ing from eels to his favorite fi sh, the Blue Tang (Dori from Finding Nemo is a Blue Tang). He has caught a variety of fi sh including a stingray.

Ferris blushed as he looked down at his feet and said, “I was pretty obsessed with fi sh in eighth grade, but I’d like to think I’ve expanded my inter-ests since then.”

When constructing his aquariums, Ferris did just that by combining his love of fi sh with his other passion, engineering.

� roughout elementary school, Ferris was involved in his school’s Lego league. As a PSEO student in upper-level calculus, he is now a member of the University of Minneso-ta’s Solar Car racing team, and a captain of the HHS robotics team.

� is will be Ferris’s third year on the HHS robotics team.

From the fi rst day of practice, his robotics’

HHS Student’s passion is much more than “fi shful” thinking

Q&ATwo points of view on an exchange experience

coach Mr. Tim Amlie, technology education co-ordinator, said he recognized Ferris’s understand-ing of how machines operate. “When I fi rst met him, I was impressed with his quick wit and abil-ity to think on his feet,” Amlie said.

Ferris keeps his love of fi sh separate from oth-er aspects of his life. Although Amlie has known Ferris for about three years, he was not aware of his depth of knowledge and impressive collection

of fi sh.When asked if he knew a lot about fi sh, Fer-

ris looked away and shrugged, “I don’t know, I don’t want people to think all I live for is fi sh,” said Ferris, smiling sheepishly. He is humble about his abilities, but Ferris is more than willing to help other people with aquarium problems.

During his sophomore year, Ferris helped con-struct a saltwater aquarium for Eshaan Rao, senior. Rao explained that when he began to constuct his aquarium, he had no prior knowledge of aquari-ums, and with Ferris’s help, he was able to set the tank up in one night. “I don’t think I would have been able to do it that quickly or that smoothly,” Rao said.

Although he hopes to pursue a career in the fi eld of engineering, Ferris knows he will always own aquariums. He isn’t looking to leave the Mid-west in the future, but Ferris loves the ocean.

“[An aquarium] brings a piece of the ocean into my own house, so it’s really peaceful,” Ferris said before he started to laugh, “that sounds so cheesy, but I guess it’s true.”

Amy Gallop Feature Editor

Home country: Germany Country visited: United States of America

Q: Why did you come to America?A: I came mostly to improve my English and get a diff erent experi-ence. I also wanted to meet some new friends.

Q: Was it hard to leave your family?A: At the airport, I was really excited and wasn’t thinking about it. About two or three weeks later, I started to think about home and friends.

Q: What was your fi rst thought when you arrived in the United States?A: It was a whole group of us, all from Germany and we were all speaking German, so it didn’t feel like it was a diff erent country at fi rst. It was exciting to meet with our families though.

Q: How did you get matched to your host family?A: I was matched the Sunday before I fl ew in, so I only had fi ve days before. I was in the last group that came in on Sept. 3. � e family got a list of exchange students and I was on it, and they chose me. Grant Dammann, sophomore [is a part of my host family]. I also have other siblings, but they’re in college.

Q: Is the United States diff erent than you thought it would be?A: I had no idea what it would be like. In Germany we have tele-vision with shows like Family Guy and � e Simpsons and reality shows, but that’s all I knew.

Q: What are the activities in which you are involved here?A: I am in Young Life, and I’m going to join a soccer team.

Q: What’s the best part of your trip so far?A: Mountain Dew and free refi lls.

Q: You don’t have Mountain Dew in Germany?

Niklas Gustoff, Senior

Home country: United States of AmericaCountry visited: Ecuador

Q: Why did you choose to go to Ecuador versus another Spanish speaking country?A: My older sisters went and thought it was fun. I went to Ecuador because my two other sisters went to other countries that I would have wanted to go to, so I wanted a diff erent experience.

Q: Was it hard to leave your family?A: At fi rst I was just really excited and was having a lot of fun, but a year is defi nitely long enough. I started to miss them.

Q: What was your host family like? A: I switched families halfway through. I stayed with the fi rst family in the capital city, Quito, but it didn’t work out due to complications. For the last three months, I switched families and went to another city.

Q: What kinds of activities did you participate in while there?A: Parties are really big there and dancing. Dancing is a weekly thing they do. Also, soccer is really popular. My three year old [host family] cousin was already starting to get involved in it.

Q: How is school diff erent in Paraguay than it is in the United States?A: School is really diff erent. � ey wear uniforms in most schools. I don’t know how to explain it, but basically you’re in one class of about 40 people and you move classes with the same people, but the teachers move too. School days are the same, some schools get out a little bit earlier though.

Q: What was your favorite thing you did there?A: Visiting the Galapagos Islands with a group of about ten other exchange students was the best. We went to visit other islands there and took a tour. We got to go snorkeling.

Tori Hondlik, Senior

These two HHS students both participated in an exchange program. Tori Hondik, senior, is a origi-nally from Minnesota, while Niklas Gustoff, senior,

Lissa Martinez Staff Reporter

Nathan Ferris ad-mires one of three sixty gallon aquariums he built in eigth grade

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ferris

11featurepage

the ROYAL11ROYAL11

Senior Bo Billy is a dreamer. He isn’t neces-sarily looking to change the world, but he is looking to do something uniquely great. His

dream involves the sun-drenched beaches of Ha-waii and the Pacifi c Ocean’s rolling blue waves.

For now though, Billy is biding his time on a sta-tionary bike at Lifetime.

Billy is a triathlete with his mind set on compet-ing in the Iron Man World Championship Series in Honolulu, a competition with a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon. Before he qualifi es for Hawaii, Billy must reach certain time thresholds in re-gional qualifying rounds. Billy is yet to compete in the qualifying rounds, but because his practice times are acceptable he has already registered for Hawaii despite having no guarantees of qualifying.

So this is why Billy is at Lifetime Fitness. He’s put-ting in his usual day’s work at the gym: a fi ve mile run, ten mile bike ride, and twenty-fi ve laps in the pool. His day consists of at least two hours of work for a competi-tion in June that gives him no guarantee of participa-tion.

It takes a certain type of person to commit to some-thing so physically, mentally, and emotionally exhaust-ing, and Billy prides himself on his distinctive sport. “� e only sport I really do is skiing, and I wanted a unique and diff erent sport. I had heard about mara-thons, but I was interested in the mental preparation [associated with triathlons]. Usually younger people aren’t into it because it requires a lot of devotion,” Billy said.

Billy’s devotion manifested itself from the very be-

Iron Man Triathlete Bo Billy bound for Honolulu, Hawaiiginning. Nobody prompted his new-found love, which doesn’t surprise Billy. “I’m kinda an independent per-son,” he said.

One has to be independent to thrive in this sport. Billy has a trainer, Mark Vifi an, but the desire to suc-ceed is innately his own creation. “When I fi rst met him, I thought I would have to do a lot of encouraging to make Bo work hard and show up for his training. Since day one he has shown up 100% [of the time] without scheduling issues or being sick. Bo is very determined, devoted and does not want to give up in anyway,” Vifi an said.

It’s only natural for an athlete to make sacrifi ces if he or she wants to compete at the highest level, but Bil-ly has gone above and beyond similarly driven athletes. He has altered his diet and his entire routine, cutting out sugars and fats almost completely and changing the portions of his meals. In the process, he has lost over 50 pounds and altered his body composition. Additionally, he woke up early everyday this summer to work out.

� e sacrifi ces and hard work are all part of the re-wards package for Billy. His experiences have changed him, but he sees it for the better. “It takes a lot of deter-mination and a lot of self-discipline. I never really give up on things anymore. I used to not do things if they were hard or diffi cult, but now I realize it’s rewarding,” Billy said.

Although, he hasn’t been assured that his eff ort will materialize in Hawaii, it doesn’t really matter to Billy. “What I’ve gained from training is more rewarding than what might happen if I don’t make it,” Billy said.

If a solitary stationary bicycle at Lifetime has any-thing to say about it, there’s no way he won’t.

Biking, running, and swimming are all a part of Billy’s triatholon training regiment. Billy began training about a year ago, and since then, he has lost over 50 pounds, gained muscle, and drastically increased his indurance. Billy’s goal is to compete in the Iron Man Championship Series in Honolulu Hawaii.

Scott Gannis Copy Editor

Photos provided by Bo Billy, senior.

During fourth block, the vast majority of HHS students are sitting in a classroom, watching the clock, eagerly awaiting 2:35pm when they can bust out of school and make a break

toward home. Meanwhile, Edward Jones and Sam Segal, juniors, huddle around a piano in a rehearsal room, pounding out the fi ne details of their collaborative eff ort toward personal fulfi llment.

Segal and Jones, widely known amongst their friends and peers as innovators and cut-ups, have chosen to channel their boundless creative energy into writing a concept album as an Independent Study credit.

“Sam and I wanted to pursue something where we could explore our own interests in philosophy and music and create something out of them and sort of revel in the feeling we get from doing it ourselves,” Jones said.

� e pair approached Ryan Hogan, English, at the beginning of the school year and pitched the idea. Hogan was on board im-mediately and since the start of second quarter, he has watched over the project, off ering guidance and advice when asked and keeping to him- self when Jones and Segal would rather work at their own pace.

“I want to see if, by immersing myself in

something I love, I can come out the other side of the project a more self-motivated and satisfi ed person,” Segal said.

So far, the writing process has proven challenging but rewarding. With a theme based on the evolution and progression of thought throughout an indivdual’s life with an emphasis on dreams and the mind at rest, the album is highly lyrically-driven and relatively sim-plistic musically.

Eventually, Segal and Jones would like to complete their work by re-cording it with equipment available in the KHOP studios at HHS, and ideally have it mastered at a Twin Cities facility like Winterland or Copycats.

� e real reason these eccentrics are pushing their limits, however, goes deeper than their own personal strengths. Both are strong propo-nents of unconventional education and hope to promote the Indepen-dent Study program at HHS while they create. � ey believe students should choose their own route to success and fi nd what they are pas-sionate about early in life when the opportunity to do so is clear and present within the IS program.

“I really wish that HHS would

promote and publicize IS a lot more than they do. Kids deserve the chance to follow their own goals and ideas starting at a young age, while they’re still impressionable and energetic, no matter how specifi c their interests may seem to others. � ere’s something for everyone, they just need to fi gure out what it is,” Segal said.

Andy Herzog Staff Reporter

Segal, Jones take musical approach to Independent Study Program

Sam Segal and Edward Jones, juniors, let their cre-ative juices fl ow during their fourth block indepen-dent study under the guidance of Mr. Ryan Hogan, English.

Photo by Andy Herzog

12 varietypage

the ROYAL

Tis the Holiday SeasonTop Ten places to go and winter activities

Answers: C, A, B

In what year was Kwanzaa founded?

A. 1954 C. 1966B. 1982 D. 1968

What does Kwanzaa literally mean?

A. First fruits of the harvestB. Festival of MusicC. Peace and equityD. Festival of Fruits

What is a gift that is always given during this holiday?

A. An African symbol B. ChocolateC. A stuffed toy D. Squash

what is Kwanzaa?Kwanzaa Quiz

Story by Tsana Allen, C-Spread Editor

Hyland Ski and Snowboard Area is the place to be when it comes to skiing and snowboarding. � e park is full of a variety of hills in skill levels ranging from easy to advanced and is com-plete with a chalet and lessons to those who have never hit the slopes before.

� e Macy’s in Minneapolis will once again present “A Day in the Life of an Elf ” through Dec. 31. It tells the story of how elves help Santa prepare for Christmas.

A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie: Running until Dec. 30, the play follows Ebenezer Scrooge as he encounters the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.

A classic holiday activity is the traditional carriage ride. � e Hitchhiking Company serves the Metropolitan area as visitors explore downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul from the warmth of a horse-drawn carriage.

Many get caught up in the spirit of the holidays and forget what the season is really about. Volunteering is a great way to help out others.

Not every activity during the holidays has to cost money. Make a day of simply staying at home and relaxing. Go sledding or make a snowman. Make some hot chocolate and cookies or cozy up by the fi re to watch your favorite movie or board game.

� e St. Paul Winter Carnival has served as a cornerstone to the holidays here throughout its 122-year history. From Jan. 21 to Jan. 31, the carnival gives visitors several activities to get involved in like the ice-carving contest, Queen of the Snow competition, and Bear-ly open golf tournament.

Located in Edina, Centennial Lakes Park off ers one of the Twin Cities’ fi nest outdoor skating venues, where try out one of the park’s Norwegian ice sleds, or relax by the warmth of a fi re-place in the warming house.

� e annual Target Holidazzle Parade has marched down Ni-collet Mall to an audience of over 300,000 spectators who con-verge on downtown Minneapolis to join in the fun. � e parade continues through Dec. 20 on � ursdays through Sundays.

Changing their menu often is nothing new to Yum! Kitchen and Bakery. During this time, they make seasonal food all from scratch, such as potato pancakes, challah, holidazzle salad, and red velvet cake.

Kwanzaa is a unique holiday that takes place from Dec.26 to Jan 1. Un-like Christmas and Hanukkah, Kwanzaa has nothing to do with religion; rather, it is a time for African American people to reaffi rm themselves, their ancestors, and their culture.

Kwanzaa comes from the Kiswahili word meaning “fi rst fruits of har-vest.” � ere is traditionally a feast, or Karamu, where they eat foods like fried okra, chicken and sausage gumbo, collard greens, coconut biscuits, and corn bread. � e areas in which people hold their celebrations, a house or church, are decorated in red, black, and green.

To prepare for this celebration, the following items are required: Mazo (crops), a Kinara (candle holder), and Mishumaa Saba, which is seven candles: one black, three red, and three green.

Another part of Kwanzaa is the gifts. � ey are meant to be instructive and inspirational about African American heritage. Some common gifts are African American books, tickets to African American events, African art, and sometimes handmade clothing.

� e original idea of Kwanzaa began in ancient times. However, it wasn’t made an offi cial holiday until 1966 by Dr. Maulana Kar-

enga, an author, scholar, and activist. � ere are seven principals of Kwanzaa, which he created: unity, self-determination, work and responsibility, collective eco-nomics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Many people don’t know the signifi -cance of Kwanzaa, even though there are around 18 million people who celebrate it throughout the world. It is a holiday that

is not religious, but is based on the unity of African American people.

Story by Jasmine Geschwind

Clothing is a notoriously poor choice for the holidays. Clothing says to a recipient, “I’m exceptionally confi dent that I have not only a fi rm grasp of your aesthetic sense of style and self-image but have your waist or chest size pegged, presumably through covert observation.” � e odds that this statement is going to be validated by the gifted are very slim. If any part of the criteria is not met, you have just embarrassed or insulted your loved one.

� ere is another gift that, tantalizingly simple and versatile as it may seem, is all too often a thinly veiled booby trap. Gift cards appear to be the clever way to skirt the problems associated with clothing or taste in music or movies. Yes, gift cards off er a friend the opportunity to pick his/her own pleasure. However, one runs the risk of coming off as insensitive to another’s interests and desires. No card is guiltier of this implication than the Target gift card, one that screams, “Eh, they have the fi rst Die Hard on sale for nine bucks; go crazy. � e only way to suc-cessfully give a gift card is to fi nd one from a place your loved one visits frequently for an esoteric or expensive endeavor.

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While some may still succumb to the wily, allergy-inducing fragrances wafting from a Bath & Body Works package, many women hold a dark and terrible secret: while they feign excitement and enthusiasm over that new pump of sweet pea lavender vanilla moisturizing lotion, they are al-ready picturing it thrown in with about a dozen others they have cached in a box somewhere deep in their closet to be re-gifted. Females are inun-dated with smelly things, so avoid them.

Story by Andy Herzog, Staff Reporter

All I want for Christmas is...not thisAn inconsiderate present opened on Dec. 25 always seems like a slap in the face. There is little one can do to avoid receiving a dud under their tree, but anyone can help nip the problem in the bud by knowing some commonly given awful gifts.

variety varietypage

the ROYAL13

Owl City Flying HighBrand new musician Adam Young and his band are excelling in the U.S. iTunes chart with their hit “Firefl ies.”

In good company:

Lady Gaga“Bad Romance”

Jay-Z and Alicia Keys“New York State of Mind”

Black Eyed Peas“Meet Me Halfway”

Owl City“Firefl ies”

Source: iTunes

HHS alum fi nds fame as Owl City’s drummer

It’s a brisk September night at the HHS homecoming football game in the fall of 2005. � e Lean Mean Performance Ma-

chine (LMPM) is playing to open the game, and young Matt Decker is on lead snare drums, blending into the crowd of blue and white-striped shirts. But now, Decker doesn’t exactly blend in; he’s standing out as the touring drum-mer for Owl City.

Decker has been playing the drums his whole life, starting with lessons and then moving up to playing in the Wooddale Church band. He played with bands around the twin cities and in his own band with friends and also played with random bar bands in need of a drummer. How-ever, this was all mere practice for him.

He did this all through high school along with LMPM getting minimal pay for the bar gigs. It was just a hobby for him. He went to Bethel College and kept playing the drums with new bands, where he was exposed to fresh faces.

One fresh face was his friend Austin Tofte, who played in a band called Swimming with Dolphins, along with Owl City’s Adam Young, a native of Owatonna, MN. Tofte liked what he heard from Matt and knew Young needed a drummer for the live performances in the years to come in Asia and the United Kingdom. Lo and behold, Young liked Decker, and, conse-quently, has been performing with Owl City and

Swimming with Dolphins since last winter.“Matt loves the band and has a lot of fun

on tour with them,” said Jeff Decker, junior and Matt’s younger brother. Owl City is still a one-man recording band consisting of Adam Young. He writes all the songs and makes all the sounds, but to do all that onstage in front of a roaring crowd is too hard, even for Young.

Technically, Matt, as well as the rest of the band, is ‘hired’ member, but a member none-

theless. � is includes, of course, Matt Decker, Breanne Duren on Keyboard and background vocals, Laura Musteen on violin, and Hannah Schroeder on cello. Matt’s friend, who fi rst in-troduced him to Young, was kicked out of the band for personal reasons.

“He’s having the time of his life doing this; we’re really happy for him,” Jeff said. Although Matt had to drop out of college to join the band on tour, he’s having quite the experience. He’s been playing live shows over the last year and was recently touring in China and other parts of Asia.

“At fi rst, my parents were unsure about Matt dropping out of college for this, considering the pay wasn’t great and he still had student loans to pay off ,” Jeff said. When Matt joined, Owl City had a small listening audience, until this past summer when their new song “Firefl ies” was a number one hit on iTunes. Now, the pay has increased substantially for Matt and his band-mates, and the touring van and trailer have been upgraded to a much bigger touring bus.

Owl City made a return trip to the Twin Cities for KDWB’s Jingle Ball on Dec. 6. Matt doesn’t just come home for shows; he has not forgotten where he comes from and stays at his home in Hopkins when he can. “He lives just like he always has at our house, he does chores and stuff just like me,” Jeff said. He even brought the band over to his house for dinner one night to meet his mom and brother.

Every year since 1989, the popular radio sta-tion Cities 97 releases an original album fi lled with 20 tracks of live recordings by popular art-ists that have never before been released. � e al-bum cost about 25 dollars, but 100% of the pro-ceeds go directly to Minnesota charities. Only a few copies are released due to publishing and licensing restrictions, so it is very diffi cult to get a hold of this popular album. � is year, volume 21 sold out in a matter of two hours, even though there were people lining up outside local Targets stores in hopes of getting a copy.

Animal Humane Society Autism Society of Minnesota Helping Paws of Minnesota Make-A-Wish FoundationRonald McDonald HouseSusan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure

Charities Helped

Elissa Weis-Engelen Staff Reporter

Michael Frey Staff Reporter

Helping charities and pleasing listeners

If you weren’t able to get your hands on a copy of volume 21, the radio station still keeps a few copies for charity fundraising through-out the year.

• Participate in Sampler Charity Auctions.• Join the Cities 97 Frequent Listener

Club.• Listen to Cities 97 for a chance to win

a copy.

How to get your hands on a copy

Each year, the radio station 97.1 releases a compilation of studio recordings to raise money for various charities in the Twin Cities.

Top Three Tracks

“Nothing Ever Hurt Like You” by James Morrison. � ere is a unique and pleasing combination of R&B and jazzy soul beats in this song by this award-winning British singer.

“More” by Tyrone Wells. � e artist, whose music has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy, blends inspiring lyrics with soft rock, leaving the listener wanting “more.”

“Her Diamonds” by Rob � omas. � is song is a lively mix of reggae and indie, matched by the singer’s romantic, crooning voice.

30,000 copies were released to local Target stores this year.

Typically, the CDs gener-ate over $500,000 for Minnesota charities.

� is year, Volume 21 of the collec-tion made over $700,000 for local charities.

For the Record

Decker performing with Owl City at a concert. Photo courtesy of the Decker family.

sports14

Kersten Calder, senior, swerved around a defender, set up the shot, and scored another goal, breaking up the tie in the game against Centennial on Nov. 19 for the HHS

Girls Hockey team. Calder, who was fl ooded with high fi ves and a dog pile, later had two assists in the four-to-one HHS victory. � is is Calder’s fi rst year playing for HHS.

With four new members on the varsity lineup, three seniors and one sophomore, and eleven returning HHS players, this year’s hockey team is fairly new. Given that in last year’s season there were no new members to the girls team, this recent infl ux is a change. However, each player is an asset to the team regardless of where they are on the depth chart.

While there are rumors of recruiting on the HHS Girls Hockey team circulating, the team stands strong on its defense that these accusations are false. “I am not entirely sure that those saying we are recruiting know what recruiting even means,” said Ashley De-

ick, senior captain. Head coach Vin Paolucci, Physical Education, explained that no recruiting has occurred and that the new players to the team came on their own accord.

“Recruiting means that the coach is actively seeking a player by going to player’s practices and making contacts with the desired player. Coach Paolucci never went out to fi nd and bring these girls to our team, so their sole decisions to come to Hopkins were com-pletely their own,” Deick said.

� e recent additions to the team agree with Paolucci and De-ick. “I came to play for Hopkins because it was a better fi t for my sister, Mari, and I, and we both wanted to play with a great team and great girls,” said Missy Mankey, senior and new team member, “We both decided we liked the coaching style at Hopkins and the work ethic.”

Another draw of switching to HHS is that Paolucci was named the Minnesota Girls High School Hockey Coach of the Year in 2009. “� e team I used to play for in Coon Rapids didn’t work as hard, and I know all the girls at Hopkins want to be there, and I feel more apart of the team here,” Mankey said.

Deick believes that these tales are fl oating around only due to the fact that HHS Girls Hockey placed second in the state tour-nament the previous year. “If we hadn’t made it to state or gotten very far, then nobody would be freaking out. � ey just assume we recruited to keep our place for this year’s state tournament, which is ridiculous,” Deick said.

Despite these charges, the HHS Girls Hockey team has been thriving with the help of its newest players. “Having these girls joining has really helped to add size and skill to the team,” Paoluc-ci said, “� ey all have great character, continually putting the team fi rst.” � e returning players found it easy to get along with the newcomers as well.

“At fi rst I was a bit intimidated because all of them could have easily taken my spot, but I love the thrill of competition and once I met them, we connected right away,” Deick said, “� eir personali-ties mesh perfectly because we are all a little crazy and fun.”

Fitting in with the team and shooting down the rumors of re-cruitment has the HHS Girls Hockey team ready to bring on its best.

The HHS boys hockey team started its highly anticipated, event fi lled season on the right skate, defeating North St. Paul 5-3. Top returning scorer and captain Archie

Skalbeck was busy in the fi rst game with a goal and three assists. Skalbeck and the Royals look to build on this high-octane game throughout the season including conference games and a very talked about game when they skate outside on Hockey Day Min-nesota.

Unfortunately, in another very highly anticipated game, the Royals were unable to fi nd the off ense, falling short to team USA by a score of 3-2. Whether one was supporting HHS or team USA, it was an exciting game to watch for the sold out crowd in the Hopkins Pavilion. � e crowd erupted for all fi ve goals.

� e women got the scoring started in the fi rst period and never lost the lead throughout the game, however, Skalbeck tied it up briefl y in the fi rst period before the women scored for the second time and took a 2-1 lead into the second period. Senior forward and captain Matt Hazuka was able to knot it up at 2-2 in the sec-ond period, but yet again, the women answered and took a 3-2 lead into the fi nal period. � is game was more about pride than

anything, and going into the third period, both teams had a chance to earn bragging rights.

� e boys skated hard and did everything they could to win in-cluding pulling Alex Fons, senior captain and goaltender in the fi -nal minute. Despite the Royals best eff orts, the women’s team USA prevailed on the road to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games.

� at was only game three for the Royals and they have a lot to look forward to this season. One game the players are excited for is the outdoor game. “I’m excited just to play outside and play old school hockey against a great team,” said Jimmy Kortum, sopho-more forward.

Not only is it played outside, but it will be broadcasted on Fox Sports North (FSN) as part of the fourth annual Hockey Day Minnesota on Jan. 23, sponsored by FSN and the Minnesota Wild. � e Royals will face off against Duluth-Marshall at 10 a.m., a time the boys aren’t used to. By then, the team will be set as far as new players knowing what their role on the team is.

After losing one of the top players in the state, Travis Boyd, the top two proven scorers looked at to fi ll the void will be Skalbeck and junior forward Kyle Dalton. Also, coach Chad Nyberg has added sophomore forwards Kortum and Tanner Holmquist, along with freshman forward Connor � ie. Holmquist has looked sharp

thus far, scoring two goals and adding three assists to his total. “I see a lot of potential in the underclassmen this season; it’s

also important to get them ready for next season,” Fons said. � e majority of the team will be back next season and by then all the younger guys will have found their role on the team. But Fons, Skalbeck, and Hazuka are going to do their best to get the team on the right track as soon as possible, before all the important confer-ence games come up.

� e Royals will close out the fi nal nine games of the season with eight conference games. � e skaters will have to be their sharpest when it matters most. Last season, Fons looked especially sharp against Edina and Minnetonka, two of the top teams in the state, and won both games at home.

� is will be Fons’ fourth and fi nal year in net, so it’s important to him and the team to go as far as they can in sections. Fons says he’s going to play junior hockey after this season. He will stay fo-cused on the season at hand and winning the big games as well as preparing the new skaters.

� e Royals have an exciting season to look forward to this year, as do the fans. For a hockey fan, the outdoor game should be the most interesting and fun to watch, and so will the fi nal nine games of the season and sections.

Girls hockey battle opponents as well as allegations

Boys hockey faces off against Women’s Team USAMichael Frey Staff Reporter

A look at

Hopkins Hockey

Top: Kersten Calder, senior (left) and Ashley Deick, senior (right) wait for their coach in the locker room after their 3-0 win over St. Cloud Tech.

Bottom: The Women’s Team USA hockey team lines up for the National anthem.

Top: Cara Johnson, senior, waits to congratulate teammates after the game

Bottom: Archie Skalbeck, senior, faces off against team USA’s Natalie Dar-witz. The game was played according to a special set of rules, one of which was no checking.

Photos by Michael Frey and Meg Burnton

pagethe ROYAL

Meg Burnton Staff Reporter

15sportspage

the ROYAL

Lindsey Kaufmann Staff Reporter

Girls basketball: Not just a winter sport

They fast, throw on layer upon layer of clothing and jog endlessly, tirelessly, sacrifi cing their bodies simply to reach

a numerical goal. Although it’s hard to believe someone would ever do these things, they are the cornerstones of wrestling ethics at HHS.

Wrestling is a fi erce, intense sport in which maintaining weight is essential. Weight is such an important part of wrestling that wrestlers are defi ned by it. Competitors are placed in one of 14 weight classes that range from 103 to 285 pounds.

� e weight associated with the specifi c weight class represents the maximum weight a competi-tor in that class can have in order to wrestle. Also worth noting: there is a two pound growth allow-ance for each weight class following winter break. Sometimes, when time runs short, wrestlers must take dramatic steps to lose weight in very short time frames. Although pain, discomfort, and stress will inevitably occur, the wrestlers know that their eff orts will pay dividends in the long term by contributing to a team eff ort.

“It is defi nitely worth it for the team’s sake and my sake,” said Michael De Jolsvay, junior, referring to the personal sacrifi ces he makes for

the team. De Jolsvay has been wrestling since he was three years old and is hoping to bolster his exploits on the mat; he made it to the State Tour-nament last year.

Jogging with layers is a common method wrestlers at HHS employ to make weight. � e abundance of clothing aids the weight-loss pro-cess by producing more sweat, which is a result of the warmth created by the extra layers. Other strategies vary individually; some don’t have much diffi culty maintaining weight.

“Once we get into the season, I’ll probably drop weight naturally,” said Andrew Cornelius, senior.Cornelius also noted that the temperature of the wrestling room impacts his weight situ-ation. “� e room gets hot because there are so many people moving around.”

As would be expected, competitors must be self-disciplined and very thoughtful about their choices in the lunchroom and kitchen.

Although the lifestyles of wrestlers may be considered bizarre, extreme, or dangerous by many, De Jolsvay and Cornelius spoke about their habits openly; they consider them completely ap-propriate. � ey feel that the success of the wres-tling team is contingent on personal sacrifi ce.

Wrestlers trim down to throw down on the mat

Tom Guthrie Copy Editor

HHS athletes go to great lengths to make weight and stay great

Girls hockey battle opponents as well as allegations

Year: Junior Experience: Has been wrestling since age threeWeight Class: 119 pounds Why do you wrestle:“I’ve been wrestling for so long that it’s kind of a nor-mal state of mind; I don’t really think about it.”How do you make or maintain your weight:“I eat lots of protein and avoid carbs and sugars.”

Michael De Jolsvay

Andrew CorneliusYear: SeniorExperience: 3 yearsWeight Class: 171 poundsWhy do you wrestle:“I like the challenge, the atmosphere, of wrestling.”How do you maintain your weight?“I once ran around in a sweatshirt and sweatpants for one-and-a-half hours.”-Referring to a time when he lost fi ve pounds in one day to make weight for a match.

What it takes to play girls basketball:

350Days of playing

basketball

80Hours of coach-

ing younger girls at summer camps

68Hours of

breakfast club throughout the

summer

16 Teams in the

Minnesota “Sweet Sixteen” tourna-ment in August

4 Seniors on the

team

November 16 may have been the fi rst offi cial day of varsity girls basketball practice, however, all of the girls on the team began their training long before this date. In fact,

for girls on the team it seems as if last year’s basketball season never ended.

� e regular season lasts from November through March, and mostly all of the girls are involved in some type of Amateur Ath-letic Union (AAU) team, which typically involves tournaments in the spring and early summer.

Tori Joransen, senior, has been playing competitive basket-ball since she was in the second grade. Being a captain of the team this season, she has been highly devoted to all of the ele-ments of Hopkins Girls Basketball: on and off the court.

Joransen fi nds it hard to believe that she’s in her last year of high school basketball. “It honestly feels like yesterday I was sitting in the stands watching Leslie Knight (‘04) hoping I would be just like her one day,” Joransen said.

Her dream not only came true, but it will live on as she recently commit-ted to play at the college level along with fellow senior captain, Hana Potter. On November 12, the girls signed letters of intent on National Signing Day. Joransen will attend the University of Minnesota-Crookston and Potter will play for Washington State University in Pullman, WA.

Even with all of the positive experiences, there are still hard times the girls must endure in order to call themselves a member of the team. Since there is so much of a time commitment, many girls fi nd basketball overtak-ing other parts of their lives. “You have to be completely dedicated to the team and be willing to sacrifi ce what is considered ‘normal’ in most teenager’s lifes,” said Tracy McGregor, senior.

Although the boys basketball team gets most of the attention, the girls team has a likely chance at making it to the state tournament. “� e girls have done everything they’ve needed to do in order to be successful. � ey’ve done everything all of my strongest teams have done in the past,” said head varsity coach, Brian Cosgriff .

Leading the varsity squad this season are senior captains Joransen, Potter, and

Meghan Westman and junior captains Jill Greenfi eld, Julia Wiemer, and Brianna Williams.

A new face to the varsity program this year is Shannon O’Toole, junior. She came to HHS last year from Wayzata and com-

peted on the junior varsity team, but won’t be able to compete on the varsity level until January 27 due to the transfer rule.

Not only is the varsity team solid, but the younger teams are looking up as well. “We had 35 girls try out for

the freshman team, and seven of them were pulled up to higher level teams, but most importantly, no cuts were made,” said sophomore coach Gary Westman.

All girls had to start their basketball career somewhere, and for most of them, it was the Hopkins Girls Basketball Association (HGBA). � e traveling program now has teams ranging in age from fourth to eighth grade.

With all of the dedication that goes into girls bas-ketball at HHS, one might think the team goal is to always win, or that because of this, it can’t possibly be any fun. However, the philosophy of the team is much

diff erent. “Our team goal isn’t for the girls to win; it’s to work as hard as you possibly can while still having a smile on your face,” Cosgriff said.

Photos by Tom Guthrie

Tori Joransen, senior, plays for Metro Stars, an elite AAU team in the off season

Photo by Lindsey Kaufmann

“Are you ready?” Melissa Bradley, senior, asks of her teammates. She looks out as the girls quickly take their places. Because their coach hasn’t arrived and they have no music, Bradley and fellow captains Grace Gerring, senior, Lindsey Burton, junior, and Anna Johnson, junior, chant the numbers fi ve through eight to get the team in rhythm for their routine.

Without hesitation, all 23 girls on the HHS varsity kick line assume their positions and, focusing on the rhythm of the counts, rehearse their routine.

To think dance is a frivolous and dainty sport is a common misconception. With looks of immense con-centration emerging on their faces, the girls execute each move with precision and ferocity. As the girls count out loud, almost mechanically, their bodies begin to move together like clockwork.

Varsity head coach Allison Bridges walks into the gym to see her girls already entranced in their routine. Bridges watches quietly, letting the captains continue to lead their warm up without her help.

After their warm up concludes, the girls take a quick break before they begin doing stretches. A few girls go over their routine with each other, just to make sure each one is doing the correct moves. � ere appears to be a certain closeness among the girls that probably comes from the countless hours they spend together at practice.

� eir season began the week after MEA, and both the dancers and the coach seem optimistic about the up-coming competitions. “Our strength is that we’re so con-nected, and that drives us,” said Bradley. “� ere’s no one ‘star’ on the dance team.”

Now come the death kicks. � e girls complain to themselves when they hear this and have defi nitely not been looking forward to this part of practice, but without protest, they form two lines facing each other. � e girls in the line on the left all grip the arms of the girls on each side of them, creating support when they do their kicks.

� en, as “Calabria 2007” begins to play through the speakers (by request of the team), the left line starts kick-ing. With the other girls facing them, cheering them on, the line kicks for what seems like minutes without any rest. � e girls must be growing tired, but their faces show no sign of strain, and their performance never slumps.

Once the left line fi nishes kicking, they become the cheering section as the other line begins their kicks. “We increase the number of kicks by 15 percent each week. Today the girls are going to do a total of 475 kicks,” said Bridges.

“By the end of the season, we’ll be doing 700 kicks a day,” she says. � e girls continue to do their exercise, not taking into account that the coach isn’t even looking to see whether or not they’re on track.

� ere is a remarkable sense of leadership and inde-

pen-dence present in the HHS dance team. � e girls are fueled by each other’s energy and drive, giving their routine strength and balance. Even during practice, the girls seek guidance from each other and, most importantly, from the captains.

Gerring and Bradley are both second-year captains, and Johnson and Burton be-came captains this season. “� e captains have been a great team,” says Bridges, “� ey do a lot of work outside of practice that no one re-ally sees.” It’s obvious that the captains are a ma-jor driving force on the team and that their fellow dancers benefi t from having these four girls as their captains.

With the season off to a good start, the girls look forward to what the rest of the season has in store for them—from competitions to performing at sporting events. From the looks of their practices, these girls are prepared to rock the dance fl oor. Are you ready?

The varsity kick line does what the coach calls “death kicks” during practice to improve their performance during meets. Here each line is shown doing the kicks, but while each line goes the other line cheers them on.

Photos by Ben Jolson

The varsity kick line has gotten their season off to a great start and hopes to keep their perfor-mance up for the meets and shows to come. Here they are shown smiling for the camera in full costume.

“We are having a really strong season and I think we can go far. I’m proud of where we are. I like HHS dance because of the girls on the team. We’re all re-ally close.” -Grace Gerring, senior

Photo courtesy of Melissa Bradley

Naomi Litman-Zelle Back Cover Editor