zephyrus issue 6

The recession continues to spread through the economy, leaving no one safe. According to the Associated Press, In January alone, more than 500,000 jobs were lost in the U.S., and the near future holds no relief.

The effects are evident in our city of Edina.Fairview Southdale Hospital laid off about 50 employees last

fall, and the unemployment in Edina is 5.0% compared to the national average of 7.6%, according to The Economic Times.

The Star Tribune reports that Target has laid off 1,000 em-ployees, Best Buy has given voluntary buyout packages to almost all of its 4,000 employees, and 3M has laid off 1,800 workers.

This spate of layoffs may impact the teen job industry, typically one of the fi rst to be affected.

Joseph McLaughlin, research associate with the Center for Labor Market Studies, part of Northeastern University, explained that during the recession of 2001, the teen unemployment rate skyrocket-ted. Teens are typically the worst hit group in a recession.

“It’s very unnerving to watch your co-workers lose their hours and eventually quit working all together,” said sophomore Justin Zulhsdorf, an employee of Ace Hardware Store.

“I’m a little worried [about trying to fi nd a job] because my whole family’s tight on money,” said sophomore Kayla Reininger, who is considering looking for a job.

Many families may be struggling to cope with the loss of jobs and the gloomy economic outlook.

“We have to work harder to fi nd more effi cient ways for our clients to advertise their business using fewer dollars,” said Jeff Barin director of a local ad agency and father of sophomore Todd Barin. “We now use more freelance people to help cut our costs of having full time employees,” he continued.

“Our family has had to eat out a lot less,” said sophomore Brett Sullivan who’s dad was laid off from a home develop-ment company in Richfi eld.

Being laid off, however, may not be the worst thing to happen. Many famous people started out at a job they hated, got fi red or were laid off, and then proceeded to become the star they are now.

Michael Bloomberg originally started as a small investment banker. He later got fi red during a buyout and was jobless. Instead of going back to work as a banker, Bloomberg took his cash and started his own company. He is now worth more than $20 billion and is the mayor of New York.

There may be hope in the future though. According to the New York Times, Apple told its shareholders recently that jobs will return starting this June.

Because of the economic recession and school funding cuts, the school system is discontinuing the Russian program and cu t t ing midd le s choo l s ta f f in i t s German program.

“The cuts to the German language program will only happen in the middle schools,” commented high school German and AP European History teacher Daniel Baron. “The idea is to make German avail-

able to ninth grade but eliminate German in the lower grades. There are three German teachers in Edina, and we will probably need to cut two.”

That the Russian Language program will be removed completely from Edina next year is not a huge shock to the teacher Yelena Hardcopf.

“The Russian Language program has been around for a long time,” explained Hardcopf. “The problem is the program is not very well developed. No strong teacher could develop the program because every

teacher has only taught a year or two before leaving. I have only been in the district for a year, and I have not had time to develop the program.”

The Russian language program has typi-cally had small numbers. Currently fi fteen students are taking the class and seven of them are new this year.

With the removal of the Russian program and the staff cuts to the German program, the students and teachers will have to switch languages and subjects if they want to con-tinue learning a language and teaching.

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News-In-Brief

In case you missed it...

Issue 6 March 11, 2009 Volume 296754 Valley View Road Edina, MN 55439

Sean Carneystaff writer

Edina world languages cutting back

EHS Girls Hockeyphoto courtesy of Star Tribune

Finish 3rd at StateIn their fi rst State apperance in

EHS history, Edina Girls hockey defeated Elk River 8 to 1 and cap-tured a third place 2A title under fi rst year coach Laura Slominiski. The Hornets defeated Cloquet 6-3 in their fi rst state game to advance to the semifi nals where they met fellow Classic-Lake Hopkins. The Hornets fell to Hopkins 4-1 despite outshooting their opponents 28 to 14. Katey Cowan scored the lone goal for Edina. In the third place game, the Hornets jumped on the Elk River defense early, scoring 3 fi rst period goals, and never looked back. Sophomore Sami Reber had a hat trick, and added an assist.

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6754 Valley View Road Edina, MN 554396754 Valley View Road Edina, MN 55439

Shooting atSouthdale

Two teens, 15 and 18, were shot in the Southdale parking lot on Fe-burary 27 at approximately 6 p.m. Edina Police say the shooting was a “gang-related incident.” The shoot-ing occurred when a fi ght broke out between rival Hispanic gangs, said police Chief Mike Siitari. One of the teens, who was shot in the leg, was not seriously injured. The other victim was shot in the abdomen and had to have surgery late Friday. As of March 1, the shooter has yet to be caught. Police are looking for a young Hispanic male. Mall Security offi cials are working with Police to review security tapes of the incident to obtain the shooter’s idenitiy.

photo courtesy of Erin Lanigan

March 11, 2009

News-In-

Anders Lindquiststaff writer

Our country has been abuzz with worry for the past few months because the local and national economies are in serious need of a stimulus. President Barack Obama has authored a stimulus plan for our national economy, but what can we do locally to stem the growing unemployment rate and end other economic crises in Minnesota?

Three of our state legislators hosted a hearing on February 20 at the Edina City Hall in an attempt to fi nd answers to similar questions. State Senator Geoff Michel and State Representatives Keith Downey and Paul Rosenthal listened to speeches and presentations from different speakers and local, western-suburban business owners regarding their opinions and suggestions about how to take action during this economic turmoil.

Speakers included Third District Congressman Erik Paulsen, President of the Minnesota Chamber of Com-merce David Olson, Chairman of the Governor’s 21st Century Commission on Tax Reform Mike Vekich, and a number of business leaders from the banking, telecommunications, medical and venture capital industries.

“The message we heard from the pan-elists was very clear: make it easier for Minnesota businesses to expand and grow jobs,” commented Rep. Keith Downey. “Whether it was lowering the corporate tax rate, providing more incen-tives for research and development or generally lowering barriers to expansion, the overwhelming sentiment was that there is a role for elected offi cials to play in growing Minnesota’s economy.”

To begin the hearing, Congressman Paulsen gave the three legislators and

the audience a federal update on the current economic situation. He focused on the importance of the combination of short-and-long-term economic stimulus, as well as that of long-term growth; the stimulus bill will bring a small reduc-tion in payroll tax and begin to reverse the growing unemployment rate.

Along with the good, some more disappointing aspects of the bill for Minnesota were brought up. For instance, only 6% of the money Minnesota will receive will go to infrastructure and only 18% to new tax relief.

“Minnesota’s high corporate tax rate is a prime example of a policy that needs to be updated for the 21st century,” said Downey. “Taxing Minnesota companies at that rate may have worked in the 1960s and 1970s when businesses and capital moved less freely. But today, when we’re competing with everyone from Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Bangalore, India, it is essential that we don’t put ourselves at a disadvantage right from the start.”

All of the information and suggestions the legislators received during the hearing will help them make decisions during the 2009 state legislative session. “We had a good two hours with some of the best and brightest from Edina,” commented Senator Geoff Michel. “What we heard from these employers will help us as we work on the budget in Saint Paul. And it was a good reminder that we need to work on making our state even more attractive to those who are starting or growing a business.”“”

2 ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6 MARCH 11, 2009 news ZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

speeches and presentations from different speakers and local, western-suburban business owners regarding their opinions and suggestions about how to take

Speakers included Third District Congressman Erik Paulsen, President of the Minnesota Chamber of Com-merce David Olson, Chairman of the Governor’s 21st Century Commission on Tax Reform Mike Vekich, and a number of business leaders from the banking, telecommunications, medical and venture

Single-gender schools and classes are relatively new among metro area schools. Imagine an all-girl’s school and the cafeteria scene from Mean Girls might immediately come to mind, where the women suddenly turn savage and attack each other. Some may think that a school with-out boys would be ultra-catty and competitive, with gossip swirling around the hallways and jealousy running rampant.

For others, like Laura Jeffrey Academy founder Cindy Reuther, however, a more peaceful environ-ment comes to mind. Girls would defi nitely not have nearly as many distractions without boys, right?

Laura Jeffrey Academy is the fi rst tuition-free, girl-focused public school in Minnesota. This charter school opened in St. Paul in Sep-tember 2008 and currently educates 101 fi fth and sixth grade girls.

Laura Jeffrey Academy is a year-round school, something to which most Minnesota students are not accustomed. However, Laura Jeffrey has the same number of days as a traditional school like Edina; the breaks are just ar-ranged differently. Students attend school for around

45 days and then have a 15 day break. They also have the month of August completely off.

Obviously Laura Jeffrey isn’t concerned with going with the “norm.” The 15 staff members are committed to giving girls as many opportunities as possible in

math, science, technology and engineering.“There’s research that shows that girls lose in-

terest in those subjects around the age of 9. At

Laura Jeffrey Academy, we are trying to reverse this trend,” explained Reuther.

EHS has also jumped on board with the single-gender trend, offering girls-only gym and fi ve sections of boys-only literature. Mrs. Reinertsen teaches two

sections of boys-only literature. She explained the advantages of having single-gendered classes available.

“These courses enable boys to ask questions and participate in class with-out fear of embarrassment in front of the girls. We also read literature that is more related to males’ areas of inter-est. I think that’s why we have seen more boys reading the books than ever before,” said Reinertsen.

However, Reinertsen explained that you have to take the good with the bad when you have classes such as these.

“One disadvantage is that the classroom can be quite a boisterous environment with so many boys. I have to be more of a disciplinarian than I want to be,” said Reinertsen.

Laura Jeffrey Academy seems to believe that girls would be much bet-ter off learning without boys so girls can focus on their studies.

“Our ultimate goals at Laura Jef-frey are to create a tight-knit community and also to help the girls with their rigorous academics,” concluded Reuther.

Kelsey Hansenstaff writer

Ashley O’Neillstaff writer

LEGISLATURE IN ACTION: On February 20th at Edina City Hall, legislators discussed plans to keep businesses running and the economy as smooth as possible in Minnesota. ph

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Girls school offers new opportunities

NO BOYS ALLOWED: Single gender classes, like all-girls gym and Guys and Literature, allow students to excel in certain subjects.

Laura Jeffrey Academy, part of the single-gender movement, helps girls excel in subjects they typically fall behind in, including mathematics and science.

The overwhelming sentiment was that there is

a role for elected officials to play in the growing

Minnesota economy. ~Rep. Keith Downey

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3ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009featuresZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

Every student has heard this somewhat sarcastic yet grave phrase from teachers and parents: “Teenagers can’t

really fall in love.” While in many cases, teens may confuse a crush with love, some students feel that love is quite possible, regardless of age. They say that years of experience in the realm of love does not matter as much as passion.

Junior Amanda Maenner noted that though one’s defi nition of love may mature as he/she grows older, it is defi nitely possible in high school. “Love is just being with someone who’s your best friend,” Maenner explained. And why can’t that happen in high school?

“Your defi nition of love will change as you grow up,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t

mean you can’t be in love in high school.”

Sophomore Tony Violante ex-pressed similar feelings and

noted that while “it all de-pends on the kids,” teens

can fall in love as easily as adults.

To most , age doesn’t seem to

make much of a dif-ference. Just look at

the halls of EHS: Around every corner, there seems to be a cou-

ple or two laughing over each others’ lives or just holding

each other for support.And who says that

adults know what love is themselves? In recent years, the

Census Bureau has indicated that divorce rates in

the US are just over 40 percent. That is, 40 out of every 100 couples that will be married

this year will have confused their relationship for love. Maybe their defi nition of love has changed a bit from when

they were young but that’s still a high divorcerate among those adults who make claims about teenage love.

Unfortunately, while there is no statistic, a large number of teen couples may fi nd themselves confused over their relationships. While advocating young love, Violante also expressed that teens frequently fail to differentiate “puppy love” and real love.

This is where adults may have an advantage over our younger generation. While experience should not matter in the mat-

ter of falling in love, it does matter in identifying it. This point may lead adults to their “no-young-love”

argument.Junior Tom Schmidt, however, is also skep-

tical about whether high schoolers actually understand what love is and whether or not they would feel it in the short period of time that their relation-ships last.

In any case, don’t let these skeptics discourage any

love interests. Hang on to that girl or guy, and

who knows, maybe you’ll have a Romeo and Juliet

story of your own (with a happier ending, of course).

may mature as he/she grows older, it is defi nitely possible in high school. “Love is just being with someone who’s your best friend,” Maenner explained. And why can’t that happen in

“Your defi nition of love will change as you grow up,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t

mean you can’t be in love in high

To most , age doesn’t seem to

make much of a dif-ference. Just look at

fail to differentiate “puppy love” and real love. This is where adults may have an advantage over our younger

generation. While experience should not matter in the mat-ter of falling in love, it does matter in identifying it.

This point may lead adults to their “no-young-love”

love interests. Hang on to that girl or guy, and

who knows, maybe you’ll have a Romeo and Juliet

Ben Streetermanaging and in-depth editor

Ah, Elementary School: a loud, rather stinky place, yet a towering memorial to our childhood. To be a 1st/2nd/3rd/4th/5th grader again, and experience these days of our youth lost to itty-bitty lockers and linoleum fl oors, and nostalgia laden with smell of Pokémon cards, the texture of crayons and the taste of Macaroni and Cheese.

Do you ever wonder what it’d be like to visit those days again, free of fi nals, liberated from lectures and removed from romantic dramas?

And what better way to satisfy this curiosity than through an ACTUAL elementary school student? Fran-nie Hoffman, a 2nd grader at Highlands Elementary School. Through her eyes, we will take something of a fi eld trip down memory lane.

“I wake up proba’ly at six,” explains Frannie as she begins her daily routine, “and then I eat brea’fest, waffl es with chocolate.” After getting dressed, letting out the dogs and taking a break to watch “Arthur,” her school day begins. “I brush my teeth and my hair and at nine o’clock I go to school. My dad drives me.” Loaded up in a large, white Astrovan, Frannie and her older sister Middy (a 3rd grader) make their way to Highlands Elementary School.

“First class is Morning Message,” continues Frannie, “like math, but not hard math, it’s like twenty-four plus fi fty-three. Just stuff to get your brain working,” she clarifi es.

“After that, we do Inferring. Our teacher gets a book out and he reads to us and we have to guess what happens the next day. It’s about a tadpole,” she elucidated. (What happened to the tadpole? “It grew into a dinosaur.”)

“And then we do Groups, where we read with people in our grade. We’re reading, well we fi nished it already, but we were reading The Green Kangaroo about a guy who was in the middle of his family.”

“Then after that, Snack. And after Snack, Math. We do like two different things, problems and how

to use them in real life.”

After a long day of mental wake-up, interpre-

tive reading and mathematics, it is time for sustenance to fuel the

young ones for the rest of their “exhausting” education-fi lled day.

“We have Lunch. I eat three things normally: carrots, sandwich, jello and Juicey Juice. And after Lunch Recess, [where] me and [my friend] Alex make snowballs and give them to people that are making little houses.”

“Then we have Theme, where we learn about science stuff,” Frannie declares, “Right now we’re learning about your bones.”

Then to end the day, the partnered teachers’ classes join in a class called Family, “where both of our classes get together. Now we’re sewing and stitching.”

“Jamie [her teacher] reads us a book on a couch, and then we stack our chairs and go when the bell rings.”

“I ride the bus home, and the person who drives it is named Bob (he’s strict). I get home around 4 o’clock pretty much. And I just have an afterschool snack, do homework and go to bed.”

Thus the day ends, and our journey down memory lane halts with the period of a sentence. But keep in mind, though you’re back to walking to your next class, or writing that paper you put off to read this article (thanks), allow yourself the comforting memories of recess and days of innocence to linger for a few min-utes. They’ll lift your spirits higher than the longest swing on the swing set.

Teddy Hoffmanfeatures editor

Chris Greenoed/op editor

Whether students are in choir, theater, band or any other activity at the school, they cannot wait for those well-known trips to escape suburbia. Some trips are annual and regional while every few years still other trips leave the Midwest and others travel internationally.

This year the Band Department will be taking a cruise in the Caribbean with its Concert Band (mostly seniors and several juniors) while last year all three bands marched in Disney World over spring break. Most of the Jazz I band will also be featured. Since band travels over spring break, the members avoid missing any school, unlike other school trips.

Both the Concert Choir and the Orchestra De-partment will be taking separate trips to Chicago this spring to take part in several shows. “Last year we sang at two colleges and saw Jersey Boysand Blue Man Group,” said choir student Peter Zwickey. This year choir members expect to sing for DePaul University, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern in mid-March and students will be missing two days of school.

The theater department offers two different trips a year. One occurs in March when students go to New York City, to attend shows and workshops with professionals, including Broadway casting directors. The other trip is to Lincoln, Nebraska for the International Thespian Festival.

“It’s a lot more fun than it sounds,” said senior Tony Matthes Jr. “Each day of the week-long trip includes a show in the morning, workshops until about seven or eight, another show, and then a dance with over three thousand students from around the world.”

Despite economic troubles, these student trips are still on. “At the International Thespian Festi-val last year I auditioned for colleges and received 25 call backs, and this year I’ll be auditioning for scholarships,” said Matthes. “Even though the trip is expensive, it will probably end up paying for itself in the long run—not to mention it’s an amazing experience.”

All you need is love, love, love

On theroad again

grow up,” she admitted, “but that doesn’t mean you can’t be in love in high

school.”Sophomore Tony Violante ex-pressed similar feelings and

noted that while “it all de-pends on the kids,” teens

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features4 ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009 ZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

“A group of people and I are mak-ing articles of clothing to donate to Project Gratitude – the clothing will go to patients, soldiers, etc.”

-Alex Kelly (12)

“We’re going to bike to Can-ada to raise money for Darfur. It’s gonna be pretty sick.”

-Kyle Sogard (12)

“I’m going to Colorado and working at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies.”

-Alex Brower (12)

“I think I’m going to intern at the bakery.”

-Jules Isaacson (12)

“My friend and I want to do a docu-mentary on Steve DeSalvo. He used to be a professional wrestler.”

-Sam Thotland (12)

“My band’s going to the studio and recording stuff.”

-Dan Zazerra (12)

Word on the Street:What are you doing for Mayterm?

The cramped, dingy hallways may be deceiving, but EHS is home to a giant – a giant of science, that is. The six-foot-tall senior Michael Cherkassky lives among us, with his well-built frame housing an even more apt brain. As of late, the giant has awoken.

Cherkassky was named one of 40 fi nalists in the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search, a competi-tion that began with 1600 applicants. Being a fi nal-ist means that he will be traveling to Washington D.C. to compete for one of ten multi-thousand dollar scholarships, while meeting with President Obama and several other major politicians.

“This whole experience is really exciting,” said Cherkassky. “Even if I don’t get one of the scholar-ships, making it this far is satisfying enough.”

Cherkassky’s prize, however, was not achieved without its due amount of labor. The Intel competi-tion requires a research project, transcript, recom-mendations, and essays. “I think what’s unique about the Intel competition is that they are looking at applicants as a whole rather than solely focusing on the research project,” said Cherkassky.

For his exploratory work, Cherkassky created a series of computer models to help diagnose pa-tients who have breast cancer and heart disease.

Cherkassky hopes the program, titled “Application of Machine Learning Meth-ods to Medical Diagnosis,” will carry him to scholarship victory while also helping cancer patients.

Cherkassky has potent scientifi c lin-eage as well. His father, Dr. Vladimir Cherkassky, is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Univer-sity of Minnesota. “Working with my dad on aspects of the project has been great,” said Cherkassky. “His input really helps me fi gure out problems I’m having with programming.”

However, the Intel competition is not the fi rst sign of Cherkassky’s scientifi c prowess. During the summer 0f 2008, Cherkassky was among the few chosen to participate at a scientific research institute at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “The application process for that was about as hard as my college applications,” said Cherkassky. Getting accepted and attending the institute ben-efi ted Cherkassky in many ways. “Spending eight weeks there really prepared me for what I’m work-ing on now,” he said.

Accepted to Stanford and waiting on responses

from MIT and Harvard, Cherkassky’s scientific path of dominance will surely continue. For now, watch yourselves, or his big scientifi c feet just might tread on you.

Trevor Aufderheideculture editor

An academic giant in our midst

The day swiftly approaches when many a Minnesotan – probably of Scandina-vian descent – will dress in green, shamrock proudly displayed, and imbibe a large amount of Guinness beer and Bailey’s Irish Cream. In addition, the Chicago River will be dyed green, and mass parades will be held in multiple countries. We all know that these Saint Patrick’s Day festivities are a celebration of Irish culture. But what gave rise to this peculiar revelry? Who is Saint Patrick, anyway?

The traditional Irish festival is generally celebrated on March 17 and is actually a commemoration of the life of one of Ireland’s patron saints. Until recently, this was almost exclusively a religious holiday – Saint Patrick’s Day didn’t become a public holiday in Ireland until 1903. Similarly, it wasn’t until the mid 1990s when the Irish government set up a com-mittee called “Saint Patrick’s Festival”, designed to “project, internationally, an accurate image of Ireland as a creative, professional and sophisticated country with wide appeal.”

Though a relatively new holiday in the secular sense, Paddy’s Day is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Seven hundred fi fty thousand people attended the festivities in Savannah, Georgia – the unoffi cial largest Paddy’s Day celebration in the States.

Paddy’s Day has been celebrated in American cities since as early as 1737 in Boston. St. Paul has held a Paddy’s Day Parade since 1851.

Little is known about the life of Saint Patrick himself. He was a Chris-tian missionary, likely born sometime in the late 4th century and active mainly in the latter half of the 5th century.

Saint Patrick is also the subject of many leg-ends. Among these, it is said that he banished snakes from the island and that he taught the Chris-tian Trinity through the symbol of the shamrock. In addition, it is said that he carried a staff made of ash, sometimes referred to as the “Aspatria.”

Saint Patrick’s Day has undergone several fundamental changes since its inception as a celebration of Saint Patrick as a religious fi gure. Although it initially existed as a religious feast in the Roman Catholic tradi-tion, Paddy’s Day is now simply a day when everyone, regardless of ethnicity, is permitted to be Irish.

Michael Fettermanfeatures editor

EHS’ WHIZ KID: Michael Cherkassky (12) has won numerous science awards.

Guinness beer the color green

photo courtesy of Associatedcontent

photo by Eliza Gabriel

recently, this was almost exclusively a religious holiday – Saint Patrick’s Day didn’t become a public holiday in Ireland until 1903. Similarly, it wasn’t until the mid 1990s when the Irish government set up a com-mittee called “Saint Patrick’s Festival”, designed to “project, internationally, an accurate image of Ireland as a creative, professional and sophisticated

Though a relatively new holiday in the secular sense, Paddy’s Day is becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Seven hundred fi fty thousand people attended the festivities in Savannah, Georgia – the unoffi cial largest Paddy’s Day celebration

tian missionary, likely born sometime in the late 4th century and active mainly

Saint Patrick is also the subject of many leg-ends. Among these, it is said that he banished snakes from the island and that he taught the Chris-tian Trinity through the symbol of the shamrock. In photo courtesy of

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5ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009sportsZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

Many students hone their athletic skills in football, basketball, soccer, tennis, swimming, and a host of other sports. In each, athletes pour their hearts into playing the games they love.

One group of students remains under-appreciated for the same level of spirit that they bring to their games. The adaptive fl oor hockey teams, the Flyers and the Jets, are comprised of student athletes from Edina, Richfi eld, Bloomington, and Eden Prairie High Schools. The Jets and Flyers also play soccer in the fall and softball in the spring.

These students have challenges, but “they’re really the same as all the kids out there,” explained Jackie Awsumb, the coordinator for the adaptive sports program at EHS. “They’ve got the same drive, and they’ve got the same intensity.”

Senior Jessica Campbell is new to the Jets team and enjoys hockey, but she also likes to ride horses, swim, and play basketball. Her favorite aspect about being on the Jets is making new friends and learning a new sport.

Jets player Dustin Pederson, who is currently in his third year, is the perfect example of how hard work can get you places. Pederson has been on two all-tournament teams, one in soccer and the other in softball. He is also a center for the fl oor hockey team.

“It’s been fun,” he said.Regina Stelberg is one of

the Jets’ most experienced members. She has been play-ing defense in fl oor hockey for six years and is known for her scrappy style.

This is Stelberg’s final year playing for the Jets. She says she will miss everyone on the team. “It’s going to be hard for me,” she said.

Sydney Barton has also en-joyed playing for the Jets. Her favorite sport is soccer and her team came in fourth place last year at the state tournament. She also likes playing wing for the Jets during the hockey season.

Last but not least, Chris-ter Woodley is the only player on the Flyers to attend EHS, but “I’ve made a lot of new friends on the team,” Woodley explained. Woodley can be seen putting pucks in the net with his natural goal-scoring ability. He scored a hat trick last year in the state tournament.

This year’s State Floor Hockey Tournament will be held at the Jefferson Activity Center in Bloomington

on March 20 and 21. There should be an exciting fi nish as the Jets are undefeated and the Flyers are trying to cap off a nearly perfect season.

“We defi nitely want to go to the state tournament this year,” said Stelberg. Not only do they hope to go, they hope to win.

Adapted Sports display athletic prowessRobbie Latta

staff writer

STATEWARD BOUND: The Jets and Flyers players (L-R) Jessica Campbell, Dustin Pederson, Sydney Barton, Regina Stelberg and Christer Woodley will try to cap another season at State.

Once upon a time the public would tune into ESPN to watch spectacular sporting highlights and pleasant inter-views of respectable athletes. Unfortunately, it seems this programming no longer exists. Instead we watch, practically everyday, athletes break rules and thrust themselves into a world of public ridicule.

With baseball’s best slugger Alex Rodriguez admitting to use of performance-enhancing drugs, football’s exciting play-maker Michael Vick participating in illegal dogfi ghting, or even superhuman Olympian swimmer Michael Phelps smok-ing marijuana, it is becoming increasingly diffi cult to accept professional athletes as respectable human beings.

The worrisome notion about athletes’ misconduct is the effect is has on children. Naturally, kids desire to emulate their heroes. But with athletes constantly violating rules of both legal and moral stature, can we trust them to set good examples?

Many adults, like English and Mass Media teacher Jessica Froehlich, think the answer is no. “Of course there are a few athletes with great brains, but too many make stupid mistakes to consider them a group of reputable leaders.”

Athletes are expected to be models of all public virtues, which frankly is an unachievable goal for any human. We already ask them to display physical prowess at an exception-ally high level, but requiring angelic behavior might be just too much to ask.

However, this media perception has made it obvious that poor behavior is not tolerated by society.

“You see people like Roger Clemens try and cheat their way to fame, and everyone hates him,” explained senior Col Erlandson. “It makes you realize the best way to gain respect is be respectful of the game, the community, and yourself.”

Certainly the doping in baseball and violent crimes in foot-ball may feel repulsive, but these few individuals do not repre-sent the entire athletic community. Athletes have obviously progressed since the days of cigars and beers before games, and hopefully the improvements in behavior will continue.

Pros such as Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods, somehow im-mune to any irrational behavior, have become model citizens and inspire young people across the globe to act civilly.

So are athletes good role models? This question can be debated, but the important values the games teach us cannot be argued.

Sports provide individuals with real examples of teamwork bringing success, and fuel the inner desire to be the best you can be. Even at their worst, professional athletes rarely fail at these virtues. In this sense, they might as well be superheroes. But it would be great to see them be superheroes of responsibility off the fi eld as well.

DJ Adamssports editor

Role models or fools?

Milan, Italy. Silver Medal. Synchronized Skating. Three ways to describe the most

recent achievement of Team Braemar’s Junior Synchronized Skating team who competed in the Spring Cup 2009 in the Palasesto Arena, located in Milano Sesto San Giovanni. Noelle Pearson, Grace Litteken, and Emma Ahonen are the only three skaters on the team who attend EHS.

The competition hosted by Federazione Italiana Sport Ghiaccio occurred February 14-15. This International Synchronized Skat-ing Competition was open for Senior, Junior, and Novice teams.

In the short program (a period of about two minutes and forty seconds) the team of sixteen women landed second place, and con-tinued on to win the long skate (lasts about four minutes). Their score totaled out to

160.93 points, an impressive score to achieve in Europe.

Because only three skaters on the team attend Edina High School, synchronized skating is not currently an official sport at Edina. “We used to be able to letter in

figure skating, but they took that away because the sport wasn’t related to the city of Edina,” said senior Noelle Pearson, who skates for the team. “I feel that it’s okay we’re not an official sport, but I wish they would give our team more recognition. I mean, we go to Europe twice this year and other teams are pumped that they go to state.”

Some of the team’s achievements this year include placing second at the Junior World Qualifi er in Wisconsin and winning Midwest-erns in Colorado. Placing in Wisconsin quali-fi ed them for Worlds in Switzerland. Nationals in Portland, Maine are also just around the corner, and afterwards they’ll head to Worlds, where they hope to medal.

photo by Robbie Latta

ELEGANT: Team Braemar performs their routine to perfection in front of a crowd in Milan, Italy. They later won the silver medal.

Team Braemar in syncTaylor Turner

staff writer

photo courtesy of Grace Littekin

76 in-depthin-depthZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009

ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009

At fi rst glance, students might think the principal, Dr. Locklear, is the main decision-maker at EHS. Some might think the parents control various school deci-sions. But do we really know who is in charge of our public school’s educational programs? Who is it that the students must heed?

At the top of the food chain are the seven members of the Board of Education who are elected by the Edina public and who hire our Superintendent. They are known as the “strategic planners” and meet to discuss and oversee all decisions to be implemented by the Superintendent. They are the determiners of policies, such as the current attendance policy.

Next up is the Superintendent who is involved in hiring district-level staff. He is the budget planner and follows the policies the school board creates, such as enforcing the board’s attendance policies. With someone in charge of so much, it’s easy to think that the students would know his name, but many do not (his name is Ric Dressen).

Then there are the principals, who are the links between the students and the policy-makers. Dr. Locklear is the chief administrator of this school, and like many other principals, is directly in contact with his specifi c school. The principal follows through with the policies, such as the strict attendance policies, made by the board and uses them to govern the school. He also has the authority over employment of teachers. The principal is often the chief disciplinarian of the students on a more broad scale.

The more specifi c issues of student discipline are a concern of the vice principals. If students get into a fi ght, either Heidi Howard or Eric Nelson are the people who are responsible for disciplinary actions.

Our teachers are next, as we all know. They are the ones in charge of our edu-cation and are held accountable for their students for every hour that they have them. They mark us as present or absent, and if you skip class you will end up with an attendance contract.

Students may not know that there is a teachers union which represents the teachers. It makes sure that the employees are adequately paid and properly cared for.

So, what is left at the bottom of this triangle, but the masses? We students, whose education rests in the hands of our school and its offi cials, have little say in what our education will consist of. We may feel that the attendance policy is oppressive and more harmful than helpful, but we can’t change it easily. We do have the student council, a small group of students chosen to represent each grade, along with 212, both of which help to plan events. Still, the student council is limited in its infl uence.

Could Edina change this hierarchy, or are we stuck with such a distance between the decision-makers and those who the decisions affect?

Perhaps the masses are supposed to be ruled by a few adults who have no direct contact with us, or should there be a change to create more student representation at all levels of the hierarchy?

The Hierarchy of Edina EducationLyndsay Hage

staff writer

When a group of students were asked their opin-ions about the teachers union, the typical response went something along these lines: “The What? Teachers Union? Never heard of it.” And why should students know or even care about it? It’s for teachers, after all. However, this little-known union affects the students more than they’re aware.

Otherwise known as Education Minnesota/Edina, the union has its very own Constitution complete with a written mission: “[We] shall provide a united voice for public education, leadership in education innovation, dedication to Minnesota students and families, and an unwavering com-m i t m e n t t o t h e w e l f a r e of our members.”

In promoting the mission, union President Van Ander-son said the more specific purpose of the union is to “[deal] with issues affect-ing the classroom to make i t a m o r e e f f e c t i v e learning environment.”

The union is organized to represent teachers throughout the district. Each building has two or three representatives, and the executive committee has a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. But not all teachers are on this 28-member Governance Board—in fact most are not. However, Anderson said that over ninety percent of the 600 teachers are members of the union.

The union meets on a monthly basis to discuss

issues pertinent to every school. Building repre-sentatives (from each elementary school, middle school, and the high school) present information gathered at their locations. A regular meeting’s agenda can also cover topics from the union’s fi nances to contract negotiations between the teachers and the district.

The union’s negotiation team (Ellen Guerin, Rob Gardner, Judy Scanlon) comes up with a master agreement every two years that defi nes teachers’ responsibilities, compensation, and benefi ts. Right now, negotiations are underway to determine the contract that covers 2009-2011.

It may surprise or concern students to learn that a section of the teachers’ union—the calendar

committee—is actually involved in helping make decisions about

the yearly calendar, which can affect our school year and even vacations. The committee meets with administrative represen-tatives to create calendar options, which all teachers then vote on.

So should you begin brib-ing union members for more days off? Union Secretary,

Señor Gronberg, would advise against it, since changes will affect

the number of instruction days EHS is re-quired to complete by the state.

The teachers’ union is important for students and teachers alike. Why? As Gronberg put it, “[The union] is there to make our jobs more do-able so we can do what we love to do.” And when our teachers are happy, we’re happy.

Catherine Kerwinstaff writer

Teachers Union

Dr. Ric Dressen may be a mystery to students at EHS, but he’s here to serve our community and look out for our education, so maybe we should learn a little about his job.

“My job is to oversee the entire district,” said Dr. Dressen, the Edina Superintendent. Dr. Dressen reports to the school board. They discuss policies and policy changes which the school board votes on and puts into action. “The school board is elected by the community, so the community is my boss.”

After the school board puts a policy in place, Dr. Dressen meets with principals to decide what action needs to be taken to ensure the best learning quality for the students. Since he meets with all the principals, Dr. Dressen is always on the move throughout the district. For example, on the day of his interview for this article, he was on his way to visit with Dr. Locklear to discuss decisions on next year’s budget and staffi ng decisions.

Lately Dr. Dressen has been keeping himself busy with planning for next year, determining staffi ng plans and budget challenges. He will take his recommendations about these issues to the school board.

“My job has work time, scheming time, and celebrating time,” Dressen explained. “I start my day at six in the morning, [when] I usually check e-mails, completing correspondence. In the afternoon, I usually spend more time in the offi ce. Today we are having all the support staff in the district offi ce to talk about training, recycling, and building security,” he said.

“I also usually have evening commitments three of six nights a week. In the evening there are usually school board meetings. Also, the celebrating time of my job is when I get to go to POPS or girls hockey games,” he commented.

Edina is not the fi rst district for Dr. Dressen to act as a superinten-dent. He was also the Superintendent for Waconia and Alexandria. “All three have strong community support for education, great teachers, and great students,” he commented.

Ric Dressen is doing a great job helping the Edina Public Schools be the best they can be. Hopefully students can get to know him and help him continue doing what he’s doing.

What makes our superintendent so super?Carolyn Beese

staff writer

photo courtesy of edinaunplugged.org

Remember when you were in ninth grade and voted for Student Leadership Council (SLC) at EHS? Some of us may still not know its roles and may still not be aware of how essential it is.

“I think that SLC members are important because they represent us,” explained sophomore John Erdall.

Student Council is a way to offer opinions about how the school is run and be part of the decision making pro-cess. The School Board uses SLC to gather student input from our school. The Board meets yearly with members to better understand stu-dents’ opinions about deci-sions regarding school rules and ideas for the future. Stu-dent opinions can often be a contributing factor in School Board decisions.

SLC is also responsible for planning important ac-tivities.

“We are trying to get ju-

niors and sophomores to become committee leaders and get more involved so they can know how to set up events and head activities,” said senior Lane Madich. SLC’s responsibilities include setting up pep fests and food drives.

The VP added, “We are working to be more involved fi nancially due to the economy and give out scholarship money to students who are struggling.”

Madich who is a senior and Vice President of SLC, added that SLC also has meetings with the parent council and interacts frequently with Dr. Locklear.

“Doc Loc is the head o f 212 , showing up to meetings, and he is great to work with,” said Ma-dich.

According to Dr. Locklear, “The deci-sion to move fi nals over a three day pe-riod was driven by students who worked with area leaders, the principal, and the superintendent. The result was a trial of the three day fi nal process.”

Student Leadership and 212 have a system where they must approve each others projects to make it like balance of powers at EHS.

If students want to make a differ-ence at EHS, talk to SLC members to make sure their voice is heard.

Matt Hussianstaff writer

Students with power??

Edina is home to over 45,000 people, people who have complaints, deal with road construction, and want to live in an amazing city. Edina’s City Council handles all of

these situations.The City Council

of Edina represents all Edina residents and is responsible for many of the de-cisions that affect the city

“We are elected by the community to represent them in making sure we have a great city

today and in t h e f u t u r e , ” s a i d c o u n c i l member Scot Housh.

They foster the well-being of the community by ad-dressing citizen’s issues, complaints, and special requests. If the house going up next-door seems too big, if your neighbor is planting things in your yard and the zoning seems wrong, go the City Council.

Though the City Council has extensive community jurisdiction, it does not govern the Edina Public Schools and can’t directly affect activities at the school. Changes or issues faced at the high school, middle or elementary schools are handled by School Board. On the other hand the City Council does handle school-related topics that d i r e c t l y a f f e c t t h e c i t y , e s p e c i a l l y i n terms of construction.

“The school wants to build a maintenance building by the football fi eld, and City Council has to approve

a conditional use permit for that to happen,” said City Council member Joni Bennett.

The Council has fi ve members elected by Edina resi-dents. Mayor James Hovland is one of these five and presides over meetings and signs contracts. They also elect a city manager who performs day-to-day operations of the city.

“We depend on him and his staff to carry out the policies which are determined by the Council,” said Housh.

Regular meetings are held at 7 p.m. on the fi rst and third Tuesdays of every month and are open to the public. At a typical meeting the Council discusses city develop-ment type topics fi rst such as conditional-use permits. Then members open the meeting up for public comments which must be topics not on the current agenda. Staff then reports on what has been resolved at past meetings and recommendations for future topics and they end with any miscellaneous issues. Council meetings have been known to go as late as 2 a.m.

One major issue the council has addressed recently is how to manage Edina during this economic situation.

“We have always been working to maintain and improve the city, but the fi nancial stress is new,” said Bennett.

In spite of the economic downturn Edina is consider-ing a new idea that will potentially affect high school students: a new bike trail running through Edina, the “Nine Mile Creek/Three Rivers bike trail.”

“Bike lanes or paths that connect one city to another are generally considered good things by our city and by its elected offi cials,” explained Housh.

No decisions have been made, but it’s possible that it will run right past the high school and will ultimately connect to a regional system. It will either be a new path or a side path on roads, similar to a bike lane. The amount of park land is being looked at but according to Bennett, “other communities have worked it out.”

The Edina Public School system is often complimented and consid-ered one of the best in the nation. There are nine schools in this system with over 1000 staff, about 600 of which are teachers. Overseeing and directly affecting the actions of the whole system is the diffi cult job of the school board.

It consists of seven elected members who serve four year terms and are responsible for the care, management, and control of the Edina Public Schools. They are the governing body of the school district and are in charge of major issues the district faces and changes made. They promote the well-being of students, communicate with the community, and have a vision for the future of Edina Public Schools.

“It has the responsibilities over budget, policies, vision, and strategic direction of the schools,” said Board member Idith Almog. “The most pressing issue is the budget, as we’re going through budget cutting process. Another issue is open enrollment as schools are fi lling up, and we need to decide how many we can accept.”

Other issues on the school board’s agenda include the cost of AP test-ing, laptops in school, student attendance, new courses and the evaluation of teachers.

“Budget Reduction, Real-location and Revenue Gen-eration (BRRRG) is a very big issue that will bring about change,” said Board member Peyton Robb. “The BRRRG discussions have a potential impact for a number of things at the high school, from class

size to the use of paper.” It is the school board’s job to approve teacher resignations, leaves

of absence, and shared contracts. They approve the hiring and fi ring teachers and other employees such as bus drivers.

It is also the School Board’s job to supervise the superintendant. Principals report to him and are responsible for their schools.

“He is in charge of all administrative action,” said Almog. “He sets up the structure of managing the schools. He is in charge of executing the Board’s vision and strategic direction.”

The Board handles the money raised by booster clubs and donations from parent councils and other businesses. It approves the purchase of items for whatever team or club the money was given for.

They allot money to areas such as food services and transportation. They also approve sport or club trips for competitions, conferences, and various other reasons.

Major upgrades in the budget summary for the high school include the improvement of the upper north fi eld and the renovation of the east round-a-bout by door eleven. Neither of these has yet been approved.

The School Board is in charge of many behind-the-scenes actions taking place at EHS. They are also reforming the 2009-2010 calendars

making days off consistent through all grades.

When changes happen at the high school, they are often initiated by of the School Board. Their ju-risdiction directly affects our schools.

“The Board is responsible for the equitable delivery of edu-cation for all Edina Public School students no matter what school they attend,” said Robb.

Christina Kostersstaff writer

S c h o o l B o a r dChristina Kosters

staff writer

City Council

Otherwise known as Education Minnesota/Edina, the union has its very own Constitution complete with a written mission: “[We] shall provide a united voice for public education, leadership in education innovation, dedication to Minnesota students and families, and an unwavering com-m i t m e n t t o t h e w e l f a r e of

In promoting the mission, union President Van Ander-son said the more specific purpose of the union is to “[deal] with issues affect-ing the classroom to make i t a m o r e e f f e c t i v e

The union is organized to represent teachers throughout the district. Each building has two or three representatives, and the executive committee has a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. But not all

responsibilities, compensation, and benefi ts. Right now, negotiations are underway to determine the contract that covers 2009-2011.

It may surprise or concern students to learn that a section of the teachers’ union—the calendar

committee—is actually involved in helping make decisions about

the yearly calendar, which can affect our school year and even vacations. The committee meets with

tatives to create calendar options, which all teachers then vote on.

ing union members for more days off? Union Secretary,

Señor Gronberg, would advise against it, since changes will affect

the number of instruction days EHS is re-quired to complete by the state.

photo courtesy of District Newsletter

photo courtesy of Lane Madich

Pajama Power: Student Council all dressed up in pajamas promoting school spirit

School Board in action: Members discuss budgets and present upcoming plans for Edina schools

Dr. Ric Dressen was hired three years ago by the Edina School Board

In recession-hardened times, we all try to be more fi scally responsible and limit our expenditures. So when juniors and seniors approach their SAT or ACT test date, they must decide between taking prep classes or saving money and teaching themselves.

The best option is to buy a book and get to work. Before I took my fi rst ACT four weeks ago, I bought a book, read it, and then took the included practice tests. This approach seemed to be a successful strategy, as I felt aptly prepared. Books like The Real ACT Prep Guide are up to the challenge of preparing students, and they won’t leach upwards of a $1000 from your wallet.

Classes like Ivy Insiders are an enticing option for those with the money. They advertise an average improvement of “254 SAT points” but with a rate of almost $20 per hour (based on Ivy Insiders Classroom course) and $700 for a full round of sessions, Prep Classes seem to cost more than they are worth. Although they will likely be a little more in-depth and interactive than books, does the $670 price dif-ference warrant the number of additional points gained?

For many, especially those who can’t afford classes or those who are self-suffi cient enough to self-teach, it just isn’t worth it.

Additionally, prep classes give those with money an un-fair advantage. Although Prep Classes only account for a small increase in score from those who use books, that extra step could be the difference between receiving an accepted or a wait-listed letter for applying students.

Because Prep Classes are so expensive, only those with enough money can participate; their scores will inevitably average be slightly higher, because they may be slightly bet-ter prepared. This small defi cit can make a difference in

the opportunities between the scores of the rich and the poor. Because of this slight difference, those who can af-ford classes essentially “buy” an inflated score and this makes preparation classes a machine of injustice.

Although they set up an unfair advantage between the rich and poor, it would be crazy to call for destruction of Prep Classes. Instead, the prices should be dropped in order to close this discrep-ancy. This step would open a bigger market for their prod-uct, thus generating more revenue than before.

But in the mean time, juniors and seniors should avoid Prep Classes, unless they are making a serious attempt at high end schools like Harvard. They will suck money right out of your wallet and leave you with only a slightly better score. Instead, use a book. Not only is it much cheaper, but it doesn’t get mad at you when you miss a session.

When EHS opened up its wire-less network to students two months ago, I was one of the fi rst to log on. I was excited to finally be able to boot up my own computer at school.

Imagine my surprise when I first took the new network for a spin and learned that what I was getting was a restrictive and buggy version of the internet, capable of only a fraction of what the school’s wired network can do.

The fi rst problem with the network is the fi ltering software. The wireless network does not use Chaperon, the reasonable fi lter used by the school’s computers on the wired network, but stricter and stronger software called DansGuardian. This new fi lter not only bans websites from being dis-played on a computer, but it bans certain words from being searched on Google as well.

As an experiment, I typed words rel-evant to my classes: “Obama”, “Edina”, “Shakespeare”, “Roger Ebert”, “econom-ics”, and “media” and the fi lter gave me this message: “Access has been denied for the following reason: banned com-bination phrase found. Categories: Pornography”. Luckily DansGuardian

is not only restrictive, but ineffective as well, as the block on Google can be easily circumvented by using Google.ca (Canadian Google) or another search engine such as Yahoo or MSN.

DansGuardian also restricts what you download. Certain fi les, like .exe fi les (the type that runs programs on a computer), cannot be downloaded. That means if you want to try a new internet browser or download a useful program like Open Offi ce (a free alter-native to Microsoft Offi ce), you better do it at home.

Along with DansGuardian the net-work also has a host of technical prob-lems. Sites that require users to log in do not work at all, so if you want to check

Edline or grab an important assign-ment from your email, too bad. These problems are even worse for users of Firefox, which barely functions at all on the network. Because of DansGuardian, Firefox occasionally falls into a glitch where it repeatedly asks the user to input his or her school username and

password while completely preventing him or her from using the internet at all. Apple computers do not work with the network at all, so Mac and iPod Touch users are out of luck.

Even though the student wireless network has its problems, it is wonder-ful that the school even offers it. Many public schools do not have this oppor-tunity. The wireless makes doing in-dividual work a lot easier, but because of the blocks and the bugs, it’s hard to access dozens of legitimate educational websites. I am sure the situation will improve over time, but for now students will just have to use the wired network if they want to get to sites that don’t work with or are blocked by the wireless.

8ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11. 2009 ed/op

Zephyrus Staffeditors-in-chief: Alison Dirr, Lizzy Meller managing editor: Ben Streeter copy editor: Kenzie Miller photo editor: Caroline Valenta advertisement manager: Matt Norris circulation manager: Christina Kosters news editors: Jack Rohkohl, Anna Waldo features editors: Michael Fetterman, Teddy Hoffman sports editor: DJ Adams in-depth editor: Ben Streeter ed/op editors: Chris Greeno, Kenzie Miller culture editors: Trevor Aufderheide, Maddie Krasno back page editor: Eamon Rood staff writers: Todd Barin, Carolyn Beese, Corrin Carlson, Sean Carney, Megan Evans, Lyndsay Hage, Kelsey Hansen, Matt Hussian, Catherine Kerwin, Christina Kosters, Robbie Latta, Anders Lindquist, John Lucke, Tony Matthes, Ashley O’Neil, Taylor Turner photographers/artists: Eliza Gabriel, Lindsay Hage, Tess Jensen, Olivia Kavanaugh, Grace Kerr, Maddie Krasno, Robbie Lehman, Cindy Pyles, Sharanya Srinivasan webmaster: Matt Norris advisor: Van AndersonZephyrus is a monthly publication produced by students of Edina High School; 6754 Valley View Road; Edina, MN 55439; (952) 848-3800 x3087. Zephyrus is an open forum for student expression that recognizes the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of the press, and abides by Tinker standard. Opinions published in Zephyrus do not necessarily refl ect the views of the entire staff, advisor, administration, or entire student body. Submissions and letters are printed based on the space available. Anonymous letters may be printed only if a Zephyrus advisor or editor knows the author’s identity. Letters should be mailed to the school or given to the advisor or a staff member. Zephyrus reserves the right to edit any letters for clarity and length.

zephyrusnews.com

Wireless wall: Woes at EdinaTony Matthes

staff writer

A BETTER OPTION: Some would say that SAT/ACT prep books are a fairer and more economical alternative to exorbinantly priced classes.

Jack Rohkohlnews editor

Unfair to prepare for the SAT?

To many people, (especially those in publica-tions) the word “censorship” causes fi ery debate, and with good reason: our First Amendment allows for freedom of speech. I used to believe that there was absolutely no reason for censorship anytime, any-where. After talking to thespian department head, Tony Matthes, however, I began to understand reasons behind censorship and what it means.

Edina’s thespian program is amazing, no debate. But what makes them so good, and how do they treat controversial subjects? Those who got to see My Favorite Kind of Pretty may have noticed a fairly edgy sexual side. Certain plays can be a source of controversy and discomfort for many audiences, but Edina has certain ways to minimize controversy. Matthes answered some questions on the topic.

Starting with the basics, we wondered how plays were chosen. Matthes explained that “plays are chosen to challenge the students… I look at their strengths.” Matthes handpicks the plays and de-cides from there what to do with them.

Why are plays, especially school plays, censored?“You have to consider the audience at all times. You don’t want to lose their support. You don’t want the message [of the play] to be lost on some of the audience because there was a swear word.”

But how does Matthes know where the line is and when to make a cut? “I knew I had to ask Dr. Locklear, and he said, ‘if you have to ask, you know [the answer].’” Matthes also mentioned that as a parent himself, he knows where the line is for a lot of people.

Matthes explained what his ideal censorship pro-gram would be a community standards committee. “Let them read and determine plays, so if anyone had an issue, it would go back to the committee.”

Plays on Broadway can be performed just the way they are written, but public schools are another matter entirely. “In my dream world, I would do them just the way they are written, but I know I can’t,” said Matthes. “It’s not right or wrong - that’s just the way it is.”

Megan Evansstaff writer

art by Olivia Kavanaugh

photo courtesy of collegeboard.org

EHS Censored:Behind the scenes of censorship and controversy in the drama departemnt

What if you could discover every-thing about yourself? Every last de-tail from the diseases you are prone to develop to your personal tastes in food or music. Sound impossible? Think again.

In 2003, the Human Genome Project fully sequenced a human’s DNA. The fact that it took over a decade to produce final results serves as ev idence to the com-p lex i ty and var ie ty o f an ind i -vidual’s chemical makeup. There are three b i l l ion chemical base pairs that make up the DNA, and within a single strand lay 20,000 to 25,000 genes.

These past years of research now allow ordinary people the chance to discover more about themselves than they ever could before through the pur-chasing of genetic information. While this possibility raises potential ethical and social questions, the purchase of your genome should be more promoted and affordable because it can lead to further advancements in the medical fi eld. It should not just be a luxury for the rich, but rather a common advancement for the well-being of all.

The recent discovery of the human genome opens the door on issues regarding genetic testing and gene therapy for which there are both pros and cons.

Genetic testing lets people know of potential mutations in their genes,

and gene therapy has the possibility to cure debilitating or even fatal genetic mutations by inserting helpful genes into the cells and tissues of the body.

But then there is the issue of healthcare. If more and more people are discovering the truth about their genomes, it gives insurance providers an opportunity to pick and choose clients based on these predictions of clients’ health.

Then there is the social issue regarding the cost of purchasing your genome. Buying an analy-sis of your DNA is a reality, but it’s pricey. For about $350,000 only a privileged few can afford to purchase their entire genomic sequence. For those less able or willing to pay a small fortune, there is the option of buying a sample of traits, disease risks, and ancestry data for the more affordable price of $399.

B io logy and Comparat ive Anatomy teacher Colleen Raas-ch feels that it is ethical to dis-cover your genome, but would not choose to find her own. “I wouldn’t want to know [what my genome is] because no matter what, you should live your life to the fullest,” she asserted.

It is most likely the individualized purchasing of the human ge-nome will become an even more widespread trend in the future, so will people become obsessed with predicting their future health? As Raasch said, people shouldn’t change their way of life based on the results of a DNA test, and yet knowing our genomes will change our lives—for the better.

9ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009ed/opZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

Human genome: When is science intrusive?Catherine Kerwin

staff writer

English teacher Rachel Tholen made an as-tute point last year: Over the ages, as women’s sizes have fluctuated and changed dramati-cally, so have their social standings. Slowly but surely, women have gone from the flapper to the full-bodied-curve look, and a new trend is set every decade just as every decade brings changes in the power women have.

Today, however, the public is taking the weight obsession too far. When Jessica Simp-son’s weight gain makes the front page of at least three magazines, and wil l assuredly be mentioned in every other female publi-cation, we have stretched the weight issue way too thin.

Health Coordinator Ann Little is passionate about this issue. “I just think it’s terrible…even with this Jessica Simpson thing. She is definitely within what would be considered

healthy.” Still, we keep prodding and poking until women can fit into the tiny, emaciatedmold we have built for them.

The pressure women face from the media about their weight is not within reasonable range. Little explained that “the standard for what makes a woman pretty or hot i s not even healthy.” Which begs the question: Why is that our standard?

Women and men have hugely different body types, starting at the skeleton and moving outwards. A healthy fat percentage for men is 20%, while 24% is what women are expected to be around. But that doesn’t explain why women have to deal with an inordinate pressure aimed at their bodies. Why are only women affected by this weight-watching obsession? Few men in the media have to deal with a media frenzy aimed at their weight.

With the difference in women’s and men’s physiques, sports may also contribute to the gap between the genders. Men’s sports are much more popular than women’s sports, which

may lead women away from healthy, realis-tic body role models. “There are some really good female athlete role models,” said Little in reference to Venus and Serena Williams. Meanwhile, we focus on the stick thin models who adorn the runway.

Not for long, though, according to recent ac-tions across the pond, On April 16, 2008 French MPs passed a law illegalizing the promotion of anorexia. The bill would bar any form of media such as magazines, billboards or websites that promote severe weight loss. This revolutionary legislation may help the entire world learn to accept a healthy body standard. If America is such a leader in world affairs, why haven’t we done something like the French?

Women throughout the wor ld and t ime have withstood all kinds of injustices. Now, however, we are bringing it upon ourselves. Until we can learn to accept every body type, and maintain healthy standards, we will have to suffer the media tidal waves that degrade our bodies.

The double standard about weightMegan Evans

staff writer

CUSTOM...BABIES?: Within the human genome discovery is a burgeoning industry of prediction used to create “custom fetuses.” Will the next generation be a product of our design?

photos by Kenzie Miller

photo courtesy of www.dnaofgeorgia.net/investigation.html

photo by Kenzie Millerphoto by Kenzie Miller

The 70s-gone-hippie courtyard is bathed in a dim yellow glow from the strings of tea-lights hanging just above the rooftops.

“A plague a’both your houses!” screams the wounded Mercu-tio as he stumbles up the front steps of a ramshackle two-story stucco building.

Romeo pushes his way through the audience, passing inches from us. He is so close we can see the worry lines etched in his forehead.

“He’s dead!” yells Benvolio, oblivious to the gasps from the crowd pressed around him.

This is not your average production of Shakespeare’s Ro-meo and Juliet. The play, showing on The Children’s Theatre Company’s (CTC) Cargill Stage from February 13 through March 15, is done promenade-style - no seats, no stage, so the audience is in the middle of the action as the drama unfolds, physically following the actors as the play progresses.

Before the play on February 12, the audience was buzzing with excitement waiting for the show to start, but it did not start in the typical way. There was no dimming of the lights, no

request over the speakers to refrain from taking pictures. The actors simply entered the small performance area. With no raised stage and no seats, the whole room became the play’s courtyard. They taunted each other while standing on wagons and the front porches of the houses over the heads of the onlookers.

The audience really felt as if they were a part of the play since, during the show, we moved through the courtyard-theatre. The actors themselves invited the audience members to dance and play right along with them, which contributed to making the bard’s tale so relatable.

“This is a play that never stops speaking to us about the failure of the adult world to comprehend what is happening in the lives of young people, about how passions can spin out of control and about the power of love in our lives,” said CTC Artistic Director Peter Brusius in a CTC publication.

Doing a show in this manner is incredibly diffi cult for the cast because there is no way of separating themselves from the audience. They had to be completely immersed in their character to make the show believable while rubbing shoulders with the audience.

CTC’s production of Romeo and Juliet is a cleverly performed play. This stunning production and very talented cast is a must -see for anyone who enjoys Shakespeare’s work and viewing a play in a new way.

10 ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009 culture

Spring concert preview: stars visiting Minneapolis

ZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

Corrin Carlsonstaff writer

Maddie Krasnoculture editor

A new look at the old love story: Romeo & Juliet

*March 13 – Howie Day – Varsity Theater - $20*March 15 – Missy Higgins and Justin Nozuka

– First Avenue - $21March 18 – Plain White T’s – Varsity Theater - $15- $17*March 23 – Lady Gaga – Fine Line Music Cafe - $23- $25March 24 – Katy Perry – First Avenue - $17March 27 – Cute Is What We Aim For with Meg & Dia, Breathe Carolina, Every Avenue, Anarbor – Station 4 - $16-$18April 3 – Britney Spears – Target Center - $37.50-$125April 6 – The Ting Tings – Varsity Theater - $15April 7 – Nickelback with Seether and Saving Abel – Target Center - $43-$73April 11 – Jack’s Mannequin and Matt Nathanson – Myth - $22-$25*April 11 – Lily Allen – First Avenue - $24April 15 - Death Cab For Cutie - Roy Wilkins Auditorium at St. Paul RiverCentre - $33April 23 – New Found Glory, Bayside, Set Your Goals, and Verse – Myth - $16.50-$19.50May 11 – Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – Xcel Energy Center - $65-$95May 17 – Fall Out Boy with All Time Low, Cobra Starship, Metro Station - Roy Wilkins Auditorium at St. Paul RiverCentre - $34*18+

A new look at the old love story: A new look at the old love story: A new look at the old love story:

photo courtesy of www.metrostation.com

photo courtesy of www.katyperry.com

photo courtesy of www.ladygaga.com

THE DOOMED LOVE STORY: The Children’s Theatre Company allows viewers to get up close and personal with the actors and actresses through the play’s intimate setting.

photo courtesy of www.allposters.com

photos courtesy of Children’s Theatre Company

11ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6March 11, 2009cultureZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) is a hit among many high school stu-dents. Produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson, ABDC is a street dance competition where crews from the United States compete for a grand prize of $100,000 and a touring contract. In each episode of ABDC, twelve crews perform within the one-hour segment. The MTV program is judged by former N*sync member JC Chasez, female rapper Lil’ Mama, and hip-hop choreographer Shane Sparks.

Currently, ABDC is in its third season, having had great success the past two. In the fi rst season, San Diego’s JabbaWockeeZ were declared the winners after defeating Boston’s Status Quo in the season fi nale.

“The JabbaWockeeZ were actually a really good dance team,” said sophomore Kevin Zickert. “They consistently came up with creative dance sequences and nailed every performance.”

The featured dance crews demonstrate nearly impossible synchro-nization. Just ask Hip-Hop Dance Club member Cloe Zacharkevics. “Yeah, trust me,” she said, “it is as hard as it looks. Each dancer has a different sense of style, so they might hit the beats differently. During the routine, the audience doesn’t usually realize one of the members being off beat, but when you are dancing, you see every mistake your crew makes.”

ABDC proved a huge hit in the TV world on January 15th, the show’s season premiere, when, according to the Los Angeles Times, the show averaged over 1.56 million viewers ages 12 to 34. “This season should live up to its hype,” remarked ABDC judge Shane Sparks before season three had begun. “I am

excited for this year to get started, and the talent coming out this year is phenomenal.”

Tune in to the hip-hop dance show on MTV Thursday nights at 9 p.m. to see all-new episodes. Who knows, there could even be a surprise appearance by the JabbaWockeeZ.

The movie fi rst appears ordinary - blurs fl y by on the screen, senseless action takes place as usual - but suddenly, from the screen, an axe comes fl ying at the au-dience, nearly slicing off your left ear.

I cannot compre-hend why anyone would want to see certain movies in 3D; horror movies, like My Bloody Valentine 3D and Jonas Broth-ers: The 3D Concert Experience are terri-fying enough in only two dimensions.

“I didn’t want to see Coraline because I was afraid the 3D would make it really scary,” admitted ju-nior Ruth Fogg.

Nevertheless, 3D movies have had a sudden burst in popularity, and now several such movies are soon to be or already have been released in theaters, such as Coraline and Monsters vs. Aliens. Disney plans to re-release several old classics in 3D, including The Nightmare Before Christmas and Toy Story, and Pixar’s next fi lm, Up, will be in 3D.

After remembering Spy Kids 3D, with its tacky graphics and the distracting blue and red outlines from the 3D glasses, I didn’t fi nd the idea of 3D movies very entic-

ing. But technology has improved, and the quality of 3D movies has increased. Coraline could very well be one of the best animated fi lms of the year. Even

without 3D, it is still an excellent movie; it is gifted with a good plot and witty humor. The third dimension adds a magical, surreal touch, and the stop-mo-tion animation plus 3D is absolutely wonderful.

But fancy effects aren’t all that people are looking for in movies. Often times 3D movies focus more on visual ef-fects rather than the message of the movie itself.

“3D movies are usually action or horror that rely on the shock value from the 3D,” said Art of Film teacher Tim Klobuchar. “ W h a t ’ s m o r e important is the overall quality of the movie itself.”

“If moviemak-ers keep moving in the direction of Coraline, 3D could be much more ac-claimed,” predicted Klobuchar.

3D isn’t just limited to movie theaters. Under the Sea 3D is now playing in IMAX theaters and has already been widely acclaimed. The effect of a giant screen plus the 3D literally sweeps the audience into the movie.

Watching movies magically lift off the screen and come within arms’ reach is certainly intriguing. From the looks of it, we’ll soon be seeing many more movies in the third dimension.

Anna Waldonews editor

SILVER SCREEN SENSATION: Movie goers across the world fi nd themselves entranced by the ecstasizing allure of 3D movies.

Todd Barinstaff writer

America’s Best Dance Crew (ABDC) is a hit among many high school stu-dents. Produced by American Idol judge Randy Jackson, ABDC is a street dance competition where crews from the United States compete for a grand prize of $100,000 and a touring contract. In each episode of ABDC, twelve crews perform within the one-hour segment. The MTV program is judged by former N*sync member JC Chasez, female rapper Lil’ Mama, and

Currently, ABDC is in its third season, having had great success the past two. In the fi rst season, San Diego’s JabbaWockeeZ were declared the winners after defeating Boston’s Status Quo

“The JabbaWockeeZ were actually a really good dance team,” said sophomore Kevin Zickert. “They consistently came up with creative dance sequences and nailed every performance.”

The featured dance crews demonstrate nearly impossible synchro-nization. Just ask Hip-Hop Dance Club member Cloe Zacharkevics. “Yeah, trust me,” she said, “it is as hard as it looks. Each dancer has a different sense of style, so they might hit the beats differently. During the routine, the audience doesn’t usually realize one of the members being off beat, but when you are dancing, you see every mistake your

ABDC proved a huge hit in the TV world on January 15th, the show’s Los Angeles Times, the show averaged

over 1.56 million viewers ages 12 to 34. “This season should live up to its hype,” remarked ABDC judge Shane Sparks before season three had begun. “I am

JabbaWockeeZ.

DANCING HIT: Crews from across the U.S. come together to compete in ABDC.

photo courtesy of www.fanpop.com

Talented crews flaunt their moves in dancing show

3D movies offer new cinematic experience

RISE OF 3D: Several movies both in theaters and on DVD can now be viewed in 3D.

photos courtesy of www.fl ickr.com

photo by geocities.com

What do Humphrey Bogart, Al Capone and the Blues Brothers have in common? Their frequent donning of hats. And not just any old hat, but the most recognized hat of modern American history: the Fedora.

The Fedora actually originated from a play in the late 1800s about a woman named Princess Fedora, who donned a hat very similar to the modern accessory. Due to the popularity of this play, the hat became a stylish ornament for, surprisingly, women into the Twentieth Century. The Fedora soon evolved into a cultural icon. How-ever, it would not remain a feminine fashion for long.

Sometime around 1920, the torch was passed to men, and the legacy of the Fedo-ra lived on through the gangsters and businessmen of the century. Alas, the Fedora left main-s t ream fash ion sometime around the 1960s.

Interestingly, the death of the Fe-dora is often attrib-uted to President John F. Kennedy, who neglected to wear the hat during his inauguration. After this killing blow, the Fedora vanished from the heads of average American males to antique shops.

So there you have

it: the history of the icon of early Twentieth Century America. Kinda interesting, huh? And yet the loss of the Fedora is rather depressing, as it represents a time period of prosperity and contentment (well, ignoring recent movie Revolutionary Road…).

In today’s America, where economic cri-sis looms and war seems to crouch around every corner, we need a dose of good old fashioned American nostalgia to keep us going. What I speak of is a Fedora Revival. Fellow EHS-goers, I invite you to join me and others such as actor Johnny Depp to revive the hat from the fogs of fashion ob-scurity. The choice to bring back the Fedora is up to us.

When you think “mob,” you probably think of Ca-pone, prohibition, and the all-too-popular fedora-wearing, heavy-browed, stogie-smok-ing Italian mobster. Or may-be you think of the Gangs of New York, cut-throat, lilting Daniel Day-Lewis depiction of an Irish mafi a member on the streets of late 19th cen-tury New York City.

“Mob movies are some of my favorites,” gushed senior Joe Wagner, “the drama and the action mixed with a little corruption…perfection.”

But what if these depic-tions weren’t as removed as we thought? What if, instead of being buried in history books and in far away cities like Chicago, New York, and Boston, these dramatic crime families were actually, say, down the block?

Dig a little, and you’ll fi nd that the ac-tion depicted in Gangs of New York truly wasn’t that far from home. St. Paul, for many years, served as a hub of Irish family

gang activity.The king of Irish mob operations in St.

Paul was “Dapper” Danny Hogan, who ar-rived in 1909 and took the city by storm. Hogan was revered as one of the keenest criminal minds of his time. During his reign in St. Paul, he oversaw the Irish mob in numerous armed robberies and ran the

Green Lantern, a saloon-turned-gambling casino-turned speakeasy (in the days of prohibition) on Wabasha Sreet.

Hogan took advantage of the corruption within the police force, using a system of briberies and internal threats to aid his service as a kingpin in the Irish mob for decades. Hogan’s success was mostly at-

tributed to his close relationship with St. Paul’s crooked Chief John O’Connor, who allowed Ho-gan and his associates to operate in St. Paul if they paid appropri-ate bribes and promised not to kill within city limits.

His dominance came to an abrupt end on December 4, 1928, when a car bomb, alleg-edly planted by Hogan’s under boss, Harry “Dutch” Sawyer, exploded and induced a lethal coma. Sawyer’s motives? The $25,000 bail debt Hogan had yet to repay or the cut he never re-ceived from a casino deal? You choose. Bottom line, we have more history than the movies about the St. Paul mob (or lack thereof) give us credit for.

St. Paul offers history that, if we reach out, we can experi-

ence fi rsthand. Wagner described his tours through the Mississippi caves and hideouts for the mafi a as “incredible. I saw bullet holes, the whole nine yards.”

So, EHS, dig a little deeper, and you might just fi nd that our state has just as much dramatic mafi a history as any of the others. All we have to do is look for it.

12 back page ZEPHYRUSNEWS.COM

ZephyrusVolume 29, Issue 6 March 11, 2009

St.Paul has a dirty little secret

Pop culture has given us an image of hit-men as slick and stylish assas-sins like in Collateral or The Bourne Identity. But how close are these Hol-lywood hit-men to real ones? Compare them with the following hitmen, world (in)famous for their brutality, prolifi -cacy, and obscurity.

Charles Harrelson killed only one man in his career. He was hired by drug dealer Jamiel Chagra to kill Judge John H. Wood, who was due to sentence Chagra on trafficking charges. Harrelson shot Wood out-side his home in San Antonio, Texas on May 29, 1979. He was convicted, sentenced to life imprisonment, and died in 2007.

Why is such a one timer worthy of mention? Because he is the father of actor Woody Harrelson. In 2007 his slightly more famous son starred in No Country for Old Men as Carson Wells - a hitman. Irony this is good should be illegal.

Another one time killer is James Perry. In 1993 Lawrence T. Horn hired Perry to kill his wife, quadriplegic son, and his son’s nurse so he could receive $1.7 mil-lion from his son’s trust fund. Perry shot the wife and nurse, and smothered the son at their home in Silver Spring, Maryland. What is bizarre about this is not the mo-tive or number of victims, but the method. Perry carried out the murders according to instructions from the book Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Con-tractors which he purchased from a local bookshop, written under the pseudonym ‘Rex Feral’ by an anonymous author. The victims’ families successfully sued the pub-lishers, Paladin Press, who were ordered to discontinue publication of the book and destroy any remaining copies.

Arguably the most notorious contract

killer is Richard Kuklinski. From the 1970’s until his arrest in 1986, Kuklin-ski is estimated to have killed nearly 200 people on the East Coast, primarily for New York’s Gambino crime family. Kuk-linski earned the nickname ‘Iceman’ for storing bodies in freezers to hide their time of death. In one particularly grue-some killing, Kuklinski kidnapped his victim, hog tied him, and left him in a cave in front of a video camera. He later retrieved the footage and showed it to his client, who was satisfi ed that the victim suffi ciently suffered. He had been eaten alive by rats.

It seems that not even Hollywood can capture the violence and weirdness of real hitmen. So truth really must be stranger than fi ction.

Dial ‘M’ for MurderHistory of an icon

Kenzie Millercopy editor

Teddy Hoffmanfeatures editor

Eamon Roodback page editor

MINNESOTA NOIR: St. Paul was a hub of mob activity during Prohibtion.

HERE’S LOOKING AT YOU KID: Humphrey Bogart sports a fedora in Casablanca.

KILLING FOR DUMMIES: The book Hit Man was banned for being a ‘how-to’ guide for contract killings.

photo courtesy of www.fl ikr.com

photo courtesy of www.artofmanliness.com

photo courtesy of www.wikimedia.org

zephyrus issue 6

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