eagan independent - june 2012

Eagan IndependentVolume 7, Issue 9 Eagan High School | 4185 Braddock Trail | Eagan, MN 55123 May 30, 2012

EHS Named Tenth Best School in State

By Olivia WeinbergerNews Writer

Based on the recent report by US News, Eagan is ranked number ten on the top ranked schools in Minnesota for the 2011-2012 school year. Data was collected from about 22,000 schools in the nation, and only 2%, including Eagan High School, received gold medals. This ranking is based on reported stats by the state and school. “We have to fill out a form answering all sorts of questions such as your graduate rate, and how many graduates go to college,” explains Eagan principal Dr. Reikowski. “At our school, our score is based on the AP test scores. Our average is a 3.55; 3 is passing.” Eastview High School was ranked number four in the state of Minnesota. One of the reasons Eastview placed higher than Eagan in rank is because they have more Advanced Placement (AP) classes available and more AP tests are given. However, EHS offers many more College In Schools (CIS) courses than Eastview. CIS courses are not

counted in the scoring towards the ranking. Other factors about each school are also included in the ulti-mate decisions. “You get more points if you have more kids receiv-ing free or reduced lunches. So there is an advantage if you are a diverse school,” Reikowski says. Also, college readiness is a key to see how well the school has prepared its students. In some states, such as Mississippi, the top ten schools wouldn’t even rank in Minnesota’s top one-hundred; That’s how tough and elite the Minnesota ranking system is. “We are trying constantly to improve so we can move up in rank. The big thing is that we try to give more AP tests. Also we are trying to make sure that when you take the test you get a 3, 4, or 5 because that helps the overall average,” says Reikowski, “Every day the teachers are working to do the best they can as well.” While there is no ad-

ditional funding or other benefits given, there are other ways the school improves from receiving a high ranking. “I think if you are a parent and planning to open enroll, I think they look at these ranks. They probably think ‘If I can go here to a top ranked school, why should I pay more for a private school?’” explains Reikowski. With higher enrollment, the school is able to keep more teachers and classes, making EHS an even better learning environment and contributing to future growth.

Seniors Look to Future on Retreat

By Mandy NoetheNews Writer

On Thursday, May 24, the senior class attended the Se-nior Wisdom Retreat. This an-nual day of fun helps seniors to reflect on memories as an entire class, and also grants them the closure to be able to move forward in their lives. One of the main goals of the retreat is to guide seniors through a transition moving into life beyond high school. ` The retreat consisted of many activities, including opening games and activi-ties, small group discussions, presentations, large and small group activities, and a sharing session at the end of the day where seniors commit to take action after high school. One of Eagan High School’s counselors who is in charge of the retreat, Ms. Krohse, shared a few com-ments regarding her thoughts on the retreat. “The Senior Wisdom Retreat is a way to celebrate and reflect back on high school. It is about finishing the school year with honor and providing closure to your senior year. There is time for students to reflect on their high school years and time to consider their choices for the future,” Ms. Krohse explains. The Senior Retreat is very hands-on, and can be an emotional experience for some people. Many seniors that went on the Senior Wisdom Retreat also went on the Freshmen

Respect Retreat four years ago. The Senior and Fresh-men Retreats are not very similar, as the Freshmen Retreat focuses on respecting yourself and others, while the Senior Retreat empha-sizes the concept of moving forward with your life after high school. “We probably get more in-depth than the freshmen do in their retreat and talk about the challenges and stress we’ll face at college and how we can find ways of managing that. I think my favorite part is going to be the mellow moments of the retreat (where everything is silent and we listen to a mo-tivational speaker’s story),” shared senior Dan Britt, before he went on the retreat. “I think it will definitely be emotional because many of us will share personal stories.” The Senior Retreat is not all sad and completely focused on saying goodbye. It involves celebrating happy memories of students’ high school lives. “It is fun to watch seniors laugh and con-nect with each other as well as reflect on the hard and fun times they have had in high school. They get a chance to honor people who have made a difference in their lives and think about their hopes and dreams for the future,” Ms. Krohse said. The Senior Retreat was a time for happy goodbyes, hopefully making the transi-tion from high school less difficult.

Ness, Kranz Retire

By Alanna ThelenNews Editor

Mock CrashBy Olivia WeinbergerNews Writer

On Wednesday, May 23, Eagan held its semi-annual mock crash in the stadium parking lot. There have been three mock crashes at Eagan, the first one taking place in 2008 and occurring every two years since. Because the event is held every two years, every student attending Eagan will see this performance either as a junior or a senior. The mock crash is a simulated car accident that is staged right before prom to show the tragic effects of drunk driving. During the demonstration, a group of people replicates the scenario of going to prom with a drunk driver. The car of intoxicated students hits another car, kill-ing a little boy. Students Against Destruc-tive Decisions (SADD) orga-nizes the mock crash along with Officer Marshall. They put a lot of effort into getting the ambulances and cops to participate in order to make the event as real as possible.

“We get cars donated from a towing company,” Ms. Han-son, the coordinator of SADD, explains, “We try and get the ones that look the most smashed up. We set it all up the night before.” There were also speakers that came to the event and talked right before the crash was done. They touched the hearts of many through shar-ing their story of losing three of their sons in one crash from a drunk driver. “During the impact speakers there are a lot of tears and wet eyes. Also everybody gets very quiet,” says Ms. Hanson. There are many reasons why Hanson believes this demonstration is success-ful. “It shows that this can happen to anyone. It makes kids really think about their decisions right before prom. It especially works because the speakers are from here locally so it’s right here, close to us where we can relate.”

Eagan staff and stu-dents will be saying goodbye to two dedicated teachers, Mr. Ness and Mr. Kranz, as they will be retiring after the 2011-2012 school year. Though they will be leaving as teachers, their legacies will live on. Mr. Kranz began teaching at Eagan in 1989, the year that the school opened. Throughout his years at Eagan he has taught science classes, specializing in Earth Science and Honors Biology. Though he held other jobs before coming to Eagan to teach science, such as working at a hospital for emotionally disturbed children and teach-ing at other schools, he found a liking for Eagan, calling it home for over two decades. “It’s a very positive place for staff and students and I love the school spirit,” says Kranz regarding his favorite things about Eagan High School. His

favorite memory at EHS was “when I was eating lunch and the staff had heard that my wife got cancer again, and Dr. Reikowski showed up at the lunch table with a check to send us on a cruise. The staff collected money and sent us on a cruise.” Students agree that

Mr. Kranz is a teacher that will be remembered long after he leaves Eagan High School. “I believe the legacy he has left is how important each student is and that everyone has great potential to suc-ceed,” says junior Hannah Vollmuth, who had Mr. Kranz

Computer graphics teacher Mr. Ness

Science teacher Mr. Kranz

Photos by Michelle Metcalfe

Continued on page 3

Image courtesy of oakmil.org

Senior Issue Senior Issue Senior Issue Senior IssueDestination List pg. 5 and 6 Students of the Year pg. 7 Top Sports Moments of 11-12 pg. 10

EdITorIalEagan Independent | Wednesday, May 30, 2012

The Staff

Editors in Chief Molly MartinezCameron VanDyke

NewsAlanna Thelen - EditorJenna FischerLaura HarfordAnushka MankunathMandy NoetheOlivia WeinbergerKameron Wilson

FeaturesGrace Ablan - EditorAnnika GrasslAbby JohnsonNicole MaeserLaurel ScottShelley Sibley

SportsKenzie Markland - EditorGrace HintonAnthony Metcalfe

Photography Michelle Metcalfe - EditorHannah BergomHaley DavisJohanna IversonRachel LarsonSanya Pasricha

AdviserSara Stensaas

The Eagan Independent is a monthly publication produced by Eagan High School students from all grade levels in a cocurricular setting.

We are committed to provid-ing a limited open forum within the community of Eagan High School - one in which opinions, discussion and input are always wel-comed and encouraged.

Comments, questions, thoughts and ideas may be addressed to:

Eagan Independent4185 Braddock TrailEagan, MN 55123

or e-mailed to:[email protected]

Letters to the editor must be signed by the author and be 500 words or less. Letters to the editor submitted that are more than 500 words may be edited by the staff. Letters may also require editing if they contain false or libelous statements.

Editorial policies and content decisions are made by the editorial board. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writer and/or the Eagan In-dependent staff and are not necesssarily the opinons of the adviser, administration, students, faculty or Indepen-dent School District 196.

Editorial Policy

Taking “YOLO” to heartBy Cameron VanDykeEditor in Chief

YOLO: You only live once. This new popular acronym has made its way to Eagan’s hallways, and as the end of the school year approaches, it only seems logical that we ap-ply this catchy phrase to our everyday lives. The seniors are nearing the end of the long jour-ney known as high school. Congratulations, class of 2012 – we are almost there! But even though we are already so incredibly close, we should still consider a few things in order to end on a good note and start our new lives as college students on the right foot. So let’s take this YOLO expression to heart and make the most of our remaining time together. You may be asking: how exactly can we take advantage of these next three months be-fore we go our separate ways? And how can we ensure a successful start to the rest of our lives? Thanks to a recent assignment in Developmental Psychology (DP), which was titled “My Significant Forces of Life,” I think I may have stumbled upon some answers. As we basically presented a PowerPoint of our lives to the class, we elaborated on the most meaningful people and events that have shaped us into the people we are today. Each person’s presentation was unique and different, but there were several common-

alities in the takeaways that each student learned from the experience. First of all, we reinforced how important it is to appre-ciate the significant people who have made a difference

in our lives. The people who truly care about us are ir-replaceable, and they often make more of an impact than we realize. We are all guilty of sometimes taking people for granted, whether they are parents, extended family members, friends, teachers, coaches, or mentors. It is cru-cial to let these people know how much they mean to us and to value the time we are able to spend with them. Secondly, considering many of these significant people also serve as positive role models, we decided it is necessary to better ourselves

by aspiring to be like the peo-ple we admire most. Choose a role model, identify the traits that make him or her so respectable, and figure out the steps to take in order to be-come an equally as wonderful

person. After determining the important people in our own lives, we can make it a goal to act as that same positive force in someone else’s life. Finally, we learned that ev-eryone has a story to tell, and one cannot completely under-stand another person until he has heard the other’s entire story. First judgments are natural, but they can be harsh. Although it may be difficult, it is absolutely necessary to consider the fact that we may not know everything there is to know about a person (a.k.a.

his home life, his history and background, his struggles, etc.), and it is not always fair to judge or label others until we fully understand why they are the way they are. Through identifying each significant force in our lives, reflecting on the importance of each item, and discussing the presentations as a whole afterwards, we DP students learned a lot about our class-mates, life in general, and ourselves. I think I speak for the entire senior class when I say that these past four years were a blast. We all grew so much and came together as a class. We matured so much, and hopefully realized the significance of accepting oth-ers for who they are, feeling confident enough to be our-selves, and working together to be successful. For this last week of school, the rest of the summer, and the remain-der of our lives, let’s work to learn from the concepts of Significant Forces. Let’s become inspired to further better ourselves, look for the best in others, prepare for the future, and live life to the full-est. YOLO: you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.

Image courtesy of tumblr.com

Well, this is it seniors. We’ve done it. We are about to graduate from high school. Many of us have had the op-portunity to attend the best award winning public schools in this district for thirteen years. We’ve read books, writ-ten essays, taken tests, and had successes and failures all with our families and friends right there to cheer us on. But now we are entering a new chapter in our lives. And, at least for me, the question re-mains: what have we learned? Now when I ask this semi-rhetorical question I certainly do not mean to call to ques-tion the quality of education we have received at Eagan High School. We should all feel privileged to have at-tended a public school that is ranked within the top ten in the state. What I am asking is, have we learned enough from our lessons, both in and out of school, to really take care of

ourselves? In these hard economic times, we see so many people struggling to provide for themselves and their fami-lies. For some of us, we have seen the effects of this right at home. So, what will be-come of us? Will we emerge from college so loaded with debt that we won’t be able to afford an apartment, let alone our own home? Will we become dependent on others to pick us up and put us back on our feet rather than have the maturity to live within our means? Have we learned respect, compassion, and understand-ing for other cultures, reli-gions, and lifestyles? Have we learned to not judge a book by its cover? To treat others with the same respect that we wish to be given? Have we learned to understand someone else’s perspective rather than judging them for

having a perspective differ-ent than our own? Or, will we instead stay within our own comfort zones and perpetuate society’s already too divisive tone? Our overall goal as the Ea-gan High School Class of 2012 should not be to cure cancer, or invent a life-changing device, or make an incredible discovery about our planet. We are not all going to be brain surgeons and rocket sci-entists. Our goal should first and foremost be to use the knowledge and opportunity and privilege that our parents, coaches, and teachers have worked so hard to give us to lead our own independent lives. We must plan ahead, work hard, and, most impor-tantly, set an example for our peers who were not granted the multitude of opportunities that we were. Finally, I hope that we have learned that being able

to take care of ourselves does not relieve us of the need to take care of each other. We didn’t choose the safest, most economically opportune time to graduate from high school. But, we are here, regardless. Let’s all choose to be posi-tive about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead rather than to wish ourselves back to a time when gas was cheap, jobs were plentiful, and everyone looked just like us.

What Have We Learned?By Grace AblanFeatures Editor

Image courtesy of francis.edu

Eagan Independent | Wednesday, May 30, 2012 3

By Abby Johnson Features Writer Of my six cousins, only two of them are girls. As much as I like my boy cousins, they do not hesitate to question my wardrobe choices, with questions such as, “Why do you always wear a ball gown?” or their favorite, “Why do you dress like you’re from the 1900’s?” I always respond with, “Because I like this style of clothing?!” Through their atypical male eyes, the idea of bringing back old fashion trends is not “cool.” Howev-er, it’s not just my cousins that don’t buy into this vintage fash-ion trend. The media is constantly critiquing people for wear-ing clothes that are “out of style.” What I don’t understand is that no matter how many new trends are formed, society seems to be reviving trends more so than creating new ones. I remember in 2006 when the ’80’s were back in style. Suddenly it wasn’t cool to wear a plain old skirt to school—you had to wear leggings underneath. After that it was a domino ef-fect of shopping at vintage thrift stores, wearing ugly sweaters, using lunchboxes from your childhood, and sporting vintage band tees. If I were to have worn an ugly holiday sweater back in middle school I would have been punched in the face, but now this trend is deemed as ‘cool.’ Maybe some fashion trends are meant to stick around forever. In my opinion, dresses from the 1950’s/’60’s are a trend that will never fade away. It’s a classic style that is flattering on every body type. In my opinion, there is no such thing as a ‘new’ fashion trend. Every style of clothing that is created is modeled after something from a past decade or century. Designers today are always drawing inspiration for their collections on the neons and pastels from the ‘80’s, tribal prints from the ‘70’s, grunge-wear from the ‘90’s, and, to my delight, Mad Men inspired clothing. Can we please stop saying that certain fashions are ‘out of style’? Sure, they may not be ‘cool’ right now but I promise you this…just give it a couple years and it will without a doubt be back ‘in style.’ So go ahead, wear those bellbottom jeans, platform shoes, shoulder pads, or whatever else you find in your parents’ closet or at Goodwill…you’re way more ‘fashion-able’ than you think.

Did any fashion trends ever go out?

Roses and Thorns 2012By Molly MartinezEditor-in-Chief

A scholarly rose for being named a top ten high school in Minnesota.A persevering rose for Jack “Jabs” Jablonski and his determination to overcome his injury and the inspiration he has given to others in doing just that. A vindictive thorn for defeating the oppressive leaders of Lybia, Al Queda, and North Korea. A grateful rose to Mr. Ness and to Mr. Kranz for giving new life to biology. An unforgettable rose to Ashim Ahmen Jr. and Kelly Kristiansen, who both touched many lives in the Eagan com-munity. A laughable thorn to the new restrictions at the EHS library. A brawny rose to the many teams and athletes who made an appearance at state and accomplished their goals. A sweltering thorn for the delay in winter sports and the early heat wave. A resonating rose to the musical legends that left unforgettable legacies: Etta James, Whitney Houston, and Donna Summer. A courageous rose for Eagan’s acceptance of the gay, straight, and lesbian community. An exorbitant thorn to rising student loans. A didactic rose to Maurice Sendak who taught us all to go looking for the wild things, and to reign over our emo-tions. A tumultuous thorn for the onslaught of natural disasters that devastated Mexico, Italy, the Philippines, and many other countries. A magical rose to the final installment of the Harry Potter movies. A scandalous thorn for those who jeopardized the integrity of Eagan. A cinematic rose for the top grossing movies of 2012: The Avengers, The Hunger Games, and The Lorax. A goodbye rose to the beloved class of 2012, who will soon move on to their next adventures.

Congratulations to EI Seniors!This year’s seniors multi-talented, multi-faceted, amazing young wom-en. They have been dedicated and creative forces for the staff. We send Grace, Abby, Kenzie, Michelle, Shelley and Cameron forward into their futures with our gratitude and wishes for continued success!

Cameron VandykeEditor-in-Chief

Kenzie MarklandSports Editor

Michelle MetcalfePhoto Editor

Abby JohnsonFeatures Writer

Grace AblanFeatures Editor

Shelley SibleyFeatures Writer

Eagan Independent | Wednesday, May 30, 20124

All State Band and Choir SelectedBy Anushka MankunathNews WriterThe 2012 All-State band and choir students have recently been selected. This year, Ea-gan is sending more students to participate in the groups than ever before. More than 1,500 students in the state au-ditioned for this opportunity, but only a select few were chosen in the end. Eagan’s winners for All-State band are Rachel Larson, Mary Larson, Simon Plum, Alex Plum, Lauran Anderson, Paulina Marell, Jenna Peterson, Ryan Mosso, Annika Stromme, and Eric Schmitt. The alter-nates include Peter Dobler and Carleigh Swanson. The winners for All-State choir are Elizabeth Frick, Madison Wilson, Evan Esslinger, Carly Mau, Nicole Moran, and Matt Gleason. In order to be selected for the All-State choirs, students must go through an audition. The state is split into eight

sections and each section meets at a different location. The same judges visit all eight locations and decide the win-ners for All-State. It’s each in-dividual school’s responsibil-ity to send fifteen students to the location and from there a maximum of six students are picked. The audition consists of a solo, sight-reading, and several vocal exercises. “Competitions are pretty stiff in Minnesota; in this area our average when you sing solo (scored out of forty points) is very high so it comes down to the skills part of the audi-tion,” says choir teacher Mr. Schafer. This means that the sight-reading and vocal exer-cise scores become critical in the final decision.After students are selected they go to a week-long camp at St. Johns University, train with guest singers, and learn the songs for the All-State concert. The concert is held in Orchestra Hall in February of 2013, so seniors are not eli-

gible to audition for All-State. For All-State Band, the audi-tions took place in March. As with choir, there are eight different sites around the state and the same judges go to each of the sites. After they’ve done all the auditions, they decide who the best musi-cians are and select them for the All-State bands. Similarly,

NCTE Award Winners

AnnouncedBy Mandy NoetheNews Writer

Two Eagan High School juniors, Katie McCoy and Vaibhiv Sharma, have been recognized in writing with the NCTE Award this year. The NCTE (National Coun-cil of Teachers of English) is an organization that holds a writing contest for juniors in high school each year. “The purpose of this contest is to encourage students in their writing,” explains McCoy. The work submitted came from personal narrative es-says written in the 11th grade AP Language and Composi-tion class. However, extra work beyond the class’s re-quirements had to be put into the contest in order to be eligi-ble to win. Besides the paper due for the class, an extra timed essay was required as well. McCoy explained, “We wrote a six-page narrative in AP Lang, and then I had to write an additional four-page essay for the contest.” Though a lot of work was necessary, there are many benefits of winning the com-petition. “This award will probably be most beneficial for me in applying for col-leges and putting [the accom-plishment] on resumes,” Mc-Coy continues. “I was really surprised [I won], but it’s nice to be recognized.” Important skills come into play when writing papers

for the contest. There are undoubtedly certain specific elements that help build the story, which can have a great impact on the judges. McCoy adds, “Creativity and imagi-nation are important things to have for this because you have to write a story about something ordinary in an interesting way in order to stand out to the judges.” The judges have many papers to read, so anything that makes a writer stand out can be very important when deciding be-tween the best of papers. The NCTE contest is a good way to show and reward what kind of writing skills students have, while also convincing the judges that a great story is much more than just words on a piece of paper.

WORD IN THE HALLS:Which senior will you miss the most?

one of my favorite teachers and will be missed by all.” Mr. Ness has also been teaching at Eagan High School since its opening in 1989. He has taught a range of computer graphics classes as well as aviation, small engines, robotics, and elec-tronics. Like Mr. Kranz, Mr. Ness has worked in multiple schools throughout Minne-sota – and even Norway – but chose Eagan as his long-term home. “The kids are good and the staff is great and the tech-nology is outstanding,” says Ness. His favorite memory is seeing the school during its construction and witnessing it turn into what it is today. “It was cool to see this come from nowhere as a school that’s nationally recognized,” he recalls. Mr. Ness will also be missed by his students and will be remembered for the skills he has helped students develop. Junior Hannah Landmark, who has taken various computer graph-ics courses from Mr. Ness, explains the legacy that he will leave at Eagan. “Mr. Ness works hard to teach a difficult subjects because many of his students don’t know a lot about the computer programs they will use before they join his class,” she says. “He has created a group of students who know how to use many different computer programs and can create all kinds of projects with computers.” Though both Mr. Kranz and Mr. Ness will be retiring as teachers at Eagan High School, they will still be seen substitute teaching in the next school year.

NCTE winners Katie McCoy and Vaibhav SharmaPhoto by Michelle Metcalfe

the selected students go to a camp at Concordia College for a week in the summer. The students work with the other talented students as well as a guest conductor who is hired to help them prepare for a concert which will take place in the following February, downtown at Orchestra hall. “It’s the most amount of

students we’ve had in the program so we’re all very proud of the students who made it in,” says band teacher Mr. Maeck.This program helps to honor students in music for their excellence and hard work and will do just that as the students prepare for their con-certs at Orchestra Hall over the summer.

Retirees continued from page 1

By Laurel ScottFeatures Writer

John Guggenberger (10):

Alex Granquist, because he’s hilarious, I’ll miss seeing him in my PAWS, and he always cracks my back, too!

Amerin Idell and Sophie Callahan (11):

Kunal Patel, because he al-ways has a smile on his face. Every time I see him, I just want to hug him like a teddy bear!

Deej Kraus (11):

Alexa Golemo, because she has been a wonderful person the entire year, and I can talk to her about anything.

Olivia Miller (10):

Sarah Schuetz, because she’s funny and crazy and sweet, and all around a great girl.


Congratulations,Class of2012ABDILAHI, HAKIM – University of Nebraska at Lincoln

ABELOVITZ, ADAM – Minnesota Life College ABLAN, GRACE – Macalester College AGUILAR, GUSTAVO – Upper Iowa University AKHTAR, YUMNA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities ALBERS, ANDREW – University of New Hampshire ALLEN, JORDAN – Saint Paul College ALLGIRE, PIERCE – Inver Hills Community College ALVAREZ, DANIEL – University of Minnesota, Duluth ANDERSON, ALEXANDER – University of Rochester ANDERSON, BRETT – Undecided ANDERSON, JESSE – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities ANDERSON, MATTHEW – University of St. Thomas ANDERSON, PAIGE – North Dakota State University ANDERSON, TRENTON – Northern Michigan University ANKER, ALISSA – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire ASCHENBRENER, SAMANTHA – Minneapolis Business College ATKINSON, MEGHAN – Minnesota State University, Mankato AXELROD, ALAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities AXELROD, ALYSSA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities BAIER, JACK – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities BAILLY, LAURA – College of Saint Benedict BAKER, ROBERT – University of Wisconsin, Madison BALDWIN, ZACKARY – Augsburg College BARNICLE, SIMON – Northwestern University BARTA, ALEXANDER – Iowa State University BASCH, PETER – Marquette University BATCHER, MORGAN – The University of Arizona BAUER, DREW – University of Minnesota, Duluth BAUSMAN, DANIEL – University of Minnesota, Duluth BECK, ANNE – Concordia College - Moorhead BEEKS, LUCAS – Vermillion Community College BELL, DANIEL – Unknown BELSKI, JAKE – University of Nebraska at Lincoln BENSON, CONNOR – Hamline University BERGMAN, COREY – University of Minnesota, Duluth BERGMAN, TESS – Iowa State University BERGREN-SALINAS, ERIK – Unknown BERRYMAN, KELSEY – Gustavus Adolphus College BERTSCH, MATTHEW – Minnesota State University, Mankato BHAGWAT, ATHARVA – Iowa State University BINNER, BROOKE – Minnesota State University, Mankato BJORKLUND, NICHOLAS – North Dakota State University BLAKELY, KRISTINA – Moody Bible Institute BLOCK, ZACHARY – University of St. Thomas BLOOM, KARA – Drake University BLOOMQUIST, PHILLIP – North Dakota StateBONIFACIO, RYAN – University of Utah BONSHIRE, NATHANIEL – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology BORGERDING, KAHRYSSA – Inver Hills Community College BORGOS, DYLAN – University of Wisconsin, Platteville BOSIACKI, ROBIN – Minnesota State University, Moorhead BOWMAN, VICTORIA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities BRANCH, DANIELLE – Minnesota School of Beauty BRITT, DANIEL – Gustavus Adolphus College BROWN, CHRISTOPHER – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities BUDGE, TAYLOR – St. Cloud State University BURGER, TYLER – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities BURIAN, MATTHEW – Concordia College - Moorhead BURRILL-BOWEN, SAMUEL – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities BURT, KJELL – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire BUSCH, MICHAEL – Augsburg College BUTLER, CHRISTIAN – University of San Diego BUTLER, ROBIN – University of Minnesota, Duluth BYERS, COLIN – St. Cloud State University CARLIER, EMILY – St. Catherine University - St. Paul CARLIN, KALEIGH – Unknown CARLIN, MADALYN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities CARON, THOMAS – University of North Dakota CASELLA, CASEY – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities CASEY, PAUL – Unknown CASSIDY, MITCHELL – Inver Hills Community College CHA, MELVINA – Augsburg College CHING, ELIZABETH – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities CHRASTIL, MITCHELL – Saint John’s University CHRISTEN, SYDNEY – Iowa State University CLARK, BRANDON – The University of Tampa COBB, TYLER – Iowa State University COLEMAN, MITCHELL – The University of Iowa CONOCCHIOLI, KEDDY – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities CONZEMIUS, SOPHIA – South Dakota State University CORAZZO, ALYSSA – Winona State University COUSINS, LEAH – University of Missouri Columbia COYNE, SHANNON – University of Minnesota, Duluth CROW, LISA – Winona State University CUMMING, ANDREW – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities DAHL, REBECCA – Inver Hills Community College DAHLEN, NICHOLAS – University of St. Thomas DALTON, ANNA – University of Nebraska at Lincoln DANGOR, AARON – University of St. Thomas DAPPEN, KYLE – Dakota County Technical College DARAITIS, AUSTIN – Unknown DAVIDSON, BRADLEY – University of Wisconsin, River Falls DEBAUN, JACK – Inver Hills Community College DENMARK, JEFFREY – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities DICOSTANZO, ENZO – Unknown DILL, KATHRYN – Unknown DIXON, MICHAEL – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities DOLPHAY, TAD – Winona State University DOUGLAS, ELISA – Normandale Community College DOUGLAS, LAUREN – Southwest Minnesota State University DOWNES, RYAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities DRATZ, MEGAN – Winona State University DUERRE, DANIEL – Winona State University

DURAND, ALEXANDRA – Inver Hills Community College DURHAM, MIA – Unknown DVORAK, AMANDA – Unknown DYKE, THOMAS – Loyola University Chicago EBELING, GRANT – Calvin College EDINGER, ZACHARY – Norwich University EDWARDSON, ERIC – The University of Iowa EHRLICH, KATIE – Fordham University EIDEN, MORGAN – Creighton University EJUWA, SALENA – Winona State University EKSTEIN, BENJAMIN – Hamline University ELERT, MATTHEW – Iowa State University ELLER, ROBERT – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities ENGEBRETSON, HANNA – Gustavus Adolphus College ENGEBRETSON, JENNA – Iowa State University ERDMAN, TAYLOR – University of North Dakota ERICKSON, MARGARET – Normandale Community College ERICKSON, REID – Youth With a Mission, Golden, ColoradoEVERSON, JONATHAN – Iowa State University FAKE, CHRISTOPHER – University of North Dakota FEIOCK, JUSTIN – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire FELDMAN, ZACHARY – Boston University FIELD, EMMA – University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee FINNAMORE, MIA – Bethel University FISCHER, SAMUEL – Inver Hills Community College FITTERER, SHAUN – Inver Hills Community College FLECK, LAUREN – University of Wisconsin, Stout FLICEK, BREANNA – Gustavus Adolphus College FLOERSCH, SAMANTHA – University of Wisconsin, Stout FODOR, NATALIE – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities FOERTSCH, EMILY – Gannon University FOLSKA, KENDYL – College of Saint Benedict FORSMAN, JOHN – University of Minnesota, Duluth FRANCISCUS, JOSHUA – Normandale Community College FRIEDLIEB, LUCAS – Dakota County Technical College FROYUM, HUNTER – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities FRY, TYLER – University of Minnesota, Duluth GAERTNER, ASHLEY – University of St. Thomas GAGNE, RACHEL – University of Wisconsin, Madison GALATOWITSCH, NIKKI – Bemidji State University GALLOWAY, BENJAMIN – Saint John’s University GAONA, LUIS – Unknown GATES, ALLISON – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities GEBREAB, EMANUEL – Unknown GELKE, CONOR – Winona State University GENOVESE, DAVID – United States Marine Corps GERSTER, EMILY – College of Saint Benedict GIBBS, ASHLEY – Minnesota State University, Mankato GIGUERE, RYAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities GILSON, MARISSA – Winona State University GITTUS, EVAN – Montana State University, Bozeman GLOZMAN, EDWARD – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities GOEDKEN, MITCHELL – Inver Hills Community College GOETTSCH, AUBREY – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire GOHL, EMILEE – Bethel University GOLEMO, ALEXA – Iowa State University GONSIOR, LINDSEY – Mayville State University GOODSELL, NICHOLAS – St. Cloud State University GORDER, ALEXANDER – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities GORE, MADELINE – University of Wisconsin, Madison GRANDGENETT, COLE – Bemidji State University GRANQUIST, ALEXANDER – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities GROVENSTEIN, CODY – University of North Dakota GUETTLER, JUSTIN – Inver Hills Community College GUINN, JENNA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities GUMINIAK, ANDREW – Inver Hills Community College GUSTAFSON, JOSEPH – University of North Dakota GWIN, SARAH – Inver Hills Community CollegeGWINUP, ALEXEI – Unknown HAAS, NATHAN – Inver Hills Community College HAIRE, JOSEPH – Winona State University HANCOCK, JENNIFER – University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point HANLEY, SAMANTHA – University of North Dakota HANNASCH, MARK – Iowa State University HANSEN, SOREN –Washington University in St. Louis HANSON, BRIAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities HANSON, KEVIN – Dakota County Technical College HARCHANKO, ETHAN – Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts - Minneapolis HARINGS, CHARLES –University of St. Thomas HART, JESSICA – South Dakota State University HARTZELL, KAITLYN – St. Cloud State University HASSAN, SHEREHAN –Inver Hills Community College HASSETT, NICHOLAS – Unknown HASSLINGER, KATHRYN – University of St. Thomas HAUGEN, SAMANTHA – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse HAUGEN, SIMONE – The George Washington University HAWES, ANGELLA – College of Saint Benedict HEINEN, KYLE – Unknown HELLER, MACKENZIE – Winona State University HELMUELLER, GRETA – University of Wisconsin, Madison HER, ZOUA – Unknown HERRERA, ALEXANDRA – St. Catherine University - St. Paul HIBBARD, DREW – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities HILTNER, ANDREW – University of Minnesota, Duluth HLAS, MICHAEL – University of North Dakota HOCUM, COURTNEY – Winona State University HOGAN, JENNIFER – University of Minnesota, Duluth HOLMIN, NICHOLAS – University of Minnesota, Duluth HOLZER, DANIEL – University of Wisconsin, Madison HOLZHAUER, BRITNI – Unknown HOUDEK, CORTNEY – University of Wisconsin, Madison HOWE, CHARLES – Bemidji State University HUGHES, ANDREW – Bemidji State University HUGHES, JASON – University of Nebraska at Lincoln

HURST, ELIZABETH – Unknown IBRAHIM, AYAN – Saint Paul College ISABEL, ALEXANDER – Minnesota State University, Mankato IVERSON, THOR – Montana State University, Bozeman JAAKOLA, LEENA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities JACKSON, ANTHONY – University of North Dakota JACOBSON, NICHOLAS – Unknown JACOBY, LIBBY – University of St. Thomas JAMESON, HALEY – University of St. Thomas JIMENEZ, ELENA – St. Catherine University - St. Paul JOHANNES, EMILY – University of North Dakota JOHNSON, ABIGAIL – University of Wisconsin, Stout JOHNSON, BRITTA – Gustavus Adolphus College JOHNSON, MITCHELL – Crown College JOHNSON, TEVIN – Winona State University JORGENSEN, CAMERON – Normandale Community College JUNGQUIST, ELIZABETH – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire JURICKO, MEGAN – University of Wisconsin, River Falls JUSTIN, JENNA – Winona State University KALB, CONNOR – 4yr college KATZ, LISA – University of Nebraska at Lincoln KENDALL, LILLIE – University of Minnesota, Duluth KILBER, KELSIE – University of North Dakota KIRCHGASLER, ALEX – Bemidji State University KISZEWSKI, DEVYN – University of Wisconsin, Superior KLUEGEL, JAMIE – College of St. Scholastica KNUTSON, ANDREW S – University of North Dakota KNUTSON, ANDREW S – Winona State University KNUTSON, KRISTEN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities KNUTSON, MITCHELL – St. Cloud State University KOHLMEYER, PAUL – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities KOLLER, ELIZABETH – The University of Iowa KOVACH, EMILY – University of North Dakota KRANZ, ERIK – Inver Hills Community College KRYPEL, RANDALL – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse KUCHERA, DERICK – Unknown KUCHERA, NICHOLAS – Unknown KUEHN, MORGAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities KUHN, AMANDA – North Dakota State University KUSIE, ADAM – Winona State University LACHER, MADELINE – Winona State University LACROIX, ANGELA – University of North Dakota LAMB, CALVIN – Saint Leo University LANGE, LYDIA – University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee LARAMY, NICHOLAS – Undecided LARKIN, SEAN – University of North Dakota LARSON, ERIK – Winona State University LAWS, MARCELLUS – Unknown LE, TIANA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities LE, HUNG – Inver Hills Community College LEDDY, KEEGAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities LEE, ASHLYN – Winona State University LEE, BRENT – University of North Dakota LEE, JAMES – Dakota County Technical College LEE, MICHAEL – University of North Dakota LEE, THOMAS – University of Minnesota, Duluth LENERTZ, ALEXANDER – University of North Dakota LEONG, JUSTIN – University of North Dakota LIGUORI, MARK – Normandale Community College LINDER, SARAH – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities LINDSEY, BRETT – Dakota County Technical College LINDSEY, CASSANDRA – Inver Hills Community College LOCHNER, SARAH – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse LOCKHART, ANDREW – Iowa State University LOCKWOOD, BROOKE – Minneapolis College of Art and Design LOPEZ GARCIA, CITLALY – Unknown LOPEZ, MELODI – St. Catherine University - St. Paul LUETH, PARKER – Unknown LUKIN, HANNAH – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse LUND, GREGORY – North Dakota State University LYNCH, JOEL – Iowa State University LYON, WILLIAM – University of Minnesota, Duluth MA, AMY – Chapman University MACHACEK, JOSEPH – University of Minnesota, Crookston MAESER, JACOB – Normandale Community College MALLOY, JOSEPH – University of North Dakota MANDLI, SHEA – Concordia University at St. Paul MANGAN, ALEX – College of St. Scholastica MANJLAI, IMRAN – Minnesota State University, Mankato MARKLAND, ABIGAIL – Iowa State University MARKSTROM, ALYSSA – Aveda Institute Minneapolis MARSHALL, NELSON – University of St. Thomas MARTHALER, DONA – College of Saint Benedict MARTIN, AARON – Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Minneapolis MARTIN, JACOB – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MARTIN, MIRANDA – University of North Dakota MARTIN, NATHAN – Iowa State University MARTINEK, NATALIE – Iowa State University MASON, CODY – Hamline University MASSARO, ANTHONY – Gustavus Adolphus College MATHEW, SUSAN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MATHIASON, NICHOLAS – Saint Louis University MATTHEWS, GRANT – Augustana College MAVES, MONICA – Mankato State University MAY, BAILEY – Unknown MAY, ELI – Minnesota State University, Mankato MAZANEC, KEVIN – Inver Hills Community College MCDERMOTT, COURTNEY – University of Wisconsin, Stout MCDEVITT, DEVON – Unknown MCGOVERN, CONNOR – Unknown

MCGOWAN, MATTHEW – Bethel University MCKINNON, COOPER – Dakota County Technical College MCTAVISH, MATTHEW – Minnesota State University, Mankato MEI, SIBILLA – Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore MENCEL, CALEB – University of Tennessee, Knoxville MERCHANT, WILL – University of Maine MERENESS, ALEX – Florida Keys Community College METCALFE, MICHELLE – Creighton University MEYER, RACHEL – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MICHELETTI, LINDSEY – University of North Dakota MILES, TIMOTHY – University of Minnesota, Duluth MILLER, JOSHUA – Inver Hills Community College MILLER, LIVIA – University of Missouri Columbia MILLER, MICAH – Northwestern College MISHRA, SAURABH – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MISKOWICZ, CHASE – Inver Hills Community College MITIN, ANDREY – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities MOE, RACHEL – Wichita State University MOEHNKE, TIMOTHY – Unknown MONTGOMERY, JENNA – Minnesota State University, Mankato MOON, ANDREW – Iowa State University MOORE, CONNER – Lake Superior College MORGEL, AMANDA – University of North Dakota MOULTON, EMILY – University of Wisconsin, River Falls MUCKENHIRN, JOHN – University of St. Thomas MUELLER, DIANA – Gustavus Adolphus College MUNDY, MATTHEW – University of Minnesota, Duluth MURPHY, CHRISTOPHER – Creighton University MUYSKENS, CLARE – College of Saint Benedict NAPONE, JOHN – Inver Hills Community College NEESER, SAMUEL – Unknown NELSON, BROOKS – Unknown NELSON, DEREK – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities NELSON, MACKENZIE – University of St. Thomas NEWHALL, DAVID – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities NGUYEN, NATALIA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities NGUYEN, VY – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities NIEHUS, ELLIOT – Colorado State University NORDGAARD, GRIFFEN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities NORDSTROM, NICHOLAS – University of Wisconsin, Stout NOWARIAK, THOMAS – University of Minnesota, Duluth NUNEZ-LENS, JOSE – University of North Dakota O’NEIL, KEVIN – Unknown OBEREMBT, ALEXA – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse OBERMUELLER, GREGORY – Dakota County Technical College OESTREICH, KELLY – Creighton University OGAWA, LINDSEY – University of Wisconsin, River Falls OHLAND, ALEXANDRA – Lake Superior College OLSEN, LAUREN – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities OLSON, HANNAH – St. Olaf College OLSON, TRAVIS –Dakota County Technical College OMER, WARSAN – Unknown ORFEI, ANNELISE – North Dakota State University OWZAREK, EMILY – Bethel University PAPACEK, JONATHAN – University of Wisconsin, Madison PARRA, MAGGIE – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities PATEL, KUNAL – Johns Hopkins University PATTERSON, JANIS – San Antonio Community College PAULSON, ELLEN – University of North Dakota PEARSON, BRIANA – Unknown PELLEGROM, JORDAN – St. Olaf College PELTON, BENJAMIN – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire PESCHERET, MARGUERITE – Santa Barbara City College PESCHERET, SCOTT C – Unknown PETERS, ADAM – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities PETERSEN, LUCAS – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities PETERSON, EMILY A – Minnesota State University, Mankato PETERSON, EMILY J – University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point PETERSON, ERIC – Minnesota State University, Mankato PETERSON, GLEN – North Dakota State University PETERSON, KATHRYN – University of Minnesota, Duluth PETERSON, KYLE – St. Cloud State University PETERSON, LEAH – Winona State University PETRUK, KARINA – Unknown PHAM, LY THI MY – Inver Hills Community College PHILLIPS, JOSEPH – Montana State University, Bozeman PIERSON, MITCHELL – Unknown POLLOCK, JOHN – North Dakota State University POST, AMY – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities POTTING, KAILA – Winona State University PRASKA, LAUREN – Winona State University PRESTRUD, JACKSON – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse PUNCH, RYAN – University of Wisconsin, Madison PUROHIT, REETIKA – University of Michigan QUESENBERRY, AMBER – Undecided RABI, SAFIA – St. Catherine University, St. Paul RABUSE, NICHOLAS– Inver Hills Community College RADERMACHER, BRADY – University of St. Thomas RAHMAN, MICHAEL – Luther College RAHMAN, THOMAS – Minnesota State University, Moorhead RANDALL, CONNOR – University of Minnesota, Duluth RANDOLPH, EMMA – University of Minnesota, Morris RANEY, DREW – University of Minnesota, Morris RANKIN, DANIEL – Colorado State University RASMUSSEN, PHILLIP – Minneapolis Community and Techni-cal College RASMUSSEN, SAWYER – Bemidji State UniversityRAYMAN, ALEX – Minnesota State University, Mankato REARDON, BENJAMIN – St. Cloud State University REDDY, APOORVA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities REINARTS, KATHERINE – University of North Dakota RHODES, JUSTIN – Undecided

RHODES, MICHAEL – Unknown RISTOW, GRACE – Northwestern College, Iowa RIVERA NAVARRO, SAUL – Unknown RIVERA, CIARA – University of Minnesota, Crookston ROBY, JENNIFER – Minnesota School of Beauty ROCK, DANIEL – Santa Barbara City College RODMAN, JULIA – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire ROGERS, BRENDAN – Unknown ROHLF, ELIZABETH – University of Wisconsin, Madison ROILAND, CLAIRE – Northwestern Health Sciences University ROLFZEN, LEAH – University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire ROSS, LAUREN – University of Wisconsin, Stout ROTH, BRIANNA – Unknown ROUNDTREE, AARON – North Dakota State College of Science RUDOLPH, KATHRYN – Winona State University RUIZ, CARLOS – Dakota County Technical College RUPP, JESSICA – Lafayette College RUSSELL, CHRISTOPHER – Inver Hills Community College RUTHERFORD-KASSA, NICHOLAS – Unknown SABATKE, NICHOLAS – Dakota County Technical College SACHS, MADELINE – Columbia College SARGENT, RICHARD – Minnesota State University, Mankato SATRE, DAVID – University of North Dakota SAVAGE, MASON – Iowa State University SCHAFFER, ELLIE – Wartburg College SCHELLER, REID – Unknown SCHERF, KELSEY – Marquette University SCHILTZ, LAUREN – Gustavus Adolphus College SCHNUCKLE, EMMA – St. Olaf College SCHOENECKER, JUSTIN – University of Minnesota, Duluth SCHRIENER, BENJAMIN – McNally Smith College of Music SCHROEDL, ALLISON – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities SCHROER, ELIZABETH – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities SCHUETZ, SARAH – Gustavus Adolphus College SCHULDT, JENNIFER – University of Minnesota, Duluth SCHULTE, CONNOR – Inver Hills Community College SCHULTZ, JOHNATHON – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities SEEHAFER, HALEY – Winona State University SEELY, KRISTIN – Bethel University SEIBERLICH, HALEY – The University of Tampa SELL, ELEANORE – Luther College SERANTONI, GINA – University of Minnesota, Duluth SHARIF ABDINASSIR, MARYAN – Hamline University SHAW, BRIAN – Inver Hills Community College SHERN, STEVEN – Bemidji State University SIBLEY, SHELLEY – Unknown SIEVE, HUNTER M – Normandale Community College SKARE, KYLIE – College of Saint Benedict SKELLY, SHANNON – College of Saint Benedict SLAIKEU, AMANDA – University of North Dakota SLINGER, RANDY – Minnesota State University, Mankato SMITH, TYLER – Iowa State University SONNEBORN, EMILY – Bradley University SORENSEN, SARAH – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse SOSHNIK-TANQUIST, JACKSON – University of Minnesota, Duluth SOUD, IYTEN – University of St. Thomas SPEARS, TYLER – Winona State University SPENCER, ANGELA – St. Catherine University - St. Paul SPICER, BRENNAN – University of Minnesota, Duluth SPONSEL, ALLISON – Dakota County Technical College STANDAL, LAUREN – Loyola University Chicago STANGL, ALANNA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities STELLA, SAMANTHA – Minnesota State University, Mankato STENZEL, MICHAEL – University of Minnesota, Duluth STERRENBERG, KELSEY – South Dakota State University STEVENS, DAVID – University of St. Thomas STEWART, SHELBY – Inver Hills Community College STOESZ, AUSTIN – Northwestern College STOKER, ANDREW – University of Northern Iowa STREED, DAVID – St. Olaf College STROBEL, HAILEY – Inver Hills Community College SULLIVAN, COLIN – Iowa State University SWANSON, CEDRIC – Unknown SWANSON, CONNOR – Coe College TAMBORNINO, BRANDON – Dakota County Technical College TERNES, ASHLEIGH – Iowa State University TESSMER, DAVID – Minnesota State University, Mankato THOMAS, WILLIAM – Yale University THOMPSON, TORI – Jamestown College THORPE, ASHLEY – University of North Dakota TOLIVER, LINDSEY – Saint Paul College TOWLE, MEGAN – College of Saint Benedict TRAN, VINCENT – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities TURNER, PHILLIP – Inver Hills Community College TURNSTEDT, MAX – Unknown UDOVIK, KIRYL – University of Minnesota, Duluth UMHOEFER, SAMUEL – University of North Dakota UNDERWOOD, JONATHAN – University of Minnesota, Duluth VALADEZ CRISTERNA, ISRAEL – Hennepin Technical College VALLARELLI, JOSEPH – Inver Hills Community College VANCE, BENJAMIN – Dakota County Technical College VANDYKE, CAMERON – William Jewell College VANG, SEANTE – Inver Hills Community College VANVLIET, PAUL – University of Wisconsin, Madison VARGAS, GENESIS – North Central University VARGHESE, JOYAL – Inver Hills Community College VATSAAS, CHRISTIAN – University of Wisconsin, Superior VECELLIO, NICHOLAS – University of North Dakota VILLALUZ, ALYSSA – University of St. Thomas VUONG, BRANDON – University of North Dakota WAGNER, LAURA – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse WANG, KEVIN – University of Wisconsin, La Crosse WARD, GREYSON – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities WEBER, REIDE – Bemidji State University

WEBSTER, CAPRIANNA – Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Minneapolis WEINBERG, CASSANDRA – Minnesota State University, Mankato WERSAL, MORGAN – Minnesota State University, Mankato WESTLUND, LEAH – Inver Hills Community College WHITE, KATHERINE – Unknown WICKARD, DAVID – Drake University WICKHAM, MARTIN – University of Wisconsin, Madison WICKLUND, DANIEL – Inver Hills Community College WIEBKE, NICOLE – Normandale Community College WIGEN, ALISSA – University of Minnesota, Twin Cities WILLIAMS, BEAU – Unknown WILLIAMS, BRANDON – Dakota County Technical College WILLIAMS, JOHN – Winona State University WILLIAMS, KELLY – The Art Institutes International Minnesota WILSON, BRETT – North Dakota State University WINGE, CARL – University of Miami WOLFE, SAMUEL – University of Maine WOLFF, JOSEPH – University of Minnesota, Duluth WOLFF, NICHOLAS – Gustavus Adolphus College WOODCOCK, ERIC – University of Minnesota, Duluth ZAJAC, MICHAEL – Princeton University ZENNER, ABBY – South Dakota State University ZHU, XIAOYE – Unknown


You will always be Eagan

Class of 2012Destinations by the Numbers

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities58

Inver Hills Community College34

University of North Dakota31

University of Minnesota, Duluth29

Winona State University24

Iowa State University20

Minnesota State University, Mankato18

University St. Thomas 15

Dakota County Technical College14

University of Wisconsin, Madison11

Gustavus Adolphus College10

University of Wisconsin, La CrosseCollege of Saint Benedict

9

Normandale Community CollegeNorth Dakota State University

University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire8


Art DepArtment

Lauren SchlitzHow has your study of art ben-efited your life?

I fell like it’s been really re-laxing. It’s a thing that I can do on the weekends to kind of separate myself from my other schoolwork. It’s also a re-ally good chance to meet other people. I’ve met people in AP Portfolio that I hadn’t spent a lot of time with in my earlier high school years

BAnD DepArtment

Matthew ElertHow has the area you are the student of the year in helped better you for everyday life?

Band has helped to better me for everyday life by helping me to form friendships. I have gotten to know so many people in the band program, and many of them I consider my closest friends. Through band I have become more outgoing towards others.

Business DepArtment

Randy KrypelHow has the study of business benefited your life outside of school?

The study of business gives you consumer tips to be smarter with your money. It helps you when someone says there’s a sale. It makes you think about it before you decide if it’s actually a good deal or not.

Choir DepArtment

David NewhallWhat does being Student of the Year mean to you?

It means a lot. It’s an honor be-cause I’ve worked hard through choir to hold a leadership posi-tion or at least try to and it’s nice to be recognized for that and all the hard work I’ve done.

Counseling DepArtment

David WickardWhat is the greatest benefit this subject experience has given you?

The greatest benefit of working in the counseling department for me has undoubtedly been the heightened communication skills learned through interac-tions with others in incredibly different situations than my own.

DAnCe DepArtment

Melvina ChaWhy do you like dance?

I like dance because it’s another way to express my emotions, thoughts, and current situa-tions. It also allows me really to pull myself together.

english DepArtment

Billy ThomasWhy do you enjoy this area of study?

It really gives me the oppor-tunity to express myself and write what I believe in. Without English you really can’t express your own ideas.

FACs DepArtment

Megan JurickoWhat has been your favorite memory in this area of study?

My favorite memory from a FACTS class is probably teach-ing over at Glacier Hills when I did elementary mentoring.

mAth DepArtment

Alex AndersonWhat is your favorite part of the subject?

I’ve enjoyed learning to pro-gram computers in AP Com-puter Science, as well as seeing the practical applications of math in calculus as it directly relates to physics.

physiCAl eD. DepArtment

Michael ZajacDo you plan on working in this field in the future?

My ultimate dream is to play in the NHL, so to answer your question I do hope to one day be working in a field that incor-porates physical strength and overall health. It is encoded in every hockey player’s genet-ics to strive to play for an NHL team and one day hoist the Stanley Cup.

sCienCe DepArtment

Apoorva ReddyWhat is the greatest benefit sci-ence has given you?

If anything, it would be that nothing is set in stone. There is always the possibility of mak-ing a fantastic new discovery about something people think they already understand well. And if you think outside the box, you can solve just about any problem you come across.

soCiAl stuDies DepArtment

Casey CasellaWhat is your favorite part of the subject?

My favorite part about social studies is the history. I see the world as one gigantic story-book, its pages contain lessons from which everyone can take a message. History is what people will always remember!

teChnology eD. DepArtment

Kyle DappenWhy do you enjoy this area of study?

I’ve always been very hands-on.

Do you plan to continue to study this area of study in the future?

Yes, I am going to Dakota County Technical College next year.

WorlD lAnguAges DepArtment

Grace AblanWhat is the greatest benefit this subject experience has given you?

Studying World Languages has opened my eyes to differ-ent cultures and religions, and made me into a very open-minded person.

Work experienCe DepArtment

Nick BjorklundWhat is your favorite part of the subject?

My favorite part about work experience is that we learned how to make ourselves stand out when we apply for a job by preparing a great resume and cover letter and interviewing well.

2012Students of the Year

Every year the faculty of each academic department selects a student that exemplifies the subject.

By Grace Hinton and Alanna ThelenSports Writer and News Editor

Photos by Michelle Metcalfe, Sanya Pasricha and Haley Davis

FEaTurESEagan Independent | Wednesday May 30, 2012

TWENTY QUESTIONSFEATURING: Alan Axelrod

By Nicole MaeserFeatures Writer

1. What makes you happy?Being with friends and playing sports

2. What inspires you to succeed?Competition with my sister because she always succeeds me academically

3. What is your cutest childhood memory?When I was walking my old dog, a Rottweiler, and she ran and I was being dragged in the grass.

4. What is your favorite song?“Never too late” by 3 Days Grace

5. What is the best way to ask a date to Prom?Make it big so the person won’t say no, and do it on some theme that relates to them

6. What will be the highlight of your summer?Going to my friend’s cabin where he’s going to teach me wake-boarding

7. What do you enjoy doing with your family? Playing tennis because it gets everyone all competitive

8. What is your stress-relieving method?Hitting the punching bag or lifting some weights

9. What was your favorite class this year?I’d say anatomy because it’s unlike anything I did before and it gives me a hint of how college will be like.

10. What is the strangest dream you’ve ever had?When I was able to teleport and I kept on going around the world in random places like Egypt, Russia, and Las Vegas

11. What is your biggest wish?That I had more wishes

12. What is “paradise” to you?Somewhere where I can laugh and be myself with other people, like at a resort on an island filled with beautiful women

13. What is the best part of being a twin?Getting help on homework, or sometimes thinking and saying the same thing. Also, that you know that you can always count on that person

14. Pick one word that defines you.Spontaneous

15. What are you doing or have done to celebrate your gradu-ation? Going out to eat with the family and getting money to buy presents

16. Throughout your high school career: what was the biggest mistake you made? Not doing my homework would be my biggest mistake

17. What remarkable talent do you have? I can juggle

18. Favorite breakfast on a weekend morning?Honey Nut cheerios

19. Who plays a big part in your life- someone who is always by your side?My sister and my conscience

20. Any shout out?Shout out to my PAWS, we had some good times, to my class 0-1-2 hope everyone get what they want in life

Dinner & A MovieThe Top 5

Most Anticipated Movies of

the SummerBy Shelley SibleyFeatures Writer

The Dark Knight Rises: The third installment to the Bat-man movies, written and di-rected by Christopher Nolan, takes place 8 years after The Dark Knight. Bane is the head of a new terrorist group and Batman, played by Christian Bale, must become the Dark Knight again and protect his city. The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Gary Old-man, Michael Caine and Anne Hathaway.

Prometheus: A group of ex-plorers discover a secret about earth that could unlock some mysteries. They must travel to the darkest edges of the universe where they discover terrifying things. They must try and stop it in order to save earth. Starring Noomi Ra-pace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender. and Charlize Theron. Prometheus is directed by Ridley Scott.

Men in Black III: Agent J must travel back in time to the 1960’s in order to save his friend agent K from being assassinated by an alien and re-writing history forever. Directed by Barry Sonnenfeld. Starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Broslin and Jemaine Clement.

Brave: The newest Disney Pixar movie about a girl named Princess Merida who defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. She is granted one wish and must be brave and rely on her archery skills to undo a beastly curse. Directed by Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman. Star-ring Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson and Julia Walters.

The Amazing Spider-Man: In another remake of Spiderman, Peter Parker has been search-ing for answers to the disap-pearance of his parents. He finally discovers a clue that will help him figure out what happened to them. Directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Ryhs Ifans.

Granite City

By Annika GrasslFeatures Writer

Granite City is a brewery style restaurant located off of Pilot Knob Road right by the Promenade, across the bridge on Yankee Doodle. The inside décor gives off the feeling of being at a cabin up north (thus the name Granite City, named for the city of St. Cloud). With its exposed beams, darkened walls, and rock pillars with built in wall sconces it is hard to believe that this small town feeling can be found in the hustle and bustle of Eagan. The menu boasts that most everything at Granite City is made fresh and from scratch, and one can tell from the bold, natural flavors. The thick steaks are always tender and juicy, while the burgers are firm but flavorful. Granite City is famed for its flatbread pizzas, of which the most

popular are the BBQ chicken and the classic pepperoni. Another popular dish is the Asian chicken salad (my personal favorite), which comes with shredded lettuce, cabbage, and an assortment of veggies such as red pep-pers and cucumbers. For all those carnivores or carbohy-drate cravers, two more of the best-selling dishes include the rib eye and the fettuccini alfredo. Granite City’s deli-cious entrees are substantial and filling, but somehow one can still find room at the end of a meal for a huge slice of six-layer chocolate cake for dessert. Six layers – now that’s impressive!The waiting staff at Gran-ite City is well-trained and respectable. There is always someone eager to open the doors of the restaurant for arriving and departing cus-tomers. All staff members are polite and prompt; they are not too clingy and not unseen

– both of which can tarnish a restaurant’s reputation for enjoyable visits. Although the wait for a table may set a group’s plans back about twenty-five minutes at the most (which can be ex-pected at almost any popular place such as Granite City), the cost of a meal will only set one’s wallet back about an average of twenty dollars.

Image courtesy of foodfriendz.rdslogic.com

SporTSEagan Independent | Wednesday, May 30, 2012

By Anthony MetcalfeSports Writer

No player has been more consistent throughout the boys’ lacrosse season than senior Lucas Peterson. Of the twelve games he’s played, he holds a record of eleven wins and only one loss. His talent derives from both natural skill as well as many years of dedication and practice. “I’ve been playing since I was in elementary school, when I was in 4th grade,” stated Peterson. The goalie’s main focus has been on lacrosse for the last several years, especially after quitting hockey. However, he has also kept busy participat-ing in the theater and speech programs. Peterson recently appeared in the Star Tribune, in an article about his last chance at state.

Athlete of the Month

It’s their last chance

The Eagan boys’ lacrosse team has jumped out of the gate, and has been doing well since early on in the season. They won the first six games they played, including a spectacular 10-9 win over the defending state champions: Benilde-St. Margaret. Un-fortunately, they hit a rough patch midway through the year and lost to both Eden Prairie and Eastview, 11-10 and 11-4, respectively. Fortunately, losing those two games didn’t get in their head, and they finished the season with four straight wins. In the end, they pulled out a magnificent season re-cord of twelve wins and two losses, and a South Suburban record of eight wins and

only one loss. This was good enough to award them the number one spot in the South Suburban Standings, just barely beating out Eastview. When asked about how this season has gone, senior captain Lucas Peterson said, “I feel like it’s been a fun year. I’ve been with all these guys for multiple years, so it is nice to see a team come together.” Expectations were fairly high for this year, especially considering the team consists of thirteen seniors. Another star player that helped fulfill those expectations was junior Mike Kukulski, who leads the team with an outstanding thirty-two goals. Of course, none of the

team’s success would have been possible without the right coaching. Coach Bob Felter believes that the team can accomplish many things if the “’right’ team shows up,” and he hopes to finish off the season by winning State. Unfortunately, many expect a drastic decline in the team’s record next year after losing all the many seniors. No matter what happens in state, this team has had a great season, and Eagan can only expect better things to come.

Photo by Johanna Iversen

The boy’s baseball team struggled at the beginning of the season to score runs, but recently they have turned it around. In the first five games of the season, neither the wildcats nor the opposing team scored over seven runs, and in the sea-son entirety there have only been five games in which a team has scored more than ten runs. These runs have mat-tered for Eagan, a team that has either won or lost by two or fewer runs in eleven games, including the first six games in a row. Four of those six games resulted in heartbreaking losses. They improved from a 2-5 record to a respectable 9-9, and an even better 9-7 record in the South Suburban Conference. As Senior Captain David Stevens said, “It’s been good, up and down, we are coming together.” They certainly have had their

share of ups and downs, but it looks like they are enjoying the “up” part of the ride com-ing into the end of the year. Senior Danny Alvarez had the same outlook on the season,

say-ing, “It’s been okay, we’re having a late run here, we should go to sections.” Danny,

or the “Cuban Missile” as some call him, has had a strong year, along with many other top players. When asked who the top players were for this season,

Coach Walsh didn’t hesi-tate to list quite a few, includ-ing “Eric Peterson and Danny Stevens…Brett Lind-say, Alva-rez… Nick Wolff,” to name a few. Next year, the team is losing ten of their six-teen play-ers, a “now or never” mentality

is what may have brought them up in standings, and, could push them into the sec-tion finals.

Baseball

Photo by Haley Davis

Separation Anxiety

The Wildcat girls’ lacrosse team has been having a very rough season, especially compared to last year’s nine wins and seven losses. Senior Simone Haugen attributes some of this difficulty to the result of the recent split of the formally combined Eagan and Rosemount team into two individual teams. The girls currently have one win and eight losses in the regular season, a signifi-cant decline from last year. Haugen commented, “We’re hustling really hard…We really have the will to win, but our transitions…are slowing us down.” Haugen leads the team in points, with twenty-seven goals and five assists, averaging 3.38 goals per game. Leading goalten-der Kate Sullivan has made seventy-four saves this season during her whopping 350

minutes played. Despite the heavy losses, the team has had some very close games as well. One such game was against Rosemount on May 8, when the Wildcats lost by just a single point after scoring twenty-four goals. Haugen believes that part of the team’s successes has been that “the wins [Eagan has] had have definitely been well earned!”


Photo by Sanya Pasricha

The boys’ tennis team has completed the majority of its season with a very out-standing record. The boys have a record of 13-3 with ninety-one matches that have been won individually and twenty-one losses. Eagan is currently ranked third in the South Suburban Conference. In the recent Andover Tournament, Eagan placed first, winning this tourna-ment for the second year in a row. The boys have now started sections, and beat Woodbury in the first round. Eagan won seven individual matches and Woodbury did not win any. Senior Soren Hansen said, “It’s a very good feeling that we have had this incredibly successful year.” Captain Brady Rader-macher has had a great season this year as well. He stated, “The best part of this year was beating WIll Biernat from Eastview.” The majority of the team agreed that beating Eastview was a definite highlight this year. Not only did they win, but they dominated them by outscoring 7-0. Watch for the Eagan boys’ tennis team throughout the rest of sections, and hope-fully the boys will soon make their way to state.

By Kenzie MarklandSports Writer

Boys’ Tennis


By Grace HintonSports Writer


Top ten sports moments of 2011-2012Football beating

Rosemount

Girls’ hockey advanced to state

Danielle Anderson going to Nike Cross

Two nominations for Mr. Hockey

Nordic Skiing had a successful run at

state

Ping Pong team won state

Boys’ swim team advanced to state

Boys’ Lacrosse beating Benilde-

St.Margeret

Record year for signing athletes

Girls’ tennis sent players to represent

Eagan at State

By Kenzie MarklandSports Editor

The Girl’s Hockey team advanced onto state this year and had the opportunity to play at the excel energy center. The girls played East Ridge, Hastings, and Apple Valley to get to state. When they got to state they lost their first game and then their second. The best game that the girls played was not even at state. Instead the best game was during sec-tions. Senior Captain Alyssa Markstrom said, “The section final game against Apple Val-ley was the best because we won and it was a great game.” The final score was 1-2, with Eagan victorious. Since they won that game, the girl’s won their section and was able to advance to state.


A special congratula-tion to all of the seniors that signed with colleges this year. This year was the record of people that signed with more than nineteen. All of the dif-ferent sports were represented with the signees. Good luck playing next year!


This year the Girl’s Ten-nis Team sent three players to state for individuals. These girls were Danielle Donahue, Liza and Varvara Zelenina, three skilled tennis players who have been successful prior to this year. At the end of the season the girls finished strong with a record of 16-5. Danielle finished the season with a personal record of 16-4. “I felt like this year was a really great year and next year I hope to improve more.” Junior Danielle Donahue said.


Runner Danielle Ander-son beat several school and personal records this year during the track season, but she didn’t stop there. The junior competed in one of the two Nike Cross Heartland Regional’s races in South Dakota. The race that she reg-istered for required the runner to achieve a qualifying time in order to be offered the chance to compete in Nike Cross Nationals. Anderson claimed, “I was hoping to be in the top twenty-five [runners], but I ended up getting fourth.” Because the top five runners in each region go to Nation-als, Anderson was soon flown into Oregon for the race. Anderson ended up placing in the top one hun-dred runners in the National race on December 3rd, 2011. During her stay in Oregon, she and the other athletes were given tours of Nike Headquarters and were intro-duced to several professional, Nike-sponsored athletes.


On October 19, the Eagan football team beat Rosemount High School with a final score of 28-14. This was the first time in eleven years that Eagan achieved this goal. “It was a great feeling when we won and finally broke the streak,” captain Drew Bauer said. The game consisted of Eagan completely dominating the football field, but there was a particular play that stuck out in Bauer’s mind: “When we scored our last touchdown. It was a 90-yard drive to finish off the game.”


Eagan’s Ping Pong team had a stellar season and came out undefeated after the entire regular season. The team went on to win the State Championship, conquering fifteen other schools in the boys division. Sylesh Volla, a junior member of the team, commented, “Coach Nichols brought in Rex, a professional ping pong coach, to improve our technique and knowledge of the game.” The additional coaching appears to have paid off, as the Wildcat ping pong team blew away the competi-tion. While nearly the en-tire season was triumphant from beginning to end, Volla explains one moment dur-ing a close match against Moundsview, “A ping pong match between two schools consists of ten singles games and five doubles games, totaling fifteen points. At the time, Eagan had gotten seven points and Moundsview had gotten seven points as well.” The tension of this moment was released as Vaibhav Sharma, teamed with Matt Tran, scored the last point to win the match.


The Nordic Ski team had a successful but unusual season due to the strange weather patterns of much more slush than snow. The team did very well until the State meet, to which they sent a remarkable nine ski-ers – more than have gone in recent years. The District 196 boys’ team won the Confer-ence Title and the Eagan boys’ team took Sections. Once at State, the teams lost its prestige. The Boys team came in seventh overall, and Junior Nick Acton, who was the first Eagan boy to finish, came in thirty-eighth. Junior Sonja Hedblom was the fastest Eagan girl at the meet, placing twenty-fifth as she crossed the finish line.


The Eagan Wildcats boys swim and dive team impressed everyone this year when they went to state. The boys led the team to a surpris-ingly successful run. They sent two relay teams to the state tourna-ment, and had qualified three, which, as Knutson says, “is the first time in years.” In addition to the relay teams, they also sent quite a few individual swimmers to state. For a perfect summary of the season, look no further than Knutson’s statement: “We ex-pected nothing, and did quite well.”


The boys’ hockey team finished State in the conso-lation championship, but was proud to flaunt its two worthy Mr. Hockey nominees. Both seniors Will Merchant and Michael Zajac had the honor of being nominated as Mr. Hockey 2012, although unfortunately, neither took home the award. Assistant Coach Todd Carlson said, “It’s something that will never happen again; having two of the top ten in one class. It just doesn’t happen.” The talented Justin Kloos of Lakeville South ended up receiving the title, which Mr. Carlson admitted was an excellent choice. No matter who won in the end, Eagan is proud to say that two of the ten nominees were Wildcats.


Although the season hasn’t ended yet, there’s already one game in par-ticular that stands out for the boys’ lacrosse team. The April 14 game against Benilde-St.Margeret was a challenge but ended with a well-deserved win. Benilde-St. Margeret won state the year before and was one of Eagan’s biggest rivals. In a nail-biting thriller, the Wildcats pulled out a victory, winning by one point with a final score of 10-9. Sophomore Max Elsenheimer led the team, scoring three of the ten goals. When asked about the game, he com-mented, “It was probably one of my favorite. Everyone was dialed into it; it was really special.”

Photo by Haley DavisNational Signing Day in Fe-buary 2012

Photo by Rachel Larson

Got issues?

Join the newspa-per staff for nine

issues next year as well as the release

of our website.

Application pro-cess begins in

September.

Have a great summer!

eagan independent - june 2012

Documents