www.mvviewer.org Friday, December 7, 2012 Volume 60, Issue 5

Mounds View

Up close and personal

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FIRST-TIMESENIORS

IN FEATURES 4

PLAYINGODD SPORTS

IN SPORTS 11

Turtle Lake PlaygroundFundraiser

ONLINE mvviewer.org

Elementary School teams up with Clorox to improve the playground equipment.

A behind-the-scenes look at Mounds View’s student representatives

As morning creeps in, members of Student Council slowly trickle into room 107 for their bi-weekly meeting. As they pass around breakfast snacks, Co-President McKenna Splett sounds off the meeting’s agenda.

First, a quick recap of the Food Drive and mention of caroling at Macy’s. Then, future community projects, sign ups for selling concessions at home games, and the Council’s Holiday Party. This meeting, like most, focuses on improving the school community through events and community service.

While Student Council’s focus has long been community-building, this year’s council has also stepped into a slightly different role. Recently, it was involved in a decision to enforce the school dress code at the Halloween Dance, taking on responsibility for a slightly controversial policy change.

Could this signal a change in the Student Council’s role? Splett believes not, saying the enforcement of dance rules “was more of a Mrs. Belland thing, talking with the administration and figuring out the dance policy. I just helped input the policy.”

Most council members say they do not see major changes coming, but at some area schools, student governments play a much larger role in decision-making.

For example, students at Avalon Charter School in St. Paul actively create school

rules. Student Congress, a component of the school’s student government, is a place where kids make decisions, such as how to allocate an extra 10 minutes added to the school day. However, this may be more feasible at a school with only 185 students. “It empowers students to make decisions,” said Project Coordinator and Advisor Carrie Bakken.

White Bear South Campus Student Council is similar to Mounds View’s. White Bear’s Council, like Mounds View’s, stresses the importance of community and service. They hold a food shelf and promote positive behavior.

White Bear Student Council Advisor John Forestell said, “Service encapsulates all of us despite our differences.”

However, White Bear strongly emphasizes influencing school policy and voicing student opinion. Its Student Council Executive Board interacts with administration on a daily basis.To obtain student opinions, White Bear’s Council directly asks students about any concerns they might have. For sensitive topics, there is a suggestion locker.

The Mounds View Student Council’s Constitution grants its members many powers and duties. They have “the power... to develop policies... necessary for the betterment of the school” and “to act as a barometer of student opinion” among other things.

However, new advisor Shannon Belland says there has not been a real need

for Council to influence policy. As far as collecting student input, council leaders say they hear about concerns and issues informally through their members or by asking others at student events.

According to Splett, the Council has tried other methods of finding student opinions. In previous years, it has held monthly open forum meetings. These were cancelled because of low attendance.

Since arriving at Mounds View last summer, Principal Jeff Erickson has promoted communication between the council and administration and has asked them for feedback. Their role, he said, is “promoting a positive culture in the building, modeling service, and a liaison between the students and the administration.”

However, a larger role in decision-making for Mounds View’s council doesn’t seem likely. Splett said, several years ago the council tried to press for open lunches for students, but didn’t get anywhere. “We made a huge presentation and brought it to the School Board and the superintendent, but we got shut down. The board thought it wasn’t a good idea to have open lunch.”

Splett added, “I think it would be beneficial for us to have a larger role in decision-making because we know the students well.” It’s a good idea, but its hard for [the administration] to put power in our hands because they know what’s better for the school from experience.”

Staff Editorial. Page 2

A voice for students?

VIEWER

TEACHERS’SECRET PASTS

IN SPREAD 6-7

UPCOMING COUNCIL EVENTS:Concessions: Dec. 4 Dec. 7 Dec. 13 Dec. 18

Bell Ringing: Dec. 20

Hot Cocoa Day: Dec. 21

Feed My Starving Children: Feb. 8

by PETER OLSON and PHOEBE KEnews editor and staff reporter

Student Council conducts their bi-weekly meeting and advertises and sets up for the Food Drive.

2editorials

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431

2012-2013Viewer EditorsEditor-in-Chief

Max WangManaging Editors

-Online/Design Megan Ruan-Copy Chief Akshay Patke

Business ManagerTristan Achittino

NewsPeter Olson

EditorialsDavid Gonzalez-Dysinger

Allison HareFeatures

Mali BacigCammie Kelly

SpreadJohn Knopf

Sasha SafonovVariety

Selin KurtogluReviews

Matt VogesSports

David LiuAdam Toninato

GalleryYoungjun Park

Photographers/ArtistsJoy Xie, Ben Kaiser,

Anders Nygaard, Tim Appolloni, Sophie Gorham, Kevin Lee

Adviser Martha Rush

Staff Samantha Baschky, Josephine Berg-mann, Nina Bertelsen, James Birr, Nolan Carlson-Stevermer, Alec Edgett, Kobi En-drizzi, Namrata Gadela, Molly Hancuh, John Hingos, Jospeh Janey, Phoebe Ke, Monica Kemp, Jonathan Kim, Mitchell LeMay, Kyoka Millard, Matthew Montgomery, Angela Nan, Rebecca Nara, Ntonobari Ollor, Kyler Roberts, Madeline Rosenow, Neha Sethi, Mark Sheldon, Thomas Sletten, Alistair Tang, Nicole Wahlin, Ryan Yoch

The Viewer is published by the student editors at:

Mounds View High School1900 Lake Valentine RdArden Hills, Minnesota

Sauk Centre Publishing

December 7, 2012

Viewer Mission Statement1. To publish news, information and opinion articles for and about student, faculty and administration activities, interests and policies. 2. To maintain high ethical standards with regard to fairness, personal and legal rights, responsibilities and accuracy.3. To provide a forum for free and responsible expression of student opinion and present well-balanced, locally researched coverage of issues of broader student interest.4. To strive for a high level of competency in the technical aspect of writing, including grammar, spelling, clarity, and precision.5. To welcome diversity and increase the scope and depth of our coverage in order to heighten mutual understanding and awareness throughout our entire school community.

Articles and letters to the editor appearing on the editorials pages represent solely the opinions of the writers and do not represent in any way the viewpoint of Viewer, our advertisers, Mounds View High School or its staff.

The editors of the Viewer welcome and encourage the publication of all viewpoints.

2 Robbie He

Winter fashion

Seniors’ work ethic

The Chicago Cubs

Lindsay Lohan’s acting career

That song by Beck

The freshman class

Romney 2016

TOP10

Lost Causes

Yearbook

Your GPA with Mr. Wright

The AP U.S. Government and Politics class runs a Mock Congress every semester. Here, students debate changes they would like to see at Mounds View. Many ideas are very good—for example, students wanted to give honors classes more weight in calculating GPA, and others wanted to waive student-ath-letes from the school’s gym requirement.

Students have no shortage of opinions, but they do not have an effective mechanism, outside of the classroom, for getting their ideas heard. This should be part of Student Council’s job, to listen to our opinions and act as an inter-mediary between students and the administration.

Currently, Student Council does an excellent job organiz-ing events like school dances, the Moonwalk, Teacher Appreciation week, and food drives. While this helps to create unity among the stu-dent body and set a good ex-ample for students, planning social events and fundraisers should not be the only duties of a student government body.

First, the Council should be a resource for students and their organizations at school. If a problem arises that should

be brought to the attention of the administration, Student Council should be the middle-man that represents students to the administration and vice versa. For example, student-run activities face difficulties advertising and recruiting because of rules restric-tions (see “Give student-run activities the attention they deserve” on page 3). Student Council should speak with leaders of these activities and bring forward their case to the administration.

Next, the Council should seek out student opinions. In order for students to play a part in creating the future of our school, the Council should find students’ opin-ions by using suggestion boxes, opinion polls, or even events centered on garnering the viewpoints of students. This would create mediums through which students could raise questions and issues with the school and its operations. In turn, Student Council should be respon-sible for discussing the issue, making a recommendation, and relaying the problems and potential solutions to the school staff.

In terms of linking students and administration, Student

Council should play a larger role. Attendance of council members at school board meetings is meager, and there is no means for students to provide input to the adminis-tration through the Council. Council meetings are occa-sionally attended by members of the administration in order to receive feedback about issues at Mounds View, but this is not doing enough for the student body as a way to voice its opinion.

To be fair, some elements of this problem are out of Student Council’s control. For example, the administra-tion has the final authority on decision-making at Mounds View, so even if a student’s opinion were brought up, it may not have an effect on the final resolution reached by the school staff. Also, while students have many opinions, there has not been great de-mand for policy changes. This is no fault of Student Council.

Students should be able to trust that their representatives are working for them, and have the freedom to express their opinion to Student Council as a democracy of the students, by the students, and for the students.

“I have never thought that student council has connected students to staff. If they do, it has never shown.”

-Maddie Boyum, 12

“Yes, the only thing is that stu-dents need to be proactive in talk-ing to us if they want anything clarified with the administration.”

- Sammie Hallgren, 11 Student Council

member

“ Yes, they do. Student Council is more for the sake of students and school inter-actions... It’s like an easier way to voice the com-plaints of the students and the faculty in a more organized fash-ion.”

-Shashank Holalkere, 12

“ I don’t think Student Council serves as a voice for the students... they really haven’t extended any forums or meet-ings for asking us questions or things like, ‘What would you like to see changed?’ ”

-Greg Amusu, 10

15 Editors Agree, 2 Disagree

Student Council should, well, represent students

Editor opinionsWhat your Viewer editors think of various issues.

“Students shouldn’t be held captive in the cafeteria during lunch. Let them eat wherever they want.” - Cammie Kelly features editor

3editorials

“The future of Star Wars 7: difficult to see, it is.”

- Peter Olson news editor

“Minnesota needs more consistent weather. It should not be 30 degrees one day and 60 the next.”

- David Liusports editor

“Look both ways before you cross the street, but look in a third direction of your choosing if you want to be mysterious.” - Allison Hare editorials editor

December 7, 2012

Black... Thursday?

Last year, one of my fondest memories was working in Shakespeare Festival crew. The production was put on completely by students. Never before had I been involved in a production that had so much energy. I made great friends with some of the most creative people I have ever met.

Shakespeare may not be an official school activity, but it’s a critical part of school for many students this time of year.

School policies, though, make it hard for non-school sponsored activities like this to establish themselves. These clubs cannot advertise in school hallways or use the morning announcements to promote their organization. I wish that these student-led activities could be given a little more freedom to represent themselves, so others could appreciate the work they have put in.

Shakespeare Director Olivia Schroeder, 12, admitted that the ban from advertising at school makes it difficult to get the word out. “We

cannot put up posters in the hallways or have information administered over the announcements,” said Schroeder.

Despite the frustrations, Schroeder says that, overall, the administration has been supportive. They don’t feel that Shakespeare “takes second precedence to a school-sponsored event,” and the rules are necessary to keep them in check.

Like Schroeder, Sabrina Batiz, 10, who is in charge of the Do It Yourself (DIY) Club, says that getting people interested in her club without the help

of advertising is the biggest obstacle. “Mr. Erickson has been helpful with getting the word out,” says Batiz. “The administration was semi-helpful when we started the club, but then it was almost like we got left hanging.”

Though Batiz has said that they are grateful for the substantial amount of freedom they have, she believes that non-school sponsored clubs should have the same ability to communicate as their school-sponsored counterparts.

Through student-led clubs, students can learn the importance

of organization and leadership. Both Batiz and Schroeder have said that they are very impressed by the capability of their peers to step up to the plate in non-school sponsored clubs.

Though I understand that allowing any student group to receive school sponsorship may result in stretching the faculty’s resources too thin, I believe that granting non-school sponsored events the ability to advertise won’t put undue pressure on teachers and administrators.

The hard work and perseverance of these students should not go unnoticed, but often does because they are unable to promote their organizations. The time and effort that goes into these activities is equal to that of any school-sponsored event, and it’s important that they have the chance to be recognized for this and be able to communicate more effectively with possible participants in the future.

The tradition of waking up in the wee hours of the morning to wait for stores to open with hordes of other customers is no longer. As Black Friday openings creep up earlier and earlier, customers can go straight from their turkey dinner to discounts on TVs, tablets and smartphones.

As this day of thankfulness transforms into a spree of buying, the meaning of the holiday season is lost on modern consumers. Families should reject this trend and take this time instead to share stories, play games, relax at the dinner table and reunite with their relatives.

While stores like Best Buy and Sports Authority opened at the “traditional” 12 a.m. time this past Black Friday, others took to the idea of

opening on Thanksgiving for the first year ever.

Target and Walmart were among the shops that decided on this earlier time, which they believed would allow customers to take better advantage of sales.

This change in Black Friday times not only diminished the meaning of the holiday season, but also affected the workers who had to cover Thanksgiving Day shifts. This holiday is one of the few nationally recognized celebrations that a majority of workers has off. It’s also one of the biggest travel weekends of the year, as millions of Americans travel long distances to see family members.

Requiring these employees and their families to give up their own holiday traditions clearly highlighted the extent to which retailers mixed up their priorities.

Thanksgiving is not the only holiday affected by the retail world. Christmas, too, is losing its traditional meaning with increased commercialization from vendors. This year especially, stores were decorating for Christmas, promoting holiday merchandise, and playing holiday music the moment Halloween was over.

Not only did this take away from the time spent celebrating earlier holidays, but it also influenced people to focus on gifts and material items rather than family connections.

Holiday seasons, on a general scale, have been blended together by retailers to a point where they have virtually lost all meaning.

Thanksgiving should be a holiday centered on reflection and being grateful for the things we have — as President George Washington

suggested when he issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789. We should not lose this custom as society moves forward.

At least a few stores resisted this trend. Nordstrom posted signs on Black Friday that said, “At Nordstrom, we won’t be decking our halls until Friday, November 23. Why? Well, we just like the idea of celebrating one holiday at a time. From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.”

Perhaps more stores should follow the example set by Nordstrom and resist the urge to commercialize a holiday, at least until it arrives on the calendar.

Give student-run clubs the attention they deserve

by SAM BASCHKYstaff reporter

by KYOKA MILLARDstaff reporter

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Members of Shakespeare memorizing their lines.

DIY co-founder Haldi Nielsen crafting

`

Max Knutson’s performance during the 2012 football season belied the fact that he was return-ing from a two-year break. He started as a wide receiver for the Mustangs during the season open-er. Knutson scored seven touch-downs, was featured in Kare11’s “Hot Highlight” of the week, and was a letter-winner by the end of the 2012 season.

“I wanted to come out for one last year and play with all of my buds senior year and help contrib-ute to the team,” said Knutson.

Knutson was featured in mul-tiple local newspaper articles after the game against Cretin-Derham Hall, in which he caught three long passes to help the Mustangs win the big game.

“I’m glad I came back, it feels great to be able to do something to help the team win a big game like this one. It was a good decision,” Knutson was quoted saying in a StarTribune article written after the game on Sept. 7.

Although two years off from a sport seems like it could make a player “rusty,” Knutson explained

that the two years helped him take coaching advice more seriously, especially since wide receiver was a new position for him.

Knutson came to love football and enjoyed learning from the coaching staff but will not be pur-suing his football career further.

“I would love to [play in col-lege] because I love the sport. But I committed to the University of Nebraska to play baseball,” said Knutson.

Knutson gives this advice to other athletes who are hesitant to try out as upperclassmen with little experience.

“I would encourage people to go out and play football. It is a moment you will remember in your high school career, even if it’s just your senior year. The coaches are amazing which makes it an unbelievable experience.”

4features December 7, 2012

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Last year, first time

by CAMMIE KELLY and NEHA SETHI features editor and staff reporter

“I would have started play-ing golf through Mounds View earlier. The team at-mosphere is great and I had a lot of fun when I started playing my Junior year. I am sad I only have one more year to play.”

“I wish I would have done the Shakespeare production. It seems like a lot of fun and I know I probably won’t have the chance to be on stage after high school.”

“I think if I could I would have started doing lacrosse as a Freshman. I don’t know if I’ll ever get the chance to be on that competitive of a lacrosse team again.”

Mounds View prides itself on the wide range of extracurricular sports and activities it offers. While many students find their niche early on, some students

decide to try something new in their later years of high school.

Max Knutson

Most seniors stuck with the activities they started with as under-classmen. Here are some things the class of ‘13 wishes they tried earlier.

Returned to football

Last year Shashank Holalkere, 12, wasn’t just a new member of the speech team — he was entirely new to Mounds View.

“My first year here was my first year in speech. But the fear of public speaking was what dissuaded me from it when I was younger. I tried swimming first, but then realized that it asked for physical effort, so that did not work out with me,” he said.

It turned out that Holalkere’s “fear of public speaking” didn’t hold him back.

“I felt numb at my first meet after realizing how well I did. I was sure that it was a technical mess up, and that I’d get a call later that day asking me to return the medal. But that wore off quickly and I was just glad to have been able to contribute to my team’s efforts and prove myself,” he said.

Not only did Holalkere perform better than he anticipated, but he felt welcomed by the environment of the team too.

“The team made me want to stay in it. MV Speech kids are insanely fun and crazy, as well as amazingly encourag-ing. Entertaining your teammates and making an audience laugh is probably the most rewarding thing in this world, and I couldn’t get enough of it after my first experience,” he said.

This year is only Holalkere’s second year in speech — and he’s a captain.

“The thought of being a captain was pretty scary at first, but now I’m just excited to be able to do as much as I can for my team. I’m just grateful to my teammates that they’ve given me this

opportunity to help continue our reign of awesomeness,” he said.

Holalkere was also able to apply his speech skills when he was selected for a role in this year’s fall play, Harvey.

“I decided to join theatre my senior year because I really liked the perfor-mances I had seen. I heard that the theatre people are incredibly fun and energetic. I just really wanted to be part of it, but I was new last year and didn’t want to be in that spotlight. Speech is a lot like theatre although it’s a little differ-ent because in theatre you get to play off people’s energy and have to make it look realistic,” he said.

Holalkere has learned a lot from his experiences in both speech and theatre.

“Speech teaches you how to believe in yourself despite facing many people, and it gives you the ability to express yourself more clearly and confidently,” he said. “These skills are applicable in every area of life, so speech gears you up for the adult world in a really fun manner. Theatre let me meet new people and help me work with people more ef-ficiently.”

Shashank HolalkereNew to Speech and Theater

photo by Anders Nygaard

photo by Ben Kaiser

by CAMMIE KELLY features editor

-Sam Maccani, 12 -Kenzie Jones, 12-Nicole Johnson, 12

Graham Wright flourishes a Smart Board marker at the front of the room while demanding answers from his pupils, who stand behind their lab stations at the ready.

“So the molarity of the acid is…?”

“0.018--”“THE ACID!”“Oh, 0.066--”“Yes, the molarity of the acid is

0.0666. Because I’m the devil.”Wright’s “chucklehead” students

(as he calls them) take a moment to laugh at the joke—before he orders them to work. “Let’s rock ‘n’ roll boys and girls!”

Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry is intense. Sometimes, finding the answer isn’t even the problem; it’s understanding the question. “Mr Wright likes to leave iffy bits of info and the entire class confused a lot of the time,” said Jon Wang, 10.

These students, most of whom have taken a year of chemistry previ-ously, dig deeper into the chemical world by piecing together formulas, studying advanced concepts, and con-ducting creative experiments.

Many students in AP Chemistry aim to put themselves ahead in col-lege. “I figured AP Chem would be a good addition to preparing for my college education, especially since I figured I’m going into the science or medical field,” said Aris Ututalum, 12.

Students spend much, if not most, of their class time working in the lab. Wright believes the difference between Honors or regular Chemistry and AP Chemistry is the expectations of the many labs.

These labs are much more than just mixing chemicals. Students conduct research before the experi-ment even begins, write their own procedures, and raise questions about everyday items. The class utilizes different everyday materials in labs and class activities. “Mr. Wright has

put a strong focus on many household items in our experiments this year,” said Wang.

Wang talked about the bleach lab; it was one of his favorites. “We’ve done many exciting labs, like deter-mining the concentration of two dif-ferent brands of bleach, and using that to find which one is more economical for the amount of active ingredient,” said Wang.

The students, who have varying degrees of chemistry experiences, all struggle with the most challenging as-pect of the class: the pace of learning. Wright holds them to a college level. “I try to give them the feedback that I got from my professors in my first few years of college,” said Wright.

Wang and Ututalum both recom-mend AP Chemistry to dedicated students that would like to learn in a lab setting. “Even if I were going into some career away from science, I’d still probably have signed up for AP Chem,” Ututalum said.

Long after the bell rings at the end of the hour, the students are still working on their labs. Wright turns to the nearest lab station and quips, “I know you all love me, but the bell already rang.”

5featuresDecember 7, 2012

by MOLLY HANCUHstaff reporter

For a visit, call 1-800-GUSTAVUS.

GUSTAVUS.EDU

Well, we will, because it’s the next four years of your life.

Rigorous academics? Sure. Exceptional Fine Arts? Absolutely.

Competitive Athletics? Just ask anybody. Will you be happy

here? We believe the answer is YES! We’re that kind of place.

happiness.You never see a college ad that talks about

In the Lab

CiCi Xu, 10, observes as her partner titrates a solution. photo by Ben Kaiser

Top left: Jered Everson, 10, records his data and observations into his lab notebook.Botton left: Sejin Kim, 10, pours HCl into a beaker in the fume hood. Right: Students work together to complete their lab.

photos by Max Wang and Ben Kaiser

Students in the new AP Chemistry class learn lab science the Wright way

photo by Max WangA flask and titration system setup for AP Chemistry’s current lab.

Teachers& NOW

“I put myself through college by

coaching tennis, foot-ball, and basketball”

Michael Cartwright

“Now I’m a lot less angry. As a teenager I was more reactive

rather than reflective and thought about my actions less.”

Justin BenolkinImagine a punk kid in your class with colored

hair and piercings. Now imagine him as Justin Benolkin. That’s right, at one time, the mellow Modern Philosophy teacher dressed like Slash.

Though still young, Benolkin has a wealth of life experiences. Before becoming a teacher, Benolkin worked at Target for six years and learned he never wanted a career where he needs a name tag. “I still have one, so go figure, ” said Benolkin.

Benolkin also worked at a gas station for five years, learning life lessons that can’t be found in a textbook. “Working at a gas station where all social classes and groups go to... I had more of a diversity of people not only that came into the gas station but that I worked with. Individuals who had never and won’t go to college. Working in a school doesn’t give you much connection to those people,” said Benolkin.

This interaction with people ended up teaching much more than how to stock shelves or ring up customers. “Now I’m a lot less angry. As a teenager I was more reactive rather than reflective and thought about my actions less. I oftentimes would not take time to listen to other peoples’ thoughts, I was so self assured in what I thought. As I got older I realized that even if people don’t necessarily agree with me, I can still use their thoughts to get to my thoughts.”

One example of this reflective nature is the

change in Benolkin’s view on religion. “When I was a highschooler I was very

much against the idea that religious faith was a necessity of life. As a teenager, I thought everyone who was religous was brainwashed, and it took me a while to realize that was not the case and that many religious people have thought a lot about their faith. As an adult I would be more likely to talk to them without being abrasive and confrontational than I would be as a teenager.”

Benolkin is different than the rabble-rousing teen of his youth. “The reason I’ve become less angry is seeing people who disagree with me and realizing that being angry and reactive isn’t going to change their opinion or ideas.”

Benolkin transfers this knowledge on dealing with differing opinions to his students. “Being an educator is far more than a relaying of information,” said Benolkin. He encourages his students to question things, even himself. “It endears me to students who challenge things,” said Benolkin.

Ultimately, Mr. Benolkin’s greatest influence ended up being the same exact thing he is today. “My teachers were influential in making me think outside the box and channeling my teenage acts into a productive format. I realized you can rebel and not conform or you can become a better person than is expected of you.”

Which teacher would you have been friends with in

high school?

“Mr. Carr, because we have a shared appreciation for facial hair”

-Noble Koshy, 12 “Mr. Benolkin, because from what I can gather from his student ID we were both disillu-sioned and rebellious in our youth, and we could game it up together.”

-William Spector, 12

Mr. Butler, be-cause my dream profession is a mathematician”

-Selena LeGarde, 12

information compiled by Max Wang, Monica Kemp, Tristan Aschittino, and Kobi Endrizzi

photos by Anders Nygaard and Ben Kaiser

Aiming a small toy gun in class, Physics teacher Michael Cartwright explains to his students the concept of momentum by firing play-darts across the room. This demonstration reflects Cartwright’s ying-yang personality: a playful demeanor matched by a serious passion for the things he does, namely teaching and coaching.

Cartwright has always been a hard-working straight shooter. “I was a pretty serious student. I was in a lot of activities,” said Cartwright. “Our graduating class was very small, so we were allowed to do a lot of stuff while the school had a great academic program. I was a football player, basketball player, tennis player, and was in student council.”

Cartwright was accepted to Harvard University, but turned down the offer. “I applied to just see if I could get in,” said Cartwright. “I tell this to my students all the time: it’s not which college you go to, but what you do in college. There are dozens of colleges out there where you would be happy, “

Cartwright has always enjoyed the sciences, he just needed to decide which one. In his undergraduate studies at the University of Minnesota, Cartwright started as a mathematics major, then switched to physics, and finally decided on biology with a minor in chemistry.

College helped Cartwright build his independence. “I

put myself through college by coaching high school tennis, football, and basketball,” said Cartwright.

During this time, Cartwright’s love of the state of Hawaii and its culture started. “When I was in college, I took a vacation to Hawaii and really enjoyed the cultural aspects and the climate,” said Cartwright. “It’s so laid back and relaxed, and so focused on the ocean. I’m a scuba-diver, so I enjoy being in the ocean as much as I can.”

After college, Cartwright attended medical school. “I was pursuing a career as an orthopedic surgeon. It was an awesome experience, I enjoyed it but I didn’t see myself maintaining that career.”

During his medical school stay, Cartwright was also a physician for the Army in the Medical Corps. “It was a great experience. I had to learn a lot about being independent. Away from family, and on working with others.” Being an officer, Cartwright also took on a leadership role.

Medical school ended up helping Cartwright choose what he wanted to do. “After my career at medical school, I questioned whether that was really what I wanted to do. My advisor suggested I take a leave of absence for a year and see if I missed it. In that year, I got my teaching license and found that I loved it. My first teaching job was in Kauai, [Hawaii]. I haven’t looked back since.”

Can you imagine your teacher styling a mullet? How about strutting skinny jeans? Learning about teachers when they were young can be surprising—both in ways that teachers have changed and ways

that they have stayed the same.

Teachers then

& NOW“I had a kid who

brought a whip to school to keep the [students] in line.”

“When we lived in Peru, I needed a job, and I got a job

teaching English at a private college”

Kathryn Miller

Betty Lotterman

Kathryn Miller, now the wisecracking European History teacher, kept to herself as a student. “I was very quiet and shy. I always doubted my own intelligence,” said Miller. “But I studied hard and I worked hard.”

Teaching was the decided career path for Miller since she was in elementary school. “I just knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Miller said.

Miller, a Mounds View alumnus, attended high school when the overall school setting was “more on your own.” Teachers based classes on lectures, without PowerPoint, and notes.

In college, Miller’s began to open up. “In a way, [college was an] acquisition of self-confidence over the four years.”

While she attended school in Bemidji, Minnesota, Miller worked in the file department of a Roseville-based trucking company, Warner Continental, during summers and breaks.

Miller’s job paid for both her college tuition and her summer trip to Europe after she graduated. She traveled across the continent by train and car. In this manner, she hopscotched across Scandinavia, Spain, France, and Germany. “I kept ‘bopping’ back to Switzerland to get a good meal at a friend’s residence,” she said.

Miller started her teaching career after returning from her European wanderings. Her first 14 years teaching at a school in Cass Lake, Minnesota, were eventful. “[It seemed like] a very different culture,” said Miller. “I had a kid who brought a whip to school to keep the students in line.”

Miller’s Cass Lake teaching life was busy. She taught five classes: seventh and eighth grade English, eighth grade geography, seventh grade United States history, and ninth grade speech. “For the first 14 years of teaching, I was ‘bounced’ around buildings [and subjects]. They had me coaching two sports, volleyball and track, which is hilarious if you know my athletic background,” said Miller. It was challenging for her “figuring out the difference between the discus and the shot put.”

Miller returned to her studies by studying archaeology. Her work as an archaeologist brought her to Golan Heights on the Syrian-Israeli border and to Gaza on the Mediterranean between Israel and Egypt. While in Gaza, she worked with a team that “discovered one of the oldest synagogues.”

She decided to continue being a teacher and discontinued her work in archaeology. “I was contemplating going into the field, but didn’t,” she said.

In 1995, Miller won the School District Teacher of Excellence award. Still, after 40 years of teaching (this year is her 41st), Miller sees herself as confident in the classroom as ever before, though she thinks contemporary teaching is more stressful and time consuming.

“I invest much more time in my teaching than I did,” she said. It is partially due to the need to keep parents informed about their student’s progress and the influence technology has had on the classroom.”

Despite difficulties, Miller still is very fond of teaching, “I enjoy the students. That’s why I like high school. I like my content area—world history—as well.”

Betty Lotterman, Spanish teacher, spent the early part of her childhood working on a farm. Every day before and after school, Lotterman helped with the chickens, cows and pigs. The farm work occupied a lot of her time, so she was rather shy, though it taught her a key characteristic in teaching: patience.

As a student, Lotterman loved to read, which made her curious about the outside world. In high school and college she studied German, and when an opportunity to work abroad in Germany came up, she jumped at it. This is where she first found inspiration to teach.

Having taken four years of German, she was surprised to find she knew little on how to speak German. “I had a really hard time asking for things,” said Lotterman.

Frustrated, she made a pledge.“I remember thinking, ‘If I’m ever a German teacher,

I’m going to make sure kids learn to answer simple, but important, questions,’” said Lotterman.

And Lotterman kept this pledge, but not right away, and with a different language. “I had never really thought about teaching,” Lotterman said.

Before starting her teaching career, Lotterman had worked on a dairy farm, managed a day care, delivered papers, and served as a cook. Eventually, at 28, life lead her to Peru.

“When we lived in Peru, I needed a job, and I got a job teaching English at a private college,” she said.

Her students took a liking to her. “The students there told me [that] ‘when you explain something, we understand it. ’I thought that was a good endorsement [to teach],” she said. Upon her return to the United States, she began studying for her teaching license.

Even a student as hardworking as Lotterman, who had graduated as a National Merit Finalist, found new difficulties as a teacher.

“As a teacher I’ve had to do a lot of work to figure out how to make everything clear for students,” she said. Making concise directions, simplifying processes into basic steps, and explaining things in multiple ways are things Lotterman had to learn to help her students learn.

Having taught for more than 20 years, Lotterman has received much recognition for her teaching. She presided as president and co-chairman for the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Language and Culture, editor of the Noticiero, and won the Central States Conference on Teaching Languages Teacher of the Year award in 2007.

Despite initial difficulties, Lotterman’s teaching improved and she began to enjoy it more.[Teaching] becomes more satisfying as you get better at it... its something that takes a lot of experience.”

Which teacher would you have been friends with in

high school?

“Mr. Carr, because we have a shared appreciation for facial hair”

-Noble Koshy, 12 “Mr. Benolkin, because from what I can gather from his student ID we were both disillu-sioned and rebellious in our youth, and we could game it up together.”

-William Spector, 12

information compiled by Max Wang, Monica Kemp, Tristan Aschittino, and Kobi Endrizzi

Can you imagine your teacher styling a mullet? How about strutting skinny jeans? Learning about teachers when they were young can be surprising—both in ways that teachers have changed and ways

that they have stayed the same.

Creaking floors, fantastic art, and that wonderful old-house smell. Sound like a good time? Then visit the James J. Hill house.

James Hill was a household name in the 1890s, when he founded the Great Northern Railway Company. Hill was an extravagant man; he wanted his house to be the best in the nation — just like everything else. While other railway owners sat back in their offices, Mr. Hill was out on the lines scouting with his men.

The house exceeded even Hill’s expectations. At 36,000 square feet, it contains 16 bedrooms and an almost hundred-foot-long grand hallway, embossed with extravagant woodwork and massive chandeliers.

The James J. Hill house is so large that a two-story art gallery fits inside. The gallery features a full-sized pipe organ, a massive skylight dominating the ceiling, and an exhibition of Native American artwork.

The Hill house offers two tours. The basic tour is an hour and a half and shows 70 percent of the historical house. The rest is available during a “Nooks and Crannies” tour given in the summer. The tour guides are excited about history, and know their stuff. If a patron has any questions, even one about the personal lives of the Hill family, the guides are quick to respond with an informed answer.

After seeing the art pieces, tours move upstairs, via the grand staircase. Visitors get a peek into the Hills’ personal life. Hill’s house still has maintained the original clothing

worn by the family, their bedrooms, the room where the eight children had school, and the servants’ quarters.

The tours are fun, the house is fascinating, and the house is warm. So, this winter, if you’re looking to venture away from your home, but still stay toasty warm, the James J. Hill house is the perfect place.

8variety December 7, 2012

by JOSIE BERGMANNstaff reporter

NNA Step Back in Time

Passed over by the unobservant eye, 5000 miniature warriors guard their posts around the Twin Cities. Intended to spur public interest, they are biodegradable, palm-sized versions of the Terracotta Warrior statues on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) through January 20.

Thousands of similar statues defend the tomb of QinShi Huang, the first emperor of China. Etched with staggering details despite their vast numbers, they are fully equipped for battle with swords, shields, and even horses. Buried with the warriors are food containers, instruments, and decorations, items for Qin Shi Huang’s afterlife.

Since their discovery in 1974, the warriors and accompanying relics were rarely featured outside of China. However, this is the second time the MIA has presented such an exhibition, the first being in 1985.

Of the 120 rare objects in the exhibit, the eight full-sized terracotta men and two horses draw the most interest. Smaller pieces, such as ornaments and small bells on the wall, are spread throughout four other rooms. The larger pieces stand in the center of each room.

The exhibit gives minimal information, most of which is a repeat of the introduction available on the MIA website (www.artsmia.org/terracotta-warriors/#). For those lacking knowledge of Chinese history, the exhibit provides just enough information to appreciate the exhibit. Visitors may also visit the rest of the MIA free of charge.

To further participate in the Terracotta Warriors exhibit, the MIA has placed tiny warriors around the cities for people to find and photograph. The MIA encourages photographers to upload their finds to flickr, twitter, or instagram under #TinyWarriors.

Holiday Hill House Made in China

Who’s ?One

can easily get wrapped up in the delicious food and coffee of this cozy cafe, but Nina’s Coffee Cafe has a very interesting history. The cafe used to be an old inn called The Angus Hotel, built in 1887.

After the hotel was closed, the building was used to house the infa-mous Minnesota Gentlemen’s Club in the 1920s. Run by Nina Clifford, the underground portion of the now-cafe was perfect for hiding her secret brothel. Although named after the scandalous club owner, Nina’s specializes in purely decadent food and beverages, nothing else. Nina’s is a great

place to go sip coffee and to soak in the history of

our very own St. Paul.Nina’s is

a very old, comfortable

cafe.

Coming in from Western Avenue to the cafe, patrons may get the sense they’re walking into an old castle with large wooden columns and carved patterning on the wood above the main entrance.

The two huge brick arches to the right lead into a bigger sitting area with comfy chairs perfect for curling up with a cup and a book. The brick walls give a feeling of warmth and the large pictur-esque windows give one a clear view to Selby Ave., where the cars and rushing people can be seen passing by.

Farther into the cafe, patrons can order food off the extensive menu and wait for their food at the laptop bar next to it. Nina’s laptop bar is just one of many assets of the cafe, because the flat surfaces and ample plug ins allow for optimal study sessions. The back entrance to the cafe has leopard print covered steps leading up to it yet another popular seating area.

Yet another charming perk of Nina’s is the bookstore located right beneath it, allowing the customers to or-

der coffee, go buy a book, and

linger amongst the historical visions of what used to be. The bookstore has floor-to-ceiling bookshelves with a great variety of titles, so finding one to read won’t be a problem.

The crowd in Nina’s is very relaxed and laid back. Many are students, with backpacks slung from their arms, are looking to get some schoolwork done in a nice, quiet environment. Nina’s is the place to go for a relaxing spot to soak in some history and enjoy some homecooked food and a chai latte. This is all while being able to enjoy a good book or get some work done. Nina’s coffee cafe is in the Blair Arcade on Selby Ave., 165 Western Avenue, St. Paul.

by NICOLE WAHLINstaff reporter

by REBECCA NARAstaff reporter

reviewsDecember 7, 2012

Editor SinglesCrystal Castles- “Telepath”

10/10

Rick Ross- “100 Black Coffins”

-David Gonzalez-Dysingereditorials editor4/10

Hip-hop’s favorite ex-corrections officer delivers another bumbling inco-herent ramble. However, the ominous production and dark lyrical themes make it more interesting than Ross’s typical offerings.

Sounds like: Cookie Monster reading a eulogy while drunk.

Yeasayer-“Reagan’s Skeleton”

-Matthew Vogesreviews editor7/10

A strange song, Yeasayer keeps a driv-ing beat amidst winding guitars and a determined melody. It’s not a very traditional pop song, but “Reagan’s Skeleton” is creative, catchy, and raises the mood. Sounds like: A strange party in a creepy, abandoned ’80s disco club.

Ke$ha-Die Young

-Adam Toninatosports editor

Die Young brought Ke$ha back to the spotlight where she deserves to be. She is the most under appreciated, and underplayed artist of our time. She is just so misunderstood.

Sounds like: Gold

“Telepath” is an echoey electro dance tune that seems like it will go on for-ever. When it does end, I tear up a bit. Sounds like: Crystal Castles has moved on from the screeching vocals and harsh synth of their first album to a new focused and mature style.

-Akshay Patkemanaging editor

plethora

9

Boasting visuals on par with the iPad’s retina display, two antennas for faster data connections, and a longer battery life, the Kindle Fire HD is a worthy competitor in the long lineup of tablets.

The improvements from the previous year’s Kindle Fire are obvious. The stunning HD display and dual speakers provide a true HD experience for both sight and sound. A laminated touch sensor at the top of the display also gives 25 percent less glare. Internet speed is fast but varies with the Wi-Fi speed, since there is no 3G or 4G connection.

With over 22 million songs, movies, books, and apps available from Amazon, the library rivals that of Apple’s App Store and is far larger than the still-growing Google Play Store. Frequent Amazon users can also take advantage of Amazon Prime subscriptions, such as instant video streaming.

However, the improvements end

there. At heart, it is still the same system as the original Kindle Fire, just with a few upgrades. Those not familiar with the format of Kindle tablets may find it frustrating the first few times they use it, as it is not as intuitive as the iPad or Galaxy Tab. Also, the lack of a rear camera makes it inconvenient for photography, a disappointment considering the tablet’s amazing visuals.

These flaws are easy to overlook once you consider the Kindle Fire HD’s price. At $299 and $199, both it’s 8.9” and 7” versions are at least $100 cheaper than the iPad and iPad Mini, respectively. The display is also better on the 7” version than the iPad Mini, since the iPad Mini is not an HD device. The Kindle Fire HD is a cost-effective gift that most will enjoy. Amazon’s great new tablet is sure to give Apple a run for its money.

by ALISTAIR TANGstaff reporter

In the battle between mid-sized tablets, Microsoft has put forth a product that stands out from others in both price and purpose. The Surface features an innovative USB port, Microsoft Office, and the Windows RT operating system, as well as its casing and keyboard. It does have its share of flaws: its app store pales in comparison to Apple’s, the cameras feel like an afterthought, and its web browser is inconsistent.

The Surface’s VaporM’s smooth casing, rounded corners, and high-quality screen make for

a sleek tablet. The Windows RT operating system, though lacking imagination, is still effective. There were minor bugs, but they fixed themselves with a moment’s wait.

The kickstand can transform the Surface into a functioning laptop for more serious use. Created to enhance work productivity, the Surface has the full suite of Windows Office programs.

A final highlight of the Surface is the USB port on the side, allowing users to plug in flash drives or to connect with other devices.

The Surface’s main weakness

is its ghost town of an app store. While the Microsoft Marketplace app store only just broke the 100,000 mark, the Apple App store has over 600,000 apps.

Its cameras, too, are a major disappointment. Though it has both a front- and back-facing camera, the resolution on both was poor. This is a shame considering the Surface’s great visuals.

Another disappointment was the web browser. If there isn’t an app for a website, navigation may be difficult.

Microsoft has made a fantastic tablet for productivity, and students

will definitely find its organizational features helpful. A $599 price tag makes it prohibitively expensive, even in comparison to other tablets, though there is a keyboard-less version costing $499. But if you want a larger tablet that can be used for school work, the Surface may be the tablet to choose.

by MARK SHELDONstaff reporter

Microsoft’s Surface Tablet

Apple’s latest creation is here. It’s a smaller, lighter, more portable version of the original iPad, and has a lot to boast about.

Anyone who is looking for a new tablet for Christmas, birthdays, or a nifty tool to use throughout the day, but doesn’t want something as large as an iPad, then the iPad Mini may be just right.

It has a not-so-whopping 7.9’’ screen, that, unlike Apple’s other creations, isn’t a retina display. Despite this, the small screen has great sensitivity, and is easy on the eyes. Also, this smaller screen allows for a greater battery life. Its battery lasts between nine and ten hours with the internet, music, and games running.

It has quality stereo speakers that are louder than most all other tablets on the market, for those that want to listen with others or just

don’t like wearing headphones.The 0.68 lb iPad Mini can be

held with ease, and takes up a small space in a backpack or purse.

Finally, it has a smooth screen with a beveled edge that is supposed to prevent cracking if dropped.

There are three levels of the iPad Mini: 16 GB model costing $329, the 32 GB model costing $429, and the 64 GB costing $529. Overall, it is a good tablet, but for its relative quality, its price is on the higher end. Nevertheless, with Christmas around the corner, it’s a nice item to have on your list.

by KYLER ROBERTSstaff reporter

Apple’s iPad Mini

8.5/10

8.5/10

7/10

8/10

Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD

photos by Kyler Roberts,

Mark Sheldon, A

listar Tang

TabletsViewer takes a look at some of the latest tablet technology.

10sports December 7, 2012

Go Figure... Skate

The boys’ basketball pro-gram may lack seniors and returning players, but not motivation. With seniors mak-ing up a minority of the varsity squad, the program looks to its younger players to help carry the load.

Senior Captain Ky Chris-tenson has little fear about the upcoming season. He has confi-dence in his two other captains, Tim Hanson and James Van Eps, both juniors.

The juniors players will have large presence this season. “We have a lot of good juniors this year who are going to get a lot of good playing time,” said Christenson.

Many senior basketball play-ers left the program last year, when they were juniors. Some felt that the program didn’t fit them well. “We didn’t really like the style of play,” agreed Mitch Fredrickson and Lars Anderson, both seniors.

For others, style wasn’t a concern; playing time was. “The sophomore coach two years ago had his starters... there were usually at least nine kids that never saw any playing time. So soon, the ‘5th quarter heroes’ started to quit. After they left, other kids started leaving,” said one former player, who asked not to be named.

What the current team lacks in experience will need to be made up through a strong work ethic. “The young guys are going to have to work harder,”

said Hunter Sorensen, 10. Sorensen was on JV B-

Squad, last year as a freshman and knows what it’s like to be a youngster on the team.

The team has placed high expectations on the juniors.

“We expect everything out of our juniors,” said Christenson.

With little experience, meet-ing the expectations could be a challenge. Both Van Eps and Hanson have had only one previous year of varsity experi-ence. They wanted to prove themselves. “We’re going to have to practice a lot to get bet-ter,” said Van Eps.

Christenson is ready to ac-cept his role as well, to lead by example for the younger teammates. Christenson feels his role has changed quite substantially.

“I have a lot of leadership now, and I need to stay stronger in games,” said Christenson.

After quitting, both Fredrick-son and Anderson sought out other activities. They said they spend their time refereeing basketball and playing pond hockey.

Fredrickson has no regrets about quitting. “It was a good decision, the pros outweighed the cons,” he said.

Nevertheless, Fredrickson feels confident the program will still be successful. He said, “They’ll be good, the junior class is good.”

Maddy RosenowSTAFF WRITER

After lacing up her skates, Lizzy Ploumidis, 10, stumbles toward the arena. She takes off her coat and blade guards and steps onto the glassy ice. Gliding to the center of the arena, the judges watch her ev-ery move. As the music starts, her previous clumsiness disappears, replaced by an incredible grace.

Ploumidis is at home on the ice. “I like that you can be your own person. I like the artistry. I like how it combines art, power, and jumps,” she said.

For Ploumidis, figure skating is all about the competition. She began skating at the age of five, and now competes in seven to ten competitions per year.

Ploumidis skates competitively for the St. Paul Figure Skating Club along with many other girls. “I like skating with Lizzy cause we both have a really good attitude to-wards skating and the atmosphere we can create on the ice is really

fun,” said Häldi Nielsen, 12, one of her club mates.

These competitors skate five days a week for three to four hours. “I don’t get free time. When I have skating, I have to do school , [but] skating comes first,” said Plou-midis.

Even when they’re not working on shows or programs, competitive skaters are always working on their technique. Ploumidis is currently working on her triples, a jump with three revolutions. “You don’t have it until you land it consistently because if you’re not consistent you can’t use it in a program. Some people just never get there,” said Ploumidis.

As for a team at Mounds View, Ploumidis says that while it would be fun, there would be obstacles. “Well, if they had a team it wouldn’t be a team like dance, they would have to do it individually and add up the points. It would be fun to do a team thing and it would be fun to earn point for the school.

But it would be hard because other schools would have to do it.” Very few schools in the country have teams. Instead, there are skating clubs like St. Paul Figure Skating Club.

Skating involves a lot of artistry, from the music, to the choreo-graphing, to the costumes the skat-ers wear. Nielsen uses her music for a source of inspiration. “With

my skating, I try to tell a story through my movement and pro-gram,” said

Nielsen. “I love skating because it is a joy to do and to watch.”

Skating is a rewarding sport; you get what you put into it. Nielsen, who has skated since she was five, said, “I decided to get back into more and more over the last four years because I missed both skating and the people I had met at skating. Skating will always be a part of my life and the lessons I have learned from it have shaped my life.”

Nina BertelsenSTAFF REPORTER

Häldi Nielsen works on her bauers at practice.photo by James Bourret

Boys BasketballShort on seniors, not heart

Boys basketball plays Irondale tonight 7:15 p.m. on Kauls Court

11sportsDecember 7, 2012

Peculiar PassionsMustangs compete in unique sports

Athlete of the Issue

Paulsen was named onto the 2012 C1 Division Adapted Soccer All-Tournament Team. The team finished second in the state tournament to Dakota United. Paulsen totaled 15 saves in the championship game, and only let in four goals during the entire state tournament.

Q: What position do you play?A: My position is goalie. And I’m a good goalie.

Q: What makes you a good goalie?A: I’m aggressive.

Q: Why do you like to play goalie?A: Because I can stop [shots].

Q: What is the team name?A: Mounds View-Irondale-Ro seville RAMS

Q: How many players are on the field at one time?A: There’s a goalie, a center de fense, two defensive [wings], and three forwards. So eight [players].

Q: What do you guys do at practice?A: We practice shooting, passing, and stopping [shots].

Q: What was your record this year?A: We were 9-1[in the regular season]. With the postseason we were 11-2.

Q: What other sports do you play?A: Yes, [I play] floor hockey and softball.

Q: What’s your favorite sport to play?A: I prefer floor hockey. I play center and wing.

Q: What do you think the team’s chances are next year?A: We will be good next year be cause we’re all-stars!

Q: What’s the hardest team you’ve played this year? Why?A: Dakota United because they were stronger.

Q: What’s your favorite part of playing soccer?A: I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter. As long as we win.

John Paulsen

SeniorVarsity Adapted

Soccer

by RYAN YOCHstaff reporter

photo by Anders Nygaard

What do handball, horses, paintball and Scandinavia all have in common? I know, it sounds like the beginning of a joke. However, to some Mounds View students, the punch line couldn’t be more serious.

Some of the best athletes at Mounds View don’t compete in sports like soccer or volleyball. They use their talents in unusual sports, ranging from bowling to horseback gymnastics. Yes, horseback gymnastics.

Officially known as equestrian vaulting, horseback gymnasts execute routines on horseback while the horse is cantering, between a trot and a gallop. Routines include handstands, jumps, leaps, and tumbling skills.

Sarah Whillock, 12, is a master of this sport. Last year, Whillock took second in the national equestrian vaulting competition. She is training hard to take first this year.

“It’s very physical. You have to be very strong and just as flexible. It takes a lot of working out,” said Whillock. Despite the tough training, Sarah says she really enjoys the creativity.

Whillock is used to explaining her sport. When others discover she is a horseback gymnast, “they ask if the horse is moving, then they say it sounds dangerous,” said Whillock.

However, horseback gymnastics is one of the safest horse-related sports. In the past five years, only two head injuries have been recorded by the American Vaulting Association.

French foreign exchange student Antoine Vaxelaire, 12, watched proudly as France’s handball team won gold in the 2008 Olympics. After some consideration, he decided to try playing and found it was a match made in handball heaven. “I played it for pleasure at first, then I played in a competition, and I thought it was really cool,” said Vaxelaire.

Handball is a team sport that pits two teams of seven (six players and one goalie) against each other. The game is fast-paced and includes body contact as defenders try to prevent the other team from approaching their goal. A match consists of two 30 minute periods. Handball is a high scoring game. A typical match may consist of 20 goals for each team. The sport is generally popular in European and some South American countries.

For more cool photos of Peculiar Passions,visit mvviewer.org!

photo courtesy of Sarah Whillock

Any Call of Duty fanatic would consider senior Yevgeniy Pozdeyev’s sport a dream. “My best friend’s dad has a paintball club and we played there a lot. One time we entered into a contest to see how we’d do and we got second,” said Pozdeyev.

Even though Pozdeyev gets a lot of bruises from paintball, he said “the feeling you get when you are in the middle of a round” makes it all worth it.

In paintball, individuals or teams compete to eliminate opponents by tagging them with a washable dye contained within a gelatin shell. A paintball gun propels the paintballs by using compressed gas. Games can be played in a variety of terrains and locations. Depending on the variant played, games can last anywhere from seconds to days.

photo courtesy of Yevgeniy Pozdeyev

Ever tried playing soccer on ice? Then you’ve never played bandy. Bandy, a Scandinavian sport, is a combination of hockey and soccer. Like hockey, bandy is played with skates and sticks on ice. However, the field is rectangular and players try to score using a ball instead of a puck.

Ben Bodine, 9, has played bandy for eight years. He started at the Roseville Oval. “In Roseville you can play it as a rec sport. One year I thought it sounded cool, so I gave it a try,” said Bodine. After eight years, Bodine says, “Bandy’s pretty interesting. I wouldn’t ever give it up to play a big, high school sport.”

fair use from flickr.com

December 7, 201212gallery

With winter fast approaching, a change in wardrobe is in store. Scarves, mittens, boots, hats, jackets, moccasins, and flannels are among popular winter fashion items; the art is harmoniously combining these items.

Michaela Morse, 10, who works on costuming for the school play, specializes in clothing combinations. “My goal year-round is to make an impression with my clothes,” said Morse, 10.

Morse’s winter outfits are comfortable and warm, but still have enough individuality to make a statement. Her favorite articles of clothing include boot socks, which are usually

knit and thick, and crew neck sweaters with interesting graphic patterns.

The outfits she puts together for the winter consist of a few different key items.

“In the winter I wear thick leggings with skirts or dresses which are thick or knit material,” said Morse. “Keep it in a simple solid color family that way you can mix it up but still aren’t spending too much. Also have a range of accessories like scarves and necklaces.”

When in doubt on what to wear, following these few simple tips can help. There are many fashion options during the winter for any person’s various needs.

NAMRATA GADELAstaff reporter

A: “I’m gonna be a redneck so I dress in flannel.”

*Nick Schwartz, 10

Q: What do you like to dress in during winter?

Q &A

Q: What would you consider the general winter fashion at Mounds View?A: “Very few people are conscious of any season at Mounds View. All winter does is pack on multiple lay-ers of Mounds View sportswear. 80% of the kids wear Mounds View sweatshirts and sweat-pants all day.”

*Adam Birkenstock, 11

#1

#2

#3

14 VOTES

9 VOTES

7 VOTES

Um... just no... this is not considered fashion...Editor’s comment

Editor’s comment

Editor’s comment

Meh... who are we, rednecks? No. We are Minnesotans.

No comment.

Editor’s comment on MV’s fashion choice

Unacceptabruu!

information compiled by Joe Janey and John Hingos

photos by Ben Kaiser

’’

Michaela Morse